Archive for the ‘Friends’ Category
Posted in 
Meet My Neighbor
October 8th, 2009
My neighbor, Ken Turner, has been a gospel singer all his life. His last group was The James Blackwood Quartet. The following video shows the then Blackwood Brothers on the Barbara Mandrell show over 30 years ago.
Ken is the bass singer, the first man to sing in this video. For those who don’t know, James Blackwood is the second man to sing.
After all the hugging and kissing is finished you can stop the video as it is just a photo of Barbara Mandrell with no more singing.
Remembering A Fine Man
July 12th, 2009
One year ago today, family, friends, and the news world lost one of their best.
Here, Dana Perino remembers her friend, Tony Snow.
It wasn’t until many months later, after I had left the White House, that I had some time to reflect on how his life and death affected me. And now, about 360 days later, I think I’ve got it.
I knew Tony as a great communicator with an ability to argue without being confrontational or disagreeable. He could write beautifully and quickly. He was always game to try convincing someone why President Bush’s policies were the right ones. During the immigration debate, we’d give him a list of conservative talk radio shows and he’d call to explain for the umpteenth time that “the president’s proposal was not amnesty!”
He had his finger on the pulse of what Americans were thinking, and his fan base grew quickly. His coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks as a reporter gave him the foundation to argue forcefully and convincingly about the importance of keeping our country safe and for supporting our troops. As my predecessor as press secretary, he was brilliant at the podium, with a star quality the White House briefing room had never seen.
HT:Lucianne
Check out the video below. It is a nice tribute to Tony, but of particular interest is the 1:27 mark which remembers him in what surely were his younger days.
Friday-Fly-By
July 10th, 2009
After thinking through my usual Friday-Fly-By, I happened upon a post (and the video below) at Blackfive which made anything political, humorous, or informational seem a bit insignificant.
Evan and his family serve as a reminder that no matter how bad things might seem in your life, you should always take the time to count your blessings.
If you would like to leave a message of encouragement for Evan you may do so by following the link provided by Matt Burden in the post acknowledged above.
A Wonderful Success Story
December 8th, 2008
Last year during the Christmas Season I posted this video:
If you clicked on what appears to be an advertisement at the base of the video you have discovered that the original members of “Straight No Chaser” have now signed a recording contract and released their first CD.
While the Christmas CD looks terrific I especially enjoyed the recording session in which the fellows turned out an amazing rendition of our National Anthem:
Guess They Are All Just Some Guy In The Neighborhood
October 10th, 2008
The latest RNC ad targeting Senator Obama’s relationships with his Chicago associates:
Senator McCain will have to expose and question these relationships on Tuesday as it will be his final up close and personal meeting with his opponent.
And then there is this:
Louis Farrakhan Calls Obama “The Messiah”
Now the latest spin from the Obama camp on his relationship with William Ayers:
“The gentleman in question, Bill Ayers, is a college professor, teaches education at the University of Illinois,” he said. “That’s how I met him — working on a school reform project that was funded by an ambassador and very close friend of Ronald Reagan’s” along with “a bunch of conservative businessmen and civic leaders.”
“Ultimately, I ended up learning about the fact that he had engaged in this reprehensible act 40 years ago, but I was eight years old at the time and I assumed that he had been rehabilitated,” Obama said.
[Much more at the link and check the home page there for other interesting tidbits on the man who would be the next President of the United States.]
Notice now how he invokes the name of Reagan and includes conservative businessmen to excuse his affiliation with Ayers. That will be his argument now I am sure. Well Ronald Reagan’s friend was involved with this man so all is forgiven that I did not come clean when originally asked about my relationship with this domestic terrorist. Oh please.
Also:
Read here to see how the “circle” of Senator Obama’s friends continues to grow. Unbelievable!
Please Pray for Sue
October 3rd, 2008
Sue and I have forged such a friendship that we can complete each other’s sentences most of the time.
I love her like a sister, even though we have never met, so you can imagine my distress when she called me Thursday.
It seems she had her furnace worked on Wednesday and had the need to turn it on on Thursday morning. The furnace wouldn’t kick in so she called the people who worked on the furnace. She was told to go to the basement and check something so see if it was working properly.
While going to the basement, she twisted her left foot and fell on the last step of the stairs. She crawled back up the stairs to tell the people whatever it was they wanted to check wasn’t working.
Because she tends her two granddaughters in the morning and one in the afternoon due to the older one being in half-day kindergarten she had to stay calm while in excruciating pain.
She got hold of her daughter and her husband. Her daughter took her to the ER while Grandpop took care of the girls.
She has broken her left foot from the small toe up. She said the X-Rays look like a broken tree trunk, as it is splintered and surgery will be required to repair the fracture.
She’s on “happy pills” now, but won’t take two when the instructions say she can because she doesn’t want to be too dependent on pain pills. I told her to take the second one so she can sleep and if the instructions say every 4 to 6 hours take it in 4 hours to keep the pain under control.
Needless to say, my workhorse will be out of commission for awhile and we’ll miss her commentary.
The most important thing, though, is not the blog but her healing. I ask your prayers that she will recover quickly and not suffer too much longer.
Thank you, and I love you, Sue.
Does The Apple Fall Far From The Tree?
September 15th, 2008
One has to wonder how long the media can ignore the connection between Bill Ayers and Barack Obama.
Some things simply are not forgivable to a large segment of the population and that would certainly include persons responsible for domestic terrorism.
Why would a presidential candidate choose to associate on any level with such a person?
All I can say is that if the Senator had an (R) after his name it would be a safe bet he would have been driven out of this race or pounded daily as to his “friends and mentors.”
For Sue—HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
October 12th, 2007
I'm sorry this wasn't as cute as the one you gave me, but Happy Birthday to the best blogging partner a person could ask for!
Pray for Kimsch
September 21st, 2007
Kimsch from Musing Minds is having some gastrointestinal distress that has been going on for over a week now.
The doctors are stumped and I know from talking to her she has been in a lot of pain and discomfort.
I ask you to pray for her if you feel so inclined, that the Lord will put His healing hand on her and restore her health.
Kimsch is a very good friend who has done the design of this blog and I care for her very much on a personal level too.
Thank You For Your Prayers For The Anchoress
August 19th, 2007
I am still not at liberty to give you the details for the Anchoress having to go to the ER except to tell you she had more kidney stones and an infection from it.
She’s slowly on the mend now and I wish to thank everyone who took the time to pray for her, as she would for you.
She says she felt the prayers and I’m sure she did. She contacted Captain Ed, me and her brother Thom because she describes us as prayer warriors. I am humbled by that description, and will admit I got my circle of prayer warriors involved in praying for her too.
Again, thank you for praying for her, keep praying and praise God she is on the mend.
I consider the Anchoress to be one of my best friends and she has never been anything but kind to me.
Farewell, Mr. Bouchard
August 8th, 2007
OLD TOWN – Benoit J. Bouchard, 95, died Aug. 6, 2007, in Orono. Benoit was born April 11, 1912, in Old Town, the son of John and Henedine (St. Pierre) Bouchard. He graduated from Old Town High School in 1931 and Washington State Normal School, Machias, in 1934. He received his bachelor’s degree from Farmington State Teachers’ College and a master’s degree from the University of Maine. His first teaching position was in East New Portland, where he taught for three years. In 1937, he returned to Old Town to teach the sixth grade at the Herbert Gray school and was made principal of that school in 1938. Ben served in that position until his retirement in 1972. After his retirement, until he reached age 80, he substituted in Old Town schools in all grades from kindergarten through high school. He loved children. In all, he gave 55 years of devoted service to the youth of Old Town. During his years as principal, Ben brought many innovations into his school. He started annual operettas, which were mammoth musical productions held yearly in the city hall. Then, his sixth grade class produced a marionette show every year for several years. He introduced the Parent/Teacher’s Association, PTA, in his school and this was soon adopted in all the elementary schools in Old Town. Ben was a fine musician and played both the violin and trombone. In his high school days he was a member of both the orchestra and the band. In college, he was an active member of the Kappa Delta Phi fraternity. He earned his way through college by giving violin lessons and playing for dances. After college he was connected with two musical organizations, one an orchestra, which was composed of members of the Bouchard family and the other the Duffy orchestra in Orono.
I’ve heard it’s what you do with the dash in your life that matters. This obituary of Mr. Bouchard doesn’t begin to talk about what he did with the dash in his life.
From kindergarten through sixth grade Mr. Bouchard was the principal of Herbert Gray school, where Guss and I attended, as well as our aunts, uncle and mothers.
He walked with a big limp, which I found out recently was from polio.
He played his violin for us in class. Did I mention that in addition to being the principal he taught sixth grade half a day?
He was a stickler for penmanship and I fear he would be horrified by my lack of good penmanship. He taught us other topics too.
How well I remember the marionette show we put on! It was the most fun I had ever had up to that point. Everyone had a part.
He was a great teacher and a kind man. He once told me he played in my grandfather’s orchestra, and knowing someone who knew my grandfather made me feel special.
He loved Studebakers and I cannot think of a day when I didn’t see a Studebaker in the parking lot of our school.
He had a stroke several years ago and was in a nursing home where he was the life of the party.
On Monday he took a bad turn and on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock he went home to Heaven. He left behind 2 children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His beloved wife predeceased him by sixteen months.
Mr. Bouchard, some fifty plus years later your dash is still making a difference in my life. The world is a sadder place now that you have left it. I’m going to miss you.
Some Days Are Just Better Than Others
June 6th, 2007
Ever since the early days of my very first blog, Oh How I Love Jesus, and then on to my tenure at the second blog, which is political, I have enjoyed the friendship I have developed with reader David.
He is a very special person and I even ask how his wife and his “freeloaders” are. His freeloaders are his dogs and cats.
Until today I hadn’t seen him on this blog commenting and I want to tell you and him what a thrill it was to see his comments. I feel as though I’ve found a long-lost friend, even though we have kept up with each other by email.
David switched party registration to Republican last year, but he’s not going to vote a straight ticket any more than I am on local issues, at least.
He is not far right or far left. I would call him a moderate with a voice of reason when he does speak.
David is an attorney and knows some well-known people, but is just as down to earth as anyone could get. He works for his county and has a lot to do with various Indian tribes in his state. He especially helps oversee elections for the Native American tribes.
He has a very deep concern for victims of abuse, whether they be women raped or abused by their spouse or boyfriend, or children who suffer from abuse by anyone.
His parents were killed in an automobile accident when he was 16 years old and he lived alone with his brothers overseeing him.
He has wonderful memories of his parents, who sound like they were saints, and has overseen the raising of at least one niece after his brother passed away.
I cannot sing his praises enough and I can honestly tell you if I am not fortunate enough to meet him in this life I look forward to meeting him in Heaven. He’s that great a guy!
One more thing I know about David, and just found out recently by accident. He has an AKC champion Corgi.
David, please keep visiting us and keep us all straight. 
You made my day today! >
< :x
Please Pray For This Family
May 23rd, 2007
newton has been a good blogging friend of mine since she and I were the only bloggers on Oh How I Love Jesus. She moved with me and my partners to HRP but continued to write on OHILJ until I shut it down earlier this year.
She has written an email to me that breaks my heart.
There is a lady from her church who has 3 children, the youngest I believe is seven years old. Her husband left her after the third child was born and she became a nurse to support her family.
Monday night she suffered a severe stroke and there is absolutely zero brain activity on the monitor. She is technically dead, but her eldest daughter, who is married and a mother of two, has full power of attorney and I assume full medical power of attorney, and cannot give up her hope that her mother will live, so she will not allow her mother to be taken off the machines that are keeping her alive.
I fully understand how this girl feels as I was in the same situation seven years ago, and I held out hope my mother would come out of it.
I finally realized she was between two worlds and had to go to one or the other and since she wasn’t strong enough to come back to us I told her to go with the Lord.
Making a decision to pull life-sustaining equipment from your parent or anyone you love is the hardest thing I’ve ever been involved in.
I know the heartbreak this daughter and the other children are feeling. Thankfully, a sister of the mother has arrived from New York and will hopefully will give them good advice and, along with Jesus, will be their rock.
I have known of people who have died even while on life-support and I ask if she is to die that we will all pray this is the case for her so her daughter will not have to carry the guilt and she will not be forced against her will to do it by the doctor as we were.
Sweet, kind-hearted newton sent this amendment to her original email and asked me to ask you folks to pray for her friend:
Her name is Karen. Karen V. Originally from Brooklyn, NY.
She is not famous, nor rich. But right now, in the Lord’s presence, she’s a superstar.
(Daniel 12:3)
Please pray for Karen and her family during this difficult time.
Update from newton
I was at church about two hours ago. The secretary there told me that, as of last night, the machines were turned off: her kidneys and liver were taken off her for transplant purposes.
No one, not even the pastor, has any idea as to what kind of funeral arrangements are to be done. Her ex-husband said he was going to do all of that. As of this morning, so far, he has done nothing.
May she rest in peace. It is not unusual to not have funeral arrangements made the morning after a death.
She Had Great Beauty
May 4th, 2007
When we first meet a new person we usually size them up. How tall, how thin, what kind of hair, how pretty or handsome. Sometimes we do all of this without noticing and sometimes we do it over a period of time by looking at their features.
I want to tell you of two women I have known. One is around 50 years old and from the time I met her she has told me how beautiful she and her entire family are going back to the Civil War. (Not really, but it seems that way.)
She tells me how tall she is and how tall her family are and they all have blonde hair and just have knock-out gorgeous looks.
I’ve seen pictures of her and my opinion is she is very average and not someone who would stand out in a crowd.
I once knew another woman who has since gone on to her reward in heaven.
She and her husband had been missionaries to the Congo and had come home on a one-year furlough right at the time of the revolution in the Congo, and due to the revolution were not able to return to that mission field.
We were in need of a pastor in our church and they were the ones selected.
I was a young teen at the time, and sitting across the aisle from her I noted she was probably the ugliest woman I had ever seen.
She was short, fat, had thin hair and her face was not pretty in any way, shape or form.
It took me awhile to get rid of my shyness and get to know her by being invited to the parsonage, which was connected to the church, and having snacks and Christian fellowship. She was a wonderful cook and always had at least one fresh cake along with cheeses and crackers and soft drinks for us to enjoy.
We would spend several hours there just having Christian fellowship.
Soon I got to know her, and as I got to know her, something happened: She was still short, heavy, had thin hair but the most beautiful smile and face I had ever seen.
Her beauty was from within and not from make-up or being told all her life how beautiful she was.
They left our tiny church after several years and went to pastor several different Indian tribes in Arizona.
I would contact her occasionally and we’d talk. She always knew when something was bothering me because she said the Lord had laid it on her heart to pray for me.
After not seeing this couple for about 30 years I got a call from their daughter that the husband had died. Since he was from Michigan and they were in a nursing home in Florida, the wife would be left behind while the family went to Michigan for her husband’s funeral.
This seemed wrong to me, so I made arrangements to get time off work and I flew to Tampa so I could be with her during this sad time in her life. She always said she hoped the Lord would take them both together.
When I first saw her she looked the same, except her hair was now white. She still had that radiant beauty on her face.
We hung around that weekend and into the following week, and I was able to take her to church for the first time in a couple of years, since she was in a wheelchair.
Eight months later I received a call from her daughter that the Lord had granted her wish and she had joined her husband in heaven.
We’ve all heard the saying that we can’t judge a book by its cover, and I can tell you from experience the one who claims to have the beauty is actually very ugly inside.
The one who was ugly on the outside was one of the most beautiful people I have ever had the honor to meet.
A Little Something
April 27th, 2007
On a personal note if you will allow, the following expresses my feelings perfectly about two recently found friends.
“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” — Anais Nin
Just a little something I did not want to leave unsaid.
