Remembering Robert E. Lee’s 202nd Birthday

January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870

"Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less" Robert E. Lee

Memories

I'm reminded of the old church song "Precious Memories how they linger" and they do. This past week or so I've gotten back in touch with some dear old friends. We went to school together and pretty much every weekend we would hang out together.

Now, via FACEBOOK, we talk about our familes, our kids, and in my case my grandsons. It's been great hearing from them once again.

In one of Angels post to Sundra and me she talked about true friends will always be friends. Maybe it's because we were friends for the right reason. Non of us were what they called "town people" meaning we lived out in the country and our parents had to work hard for what we had. We weren't friends because our parents were members of the country club kind of thing.


The thing that I remember is that no matter what Sundra was always there when I needed her. I only have a younger brother, but to me Sundra was my little sister I never had. Sundra was in my wedding and through the years she has always one of my dearest friends.

The stories we could tell, Sundra and myself.... stories of seeing just how many people we could take to the drive-in show in Magee, her Dad fussing about all of us eating everything at her house... but you know what I always felt welcome there.

Times have changed and for all of us... but as long as we keep the memories -- those precious memories... we can step back and once again smile and be young for a brief second.

To my two dear friends, Sundra and Angel, we may have moved away, but not apart and above all like the song Bob Hope would end his show with.. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES...

Another Night of Dreams

Last night was another one of those nights where I was haunted by dreams all night. Like the picture, the dreams were dark with story lines reaching out like the limbs on the trees here. The setting was dark and gloomily also. I just have to wonder, where do these things come from?

For the most part I can't remember much about the first one. I just remember it like I said dark and gloomily. The second dream wasn't as bad. I was with friends, but I don't know who they were. I remember one part where I was done by a sea wall and the waves were breaking over. I remember the water being so blue and cold and that I was much younger. There were people all around yet I didn't know anyone.

Nothing happened at work yesterday that made me mad or upset. As a matter of fact I had a good day at work. I was able to balance the retirement file I had been working with. I wish I knew what my mind was trying to work out. Is it that deep down I'm afraid of getting older? The fear of being alone? I try not to think about these subjects to much, but yes these things do cross my mind from time to time.

Maybe it will be sometime before I have another visit from these dreams... I hope so anyway.

My Melissa

When your children are small you do all you can to keep them safe and happy. As they get older we start to think as parents we're not needed as we once were. This is true and this is a good thing. It just means that we did our jobs and that our children are growing up, but we still like to think we're needed.

Well yesterday Melissa asked me if I would like to go with her and the boys to the mall. Gage was in need of new shoes. Melissa laughed while we were looking that Gage was just like his Aunt Mary Kathryn when it come to buying shoes... and this isn't a good thing. hahaha As luck would have it Gage found some that he liked and all was right with the world.

On the way home we were listening to Melissa's IPOD and she had one song on there that she told me that each time she heard it, it made her think of her and me... I was so touched I can't remember what it was now... crazy old Daddy... anyway what she told me next will always stay with me. She told me that if she is having a bad day at work all she has to do is call me and ask if I would like to eat lunch with her. She then told me that for those 30 short minutes she is once again Daddy’s little girl and all is right and she can go back to being a surgical nurse. She said told me that some of the people in surgery try to pick on her about it.. but she said it just makes her feel even better... She told me that just knowing I was downstairs was all she needs.

No one could ever know what this little story meant to me. Here's my big girl.. with 2 boys and all that goes with running a family and a job like she has, but she still likes to be Daddy’s little girl.

To say the least my 3 girls are like the candle in picture.... they light up my heart in ways that only a Dad knows. Melissa, Lauren, and Mary... I just want you to know that Dad loves you so much and I need you 3 as much if not more than you need me... Love ya..

I SEE THE MOON.....

I See the Moon
Written by: Unknown, Copyright Unknown

I see the moon,
And the moon sees me.
God bless the moon,
And God bless me.

I remember being a little boy and Mom would say it this way:

I see the moon,
And the moon sees me.
Please Mr. Moon,
Don’t tell on me

What a day today has been. I was looking for things to get better... but after lunch things went down hill. I tried to update the next batch of info and it doesn't want to balance. I worked all afternoon trying to see what records weren't being updated. I may go back up there tomorrow and go over it again. With no one there I may be able to find the problem. It's got to be something simple.

I just couldn't help but to post this little poem about the moon.... and this picture was taken about 5pm this afternoon not at 8 or 9 pm.

Here's hoping for a good weekend...

TGIF

What week it has been... I just hope this fist full week of 2009 is no indication of how my year is going to go. I tell ya if it is I don't think I'll make it. haha

All week I've been working on a balancing problem. Yesterday I finally got all the invalid postings out and the file back in balance. Now today I hope to get the new posting in and to finally get on to some other work that needs to be done. I tell ya going in at 6:30AM and being there to 5PM isn't much fun... and what makes it worse is that I don't punch the clock....

I had Gage and Noah yesterday afternoon for a little while. Melissa got called back to work just before I left work. We went out in the back yard and we ran and played... I was hoping to run some of the energy out of them, but it didn't work. hahaha Gage isn't a problem and really Noah isn't either, he just likes to get into things and to keep me running. Gage was the same way not so long ago and now he's happy sitting with PawPaw and coloring in one of his coloring books.

When Jonathan was leaving last night I told him to enjoy them as they are now for it want be any time and they will be teenagers.

I think there must be something wrong with e-mail this week also. I've gotten very little mail.... hahaha... I guess everyone has been like me this past week. I hope that's what the problem has been.

Well I'm going to get moving and get on to work this morning. Just wanted to let it be know that I was STILL alive.

Picture for today is one taken on a spring morning... and I'm looking forward to spring again.

2009 Starts of Sad

It's the first weekend of the New Year and ready there's a lot of hurt in families this weekend. This weekend I know of two families that will lay love ones to rest. A member of all 3 families worked at the hospital and I knew them of at least knew of them.


One family lost their 3 year baby girl another is a friend that lost his Mother and one that lost her brother on Christmas Eve. My heart goes out to these families. All 3 of these families had one thing in common, they were working families like so many of us just trying to make. I guess we think about them more because we're with them more and they are one of us, but what about those like John Travolta's family, I think a lot of times we never think about how they hurt. All we see is them being a 'STAR' having more money than they could ever spend in a life time while we try to make it to payday to payday. I know the family is hurting this morning just as the families of my co-works.

What does one say at a time like this? I can't think of any words that in anyway that could possibly easy the pain of losing a child no matter how it happened.

Hurt knows nothing of how much money or the lack of money one has or how famous or how lonely one is.... it hurts and there's no way to easy the pain.

My heart goes out to all this morning that are feeling hurt and pain this morning....

Jan 1, 2009 - A New Beginning

First Light 2009

Good morning January 1, 2009. You're making a cool entrance at 35 here at my house this morning. I saw you roll in while this morning while watching TV. I was expecting all kind of fireworks to go off, but for once things were pretty quiet for once.

Mom told me once that her Mom told her that what ever you did on New Years Day is what you would be doing all year. Well as soon as the sun starts to rise I'm going to get the first sunrise of 2009 and then it's off to work. I hope this will bring me good luck on my photography this coming year. As for any resolutions, well maybe to try to be more out going and maybe to live a little happier life.

Last 2008 Sunset

This is the last sunset over the Pascagoula Beach for 2008. I wanted to end the year shooting pictures of the beach.


All and all 2008 was a good year. I got go the the PPMA Convention and meet Hanson Fong. Joined the Mobile Camera Club. Shot my first sunset beach wedding with Debbie. Lauren and Lane got married. Noah started walking.

This past spring I lost my little Maggie. Melissa had gotten her before she finished high school and when she and Jonathan got married little Maggie just stayed with Daddy. I guess she was 13 or 14 years old and bless her heart she had lost her eye sight, but she never let it stop her. Sometimes she would get excited and bump into things and if I were talking to her and move away she would still be looking at were I had been. The thing I loved about her most was that no matter what, she was always glad when I got home.


Today was the last day for Claudia. We wished her well on her retirement and we hope the best for her. After you've worked with someone for 32 years they become more like family not co-workers. It's not going to be the same anymore for us that worked with her for so long. I remember when I hired in she was out on leave with her new baby daughter April. Now in late Feb or early March, April will have a little girl.

Looking forward to 2009--- What will this New Year bring... Mary will finish high school in May and Gage will start kindergarten in Aug. What will my job bring about? Will I retire in 2009? I'll have 33 years in... I really would like to get 35 years before I retire. I wonder how my photography will go in 09? So for Debbie has about 3 or 4 weddings to shoot and I'm going to be shooting Erica's wedding in June. Wow.. all the kids are no longer kids...


Well with just over 6 hours left in 2008 I'll close out the year and wish all of you A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.

It's back to work today

Well here we are with less than 3 days left in 2008. I'm going back to work today after being off for 2 weeks. Oh God, I just know there's going to be e-mails and phone messages… oh well I'm going to take it one thing at a time.

I've really done well these past 2 weeks. I didn't do much and I didn't get to go the Mobile Cemetery as I had planned to shoot some. A lot of the days were just bad (weather wise) while I was off. For once I really just enjoyed being around here doing nothing. I think Lucy and I may gave gained a couple of pounds. Lucy isn't going to know what to do with out me here today.

Christmas has come and gone and even Christmas this year wasn't as bad as it has been in the past. Gage got a camera and I must say he is doing very well taking pictures. With him starting so early with a camera
there's no telling where it may take him. If it only takes him out on trips with me... well then the camera has done well.

I went up to see Mom and Dad Friday and Melissa's family and Mary came up Saturday to see them. Mom and Dad could not get over Noah. Aunt Pat and Traci came down and Gage and Brooklyn had the best time running and playing up there.

The picture for today was taken up at Moms. It's just a ragweed that has gone to seed. I tried some other shots, but they didn't turn out like I was hoping. I've got to get a better handle on my B/W pictures. They look dull... I've posted a message on the Canon Forum and I've gotten a few comments on what to do.

Well I'm about to get up and to get a move on here. The first couple of days back are always BAD... hahaha