When I was a teen-ager, I played in a very popular rock'n'roll band in the Chicago area. Though we made pretty good money for those days, cut 2 records, and toured locally 2 Summers, there were times the money was not "rolling in". The son-in-law of my "second" Mother", Jack Easterly, gave me a job working at his Clark Service Station. He always had a position for me no matter how many times I quit when things were good in music. He meant a lot to me in those days.

His son, Bo, was a little shaver back then, and has grown into a good Man. He has a family, actually lives near my Mom and Brother in Illinois, and has been watching my blog to see how the house was coming during the build. In a grand gesture of kindness, he turned this bowl for BD and me to display in the new house. It is made from Sycamore and is absolutely beautiful as well as meaningful to us. Our deepest thanks, Bo, and Pam, his Aunt and a close friend of mine since our teenage years...the goodness of the family shines from them both as sunshine on a new day.

On a second note, the picture behind the bowl is one of a great deal of significance. My Grandpa, whom I loved and looked up to as a model and hero all my life, was nearly 94 years old when he died in January, 1984. He and I spent several weeks one Summer when I lived in Tampa, FL, driving to see his family in Missouri, at least as many as we could who were still alive. He told me much of his life story during those days, how he worked the farm, and as a kid once visited St. Joseph, Missouri and said hello to Frank James who was sitting on his front porch. Anyway, "Mr. Al," as he was called at the Winn-Dixie grocery store where he worked part time until he was 93, was known as a man of kindness, humility, dignity and integrity. I strive each day to be as much like him as I can, as his take on life and what it meant to live it rightly and justly were characteristics passed on to my Dad and hopefully to me. Getting back to the bowl, the picture behind it shows my Grandpa along with his daughter, her daughter, her daughter and her daughter (Great-Great Granddaughter). It is 5 generations of him with Georgia Lee, Lanie, Kimmy and Kimmy's daughter whose name escapes me at the moment. As well, I have a second picture with Georgia Lee, Lanie, her Son Randy, and his daughter (whose name, I ashamedly admit again I can't call) to make it doubly good. Both were taken on the same day.

The second picture, the one to the right of the bowl, is of BD's Grandma when she was a little girl. I will let her supply the background on her in another post on her blog (gababs.blogspot.com). We have put up several pictures in the guest room of a dated nature, and will enjoy our guests trying to figure out who they are and to whom they are related.

Took this after lunch...still cold for a November day, but oh so welcome. I'll be sitting in front of a fire tonight!

 

This was taken on my way out the door this AM...way cooler than yesterday! I love the cold weather!

 

 
This was taken yesterday AM...beautiful sunrise on a cool morning... 

What a flight...

Rented a new Skyhawk this AM. Took off about 9AM...it was beautiful! The air was like glass, and visibility had to be 40 miles or more!! I climbed to altitude and trimmed the airplane, and it was so smooth I just sat back and enjoyed the flight as the airplane flew itself!!

Still trying to improve my landings in the Skyhawk...did 3 pretty good ones this AM...different from flying the low-wing Grumman Tiger I had been flying in the past...I will get used to it, though, eventually...

Success!!!!!!!!!!!! The "girls" as Hoss calls them finally got it together so he could play with it!!

The discussion was intense, pointed and direct...but both agreed they would shove the camera and the piece BD's finger was pointing where the sun don't shine if I didn't stoping pictures...

This was BD politely asking me whether or not I could find something to do other than taking pictures and laughing...okay, polite is in the eyes and ears of the beholder...

Sooner rather than later, Hoss turned his attention back to the Razor scooter we bought him, and BD and Melissa took over the construction chores...I know, taking the pictures to document the build was a taxing job, but someone had to do it and I was only glad to contribute to the cause...;-)!

He quickly put together the T-Rex, and BD started in on the Tank...all 278 pieces of it...

We also got him a Lego T-Rex killing futuristic tank to put together...BD offered to help him start it...

Image is everything...

Od course, the requisite yell to paralyze one's opponent...kind of like a modern version of the "Rebel Yell"...

Headgear, gloves, and footgear...what the well-dressed Ninja-in-training wears to battle these days..

More bobbing and weaving...he really gets a rhythm going!

Bob and weave, bob and weave...BD got a short mp4 clip of his bobbing and weaving in the "ring"...the headgear is a little too big, but he is ready to do battle anyway!!

He is very much enjoying his Karate lessons...he received his own "duffel bag" full of boxing equipment for his birthday...headgear, footgear, gloves, and other boxing protective gear...he suited up then turned to me and said, "You want a piece of me? Bring it on!" We laugher 'til we cried...

Melissa said every time the advertisement came on TV for Moon Shoes he went nuts...he loved them and after only a jump or two or three he took right to them!

The boy was determined...and graceful is a word not yet in his vocabulary!

We let him open one present before we ate, then one before we had cake, then the last one after cake and ice cream...he picked.

Tomorrow, November 7th, is birthday number 6 for Big Hoss...he and his Mom came over this afternoon for burgers, dogs, and cake...oh yah,, presents too!!

She is, though, 12 years old, and when in a comfortable position has a tendency to go to sleep...I can outlast her a little while in that respect, but it didn't seem to be a point of concern to her...

She did become somewhat smug while BD held her...like she had BD's attention and I didn't...

She loved to sit on BD's lap and be scratched...

Jenny would go right to the end of the driveway but not into the street...this was taken the week-end before we left for the San Diego EAC trip. She came this morning with Bryan to visit and she had a ball...then when Bryan was ready to go, she popped right back into the car with him and gave me and BD not another thought...more fun to ride in the car than visit I guess...

I can finally post pictures...don't know what was wrong, but it's working now. This was taken on Monday, October 24th I think...as you can see, it was pretty chilly here for October...the day before we had frost...