Make a Smilebox slideshow

Good friends are hard to come by.  Hate when you just start to make friends with people and they leave  just when you feel like your getting to know them some.  Mau moved here about 6 months ago, and every time I’ve been around him, I’ve had a blast.  Great guy who seems to brighten up all those around him.  Wishing him the best on his move back to Monterray, Mexico.   Hope I’ll be seeing him again in the future.  I’m sure he’ll be bringing smiles to all those he meets.

I’ve only been gone a while from wordpress, and I come back and things have changed. Hopefully easier to get around. We’ll see. Today our sermon at church was about Change. Lots of it going around, in my life there is no exclusion. I havn’t shared much in the last few months, not like I used too. Partly because I just havn’t made time, and partly because I’ve just been busy, and maybe a little lazy. I just got home took my neighbor’s dogs on a little walk, and am about to lay out by the pool for a few hours until my friend flies into Jacksonville around 5. Yes Derek has a friend. I havn’t written much yet. It’s all still new, and things are progressing slowly, kind of like I like it. But anyway here’s a picture and a name for you. Here’s a picture of Perfay I took at his new house he just closed on last week.

I’ve been thinking how lucky I was growing up in small farm town of Ocilla, Ga.  I was lucky enough to grow up not only being close to my cousins, but my 2^nd cousins as well.   My Papa and Mema’s farm was right next to his sister Aunt Evelyn’s farm, also by their farm was their brother’s K.A. Veal (Uncle Alfriend), and Elton Veal Jr. (Uncle Elton), in the middle of all the farms was the church we all went too, the church my great grandfather Elton Veal help to found or establish with many of the other hard working people in the area.   We grew up not only knowing our Aunts and Uncle’s but our great Aunts and Uncle’s.    Having close bonds with not only our first cousins but our second cousins as well.   For me it gave a sense of security and belongingness.  There we so many people to serve as resources and provided many different role models.   My dad also went to church with all of his first cousins.   My Papa also had another sister, Aunt Clyde and three brother’s that moved to Florida, Uncle Jack, Uncle Douglas, and Uncle Prentice.   They came to visit often as well, and we got to be close to all of them as well.    This past weekend my Papa’s last living brother passed away.   Uncle Alfriend was 87 years old.   What a full life he lived.  My memory of Uncle Alfriend that is the strongest is of him being the Sunday School Director and teacher as well.   In my memory there wasn’t a time I can remember that he didn’t do this for our church.    My second memory of him is with Aunt Mary Jo, I remember watching her sometimes when he would teach the Sunday School lesson, and how she would watch him with so much love.   I think anytime I saw her look at him she was looking at him with love.    He loved his family too, and was very proud of my cousins Caroline and Joey, and his grandchildren, just like my Papa loved us.  Another big memory is of him being a farmer.   My town is known for its Sweet Potatoes.   Each year we have a Sweet Potato Celebration and parade.   Uncle Alfriend was the biggest Sweet Potato Farmer in our town.   He grew the best sweet tators around.   He was the president of the Sweet Tater Council and the Chairman of the Ga Sweet Tater Commision and was always up on the big high-rise platform during the Sweet Potato parades.   He was also a big peanut farmer.   But as a role model for me was his love for Jesus and for his family.   I don’t ever remember him missing a day of church growing up.  He was always there, and I remember his beautiful prayers.   I was always happy when the preacher would call on him to pray.   His love of family and love of telling stories was another thing I loved about him, much like my Papa he would love to tell us stories about the Veal’s and Ennis’s we never knew, the ones that came way before us, way before him.    I’m forty one years old, and sometimes although I know I’m in the real world of adults, I feel like I’m still in the community of that little area called Holt, forever young, with so many great uncle’s and aunts to look up too.  

Wow, once you actually give blogging a rest, it is very easy to give it a rest, this was my first really long rest blogging in many years.   I’ve been doing it for years.   But all of a sudden I got really into facebook.   It was my newest thing.   I wonder how many folks blog that are on facebook.  Well there’s a lot I’ve missed saying in the few months I’ve been silent.   First look how big Gavin has got.  This picture was actually a few months old since the last time I went home, can’t belive I havn’t posted anything since then.  Well two weekends ago we had our little family vacation.  Look at him now at the beach.  Everyone has grown.  Autumn, Eli, and Ethan just started back to school last week.  Autumn 4th grade, Eli, 2nd grade, and Ethan in Kindergarten.   Does time ever slow down.  Sure wish it would.   I just keep getting older.  I’m going to try and start back blogging more regular.   Just have to make myself.

Tuesday night I went to Three Layers Cafe to see Tom Goss sing.  I really enjoy his music, can’t quit listening to his cd’s.   Check it out at www.tomgossmusic.com

Andy has been my fine Friday I know at least once, lately the guy has just been getting more and more pumped.   One day I’m getting out to Austin.    He and Jef seem like a great couple.   Would really love to spend some time with them.   Anyway been a while since I’ve done a Fine Friday or  a Sexy Saturday but here he is.  The guy is brilliant as well, not just another purty face!   

Happy Birthday Handsome man!

Patrick Mark Salazar is the wonderful photographer for his pictures. Here’s his website: http://manofaustin.com/

One day I’m going to take some shots of him that I’ve got in my head.

This past weekend was the Shrimpfest in Fernandina Beach, went up Friday-Sunday and spent with my friend Donny and Dan at there home.   Had a blast all weekend with them.  Went to a party Saturday that my friend Tom co-hosted, I’ll post pictures of later and more of the shrimp fest.    Had a wonderful breakfast at Mrs. Caroline’s, then went to the party and ran around the streets of the shrimpfest.  It was very hot.   Gavin and Mike came down too, and they came over to Dan and Donny’s as well later in the afternoon, and Donny fried up some fish and shrimp and fries.  We ate like kings.   Dan’s sister Kris came with her friend Mebane and we took some pictures down on the beach, and Donny and I got to take some at the Plantation.   Here’s a few of them.  It was also Gavin’s birthday on Thursday, and Mike surprised him with tickets to “Wicked”.  Will write more later it’s getting late.  More pictures to come from the shrimpfest and Roger and Tom’s party.

Went to opening of the beaches Saturday, was a great crowd there.   Ran into David Gano from http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidgano  he had taken this picture of me last year.  I wasn’t as lively as I was last year this year.   I don’t think I’ve written about this but I got robbed a few weeks back.  They kicked the front door down and took my laptop, computer and cameras.  So I really havn’t been writing much lately.   But things are coming together, a buddy of mine from Atlanta sent me a laptop to use till I can get my own.  (Thanks Daryl)   I should be getting my new camera sometime this week hopefully, if all goes as planned.  So hopefully very soon more pictures will be posted, and more blogging.

Autumn turned 9 on March 27.  Man how time flies, sSeems like yesterday she was this little amazing new bundle of life that was about to change all of our lives. Wow how she’s changed in nine years. Guess I have too. When I first saw her when she was here two weekends ago, I couldn’t get over how much she’s grown and the little young lady she’s becoming. They took her too Atlanta to see her mom and celebrate her birthday up there. I was there last year for her birthday, her Hannah Montana bowling birthday party. Just wanted to take a few minutes to wish her a wonderful 9th birthday Happy Birthday Autumn It is your birthday and on this day, I want you to know that you are a very special niece who has touched and warmed all of our lives, including mine. I just want you to know how much I appreciate you. I hope you celebrated the beauty of your funfilled spirit, embraced the dreams of your heart, acknowledged the great joy you bring to the world, and most of all realize just how much your life means to those around you.I love you! Your smile lights up my life! Happy Birthday