Resting

We take our time, we look at our time, we enjoy our time. A wise, wise man has left us and gone to hang with the angels. My uncle Howard left us this afternoon, I can remember many moments with him, it was he that carried me about house when I was a wee lad, flipping on and off light switches, and hollering lights, lights Howard, lights. Much to the displeasure of the occupants of the room. The gentleman that explained many of the finer points of basic photography and composition to me.

He inspired me to serve, along with my father, a long tenure in the United States Navy. He taught me a great deal, he taught all of us a great deal, he was instrumental in standing up many programs, quite a few continue to impact people today.

He was around to help and assist all of my brothers, my sister, my cousins. He attended our weddings, he gave away brides, he dispensed wisdom. He had a ready smile, useful input and quiet commentary. While he was not a head of state, he greeted many of them, he worked for generals far and wide, swore off riding ships at sea. While I can remember a story he told me once that he rode a ship across the Pacific and the seas were so rough that he remained sick the entire time, I need not remind the reader that I spent 8 and a half years of sea duty in the navy, he made a deal with God back then, yes way back then. That if he could get through this crossing in one piece, that he would not board another ship again. He kept that promise.

I will for one miss my beloved Godfather, he was there when my parents started out, he was there when I started out, he took my brother and I to Jamaica so I could find my wife, even though I was seven, and my wife had not been born yet. He took us on airplane rides to many places, rode right up there in the front, with the big seats. Taught us a few words of german, yes I still remember, helped fine tune a love for jazz music, helped us find some odd jobs for spending change, as it was important to earn a dollar or three.

He adopted our wayward mutt, who lived with him as a companion for many, many years, Snoopy had a bad habit of running off, finding a mud puddle or two before he would return home, hungry and tired.

I remember him being there for many of us, much of the time. I will remember that he is one of the greatest men that I have ever known. He was godfather, mentor, brother, son, friend, and professor to many of us, to many more of us, he was just plain special. And sadly we give him a new tasking.

Ancestor;

Uncle Howard, your presence will be greatly missed, while we would like to hold your hand a little longer, we realize you are with the almighty.
Thank you for helping shape our lives

This Christmas. As we spend our days contemplating our great fortunes. Accepting thanks and giving thanks for all that has been bestowed upon us.

The Nice Dinner I made for you

This Sunday, a first weekend after everything else has managed to settle down, I actually made dinner, a real dinner, like I always have on Sunday.
A whole wheat linguine with a red sauce blended with garden vegetables and fresh basil. There was fresh spinach built in as a side dish, the spinach was great after I got all of the sand and gravel out of the bunches.

School Daze

The update you may have been waiting for is after 30 years of work, and not working, and career, and starting a family and raising dogs and buying a new car here and there. I walked across a stage last weekend and collected an empty envelope to signify a graduation ceremony.  My proud father, my two sons were on hand to listen to the dean of students or somebody like that at the University of Mary Washington call out my entire name. David Timothy Jones, yes now I am college graduate.

Here Linda

Its whats for Dinner

So tonight as we are all recovering from poultry fatigue, I have opted to roast a slab of meat with thyme, chili powder, salt pepper and adobo, yes my roots are showing again. On the side I have a pot of black beans with Italian sausage, the mild stuff this time and not hot stuff inhabiting my deep freezer in the basement below. steamed spinach, fresh tossed salad and something ricey or starchy to help make small bodies go. No helpers, they all fell behind on their reading for the weekend or at least forgot to log it all, (darn paperwork, gee that's just like some one else I know)

I might throw in some kind of fresh fruit for good measure. As tomorrow I get to ride out to the weapons station someplace and work for a short period 0f time chasing trons.

News from the box

There is no way I can possibly provide an update in a single post, nor will I even try. But here goes some finer points. All of my short children are on television lock down..... meaning their television is strictly and formally curtailed. Nooooooooo Television at all except when there is something on that warrants a temporary release of the no television thing. This to force them to read at least an hour a day, and I know there is some lefty well meaning social misfit that will state that television is good for children. Nonsense, we have almost 1000 channels on cable here and the fare is no different now than when I was their age, 88 % garbage and much of the rest of that is for someone with the brain cell count of a drunken fruit fly.

I will have some more pictures shortly, just need to find my way to a computer with direct access to my photo library, can't get there from everywhere, even I have some limitations. Actually there are some new pictures in here after all.

Keep posted and we will try and update you on this reading thing.

So far the reading thing has cut down on the number of hours that the television. And if you want to find out what I am reading these days, stay tuned. I think I am on the 6th or 8th book in almost as many weeks.