Happy 50th, Bishop!

Jim and me, Easter 1977

Today my longtime friend turns 50! Bishop Jim Swilley, or Jimearl to all of his college friends, and I met on the first day of college when we were assigned to be roommates at Southeastern College in Lakeland, Florida, way back in 1976. Jim was 18 and I was 17. We have remained friends ever since. We stay in touch from time to time, and we (almost) always give each other a call on our birthdays. It's easy to remember because our birthdays are exactly six months apart. His birthday is April 3, and my birthday is October 3, so he will always be older than me. He met the half century mark today, so guess what that means for me! Bishop Swilley pastors Church in the Now in Conyers, Georgia, with his lovely wife Debye.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy Easter!

And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11 (AMP)

Last night Bubby and DeeDee colored some Easter eggs because all they had at the Easter egg hunt was plastic eggs. Leave it to DeeDee to do the grandmotherly thing! But then of course DeeDee is the epitome of "mother" and "grandmother."

Why does the purple egg look brown?

DeeDee is making crab stew, garlic bread, and salad for Easter dinner. It has been wonderful to have Nathan and Carla home for two weeks of Spring Break, and we've still got (almost) a week before they fly back to Jamaica. Wish you could be here, Todd!

Mama & Daddy's Wheel Covers

A "Before" picture for April and Rhoda.

April said I needed to write a new post, but nothing that eventful has happened lately. I've been busy with my National Boards, and I really have nothing good to say about that ongoing experience. The only thing I have any pictures of are Mama & Daddy's wheel covers. A few weeks ago Mama told me the paint on her wheel covers was flaking off, and when she showed them to me I had to agree that they didn't look that good. I told her Jerry might be willing to spray paint them like he did the panels on my car. Being the nice guy he is, Jerry said sure, so I went by Advance Auto Parts and got a can of wheel cover spray paint. Daddy took the wheel covers off the car, and I carried them to my house. Jerry came over, and we spent a Sunday afternoon sanding and spraying. Well, Jerry did most of the work. I sanded, then he re-sanded my wheel covers because the edges weren't "feathered" smooth enough, and of course he is THE Spraymaster. We delivered the wheel covers later that afternoon, and Daddy put them back on the car the next day. Jerry and I are looking forward to the meal Mama promised.

Jerry acting like Jerry.

Jerry re-sanding my work.

Sanding all done.

My chain-link fence was the perfect wheel cover holder.

Good as new, or should I say the "After" picture.

Note: Check out the orbs in Mama & Daddy's garage.

2008 Relay for Life

The American Cancer Society's 2008 Relay for Life is just around the corner. This team event to fight cancer is a worthy cause that touches all of our lives. Tomlin Middle School, where I teach, is very involved and donates thousands of dollars every year. In 2002, my whole family attended the Relay for Life at Plant City High School. My mother, Evelyn Blount, who is a survivor of breast cancer, participated when the survivors walked the first lap.

Mama with Jackie Waller Rollyson and Louise Crowley Sullivan, three survivors from the Turkey Creek High School Class of 1954

Mama and other survivors take the first lap.

My sister Carla joins Mama for the caregivers' lap.

Our whole family was there . . .

. . . including baby Nathan.

My good friend Jerry Woods and his daughter Brandy lost their wife and mother, Judy, to breast cancer on November 8, 2006. Jerry is the director of Relay for Life for the City of Mulberry, Florida. Jerry's 2008 relay team, the Couch Potatoes, are sponsored by his employer Florida Air Tool.

Jerry, Brandy, Judy

One of the easiest ways to get involved in the Relay for Life is to make a donation online. I encourage all of my readers to join me in this fight against cancer. You can visit Jerry's Relay web page, read his family's story, and make an online donation by clicking HERE. Together we can stamp out cancer!

Florida State Fair

The view from the ferris wheel.

Saturday afternoon I went to the Florida State Fair with my buddy Jerry and his daughter Brandy. We had tried to go to the fair Sunday afternoon a week ago, but the fairgrounds were packed to the gills. The front parking entrance was closed, and people were parking outside the gate all the way down Hwy. 301. We took it as a sign to try another day. This time we got in easily and even got free parking.

Walking the midway.

Brandy and Jerry wanted to go to the midway, so we headed that direction first. Brandy kept trying to get me on these crazy rides, but that wasn't about to happen. I did agree, however, to ride the giant ferris wheel.

Brandy at the top.

Jerry and I hold on for dear life.
That's I-4 in the background.

Brandy trying to coerce me to ride the Dream Catcher.

Brandy and Jerry on the Dream Catcher.
Sorry, Brandy, somebody had to stay on the ground to take the picture!

We finally left the midway . . . whew! . . . and hit the fair food. After grabbing a couple of corn dogs and a sausage sandwich, we headed across the fairgrounds to my favorite spot . . . Cracker Country! Cracker Country is bigger and better than ever. They have a depot, a barn, a garden, a couple of general stores, a church, a schoolhouse, a smokehouse, an outhouse, and some loud live irritating bluegrass music. This Florida pioneer village is just like Little House on the Prairie. I would love to have lived back then . . . at least for a day!

Entering Cracker Country.

Behind the Carlton house.

Resting at a picnic table by the outhouse. How appropriate!

A funny thing happened while we were sitting at the picnic table. To the right was the back of the schoolhouse, and a man was sitting on a wooden box behind it. The box was a cover for an air conditioner or generator or something electrical. All of a sudden, it cut on with a loud grinding sound. That man shot off the top of the box like a rocket! I could tell he was hoping no one saw, but then he looked at me and saw me laughing, and like a good sport he laughed too. I would love to have caught that scene on video.

Brandy finally found something I would ride.

Before heading home, all three of us rode the giant slide. I could have sat at the bottom and entertained myself all day people-watching. Just as we started climbing the stairs, a rather large lady with a child on her lap came whipping down the slide. The surface was so slick it spun her around, and they went flying to the bottom backwards. It was hilarious! I'm sure the three of us entertained the spectators, too. I know at one point I went airborne! All-in-all we had a great afternoon at the fair.

Happy 60th, Susan!

Last Saturday evening we surprised my dear friend and colleague Susan Stephens with a party at Mary Roberts' house to celebrate her 60th birthday. Many of Susan's family members and friends were there, and of course there was an amazing spread of food.

Surprise!

Susan sees her sister.

More surprises.

Mary Roberts, party hostess extraordinaire!

Mary's lovely daughter Ashley and Elvis

Lauren, Emerson Rose, and Derrick

Susan, Brandon, and Emerson

Marilyn and Pam

My buddy Greg pulled in as I was leaving.

Happy birthday, Susan! We love you!

My Car

I finally paid my car off, and as often happens, immediately had a major repair. This time it was the ball joints. When I went to pick up my car, my mechanic Frank recommended that I get four new tires . . . another big expense! But I prayed about it, and the Lord helped me find four Goodyear Wranglers for $65.00 each.

I have also been driving around for a few years with faded (supposedly black) panels on my doors and hatchback. The panels in the back were almost faded white. I started wondering if I could just spray paint the faded areas. I showed it to my friend Jerry who used to work in a paint & body shop, and he said we could do it.

So, we bought some sandpaper and a can of semi-flat black spray paint from Advance Auto Parts, and Jerry came over last weekend to help me out. The wind was blowing pretty hard at times, but we taped off everything, and then Jerry started spraying. I couldn't believe the difference it made in an instant. When we took off the tape and newspaper, the transformation was amazing.

Jerry and the project

Later, when I went by Advance Auto Parts again for help with my rear windshield wiper, I showed the salesman, and he commented that the job looked professional. Thanks, Jerry!

As good as new . . . .