The Walk

Girls

Mom & I and Bruno are on a camping trip to Casey, Illinois...home to the World's Largest...things. This morning we saw the World's Largest rocking chair, yardstick, wind chime, pencil, barber pole, mailbox, antlers and token coin. We missed a few but may look them up over the next few days here. 

After a rainy trip here yesterday, it is a nice fall day, sunny but very breezy. The temp is near 60 but feels like 40 with the wind chill. Bruno has had me out multiple times for walks and a chance to smell every smell the campground has to offer. 

As we were on our last walk, we did a lap around the campground and on our way to the far side, the wind was in my face. I had my hood up on my sweatshirt and enjoyed the sunshine but hated that wind. As we reached the far side we turned away from the wind and had the sun against our back while we made our way back around to the camper. The sun felt so good the walk became very enjoyable, even as Bruno stopped and smelled where every dog and squirrel had crossed our path. 

I began to think our walk was like the walk we must all make in life. There are days things don't feel good and we want to turn around and go back. But when we finally get to the end of that initial path, we receive the comfort and joy as things begin to feel better.

So, don't forget when you have those days when the wind's at your face, your turn will come when you feel the warmth of the sun again. Just keep pressing on.

REMEMBER: There are so many beautiful reasons to be happy.

Be talkin' to ya.

Dad

CHARLES!...CHARLES!...CHARLES!!!

Girls

As I shared with you a few days ago...Trudy let us know that Charles Story had passed away unexpectedly. You all mentioned that you remembered him even though it had been many years since you had last seen him...outside of an occasional photo. Jaime shared she remembered him at the Owensville Watermelon Festival years ago, when he won the watermelon eating contest. (He later shared that he may not have eaten as much as he was given credit for...but I digress).

Mom and I still giggle about a story that Brady & Tim shared with us long ago. Charles' father (and uncles too I think) were in the home construction business and Charles, and his brothers Bobby and Clyde were also a part of the business. As I recall the story, Charles was on the 2nd floor of a home they were building and Charles was using a saw to cut off some of the two-by-fours (or 2x12's...whatever). Anyway, Charles' father was reminding Charles that there were some nails in some of the boards so be careful that he didn't cut through the nails as it would ruin the sawblade. Without fail, Charles cut through one or more of the nails, ruining the sawblade, and the next commotion was Charles' dad shouting, "Charles...Charles...Charles". To add extra humor to this story, you have to remember it was being told by the wonderful story-teller, Brady, so imagine those words repeated to us in Brady's southern drawl and his body language antics. 

Now a story that we probably haven't told you, is that I went down the summer of 1972 after high school graduation and before I started college in the fall and worked on Charles' construction crew with Brady, Tim, and their friend Mike. One of our main jobs was to dig the footers for many of the houses in the addition they owned. Footers are the 2-3 foot-wide trenches that you dig around the perimeter of the house to be built. That trench is then filled with concrete and forms the support for the outer walls of the house. (Brady, years later, moved into one of those houses and of course Charles & Sylvia's beautiful home was in that addition, and we helped dig their footers.) 

I think Charles paid me $2.25 an hour (which was good wages in 1972). I saved up most of the money from that summer job and came home and mom & I went to a wholesale store and bought the engagement ring and wedding rings that we would use two years later when we got married. I can thank Charles for his willingness to hire me that summer and little did he know, his wages would contribute to a relationship that celebrated 48 years of marriage a few months ago.

Charles was a good man to mom and me and will always be remembered for his kindness, friendliness, singing and laughter. We would hope that Charles may Rest In Peace.

REMEMBER: Notice when you are happy, and think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is. - Kurt Vonnegut

Be talkin' to ya.

Dad