Well, It has been nearly a year since I posted anything on this blog. You know Life just gets in the way sometimes? What a busy year! I want so much to tell you about my whereabouts and all the stuff that I have been involved in.
Keep posted.... I plan to share things with you on this blog, and catch you up with my life. Oh yeah, then we get on path with some current stuff. It is Christmas time again. I just love Christmas time. I still pretty much hate the snow, but I don't live in Florida yet...
Stay posted, we'll talk about cruises during spring break, vacations taken, Masonic & Shrine events, etc.... I plan to post pictures too. They really are worth 1000 words, and the less I type, the better it is for all of us.....
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Looking back over the last 2 weeks, more snow....
Jan. 28th, 2010 - Jan. 31st, 2010 - The Kazim Shrine Circus was held at the Roanoke Civic Center- The circus comes to town every year and it is a fundraiser for the Kazim Shriners. This year was the 52nd year. We added the Thursday night, one additional show. Shriners, nationwide, hold many fundraisers and operate 22 children's hospitals for orthapedic, burns, and simular treatments. The hospitals are absolutely free of charge and open to children up to the age of 18 yrs old. The closest Shriners Hospital to Roanoke is Greenville SC, however, it does not treat burn injuries. A burned child from Roanoke will be sent to Cincinnati Ohio's Shriners Hospital.
The circus is Kazim's largest fundraiser and wouldn't you know it, it snowed again right in the middle of the long weekend of some 7 performances. I have worked every single show of the circus weekend every year for the past several years, since I became a member of Kazim. The snow arrived just after our Friday night performance and all of the roads were in very bad shape by Saturday morning, but the show must & did go on. The 3 shows for Saturday were of very low attendance. Sunday had 2 shows and we had more people at those. The last show was the best of the weekend and was a very well attended performance. The snow storm did hurt the bottom line.
I have to tell you, to work those gates and to see the smiles on all of the kids that come to see the circus just yanks at your ole' heart strings. you see all sizes, ages, and personalities. some come from families that clearly have money to bring them to the show, and some from families that had to pull together all the money from the piggy banks to get the kids there. The circus is a deal though. An adult can get two kids(With free tickets) and themselves into the circus for the $16.00 adult ticket. Thats 2 kids and an adult for $16.00. Thats fairly reasonable for 2010 entertainment.
Tues. Feb. 02, 2010 - Well it snowed again, not as much as it did over the Circus weekend, but it was enough to keep schools out on Wed.
Friday Feb o5, 2010 - Well, we awoke to another snow storm. Schools closed again, which meant the kids only went to school on Thursday for the entire week. This storm promised about a foot to ROANOKE and up to 2 feet for WASHINGTON DC & BALTIMORE MD. This storm left us with about 9 to 10 inches, and would have been more, but we also got a fair share of sleet, so that kept the snow accumulations lower.
I am so done with shoveling snow. I will consider the investment in a snow blower in the off season. This last snow was much heavier than the others, but the snow plows were able to get the streets cleared much quicker. I honestly think the Roanoke area population has gotten to the point, that anything under 12 inches is a piece of cake, when prior to this year's multiple snows, 2 inches would shut the region down. That being said, we still got folks that can't drive on a clear dry road, 70 degree and sunshine. Know any of those?
As I write this entry to my blog, it is Sunday feb. 07, 2010 and I am watching the pregame shows for the Super Bowl, which is being held in Florida. My New Orleans Saints are going up against Manning and the Indy Colts. Good luck Drew Brees! Go Who Dats! My Saints have never, ever been to the Super Bowl.
Last night I watched the Bud Shoot-out from down in Daytona. Nascar is kicking off their season down in Florida.
Baseball is getting ready to report to spring trianing down in Florida....
Have you noticed a theme?.... Heck fire, I'm going to Florida too!! Me and John Sweeney, Santa Claus, are going down for a few days. Feb. 14th - 18th, 2010.
The Provost Guard Valentine Dance is Saturday night Feb. 13th, 2010 @ the Kazim Shrine Center, downtown Roanoke. Live band," Off the Cuff ". I'll be taking my sweetheart.... That's why I'm not leaving for Florida until Sunday Morning, the 14th. I just love tulips, They are alot like me. They don't like snow either......
The circus is Kazim's largest fundraiser and wouldn't you know it, it snowed again right in the middle of the long weekend of some 7 performances. I have worked every single show of the circus weekend every year for the past several years, since I became a member of Kazim. The snow arrived just after our Friday night performance and all of the roads were in very bad shape by Saturday morning, but the show must & did go on. The 3 shows for Saturday were of very low attendance. Sunday had 2 shows and we had more people at those. The last show was the best of the weekend and was a very well attended performance. The snow storm did hurt the bottom line.
I have to tell you, to work those gates and to see the smiles on all of the kids that come to see the circus just yanks at your ole' heart strings. you see all sizes, ages, and personalities. some come from families that clearly have money to bring them to the show, and some from families that had to pull together all the money from the piggy banks to get the kids there. The circus is a deal though. An adult can get two kids(With free tickets) and themselves into the circus for the $16.00 adult ticket. Thats 2 kids and an adult for $16.00. Thats fairly reasonable for 2010 entertainment.
Tues. Feb. 02, 2010 - Well it snowed again, not as much as it did over the Circus weekend, but it was enough to keep schools out on Wed.
Friday Feb o5, 2010 - Well, we awoke to another snow storm. Schools closed again, which meant the kids only went to school on Thursday for the entire week. This storm promised about a foot to ROANOKE and up to 2 feet for WASHINGTON DC & BALTIMORE MD. This storm left us with about 9 to 10 inches, and would have been more, but we also got a fair share of sleet, so that kept the snow accumulations lower.
I am so done with shoveling snow. I will consider the investment in a snow blower in the off season. This last snow was much heavier than the others, but the snow plows were able to get the streets cleared much quicker. I honestly think the Roanoke area population has gotten to the point, that anything under 12 inches is a piece of cake, when prior to this year's multiple snows, 2 inches would shut the region down. That being said, we still got folks that can't drive on a clear dry road, 70 degree and sunshine. Know any of those?
As I write this entry to my blog, it is Sunday feb. 07, 2010 and I am watching the pregame shows for the Super Bowl, which is being held in Florida. My New Orleans Saints are going up against Manning and the Indy Colts. Good luck Drew Brees! Go Who Dats! My Saints have never, ever been to the Super Bowl.
Last night I watched the Bud Shoot-out from down in Daytona. Nascar is kicking off their season down in Florida.
Baseball is getting ready to report to spring trianing down in Florida....
Have you noticed a theme?.... Heck fire, I'm going to Florida too!! Me and John Sweeney, Santa Claus, are going down for a few days. Feb. 14th - 18th, 2010.
The Provost Guard Valentine Dance is Saturday night Feb. 13th, 2010 @ the Kazim Shrine Center, downtown Roanoke. Live band," Off the Cuff ". I'll be taking my sweetheart.... That's why I'm not leaving for Florida until Sunday Morning, the 14th. I just love tulips, They are alot like me. They don't like snow either......
Sunday, January 24, 2010
New Orleans Saints Win! Going to the Superbowl, Who Dat!!
Way to go Saints, Who Dat? Who Dat say they gonna beat dem Saints?
The Story of Jim Dandy!!
This photo is of my grandfather, my mother's father, Everett Wickham. I do not remember him, because he died in Dec. 1966, when I was only 2 1/2 years old.
Everett is holding a crow on his thumb. The crow's name was "Jim Dandy" and he was a family pet. My mom's brothers had found him in the woods when he was a baby bird and had fallen out of a nest. They nursed him and he grew, but he thought he was part of the family. He didn't stay inside, but he found you as soon as you ventured outside.
Jim Dandy was very found of little trinkets and anything shiny. We would refer to that as "Bling" today. He would hang upside down on the clothes that were out on the line and try to steal the buttons off of clothing and even take the clothes pins. He would ride on the rim of the slop bucket as someone carried it to feed the hogs. By the time you reached the hog lot, he would have had his dinner taken care of. Jim Dandy was the family pet and was around until late one fall, about hunting season, and then just disappeared and he never came back around.
The photo above was taken at my mom's childhood home in Botetourt County, VA in the Cloverdale area.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The snow melted, we had a 60 degree day, but Winter isn't over yet. Grab a Book!
Allow me to recommend any book written by Dorothea Benton Frank. I have become of fan of her work. She is from the Charleston, SC area and her books take place along that coastline and, for those of you who know me, I sure do love that sand, sea, and salty part of the world. I love the regions food, the music, the history and, of course, the mystery. If you like that too, then Dorothea Benton Frank is for you.
I have read the following books:
"Return to Sullivan's Island" This is her latest book and was released in June of 2009, the week that my family and I returned from our first weeklong vacation in the Charleston Area. So it goes without saying, that once I saw the name of the book, then I needed to have it. That was my first time of ever hearing the author's name. I heard Sullivan's Island quite a bit while on that Charleston area vacation, because the SC Governor was missing upon our arrival there and, by the time we left, we had learned that he had skipped the state, the country, and his wife to meet his lover in Argentina. His wife and kids were at their summer home on Sullivan's Island and the media was all about it. Great book. Left me wanting more and wishing that I had read her earlier books first, such as, "Sullivan's Island", her first novel.
"Pawley's Island" this book took place in the popular island retreat below Myrtle Beach and included fine foods, art, divorce, and family tradition.
"Isle of Palms" This book was a Christmas gift from my sister in law, Cindy of Polk County Florida. What a great find. I only like the hardback books, and they are often hard to find, especially when there is a few years on them. She found this book in some store in Savannah, GA and it had actually been a library book in a library up in the northern to Heartland area of the country. It was in great shape and I loved it. This book involved the love of family, the desire of a home on the beach and that island way of life. The main character is a hair dresser and has a crazy neighbor and teenage daughter who had just spent the first year in college and who was trying to find herself, along with some old southern valued neighbors. A bit of romance and a common softly folded presence of ghosts, that appears to be a theme of Ms. Frank's novels. It also introduced me to gullah language and way of life.
"The Christmas Pearl" Now this book was a wonderful story of a disfunctional family that is brought back together and learned to value history, family and life again through the visit of a temporary house servant who had actually ran this same home generations before. Her name was Pearl and this was a warm story of old homes, old Christmas traditions, elegance, and included recipes from old Charleston special Christmas' of years past. Great book.
"Shem Creek" Another book about imperfect families, love, hard work and rebuilding a life by moving two teenage daughters from New York to the Charleston area of Shem Creek, just off of the Cooper River. There is the intimate details of running a restaurant named "Jackson Hole", environmental whackos, and of course, a nice, watchful ghost.
Check 'em out, don't just take my word. I have "Bulls Island", but I haven't read it yet. I think I might read "The lost Symbol", by Dan Brown first. I have it in waiting also.
That 60 degree weather yesterday had me yearning for Florida again. I checked out the schedules for Spring Training Baseball in the Grapefruit league and they really don't start playing until March 2nd, 2010. Catchers and pitchers report Feb. 17th, 2010. So it will be here soon!
I have read the following books:
"Return to Sullivan's Island" This is her latest book and was released in June of 2009, the week that my family and I returned from our first weeklong vacation in the Charleston Area. So it goes without saying, that once I saw the name of the book, then I needed to have it. That was my first time of ever hearing the author's name. I heard Sullivan's Island quite a bit while on that Charleston area vacation, because the SC Governor was missing upon our arrival there and, by the time we left, we had learned that he had skipped the state, the country, and his wife to meet his lover in Argentina. His wife and kids were at their summer home on Sullivan's Island and the media was all about it. Great book. Left me wanting more and wishing that I had read her earlier books first, such as, "Sullivan's Island", her first novel.
"Pawley's Island" this book took place in the popular island retreat below Myrtle Beach and included fine foods, art, divorce, and family tradition.
"Isle of Palms" This book was a Christmas gift from my sister in law, Cindy of Polk County Florida. What a great find. I only like the hardback books, and they are often hard to find, especially when there is a few years on them. She found this book in some store in Savannah, GA and it had actually been a library book in a library up in the northern to Heartland area of the country. It was in great shape and I loved it. This book involved the love of family, the desire of a home on the beach and that island way of life. The main character is a hair dresser and has a crazy neighbor and teenage daughter who had just spent the first year in college and who was trying to find herself, along with some old southern valued neighbors. A bit of romance and a common softly folded presence of ghosts, that appears to be a theme of Ms. Frank's novels. It also introduced me to gullah language and way of life.
"The Christmas Pearl" Now this book was a wonderful story of a disfunctional family that is brought back together and learned to value history, family and life again through the visit of a temporary house servant who had actually ran this same home generations before. Her name was Pearl and this was a warm story of old homes, old Christmas traditions, elegance, and included recipes from old Charleston special Christmas' of years past. Great book.
"Shem Creek" Another book about imperfect families, love, hard work and rebuilding a life by moving two teenage daughters from New York to the Charleston area of Shem Creek, just off of the Cooper River. There is the intimate details of running a restaurant named "Jackson Hole", environmental whackos, and of course, a nice, watchful ghost.
Check 'em out, don't just take my word. I have "Bulls Island", but I haven't read it yet. I think I might read "The lost Symbol", by Dan Brown first. I have it in waiting also.
That 60 degree weather yesterday had me yearning for Florida again. I checked out the schedules for Spring Training Baseball in the Grapefruit league and they really don't start playing until March 2nd, 2010. Catchers and pitchers report Feb. 17th, 2010. So it will be here soon!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Will the snow ever go away - Jan. 12, 2010
The picture of my home was taken today, Jan. 12, 2010. The snow that you see has been in my front yard since the big dec. 18th snow of 2009. You know, that was technically fall of last year, and we still have that stuff hanging around.
Hey, it will be February before you know it, that means that groundhog day is just around the corner. He always sees his shadow, so big deal. The Shrine's Provost Guard unit has teamed up with the Lakeland Masonic Lodge for a combination deal to make Valentines an awesome event. Lakeland Lodge will be holding a formal dinner as a fundraiser. It costs $45.00 per couple and starts seating every 30 minutes at 5 pm on Saturday Feb. 13th. Last year's dinner was fabulous. we had soup and salad with prime rib, baked potato and a huge slice of New York style cheese cake.
After the dinner, the Provost Guard unit sponsors the Valentine dance over at the Kazim Shrine Center with a live band, "Off the Cuff". There will be door prizes and raffles to raise money for the "Shriner's Children's Hospitals". You can win a pearl necklace and more. There will be food there too and all for $20.00 for a couple.
If you are interested, I can get you tickets to both or just for the dance, your choice. send me an email ghuffman4@cox.net.
They tell me the weather has finally changed down in Florida, but not without damages to the crops. We will be paying more for orange juice and strawberries for sure.
You know, for some reason, I was talking the other night about our country's past killers. Like, John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, who was shot later by Jack Ruby. We got around to the boy from Roanoke, that went down in Texas and shot up the fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. Hasan had some connection with the middle east. Well then someone mentioned Robert Kennedy's killer, Sirhan Sirhan. I didn't know much about this guy, accept he shot Robert Kennedy in 1968. Well, I encourage you to google his name and look under wikipedia. I was amazed with the events around this individual and how they were very simular to Hasan in 2009. Now keep in mind, I am not a person who swears by wikipedia, but I think you'll get the picture.
Hey, it will be February before you know it, that means that groundhog day is just around the corner. He always sees his shadow, so big deal. The Shrine's Provost Guard unit has teamed up with the Lakeland Masonic Lodge for a combination deal to make Valentines an awesome event. Lakeland Lodge will be holding a formal dinner as a fundraiser. It costs $45.00 per couple and starts seating every 30 minutes at 5 pm on Saturday Feb. 13th. Last year's dinner was fabulous. we had soup and salad with prime rib, baked potato and a huge slice of New York style cheese cake.
After the dinner, the Provost Guard unit sponsors the Valentine dance over at the Kazim Shrine Center with a live band, "Off the Cuff". There will be door prizes and raffles to raise money for the "Shriner's Children's Hospitals". You can win a pearl necklace and more. There will be food there too and all for $20.00 for a couple.
If you are interested, I can get you tickets to both or just for the dance, your choice. send me an email ghuffman4@cox.net.
They tell me the weather has finally changed down in Florida, but not without damages to the crops. We will be paying more for orange juice and strawberries for sure.
You know, for some reason, I was talking the other night about our country's past killers. Like, John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, who was shot later by Jack Ruby. We got around to the boy from Roanoke, that went down in Texas and shot up the fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. Hasan had some connection with the middle east. Well then someone mentioned Robert Kennedy's killer, Sirhan Sirhan. I didn't know much about this guy, accept he shot Robert Kennedy in 1968. Well, I encourage you to google his name and look under wikipedia. I was amazed with the events around this individual and how they were very simular to Hasan in 2009. Now keep in mind, I am not a person who swears by wikipedia, but I think you'll get the picture.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
I love Jimmy Buffett 01-07-2010
Jimmy Buffett's music has that natural warming effect, you just want to move and enjoy the very basic aspects of life!
Jimmy Buffett's music is like an escape to some white sandy beach with steel drums and blue green water that allows you to see the bottom. You feel warm all over. His music has gotten me through some tough times in my life like divorce and many other stresses. I have seen him in concert 36 times in various locations up and down the east coast. I even saw him out in Cincinnati, Ohio. Each show has memories and stories of all types.
His music gets me through the winter months and gives me hope that spring will eventually get here, and oh, when it does!!!
Jimmy Buffett owns his own radio station that broadcasts out of one of his restaurants, the Orlando, Fl Margaritaville location. it broadcasts all of his concerts live and can be heard on Sirius and on the internet site http://www.margaritaville.com/. just go to the radiomargaritaville link and listen live.
They are calling for more winter weather here in Roanoke tonight. Please make it go away.
Stay warm, to those of you in Florida too. They are actually having to rescue manatees out of the canals around Tampa because the water temps are getting to low and they are going to die if they don't get warmed up. So much for global warming, Al Gore is such a Boob!!!
See later!
Gary D. Huffman 01-07-2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Happy New Year Everybody!!!! Jan. 05, 2009
Got some catching up to do, things to tell you! First, It is cold here in Virginia. We brought the new year in with a bang, seriously, from where I was standing. I had to work the Fireworks event New Years Eve in Vinton for "Enchanted Eve". 2009 went and 2010 came with fireworks.It's actually colder now than it was in this photo of the snow, but the thing is, a lot of that snow from back on December 19th is still hanging around here in January 2010.
All of this cold weather just makes me want to scream. It is cold all over though!
It is even Cold in Florida !!
The Christmas decorations have all been put away intil next year. We have cleaned closets and made room for those new clothes and toys and stuff!
Heck, we have cleaned the whole house and it feels really good!!
The cold weather has me thinking about Florida though. I sure would like to get away and get out of the very cold weather.
Above is our little place down in flroida at 7390 Eastern Circle Drive. Brooksville FL. We aren't right on the Gulf of Mexico, but we sure are close, just a short drive is all it takes.
This time of the year the Manatees are all up in the rivers where the water is warm. The rivers are spring fed and maintain 72 degree water temperature year round.
Well, the Saints have lost the last 3 games of the regular season and are the #1 seat for the NFC playoffs. Wish my poor old Saints luck!
See ya soon,
Gary D. Huffman 01-05-10
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