HAPPY "1st" BIRTHDAY MADDY

Well, the big day has finally arrived...my granddaughter has turned the corner and is headed to toddlerhood. My little Maddy is "1" today and just as beautiful as she was the day she was born, but then I'm her Pawpaw so I might be a little prejudicious.

She is that beautiful angel who came into my life just a year ago. I have been able to watch her grow from a little bundle of love into a pre-toddler and soon a full scale toddler, always on the go.She seems to be a very vocal little girl....talking, humming and singing all the time. Soon she will be trying out for "American Idol" and I will spend all night calling in and voting for her, because she deserves to win everything she tries out for. But I'm her Pawpaw and I might be a little prejudicious about whatever she does."HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDY", I Love You and wish your day be very special for you. As special as you are to me. Now go eat some cake and smear it all over the place...like a good little girl should do on her birthday. And tell them "Pawpaw said I could".

Maddy's Guardian Angel from Heaven.

Maddy's never seen my Mom, she passed away before she was born. But just like Bettyboop, Mom is watching over her from the sky each and everyday. From Heaven "Memaw" is guarding over you. When I look into Maddy's eyes I see a little bit of Mom that makes me feel her presense is near. I am a proud "Pawpaw", just like Mom was a proud "Memaw" to Matt, Maddy's daddy. So life goes on in our grandchildren, We hope and pray that their lives will be better than ours.

And with the love that Maddy has, she has a great foundation to grow on. She is a very loved little girl.

You can see the love in her parents eyes, in the way they take care of her and in the way she makes them feel.

You've come along way little girl, and have a lot ahead of you. Each day you change, each day you grow more and more into that woman you will be someday. Into that adult that hopefully will change this world we live in and make it a better place. You already have made some changes just by being born, you have a lot more to do.

But I know you become whatever you dream of becoming. Great things lay ahead of you and the world will be waiting to see what you do. I Love You Maddy and will always have a hug waiting for you, that's what a "Pawpaw" does.

An Angel Gets Ready For Her 1st Birthday

Well, the days are ticking down to Maddy's first birtday. How a year has passed already is beyond me, but she has grown so much in just a year. I remember when Matt and Jordan showed us this picture, our first look at an angel.

Matt and Jordan have had their hands full, but have down an excellent job in being there for Maddy. I am so proud of them as parents and know that Maddy is being loved everyday.

She has really changed from that first day I saw her at the hospital, the first time I held her, the first time she spent the night with us.
I get lost in her little eyes, she lifts my spirits when I need them lifted and makes me smile everytime I see her.

So Maddy your Pawpaw can't wait to see you. To look into those blue eyes and see what a angel looks like. Soon we will be wishing you a happy birthday and looking back at what a wonderful year you have had and how you have touched so many people and filled their lives with love.
I can't wait to see you, because a Pawpaw needs his granddaughter's hugs, to give butterfly kisses with and watch grow each and every step of the way. I Love You Maddy and will be counting the minutes til I see you and wish you a Happy Birthday in person. To help you celebrate a year of growth, of love and of dreams that have come true.

Tornados, Heavy Rains and Pawpaw's Storm Shelter

Well, let's see I came over for something....oh yeah, a cup of sugar and a large tarp....my trailer has a little hole in it.
We had a little storm run through our county and over a some people's homes. Luckily no one was hurt in this trailer. The poor guy was trapped under the tree, but managed to get out.

And speaking of luck, I was able to use my storm shelter that Nana gave me when we first got married. It's gotten smaller, or I've gotten bigger...but I was able to weather the storm. I know it tilts a little, but I'm grateful I had it. Just don't know why the dogs stare at me when I get in it.

Now, the storm was a windy one for sure, gust up to almost 100 miles a hour. They said the 2 tornados were EF-1's....guess that means "Extra Fierce One's". All I know is that it looked bad from the storm shelter I was in.

The TV news had it coming right to our house, but lucky for us it went north. Not lucky for the people it went to. Trees came down, houses caught fire, lots of messes to clean up.

The last time I saw a Tornado was when I was 16 year old and my folks and I were headed to my Mom's family in Missouri...Kansas City. Pop was asleep in the front seat, Mom was out in the back and there I was listening to the radio and driving along when they said a Tornado was sighted near some town. I didn't know it was just ahead of us. I had to wake Pop, scared him to death, I just wanted someone to see the funnel out the car's side window....wild looking thing for sure. We pulled up under a bridge and watched as it went over us. Mom woke up when it started to whistle....about scared her to death too....and she was from these parts.

So we survived the "Tornado's of Summer 2010" and luckily no one was killed. Just alot of property damage and a bunch of downed trees.

Thanks for checking on us and letting me tell ya about the wild storm we had. I guess I should go outside and check around my storm shelter and make sure everything is ok. You never know when another storm might be heading our way...I'm just glad that Nana got me this thing to stay in...just don't know why the dogs always stare at me in it....and they have funny looking smiles on their faces.

Must be jealousy, because I got such a nice place to stay in when Nana tells me to go get in my shelter...she calls it a french word I think..."dawghowce"...catchy ain't it. I call it "Pawpaw's Palace"....just enough room for me and my wisdom.

Thanks again for checking in on Pawpaw and I hope you'll come back and visit again. And remember guys, for safety purposes it's good to get a "dawghowce" to stay in like Pawpaw.

Goodbye Capt. Phil, We'll Miss Ya and So Will The Crabs

Well, the wait will soon be over...tonight the Discovery Channel will air the episode that everyone has been waiting for....the 2 hour tribute to Captain Phil Harris.
Now, not everyone watches the show...I didn't at first, but slowly the show grew on my, like barnacles on a boat.
Tonight, we see who Capt. Phil is, why we love him and why we'll miss him. And since he was only 53 years old, I can relate to his shorten life, for I am 53 years old also.

The show will be an emotional one for sure, we will see his 2 sons, his crew and everyone who knew him pay tribute to a man who was kind-hearted, full of vinegar and told you what you didn't want to hear, but needed to be said.
We'll see how one man made such a large impact on a show, on people and on the TV viewers. There will be alot of toasts, in alot of bars tonight, followed by a tear to two also. For Capt. Phil led the life that most men dream of sometime in their lives...a life on the sea....just fishing, or crabbing, and being free on the sea.

Capt. Phil leaves his two sons, who worked with him on the Cornelia Marie, out of Seattle. They were with him when he suffered the stroke. Everyone was watching as they took him away, would he be ok, he had to be, he's Capt. Phil Harris.

But sadly we find out that we all have our time coming, we don't know when, or how. And the show teaches us to love our family, our friends and not let time pass without saying what we need to say or telling someone we love them.

So watch the show, cry a few tears and have a beer in his honor. And remember you won't be alone, for all the fans of the "Deadliest Catch" will be toasting along with ya. We lose one of the shows favorites characters and wiseguys. We read that as he was passing, lying there, knowing that he soon would be leaving us, he passed a note to the cameraman that read "keep filming".

He loved being on the show and we loved watching him....now he's watching us. This one's for you Capt. Phil...the next 5 are mine....time to grab the tissue box and wait for the show.

I lost my dad a few years back, I don't go a day without thinking of him, his laugh, his smile, his temper, his big heart....I know the Harris boys will miss their dad...I still miss mine. I Love You "Poppyseed"....the next one will be for you "Pop"....watch for Phil...he's wild like your were....maybe that's why I watched the show.