Not much going on these days.

This is Betty Shaffer, better known as MamMaw, and she makes the best cornbread that I have ever eaten. No use to ask for the recipe because she doesn't use recipes - she just adds ingredients until it looks right. Before we sat down in her house to eat, I told her I wasn't a big fan of cornbread. Well, when the cornbread came out of the oven and she gave me a piece with lots of butter on it, I tried it and had to eat my words. I fell in love. If you ever make it to Carlisle, Ar, you need to make sure you get her to make you some while you are there. Oh yes, the entire meal was wonderful and we certainly appreciate her cooking for us while we were there.

This is my vette engine that had to be rebuilt.

This is the engine on the hoist right before I got it back into the car.

A few weeks ago, I took my '64 vette to a car show in Ashdown. While I was there, I figured out that the engine was about to give way. A decision was made to go home, get the trailer and haul the car back home. This is a numbers matching car and I didn't want to do anything that would change that. The engine has been rebuilt now and I worked today getting it put back into the car. It was a job that needed two people really, but I managed to do it on my own. Hopefully, in the next week, I will have this car back on the road.

Meet Ron and Barbara Morrow

Ron Kurtz with Paul and Beverly Tye


















Ron and Barbara Morrow and Beverly Tye

A couple of weeks ago, we had a party for a few close friends of Ron Morrow to meet his new wife, Barbara. As you can tell from the pictures, we had a great time. We had a special treat to have Ron and Pam Kurtz to come all the way from Dallas. Don't tell Cathy I had my arm around Pam McDaniel. ha I take every chance I get to hug a pretty woman. Cathy and Melanie out did themselves on the food. Hope you get to meet Barbara real soon.

Vacation 2009

Cathy and I decided on the spur of the moment to take a vacation. Work is slow and this would be one time I could leave and not worry about work. We first went to Jasper, AL and visited dear friends, Steve and Terri Vance and then we traveled on to the Biltmore Estate and later drove all over the Smokey Mountains and even on the Natchez Trace for awhile on the trip back home. America has some beautiful countryside!!!! I selected a few pictures that show some of what we did. Enjoy.

A view on the drive through Cade's Cove. On this drive we saw two black bears and several old churches and homes of the early settlers in Tennessee and North Carolina.
On our train ride through the Great Smokey Mountains and the Nantahala Gorge. This is a beautiful section of the mountains and a wonderful place if you like to do white water rafting.

My first breakfast at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate. I had some of everything. We ate out on the veranda. The weather was in the 50's early and never got out of the 70's. We were blessed with wonderful weather.

The Biltmore Estate - absolutely amazing and a vacation I would highly recommend to all!

My dear, old, wonderful friend, Steve Vance. Sorry I forgot to take a good picture of Steve and Terri. We had a wonderful time spending the night with them on our way to the Biltmore Estate. They have been gone from Texarkana for 13 years and it seemed like we still see each other everyday. That is how it is with real friends. Thanks Terri and Steve for opening your house to us and for the wonderful meal at Ocean in Birmingham.

Last but not least, here is the monster that my new i-phone has created. Hope you enjoy.

Hot Day at the RC Field

You can tell it has been hot. We had a good turnout to seal our runway at our rc field and to do other things. I hope everyone is doing fine. We are excited about the first fab five baby that popped into this world today. Congratulations to Katie and Erik Mentzel.

Below are pictures from the 2009 Stillwell Family Reunion held at our place this past weekend. The fish were biting and we would have to say that Tucker Stillwell had to be the winner of the fishing contest (if we had one). He fished the longest, the hardest and caught the most as well as the largest in size and quantity. He is the grandson of Jim and Patty Stillwell from Henderson, Tx. Tucker lives in Tyler, Tx and will be a freshmen next year. This was the largest family reunion we have ever had and the most fun for all. We really have some real fishermen in the Stillwell family.
Tucker Stillwell and a catfish he caught

Maddie, Kevin, Herman, Kelly, Seth and Ronal

Tucker

Texarkana Tea Party

This is Jimmy Ratcliff and me at the Texarkana Tea Party. We spent the evening at the Post Office on Stateline expressing our right of free speech. We saw lots of folks with the same view. Let me know if you were at a Tea Party.

Going To See An Old Friend

I just got back today from Tucson after seeing one of my good friends Tom Ferraro. Ron Morrow and I both visited him this past weekend. The reason for going was to attend Tom's swearing in as a federal magistrate judge. You know I like to hang with the big dogs. Tom is like myself in that he is very blessed in having so many friends. One thing that is great about Tom is he always makes you feel welcomed.

Tom, thanks for the high priced dinner. I saw what the price was on the receipt when you asked if that included the tip. The wine was starting to take effect or you would have flipped out.

Pam, Tom's wife

Above are Tom's two sons, Nick and Matthew. They have sure grown up.

Ron and Tom

Tom and I

These are crazy times

Just back from Cabo San Lucas

This is a few of the many pics that I will post on my blog of the wedding in Cabo.

This is my daughter on the left and Vanessa Schoen on the right. They are at my 2009 chili dinner. Vanessa has done so much to help my daughter. She was her boss at Century Bank before Whit got married. Looks like they are having fun.

Some Of My Older Friends

This is Paul Hargrave and John Davis. Both of these guys have been friends a long time. John Davis gave me one of my first real jobs back in 1974 as a plumber helper. He is not doing real well at this time. He has lung cancer. Paul with the red cap on is also an old time plumber and is having some heart problems but seems to be doing ok lately. We wish them well.