********************Aven's Funny Poem*****************

Tommy Counts To 50

Tommy was learning how to count

His number expertise beginning to mount

One day he was playing with his best friend Ben

And Ben challenged Tommy to count up to ten

Tommy just smiled held his hands up and spoke loud

And his fingers went up and Ben he was proud

When he made it to ten his friend smacked his back

And told Tommy "great job" and they went for a snack

A knock on the door and Tommy saw Linda

His other good friend who was a big spenda

She liked to brag about all of her dough

She got from her parents for the lawn she did mow

She had a new ball, it was a basketball, brown

She said it cost $30 at the store in downtown

Tommy spoke up and said that he knew

How to count to thirty, even thirty-two

Linda said cool, let Ben and I hear it

Tommy he gulped, his throat he did clear it

He counted real fast until he reached seventeen

He stopped for a breath and to eat a red jelly bean

Then he began again, counting past twenty

Using jelly beans for each number, you see he had plenty

He reached twenty nine and all three just smiled

He reached number thirty and they all went hog wild

Then they went outside and played with the ball

And bounced it against the garage wall

Then Toby showed up and said the ball was nifty

Looked over at Tommy and said let's bounce fifty

Tommy he turned and nodded ok

And began to count bounces along the way

The bouncing began and reached 21

All the kids looked to be having such fun

The more the ball bounded the more Tommy got loud

Till he reached 48 and saluted the crowd

They all knew that was fifty was just around the bend
And Tommy drew a breath to get his second wind

He blurted out fifty and fell in a heap

Tonight he might count sheep in his sleep

So Tommy his counting it all being done
Sat down at the table to eat his honey bun

An Avie Favie (G'Daddy too)

Today, I am going to show Aven how he can, with his mommy's or Ton Ton's help, make his very own favorite breakfast item, the Egg In A Basket. This dish goes way back to my own childhood where my mom would make these for me and the other kids in the house as a special treat and to this day it remains a simple AND yummy dish for a quick breaksfast. Eggs are high in protein and not nearly the bad guy that had been reported in the past.

Now Aven, in Portland it is going to get chillier than Tampa, so a good breakfast each day will help you stay warm and full while allowing you to do well in school since your tummy will not be growling.

Start With The Basket

So here we go Avie......

First get a good soft piece of bread and a glass or cookie cutter to press down and make the hole for the egg and the basket lid.

Then warm up the stove with a frying pan and melt about a teaspoon of butter in it. Once melted place the basket in the pan and the lid also to soak up butter and brown.

Egg Added Into Basket After Butter Melts

Crack an egg and pour into the basket for cooking. While that is going on add a little butter on the top side of the bread so when you turn it over it will sizzle and soak into the bread too.

Once it is brown on one side flip it over....very carefully, so you do not break the yummy yolk. Watch it closely so you do not overcook it and get the yolk too hard since half the fun is dipping the lid in the yolk when eating.

Now, it should be ready for you to eat. Ask Mommy for a nice tall glass of oragne juice to go with it and sit down and say your blessing first.

Then dig in and enjoy little fella. Soon you will be able to make these all by yourself and make one for mommy and Ton Ton too!!!

Here is a funny poem about Eggs In A Basket:

I love to eat Eggs In A Basket

How do I get one, I just ask it

Fry it up in the pan

It's a pretty simple plan

I will eat it all up

And drink juice from my cup

When I'm done and all full

I tell you, it's no bull

I will start to wish

Again for this dish

Maybe for dinner

Yeah, that's a winner

The Tube Is Underway

View Larger Map


The G'Daddy and Aven project is well underway and will be finished soon. The banktube connecting Mill St. in Portland to Walnut Grove in Tampa will intersect in Silver Dollar City, where the state of the art clubhouse is also being built. The tube net is aptly named Aventube and the meeting point clubhouse is being called G'Daddyville for the time being.



Part Of The Tube Network

Once finished the 3004 mile tube will allow for quick transport of the two partners to their meeting point and back. The tube is a one of a kind invention and it's plans are top secret and will not be revealed to anyone, not even family and close friends. The expected trip time from Portland will be a bit longer than the one from Tampa but will be only an estimated eight minutes while the trip from Tampa is expected to last approximately 4 minutes and 44 seconds. The early arrival of G'Daddy will allow him time to make a Sno-Cone for Aven before he arrives. Special suits and helmets have also been designed and made for each of the Tube Twosome.

The clubhouse will have all the modern amenities and will be an oasis hidden in a secret location in Silver Dollar City. All the inventors would share is that it will be near a Target, an ice cream shop, a donut shop and a Waffle House. More details will be shared later on as the two plan an exclusive interview with Southern Living Magazine later on to share more about their amazing plans.

Model Of Travel Pod For Tube Network

In the future there are plans to expand the usage of the tube and it's network to other family members but this is at least 2 years away as Aven and G'Daddy want to make sure the kinks are all worked out before they open it to others.

Also, interim stops will be added as time goes on so Aven and his G'Daddy can meet in other fun places along the 3004 mile path. This part of the porject will begin in Mid 2013.

Current Stopping Point For The Aventube Network

Silver Dollar City also has some interesting sites and things to do for the duo once they are there and as time goes on and plans are made they will be able to venture out from their secret hideout to enjoy some of the fun in this great location.

They will be seeking advice from others as to stops they should add as time goes on.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Aventube here on Banktube to Silver Dollar City's Blog.

Donut Shop

Have your cake and eat it too...later on even from The Boll Weevil

Stopped in a little place in Augusta, Georgia today for a quick bite. Augusta is much more famous for the world's best golf tournament but down on the river in downtown is a cute little cafe and sweetery, as they call it, for lunch and some cake. Lot's of cake.

Decisions, decisions

So, as we waited for out table the little fella and I perused the cake cabinets up front and I told him to decide which one he wanted for his "snack". Mind you, this one is 3 years old and the snack was just a bit more than that.

So we finally got our table and he was ready for the choice he has firmly and resolutely in mind from about the first five seconds of peering into the cases.

Would it be a choice from case number one? Or would it be one from case number two?

Case #2

There was lemon, there was cheesecake, there was all manner of chocolate versions, by death and by life. Tropical, Strawberry, Caramel, Chocolate Chip....and on and on.

The waiter came and the immediate order was Strawberry. Not too surprising knowing that this little one can make a meal out of only fresh strawberries and blueberries. Not a bad choice either I thought as I am partial to this variety as well. (No I did not influence the decision in any way other than to say he could order cake.)




A serving of Strawberry Cake

 I in turn ordered what turned out to be a tasty Portobello Mushroom salad with feta and a unique vinegarette dressing with an unsweet tea to drink. The little fella enjoyed swigging my tea until his cake arrived and it DID arrive.

He seemed to be very very pleased and in his left handed manner (Thank you God) he started in on it in earnest right away. He did a pretty darn good job on it I must say as the serving was really at least two to two and one half servings anywhere else. I had a couple of bites while I waited on my salad too but not too much.

We boxed up half of it and brought it back for later consumption by someone in our party or maybe two of them. The cake was nice and dense and the icing was not the normal sweet goo but really had some body and was pretty heavy which was great going with the cake itself.

Portobello Salad

Oh, my salad was great too. Ate every bite and would order it again. Will visit The Boll Weevil again soon and grab some of the great wine selection they had in the place as well. Seems like a wonderful spot for a date night or glass of vino before dinner as well.

Now I am back at work and the little one is watching his toons in the other room on the tube, soon to be asleep dreaming of another slice of that cake I presume.

Christmas Gifts That Cost You Little

And mean MUCH MORE to the receiver than you will ever realize.

This Christmas, in the true spirit of the season, which is the celebration of the greatest birthday in human civilization, why not let His love shine, through you and find opportunities to give to others you would not normally think of giving to. You say money is tight? I hear you brother. Many of the gifts I am talking about do not even include money. Give time. Give encouragement. Give sweat. Give love. Give hope.

It is not up to the government to take care of all those in need, many of them actually in that position DUE to our government. No friends, it is up to us, God's people, the church and humanity to take care of needs of our society, our communities, our cities and our very own neighbors.

Many things can be done and the list is really endless if you use even a little imagination.

Volunteer to deliver toys to the less fortunate children via Angel Tree or Metro Ministries. Visit shut ins and the elderly who would not have any Christmas without you and sit with them and sing Christmas Carols, let them tell you stories, give them a kind word and a smile, hold their hand, let them know you care. Be a big brother or sister to a little one who has no one else. Bring them a book. Read it to them. Take them to get an ice cream. Look at Christmas lights with them.

Volunteer to serve food at the many places around the area that will provide meals to the homeless, the less fortunate and others. There are countless opportunities to do this and as simple as picking up the paper or the phone to find them.

Help a neighbor in your area with something they cannot do themselves. Mow the high lawn for the older lady, bring a meal to a family with sickness or with job loss. Invite a single or elderly person for Christmas dinner with your family if they will be alone.

Birth That Saved Us All!

If you do have some extra financial wherewithal and have been blessed in that department you can mulitply the blessings at Christmas for others AND yourself. Angel Tree kids are everywhere and want a Christmas like anyone else. You can make that happen for about $50 or less for each kid. Give to local food banks, $1 buys 7 meals for a hungry child. See Feeding America or local sites for this one. Adopt a foreign child via Compassion and let your family share in the growth of that child over the years. Currently $38 a month. Consider Samaritan's Purse as another option to give for very little money.

Buy the guy behind you in the drive thru their meal, buy the older couple the next table over their meal at the Cracker Barrel in secret, buy that military twosome their meal at Waffle House and thank them for their sacrifice.

I could go on for days. Merry Christmas to all and I hope this spurs something in your heart to give back something this Christmas other than a wrapped gift inder the Christmas Tree! God Bless Us Every One!

My French Quarter Eating Tour

The Quarter: Always Exciting

As many times as I have been to New Orleans for business and/or pleasure, I still have a built in GPS if you will, that leads me to the same places time and again. In this edition, I will cover one of my French Quarter eating/beverage tours. If I had to guess I would say I have done this tour in some form or fashion well over 100 times over the years. There may be a slight deviation at times like the main eating place but all in all they are pretty consistent. They are one reason I have still to try some really good places in New Orleans, in the Quarter and elsewhere. Two places I found by finally venturing out of the comfort zone are Manales and Ralph's On The Park.

The places and faces may not all be 5 Star joints but they hold a special place in my life as memories and places I will still frequent when I am back in the area again. Hopefully soon.

Careful, They Are Strong

I began my treks to the Big Easy in the mid 70's and continued after school into the 80's, living in the city in the mid 80's for a short stint. I can recall the days of Saturday morning shopping at Schwegmann's with a draft beer in one hand and the cart handle in the other.  Pleasure trips brought me back often from 85-90 and then jobs, business and pleasure have had me back in the city of the best cuisine from 90 until now. I have seen more than 15 Sugar Bowls, three Jazzfests, a couple of Mardi Gras and countless other celebrations of birthdays, anniversaries along with another countless business trips. I was in the city with my son two weeks prior to Katrina and we walked and visited many of the places that you saw on TV in the aftermath. A surreal experience indeed. The memories can run together there are so many and some due to a few too many Pat O's libations or maybe a Hand Grenade too much at Tropical Isle.

So, without further delay, let's walk the tour of the Quarter and enjoy the journey together.

Early on I always stayed in the Marriott on Canal at the mouth of the Quarter and did so religiously for about 10 years or so. I was a Platinum in the Marriott Honored Guest program and after a while I was known by name by the Bellmen and was actually asked to participate in a marketing program to help them improve. I got to the point of getting suites on many of my trips into the city. Since then I have branched out some but lean toward Marriott due to the many choices and the fact I am now a lifetime gold with 950 plus nights to my credit. Other places I have stayed in are the Omni and the Country Inn and Suites, which is very nice and the right price.

For the tour sake we will use the Marriott as our starting point since the old lobby bar facing Canal began many of them. That was the meeting place for friends or business associates as we headed out. That being said, more of the tours were on my own than with people due to the nature of my visits. My wife has been on a good many of these as well.

From the Marriott I headed down toward Decatur by zig zagging my way off Royal to the corner where Johnny's Po-Boys is and then turned left and headed down to Crescent City Brewhouse. Sitting at the bar for a Red Stallion, Wheat or Seasonal and depending on the later plans, grab some raw oysters. The barkeeps knew me after a while. Great start to have a homemade and great tasting beer. From here I took a left on down Decatur to the Square and wander around there people watching, checking out the art and saying hi to the horses or mules on the buggys waiting to tour the area. Most of the time my next stop took me right through the square onto St. Peter, past Gumbo Shop and you might have guessed it, Pat O'Briens. Now, depending on the time, date and if the wife was with, I hit the CD Jukebox bar upfront or other times the Flaming Fountain Courtyard. Order? 99% of the time, Hurricane in a cup. Never more than two and if I had two I was good to go for the rest of the evening. CD Jukebox got alot of my money as music goes with Hurricanes nicely.

After this stop I usually head toward the place of choice for eating lunch or dinner. This is also where the tour could get into a diverse list of stops. Although I love my regular spots, I have enough of them where I can also go for some variety.More often than not I headed back toward Canal by way of Royal or a street adjacent and ended up at my all time favorite New Orleans restaurant, Mr. B's Bistro. Waiting at the bar with a Bloody Mary for a table and getting hungrier by the minute. This is our place and always will be which is why I still have yet to try Bayona for one.

My stool is 2nd from the left

Now, if I did not do B's I would be heading down toward the Market and this might be a noshing night or afternoon where a few places were hit for the hunger pangs. Many times I end up at Margaritaville for the namesake drink and some Conch Fritters and some acoustic music. It is like a home away from home there. Always end up in the store for a few minutes too, never buying, always looking.

After this the tour can get to be like a hurricane in the gulf meandering slowly and not really knowing where it is going. So the MAIN tour is over but usually more remains. I might sit in for a set in some Bourbon St. bar with an R&B band and have a $7 Screwdriver, Stop in at a Daquiri joint for a small or many times hit Tropical Isle for a nightcap. And if you know the place, it is REALLY a night cap. To end it up the must have was, back in the day, Takee Outee shrimp on a stick but since they are not around anymore, it is more likely Krystal for a bag of cheeses or Popeyes on Canal for a two piece, all white spicy. They may or may not make it to the hotel room depending on how hungry I was at the time.

Careful of the Hand Grenade

So, that my friends is my tour for now. Not glamourous, not five star for the most part BUT a piece of the tradition, the legacy that is mine in my visits to the Big Easy and ALWAYS enjoyable.

Now I have to plan on my next tour. And add a few new spots to the itinerary this time around. See y'all soon and remember, Turducken is the ONLY way to go on Thanksgiving!

A Simple Meal Of Beauty And Taste!

              Seafood. Fresh. Simple. Delish. Waterfront. Pictures tell the rest. Enjoy.

A must hit spot when visting the little Island of Anna Maria Island is the Rod and Reel Pier. They are actually out in the bay on the end of the pier. An upstairs dining room and a downstairs bar where you can also eat. I submit, can anything be better than sitting in the seabreeze, watching the blue green waters roll in, the fisherman catching sharks off the pier and enjoying a good fresh plate of seafood with a cold cold Corona? I think not. The oyster Po-Boy above is not on the menu and is a request only dish. Request it. Now.

The Seafood gumbo here is creditable but of course mine is better. Mainyl due to the overload of seafood I put in mine and leaving out non seafood like chicken, sausage, etc. Mine is a delicate roux I spend 45 minutes to an hour on before moving on to assembling the rest of the dish. Okra is another key ingredient in my recipe.

Gumbo, Grouper, Oysters.......Fruiti De Mare Indeed!



Stone Crab Season On The Island

Expensive and Tasty

The search.....I mean chase is on to try and find the restaurant(s) not OUT of the seasonal and succulent Stone Crab claws that are actually harvested right off the west coast of Florida where they reside.


Tonight we ended up visiting three different places and did not actually eat any of the coveted claws BUT we did have an enjoyable evening nonetheless and will resume the quest tomorrow beginning with the lunch hour.

Our Table For The Evening Meal!

Seafood: Hole In The Wall Number Three



 For now, this will be my third and final entry into the Seafood Hole In The Wall Hall Of Fame. For now.

After hitting Harbor Seafood over in Kenner, La. and then stopping in for some oysters at Hunt's Oyster Bar in Panama City, Fla., we head south to another Florida locale for a fresh out of the water Grouper sandwich or Oyster Po-Boy in Anna Maria Island, my new favorite beach getaway spot.
This one is a part of a three restaurant group and is maybe just a bit more than Hole In The Wall but I believe it qualfies based on the simplicity, the locale and the at least some of the food.

My last entry for now.......Mar Vista in Longboat Key. Truth be told, not much in Longboat Key I do like but this find is now one of them. Sitting on the water but not the gulf it looks like a shanty as you walk in from the seashell parking lot. The bar is beach rustic as any HITW should be and the outside dining is expansive and under trees and on the waterfront. I will only consider eating outside in the cooler months so the quaint and fairly cozy bar area and a few tables are where I hang.




Bud and Old Bay Shrimp Bowl: Delish

  The drinks are not necessarily cheap here although they do have a Happy Hour and a couple of decent brews along with beachy drinks. But you get the feel of relaxing when you enter and perch on a stool or grab a table for some eats. The OTHER big thing that puts this one on my current list is one dish. One appetizer dish. I loved it so much I went back the next night and then the next trip JUST to order this dish.

The Bud and Old Bay Shrimp Bowl. Wow. It is not cheap but two people could make it a small meal with bread. It is large, jumbo shrimp in a nice spicy, buttery broth that is sweet, salty, rich and begs to have bread swimming in it. I think this may be THE best seafood item I have eaten in my time in this area. This is sad to say somewhat because we have been somewhat disappointed in the culinary treats from a seafood perspective in the Tampa Bay area.

So, the combo of the very laid back and relaxed mood the place sets, the drinks and then the one app I have had now three times straight make Mar Vista an entry on my HITW Seafood Joint list.

Must learn to make this dish at home soon. Happy Eating Folks!

Put a steak....I mean stake.....I mean fork in it!

 

 Yeah, that's the ticket! I'm talking about some grilled cow. A steak. A big one or a small one. A medium rare one or a medium well one. (Others are really not steak anymore if they are raw or shoe leather). Filet, Strip, T-bone, Ribeye, Porterhouse and Prime Rib. One of life's simple pleasures is sitting down to a nicely cooked, sizzling steak brought out with some complementary sides and begging to be eaten.


Steak sauce? Not if the place is any good. Maybe some fresh horseradish for the Prime or even one of the other cuts but A1 and Heinz 57 do not belong on my steak. Steak Oscar? Ok, I guess I can allow that one as long as the seafood is right out of the Gulf fresh and does not overpower the red meat.

Favorite steak places? Oh, let me see, there are many. I will highlight just a few here in this column. Some will be from days past and some will be from my current culinary life. I will also try to hit across the spectrum from fine dining to casual eats and anything in between. I may have to do a follow up at some point as this is a broad category with myriad good choices.



From their website: My choice is the filet

 So, first I will extol the virtues and consistency of one, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. My adventures in eating have taken me to many locations of this fine chain. I began the RC journey in New Orleans, then Mobile, on to Atlanta, up to NY, a stop off in Denver and then to Tampa. Out of all these only one has not been up to par, the one in Denver, and it was something about ownership as I recall. Other than that the steaks are top choice, the atmosphere and service remarkably consistent and the menu everything a steak lover could imagine and maybe a little more. Usually a filet man but have ventured into other territory as well for some change of pace. Some meals consist of just an app, salad and a glass or two of vino. The sides are always enough for at least two and spinach and fries fresh from the oil are two faves. They have great stuffed mushrooms, BBQ Shrimp, Crab Cakes and Ahi Tuna, a mouth watering chopped salad and the desserts always look fab but I am always already satisfied so it goes unordered. The sizzling platter and the sumptious sides are enough for this meat lover. If I had to rank the locations I would have to say the NY location is #1, maybe purely based on it's location in the Marriott where I stayed on business all the time. It was hard to only eat there once per trip up but I did it. Always a great meal here. Always. Save the Denver location where I hosted a group dinner.

From their website: Florida Style Steakhouse

Staying local here in the area, Charley's Steakhouse is on our list of favorites. This one is also on the top end of the scale pricewise and we always start in the bar for a cocktail before heading to our table for dinner. This is a nice spot for business dinners and have had more than a couple here. This location has a nice Florida feel and is upscale and laid back all at the same time. Aged steaks are presented at the table for your choice before you order. I have had the filet here often but have moved into other cuts as well as Lobster depending on whether it is on the expense account or not. The service is usually great here as well. I have had a couple of instances where the cuts of meat were not quite as I would like and once some rubbery (frozen?) lobster tails but for the most part Charley's delivers.

Other good steak places I have had the pleasure of frequenting are Del Frisco's in Ft. Worth, Seegars at the Sandestin Hilton, Smith and Wollensky along with Gallagher's in NYC, Chops in Buckhead and I am sure I will come up with more as we go.......

Also, will report in on some of the more inexpensive steak places and chains in another story.

For now I need a nap after all that red meat talk.

It's in da hole......

Hunt's Oyster Bar, Panama City, Florida

As Carl, our friend from Caddyshack once screamed....."It's In Da Hole!"......the best seafood places are usually just that, in a hole...... in the wall.

We started over in New Orleans on our HITW Seafood journey and now we travel east a bit to Panama City, Florida to stop in at #2 on my list of seafood delights in a humble space. The place? Hunt's Oyster Bar!

Never knew about this place for years and years. My brother, who used to come in with his family for Christmas to Destin, would always take one afternoon and do a Hunt's Oyster bar trip. Now I know why.

The place I am talking about is NOT the original one downtown as it burned down a while back BUT it still is the hole in the wall type place that serves up some delish vittles in the form of fresh seafood, namely Oysters.

My first time in was for a workday lunch alone and as I pulled in I had a feeling I was going to like this place immediately. I have this affinity for HITW's so I was already halfway there before even eating their food.

It did not take long before I was ALL IN and planning my next visit in as soon as possible and with my wife who I knew as going to go bonkers over this one as well.

Hole In The Wall Hall Of Fame

I sat at a table the first time in and had a seafood basket, scallops I believe and a 1/2 dozen raw. The oysters were divine: cold, large, juicy and salty. And cheap. Cheap. Cheap.

On subsequent trips with wife and without we ordered raw but also began to choose from the large variety of baked oysters as well and they were just as good as the raw ones. Sitting at the bar waiting on baked while someone shucks fresh raw ones and places them in front of you one shell at a time is something I miss.

People are friendly and sometimes colorful too here and it goes with the territory. If you leave here hungry or in a bad mood then I feel sorry for you. The bill will also keep you smiling too since they are reasonably priced.

This is one of those places I think about how to get to by making up a trip I "need" to take for some other reason. Any reason.

So, if you are near Panama City, Florida, I suggest you hunt for Hunt's and enjoy a memorable HITW Hall of Fame experience. Tell 'em Gulf Coast Guy sent you and save me a few dozen too!

Christmas Eve at Waffle House

It all started rather simply. A meal at a Waffle House in a Florida town. My son and I on Christmas Eve almost 9-10 years ago now. I really do not know what started it except that we did buy a meal fairly often for a military table or for someone anonymously to pass on a blessing to them.

But on this occasion it was decided that we would buy the entire restaurant their meals in the spirit of goodwill and charity that the Birth Of Christ brings. I barely can recall now whether we were in for breakfast of dinner on this day since many have passed since. I do recall though the warmth and the blessing that is created for everyone who was there.

Not only did the people who were represented there appreciate the sentiment but we were on the receiving end of blessings as well that Christmas Eve. The Waffle House gang always gets a kick out of it too.

My fave: Omelette

As always (Or almost always), I ordered my ham and cheese omelette and some coffee for you see I order it for breakfast and dinner, sometimes lunch too. My only other order might have been two over medium with grits and sausage. The son either goes waffle or hamburger but always gets his hash browns. Waffle House omelettes are always good, always fluffy and always tasty. I do not remember a bad one in all my years of frequenting them.

Are they going to appear on Food Network or gain critical acclaim from the venerable NYT? I think not but who cares I say. They are part of American lore and will be here long after many other high end places have come and gone. They have loyal employees as well as loyal followers who search for the yellow sign off the highway.

Since that first Christmas Eve blessing we have repeated it every year since and each time at a different Waffle House location. So far all have been in Florida. Last year I went alone and as I drove into the parking lot said a little prayer that the people inside the one I would visit would be blessed and see the true meaning of Christmas in the gesture. Well, blessings it was as the place was jammed with folks and although this year had been lean for us financially, I received much more in blessing here than the people who received their food free. I met some great folks who came by table by table to express thanks, introduce themselves and exchange Christmas wishes.

Three years ago I remember meeting a Pastor who happened to be in the one we chose that year and he was signing his Christmas cards to send out. He sent one to our table. I also was asked by one of the couples there if they could take a picture with me as they were visiting locally on vacation and had never seen this happen before. Again, I was the one who was blessed that day.

This year, blessed as we are by God, we will again venture to a new to us, Waffle House, and enjoy a Christmas Eve meal with some folks and celebrate in the tradition of love and charity.

I invite you to share in this fun with us and next time you are at Cracker Barrel, pay for the elderly couple sitting three tables over in secret. At the drive thru, pay for the car behind you and tell the cashier to tell them Merry Christmas when they drive up and are surprised.

Adopt an Angel tree child, a needy family, volunteer at Met Ministries and serve others Christmas dinner, support a foreign child through Compassion and on and on and on........

YOU will be the one who is blessed.