4th of July Coming !!!!!!

Well folks, 4th of July weekend is almost upon us again!! It sure doesn't seem like a whole year has gone by, but my calendar says it has. Time has picked up speed as the years have gone by. When I was a child, it took a long time for a year to go by, but now I just have to blink my eyes and the year is gone.
Much has happened this past year, as most of you know. We have had sorrow in our lives with Granny's passing, and God, in all His Glory, has given the strength to endure. As with Job, He will not only make a way to endure, but will bring new joy and hope into our lives that we might continue in this life. God is so good ! AND faithful!!
God has brought new sunshine into this life of mine. He has brought new blessings beyond measure Scripture says "Eye hath not seen, ear that not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that loves Him." I have spoken in earlier posts of the very wonderful person that God has brought into my life. Her name is Sue Ellen Wilson , and I am very proud to share with you, that her last name will soon change to Miller. Yes, I proposed to Sue this past Saturday morning, and she accepted. WOW !!!!!! Can you imagine that ? A grizzled old fossil like me with a beautiful woman like her !! I can't begin to express how happy I am. I'm usually not at a loss for words, but words just fail me at this time.
We are not announcing a wedding date yet because both of us have things that need attending to, so it will be just a little while. (But not tooo long). I will post the date when we decide.
The girls, Hurricane Hailey and Kelsey, both just love Sue so much. They are so happy when she is around. And again, I have to say, God is so good ...

I need to post info on the 4th of July festival we will be working this weekend but need to go check on BBQ sauce that is cooking so will be back later.

Via Con Dios
DM

Father's Day

Father's Day has come and gone here at Poverty Flats, and all in all it was a very good day.I received several nice cards, one from Linda in Arkansas and one from Josh. Angie treated me to Sunday dinner at a really great Mexican restaurant and I received a call from my daughter Heather down in Texas. I have not seen Heather for several years and it was a real pleasant surprise. Lest I forget, son Rob also called from here in Missouri to say Happy Father's Day as did son Don W. from Texas. I think I covered them all.

My own dad has been gone for about 22 years now. Time sure does get away from us, doesn't it. It doesn't seem like it has been that long. My dad and I were guitar picking buddies. Any time I would get home to visit, first thing he would say was "Did you bring your guitar?" We would often stay up all night picking and singing. I miss that. My uncle Alvin, my dad's younger brother, has tried to fill the gap but he is just not the lead guitar player that my dad was.

I called my uncle Alvin yesterday to say Happy Father's Day and at 84 he is still pretty sprite. AND, at 84 he is looking for another wife. The next one will make # 9. I told him I was going to send him a set of handcuffs so maybe he could hang on to the next one. He is quite a character. He was in the Navy in WW II and has six Medals of Valor for Naval battles he was in.Uncle Alvin has always been more like an older brother to me and he and I have stayed very close over the years.

Well, the BBQ truck has had the new engine installed, and the mechanics are just finishing up a few last minute details. It should be back it the driveway here at Poverty Flats tomorrow or next day. It was a costly repair, but very necessary. It will be back in action in time for Forth of July and the Granby Missouri Old Mining Days festival. We will be there for three days. After that, we will be busy for the rest of the Summer and Fall season. More details on the schedule later.

Until next time, may I say to you, God bless.

Via Con Dios
DM

Hog Roast at Poverty Flats USA

What a great time everyone had Saturday at Poverty Flats USA. We started the hog about 2pm Friday and it was just perfect by noon on Saturday. Family and friends started arriving around 2pm and by 3pm we were elbow deep in BBQ pork, Beans, and about a gazillion different side dishes. My son Rob, his wife Kim and their family came brought lots of great food as usual. My Sue and her mom(two very special people) brought some of the absolutely best desserts I have ever eaten. One was called a Trifle (sugar free) and the other had a name that I won't mention because Sue will be embarrassed. Can't imagine why, she got it from a Baptist church lady. But it sure was delicious.
The kids all had a great time. I think there must have been a hundred of them from all the noise they created. But they were enjoying themselves, and that's what it was all about. Well, at least partly so.
The primary reason, as I stated in an earlier post, was to give family and friends an opportunity to meet Sue, with whom I am deeply in love. And it was a very successful event. Everyone who has met her is captivated by her personality. She is just so enjoyable and fun to be around. She has a very unique way of putting people at ease while maintaining interesting conversation. And the best part, which is more than I can understand, is that she is in love with an ornery, cantankerous old fossil like me. Am I blessed or what?
May the God of all creation bless you well today.

Via Con Dios
DM

Hog Roast at Poverty Flats USA

I promised to post info about the hog roast at Poverty Flats this weekend then got busy and forgot. Sorry, my human fraility is showing through. Life is just so tough when we get old and absent-minded. Now, what were we talking about? Oh yes, the hog roast.
I have wanted to do this for some time now, just could never seem to get time to do it. So, we decided to shoot for this Saturday. It will be here at Poverty Flats USA and the guest list is pretty exclusive. To attend, you must like BBQ, and you must come hungry. Joking aside, we are just trying to bring a lot of family and friends together to enjoy some good food and recreation. And, of course, my primary reason for having it is to give family and friends an opportunity to meet and become acquainted with Sue. I am certain they will all find her to be as sweet and interesting as I do.
We have been busy all morning butchering and preparing a 150 lb hog for the event Saturday. It is now on ice, properly rubbed down with our own special rub from Texas BBQ & Beans and waiting for the smoker. It will go into the smoker early tomorrow afternoon and cook until around noon on Saturday.I know the fire isn't even lit yet, but I can almost smell it cooking already.
I will start a tub of our own Ranch Style BBQ Beans tomorrow also. BBQ just wouldn't be complete without them. We cook them from scratch, using five different kinds of dry beans. We add onions, garlic,a couple pounds of cooked bacon, a few pounds of BBQ meat and lots of "Taste of Texas" BBQ sauce which is our own recipe. It is , by the way, now packaged to sell in pints and quarts. Finally, when the beans are about half way done, they go into the smoker for at least four hours of hickory smoke. WOW !!! These are a meal in themselves.
It will be a really fun time with vollyball for the adults and a waterslide for the kids. Later, we will have a bonfire and roast marshmallows and make ourselves sick from eating too many.
Sure wish all of you could be here to join us. You would certainly be more than welcome.
May God, who controls all things, bless you well today.

Via Con Dios
DM

Life is good again

God is so good. Life is good too, again. And please, make no mistake about it. Half of a lifetime cannot be wiped away nor forgotten overnight. But, I don't believe God wants us to dwell in the past, ignoring the life that is now and in the future. I am reminded today of the story of King David in the Old Testament found in II Samuel 12:15-23. King David's son had become very ill, to the point of death. The king was in mourning, broken hearted in his sorrow. Then the servants brought word that the child had died. King David arose (v 20) washed and annointed himself and came into the house of the Lord to worship. The servants were amazed at this. They asked, " How can this be ?The child was so ill and you were in such grief. Now the child has died and you rise up, eat bread, and worship God." Verses 22 and 23 are King David's answer to their questions. "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for I said, Maybe God will be gracious to me, and the child will live. But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast ? Can I bring him back??????? Can I change anything, or turn back the clock? He can never return to this life, but someday I shall see him again." Even in the Old Testament, long before Jesus Christ was born in Bethleham, King David believed in the promise of eternal life given by God.
And this is why the grieving process was so short for me. I know, as certain as the sun rises in the eastern sky every morning, that Frances is in heaven with God. Nothing I can do would ever change that. Nor would I want to. I would not want to take her from that blessed place of eternal rest. I know she is happy there and at peace for the first time in her life.
And now for the present. Life goes on today just as it did for King David about 3,000 years ago. God has blessed me so greatly in the past few months. I have shared just a little about this special person God has brought into my life. I did not enter into this with any expectations other than some friendly conversation, maybe some companionship. But God knew the gameplan before the game started. And things just started rolling along at a steady pace. And now we have both reached the place where we have fallen very much in love with each other. Sue is so very good for me, and to me. I know some of the family will not be overjoyed at this , as to be expected. But, as my daughter Angie said to my son Josh, "When you get to know Sue, you can't NOT like her. She just has that kind of personality"
I could ramble on forever like this but have work to do. I wanted to post news of the big cookout-hog roast comimg up here at Poverty Flats this weekend but will post that later today.
For now, as always.....
Via Con Dios
DM

Great Weekend

This has been a really great weekend. We have gotten a lot of clean-up from the storn done and planted the rest of the gardens. Then, after the work was done, the special lady I told you about earlier and I went to a super concert. It was at an outdoor arena at Miami Ok. The show was opened by Sammy Kershaw and the headline performer was none other than old George Jones himself. We had seats on the 4th row from the front right in the center and had a great time. Sammy sang for about 45 min. but when George Jones came out, he sang and told jokes for 1 1/2 hrs. He still does a super job for someone his age.

Time is short today so post will be short. More next time.

Via on Dios
DM

Looking Up !!

I'm sure most everyone knows the story of "Footprints In The Sand". And yes, God really does carry us through our darkest, most difficult hours. I can personally attest to this after months of being carried by Him. He will always be with us through good times as well as bad. Sometimes I have to wonder how people without faith in God survive life's trials.
But there is another story I hope everyone reading this is familiar with. It is the Old Testament story of a man named Job. If you have never read this book in the O.T., allow me to suggest it next time you need something good to read. Job was a man of great faith who God allowed the devil to tempt and test to prove that faith. Job lost everything except his life. And yet, he continued to trust God and hold to his faith. And in the end, God rewarded him by restoring everything many times over.

I have said all this, not because I am chasing literary rabbits, but rather because I am going somewhere specific with it. I have some news to share with those who have supported me through the difficult times I have been through.
God has brought a very special person into my life. I believe God is directly responsible because this person shares my faith in Him. I have prayed hours on end,asking God to give me a reason to continue, a reason to live. This was not something I sought, nor went looking for. But, I know what it is to smile, laugh, and yes, to be happy again. Things have progressed slowly, and has picked up steam as time has gone by. It is NOT a spur-of-the-moment thing born out of grief, for by God's grace I have dealt with that and it is behind me. I'm sure there will be those who feel it is too soon, but only I, and God can answer that. Please believe me when I say, I know where I am on this !! And to that special person, knowing you will read this post later, may I say to you, "Thank you for for being there and for following God's direction as He gently nudged you in my direction."

Well, that's all the news from Poverty Flats. May the God of all creation bless you greatly today.
Via Con Dios
DM