The Four Aces

My friend Harry shot this video while we were on a mission trip in Anchorage, Alaska. We had gone for lunch at a dine and Harry wanted me to show these guys who were sitting at the counter, this particular card trick.
Click on The Link Below:

http://missionhealing.tumblr.com/post/41788135185/this-is-awesome

Remember These?

I had the clicker and the shoes. Remember the jingle? "Poll Parrot, Poll Parrot are the shoes you want to buy, They make your feet run faster, As fast as I can fly! Squawk! Poll Parrot!!!

My Greatest Missed Autograph Was The First One I Missed

“Life’s funny. To a kid, time always drags. Suddenly you’re fifty. All that’s left of your childhood… fits in a rusty little box.”
From the movie Amelie
Royston Home of Baseball's Immortal Ty Cobb
What is Royston Georgia? Well besides my younger brother and I being born in Ty Cobb Memorial Hospital in Royston, it was a magical place for two skinny Georgia boys. It was a fall out shelter ready during the cold war, it was chasing wild pigs with sticks, it was poking these sames sticks at a six ft. alligator that would escape his owners pit. It was 10 cent comic books, ice cream at Dixie Dale, William Sims poking fun at us and riding Fireball Roberts pedal cars down the driveway. It was catching lightning bugs in a Mason jar with holes punched in the lids. It was tying a string on a June bug's leg and flying him around. It was Grannie Pierce, Aunt Mazell and Aunt EllaDee. and any magical realm our unlimited imaginations took us.
But, Royston is the home of baseball's immortal Ty Cobb. Every trip to Grannie's, we would pass the sign and hear our mother tell us about Ty Cobb.

My mother's grade school teacher was Ty Cobb's sister. During the off season or when he returned home to Royston, he would visit his sister at the school and play ball with my mom and her school friends. She and everyone that I ever spoke to that knew Tyrus Raymond Cobb, tells a different story than the mainstream media or in the (ugh!) Tommy Lee Jones movie Cobb. All that spoke of him spoke of how good and generous he was.

One day my brother and I decided to walk over to Ty Cobb's house and get an autograph. Since he died in 1961, I was probably 7 or 8, my brother. two years younger. It was a simpler, safer time in a small town so, it wasn't unusual for two boys our ages to go exploring. We gather up all of our courage and started on our task. As we neared his home, we could see him sitting on his front porch. We slowed our approach the nearer we got and when he turned towards us, we turned, kicked our Poll Parrot shoes into high gear and scooted off. We never got the courage up to talk with him and we never got the autograph. that was the first great autograph that I missed. A baseball signed by Ty Cobb normally sells for $7,000- $8,000. A signed 3x5 index card will fetch $2,000-$3,000 today.

Billy and I went to his burial in the Rose Hill Cemetery. The courageous young men that we were, stood behind a tree and watched as he was carried into his mausoleum. If you ever see any video of his burial and see two boys peering around each side of a tree, that's us.
       

What To Expect?

 If you are like me, you're probably thinking, "Why do a blog? Do we really need another blog?" Truth be known, I started keeping a journal in the early 70's until, a friend told me I was crazy to put all my thoughts on paper. Being easily influenced back then, I stopped. Being an avid reader, I have always thought I had a book or two in me but have not disciplined myself to write. My author friends have asked, "How much do you write each day?" My answer until now, "None."
 This is an attempt to change that. I can't promise that it will be a daily blog but I will try to blog as I experience and learn new things. 
 What is the blog about??? Who knows? God has blessed me with a full and exciting life some of which I wish I could do over, but God has worked in my life in spite of these longed for do-overs and has made me the man I am today. This blog may be about earlier experiences in my life and how now looking back to where I came from, I see the principles I violated, the consequences of my choices (good and bad), and the life lessons I have learned from these experiences.
 I will at times write about my hobbies. I have been an avid autograph collector for 32 years and have over 4,000 signed 8x10's, in addition to signed books, magazines and memorabilia. While those are neat and interesting, the back story of how I got them and the people I met is more interesting. I also think the stories of the autographs I could have gotten but didn't will be of interest. This hobby has led to becoming friends with many actors, writers and other "celebrities."
 Being an avid reader and a collector of signed first editions, I may blog about a book I like or have just read.
 I teach a senior men's Sunday School class at First Baptist Jonesboro so I may blog about how God is working in the lives of the members of our class and how God is using them all. They are all special men and I love them all. I will at times blog about our church, the activities that go on there and how God is doing a great work through His church in Jonesboro.
 I was born in 1952 and grew up watching Tarzan, Superman, Davy Crockett, The Time Tunnel, The Monkees (I became friends with Davy and Mickey) and other great shows. I miss the 1960's so, I may blog about simpler days.
 I will try to keep this blog fun, interesting, at times humorous and thought provoking. Please pass on any comments, suggestions and questions.
 All that said, I will post the first real blog tonight or tomorrow.