Rocket slide reunion

Labor Day + Family Reunion + Cookout + Rocket Slide = Great Memories

Labor Day 2016 we met at the famous Rocket Slide at Burns Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Rocket Slide was a childhood favorite attraction of mine. I had at least a couple birthday parties there.

It's not the same now. My Rocket Slide was all metal - no plastic for us first generations. I read an article where the second generation space ship burned. Someone told me they remember it contained both wood and plastic.

Today's space shuttle is third generation I suppose. It's a fun design with a couple fast slides. I'm glad they didn't slow it down.

Enjoy these photos from our day. Maybe later I will add some details about the people in them.

Woo Pig Sooie!

KK and me with the 3rd Generation Rocket Slide in the background.

Drake and me.

Levi

KK

James, my great-nephew.

Colten

Camp Robinson is nearby. I reckon that's why the tank.

"Look like soldiers!"

Levi in front. Jojo in the wagon. Tiffany holding Amaya, in green. Mindy with Abigail in pink. Jackson in white toddling toward Amber. Pilar and Ashley in the background.

My mom.

O'Neal

My cousin, Barry and me.

My brother, Mark.

My nephew, Robert.

My nephew, Jack.

Asher

"How do you get inside this thing?"

Levi chose the safe zone.

Something happened to me at choir practice tonight.

The creation story doesn't mention music, but God created it. Music is like the wind. It is invisible yet real. You can feel it but you can't touch it or hold it. It can be gentle and it can be powerful.

Tonight I find myself having been moved by music. A song, inspired. It Is Well is an old hymn. You have most likely heard it. I grew up singing it with my fellow Baptists. I didn't really like it. The song lacks the tempo and syncopation that I normally require - something that makes me tap my foot - something with a groove.

Then, when our baby Georgia died, our dear friends sang It Is Well at her memorial service. They did a beautiful job with the song, but the sorrowful occasion turned me even more against the song. From that day till this one I have not been able to listen to the song or sing it with any amount of joy or comfort.

Hear me when I say, the song brought me no comfort. None. In fact, it often made me either sad or angry. I really could not agree with the premise that it was indeed well. I understand the man who wrote the words had endured much greater loss than I. That didn't matter to me.

Until tonight.

FBC: It Is Well With My Soul - Concord Worship from First Baptist Concord on Vimeo.

As a new member of the choir at First Baptist Concord, I was not aware that this song was in their repertoire. Then we practiced the song. Thankfully, it was arranged by Tim Paul. Classically arranged under the influence of the Holy Spirit. While we were rehearsing the song, my dread began to turn. It was simply beautiful.

And the memories of our sweet Georgia Rose swept my mind. I saw her once again lying on the kitchen table, lifeless as I pushed air into her lungs with little puffs. Again, I regretted obeying the police officer who told me to stand back. I had touched her for the last time and didn't realize it. I wish I would have told him where to go, and picked her up to hold her one last time.

But the beauty of this song and the Holy Spirit who inspired it washed away those horrible things while I sang.

It is well. It is well with my soul.

I still feel the grief, but I have been touch by the Holy Spirit of God. He has given me a measure of healing, whether great or small I cannot tell. I am ready to sing this song. Thank you LORD for music. 

God bless you,
Dadofmykids

Photo Album v1

I've been cleaning and reorganizing the basement lately. I decided to go through some of the thousands of photos we have down there, and put a few of them on my blog for preservation. Enjoy.

I love this photo with all the personalities and Tilley's bare feet. I think this was in Alabama or Florida in 2002. Left to right, Sean, Tilley, Tucker, Asher and Riley.

When we go to the beach, Tucker totes around a bucket and fills it with critters. That's Tucker with the bucket and Tilley sitting nearby.

Aunt Debbie with Riley and Tilley, 1997.

Brittany and Riley at Johnny and Debbie's house. Tucker in the background.

Baby Tilley in a toy stroller. I think the stroller was for Brittany or Fallon's baby doll.

Sean, 1997 in front of our garage on Silo Dr.

Tilley, Laken and Asher, at Silo Drive. Notice the handle-less mug.

Tucker, 1997 I think.

Left to right, Tilley, Riley, Tucker, Sean, Daniel and Asher at Lenoir City Park.

Tilley, Sean, Riley, Asher, Daniel and Tucker at Lenoir City Park. I think this is one of the photos I used in Jilly's Mother's Day gift that year. I took a lot of photos that day and framed some of them as her gift.

My handsome brother Mark with Jack, Daniel, Mindy and Sean. Jack is son of my brother Scott. Mindy is Mark's daughter.

This is Sean at Mamaw Mason's, before we adopted him. Isn't he cute? I don't know who the little girl is.

Fallon and Tilley.

Miss Tilley has always had an attitude. I blame it on her mother. Riley in the background overlooking our pool on Silo Drive. I built the deck around that pool out of recycled lumber. It took about a year, but it was huge.

Asher helping on the piano on Silo Drive.

What a performance!

Riley, we used to call him Smiley Riley.

Tucker and Asher on the back porch at Silo Drive.

Tilley. I think this is Rock Springs Park in Lenoir City. Notice the dirty knees and feet.

Riley and Tilley. Again, I think this is at Rock Springs Park

Tucker and Riley. Same location.

Tucker, piloting the pontoon boat with me as the co-pilot. This is on Fort Loudon Lake near Lauderdale Cove.

Riley's turn. It sometimes took us forever to go through all the turns. Still does.

I would buy five boats for this beauty. It must have been early in the season with all the coats.

Tucker and Tilley, dyeing Easter eggs. This must be Tucker's Hulk impersonation.

Tilley at the NASA museum in Pensacola FL.

Tucker. Calm down.

Riley tries to comfort Tilley on her birthday. I don't remember why she was upset. 2001

Tilley doesn't seem too happy about this dress. It's a pretty dress.

But she is very happy about these pig tails. In our camper.

Riley and Tucker are still inseperable. They even work at the same place.

Tilley really likes the beach.

Tucker, clowning around in the camper tub. We used to camp on the weekends. Saturday nights, we bathed everybody in preparation for church on Sunday.

Mawmaw Hardy (my mom), me and Asher in our camper about 2002-2003. I think we were camping in Shelby Forest near Memphis. We dragged that camper all over the place, from Tennessee to Texas to Ohio to South Carolina.

Riley and Asher enjoy some popcorn on Silo Drive.

Papaw Tilley helps Asher with his Christmas present.

The Scott Brasfield Family, maybe around 2002. Sandra and Scott on the back row. Jason, Jack and Tiffany on front row.

Smiley Riley

Asher in The Chair.

I hope you enjoy these photos. Maybe I will post some more in time.

Go and Tell John

When I was in high school, I was a singer. I had the privilege of singing in the TN All-State Choir. I met a fellow student one year, in Nashville, at the All-State Choir event. He struck me as a little awkward - very awkward, indeed. I wondered how this odd fellow managed to qualify for such an elite group. Nonetheless, my group of friends and I treated him kindly.

On the first day of rehearsals, my awkward friend took his seat at the piano. He was our accompanist! And we soon learned, he was brilliant - maybe even genius! The director even noted publicly his added value to the choir.

The only song I truly remember performing was an acapella number called "Go and Tell John" by Larry L Fleming. I found this recording of the George Fox University Concert Choir on YouTube:

 

Luke 7:21-23

At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the Gospel preached to them. "Blessed is he who does not take offence at Me."

God Bless,
Dadofmykids

Bees need water, too.

I checked on the bees today. They're doing great. The honeycomb is getting heavier with nectar and honey, brood, too.

The entrance, just before inspection. Lots of bees, going and coming, heavy with pollen.

Looking down into the hive, you can see nectar glistening. A beekeeper at the fair told me the bees will let the nectar evaporate until it reaches 17% water content. Then they will cap it. That's when the nectar becomes honey.

This is the first time I have seen drone brood in my hive. It's kind of hard to see with bees everywhere and the camera focusing. The cells that are sticking out like tiny yellow hard-hats are drone cells. Drones are males. I think it is good that the bees are making drones, although I have seen people on YouTube killing drone cells to prevent swarming.

Here is the Queen. She is easy to spot with the white dot painted on her.

One of the frames was attached to the side of the hive. When I removed it, a tiny section of honeycomb broke off dripping honey. These two didn't waste any time cleaning up the mess.

You might notice the zip-lock bags in the bottom of the hive. They contain sugar water. I place them down there and then cut a small slit with my pocket knife. The sugar water comes out as the bees land on it. Eventually, they push out all of it. For me, it's like turning sugar into honey.

At this point, I wonder if it is really necessary to feed them. But, I do it anyway. Just a few weeks ago, the hive was light and dry where I hadn't been feeding them as often. Coincidentally, about that time, we sowed some grass seed back there and started watering every day. Ever since then, they have been putting on the weight. I think it has more to do with daily watering of the grass than it does the sugar water.

UPDATE:
The videos above aren't working, so I put them all together on YouTube.

Still, I wonder.

I wonder what my Dad would be like if he was still living. He died when I was just 5 years old. I have only a few memories of him, mostly happy times, like fishing or beating him in a foot race (I really did think I had beat him fair and square.) or driving the car while sitting in his lap.

My dad, James Kenneth Brasfield, USAF,
sometime before 1957.

My dad was only 35 years old when he died. He was a veteran of the Korean War (aka Korean Conflict) having served in the US Air Force with rank of Airman Second Class. I understand that is equal to E-3 rank, which is same as mine in the Army. (I was Private First Class). My aunts told me he was never the same after the war. I believe he may have suffered from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

He attempted to take his life on multiple occasions before succeeding on November 5, 1973. My mother was pregnant at the time with my baby brother, Jeff. My dad had been hospitalized for treatment associated with his suicidal attempts, making some ceramic items that I recall in the attic of my childhood home.

He is buried in Little Rock National Cemetery, Section 16, Site 506, in Little Rock, Arkansas. I remember the funeral, and the twenty-one gun salute at the grave side service.

My mom remarried when I was thirteen years old, to O'Neal Hardy from Memphis. I was uncertain how my life would change as we moved from N Little Rock, Ar. to Memphis TN a week after they married. I couldn't bring myself to call him "Dad", so I called him "Pop". He's a good man and taught me many things. I am thankful for him.

That move to Memphis seriously rocked my world, set me on a path that lead to where I am today. From Memphis, I came to Knoxville where I met Jilly. I wouldn't change a thing.

Today, I called Pop on the phone to wish him a happy Father's Day.

Still, I wonder...

Happy Father's Day 2015,
Dadofmykids

To despise money

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.  1 Timothy 6:10

Maybe I misunderstood this verse for some time. I thought pursuing more business was a sign that I was greedy. Perhaps I should be satisfied with the success already attained. The fact is complacency with current success leads to laziness. Laziness is very destructive.

Motive?
Am I driven by the love of money? No. I don't think so. My opinion on money has changed drastically over time. Nowadays I'm more motivated by the thoughts that I have so many people depending on me. My family. My employees. My business partner. My referral partners. My vendors. My community. Think of servers in restaurants. I want to be generous with my tips to them. It's not the love of money that drives me to seek more business. Rather, it's the love for all these people in my life that drives me.

What if we take this verse and spin it around to say the same thing with a positive finish?


Let's try this: "To despise money is good, or holy. Some people, who despise money, have increased their faith and found peace."

Or: "Everybody needs money to live. It's okay to desire to provide for your family and to work to become more charitable. This will open you up to more opportunities to grow in faith and love."

Is that too much of a stretch? Is that twisting scripture?

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. - Proverbs 6:6-11 NLT

I signed the petition to Deny Parole to Vanessa Coleman.

I avoided broadcasts and news when they told the details, especially the live broadcasts from the courtroom. I just can't handle the gruesomeness of the violent rapes and murders of Christopher Newsom and his girlfriend Channon Christian.

During the course of Coleman's trial for her part in the rapes and murders of Channon and Chris, evidence was presented from her diary entry dated 3 days after the murder. It read in part, “I’ve had one HELL OF AN ADVENTURE since I’ve been in the big TN. It’s a crazy world these days! But I love the fun adventures and lessons that I’ve learned. Its going to be a long interesting year! Ha! Ha!”

Here's the comment I added to the petition:

"I have eight living children. I cannot imagine how the victims' parents feel, but paroling this criminal would violate them all over again. Furthermore, rapists and murderers are the worst threats to all children and adults. If you must release someone to make room for this one, release a non-violent offender, please."

 I encourage you to sign the petition too:  Click here.

God bless,
Dadofmykids

The black walnut curve ball.

Gary was the brat of the neighborhood. His mom bought him expensive toys that most of us could only hope for. His bike was way fancier than mine. It looked like a real (almost) motorcycle. It had a gas tank, speedometer and a button that produced a motorcycle sound when you pushed it. I must have been jealous to remember all that detail. Actually, it may have been the bike stolen by Bubba Davenport. Indeed it was the same bike.

There was a black walnut tree in our yard. At certain times of year walnuts would fall to the ground. I guess they must not have been good to eat because my mom never made a fuss about collecting them for food or anything.

I made good use of the walnuts for playing. I remember discovering some walnuts that had been left in a container outside where rainwater collected. After soaking for a while, the water turned black like ink. I tried to use it for tattooing among other things. It didn't work very well.

Gary was kind of fat, and a little shorter than me. It seems like he was a year younger than me too. I enjoyed picking on him a little. He always made it worth while by getting very frustrated. He would even threaten to tell his mom. Oh how I loved when he threatened to tell his mom. I wasn't afraid of her.

Poor Gary drove his bike past my house one day. I thought it would be funny to chuck a walnut in his direction. Scare him a little. Maybe get him riled up. But not hit him with the walnut. Just whizz it by his head so he could hear it as it passed.

I was a decent baseball player and could throw pretty well - maybe better than I thought. I picked up a walnut and threw it like a baseball. My target was the air just behind his head. Close enough to scare him. That's all. I put a lot on it. He was moving to my right so I aimed just left allowing for the movement. This was going to be good. So good.

When I released the walnut it was right on target, headed for the space just behind Gary. Then, almost in slow motion, I saw the walnut curve hard to the right, straight for his head. It hit him just behind the ear, knocking him of his fancy bike.

I knew he wouldn't believe me. How could my intentions have been anything other than what happened? "I'm sorry" wouldn't have made it past the ringing in his ears. I just shook my head and turned away, disappointed in myself. How could I do something so mean? That's not me.

Gary got back on his bike. He turned around and headed back home with one hand on the handle bars and the other hand on his head. He was crying, "I'm going to tell my mom!"

Although I still didn't fear his mom's retribution, I hated what I had done.

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12  (NLT)

God bless,
Dadofmykids

Sore bum, bruised foot, and deflated confidence.

While Jill and the girls went to the Katy Perry Concert, I took the boys for a day of fun. Sean and Riley had to work, so it was Tucker, Asher, Levi and me. We went to Jayell Ranch in Pigeon Forge, surprisingly close to Dollywood Splash Country.

Smoky Mountain View

At Jayell Ranch, we rode ATV's, Zip Lines and Horses. The ATV ride was very cool and trouble free for the most part. Tucker drove one with Asher on back. And I drove one with Levi as passenger. Tucker and Asher got stuck a couple times. Levi and I got stuck once. We had a great guide who took through lots of mud. You never get too old for fish tailing.

Then we suited up for the zip lines. Levi was very nervous. Somehow we got him to go on the first one, which was the shortest on the farm. They called it the warm up line. Although it was shorter than the other five lines, I thought it was fast and fun. Levi must have been scared by it. When we got to the next one, he absolutely refused to go, no matter how brave we told him he was. That was the "end of the line" for him and me. Tucker and Asher continued on.

Here they are playing with a cat before zip lining.

Next came the horseback ride. I thought this would be the most laid back and easy activity of the day. I was mistaken. Asher was the nervous one on this activity. Honestly, I was wondering if it was smart of me to take him and Levi on this one, considering they both were on horses by themselves. Our guide, Susan, led the pack with Levi following close behind on his horse, asking question after question and almost continuously testing the horse to see if it would stop when he pulled the reins. Susan was very patient with him. Tucker was next. Then me. Asher in the rear.

All was well until we went down a particular slope on the trail. Asher's horse thought this would be an easy time to catch up with the rest of us and picked up his pace to a slight trot which made Asher bounce up and down in the saddle like the back seat of the school bus going over a speed bump. He lost his balance and fell off with a scream that would surely catch the attention of a herd of walkers from The Walking Dead. He hit the ground with a pretty good smack. I heard it. My horse got spooked and tried to take off out of there, but being the skilled rider that I am, I pulled back on the reins till he came to a stop. Then it was all over but the crying and figuring out if he was truly hurt.

Susan was great. She told him not to move, radioed for help, and started asking Asher questions like, 

"What is your name?"

Levi had Susan's ear
even after the fall.

"Asher"

"What is this?"

"A horse."

He was fine, except for a sore bum, bruised foot, and deflated confidence. Not that he was too confident to begin with. 

Help arrived and put him back on the horse, much to my surprise, as I sat quietly and observed all this from my horse's saddle. Susan promised to keep a close eye on him and to keep on flat terrain. So we continued. 

Asher kind of freaked out one more time, so Susan attached a rope to Asher's horse and lead him the rest of the way. 

I was proud of Asher for taking it "like a Brasfield", getting back on the horse and riding back to the stables. 

He was happy to get off that horse.