Greetings New Readers:

Some of you are just starting to read my blogs....
I am printing below....my first introductory blog which will explain my writings.
You can provide feedback, comments etc. by clicking on Link#2 and getting my
e-mail for blogs...Address. Go to Link #1 for Photos referred to in certain articles.
Family and friends....and friends I have not met....I declare to you......
It IS A Good Life.....and more to come...


Sept. 9, 2002

Welcome to my new Web Site called...a blog.
Blogs are simply web logs....in this case a kind of personal journal that is made public.
Since many of you have read my little books of inspiration in the past, you will find yourself mentioned from time to time
as we experience life together. I will include daily happenings of interest to my family, our nautical friends, my prayer partners, and any and all who are like minded souls.
You will see that our Southern/Spanish flavored family is quite 'crazy' and the abnormal becomes normal to us.
Adventure, Fun, Faith required Challenges, local home grown 'heroes' will become the norm as I present to you
some of the most fascinating people on this earth....my family and friends....
Look carefully....for you will surely find....YOURSELF!!!
Faith 9/9/2002 12:01:19 PM

What Is The Point?

Yesterday... Charlie and I went shopping for…of all things….a toilet, a commode, or as Joshua says, “a potty”.
Our County water supplier is offering a $100.00 rebate for installing the newer 1.6 gal. commodes.
Arriving at Lowe’s and Home Depot we find that there are 20-30 different choices in styles of all things…..toilets!
Yep, this is the good ole U.S.A.
Where else can one get ‘stressed out’ over choosing the right ‘potty’?
And actually is there a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ one?
Just a matter of opinion….is my ‘opinion’…
As our Southern friend, Patsy, always says…”Suit Yourself”!
And that is exactly what we did….
Now the county must inspect our ‘toilet’ to see that it meets the requirements for a $100.00 rebate….
So there is a ‘right’ toilet after all….according to the official ‘toilet inspector’…..
”ULF (ultra low flow) toilets must be ANSI certified to use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.”
Saving or conserving water….is big business now in 2004.
That’s the point….
………so ‘suit yourself’ …to save or not to save…..if the ’toilet inspector’ came to your house….what would he find?
At mine….he will find….one toilet passes inspection….one does not!
We intend to ’prove the savings and aggravation of replacement‘ before doing the second one….
To be Continued!

Growing Up…

Our Joshua is growing up…
He will be 3 yrs. old on July 13.
He has started ‘pre-school’….not day-care….but school three days a week.
Brittney almost died on Monday which caused her to call the school every hour or so for a progress report. Joshua was fine….not only fine but ‘having a great-time fine’. He has outgrown his ’family relatives’ care and needs this social, stimulating, learning experience. Talking full sentences, he comprehends everything and quickly assimilates information and responds accordingly. He is a natural ’learner’ with a tendency to be a ’leader’ among the other children. He gets a written report every day.
On Wednesday the family met at Cody’s as usual and Joshua had just come from school. He acted like….as my Southern Daddy used to say…a ’big shot’! Everybody was so anxious to ask him questions, get his reaction to school etc. Opening peanuts from the table during all this ’hoopla’ he ignored everyone. Suddenly after much ’picking’ from Chad and Chuckie/Pipo, he tosses his peanuts at Chad and uses one of his favorite expressions…”Whatever…”
Yep, our boy is growing up….possibly to be a Gator fan, thanks to Pop…
See pictures…Link #1.…See album Family Fun

Full Speed Ahead

Not being able to write on my web page can be frustrating….
Being busy away from home….even taking my laptop with me….
sometimes interferes with total enjoyment and a care-free feeling
of life. Obligation is truly a frustrating word.
Throwing caution to the wind…..I choose to enjoy the
special moments as they come to me.
Preserving precious times has
always been my forte. I do this in the written word, in pictures, videos, and verbally.
My family knows this is true..
Over the week-end at Okeechobee with family members, Chuck, Terry, Carla and Vinnie, was another one of those times.
We laughed, we relaxed, we were serious, we ate fresh caught fish and we enjoyed each other.
Carla and Vinnie gave us a Sunday morning church service which was truly inspirational. I am in awe of their 15 and 18 year old view of life and the healthy minded focus of faith that they both live and communicate.
Yes, it is truly…Full Speed Ahead….in….The Good Life!

Silent Partner…..

A wise man once observed that no one has as much money as other people assume he does. One reason for it is that everyone has a ‘silent partner’:
THE TAX MAN….
We are asked/required to donate, annually, to our silent partner….
It can be done daily, weekly, monthly or in a lump sum….annually.
Hurts more in a lump sum!
This time of year we are made aware of our silent partner for if we do not respond to his ‘invite to donate’…….by April 15th…..we will live to regret it. The only excuse acceptable is……T O STOP BREATHING!
Sometimes though…..we over pay our silent partner and believe it or not….he sends us back our overpayment! But in order to have this benefit….we must give him our money, first…..then send him all our bill totals at years end…..and if we have added and subtracted correctly….he gives us some of our money back. Our ‘windfall’ is usually spent quickly!
Otherwise, we add and subtract, and send him some more money at years end for we did not donate enough to suit him over the past year.
Anyway, this time of year there is a lot of money changing hands….our silent partner invades every family in America one way or another.
Woe is me…..AND EVERYBODY ELSE!
All of our money together….with our silent partners disbursement ….provides for our needs…those we see and do not see….
Roads, schools, parks, libraries, health care, protection, etc. The list goes on and on. Very seldom do we agree that these ’services’ are adequate or that the money is spent wisely. We have the right to complain to anyone that will listen, print complaints in newspapers and voice them on TV.
We have purchased this right….
Guess I have to honestly admit……we have ourselves a Good Deal!
But you know…..even Charity has….its limits!!!

This is a reminder.......Dear Readers;
I have had several questions about the new format on my Photos Page...from Link #1.
First of all I pay for this page so ignore all ads scattered around....
To view pictures....
Choose Album to view...
Double Click on it.....
Then double click on first picture in album and it will enlarge for viewing....look to the top of picture and
you will see the selectors previous/next buttons....also on left you will see....slideshow....
For automatic viewing of that album....click on slideshow...
To operate individually choose the next button each time you want to go forward.
That is all there is to it.....
Hope this simplifies the process for you...
Have a Great Day!!!

The Return
For Pictures…Link #1...AAA Blessing & Family Album

Greeting Dear Ones:
What a relaxing and rewarding week we spent on our boats in Okeechobee.
It was a blessed time of refreshment and work in order to do much-needed repair on the boats. Dockie and Ann joined us at different intervals and we took small boat runs on the rim ditch and up Taylor Creek. Since it was windy the first few days we worked instead of boating.
Dockie and Charlie spent two days…four hours each….perfecting our generator and electrical problems in the Milagro. I don’t use the term ‘perfect’ lightly….Dockie insisted time and time again…..”We will not quit until it is fixed perfectly…” When they did stop….we knew the job was done….Ann and I were told to leave the dock/Tiki Hut area because our talking was disturbing their concentration…Banished to our boats….we took up our favorite pastime with our books for reading.
What a delightful punishment!
At the end of the week we received a call from our cousin, Yvonne, that her mother, our Aunt Claudia, had died. She was the last of our Father’s family so it was a significant happening in the history of our Baxter Family.
Loading up a weeks supply of dirty clothes, tools, etc. we packed our gear and headed back to the Tampa Bay area.
Next morning, Friday, we get up early and head to Live Oak in north Florida for the funeral. It is about a 3-4 hour drive and we arrive just in time for the 11:00 service. With mixed emotions of gladness to see dear relative and experiencing the loss of a family member at the same time….it was a very precious and special event. What a sight of beauty it was to see the continuance after Aunt Claudia of all the family members with their young and beautiful children bursting with life.
(See family group picture on Link #1.)
The church service was a tribute to her faith and a timely reminder during this spiritual season of….Easter. The fact that there is life after death as we know it in the human form….makes Easter a wonderful time of rejoicing and victory. That was the feeling while chatting with family members and getting to know some of the younger ones.
Yes, definitely….It Is A Good Life….NOW and….hereafter!
Leaving Live Oak on our return home….we made a spontaneous decision to make a quick stop over in Gainesville at the University of Florida where Charlie and I met many years ago.
It was fun….and sad at the same time. Parts of the town was run down and others parts were restored. As we found my first apt., we discovered that seven graduate students were living in the old Southern house and were gradually restoring it to its former glamour. What a delight when we knocked on the door and they very proudly showed us around. I recognized all the rooms as wonderful memories came flooding back of a time of innocence and….safety. Leaving there we then found the next apartment I had when Charlie and I became engaged. It is now Lawyers offices and the staff was delighted to give us a tour as well. Remembering that my landlord did not allow males in the female ’quarters/apartment’…..Charlie had to knock on the door and ask me to his car in order to present the engagement ring and ask me to marry him!
My….how times have changed.
Next we toured all of the University…..saying…”Remember?”
Stopping at the same ROTC Dept. we found that it was a “Welcome Alumni” week-end so Charlie felt right at home there. From Cadet to Col. was molded from those roots….as a proud military tradition continued thru Charlie and his brothers as well.
Lastly, we drove to our on campus, married housing area. We then lived in old converted Army Barracks, with a little park in front and tennis courts to the side…..park and tennis courts still there….high rise dorms took the place of our old army barracks family home. Having two of our three children, Lynn and Chuck, there during our college years….placed many memories of wonderful, delightful…..early family life ’hard times’ into proper perspective for both Charlie and I.
We have lived so many of our youthful dreams and far beyond to those we could not have even imagined.
Being a hard-core “Gator Fan” became a life-time experience!
Yes, Chris…..you KNOW what I am talking about!
Today….I celebrate Life, Family, Fun, Faith…..and Blessed Memories.
Enjoying Life with those you love….is Truly Living!
Celebrate….The Good Life…and MORE to come!