The Versatile Blogger Award

Gospel Driven Disciples Honored with the

Versatile Blogger Award

Awarded by Tossing it Out

Once again the Gospel Driven Disciples has been blessed by an award. Lee, from Tossing It Out has chosen to award my blog with The Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you very much Lee, and now for my acceptance speech… Not really! Kidding!

However the rules state I must share seven things with you. I got tagged a little while back and had to share, I think five things, and I am not sure any more. At any rate first of all, here goes, and second, if there is a repeated thing – and you catch it, just ask me to tell you something else to make up for it. I have no shortage of stories.

1. I have been in a Marine Corp transport plane that was hit by lightning while flying in a major thunderstorm in route to Manila, Philippines. (Obviously we landed safely) What is the perfect flight? One that has the same amount of landings as take-offs.

2. I have had the pleasure of meeting and having dinner with the great Mr. Freddie Hart of Freddie Hart and the Heartbeats. He is best known for his number one record, Easy Lovin’. I, however liked his “Hank Williams Guitar” and “If Fingerprints Showed Up on Skin, I Wonder Whose I’d Find on You” the best. He also did "The Wall."

3. I have been privileged to have seen what I consider to be four of the most amazing sites in our land; Pompey’s Pillar (with William Clark's signature still in the rock), the memorial site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn which was the site of Custer’s last stand. I have also visited and toured the Alamo in San Antonio Texas, I have visited Niagara Falls. I have never been in a "church" that was as quiet and reverent and respectful as both the Alamo and the Custer Battle Sight. It was an amazing, erie, and awesome "quiet" that gave respect to the men who lost their lives at these places. At Custer's site all you could hear was the birds, the wind, and occasional camera as people walked in silence around the tomstones depicting where 7th Calvary soldiers had fallen and died.

4. I have owned a classic Signet Gold 1967 Pontiac GTO Hardtop, with the 335 HP 400 CI V8 and a Hearst linkage 4 speed Transmission. It had a black vinyl top with black leather interior and Rally II Wheels. The MSRP for the hardtop in 1967 was $2935. Today, one in absolute mint condition, cherry as we use to say, can go as high as $11K. Yes, I am still kicking myself for selling it before I joined the USMC in 1972. I won every "street" race I was in in that GTO. How I never got a ticket I'll never know.

5. I once pumped gas and filled the tank for Will Rogers, Jr. while working at a Texaco Gas Station in Diamond Bar, California. As exciting as this was, it was not as thrilling as the experience my sister had in San Jose, California one hot summer day. She actually served and sold an ice cream cone to the one and only Ernest Tubbs of Ernest Tubbs and the Texas Troubadours. 

6. I have seen Merle Haggard in concert in the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. What a show that was. The Hag is one of my favorite country artists, second only to Mr. George “The Possum” Jones. The show was a sell-out and it was electric. 

7. I have three times driven from coast to coast across our great land. The first time was in 1973 from Jacksonville, North Carolina to San Jose, California. The second time was in 1974 from San Jose, California to Beaufort, South Carolina. The third time yes was from Beaufort, South Carolina to you guessed it, San Jose, California.

My wife was born and raised in San Jose. When I was stationed overseas she stayed with family in San Jose. So, I rotated back to the world from Japan and we drove to our next duty station. We have driven the central and southern route. We drove I-10 across the bottom of our country and I-40 across the mid-section. There is nothing more fun than driving across our great land and seeing the sights. I love it.

Now, I am supposed to award 15 other bloggers and inform them of their award. So, we will know who reads my blog if you read your name and blog seven things about yourself!

I want to thank everyone who has helped me to achieve this great accomplishment. I thank of course Lee who awarded this award, my mother who had me, and my wife who puts up with me, all my loyal readers, and so on and so on and so on… Yes, I thank the Lord!

1. Tried with Fire

2. Want to Walk Along?

3. The Old Geezer

4. Becadee

5. While We Sojourn

6. Kansas Bob

7. Stranger in a Strange Land

8. Pastor’s Corner

9. Life on Acreage

10. Inside the Shrink

11. Brian Todd Blog

12. At the Center

13. Beneath the Cross

14. Carol’s Corner

15. Box of Whine