Chatting with Skip

The Colonel and I love the town we live in. One of the reasons we love it are the many beautiful murals that can be found around town. There are currently 30 finished murals.

The Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society (established 1994) is the entity that helps to make these murals a reality. Their mission is to preserve the rich history of the area through the beauty of mural art. They are part of the Florida Mural Trail.

The Colonel and I have helped to sponsor two of the finished murals. The first one we sponsored is entitled Our First Firehouse (2017). This mural is located in Fire Station #1, on the north and south bay walls. It depicts a slice of time in the fire station's history. It was painted by Skip Dyrda.

 Image from the PGHMS website

Image from the PGHMS website

Skip is an extremely talented artist. The details he incorporates within his paintings are incredible (he paints a red string in his works of art). The Fire Station's mural has over 52 items within the painting that you can search for (the mural society has a card that lists the items you can search for while visiting the mural). 

The second finished mural The Colonel and I helped to sponsor is called Ladies Remembered (2018). This mural is located on the walls of Bayside Eye Center in town. This mural presents seven women who were part of the area's history. The ladies range from the early years to more recent times. Their contributions came through various areas such as, education, business, history, healthcare, government and social causes. These ladies made a lasting impression upon the community. This mural was also painted by Skip Dyrda (I am sensing a pattern here in our mural sponsorship).

 Image from PGHMS website

Image from PGHMS website

  Image from PGHMS website

The Colonel and I have sponsored our third mural. The town's 31st mural is entitled Tails from the Harbor (2019). This mural will depict the rich marine life in Charlotte Harbor. It is currently being painted by Skip Dyrda (Yes, a definite pattern in our mural sponsorship).

A few weeks ago, The Colonel and I were strolling along the town's Harborwalk with My-Favorite-Mother-In-Law. The newest mural is situated along the Harborwalk, under the southbound U.S. 41 bridge that crosses the Peace River.

Skip Dyrda was working on the 31st mural the day we went strolling by.

We stopped to watch Skip at work and told him that we were sponsors of the mural and that we also sponsored the other two murals he had painted. We told him we are great admirers of his work.

I stayed behind and chatted with Skip as The Colonel and his mother walked a bit further along the Harborwalk.

I was glad that Skip took some time out of his painting to chat with me. He told me that the angle of the concrete under the bridge was a bit of a challenge when it came to painting the mural. The angle could make the fish in the painting appear too thin if he did not account for it. He also said that leaning over to paint all day could cause some strain on his lower back.

The mural is looking great! Skip has such an eye for detail. Remember I mentioned he paints a red string in each of his paintings?

And just look at the bug coming out of a crack in the weathered, wooden board.

I love the "Captain Nemo-ish" look of the portholes. I also love the rich colors...the Tarpons below look beautiful.

Below is the sketch of what the mural will look like when it is done and it is scheduled to be completed in April or May.

The Colonel and I are looking forward to the mural's dedication day. We attended the dedications of the other two murals we sponsored. A large crowd of townspeople as well as city and county dignitaries attend the dedications. At the firehouse mural dedication, there was a Bar-B-Que with all the fixins and at the ladies mural, all kinds of delicious finger-foods and desserts were served.

Given the depiction of local marine life in mural number 31, I wonder, will a fish fry be part of the dedication day? 

Wordless Wednesday

Throwback Thursday

This is a photograph of me in one of my high school years. I want to say 1977, my sophomore year, because I am "dressed-out" for a Powder Puff Football game later that evening. My sisters Kathleen (a senior) and Lori (a junior) were also on the team that year.

We got to wear a jersey belonging to one of the high school's football players (the jersey does not look too big on me but it was. There was a lot of it tucked into my jeans and when I lifted my arms up, there was quite a surplus of fabric exposed). I chose number 79. I did not choose that jersey based on the football player, I chose it because it would be the year I would graduate from high school. If I recall correctly, number 79 belonged to Wally Jordan. He went to the same catholic grade school I did. He was a year ahead of me.

On a sad note, I searched for Wally (Walter F. Jordan) online and discovered that he passed away on February 18, 2014. He was only 54 years old. His obituary stated that he was an All-State defense tackle and football captain at our high school. He was a 4-year letter-man and he was an All-Conference defense tackle at Ball State University.

As I stated before, I was dressed and ready for a Powder Puff Football game in the above photograph. My team was pitted against another all-girl team. We would face-off during half-time for that evening's football game.

I do not remember if my team won (part of me thinks we did not) but I do remember wearing two little red flags. The flags were dangling from my belt. We could not tackle one another in Powder Puff Football. To signify a tackle, we pulled free a player's flag. When both of  your flags were pulled free, you were out of the game. Some of the girls were a bit aggressive. I remember some coming away from the game with scrapes, cuts and scratches.

We girls took our game just as seriously as the guys did that evening but I am sure a football field full of girls running around, passing/catching a football and grasping at flags was very entertaining for those in the stands.

Wordless Wednesday

Looks and Books

Over a month ago, The Colonel received a phone call from a representative of the local airport. She was tasked with getting some historical photos made for display on one of the airport's high-traffic hallway walls.

The chief planner of the city (The Colonel and I have worked with him before on designing and executing historical displays for the city) pointed her to The Colonel, saying he was the one to go to for historical photos and information.

The Colonel said of course he would help her out and he knew of a graphic artist who could help out too (read that as our daughter). He was informed that he had to get this done within a month...no worries...The Colonel works best under pressure.

The Colonel had some pictures of historical buildings and areas of the town and sent them to the airport rep to see which ones she liked best. She wanted to have six pictures to hang. After she chose her favorites, The Colonel passed them along to Yam for her to work on. She turned them around in record time.

Once Yam's graphics were approved, The Colonel had the pictures made via an online company he has worked with before.

The finished products were sent directly to the airport. One evening, the rep called The Colonel to say the pictures were on the wall. We had just finished dinner and decided that we would go to the airport for a quick look. We called Yam to see if she wanted to meet us there to see her and The Colonel's handiwork on the wall. She said she would love to.

The pictures looked great! They also looked huge on the wall.

I am very proud of the work The Colonel and Yam did to make the airport's project a reality. I know they are too. I like that thousands of people coming to and going from our local airport will gaze upon their work.

The airport representative was so impressed by the work that she has asked The Colonel if he would be available for similar projects in the future....of course he said yes (he will also use his favorite graphic artist).

While we were at the airport, we saw this just down the hallway from the pictures...

It is called the Flybrary. Passengers leaving or arriving, people waiting for the passengers or anyone at all can take, borrow or trade a book for free. There are no fees involved and you aren't obligated to return any book you take. Naturally, the books for children are on the lower shelves. The Flybrary is located near the baggage claim and is partnering with the county library system.

Flying can be the perfect time to start a book. I know I always have a book with me on the airplane (I like to read, plus it may keep a "Chatty Kathy" in the next seat, at bay).

The Flybrary was developed based on the Little Free Library concept. It was creatively modified to have the aviation theme, be indoors and be large enough to accommodate the growing numbers of passengers to the airport.

The idea came from one of our local library supervisors. Reading material will be replenished by the library with paperback books, hardback books and magazines, using its excess inventory or donations from the Friends of the Library.

A Flybrary sticker will be added to the back of each book on the shelves. So, no matter where the books travel, their readers will be reminded of the local airport and area.

I picked up a few books while at the Flybrary. I will take them back once I have read them.

I love the idea of the Flybrary...heck, I even love the name Flybrary!

Wordless Wednesday

Fare Thee Well My Favorite-Father-In-Law

My heart is suffused with sorrow. My Favorite Father-In-Law died on the evening of Friday, January 18, 2019.

He died from complications of a heart attack. His heart was strong and he did not suffer from heart disease. The doctors believe a blood clot had formed and stopped his heart.

On Monday, January 14th, My Favorite Mother-In-Law found him on the living room floor around 10 p.m., unresponsive and not breathing. She called Yam (she tried to call us but our phone did not ring...one of the reasons we finally got new phones). Yam told her to call 911, called us and then ran across the street to assist and be there when the emergency vehicles arrived. We arrived shortly after my Favorite Father-In-Law was loaded into the ambulance and was on his way to the hospital.

Yam told us that the emergency technicians were able to restart her grandpa's heart but he did not regain consciousness. He never regained consciousness before he died. The neurologist said he suffered brain damage due to being without oxygen too long after his heart attack.

Yam stayed with her grandma as The Colonel and I went to the hospital to be with his dad. We stayed in the trauma room until a bed could be found at the hospital's heart unit. We finally left the hospital at 4 a.m.

The Colonel and I made daily visits to the hospital to be with his dad and then we would go to his mother's house to be with her and tell her what was happening with her beloved husband. It was a long four days. The Colonel and I would sit bedside and hold My Favorite Father-In-Law's hands. Yam was able to come to the hospital for a visit too. My-Favorite-Mother-In-Law did not wish to see her husband this way and chose not to go to the hospital.

I am very blessed to have had My-Favorite-Father-In-Law in my life for about 35 years. He was a very loving, thoughtful, funny, fun-loving, creative, resourceful, smart, adventurous, friendly, positive, strong, dependable, sweet man. I have known only one other man like him...The Colonel.

My-Favorite-Father-In-Law was the epitome of  father, grandfather and husband (he and my Favorite-Mother-In-Law were married for 60 years...it would have been 61 in March). He whole-heartedly loved his wife, children and grandchildren. He loved me as one of his own. A few months before his death, he began calling me his sunshine.

He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells) in 2016 and underwent chemo infusions on a weekly basis until his death. Sometimes his infusions would last for several hours and he would not feel well the next day or two. He never complained about any of it. He still walked and worked out in his yard, once he felt more like his old self after the infusions.

The last family get together was at Christmas last year. He was feeling a bit tired. We did not know (nor did he) that he had pneumonia at the time. He joined in on a few Wii games despite feeling tired and a bit winded. This is a photo of him at taken at Christmas. 

I said he was creative and liked to work in his yard. He combined the two when he made his pieces of art from yard waste materials. His preferred material was anything from a palm tree. He made totems out of palm stumps. 

He also made many fish and sea creatures from the pods of palm trees.

One of his garage walls became his "aquarium".

He loved dressing up for Halloween and walking around town to pass out candy to the kids. He was dressed as a cannibal in the 2014 photo below.

I think the only thing My-Favorite-Father-In-Law did not do that he wanted to do was skydive. Had he lived longer and felt better, I am sure he would have done it.

We buried his cremains on Thursday, February 21st around 10 a.m. Yam was able to get a bereavement day from work as did Spud. He drove 6 hrs. from Jacksonville, leaving there at 2 a.m. to arrive at our house in time to join us for the one hour trip to the cemetery.

When I say we buried him...I mean it literally. The Colonel wanted to help bury his father. Before the burial, I stood to say a few words about My-Favorite-Father-In-Law.

I sat back down and we had a few minutes of quiet contemplation.

When we were ready, we let the cemetery workers know and Spud pulled out of his pocket the pouch of Mail Pouch chewing tobacco (we found it in My-Favorite-Father-In-Law's car) and a small packet of coffee. We wanted to place these in the grave. They were two favorites of My-Favorite-Father-In-Law.

The cemetery worker placed the items in the grave, atop the box of cremains and then sealed the cement vault.

The Colonel began shoveling dirt in the grave. I placed three shovelfuls myself and then Yam and Spud followed after me. The Colonel took over the shoveling again until the grave was filled.

My-Favorite-Mother-In-Law chose not to help bury her husband. I asked if she would like to toss a handful of soil into the grave but she demurred.

Since My-Favorite-Father-In-Law was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, he will receive his name plaque for free. We will have to wait for that to arrive. For the interim, The Colonel made the vase and stand for the flowers that adorn his grave.

It is so painful to lose someone, especially when that person was so loved and loved you so.

I know that I was blessed the day I met My-Favorite-Father-In-Law and especially blessed the day I became his Favorite-Daughter-In-Law by marrying The Colonel. I will always be grateful and pleased that our life journeys intertwined for a while.

When we remember our loved ones in our minds, hearts and voice, they are with us again.