Howdy! Welcome to my porch! This is where I try to keep everyone up to date on all the happenings in our neck of the wood, and occasionally I spout off about things I see on the news. That's why that old soapbox is over there in the corner! So grab a chair, or just sit right down on the ground (don't worry, I just swept), and I'll tell ya all about the latest.

First off, I reckon I'd best 'pologize fer not bein' out on the porch as regular as I used to. With the new youngun' there just don't seem to be as many hours in a day as there used to be! Fer any who don't know, we had our first child back on Thanksgiving Day, a little girl we named Megan Elizabeth. She just turned six months old on May 28th, and, boy, she's a handful! She gets in her walker and just goes everywhere! I reckon I oughta be thankful. The walker's got brakes on it that we can put down! As soon's she gets to walkin' there's no tellin' what she's gonna be gettin' into! I guess that should take care of my little ol' weight problem!

Wonder of wonders, we finally got some good news on our taxes! Seems when we was a-figurin' the taxes, we forgot about one estimated tax payment we made! Dropped the bill by about $1,100! That may make the difference between us havin' to sell the business or keep it! I can't believe it's all because the business grew faster than we thought it would! Almost put us out of business! Well, the Lord will take care of us, no matter what comes of this situation.

I'm not sure how to feel about this: This'll be the first year that I'LL be the father on father's day. Hmmm. I wonder if I'll get a tie? Oooh! Maybe some "Old Spice!" I'll have to practice my whistlin'! (If you don't remember the "Old Spice" commercial with the whistlin' sailor you probably aren't out of high school yet!)
Hee! Hee! Just joshin' with ya!

Well, my brother and his family got moved back to California. Anyways, I guess they did! I ain't heard from 'em since they moved almost a month ago! So, big brother, if'n you're a-readin' this, GIVE US A CALL!!! We'd be much obliged if you'd let us know you got there in one piece! You might wanta call momma too!

My, my! This weather just been somethin' so far this year! First there's the floods up north, then those tornados down in Texas, and now there a-sayin' that this years hurricane season is gonna be worse than normal. A good friend of mine told me she thinks this is the beginning of God's judgement on America, and you know what? I think she may be right! Someone once said that if the Lord didn't judge our country, He'd have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah! We just don't seem to have the same sense of morals, and right and wrong that we used to! Ah well, no sense gettin' out the soapbox just yet!

Well, OK! Just one little spoutin' off! I sit here and see on the news how that relief bill for the people up in the Dakotas is probably gonna be vetoed, and I just get so mad I could spit! I'm not a big fan of Clinton's, but this one isn't his fault! Them Republicans decided to try to pull a slick one, and put a couple of amendments on that bill that didn't have anything at all to do with disaster relief!! Seems to me they're usin' those people's problems and sufferin' to try to play politics, and I think that's a low-down, dirty thing to do! Shows you how much they care about the people in this country! I'm done now. I just had to get that out of my system!

Gracious! This year's almost half over already! On the one hand it don't seem like it's been that long, and on the other hand it seems like enough stuff has already happened to fill a whole year! I'm sure we'll see plenty more before the years over, though! And before we know it, it'll be the year 2000! My, my! Keep your eyes open! The world's movin' so fast these days that you might miss something if yer not payin' attention! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The Lord gonna do some mighty powerful things this year. You'll see 'em too, if'n you know where and how to look for 'em! They might be on the other side of the world, right under your nose, or even in your own life! Yep! I do believe 1997's gonna be a year to remember!

Well, I guess that's all for now. I hear the little one stirrin' from her nap, so I'd best get ready for her to wake up. I might not be out here as often as I used to fer a while, but yer always welcome to come out here and enjoy the breeze and the quiet. The doors always open, just come on in! I hope the Lord blesses you abundantly 'til the next time we talk. Bye, now!

I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me a line, y'all!