70??

70??

Irene will be working on my birthday so the family threw a party for me on Diane's birthday that was really nice.

Good food and a lot of fun just sittin' and talkin...it's really strange to think that time has marched on so quickly and I've reached 70!!!

What a wonderful family that Irene and I have been so blessed to be a part of...thanks to Irene and you kids...and also to my good friends...I'm a happy "OLD Guy"!!

MY BROTHER, HERKIMER!

My Brother, Herkimer!

When my children were younger they asked me about my brothers.

I told them about Bob being 5 years older than I was and about my memories of our lives together. I told them about Ron being 2 years younger and about our relationship.

I then got REAL serious and told them about our other brother, Herkimer...who was a few
years older than me...they were surprised that they knew nothing about him. Getting kinda emotional I told them that, sadly, one day he went out to feed the pigs...tripped and fell in the pig pen and they ate him! I told them not to mention this to their Grandmother cuz it would make her sad.

Well one day when they were alone with their Grandmother they very quietly asked if she would mind telling them about her little boy Herkimer....she said that they needed to tell her more. When Irene and I returned to the house she let me have it about this Herkimer "Bizness"!

I told her that I was just foolin' with them. She told them to NEVER believe anything I tell them....How RUDE! The kids still joke about my brother Herkimer!

IRENE'S "NEW KNEE"! (EDITED (9-9-2010)

Today Irene FINALLY reached the end of her "ROPE" and threw herself at the mercy of the "Medical World" and had her knee replaced.
The Doc said that she had to have been in "Excruciating Pain" and that she will be REALLY happy that she did it!
I wanna thank EVERYONE for their prayers and our "Kids" for the way they support their Mom and Dad!! Your "Da Best'!!

Well today we go for Irene's last check up with Dr. Dungey!

It has been a remarkable journey to observe Irene and her diligence to the regimine given to her by her therapist. She has been a "Trouper" as she has worked hard to be able to walk so well!! AA+ is the grade she gets!! (For Kyla..that's not a "Battery" that is a designation for her grade!!)

SANTA CRUZ LITTLE LEAGUE

Santa Cruz Little League 1953....Had a GREAT time... coach was Carl Sandman....My buddy Curt Sandman is on the top row 3rd from the right...I was on the bottom row 4th from the right.

Good experience!

CHELSEA & RYAN

Had the great pleasure of going to Utah and be with my Grandaughter Chelsea as she and her
new husband Ryan were married Saturday. He is a nice guy and they will do well!
I am proud of them and and am happy they have made this step together.

It was wonderful to spend time with the family...and see the Amdal "Clan" again.

A lot of sweet people reached out to the family and put together a fantastic reception.
Larry and Vicky are blessed to have such good friends.

WHAT CAN 50 YEARS DO TO YOU??

WHAT CAN 50 YEARS DO TO YOU??

SCARY!!

APRIL 22, 2010

April 22, 1910

100 years ago today my father

Robert Joseph Francis,

was born in the old O'Connor

Hospital in San Jose, CA

30 years later I was also born in this same hospital...it was on San Carlos St. & Race St. It was

later torn down and a Sears Store was built there that later became the "Saddle Rack", a

country music night club.

It is AMAZING to think how time goes by so quickly.I am holding up a can of Barq's Root Beer

and drinking a toast to the "OLD MAN"...."Hey Dad...at this stage of my life...it won't be long 'til I can embrace you again....let's sit with Mom and brother Bob and talk of old times!!"

CHEERIOS

Cheerios

I mentioned the following conversation
that I had to my cousin Beverly regarding
her father Bill Grigg...(My Mothers Brother)

She was kind enough to send this copy of
the minutes of a 1940 committee meeting
in regards to General Mills purchasing the
rights and formula of Cheerio Milling Company's breakfast cereal . Uncle Bill wasn't
named in the document but he was the owner of the mill and the creator of the cereal.

At a steel guitar jam session Saturday I was sitting with an old friend that has a business

building steel seats designed for pedal steel guitars....I knew that he also worked selling

something that has him on road at lot.

I asked him what he sells and he said "Thread"....I kinda chuckled...envisioning him flying around the world with a little spool of thread trying to make a living. I could see him saying

"See this thread....it normally sells for $.59 but because I like you, if you act now I can let you have it for $.29!" "If this shade of red works for you".

We laughed about that and said that he was gonna start carrying a spool with him on long

flights sitting with other passengers.

He said that he sells packaging equipment and supplies to companies that bag products like charcoal briquettes....dog food....sugar....flour, etc. He is from Texas and got started in the business traveling through the Midwest many years ago....one of the first places he went to

was a flour mill in N. Kansas somewhere.

I said that's a coincidence my uncle owned a mill in Coffeyville back

in the 20's or so.....he said "Really...so your uncle invented Cheerios."

I was taken back and asked him how he knew that. He said that the

man that owned the big mill, he was setting up with his packaging,

mentioned it to him years before that.

He said that he hadn't thought about that for years and was shocked

to know that I was related to Uncle Bill.

...small world isn't it!

WORLD'S FASTEST MODEL "T" FORD

World's Fastest

Model "T" Ford

I laid out the paint design, masked it off and lettered this

race car for Owner/Driver Joel Young. He set the record

at Bonneville last summer at 166 MPH. The engine is a

highly modified 1927 Model "T" Ford that puts out 188 HP.

It's not often that I get to letter race cars any more so this

was fun to do.

Fast forward to August 21, 2010...just received a phone call from Joel and they managed to break their old record at 201MPH!!

My brother Bob

Bob built and flew R/C planes...they were

exact replicas of existing planes....they were

made of fiberglass and must do whatever

the plane was designed to do. He won many

awards at national events building and flying.

His "Best" effort was a plane designed and flown

by a stunt flyer named Wayne Handley...who

lives close to Santa Cruz so Bob was able to make

a great replica of his plane. Bob also had to learn

and fly Waynes "Routine" exactly the way that

Wayne did when doing his air shows.

Wayne crashed his plane at one of the shows and

nearly died...he ended up a few inches shorter from

the compression of his vertibrae after the crash

and a long recovery. He told his wife that he would

never fly that routine again so she OK'd him getting

back into a plane.

After Bob passed away (6 years ago) Wayne

called Darlene from Australia and asked if her and

the boys would be at the upcoming airshow at Travis

AFB that was being dedicated to Bob...she said that

they were going to the show and he said that he'd see

them there.

The show started with the Air Force "Thunderbirds"

flying in formation...as they approached the crowd

they noticed that Wayne was flying his back-up

stunt plane in the formation...as they got overhead

Wayne flew out of the formation into the "Missing

Man" manuver flying straight up in tribute to Bob.

Reaching the top of his climb everyone was shocked

to see him go into the routine that nearly took his life

as he honored his friend Bob.

I couldn't make it to the show but would dearly have

loved to...funny thing...I can't talk about this without

"Tearing up"...I miss that "Grumpy Ol' guy"!!

(Video of Wayne Handley crashing his "RAVEN" stunt plane.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJoSnfcEU68&feature=related

ME N' MY COUSIN BILLY

Me N' my cousin Billy

in 1953, Santa Cruz.

Billy was visiting

and wanted to put on

my Little League uniform.

3 GENERATIONS

WOW!!

Look at us...then look

at my later pictures

and see what is store

for you Jack!!

ME AND MY BROTHERS!

JACK, RON & BOB!

Vicky posted this picture on the "Family Blog".

I believe this is the only picture around of us together.

It's great to see this photo...wish that I could find Ron again.