In Loving Memory of my Grandpa Joe

Joseph Henry Matthews was born on June 9th, 1929 and lived a long and full life. He was a loving husband of almost 60 years to my grandmother Karen.....

A wonderful father of 4, grandfather of 9, and great-grandfather of 11. Here he is holding me when I was about three or four in this fun family portrait I call "The Matthews Bunch"
He was blessed with the gift of musical talent.....
And shared that gift through the teaching of many students for over 37 years.....
Including myself, although I must admit I wasn't a very good student, as I never did learn to play that clarinet....
He had an adventurous spirit, and loved the outdoors....
And he had a great sense of humor! :)He aways made time to share the important moments of my life, and the lives of all that he cared for....
And I will always remember the good times and special moments that we shared together....
Thank you for all that you were, and all that you did.....I love you Grandpa Joe, and I miss you.

June 9th, 1929 - May 15th, 2008

A Pirate's Tale Continues.....

BOOM! A pirate ship's cannon fires a warning blast. The explosion rocks a nearby merchant ship. Musket balls fly. Grenades explode. A wounded helmsman staggers. He lets go of the ship's wheel, and the ship swings around crazily. Flames flicker everywhere. Pistols fire. Pirates, screaming threats, board the merchant ship, swinging axes and cutlasses.

Hissing through his teeth, Blackbeard—one of the most dreaded pirates who ever lived—jumps to the deck. He stands tall and lean. Pieces of rope burn like fuses among coils of his black hair. Sashes stuffed with pistols and daggers crisscross his huge chest. Black ribbons flap from the braids in his beard. Terrified sailors flee. Blackbeard and his fierce crew have pirated The Bonnee Lass, and taken our regal Queen of the Soirée, the lovely Miss Donna!!

I rush over to Captain Jack, Adam, and Jerry (The Puffy Shirt) Seinfeld...."Will one of ye be man enough to rescue our Queen and save the ship from Blackbeard and his crew?" I ask?

Adam Ant draws his guns and starts to come forward….

But, Cap'n Jack (AKA Johnny) steps up and pushes Adam back.... "I will save the fair maiden....but may I have a spot of rum before I leave?" he asks.

Me thinks he has already partaken of the ale....

Will Captain Jack rescue Queen Donna? Will he free the ship from Blackbeard and his crew? Who shall be named the new Queen of the Soirée? And what of the "Puffy Shirt"? To Be Continued....

In honor of Donna’s Swashbuckler Soiree, I have created Blackbeard’s Necklace which will be available for purchase in my Etsy shop today. Thank you Donna for hosting this fun and exciting event, and for taking us all along with you on this magical journey!

Thank you also to Lisa at Heart of the Nest for providing the fun picture of Donna in all her finery! Part of "A Pirate's Tale Continues" was taken from Blackbeard~Pirate Terror at Sea as written on the National Geographic website.