This week our doorbell rang. There was a guy in his 70’s and I Hello he said Hello back. Then I asked him if he was here to see Carrie? He said “Mark don’t you recognize me?” I said of course… CARRIE YOUR FRIEND IS HERE???  I had no idea who he was. Turns out Carrie had received a call from him earlier in the day. He said “Mark, I’m surprised you do not remember me. You were at my home for a BBQ.”  I asked when was the BBQ? He thought for a bit then said 40 years ago in 1982. WTF??? He had worked with Carrie back then when we were going to USF. We have not seen him since. We had coffee with him and he told us abought his 2 wives and kids and Grandkids.  He had looked us up on Google and tried a phone number that still worked. Then said that walking down the street he would have recognized Carrie right away. Then turned to me and said But Mark you have gotten so old and fat I would have never recognized you. (What do you say to that???) I just smile and said that I was 22 when you last saw me. People do age. We just can not help but wounder why he remembered us & our names & ages, after all those years?

You Just Can Not make this Up

May of you know that we purchased and restored the Judge Leo Stalnaker Plantation, in Ybor City.  The home was built with and filled full of love over 100 years ago. In 1922, for Christmas, Judge Leo Stalnaker purchased a grand piano for the family and placed it in music room. Mrs. Stalnaker taught the neighborhood kids how to pay piano in this room. This piano is still here and plays beautifully today. We were very lucky as the 4^th owners of the home to make contact with Gianna, the Granddaughter of the Stalnaker’s. Her Mom grew up and was married in this home. One day Gianna brought us an unbelievable, fantastic gift….. She gave us 2 of her Mom’s homemade record collections of 78rpms.  They looked like a photo album but there were sleaves to insert 78 records. Her Mom had typed out the names of the songs and even a table of contents. Just imagine these actual records were played in this same room over 70+ years ago!!!! It gives us happy chills just to think about it. Some of the records were missing or broken and a couple had been exchanged but almost all of them were here!!!! There was a Mercury 78 rpm record #5901, titled “Life is a Beautiful Thing” recorded by Sophie Tucker in 1952!!!! Listen to the song and you will see why Sophie was such a Huge Gay Icon. In the words she chooses, you can see, she was actually giving a pep talk to not only her straight fans but the LGBT too.!!! The words are as true today as in 1952.   Below is a photo of this record on our Brunswick Phonograph in our music room. Here is the link to the song “Life is a Beautiful Thing” by Sophie Tucker.