7.) THE VICTIM-THE MAN-THE FAMILY

THE VICTIM-----THE MAN-------HIS FAMILY

WELL HERE WE ARE. I'M THE LITTLE GUY ON THE FAR LEFT WITH BOTH HANDS IN HIS POCKETS. SOMETHING TELLS ME WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO CHURCH.

THAT'S MY PASSPORT FROM MANY DAYS GONE BY. CHECK OUT THAT AFRO. 

SITTING ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY, WATCHING THE TIDE ROLL AWAY. WAIT A MINUTE...  SITTING ON THE WING OF THE PLANE, WATCHING THE TIME SLIP AWAY. 😊  😉

WHAT!? WHAT DOES THAT SAY, I WAS THE FIRST Q-C'S TV STAR. I'VE NEVER BEEN A STAR.    Hmmm

                            OKAY, I DO A LITTLE ACTING FROM TIME TO TIME. YES THAT'S ME.



                                    CAREY, CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, FLIES ARE LOOKING FOR A MEAL

AND THAT'S THE MAN BELOW THAT I WAS PLAYING. HE'S ACTUALLY MY GREAT UNCLE WHO STARRED IN THE CBS HIT, "AMOS N' ANDY." HIS CHARACTER WAS THE INFAMOUS KINGFISH. OH BOY, HE WAS QUITE A CHARACTER.

HERE HE IS VISITING FRIENDS BACK HOME IN ROCK ISLAND.

  MICKEY MOUSE IS COOKIE'S FAVORITE CHARACTER. HOW DID SEE CONVINCE ME TO WEAR THIS?  

                               HAVE A VERY MERRY MICKEY AND MINNIE CHRISTMAS

                                                         THE COSTUMES COME OFF                                                         

                                           

 That's my daughter, Dannette, below, she's on the right. She's with her best friend in life who was fighting stage 4 breast cancer. My daughter flew out from Georgia to Vegas for support.

 .All I can say about that picture is "what happens in Vegas should definitely stay in Vegas. YICKS **shaking my head ** a fish-net blouse? 😞😠  Btw  I have an excellent relationship with my daughter. She's my "right hand man" since her mother, my wife passed away from cancer about 15 years ago. We were together 35 years.


BTW, MY DAUGHTER SAID THE BLOUSE WAS ACTUALLY "LACE", NOT FISH NET. I said, "I don't care what you call it, its still SEE-THRU. Fathers walking with 1/2 naked daughters is not a good look. 🙎 🙍😞😖😏
                                                                  

                                                                                                   

                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    GEEZ... CLOSE YOUR MOUTH ALREADY 

                                                                          
 IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD ABOUT AMOS N' ANDY. 

GOOGLE THEM

THAT'S KINGFISH AND HIS FAMILY IN ROCK ISLAND. CHECK OUT HIS PROUD FATHER WITH HIS CORN COB PIPE. TIM MOORE (KINGFISH) IS THIRD FROM THE LEFT (WITH HAIR)

(BELOW) IT'S MY WEDDING DAY....   MOVIE STAR HANDSOME, RIGHT. MY BRIDE LOOKS PRETTY STYLISH HERSELF.

GOTCHA

THAT'S ACTUALLY MY PARENTS

 BOOGIE DOWN MOMMA! At her Daughter's Wedding  

                                                                           
   SHE TRADED THE WEDDING DRESS FOR A BASEBALL GLOVE. THAT'S HER WITH THE GLOVE ON HER THIGH. FOURTH FROM THE LEFT. THE BATBOY IS ROCK ISLAND POLICE OFFICER JIMMY HOUSTON.
                                     

                                   

                               WHAT A DIFFERENCE THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE DAYS (95 years) MAKES. THAT'S MY MOTHER. YES, SHE WAS A BABY ONCE.  EVERYONE WAS SOFT AND CUDDLING AT ONE TIME 👶

 😎

HERE SHE IS A FEW-FEW YEARS LATER, ALONG WITH COOKIE AND ME. LOOK AT THAT FAMILY PICTURE ABOVE MY HEAD. MOM LIVES IN A NURSING HOME NOW. COOKIE AND I STOPPED IN  COMING FROM CHURCH. MOM IS STILL ROCKING HER HAT. WHO SAID YOU CAN'T BE FASHIONABLE AT 95 YRS OLD?  😄😃

THESE NEXT PICTURES WILL INSPIRE A DEEP PAUSE. IT'S BLACK SOLDIERS DURING THE CIVIL WAR. THEY'RE GUARDING WHITE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS ON THE ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL. YOU WILL NOT SEE THESE PICTURES ANYPLACE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES. I WAS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THEM BECAUSE MY GRANDFATHER WAS A MEMBER OF THAT COMPANY OF BLACK SOLDIERS. THAT'S HOW MY FAMILY CAME TO THE QUAD CITIES IN 1863. WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. AND, KEEP READING, THE STORY GETS MUCH MORE INTERESTING.

WOW... WHO KNEW?

 OH BOY, THAT'S MARTIN LAWRENCE AND WESLEY SNIPES. I'M A MOVIE ENTHUSIAST  WHO LOVES GOING TO FILM FESTIVALS.

          WHO WILL TAKE THE NICE LADY WHO LOVES LONG QUIET WALKS ON THE BEACH?

                                                 








(BELOW) THAT'S MY GRANDSON. HE LOOKS TOUGH IN THAT FOOTBALL UNIFORM DOESN'T HE. BUT TRUTH BE TOLD HE COULDN'T THROW HIMSELF DOWN A STEEP HILL. 😌  😆 HOWEVER, HE HAS ALREADY TRAVELED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES AS AN AWARD FOR BEING AN HONOR STUDENT. EVERYBODY CAN'T BE THE TEAM'S QUARTER BACK. AND ONLY A FEW CAN BE THE VALEDICTORIAN.   BUT I'LL TAKE THE LATTER ANY TIME. OKAY, I KNOW I KNOW, AN AARON RODGERS OR WALTER PATTON IN THE FAMILY WON'T HURT ANYTHING. 

NO COMMENTARY NEEDED FOR THIS ATROCITY! WHEN I SEE THESE KIND OF IMAGES I CAN'T HELP BUT GET FRUSTRATED WHEN SOMEONE STEPS ON MY RIGHTS

REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE STORY GETTING MORE INTERESTING.

THE BLACK UNION SOLDIER GUARDING THE PRISONERS HAS NOW AGED. HE'S A PROUD CITIZEN IN COAL VALLEY ILLINOIS. AS A SLAVE HE CARED FOR THE ANIMALS ON THE PLANTATION. NOW HE FIT RIGHT INTO THE COMMUNITY OF COAL VALLEY AS THEIR HORSE DOCTOR. EVERY FAMILY HAD HORSES IN THOSE DAYS. AND EVERYONE NEEDED A DEPENDABLE HORSE DOCTOR WHO KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. IN THE PICTURE BELOW CAN YOU FIND HIM HANGING OUT WITH THE GOOD OL' BOYS? * chuckle* HE'S IN THE BACK ROW *WINK*

OKAY, NOW THAT'S MY WEDDING DAY AND MY WIFE.


                     DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND AGAIN. THIS TIME FULLY DRESSED... GEEZ                       
                                                                     





       MY WIFE AND I ARE AT A FILM FESTIVAL IN TELLURIDE, COLORADO. HARVEY KEITEL WAS THE HONORED ACTOR THAT YEAR.

THERE'S HARVEY KEITEL SPORTING THE LONG HAIR.. THE GUY SHAKING MY HAND IS THE SON OF "THE GREEN CARD" ACTOR,  GERARD DEPARDIEU. HIS LIFE HAD A TRAGIC ENDING. 

                                                                                                 
CHRISTMAS MORNING
    

THAT'S ME AND MY COUSIN, SHELLIE MOORE GUY. SHE'S THE POET LAUREATE OF THE QUAD CITIES WHO'S ALSO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCATE AND STORYTELLER.  WE'RE ON STAGE DURING THE TIM MOORE TRIBUTE. SHE'S THE PROFESSIONAL, I'M JUST FOLLOWING HER LEAD.

IT'S THE GRANDCHILDREN.

                                              THE KID WITH ME AND THE SNOWMAN IS NOT MY GRANDSON. IT'S ACTUALLY MY SON 30 YEARS AGO. CHECK OUT THE SNOWSUITS.  DIFFERENT SUITS DIFFERENT KID 30 YEARS LATER.                                                                       

ISN'T THERE AN AGE LIMIT ON HORSEY BACK RIDES? THAT HORSEY LOOKS BROKEY.


                                                                                

THE LITTLE WOULD-BE FOOTBALL PLAYER ALL GROWN UP WITH HIS PROUD MOTHER ON HIS RETURN HOME FROM COSTA RICA


         WINTERS IN THE QUAD CITIES... THE WIFEY NEEDS A WARM FUR COAT AND HAT

YEP, THAT'S ME ON THE POLE. I KNOW SCARED! 👴
 I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I PEED ON MYSELF UP THERE ON THE POLE. OPPS... TMI, HUH?

                            HOW MANY GRANDCHILDREN DO YOU SEE PLAYING IN THE LEAVES?               

BTW, THERE ARE 3 CHILDREN IN THE LEAVES AND I'M LAYING DOWN IN THE BACK. THERE'S 4 PEOPLE IN THAT PICTURE. 

.

                                                                                                  

                                                                             OLDEST SON ANTHONY AND HIS DAUGHTER

OKAY, WHICH ONE PLAYED 13 SEASONS IN THE NFL? 

 MY SON STILL COMES BY AND STAYS OVERNIGHT CHRISTMAS EVE. WE SING SONGS AND GET PRETTY SILLY.  COOKIES' THE HEAD OF THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHO WE'RE SUPPOSE TO BE? SANTA'S BACKUP REINDEER?

                                                                                    

 .                                                                                   

 MY SON HOLDING HIS DAUGHTER. I ONCE HAD MUSCLES LIKE THAT. NOW I HAVE FLAT TIRES FOR MUSCLES... THEY NEED A LITTLE PUMP-PUMP-PUMPIN' UP.

GRANDMA, I CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL LOOKING LIKE THIS. I KNOW ITS HALLOWEEN BUT WHO AM I SUPPOSE TO BE, THE SILVER FOXY LADY WHO LOOKS CRAZY?

YEESSS I GOT EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS. A GET OUT OF SCHOOL FREE CARD. .. YIPPIE!

CAREY SAID HE WAS GOING TO TAKE ME PLACES. BUT  OUTSIDE TO MAKE SNOW ANGELS NEVER CROSSED MY MIND! BIG SPENDER HUH?

DON'T WAKE HER UP...  GET MY CAMERA. SHE HATES CIGARETTES... NOW WHO PUT THAT NASTY CIGARETTE IN HER MOUTH  😎😇  

                                                 THESE 2 GUYS DID IT.

FREEDOM IS A PRECIOUS THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED

 HE'S ON THE FAMILY TREE AS WELL. HE'S THE EX-MAYOR OF ROCK ISLAND, MR. JIM DAVIS. HIS MOTHER AND MY GRANDMOTHER ARE SISTERS.

                                                                                  

That's my uncle Gabe. Gabriel Barber III, former Rock Island County board member. He was on the board for about 30 years and is also the pastor of the Temple Baptist Church in Davenport. The county board named a park in his honor. The Gabe and Lee Barber Park at 17th Street and 25th A. Rock Island. The crowd of family, friends and fellow politicians packed in to praise him. Among them were  friend and Rock Island County Circuit Court Judge Walter Braud. In this photo he's with my grandson at the local barber shop. He is my mother's brother. He is now 94 yrs old... and he still drives. One of his favorite sayings is "prayer works".

SHE'S ON THE FAMILY TREE AS WELL. SHE JUST PLAYED IN THE FRENCH OPEN AND WIMBLETON, THAT'S MADISON KEYS FROM ROCK ISLAND WHO NOW MAKES HER HOME IN FLORIDA. HER GREAT-GRANDMOTHER AND MY GRANDMOTHER ARE SISTERS. THEY COME FROM A FAMILY OF 13 CHILDREN. AND, MY GRANDMOTHER ALSO HAD 13.  😆

THAT'S ALL FOLKS.

 I AM NOT IN CAREY'S FAMILY👀

INTERMISSION IS OVER, NOW BACK TO THE CASE...