The Bright Star Thanksgiving

11/28/2008: 8:30am CST

Dear friends and family,

How do I describe a great eating experience that is just one click this side of wonderful. I will try. The Bright Star is a Greek restaurant in Bessemer, Alabama, in business for about 110 years.

Thanksgiving and Mother's Day dinners are there biggest days in the year. They serve from 10:30am to 5:00pm on these two days serving the greatest food in the world. Karen and I have enjoyed their offerings for years and yesterday was just another example of 'excellence'.

Karen and I were up at 8:00am Thanksgiving morning, and after a leisure time of reading all the 'black friday' ads in the 6lb. Birmingham News, we dressed for our trip to the Bright Star. It is about 20 miles from Vestavia and when we got there at 1:30pm, there were people standing in the hallways and even out on the street in front of the Bright Star.

Number 82 was the number I got and she and I found a seat next to the window just outside the bar area. I ask Karen if she wanted a Tangeray and tonic, and 2 were $15.00 even. The bartender took the measure cup off the bottle and we got a little more gin making this a pretty durable drink! We sat, talked to friends, made new friends, and amazed how fast this restaurant moved people smoothly through the system.

Jimmy and Nicki Koikos are the owners and Jim soon saw me and came over and greeted Karen and myself. Our number soon came up and we were seated and menus specially printed for this special day.

Now what did we have. I had the $15.95 Thanksgiving special with appetizer, choice of turkey and dressing or ham with raisen sause. We soon got our drinks, order placed and Karen got her salad with the Bright Star's special dressing and I had a wonderful cup of gumbo, a real treat. I ordered the turkey with cornbread dressing, turnip greens, and squash and cornbread and a pie of lemon icebox pie.

Karen ordered the Greek Style Salmon, with greek style potatoes and squash and a roll and she too had the lemon icebox pie. Her only complaint she had was they had run out of chocolate pie and she had to settle for lemon icebox. Humm!

Did we finish all of it! Not a chance! The serving are abundant and we both had to ask for a to-go box. We now have lunch or dinner for Friday and looking forward to this treat a second time.

We remembered from years back of ordering our dessert 'first'. They had soon ran out of pecan and chocolate pie and ran out of lemon icebox while we were there. The taste are unique, enjoyable in every way. We each smiled after eating and I took her on a short tour of Bessemer showing her where we lived in Bessemer years ago. I also showed her my grandparents home on Clarendon, Uncle Jack and Barbara's home and aunt Leona and Roy's home also on Fairfax. I then showed her Jack and Barbara's first home up on top of Muscoda hill on Holbrook Avenue. I showed her the Methodist Church I grew up in and the Southside Baptist church were I was a scout member.

We really enjoyed our food, friends and my showing her places I grew up 50 years ago. It was a precious and relaxed day we have put in our memory of Thanksgiving at the Bright Star. I do hope you enjoyed my ramblings this morning and hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed day. Our's was!

Jeff the Knutt in the Ham (BirmingHAM),Alabama, US of A!

"I'm 3rd"!

A late night in November in 2008, year of "our Lord".

Somewhere in my archives of time, I read this the title somewhere! But I do now how far back to start looking. I know it was back when I was in college as I had it on a an index card in calligrapy over my desk lamp.

I don't know why this comes to mind at this time but it does. I remember talking to my minister about this and he said "Do you really know what this means, "I'm Third"?
I told him yes, I did but he expounded on the impact this has if you truly believe you are third.

He told me it was a commission I was taking upon myself and it was an important one and one Christ followed. He went on to say "Christ put his Father first, the world second, and He was Third". This caused me to think, would not you?

I knew I was not qualified to even begin to do this in my life. But my minister said that this was man's challenge in life. Sure it sounds good and looks good over your desk, but do you know if you can do this in all things?

It means putting God and Christ foremost in your life. To live each day the best you can to be more like Him. Then you must be selfLESS in all things, putting family, friends, strangers, school friends and then all in your professional life second. Yes, those in need, you have to find that place in your heart to help those people in their role as 2nd in your life.

After everyone else is thought about, cared for, nurtured, then and only then comes ME! It has been since 1960 when I was at the University and I began this journey. Have there been times I failed and felt selfish? Yes! Has there been times I failed in doing my best in all things. Yes! Has there been times I felt so stressed out that I may have said something I shouldn't have! Oh course, yes!

But I have never gotten up in the morning thinking how I can prosper Jeff at someone else's expense! I have never taken advantage of a weaker person, at least not knowingly? I put a question mark there because you don't know that for sure. But may I quote my sweet wife after waking one morning. "I know you have a clear conscious as you drop off to sleep so easily and sleep all night without hardly moving!" I smiled and told her "yes, and a poor man sleeps soundly too as he does not have to worry about losing anything!" We laughted and had coffee together!

Jeff tries today to put his God first, you Second, and then "I am Third". I guess the approaching Christmas caused me to think about what this season is all about. I challenge you to attempt as I have done to put yourself "third". When I stand at the judgement seat, maybe then will I really know that "I did".
jbnii

Phones in Churches

PHONES IN CHURCH

A man in Topeka , Kansas decided to write a book about churches
around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and started working east from there.

Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes.

He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was
Intrigued with a sign, which read 'Calls: $10,000 a minute.'

Seeking out the pastor, he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to GOD.

The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle , Denver , St. Louis , Chicago , Milwaukee , and all around the United States , he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrived in Alabama , upon entering a church in
the little town of Bessemer. behold - he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign
read 'Calls: 35 cents.'

Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, 'Reverend Kesler, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden Telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to GOD, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute.

Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?'

Randy smiling benignly, replied, 'Son, you're in the South now .

You're in God's Country, It's a local call.'

American by Birth - A Southerner by the Grace of God.

My Castle in Vestavia in Fall Array!

Mia Casa in Vestavia Hills, Alabama USA

Fall Colors entering Vestavia Hills, Alabama

More Fall Colors in Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Fall Colors in Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Alabama is NUMBER ONE!!

Sunday 11/16/2008: am

Dear friends and family,

11-0 Alabama is number one! No other team now in Division 1 Football is 11-0! We listen to the commentaries examining as to how good or how bad Alabama may be in their mind. Many are trying to place the 10-1 ahead of Bama. Why?

Most of the votes are in the west and east and have little interest in keeping anyone in the SEC at number one. What disappointment I hear in their voice(s) how good that lost one team may be!! But I ask you, "but they have been beaten!"

How can you possibly place a team with a loss above a team that has found a way to win everyone they have played. Bama has been ranked teams over and over again, but now you want to discount those wins? Why?

Who does Bama have to beat, Clemson ranked, LSU ranked, Georgia ranked, others that were just out of the top 25, and Bama had found a way to win. Sure, some are not pretty! But Bama finds a way to win! Come from behind, Bama does and wins! Bama does their thing, no thoughts of the score, just continues to pound out the yards and first downs it takes to win.

Talk you may! Wish away another teams loss! Keep wishing, but watch the Nick Saban lead Bama through no matter who may be next! They will find a way to win! Jeff the Knutt in the Ham

Bourhills and Wedding Cake



Shana and David Bourhill, the newly weds. The cutting of the cake and the couples sharing it and a little clowning was so funny and cute. Don't know how many I have of this, but enjoy!! Uncle Jeff

11K plus miles on this Cherry 350CB Honda



November 5, 2008: am: UPDATE

I will try to get some real good close up photos but wanted the mileage to go record. We have plans to replace all the rubber on this cherry, but luckily it was put up with NO GAS in the tank or system and new plugs and recent oil changes, oil clean as new. Good start if put up right! Jeff the Knutt in the Ham

350CB another view....



11/05/2008: Enjoy another.
This is another shot of the bike with some rust spots, dust, corrosion here and there and before we put the new battery in. It did not start but the starter, lights, brake lights, turn indicators, ignition all worked great, coming to life! The left carbureter has a small leak, and we've got to attack that small problem first. News at 11:00am. Jeff the Knutt in the Ham

1971 Honda 350CB Motorcycle



11/05/2008: Observe...
Observe the 1971 Honda motorcycle Jeff bought new back in the summer of 1971. I was 33 and now 70 years old, and this has been in storage in my garage for 37 years. I thought I would take some before pictures before the hours we have planned on restoring this wonderful bike. Enjoy! Jeff the Knutt in the Ham...