Well, this has been a busy week so this three-day weekend is going to be much appreciated. The week started off Monday evening with my wife Karen and I traveling to Montgomery, Alabama. We, Eddie’s mother Tina Kelly and her husband John, along with 91 other Gold Star Families were invited to the capitol as guests of Governor Bob Riley and First Lady Patsy. The Riley’s are a fine Christian couple and their genuine love and care showed through on Tuesday during a dedication to a beautiful memorial to the 92 fallen Alabamians who have made the ultimate sacrifice on the Global War on Terror. The governor had clearly set aside a couple of hours in his busy day because Patsy and he spent time with all the families in attendance; hugging them, crying with them, taking pictures, whatever they wanted.

Governor Riley and his staff have become good friends with Eddie’s mother and stepfather Tina and John and you can tell there is a genuine affection between them. What a wonderful thought to know in this day and age of low opinion of our elected officials we have such wonderful people running the state of Alabama. Alabama is thriving and it is in no small part because of Governor Riley’s efforts.

Today we will be at the Magnolia Grill in Fort Walton Beach where Tom and Peg Rice have graciously opened up their restaurant to have a pancake breakfast where all the proceeds are going to the Emerald Coast Fisher House. Karen and I will be serving and flipping pancakes and thanking the wonderful people of the Emerald Coast for their generous donations to this great cause Eddie so loved.

On this Veterans’ Day Weekend please get out and go to your local veteran’s memorial park, to a parade, a church event, wherever a Veterans’ Day celebration is occuring and find a vet and/or his or her family and give them a hug. You’ll never know how much they will appreciate it and it is a simple and gratifying way to say thank you to our precious veterans.

God bless you all and I promise to write more this weekend!

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