Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Death, Family, George, George Brinkley, Good Times, I ❤️ my Family, I Love My Family, Life, Optimism, Optimist, Positive Energy, Pray, Prayer Garden, Prayer in the Garden, Prayers, Prayers for the family, Rest In Peace, Smile, Uncle, Uncle Doug, Uncles
Losing a loved one, someone who is truly close to you is tough. The loss and sadness are a hard reality… I just recently lost my Uncle. We were very close. I have had a lot of emotion over his sickness and his passing… But knowing him the way I do, he wouldn’t want us to be sad or down about his death. He was a very spiritual person. And a very positive person. He always had a smile on his face and something nice to say, maybe something to make you laugh or smile 😊 An ‘Eternal Optimist’! And that is what I am going to focus on and remember the most about Uncle Doug!
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
~ Mary Elizabeth Frye
Rest In Peace!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Koi, Koi Ponds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Chess, Chess Master, Family, Family History, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Friends and Family, George, George Brinkley, I ❤️ my Family, Rest In Peace, Uncle, Uncle Doug, Uncles
George D. (Uncle Doug) Brinkley, passed away peacefully last night. Covid 19 pneumonia was just too much for his lungs to handle. He was loved by all that knew him. He led a very interesting life to say the least… He enlisted in the US Navy at age 19 and went on to work in Navy Nuclear Power. He attended college in California (UCSD & UCLA) and in Tennessee (TN Tech) where he earned several degrees including Electronic Engineering. He was an early computer designer and program writer for several company’s. But his heart was back home in the gardens. He came to work for me in 1989 when I started Carters Nursery. He said he was “Burned Out” on all the technology and computer screens. He wanted to get back outside and grow things. Which he did! He helped design landscapes, he worked in greenhouses, he watered and pruned, fertilized and mulched and everything else that goes with a Nursery business. He also helped me start a fish retailing set up where his engineering sense came in handy! He became an expert on Koi! We teased him a bit by calling him the “Koi Whisperer”, but he really was… He was also a Chess ♟ Master! Playing and defeating most everyone that sat down across the board from him 😊
He retired in 2015 and enjoyed his time messing around in the gardens and koi ponds. He played chess ♟ and many other games with friends. He loved spending time with friends and family! He also adored and loved his many pets. He will be forever missed. Rest In Peace Uncle Doug 🙏🏻 I Love you!
PS: We plan to have a memorial service in the future, date TBD.
Thank you and God Bless 🙏🏻
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, God Bless America, Love, music, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Andy Johns, Brothers, Friends and Family, Friendship, God Bless, Old Friends, Old Memories, Old Pictures, Old Stories, Rest In Peace
This day, 22 years ago Andy Johns was killed in a head on collision. I guess I will always remember that day… We had lunch that afternoon then rode around & caught up a bit. After he left my house he was going by to see his daughter before heading back home. He never made it, he was killed on the way back to Parsons down in Chesterfield bottom.
I can’t count how many days we worked together, or how many games of pool we played. Andy was one of a kind and a true friend! I served as a Pallbearer along side his brother Shane and several other members of his family. I’ll never forget that day either…
Old friends never really die, they live on in our memories ❤️
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die”
~ Thomas Campbell
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises, Sunsets, Videos, Waterfalls | Tags: Best Of Show, Bill Way, Bill Way Show, It’s Your Turn, Jackson Tennessee, Memorial Show, Memories, Old Friends, Rest In Peace, Talk Radio
A salute and remembrance to a great all around guy, that put Jackson, Tennessee talk radio on the map! Bill Way – 2 years gone, but never forgotten!
Ol’ Bill cast a big shadow that many in the Radio business are still walking in to this day… I sure do miss his voice on the radio.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family! And if you want to hear Bill again, try this site with archives of some of his old shows 👇🏻
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Sunrises, Sunsets | Tags: Artist, Great Singer, I ❤️ Music, John Kilzer, Live Music, music, R.I.P, Rest In Peace, RIP, Song Writer, Wordsmith
All Johns music is in my iTunes rotation, so I hear him often. This song is a favorite of mine and stopped me dead in my tracks this morning… John had “It”… Such a talented artist.
Rest In Peace John ❤️ Your music lives on…
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Sunrises, Sunsets, Videos | Tags: Andy Johns, I ❤️ Music, I ❤️ My Friends!, Memories, Old Friends, Old Memories, Prayers for the family, Rest In Peace
This day, 21 years ago Andy Johns was killed in a head on collision. I guess I will always remember that day… We had lunch that day and rode around and listened to some music & caught up. Rock n’ Roll 🎸 was Andy’s favorite. I heard the same song that he was always rocking out too this morning 😊
Andy was a proud father and a good friend! Rest In Peace old pal!
Here’s a little tribute. The two songs that I know that were Andy’s favorite 😊
Rest In Peace bro. ❤️
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Bill Way, Bill Way Show, Cancer Sucks, Gone But Not Forgotten, Heaven, Looked Up To, Mentors, Old Friends, Peace, Rest In Peace, Teachers, You are missed
Last night we had one heck of a storm! Heavy rains flooded back roads & strong winds blew! Every Fall we get a storm like this, timed perfectly to blow all the leaves from the trees. Bill Way called it a “Leaf Stripper”. A friend mentioned this morning that we had one of his leaf strippers’ last night! Then I realized, today is the 1 year anniversary of Bills passing…
1 year ago today our friend Bill Way passed away from Pancreatic Cancer. May he Rest In Peace. Gone but not forgotten!
I’d like to think last nights ‘Leaf Stripper’ was old Bill blowing through. I still think of him often & miss his voice on the radio every day. Rest In Peace brother Bill! You are gone from this place, but you are not forgotten!
Prayers for Susan & his girls & all his family!
Bill loved waterfalls! I can only imagine the waterfalls he is seeing now. RIP
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises, Sunsets, Videos, Waterfalls | Tags: Give Me A Highway, John Kilzer, Love, music, On the road again, Respect, Rest In Peace, Road Song, Road song playlist, Road Trip, Saturday Fun, The Open Road
Everyone loves a good ‘Road Song’. A perfect song to get behind the wheel and set off to… I have always loved this old John Kilzer song! Since Johns untimely death, it’s now available on iTunes with that entire album! In my opinion, one of the best rock albums EVER!
This has always been one of my favorites off this album. John was an Awesome musician! May he Rest In Peace!
Here’s the song –
I’m gonna get out on the Highway today myself! Y’all have a great weekend!
PS: Take a few minutes and put together a “Road Song Playlist” – Then get out and take a ride around your beautiful area of the world and enjoy!😎
~ Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love | Tags: Andy Johns, Car Wreck, Death, Funeral, Head on Collision, Old Friends, Pallbearer, Pals, Remembrance, Rest In Peace
20 years ago today was the last time I saw Andy Johns alive. He had stopped by my place to visit that day. We went to lunch, then we rode around & did a little catching up. We hadn’t seen each other for a while, but it was like no time had past. After a few hours he headed out to run a couple more errands before heading home to his wife and little girl.
Andy was a proud father.
On the road home another driver swerved into Andy’s lane and hit him head on, killing him instantly… My phone rang around 3am., I woke & sat straight up in the bed & I somehow knew what the call was about… it was Andy’s brother Shane and he told me the tragic news.
This is where we laid Andy to rest. Gone but not forgotten! Rest In Peace.
A few days later I was in Arkansas dressed in a suit, serving as a Pallbearer for Andy. It was a sad, surreal day.
20 years have past, but Andy lives on in the hearts and minds of his family and friends! Rest In Peace Andy! Your gone from this world, but not forgotten!
“True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for a while. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off, and even if they die they’re never dead in your heart.”
~ Author Unknown
Mark C.
Filed under: General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love | Tags: Cancer Sucks, Prayers, Prayers for the family, Rest In Peace
Cancer is a terrible disease! Mark Asher fought the good fight and has gone on to glory. Rest In Peace Mark 😞
Rest In Peace Mark Asher!
https://www.wbbjtv.com/2019/02/11/mr-mark-allen-asher/
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there.
I did not die.
~ Mary Frye
Carter's Water Garden 