Last weekend on vacation I went to the Walnut Valley Festival. It is a four day bluegrass and folk music festival in Winfield, Kansas. It also is the home of multiple instrument competitions. The most famous of these is the fingerstyle guitar competition. Competitor come from all over the world for the opportunity to win. The top three winner receive top quality guitars. Really, really nice guitars. The guitars are in the two thousand to four thousand dollar range. 

          Some of the other competitions they host are flat pick guitar, fiddle, and mandolin. All of these competitions have fine quality instruments for the prizes. I entered the  songwriting contest. I was fortunate to win this year, The prize for winning is a red, white and blue ribbon medal. The best part is getting to perform your song on stage at the festival.

          How much does it cost to win a medal? I entered four songs at $15 each. Sixty dollars. I spent $130 for festival tickets and camping. Five dollars for a hot shower. Thirty five dollars for gas to get to and from Winfield. Twenty dollars on food at the festival. The price I paid to win a medal was $215. That sounds about right. It is probably cheaper to win a medal than it is to win a trophy playing sports. 

           My song that won this year was called Better than New. Here is a link to listen to it if you want to. Have a great day. 

   I was watching an interview of  Michael Strahan. Michael is a pro football Hall of fame player. He played his whole career with the New York Giants and led them to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots. He then went on to have a successful career on TV. He has been a host on Good morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan, and Strahan, Sara, and Keke. He told this story about his childhood. I can see how this story as a child has impacted and led him to be successful as an adult.

     At the age of nine his bike got stolen. It was not a new bike. Michael wanted a new bike, but not just any bike. He wanted a Kuwaharah BMX bike. His Dad told him that he would buy him one but that he would need to save up his half of the money. It took Michael two years to save the money. He saved $500 dollars and brought the money to his Dad. Michael's dad had not been saving his money and planning ahead like Michael so he had to scrape up the money. 

      Michael still owns and has this bike. For years he kept it in his Mom's attic. Now he has it as his home and it is hanging on the wall, He was asked if he was going to give it to his son. He laughed and said," No, that is my bike." That is great. He earned his bike and wants his son to work hard for what he  wants. Sure Michael could afford to buy his son a fancy bike  but he wouldn't learn a life lesson like he did. Michael learned a valuable lesson early in life and wants  I love stories like this. 

    Here are the new lyrics for 6:53. Also, you can listen to the song. I hope you like it. 

                                       6:53

It's seven till seven, chores left to do

Tornado siren's blaring, F5 passing through

Race for the house, it's not very far

Yell for the dogs, hiding under the car.

Down to the basement, huddling together

under a mattress, holding each other

Cry out to Jesus, Oh, Jesus hear me.

A miracle happened at 6:53, 6:53, at 6:53.

Grain silos missing, swing set and shed

Milk barn is gone, show cows are dead.

Path of destruction, plowed through our land

God kept us safe in his loving hands.

Clock on the wall, up in the kitchen

It read 6:53, now I'm believin'

God heard me, I can see

My life changed at 6:53, 6:53, at 6:53.

It brought us together, should of tore us apart

I got a new start when that clock stopped

at 6:53, 6:53, it was 6:53.

     6:53. This is a song I wrote about the Linwood tornado and how it impacted my family.  

                                                           6:53

Milk cows in the barn, chores left to do

Tornado sirens blaring, F5 passing through

We race for the house, it's not very far

Yell for the dogs, hiding under the car.

Down to the basement, huddling together

under  a mattress, holding onto each other.

Cry out to Jesus, Oh Jesus, hear me.

A miracle happened at 6:53.

The milk barn is gone, show cows are dead

two silos are missing, swing set and a shed

a path of destruction, plowed through our land

God kept us safe in his loving hands.

I saw the time on our kitchen clock

It read 6:53 when that clock stopped

Thank you Jesus for hearing me

my life was saved  at 6:53.

My life didn't stop like that clock did that day

I'm so  glad my life's still ticking away.

Thank  you Jesus for hearing me

My life changed at 6:53.

  I was flipping through movie channels and I saw a guy wearing Pin striped Key bib overalls. This is the brand and the color of overalls that my Dad used to wear. This was his everyday work attire and after work attire. I don't remember ever seeing my Dad wearing a pair of shorts or blue jeans. I did, however see him wear dress pants, a suit coat, and a tie to church. I think he believed in wearing nothing but your best to church, especially on Sunday morning. On Sunday nights he was not opposed to wearing one his of newer pair of overalls.

    He would always wear a button up shirt with his overalls. Dad kept his billfold and checkbook in one of the front pockets. For those of you that are not Key apparel experts. Here are some facts that will help you paint the picture. Key overalls have two pockets in the front on your chest. One on the right and the other on the left. One pocket had a flap and a snap and the other side just had a snap. 

     In between the two pockets was a small slit to keep a pen or a pencil. Dad always had a pen and a checkbook. He needed these to write and sign checks when he would buy cattle. He could buy cattle by the pound (live weight). This would be how much you and I would weigh on our bathroom scale. Then he would sell them for how much they weighted after they were killed and processed. He was very good and knowing how much he could buy cows  for and sell them for and still make money. 

     Key overalls also had a hammer loop. This was great when Dad worked construction. Who wants to carry around a hammer all day? All he had to do was store it in his trusty hammer loop. Also, Key overalls had a place for a pair of  pliers. My dad always had his pliers. You never know when you might need them to tight a loose battery connection on your truck. Or you might need them to snap a piece of wire into to tie two hog panels together to keep the hogs from getting out of the pen. How often would I ever use a pair of pliers? Once a year, maybe.

     Isn't that amazing how a pair of Key overalls can bring up all of these memories. Good memories of a hard working father. A man who loved Jesus,  his wife and his kids. Who went to work and worked hard to meet the needs of his family. and never complained. Oh, sure, He might say his feet hurt after a hard day pouring concrete as he soaked his feet in hot Epson water. The only reason he said something then was because I was a youngster asking him why he was doing that. I love my Dad and I miss him and his Key pin striped bib overalls.