This is a poem of a father reminiscing about his grown son on Fathers Day—I hope you enjoy it!

ONE MORE HUG FOR DADDY

By

Kent D. Walsh

One more hug for Daddy,

I pray it’s not the last,

The years have passed so quickly,

My son has grown fast.

I remember him small and pudgy,

The many times he cried,

The innocence with which he slept,

As he lay by Daddy’s side.

The fun of teaching him all the things,

That little boys should know,

Teasing him almost into tears,

Taking him wherever I go.

Oh the fishing and hiking,

He enjoyed them the same as me,

The joy of running wild,

The feeling of being free.

All my wisdom I passed to him,

My endless love to him I’d give,

So proud I’d say to everyone,

Yes this is my little kid.

The pride was in this Daddy,

As the years passed quickly by,

We never lost an ounce of love,

He stayed by Daddy’s side.

Through school he learned so many things,

In sports he was the best,

He wanted to be just like his dad,

To me he outshined the rest.

His grades never seemed to bother me,

For average is not too bad,

All his thoughts he confided in me,

I was his wonderful dad.

Now our time has passed on by,

My son has become a man,

Off on his own he’s leaving me,

Strong and tall he must stand.

I pray that he’ll remember me,

I say these things so sadly,

In my heart are his last words,

One more hug for Daddy.

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Uncle Kent

Outside was a perfect 10 today! It was one of those clear and warm sunny days that make you feel like you just hit the jackpot, because it landed on a Sunday. For me, this time of year is really special--everything is so fresh and green, and most of the flowers are already in a full bloom. Sitting out on my deck drinking a cup of morning coffee, I couldn't help but admire a number of towering fir trees proudly standing off in the distance. In fact the sight of their incredible beauty inspired me to start thinking about a children's poem I had written a few years ago, so I decided to share it with you.

THE PERFECT TREE

By

Kent D. Walsh

(Uncle Kent)

When I was a little boy,

I found a tiny seed,

Everyday I watered it,

And it grew into a tree.

The winter winds would wonder in,

And I'd brush away the snow,

Then the spring would come again,

And again the tree would grow.

Through the hottest part of summer,

I'd shade the tiny tree,

And after several summers,

The tree was shading me.

When the autumn season's came,

The leaves would begin to fall,

And I would go and rake those leaves,

Every one and all.

After many years,

I forgot the tree was there,

But still it kept on growing,

Despite it's lack of care.

Now the day had finally come,

When we would move away,

I saw my yard the final time,

And the tree where I had played.

I remembered all the fun I had,

And how I loved it so,

All the times I climbed on it,

And how I helped it grow.

Then a happy feeling came,

Of which I could not hide,

For the couple that bought our home,

Had two children by their side.

As they ran into the yard,

I heard the two kids say,

Yes it is a perfect tree,

And we'll play there, every day.

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Uncle Kent

Almost a year has passed since I lost my mother. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. Because this Mothers Day is going to be the first since she died, it no doubt is going to be very difficult for me.

Last year, because of special circumstances it was just Mom and me for Mothers Day dinner. I told her I wanted to grill steaks. But, as I should have guessed, knowing my mom and all, she wouldn't have it. She didn't want me to have to go through all that bother--so we had take-out Chinese instead. I mean here's a woman that not only gave me life, she nurtured, fed, and raised me for over 20 years before I moved out on my own . . . and she didn't want me to go through all that bother. Yes, mothers are truly, very special--and mine was the best.

So, as Mothers Day fast approaches, I'll be thinking and missing her more and more. And by the way, I sure wish I would have grilled those steaks!

"I love you Mom!"

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Uncle Kent

What should I write about? Now that's a question we all seem to have at one time or another. Let me see if I can help? If you're just interested in writing for the enjoyment of writing and do not intend to be a professional writer, then my suggestion is, whatever you want. You can write about yourself, familiy or friends (be careful with this one), pets, silly stuff, make things up, or whever crosses your mind. It really doesn't matter as long as you enjoy what you are doing.

When I come up with a story idea, what I like to do first is to hand write my thoughts out in the form of a rough draft. I scribble down what my story will be about, I add bullet points of what I want included in the story, and I make a list of the characters, especially the main character. (Remember, at this stage the bullet points do not necissarily have to be in the same order they will appear in the final story) Next, I type my story out on my compter, using my rough draft as my guide. Once I have everything typed out I will then rewrite, add too, modify, delete, rearrange, edit, and re-edit many times over--until I like what I have written. In a nutshell that's it . . . that's how I write my stories.

As you can see, writing a story is not a one step process. And no, this may not be the perfect way of doing things--but for me, it seems to work just fine.

So, if you are thinking of writing a story just for the fun of it, I hope this information proves helpful.

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Uncle Kent

Kent, how do you find the time to write a book? Now that's a question I hear a lot. But you know something interesting, almost every one of those people that ask that question all share the same dream--they would someday like to write a book of their own. But when I ask them why they haven't, the answer seems to be pretty consistent--they just can't find the time!

Now my intent today is not to give you some long drawn-out lesson on how you can outline, write, and then edit a book. It's simply to give you some very good advice about setting aside some time to write. That is, if writing a book is what you really want to do.

The advice is--just do it! I don't mean sit down and write a book non-stop. That's not normally how it's done. You write it over a period of time; days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years. You write a book just like you'd eat an elephant--one bite at a time! Each day just set aside enough time to write a couple of paragraphs, or perhaps a page or two, and you'll be making great progress. It can be in the morning when you first get out of bed, after the kids have gone to school, on your lunch break at work, or in the evening before dinner. It really doesn't matter when you do it, just as long as you are consistent. So, in a nutshell, that's it! I know it sounds too easy--but really--that's how you can find the time to write a book! Good luck and happy writing!

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Uncle Kent

Again this year I am giving my wife, Madeline, the card I've been giving her for about the last 20 years. It is one of your standard Valentines Day Hallmark cards, with a beautiful poem written on the inside of it. But what makes this card so special is, I added a little poem of my own, written just across from the one they wrote--and, Madeline just loves it. It's her favorite card!

Here's the poem:

Giving

by

Kent D. Walsh

You give my heart joy!

You give my heart warmth!

You give my heart faith!

You give my heart love!

And I,

Give you my heart.

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Uncle Kent

Today I would like to share an email a friend of mine sent me this morning. Its a short message--but it might be just long enough to save you or your loved ones life.

"Hello everyone!

     I receive many emails asking me to do this, that, or the other thing, as well as emails keeping me informed as to what is going on around us. I came across this website that I truly believe is imperative you not only take a look at, but also take a few seconds (literally) to do what they suggest, possibly saving your life some day!

     The website is www.icestickers.com.

     The point I would like you to take away is not purchaing the stickers, but taking a few seconds to add an ICE contact in your cell-phone (or, 2 or 3 to be safe). ICE in this case stands for, In Case of Emergency. Many people in America who end up in the emergency room have no identification, or a bigger percentage are incoherent and need someone else to make decisions for them, but the ER staff do not know who to call. By simply putting a contact, and most importantly their phone number (ie ICE wife, ICE mom, ICE dad), the ER staff can quickly know who to call if you are not able to tell them. This system started in the UK, and is now spreading rapidly in the US.

     Please take a moment and do this.

     Really, DO IT NOW! Then pass this on to your loved ones.

Thanks,

Brian J. Rohan"

Thank you for sharing this very valuable information, Brian. It just might save a life someday!

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Uncle Kent

Since the release of my most recent book, Disrupted Ambitions, I've been asked several times; isn't your new book just a story about those wild and crazy high school days at Fort Vancouver High School back in 1962 through 1965? And my answer is a resounding--NO--its much more than that! Not only does it tell of the life and death struggles of a 16 year old athlete determined to accomplish his high school dream of competing in the State Championship Wrestling Tournament, but it also features a couple of Washington State coaching legends, Coach Chuck Furno and Coach John Eagle.

Yes, the story includes a girl! In my case it was a secret crush I had on a beautiful dark haired girl named, Paula Parkey. Unfortunately I was very shy at the time, and never did build up enough courage to let her know of my interest. Along with that, there was just that normal high school stuff; my friends and I cruising down main street from one end of town to the other with the cars horn blasting, goofing around in class with my fellow students while our teachers looked the other way, and of course laughing and joking at the silly things we all do while growing up. It was great fun!

But even more importantly, this book is intended to bring awarenwss of the symptoms and potential seriousness of a desease that affects over 5,000,000 Americans--ulcers. And that's not even counting the millions of people that don't even know they have them.

Inspirational and filled with emotion, this book sends a clear and distinct message to all; "Never give up your dream!"

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Uncle Kent

In the area of Southwest Washington (state) where my wife, Madeline and I live, it's very unusual to have a white Christmas. And, if we were lucky enough to see snow falling during this very special season, normally, all we'd have are a few wet flakes, or perhaps a little slush covering the ground, here and there--but that's all! However this year has been the exception. Not only has it been snowing off-and-on for over a week now, currently it's accumulated to about a foot-and-a-half of the stuff; not so lucky for a place that three inches is considered a snowstorm. But you know something--even with the difficulty in traveling to visit family and friends, we're going to have a wonderful Christmas, anyway . . . It may not be celebrated for a week or two--but it will be celebrated!

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

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Uncle Kent

Over the last several months my blog has given a number of preview excerpts from my then unreleased memoir, Disrupted Ambitions. I know this has been a long time coming for those of you that have been waiting for it. But now I am pleased to say, after almost two full years of working on this book, it is finally being released.

When I first decided to write this story my intent was to bring awareness to our youth that if their body starts to do things it should or shouldn't do, or if they just don't feel right---they need to tell someone. For me, looking back, I had some very specific symptoms of something bad happening to me, but unfortunately I ignored them. A mistake that almost cost me my life! I mean who would have thought a 16 year old kid in peak physical condition would ever develop something like bleeding ulcers? In fact back then, I didn't even know what an ulcer was! But you know something---with over five million people in the United States suffering from ulcers of some type---and many of them not even knowing they have them, this book is for them too!

In Disrupted Ambitions I cover in great detail the many symptoms I suffered throughout this ordeal. From when my symptoms began, how they progressed over a period of time into actual ulcers, and what should have alerted me that my ulcers had started to bleed. Next of course was the grueling operation that would save my life---and then the difficult journey to recovery.

Filled with blood, sweat, smiles and tears, this isn't just another one of those boring medical books that are chuck full of big unpronounceable words. No, it's much more than that. It's the real life or death story of a teenage boy trying to survive a horrible invisible illness, the disruption it caused to his education, promising athletic career and his high school dream---and what he thought and felt as he went through it.

So---if you're one of those individuals that sometimes have a numb burning sensation in your stomach---my suggestion to you is: read Disrupted Ambitions!

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Uncle Kent

It doesn't matter if you are family, friend, or just someone that happened to click on this blog, I would like to wish each and every one of you the happiest of Thanksgivings---and may each of you have much to be thankful for---and may God bless you and yours.

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Uncle Kent

Today I wanted to talk about some of the newest and most revolutionary technology in literature; the amazon.com e-books program, Amazon Kindle.

Amazon Kindle can be utilized by aquiring a convenient, portable reading device from amazon.com that will wirelessly download books, magazines and newspapers for your reading pleasure, anytime and anywhere. It was designed to provide a screen as clear and sharp and natural as the pages of an actual book. With the ability to hold hundreds of titles at any given time, it can become your own personal and portable library. Currently there are over 200,000 digital titles in the Amazon Kindle Book Store to choose from. And the neatest thing of all is, electronic books are usually about half the cost of hard copy.

After studying up on Kindle Books for some time now, I have decided to have all three of my books, Dustin and a Mouse Named Cody in "The Mouse That Stirred on the Night Before Christmas, Thaddeus T. and Barnaby and Disrupted Ambitions reformatted into the Kindle digital format. So, in the near future be sure to look for any of my titles in the Kindle Book Store.

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Uncle Kent

For my Halloween blog this year I thought it might be fun to share my "not so scary" poem, The Happy Spider with you. So, here you go:

THE HAPPY SPIDER

By

Kent D. Walsh

(Uncle Kent)

I saw a spider crawling,

From a web above my door,

I couldn't believe how quick he went,

From the ceiling to the floor.

Oh he looked so awkward,

As he wandered upon my rug,

Traveling to his other web,

Where he had caught a bug.

He climbed the wall so quickly,

Until he reached his fine spun net,

Then I watched him in the center,

Where he carefully wrapped his catch.

I moved a little closer,

While the spider weaved some more,

And I could see him smiling,

As he labored above my door.

Then I looked around my room,

With my cloths all in a heap,

At my scattered toys and schoolwork,

And the bed where I would sleep.

As I looked into his eyes,

He seemed to give a wink,

Then I began to understand,

For the spider made me think.

All this mess belongs to me,

But to the spider it's clean and bright,

That's the reason he acts so happy,

To him it's a beautiful sight!

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Uncle Kent

Wow---this year has sure gone by fast. Summer is over and winter is fast approaching. The next thing you know, Christmas will be here.

I know some of you have already started your holiday shopping and are searching for that perfect reading gift for your children. Let me offer you some suggestions---first and formost I recommend my newest children's book, Thaddeus T. and Barnaby---your little ones will love it. A few others you might want to add to your shopping lists are, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber, The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack, and Frog and Toad  Together by Arnold Lobel. All are very special books and are some of my own personal favorites; they have wonderful descriptive illustrations, include lovable and colorful characters that overcome difficult situations, teach the value of friendship, are extremely warm and funny, and are able to provoke a child's imagination. They are all great choices!

If you would like to buy more than one of these books at a time---by ordering in multiple through amazon.com, you can often receive some pretty good discounted prices, or possibly even postage free delivery. You can check it out by going to the "About My Books" section on my web site, www.kentdwalsh.com, where you will find a preview of Thaddeus T. and Barnaby, my other books, and a direct link to amazon.com.

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Uncle Kent

In my memoir Disrupted Ambitions, not only did I mention some of my experiences as a youth, but I also introduced the different members of our family. So today, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about one of those special family members: our dog Tar Baby.

Tar Baby was a smallish pure-black mixed-breed puppy that my brother Dan had brought home one day after completing his newspaper route. A lady on Dan's route had found Tar Baby wandering around all alone, and figured he had been abandoned. She decided the right thing to do was to find him a nice home. When she saw Dan coming to deliver her newspaper, she suggested he take the dog home with him. Dan really liked the cute little thing, but warned the woman our mom would never let him keep it. He also noted that it costs a lot of money to feed a dog. The woman said, "Well then, I'll give you twenty-five cents so you can buy it some food." Now that sounded like a pretty good deal to Dan, so he picked the dog up, put him in his newspaper bag, and brought him home. It turned out he was right about Mom's reaction, because the first thing she said was, "No, you're not keeping that dog!" But after a lot of pleading by all of us kids Mom finally caved in, and Tar Baby became a member of our family.

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Uncle Kent