Loyd's BONUS video-clip!!-- #31!!-- Classic Corvette Clips!

I've said it here before, I'll say it again. They just DO NOT make commercials like they used to! Here's a couple, featuring two of my favorite body-styles of the CLASSIC Chevy-two-seater. Seeing these old 'Vette ads, makes me wish I'd been driving age way-back when!

 Well, in the case of the '63, I wasn't even BORN yet-- and in '69.... the little-teeny version of the Loydster was just entering Kindergarten! So, I wasn't exactly driving age then either! Still, it's ALL KINDS of classic-car-GEEK-OUT-time, just watching these old TV spots from yester-year!---

30 years with 'my-most-FAVORITE-girl-in-the-whole-wide-WORLD'!

February 17th, 1990. The day I married my BEST friend!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the day I watched my beautiful young bride, walk down the center isle of our old home church. we both had NO idea what our life together would be like. We were also both VERY nervous!

As soon as Deb stepped up on the platform next to me, I began to run off  HUGE bucket-loads of sweat! My nerves were in some kind of over-drive. Debbie, on the other hand, was shaking and trembling---  almost like it was cold in the old church that mid-February Saturday! (it WAS raining and cold outside that day, by the way!)

I guess it's worked out okay! It's hard for me to believe, in some ways--that as much of a CHUNK of time as 3 decades has came and went. In other ways, it feels like EVERY bit of 30 years has went by! Some of it has even felt like it slowed to a CRAWL as it went past.

I'm thinking, of course, of the times where we lived through / encountered / endured tragedies.The illness and death of our first little one, baby Kayla---who only lived to be 6 months old. Deb's two miscarriages after that. The loss of Debbie's dad to lung cancer--- we STILL miss him! My brother-in-law Allen's suicide. Not to mention BOTH of my parents going through extended illnesses, and the recent loss of my mom.

We've had to work through a few bumpy times and rough / rocky places in our relationship. The folks who say they've NEVER had an argument or disagreement in their marriage? I don't believe that for ONE second! Two people, living together for as many years as my wife and I have, are NOT always going to enjoy endless times of 'sweetness and light'!

There's also been a number of difficult times, long stretches of me being unemployed, and equally long stretches, where money was EXTREMELY tight--- or just nonexistent! There's been tough times with our kids. Both when they were little guys,as well as since they've been young adults.

This could be one VERY LONG post, if I chose to focus on just SOME of that stuff! Don't get the wrong impression though. BOTH Shelby and Wade are wonderful, hard-working, honest young people, that the 'ol Loydster is VERY proud of! Helping them get to that point however, hasn't always been easy! The old saying : 'parenting-- the TOUGHEST job you'll ever love' is oh-so-VERY TRUE!

Through it ALL though, there's been 2 things that have kept Debbie and I bound together. Kept us as the best of friends that we STILL are. First, is our STRONG love, and open, honest, REAL affection for each other. My dad always used to say: 'you and your mate have to LIKE each other, before you can LOVE each other', How VERY right he was!

Second, and probably most important--- is our ongoing, ever-growing and developing faith in, and relationship with Jesus Christ. Our spiritual relationship, is the GLUE that's helped hold the relationship we have with each other together. Simple as that.

I thank God for the little lady that I've been SO blessed to share my life with, these past 3 DECADES. My wife, my helpmate, my partner, my BEST friend---- Mrs. Deborah Ann Ferrell.
Here's hoping and more importantly, praying-- that we have at least another 30 or 40 more years together! Love you, honey! Always have, ALWAYS will!

The (STILL beautiful!) bride, and the (STILL  happy!) groom. November of last year. Still loving each other enough to stand close together! (and not just in pictures!)

Matthew 19: 4 - 6---
'(Jesus speaking) He (God) made them (man & woman) at the begining, male and female-- and said... a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined (glued, fastened, attached STRONGLY to) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (united as ONE, a whole, and complete)--what God has joined together, let NO man separate!'   

--Amen to THAT!--

Loyd's BONUS video-clip!!--- # 30!!-- Yet ANOTHER 'big BLACK car'! (THIS one has a REAL TURBINE engine!)

Alrighty! You can probably tell by now, that 'Ol Loydster has a REAL..... let's just call it what it REALLY is--- LOVE-- for a 'certain vehicle' driven by a 'certain Caped Crusader'! Not just a single version of it either.
My fan-boy GEEKINESS / nearly unhealthy enthusiasm, for 'ol Bat-guy's 'big-black-ride' goes from the original early '40s comic book model, through the TV show-based custom-car, all the way up to today.

I have a particular soft spot in the heart though, for the vehicle featured in the 1989-'92 Bat-flicks. Some folks refer to it as either the 'Keaton' car, or the 'Burton-mobile'. As you can tell by some of the posts I've put up, I'm obviously NOT alone in my affection for that particular car! YouTube is LOADED with videos featuring folks who make my fandom of the 'Bat-ride', look like strictly amateur-level / little kid-stuff!

Check THIS one out! A professional race / car-building team worked on this MONSTER! What I wouldn't give to get a chance to take this little number out for a spin around the streets of my little sleepy burg of Bristow! Imagine pulling up to a local convenience store in this BEAST!----

Loyd's BONUS video-clip!!--- # 29!!-- 'An EARLY birthday gift, OR... an EXTREMELY early Christmas present?'

 ATTENTION: to ALL of  those 'long-lost' relatives out there, with EXTREMELY deep pockets, or just you folks who MAY be feeling in an EXTRA-generous mood! Here's yet ANOTHER ridiculously EXPENSIVE item I'll probably NEVER buy! (BUT--- it would sure be nice to find either next to my B-day cake this year, or under the tree NEXT Christmas!) Hey, I can daydream, can't I?--- (oh, and yes---- this bad boy is LIFE-SIZE!)---

Loyd's BONUS AUDIO goodies!!-- # 6-- 6 faves from 'Ol Blue Eyes!

Sooner or later, here at the 'Loydster-bloggie-thang', (especially in THESE posts, where I'm throwing up favorite tunes, from my favorite artists!) I just HAD to share my love for the one, the ONLY-- Mister Frank Sinatra!

My favorite tunes from 'Ol Blue Eyes, are pretty much (mostly) from the mid-50s, through the 60s. That seems to be the time that, not ONLY was that wonderful VOCAL instrument of his in FINE form AND hitting on ALL of it's cylinders, but the musical arrangements and orchestras that backed him, were TOP-NOTCH too!

I know that some Sinatra fans prefer his earlier stuff, and yes, the voice WAS smoother in that earlier period. But--- there's a 'grit' and a little 'weathering-life's-storms' edge to the vocal instrument in these later songs. Just part of what I SO dig about this man and his music!

Like previous times here, picking JUST a handful of favorites from Mr. Sinatra was TOUGH! (There's just SO MUCH great stuff!) But--- once again, I went back to the idea of : 'If I were stranded on a desert island, and my MP3 player was STUCK on JUST 6 Sinatra songs--- WHAT ones would I NOT mind hearing, OVER and OVER?' These are the ones that I'd NEVER get tired of!---

Loyd's BONUS video-clip(s)!!--- #28!!-- Classic 'T-bird' commercials!

Once again, some vintage ads, for one of my favorite vintage / classic vehicles! In the three body-styles I DIG the MOSTEST! The Ford Thunderbird! They just don't make'em like THIS anymore,gang! (The car, OR the commercials!)---