tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post8309060891875976044..comments2023-08-20T04:02:29.267-04:00Comments on Riding Bareback Beside a Train: on October 8, 2005. my dad died. that could destroy a person.Abernathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281998820924319257noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-8760614776870710812018-03-06T03:20:58.969-05:002018-03-06T03:20:58.969-05:00I'm one of those people from another state who...I'm one of those people from another state who worked with your dad. I got an award for a piece of work at one of our conferences. When your dad complimented me, I said, "Joe, don't you know I stole the idea from you?" Without skipping a beat he said, "I must have stolen it from you first." <br />Not true! That was his way of building up and supporting a colleague. He was one of the most creative people on the planet. He was our guru, the person we called when we wanted to take our idea to the next level.<br />Thank you for reminding me and giving me a chance to relive some great memories. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12727818995061361003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-59378544859906573532017-10-11T15:13:28.136-04:002017-10-11T15:13:28.136-04:00Abby, I was your daddy's friend for the 20+ ye...Abby, I was your daddy's friend for the 20+ years I worked for the Louisiana NEA affiliate and for years after. Once, he came to help me convince the leadership to budget money to basically "steal" two of his fabulous, out of the box ideas. Mannermals (mannerly animals) and the Superman campaigns. I still have all the materials I adapted for use in our state, tho, next year I have been retired for 20 years (and I had changed to a different position ten years before that). I have so many stories about him. He always put you and your siblings first. You are so right about how all of us knew everything about you, tho you never met many of us. Joe Bland was the smartest, most talented and creative man I ever had the privilege to work with. That is saying a LOT since I have been a writer and artist most of my life and know many fabulous and creative people. Also, you should know I never say anything nice unless I am being completely honest. If I dont mean it, I say nothing at all. I am crying buckets right now. Your daddy was one of a kind and I just wanted you to know as long as I live, I will remember him. BTW I love, love, love this post. He is surely proudly watching over you. ♡Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02611508670867946299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-80249736467803266482017-10-11T14:45:05.705-04:002017-10-11T14:45:05.705-04:00Hi Abby -- from another of your dad's colleagu...Hi Abby -- from another of your dad's colleagues in another state (Minnesota). Getting to work with Joe Bland was an honor and a real "hoot" -- that brain never stopped! I remember when your mom brought you and your sister in your twin stroller to visit all of us at the State Education Editors meeting in Alexandria. Thanks SO much for this wonderful tribute...brings back happy memories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-13324649123383768142017-10-11T13:45:34.755-04:002017-10-11T13:45:34.755-04:00Lovely and sweet. Your dad was a great guy.Lovely and sweet. Your dad was a great guy.CMcBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12640147309812976316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-1354016527881095122013-10-14T21:46:28.882-04:002013-10-14T21:46:28.882-04:00oh, thank you. thank you. this is my most favorite...oh, thank you. thank you. this is my most favorite post :) thank you.Abernathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16281998820924319257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-15760953207922089572013-10-13T22:14:21.593-04:002013-10-13T22:14:21.593-04:00I just found your blog today and read this post. ...I just found your blog today and read this post. Made me cry as I thought about my own dad. And made me want to be a great mom to my kids! What an amazing man. Thank you for helping us to see him and you.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05976784044504844440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-78597095527090853052013-10-09T14:36:57.580-04:002013-10-09T14:36:57.580-04:00What an amazingly beautiful post! Thank you.What an amazingly beautiful post! Thank you.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06798869237491409893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-55745773421158174862013-10-09T01:17:48.222-04:002013-10-09T01:17:48.222-04:00Abernathy,
I just found your blog through etst and...Abernathy,<br />I just found your blog through etst and am so happy to have found this incredible place of yours. I just read this beautiful post of your amazing daddy!! I was captivated by your simple but deep and meaningful words. I recently lost my Mama and she was a crazy one too. She was full of life and lived for us 3 kids and her 6 grandkiddos. Was an artist, a dreamer, a lover of life no matter what it threw at her. She is fiercely missed and we feel her love so often. The duck tie and the newspaper article POY (oh that brought me to tears-his creative unique ways to show his love) are the best signs of how much your daddy loved you...loves you! Thank you for sharing your story. <br />MoniqueMoniquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06015272788703119961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-5200334005023195532013-06-16T09:19:56.614-04:002013-06-16T09:19:56.614-04:00Thanks for sharing. Brings back sweet happy memori...Thanks for sharing. Brings back sweet happy memories of my husband & the great daddy he was to our daughters :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-83522842377843093222012-10-09T18:25:46.521-04:002012-10-09T18:25:46.521-04:00I read this last year and today I read it again. A...I read this last year and today I read it again. And then I read all the comments. FYI.Markohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz1YfZFZEgs&feature=relatednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-3679710747645831352012-10-08T17:40:56.565-04:002012-10-08T17:40:56.565-04:00Oh man I cried! Your dad is awesome and your memor...Oh man I cried! Your dad is awesome and your memories are sweet. Love this.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09396416416770336709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-45062644254737329222012-10-08T13:53:59.463-04:002012-10-08T13:53:59.463-04:00Anyone who has ever lost anyone wishes they could ...Anyone who has ever lost anyone wishes they could put those that are gone in to words as truly as you have done for your dad. I know because I am one of those people. The love, the authenticity, the real-ness in this post is inspiring, comforting and comforting. Blessings to you, Abby.Rachel Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18075045812973839696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-90247876436957612492012-02-21T18:57:47.680-05:002012-02-21T18:57:47.680-05:00Losing your dad is a life-changing event that can ...Losing your dad is a life-changing event that can have either bad or good results to a person. The pictures you posted made us understand more about your father, and we can closely relate to you. We hope you're alright now.<br /><br />[<a href="http://www.charoncms.com/products/gis-mapping" rel="nofollow">Loria Schleiff</a>]Loriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963068864631724058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-47449591245001605072011-10-20T14:53:52.979-04:002011-10-20T14:53:52.979-04:00This was beautiful and so inspiring. Thank you for...This was beautiful and so inspiring. Thank you for sharing.Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15865460477149294514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-34194204192208964782011-10-17T15:32:21.217-04:002011-10-17T15:32:21.217-04:00Abby - it is so lovely getting to know you and you...Abby - it is so lovely getting to know you and your dad through your beautiful words, funny phots and creative drawings. He was clearly a man full of love, laughter and life and I see those same qualities in you. Thank you for sharing a piece of your heart with us and telling us about your wonderful father. I feel inspired.Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09863304505018295679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-78300657466331411682011-10-17T05:32:35.210-04:002011-10-17T05:32:35.210-04:00I just read this and I am crying now. Thank you fo...I just read this and I am crying now. Thank you for sharing you love for your Dad, it is such a beautiful thing to witness. xoxoxSophiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14137621887604913740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-8981357761516867832011-10-16T16:41:00.426-04:002011-10-16T16:41:00.426-04:00Thank you for all of the kind and honest words. I ...Thank you for all of the kind and honest words. I appreciate everything that has been said.<br /><br /> I am very glad you can hear my dad in any part of my work :) and it is exciting to hear from people who knew him. and loved him. and even those who never met him. thanks for sharing.<br /><br />(...inclusive is right. I think that is an amazing quality. I hope I can be like him in that way. everyone felt extremely important to him. because they were. )Abernathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16281998820924319257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-12993907905176087742011-10-14T00:16:21.671-04:002011-10-14T00:16:21.671-04:00Dear Abby,
Thank you for sharing your feelings abo...Dear Abby,<br />Thank you for sharing your feelings about your dad. He was an amazing man and I feel so lucky to have known him. You are certainly his daughter ~ so creative and articulate. I enjoyed seeing your art and blog posts.<br /><br />I know he is very proud of you and your siblings. Whenever we were together he always talked of all of you, sharing pictures and accomplishments. His love for you was enormous. Love to all of you and your mom.<br />Deborah Fallin, ColoradoEADeborah Fallinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-83925615085082375582011-10-12T12:20:50.923-04:002011-10-12T12:20:50.923-04:00It is such a pleasure to know you. And your dad.It is such a pleasure to know you. And your dad.LChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18359563030467909832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-36027082420434536212011-10-11T18:58:11.573-04:002011-10-11T18:58:11.573-04:00Your Dad was so special to me (there I also go usi...Your Dad was so special to me (there I also go using "so!").<br /><br />You and your sister were born about the same time as my daughter, and I loved watching you grow up together through stories told and photos shared at so many meetings and conferences over the years. <br /><br />Thank you for showing his pencil scratchings on the yellow legal pad. Wow. Those shots brought back memories. I rarely saw him without a legal pad and a freshly sharpened pencil tucked behind his ear.<br /><br />It's clear that you are special, too. Thanks for bringing dear Joe back, albeit briefly, for me and his many friends who miss him always.Lananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-85495624881012500462011-10-11T16:29:18.909-04:002011-10-11T16:29:18.909-04:00I am one of those anonymous coworkers from another...I am one of those anonymous coworkers from another state that you mentioned. I was at work--posting news on facebook--and saw your link on the page of yet another anonymous coworker. I knew your father only briefly, but he challenged me to give more than I thought I had to give to the educators out there. He told me that he was watching my work, and I always remembered that when I sat down to write. Thanks to you I got to be inspired all over again. Thank you.Angie M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-73679235930001811782011-10-11T16:04:05.391-04:002011-10-11T16:04:05.391-04:00I met your dad in 1990 in Chicago at a conference....I met your dad in 1990 in Chicago at a conference. I was always amazed at, not only how brilliant he was, but how giving and inclusive. He included everyone on "inside" jokes. <br /><br />I went with he and Joey to see Naked Gun. I think we were in Miami or some other city. I loved how he laughed like a little kid. Unabashedly and with gusto. <br /><br />That was your dad. Full of gusto. And Iʻm a better person for having known him. <br /><br />Thank you for the reminder to enjoy life and, more importantly, to rejoice in being off kilter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-73055093988952350042011-10-11T15:58:51.701-04:002011-10-11T15:58:51.701-04:00Abby - your dad would be so proud. Those of us at...Abby - your dad would be so proud. Those of us at VEA who knew him still sorely miss him. He lives in our memories, too. He could sure make one laugh! His good work still abounds!Robley Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00626245342751933096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-79820800053348334652011-10-11T14:47:50.975-04:002011-10-11T14:47:50.975-04:00Buddy. I am sitting here crying...I love you so mu...Buddy. I am sitting here crying...I love you so much and I am so inspired by you. You and your dad are much alike. Thank you for sharing these intimate memories...it was a blessing for me. Love you.Jessi and Nichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17233231186256669500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912664902260077584.post-60383777840323829172011-10-10T21:17:04.734-04:002011-10-10T21:17:04.734-04:00What a beautiful man and sweet post. It was a plea...What a beautiful man and sweet post. It was a pleasure to read and real to feel your joy, pain, and love.Debbie B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07297768246663981574noreply@blogger.com