My dear Brother

He was taken away to be with our  Father in heaven on Sunday the 12th.  You are resting now - Til we meet again.

such a cute little boy

  here with his grandma

I love this picture

L to R-- Brother Doug,  sister Donna , niece Robin, Me, sister Lynn and our beautiful Mom

Douglas in Europe - 511 M I

Doug bottom row Left

Brother Karl top row middle

My Memorian in Richmond Times Dispatch
September 14, 2010

I will miss you so much brother.

You had such an eloquent manner of discussing topics new to me. Always a gentleman. I learned much from you and will forever be grateful for that.

You were there for my children when they were young and would give guidance.

I remember the evening you left on the bus for your call to service for our country and I just cried and cried in the car. I was so proud of my brother.

You are resting in peace now with the Lord. I am sad, but at the same time

knowing that you are out of pain and suffering in this life at home with our Father in heaven consoles me.

Love, Betsy



STARKE, Douglas Eugene, 67, of Richmond, passed away Sunday, September 12, 2010. He was preceded in death by his father, Howard E. Starke, and is survived by his mother, Thoris Sheldon Starke; one brother, Karl Starke (Wanda); his sisters, Rachel Starke, Betsy Hastey (Steve), Lynn Gibson and Donna Gwaltney (Keith); and numerous nieces and nephews. Douglas served as a linguist in the 511th Military Intelligence Group in Wuerzburg, Germany, from 1965 to 1968. He was a Golden Gloves Flyweight Champion in 1959, Eastern Golden Gloves Champion-Bantamweight in 1959, and Southside Virginia Champion Golden Gloves in 1961. He was an avid reader and also loved playing country rock in local bands during the '70s in the Richmond Area. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bliley's-Staples Mill, 8510 Staples Mill Road, where funeral services will be held 12 noon Thursday. Interment Dale Memorial Park.



Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch from September 14 to September 15, 2010 Email

Always Remember!

Myspace Graphics, Patriot Day - 9/11 Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Always remember this day

Feels like autumn already

The leaves were falling today, well dead ones anyway.  I have started raking up pretty green acorns in my azaleas,   maybe the squirrels are knocking them off the trees.  
I  have two types of flowers left and that is this vine - I do not know the name.  I do somehow manage to buy the seeds from Walmart for the past two years and  plant them.  I guess the name never grabbed me,  the flower is pretty and the little hummingbirds love it.   I hope I can get a picture of him before the season is over.

vigorous climber

beautiful flower that the hummingbirds love

maybe it's a hummingbird vine - I don't know

My zinnias

My hydrangea wreath with a few zinnias

I wired them on after I picked them from the garden

and let them dry on the wreath

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Oh look - The twins are back,  aren't they adorable?  I have been watching them for two days hanging out together on the flowers.  Lil camera hogs.

Garden Sphere is finished - finally!

I started working on this about 6 weeks ago .    I may change the color, don't know yet.

I won't be carting it around much as this thing is a little heavy.

I purchased  a beach ball from the dollar tree and by the way, don't count on these beach balls lasting any amount of time  for the beach,  this one had a pinhole in it,  anyway  I put Vaseline on the ball so the wall patch and cement would not stick, the ball has to come out.   The opening needs to be large enough to pull the deflated beach ball out once it's hardened.

took a while to build up the layers and the cement would slide off , so I did little sections at a time.

Maybe there is an easier way , but this is how I did it.

another little section left.  I have it sitting in a little plastic bucket to dry
It can be sanded to be made smoother,  I sanded some but not much.

I put some sparkles on it.  Not sure where I will place it in the garden area, but will come up with something.