Teddy Burriss

Are you Listening to me

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Category: Family

  • I can clearly see my Dad

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    Today my Dad was laid to rest 82 years, to the day, from when he was born.

    He did what God wanted him to do in his life and now he is done.

    Because of the pandemic, I am not able to see my Dad, one last time.

    However;

    I can clearly see my Dad as he swings a bat and hits a softball farther than any Dad had ever hit a ball. Over and over again as the sun sets over Sugarloaf Mountain.

    I can clearly see my Dad tirelessly working his side business, after a long day at his full-time electrician’s job, to create the money needed to raise his family.

    I can clearly see my Dad as he helped me learn how to build things, fix things, and even tear things apart & put them back together again.

    I can clearly see my Dad when I worked alongside him learning about electricity, construction, welding, metalworking, automotive stuff, and plumbing.

    I can clearly see my Dad as he said to me, “Don’t worry about stuff you can’t change.” (I relearned this later in life as well.)

    I can clearly see my Dad as he drove an old topless Willys Jeep through the blinding snow to get a 55-gallon barrel of fuel oil for our furnace, never once complaining about doing it.

    I can clearly see my Dad looking me in the eye after I wrecked his truck, and without raising his voice or getting mad he said, “Fix it.” (I did)

    I can clearly see my Dad as he did what he could do to help others. I never heard him complain about anything he had to do or turn down helping those he could help.

    I can clearly see my Dad as I held the flashlight for him while he worked on something that needed to be fixed. Yes, I too remember him saying, “Over here boy, I’m not working over there,” as I let the light drift away.

    I can clearly see my Dad with what he needed to live a good life. No fancy new cars or trucks, no whiz-bang tools or expensive man toys. I never heard my Dad say, “I wish I had…” I learned the value of living a simple & blessed life from my Dad. It’s made a huge difference in my life as I strive to also live a simple and blessed life.

    I can clearly see my Dad pulling a calf out of the frozen pool and back into the stable to recuperate. To me, he was a hero saving our calf. (BTW – some of the best hamburgers ever).

    I can clearly see my Dad numerous times over the years, in the hospital, sometimes facing death, often in pain, maybe showing a little fear, but never complaining.

    I can clearly see my Dad leaving the house every morning before the sun rose to drive to work, never complaining about the drive or the long hours on the construction sites he worked.

    I can clearly see my Dad doing what God wanted him to do; raising and caring for his family, even helping his children once they were grown and needed his help. I never heard him complain as he did what he could.

    I won’t be able to see my Dad as he is being laid to rest. But I can clearly see my Dad from all the memories I have and I know I’ll be able to continue seeing him as I continue my life.

    Rest in Peace Dad.

    Love, Teddy Lee Burriss Jr.

  • izzy-Shania

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    Watch this video

    Yet, she can be this as well.

  • I know I am a Blessed Man

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    I know I am a blessed man. Here are some of the reasons I have that remind me of this every day.

    1. I’m blessed that I am healthy. Yes, I know as a 58 yr old I can’t do everything I was able to do as a teenager, but I’m doing pretty good and I am not taking any drugs. I’m blessed that I am healthy.

      Bum and the Mytrles
      Bum and the Myrtles
    2. I’m blessed that I have been happily married for 38+ yrs with the woman I fell in love with way back then. We laugh together, pray together, play together, have many of the same goals and enjoy each other’s company most of the time. I’m a man – sometimes I need to be checked and I’m blessed that she wants to keep me in check. I’m blessed my wife still loves me.
    3. I’m blessed to have 4 daughters who are healthy, independent, in love, enjoying and living their own lives. I’m blessed that they call me Dad, Friend, Coach and Helper when they want my help. I’m blessed to have 4 beautiful daughters.boppy-and-stallions-2016
    4. I’m blessed to have my 4 Stallions. These are the guys who have taken the lead in my daughter’s lives and love them, care for them, support them and even keep them in check when they need it. I’m blessed they call me Boppy, Friend, Coach and Helper when they want my help. I am blessed to have these guys in my life.

      The GrandWeWaps
      The GrandWeWaps in 2016
    5. I’m blessed to have 10 GrandWeWaps. These are the children of my 4 daughters and the Stallions. I’m blessed they like to visit me and enjoy the time they spend with me when I visit them. I’m blessed they like some of my stories and a few of my jokes. I’m blessed they call me Boppy, Friend and sometimes a smart old man. I’m blessed that when they leave they give me a hug goodbye and sometimes ask me to come back soon. I’m blessed to have these great youngsters in my life.
    6. I’m blessed to have hundreds of friends who I get to laugh with, work with, play with, help our community with and care for and who care for me. I’m blessed to have a thriving network of friends in my life.
    7. I’m blessed to have all of the materialistic stuff I need to survive and even thrive in life. I used to say it’s not much, however, I am more than thrilled every day of my life that I’m blessed to have far more than I need or deserve in life.
    8. I’m blessed my future is brighter than I ever imagined it could be. I’m blessed that I get to work towards my goals in life and to have so many people on this fabulous journey with me.
    9. I’m blessed my wife and I chose to start a business together and we are exceeding all of our goals as we work together to create this business. I’m blessed to be able to work towards these business goals with my beautiful and loving wife.
    10. I’m blessed to live in a country where I have the freedom to choose my own goals in life, what I want to do and where I want to live and work. I’m blessed to be able to make decisions that can positively influence my future despite all the changes going on in our world.
    11. I’m blessed to be able to learn from others and grow as an individual. I’m blessed by all those in my life I get to learn from.
    12. I’m blessed to be able to help others. My wife and I jointly made the decision in 2010 to give back to our community as much as we possibly can. I’m blessed that this giving has been rewarding and enabled me to meet so many fabulous people who have also helped me in so many ways.
    13. I’m blessed that on this Sunday evening after Thanksgiving 2016 I get to sit back in my living room, watch a little football and scribble down this short list of reasons that remind me every day that I am blessed.

    I realize that I am far more blessed than I deserve. I know that many people in my community and in the world are far less fortunate than I am.

    I ask God every day to help me to do what I can to help others knowing that only when I give can I receive. I know giving is important and being able what I can is not a requirement or a responsibility to me. Rather giving back to others is a life purpose and a blessing for me.

    I am blessed. Thank you God for all of my blessings.

  • My oldest is 34 today – What is that all about

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    Today is January 3, 2016.

    34 years ago the announcement that may have been printed in the local paper would have said, “Mr Teddy Burriss & his lovely wife Rebecca (aka Bum) are the proud parents of a bouncing baby girl.”

    Jessie

    I asked them not to print that because I had yet to see our newborn baby bounce. And, Rebecca did not want me to test her.

    True story – As an infant, I dropped her once and I was not testing the bounce theory.

    Fast forward to yesterday when this observation of being the Father of a 34 year old really hit me.

    I decided to look back at the past 34 years and review the memories.

    Here are the ones that came to mind the quickest, not necessarily in chronological order:

    • 8lbs, 1 oz, 21.5″ long, ear is red from doctor using forceps, no birth marks
    • very alert, as if to be asking “who is that loud guy?”
    • blue eyes, ultimately blond hair at year 1
    • Ronald Regan was our President
    • loved to put food in her hair
    • Loves mashed potatoes
    • face plant at the pool
    • cousins
    • burb-bottom
    • loves to help mom cook
    • Dad hung Aubrey (the doll)
    • at Fireworks – ‘change the channel please’
    • “I’ll have Chicken nuggets and for my two sides I’ll have mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes”
    • Made me smile day one and still today
    • Short curly hair as a child
    • She loves (loved?) mismatched clothes
    • Play music and she danced. More like her mommy, not her daddy
    • Put a crayon or pencil in her hand and she smiled as she wrote words
    • She loves to learn
    • She loves the teachers who care to teach her
    • She asks lots of questions
    • She was as beautiful as a child as she is today
    • No, she did not have me wrapped around her little finger
    • I gave her my favorite little car
    • Miss curfew and Mom will run down the sidewalk in her big fluffy yellow robe & curlers in her hair to yell at you and your boy friend
    • She was clear and precise at finding her life partner. Skips celebrations on Leap Year since 2000
    • Her husband is a good choice.
    • The trials and tribulations of becoming a tenant. Slum lords suck
    • Love pushes you to achieve lots of goals, including your husband’s US Citizenship. It was all him, but with a good women behind him
    • Early Home Owner  because you built your Credit Score
    • You became a fabulous mommy in development on 5/13/2003
    • “What do you hear?”, “I hear two”, “two what”, “heart beats”, “where”, in there”, “in her?”….
    • A business woman has Focus, Passion, Desire, Attitude, Ability, Purpose, Goal, Compassion, Faith and never lets anything stop her from building a thriving business that changes peoples lives in a positive way
    • Landlord, Home Owner & Mortgage Banker
    • Yeah, we’ll have 4 children
    • Your family is my family, let’s do what we can to help them
    • Our home is their home
    • We are responsible for her success because we brought her to our home. We’ll treat her like our daughter.
    • Tippy
    • Becca
    • Rosie
    • Bubble Lips
    • Hard work is only for those who don’t love their business
    • Yes baby, we’ll move to Raleigh because you love your job
    • Tree
    • Luge in the back yard in the winter
    • Walking in the blizzard
    • Can I play with the computer Daddy?
    • What is the Internet and how do you make money using it?
    • Myrtle
    • GrandWeWaps
    • Dad bought a bra
    • Boss & Leader
    • Entrepreneur
    • Activist
    • Writer
    • Why is Izzy crying now?
    • Columnist
    • If the answer should be yes, she’ll not take no for an answer.
    • Smart
    • Sassy
    • Frugal
    • Moola Saving Mom is a success!
    • Strategist
    • Happy
    • Loving

    My daughter – Jessie Lee.

    I am a blessed Man. I have four beautiful smart, compassionate daughters. Each raising their own family. Being a Blessed Dad kicked off for me 34 years ago.

    Happy Birthday Jessie

    I love you

    Dad

    Here are some images that sparked my memories

  • Prayers Lifted for NICU Babies

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    Abigail-RosaleeTrivette

    Last weekend (8/23/2014) I spent time in the NICU of Mission Children’s Hospital when our newest GrandWeWap Twins were born that morning.  My second daughter Rachel and her husband Sid Trivette, the proud parents were there with my wife, Rebecca (aka Bum) and two other daughters (Jessie & Lauren).

    Abigail & Rosalee had challenges, yet I prayed and believed that God would guide the good folks at the hospital to safely get the girls thru this period in their young lives.

    Abigail and Rosalee were nearly 5lb babies and born at approximately 34 weeks (full term births are between 37 & 42 weeks).

    While waiting for the nurse and doctors to take care of our girls, I walked the NICU floor and saw many other children that believed needed our prayers.

    That weekend there were 48 babies in this NICU. At least nine sets of twins according to one of the nurses working there.

    As I walked around I saw lots of babies being taken care of by dozens of doctors and nurses. There were portable x-ray equipment moving around the floor, lots of equipment being monitored and medical supplies, drugs and fluids being distributed. It was a very busy and emotional place to be.

    I saw and looked into the faces of lots of anxious parents. I saw excitement, fear and hope all bundled up in the eyes of these parents. I intentionally shared a smile with each glance and often received a smile back.

    I continued quietly walking the floor until I came back to section C where our girls were. I walked up to Abigail and gave her a “Boppy” finger hug. She hugged me back with her tiny little fingers. I walked over to Rosalee, hugged her finger as well and she returned the hug too.

    Today (Monday September 1, 2014) I got an email message from some professional friends at The Green Shoe Studios that reminded me that I live a blessed life.

    With, 9 Grandkids, four daughters and their respective partners and my wife of 34 some odd years, my life is filled with excitement, happiness and love. We have our challenges, but all in all I live a very blessed life.

    When I read the message from Green Shoe Studios and watched the YouTube video I knew I should share it with you.

    Watch this video, listen to the story and then think for a moment, do you too live a blessed life? If you feel the desire, do what you want and can to help Aiden and his family. And, take another moment and lift a prayer for NICU babies.

    Thanks for letting me share this with you.

    Teddy

  • Holding the flashlight

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    I recently heard a speaker say this, “I hated holding the flashlight for my Dad.”

    The speaker continued on with his perspective of this simple little task. He told how as a little boy his Dad always asked him to hold the flashlight while working on various tasks that needed just a little more light.  Fixing a blown fuse, a broken light fixture, switch, or something on the old Plymouth. What he remembers the most was when, (not if) the beam of light drifted from the work area, his Dad would snort which alerted this young man to pull the flashlight back into position. He hated doing this.

    I remember these days as well.

    As a youngster in the mid-1960s & ’70s, I held the flashlight and did many other simple tasks for my Dad.

    I carried and fetched tools, pulled weeds, dug holes, filled holes, used a sickle, swept the shop floor, wire brushed the spots Dad welded, stuck welding rods in the holder (I was always scared I would get shocked), siphoned gasoline, sanded the wood & metal projects, washed the cars, washed engine parts in gasoline, hauled fuel oil for the furnace, scrapped paint, held pieces of metal and wood as my Dad cut them, welded nailed or glued them together, washed his truck, scrubbed the tires, planted potatoes (eyes up) and pulled the electrical wire through conduit. These are just a few of the little tasks that I did with my Dad as a child and young adult. Often as I did these and many other tedious tasks, my Dad stood watching and coaching me on how to do them right.

    Back then I was not always happy doing that stuff.

    Today, I appreciate that I got to do them for a couple of big reasons:

    1. I learned by watching my Dad. I learned to do electrical work, welding, gardening, plumbing, woodworking, and lots more stuff.  I learned a lot.  Today I can do all of these things myself. Not only has this saved me lots of money as I raised my own family,  I also enjoy doing these things.
    2. I learned patience, attention to detail and doing things right.  Dad was a stickler to doing it right the first time. No cutting corners or doing anything just to get it done. Do it right, or don’t do it is what I learned from my Dad.

    When my girls were home I had them hold the flashlight for me. I snorted at them just a little bit when the beam of light fell away from the work area and they pulled the flashlight back into place.  I hope they learned as much from me as I learned from my Dad.

    Who is holding your flashlight and are they learning from you?

    Happy Fathers Day Dad. I love you and treasure the days of holding the flashlight.

  • My 6 Wedding Dresses

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    My 6 Wedding Dresses

    How many other men have bought 6 Wedding Dresses

    I bought my first wedding dress in 1978. It is the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen. It was far more beautiful because my bride was wearing it for my first wedding. I still have this dress in my closet and periodically I open the case it’s in just to see it.
     
    I bought my next wedding dress in 2000. This dress was just as beautiful as my first one. I don’t remember the conversations about this dress, just that we bought it. I shed a small tear or two and was a little choked up standing beside my oldest daughter who wore this dress as she married my first son-in-law. I love this dress as much as I love my first one.
     
    Six years later I bought my next wedding dress. This dress took quite some time for us to find. I’ll never forget the text message. A picture of a dress with these words, “I love this one Dad.” I had been waiting for what seemed like forever at a bookstore while the women searched for dresses. As my daughter walked towards me my wife said, “She has to have this one.” As requested, I didn’t.  Later on, as I walked my third oldest daughter, in our wedding dress, down the aisle towards her fiancé, I again choked back a few tears, especially as I pulled up her vale and hugged her before I handed her off to her husband. That was a gorgeous wedding dress.
     
    Three years later we again searched for the perfect wedding dress. This search was a little more difficult. I’m not sure why, but we ended up buying two wedding dresses. I was about to ask “Why?”, when fortunately before the words jumped out of my mouth, my wife counseled me, “Don’t ask. Just smile and say OK.” Again, I did as she asked. It made sense during my youngest daughter’s wedding. She was happy and looked beautiful in our wedding dress. My baby had grown up and I was one proud daddy. If it took two wedding dresses to make her happy, so be it.
     
    I bought my last wedding dress in 2012. I expected this purchase to be a tedious task of searching, fittings and more searching. However, after searching Pinterest, online stores and one shopping trip, we found the perfect dress. I was not invited to go on this trip, but I got to see lots of pictures. I remember once or twice being asked my opinion. I’m a very smart man, from my previous wedding dress purchase experiences I knew what to say, “That dress is gorgeous honey. If you like it, I love it.” As I walked with my second oldest daughter, in our wedding dress down the aisle to her soon to be husband, I found it hard to hold back the tear (or two), especially as I handed her off to the new man in her life.
     
    I’m not sure how much money I spent on My 6 Wedding Dresses. It’s irrelevant.  My life has been immensely blessed from the changes buying these dresses has created in my life.
     
    I got to marry the woman of my dreams and 35 years later she claims to still love me. This is great because I love her just as much today as I did the day she wore our first wedding dress.
     
    I got to be a part of raising 4 beautiful daughters. They were beautiful in our wedding dresses, and even more beautiful women, wives, mothers, and people.
     
    I’ve collected a stable full of stallions who are now great friends and caretakers of both my daughters and 4 or 5 of my wedding dresses.
     
    And, today, I’m the proud Grandfather to seven Grandchildren. I’ll drop what I am doing at any time to go help or play with these youngsters.
     
    I probably won’t buy any more wedding dresses, but I’m blessed to have bought

    My 6 Wedding Dresses.

    I first published this as a guest post on Moms on Triad 

  • What would David Michael be doing now?

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    I was three years old in 1961. My family lived in Barnesville Maryland in a small farmhouse at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain.

    My little brother, David Michael was born on August 22, 1961.

    David Michael died in October of the same year. Just a little more than one month old.

    I don’t remember my little brother, however, I often wonder, if he were alive today, what would he be doing.

    Here is a good guess as to what David Michael would be doing today.

    He is 52 years old today (August 2013). He is living in a nice house in the suburbs of Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

    David Michael’s wife is Samantha. They have 3 children who are now between 24 and 29 years old. All of the children have moved out of their parent’s home and now live with their respective partners in the Philadelphia area. Samantha and David Michael often cajole their kids for grandkids.

    Samantha is a successful real estate broker, who loves her business. David Michael has his own business management consulting business. He is very successful and enjoys his work.

    David Michael loves spending time with his wife, children, and their partners. Regularly all of them gather at one of the family members homes. Each gathering is a party because they enjoy each other’s company, laughing, cooking, dining, telling stories, discussing current societal topics, watching movies and playing card games together.

    David Michael is a community leader and active civic volunteer. He loves to help others and enjoys seeing good people succeed when they try harder than they thought they could and by accepting a compassionate tug up from someone with a caring heart.

    David Michael and Samantha travel frequently and enjoy the vineyards of California, the lakes of Minnesota and Blue Ridge mountains.

    David Michael and I don’t talk very often, we are both busy with our own respective families, communities, and businesses. When we do talk, we pick right up where we left off.

    Often when I imagine what my little brother is doing now I can clearly see that he is in love with his wife and kids, happy in life and knows that he lives a blessed life.

    I compensate for never knowing my little brother by imagining him as a happy, successful, imaginative, passionate, giving and loving person.

    I am comforted for the death of my little brother by my imagination and my belief that God is caring for David Michael as his child in heaven.

  • How to hire a plumber

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    According to an article James Griffin shared on LinkedIn this past weekend you pick a plumber based on the following criteria:

    Do they have good recommendations from other homeowners?
    How long have they been in business?
    Are they adequately insured?
    Do they guarantee their work?
    Are you a member of the Association of Plumber and Heating Contractors

    I have a better way of hiring a plumber:

    My wife wanted a bathroom in our basement, where there is no bathroom yet. I did some research on what I would need to do in order to put a bathroom below our septic system. I found a thing called Macerator toilet. I researched the type of piping that I would need to install, water pipes, vent pipes and the waste pipe connection to the existing septic system.

    I then called my brother-in-law. He is a plumber and knows everything about plumbing. (remember – I’m a Networking Strategist and Social Media Coach).

    I told him what I was doing and what pump, toilet and sink components I wanted to use.
    He was a little concerned about the macerator pump. “You may want to use a regular toilet and bury a septic tank & pump below the concrete floor. They work a lot better.”

    He came down on a Friday afternoon to do the work. Later on Friday his son, also a plumber, showed up.

    These two guys practically did all the work themselves to install the basement sewer tank, sewage pump, and all the pipes. They even put up some of the drywall so I would not have to cut big holes in the drywall when I did that work.

    How to pick a plumber – you have a good brother-in-law who knows that I would have mucked it all up.

    Thanks for all the help guys. I appreciate all that you did for me & Bum.

  • Top 10 Rules of Grandfather Club

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    Another friend of mine joined the GrandFathers Club this week. This club has a specific set of rules that must be followed. I have never failed to follow them myself. If you want to be an honored member of the club, you too must follow these rules. The rules of this club are fairly straightforward and quite easy to follow:

    1. You must change the background picture of your cellPhone to a picture of the kids.
    2. You must tease them about their mother and all the ridiculous baby stuff she did.
    3. You must develop them to be just like you so that their mother will have to say, “Stop being like your grandfather”.
    4. You must teach them all the dumb jokes that your ancestors have said over the past 100 years. (mine is “Rooster, Hen, Pullet”)
    5. You must be able to fall asleep in any chair in the house with one or both of the boys on your lap or chest (recliners work best).
    6. You must be ready to watch SpongeBob Square Pants, Dora the Explorer, and any of the new cartoons that kids love to watch today.
    7. You must want to eat and share candy, popcorn, ice cream, cookies, and cookie dough with the boys, even at 7 am in the morning, despite what their mother says.
    8. You must be willing to stop at a Mcdonald’s, Wendy’s, or Burger King and get 3 Kids’ Meals at a moment’s notice. Yes – you get a Kid’s Toy too.
    9. You must be accepting of going to work, church, a board meeting, or a Rotary with a little baby exhaust on your suit coat.
    10. You must be able to smile like a crazy man any time someone asks you “What’s going on?” Because now you get to say, “I’m a Grandfather!”

  • Enjoy another Weekend with Bum

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    What a great weekend at Myrtle Beach.

    Bum & I hopped into the Mini this weekend and headed to North Myrtle Beach for a little fun in the sand & sun.

    Well, it didn’t turn out quite as sunny as we had hoped.

    On Saturday 10/27/2012 Hurricane Sandy was heading up the east coast. Myrtle Beach was spared the brunt of the storm, but it was still windy & wet. However, Bum & I know better than to let a little wet & wind change our plans.

    We had a blast.

    Dick’s Condom hats

    First stop – Dicks Last Resort We had a great time laughing at all the shenanigans going on here.

    The waiters were rude and arrogant, they yelled & screamed and made people wear paper Condom hats.

    I participated in the rude & arrogant attitude, I refused to wear a condom hat.

    It was Halloween weekend and many of the wait staff were in costume.

    It was quite a fun time, but it was short lived because we had another place to be.

    Second Stop House of Blues – We attended a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre with 50 of our best first time ever met friends.

    Three people involved in a love triangle of nature got killed while we ate our chicken breast with a leg.

    They died from poison, a knife to the gut and strangulation via mouse cord. It was quite gruesome, but I still got pictures.

    Bum & I had fun with the four others who sat our table.

    One guy had a ponytail and earring. I was convinced that he was one of the bad guys but turns out he wasn’t.

    Third Stop – Comedy Cabana  & Marc Ryan on stage. There were three other comedians who opened for Marc.

    This was fun as well. Lots of wild conversations and comedy.

    The entire audience was engaged and harassed by all of the comedians. Behind us sat three women who obviously were very much DRUNK. They laughed at every single thing said.

    Bum laughed so hard that she had tears running down her face. It was an absolutely fantastic stand-up comedy show.

    Last Stop –  Nascar Speed Park Here I got to ride 5 different go-cart tracks and run everyone in front of me off of the track. I had a blast as Bum sat and watched me play like a little kid.

    We headed out of Myrtle Beach for what we hoped would be a calm ride home. But, nope – we had one more adventure to experience.

    Yep – I was cruising along at a respectable 72 miles per hour in the Mini when up into my rearview mirror came the South Carolina State Police car.

    As a good citizen, I pulled over and took my penalty.

    “Yes sir, I know I was speeding”

    “Yes sir, I know I was doing 72 MPH in a 55 MPH zone”

    “Yes sir, I will slow down significantly,”

    I got a break – he wrote me a ticket for 9 MPH over the speed limit and gave me a $82 fine.

    Of course, I slowed down and it took 15 minutes longer to get home. However, my copilot was happy to see that I learned by my ticket.

    Even though the trip ended with a penalty, it did not dampen all of the happiness we had this weekend.

    Stay tuned – we may do this again soon, sans the cops

  • Thank you Everyone who made this HAPPEN

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    This Saturday I had the privilege of “marry off” another of my daughters to a great guy.

    We started our celebrations on Friday and a whole bunch of great people helped us make it all happen.

    This is a thank you to all who helped make the celebrations Great  & Fabulous!

    Rachel, the Bride who is one of the infamous Myrtles, had been planning her own wedding for well over 20 years. She arranged all of the support staff and put together a flawless task list and itinerary. The last few months have been non-stop planning, ordering and arranging for a great team of outsourced service providers. (big words huh?) You did a great job Rachel – thanks

    Sid, the Groom and now a member of Boppy’s Stable of Stallions, did as a groom should. He managed his grooms men and gladly did everything that Rachel asked him to do with no disagreements. He never showed any signs of stress or fatigue thru out the weekend. Good work Sid.

    Rebecca (aka Bum), my beautiful wife (of nearly 35 years) executed said tasks list and  itinerary thru lots of hard work and staff management. We all knew our roles and tasks. She toughed thru the little bit of itinerary & service chaos and made rapid fire plan changing decisions like a pro. I love you babe!

    The other 3 Myrtles (daughters) pitched in on all of the tasks with nary a worry or concern. From the planning & setup phase all the way thru locking the door at the hall. I love you girls.

    Marc, another member of the Stable of Stallions, orchestrated a fantastic meal, far better than expected or requested. This guy loves to plan, prepare and deliver fabulous food. He does it with a big smile and a still manages to play Dad to the needy nearly 2yr & 3yr olds boys. Thanks for all you did Marc.

    Oscar, yet another member of the Stable of Stallions, managed lots of logistics and made sure the right stuff was in the right place at the right time. If anyone needed something he would jump in and help out. Even make a 120 mile round trip late night drive to the airport to pickup a family friend or chase ibuprofen to squelch a headache. Oscar also pitched in on the rehearsal dinner as the rest of of us rehearsed. You are the Man Oscar!

    Francie & Alan, my sister & brother (in laws) and their group took care of lots of stuff at both the rehearsal party & wedding reception. They were instrumental in making lots of tedious tasks go bye-bye. They never asked what we wanted them to do, they just jumped in and made it happen. You guys are great – Thanks

    Tony, a fantastic family friend joined us early in the day and turned on dimes as we asked him to take care of this, then that, and then back to something else all day long. You’re a good Friend Tony! Thanks

    Gary Whitehurst put the jingle in the event. He spun the vinyls and disks that we needed to sing, dance and have a Freakin Great Time! He never missed a beat and smiled the entire night. Thanks Gary – We really appreciate you.

    Thanks a bunch for the great images captured by Megan Summers Photography at the Rehearsal party – Lots of great kid pics, laughing and playing all evening. Thanks Megan.

    The professional photography team from Carmon Leigh Photography worked non stop at the scripted and impromptu pics during the wedding. These ladies were a blast to work with.

    Jessica, our delightful and capable bartender managed the bar effectively with a constant smile. We are so glad we added you to the team Jessica.

    Michael Trivette, Big Bro to Sid and the best man, was there at every move to offer any and all help we either needed or asked for. He was a lot of fun to work with as well. He never stopped helping us even beyond the event when we left items behind that needed to be dealt with. I really enjoyed getting to know you Michael. Thanks for all you did.

    Brittany Mitchell used her imagination, artistic flair and fabulous baking experiences to create a beautiful & tasty wedding cake. She had her husband, Tommy & her Dad help her deliver and setup the cake. You guys are the best!

    The florist arranged beautiful flowers, corsage & butineers and worked hard to help us deal with just a few snafus that occur with these things. Thanks for your help.

    Matt Capps, a long time family friend and Associate Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, provided both an enjoyable and loving God filled ceremony. Few ministers will spend the time and effort that Matt did to get to know the Bride & Groom in order to really share a memorable and meaningful ceremony. Thanks Matt, (Laura & Sol).

    The bridesmaids, my girls and dear family friends, were beautiful and fully engaged in making this wedding a fantastic and spirited even.

    The grooms men are not only loving friends and family, but a lively addition to the celebration. These guys know how to party and have each other’s back thru life. Good People – thanks guys!

    My inlaws, Ray & Reva were non stop in their involvement and engagement with everyone.  Thanks folks.

    Lesha & Sidney, (Sids Mom & Dad) were a pleasure to get together this weekend and thanks for Sid.

    Jackie Gold – thanks for the quick publishing of impromptu event pics – It was a blast to meet you and your family.

    Thanks to the many other great folks who attended & participated and got involved in the celebration.

    I am sure I am missing some individuals, please forgive me. I will thank you in person soon for all you did to help us with this
    celebration.

    Being the Dad of 4 beautiful, loving and spirited women is a blessing. You can’t be an average kind of guy and marry one of my girls.

    I now have three powerful, dynamic, fantastic son-in-laws. My Stable of Stallions continues to grow. I’m a blessed and proud Dad.

    I end this post with a confirmation for myself.

    I am blessed beyond what any Dad would expect.

    Thank you God.

  • Happy Fathers Day 2012

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    Before they are born, a father prays that his children will grow up to be happy people.

    He carries his babies and never lets harm come to them, striving to make them happy, often to no avail as a baby is supposed to cry.

    A father prays to God that his babies will always be safe and happy.

    A father works long and hard every day to put clothes on his children’s back and food in their belly.

    A father will praise his children’s accomplishments and accept their mistakes, not without a tear or two, as his children travel thru those often tumultuous teenage years.

    A father will guide his children thru the developing years as they reach forward into life as teenagers.

    A father will pray to God that he has shared enough wisdom, morals and instruction for his teenagers to grow up and be happy.

    A father will encourage and guide his developing young adult’s passions and dreams as they ponder what the next steps of life will become for them.

    A father will support his developing young adults as they bang, scuff and scratch their proverbial knees, elbows and toes of adulthood, often with a tear, but always with a firm, steady hand when requested or needed.

    A father will pray that the work he did as the father of a baby, a young child, a teenager and then as a developing adult will have been enough for his teenager to grow up to be happy.

    A father will lend an ear, a shoulder even a needed dollar to his grown children, (aka friends).

    A father will be involved in his good friend’s (aka children’s) life, caring for them as a good friend (aka father) should.

    A father (aka friend) will listening to the stories of become a contributing member of society, professional, a business person, involved in the community and father or mother themselves. He will proudly watch them become all this, only giving guidance when asked.

    A father will work, laugh and play with these friends (aka children), as he would with any other good, trusted and loved friend.

    A father will smile when others speak of his good friends (aka children), and proudly admit to them, “That is my child!”

    A father will always give thanks to God that the work he did as the father of a baby, a young child, a teenager, a developing adult and adult has created a happy person and a good friend.

    Happy Fathers Day to me and all of my other father friends!

     

  • A good view

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    I rode down I-40 into Winston-Salem this morning. Not much different than most mornings, except for the view and the thoughts that were bouncing around in my head.

    Most mornings I ride into a beautiful sunrise, today was not much different. I love riding into the sunrise. I generally will say out loud, “Thank you for this day God – please help me to make the most of it for you and for me.” Of course, at 70 miles per hour, the only one who hears me say this is myself, and hopefully God.

    This morning the view was a little different, my wife (affectionately called Bum) was driving her car just in front of me.

    It’s not a long trip from Advance to Winston-Salem, maybe 15 minutes. But driving into the sunrise with Bum driving in front of me made my mind wander differently than most mornings.

    My mind drifted from the normal “what am I going to do today” to “My life”. It was a great ride.

    I smiled as I thought about all that I have that makes my life good. The relationship I have with Bum and all of the things we have done together.

    As I came upon the split where Bum goes to the left and I go to the right, my mind was all over the future that we have together. The plans that we have for ourselves, our family and the people in our life.

    I sped up a little before I hit the split so I could wave at Bum. I know, go ahead and yell at me, but it was important for me to wave at my wife and see her smile as we hit the split.

    This was a better ride into the work day than any other day.

    Thanks Babe.

     

  • Public or Parochial School

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    In 1997 we moved from Maryland to North Carolina. It was a tumultuous time and very difficult on my wife and four daughters. I’ll write more about this later. Today I want to share the story of choosing a 9th grade school for our oldest daughter who was 14 at the time.

    Jessie had been in a very good school in Maryland.  She’s a very smart girl and was taking classes a grade higher than most of her class.  When we moved to NC the public school system in Davie County was having a hard time figuring out where to put her. After many constructive and a few un-constructive conversations with the counselors at Davie High School we decided to try some other options.

    We looked at a few of the private schools nearby, but being a single (low) income family, we decided that they were outside of our budget.

    I got the bright idea that we should try Gospel Light Christian School in Walkertown NC. It was about 20 miles away, but the commute could be tolerated. My wife and daughter were not excited about the idea. They tried to convince me this was not an option because we were not Independent Southern Baptist and would never be Independent Southern Baptist. They were sure that this was a mistake, but agreed to go with me just the same.

    I called the school and arranged for us to come by bright and early on a Monday morning. We arrived at about the same time all of the students were arriving.  All of the boys had on khaki pants and long sleeve white shirts, many had ties on. All of the girls wore ankle length skirts and long sleeve high collared blouses. Very few had on bright clothes. This created angst with my wife and daughter, who was dressed in jeans and some type of designed t-shirt. My wife was wearing pants and a bright shirt. They immediately commented that we stood out like sore thumb.

    We walked into the school and were greeted by a very nice lady, again in an ankle length skirt and totally covering blouse. Her hair was up in a bun, just like you would expect some older teachers to wear theirs.  She escorted us to a room where the “Head Master” waited for us.

    He greeted us at the door with, “Hello Mr & Mrs. Burriss, welcome to our school. Come in.” He didn’t even acknowledge our daughter.

    He walked around his big desk and sat down as we seated ourselves in three chairs in front of his desk. He was expecting us.

    He immediately went into the history of the school and the beliefs of the church. He rambled on about the graduation rates and successes of some of their students. He spent an inordinate amount of time sharing with us the beliefs of the church.

    Now, it’s important to know that my wife is the boss when it comes to our children’s education, what she says goes and she wants to make sure all of our children get the best education. Therefore, she had lots of questions for the headmaster.

    Each time she asked a question the headmaster would look at me and answer to me as if I asked the question. Each interaction he had with us was directed towards me. I’m not the smartest tool in the shed, but I quickly noticed this and as quickly I noticed the unhappiness building up in my wife. Not only did I feel this was rude, but it was also very disrespectful to my wife.

    At one point I asked Jessie if she had any questions for the headmaster. I can’t recall if she did, but it would not have made much difference. The headmaster had totally ignored her and likely would have treated her with the same disrespect as he gave my wife.

    I would have thought that he would have wanted to engage her in some conversation, maybe ask her some questions about her previous school or tell her about some of the great things going on at Gospel Light Christian School. Maybe, just maybe, try to get her eager to want to go to their school. But no, he totally ignored her and focused all of his conversation directly at me.

    Now, I don’t recall what the big tipping point was, but between my wife and I we figured out in short order that, yeah, my wife was right. This was not going to work.

    The headmaster did not want to communicate with my wife or daughter at all. It was obvious to me that he, and likely the religious beliefs of this school/church, were that men were in charge and women held no authority at all. Yep, this was not going to work for our family.

    In some ways I felt that the headmaster had judged us as Yankees and really did not want our daughter in his school.

    I do recall that once this clicked for me, I told the headmaster that we decided that this school would not work for us.

    Here was the final confirmation for us, he said, “Yes, I can see that this will not be a fit for any of us.”

    Wow – If I were not a Christian I would likely have responded in an ugly way.  I decided to just leave with a polite good bye, turned my back to his extended hand shake request and walked out of the room with my wife and daughter in front of me.

    As we walked out to the car I got to hear what I hear over and over again, “I told you so,” as my wife sneered at me with that look of unhappiness. I apologized with, “I know, that was a big mistake.”

    I agreed and never brought up the idea of a church school again.

    To this day I try not to bring this story up with my wife and daughters. They just shake their heads and look at me with that sneer.

     

  • Is it dead Dad?

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    Years ago we built a beautiful home on a 3 acre lot in Maryland. There were trees in the front of the lot, a long drive way up a hill to the house. It was a great place because we were nearly the highest lot in the community. Regardless of which direction we looked, we could see for miles and it was a grand view.

    We put a small vegetable garden back behind the house where we all had fun growing gourds, tomatoes, peppers and squash, lots of squash. We spent lots of time working our garden and loved the vegetables and the gourds we got from it.

    The far side of the lot dropped down to a fence row that separated our lot from a railroad track. Periodically a long noisy train would rumble up the track.

    We planted three rows of pine trees on the hill down to the tracks. Eventually they would grow tall enough to reduce some of the train noise and a lot of the wind that blew up that hill.

    It was a great place to raise our 4 daughters.

    There was lots of wildlife on this lot. We got to see an occasional fox, wild turkey and even a few loose horses. We experienced black snakes and squirrels and lots of rabbits. Really, lots of rabbits.

    However, there was one animal that we had far too many of. These were the ground hogs. The wooded area of the lot was filled with tunnels that the ground hogs made.  The ground was always soft and I was having a hard time getting grass to grow anywhere around that area.

    Every spring a new group of baby ground hogs were born. At times it was cute to watch them frolic on the lot. However, the cuteness wore off pretty quickly. We had four daughters who loved to play in the woods; however they were afraid of the ground hogs. This made the front area of the lot less enjoyable for all of us.

    We had a family dog that did not like other wildlife on our lot. Fortunately we had an invisible fence installed that kept the dog from the wooded area where the ground hogs were. However, periodically a ground hog would come up the hill towards the house and get into the area where our dog was.  I’m going to try to keep this story PG-13, so let me just tell you, once our dog caught a ground hog, regardless of the size, after a pretty tough fight and a lot of noise, it would be all over.  More often than not, there would be nothing left of that ground hog.

    It seemed to me that ground hogs are not very smart, and they don’t learn from the mistakes of other ground hogs, because every summer this happened on a weekly basis. At one point we thought the dog needed to go on a diet. So we cut back on the dog food.  He didn’t need us to feed him anyway.

    One Saturday afternoon we were playing out front. We were tossing around a Frisbee and having a good time.  A couple of times one of us would throw the Frisbee too hard and it would fall near the trees and one of the burrows where the ground hogs were.

    I was charged with fetching the Frisbee because no one else would go near the ground hogs.  Each time I ran down to get the Frisbee I would pick up a rock out of the driveway and toss it at the ground hogs to chase them away. It didn’t work.  The rock would hit the ground near them and it didn’t faze them in the slightest. Dumb ground hogs.

    My wife and our four daughters were having a great time running around, taking turns trying to catch the Frisbee and laughing at me each time I tossed a rock at the ground hogs.

    With one mis-throw of the Frisbee our game came to an abrupt end. The Frisbee landed near one of the tunnel openings and a small ground hog came out of the hole and stood up on it’s back legs. I picked up a small rock and this time, with great deliberate aim, I tossed it as hard as I could directly at it’s little head.

    BAM! – I hit the ground hog dead-center of it’s head.

    It fell down and never moved again.

    Everyone stopped and no one said a word.

    I looked at my wife, her mouth was open. Both of us were astounded at the fact that I hit it this time and that it appears that I had killed it. Worse than all of that, I just killed one of God’s creatures in front of all four pre-teen daughters.

    Then the questions started, “Dad is it dead?”, “Dad you killed it”, “Dad – why did you kill it?”, “DAD IS IT DEAD?”

    Then from my wife – “TEDDY BURRISS – you killed it!”

    Leave it to me to teach my daughters lots of life lessons, I’m generally proud of this. But, some lessons are hard to learn, and some are really not much fun to teach.

    Afterwards I tried to cover up the death of the ground hog with a bogus statement, “It’s unconscious, I’ll put it down by the railroad tracks and it’ll wake up later.” I’m sure my daughters were smarter than this. I felt good trying though.

  • Great Book Reads from Teddy

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    Here is the list of the  – GREAT READ books I just finished reading.

     

    For me, reading is enjoyable, relaxing and helps me to improve. I find nuggets of useful information that helps me as a person, husband, father, professional as well as a community leader.

    I strongly recommend these books as GREAT READS for everyone:

    Graceful by Seth Godin – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047ZFFEA/

    Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FC1LH4/

    Up, Down & Sidways by Mark Sanborn – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OKF0M4/

    When I stop talking You’ll know I’m dead by Jerry Weintraub – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00351DSRI/

    Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X80U1E/

    Do the Work by Steven Pressfield – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PGO25O/

    Anything you Want by Derek Sivers – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00506NRBS/

    Other books that I recently read included:

    The B2B Social Media Book: Become a Marketing Superstar by Generating Leads with Blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Email, and More

    How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider’s Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business

    Nitty-Gritty Grammar: A Not-So-Serious Guide to Clear Communication

    Networking Is a Contact Sport: How Staying Connected and Serving Others Will Help You Grow Your Business, Expand Your Influence

    Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

    Let me know if you read any book that I recommend.

     

     

  • Short Term Gig to help a friend

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     April 2012 Post – Positions filled

    I got $$ and need 3 workers on July 7th in Kernersville NC for a friends wedding.

    We need the following skilled personnel:

    2 Catering/Event Assistants for up to 6 hrs – Training will be provided onsite for the right pair

    1 bartender for up to 4 hours – no mix drink experience needed. If you can pour a bottle of wine and twist open a bottle of fine beer, you’ll do fine.
    We’ll pay cash, food, soda, cake, good fun

    Additional Requirements include:

    • Willingness to work with out constant supervision
    • Willingness to have fun
    • Must have a smile and be willing to show it while working
    • Must have the ability to laugh and say hello to strangers

    If you know of some young adults or even some old ones who can help with this friends wedding, get in touch with me

    Call 336-462-8827 or if you know me well enough – you have my other access info.

    Full disclosure – not big $$, she is on a tight budget.

    Thanks Friends

    Teddy

  • The job still needs to be done

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    This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

    There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

    Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

    Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.

    Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

    It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

    Be the somebody who does something.

     

    The author is unknown to me

  • High Five!

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    How often do you high-five someone for the great thing they did?

    How often does someone else high-five you for the great thing you did?

    It’s a great way to acknowledge success, excitement and even a really good joke.

    More often than not, it’s mandatory to accept a high-five request from a friend.

    Here is a story that is somewhat unusual

    Yesterday I was riding in the car with my wife. We were joking, laughing and having a good time.

    I cracked a joke about something my wife said and the laughter from both of us increased.

    My wife used her wit to spin the words I said and turned the joke around on me.

    What she said was far funnier than what I said, despite the fact that the joke was not on me.

    My wife raised her hand and barked out, “High Five!”

    Foolish me, in a knee-jerk response, I accepted her high-five of her witty joke against me.

    This made the joke that much more funnier.

    Never again, never again will I high-five my wife when she cracks a joke about me.