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This is us at Dicken's on the Strand in Galveston TX
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My Harris County Deputy Sheriff Days
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As my Buyer name implies, I joined the United States Marine Corps. on 30 Aug 1966 and went to basic training at the San Deigo Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) as we called it. When I initially put my feet on the yellow foot prints I knew I had jumped into the deep end of the pool. After graduation, I had orders to go to Vietnam.and on 25 Jan 1967. I was Honorably Discharged and sent back to Houston. I walk with a cane but I would do it again if called upon.
I met my future wife on my birthday in 1984 and asked her to marry me on my birthday in 1985. We married in March 1986. I loved every minute I had with her. She passed in September 2007 and I miss her very much.
My wife and I started collecting in 1988 after talking to Clara Johnson Scroggins. We had a local club in Houston Texas named the NASA NOELERS. She later moved to Florida and formed a new club in Tampa. We collected Hallmark, Precious Moments, Hummel, Carilton, Coca Cola, Enesco, Polonaise, Department 56. Lladro, and Disney. We have collected over 8,000 ornaments and figurines. I was a mainframe computer programmer for over 40 years before deciding it was time to just work around the house.
We would drive miles and miles trying to find old stores and drug stores in little towns who once sold Hallmark. In Guiddings, Texas we stopped at an old drug store and asked the manager if they ever sold Hallmark Ornaments. He said they did and that they were taking up shelf space in the back room. He let us buy all he had for $20.00. We felt we won the lottery as there were ornaments back to 1975 in the boxes. This kind of activity was called "Hallmarking". We even were able to go to the Conventions in Kansas City, Kansas, Artist on Tours, and Expos. My wife Frances wrote a story about the 1st convention. It is called "The Road to Kansas City" and details everything we did as we were driving there, during the convention, and returning home. As I remember, we drove over 1,700 miles on that trip.
Dicken's on the Strand weekend in Galveston, Texas occurs on the 1st full weekend in December each year. It celebrates Charles Dickens and his book "A Christmas Carol". If you dress up in period costumes the admission is free. They always have a decendant of Charles Dickens to sign "A Christmas Carol" or anything Mr. Dickens wrote. I have a 1923 facsimile of the orginal 1843 book signed by multiple decendants. It is one of my prized possessions.
We also loved to go bird watching and went to Rock Port, Texas to see the humming birds as well as all the other birds. We were only going to stay 3 days but ended staying 2 weeks.
I now spend my days on eBay and doing odd jobs in the community where I live in Houston, Texas.
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