I need some cheering up

[Lisa63]

Hi friends. This isn't a prayer request, but a memories request.

Today marks six months since Hucc's funeral. I prepared myself as best as I could for this day, yet not as well as I had thought. I hope that some of you won't mind taking a few minutes to relate a Hucc story that made you smile. He had such a zest for life, and I could use some reminiscing of the good times. All I ask is that it was something that you shared with him on the board, not in private.

Thanks in advance. His cruise-addict family meant a lot to him.

 

[MARIPOSA]

Well Lisa, I know exactly what you mean. I still haven't taken Hucc off my AIM buddy list yet. Love seeing his name up there. a couple times I've even shot him an email when I was really depressed and his picture is sitting right here on my desk. That smile is still a little bit of sunshine in my sometimes dreary life right now!!!

OK, I think he shared this one on the board. Once when he was in a fashion show for his church he had to wear these plaid burmuda shorts and sandals. He had just had toe surgery so had to wear white socks and really felt like a dork. He was able to laugh about it and soon afterward he added "clothes do not make a man" to his signature. LOL

Keep thinking about the good times girlfriend. I'm sure he is all the time, and you are one of the treasures he cherished the most.

Hugs, Mari

 

[bostongal]

Hi Lisa - =hug I think about Hucc all the time and miss him. Mostly I remember his sense of humor and his love of cooking & gardening. I remember him posting recipes or stories about what he had made for dinner that made me so hungry. And the pictures of his garden one year were wonderful.

I hope these memories will make you smile like they do for me.

Meg

 

[seamom]

Getting his driver's licence!!! and watching that wonderful cruise video with the Moulin Rouge music raunchily in the background...when I hear it I think of him.

 

[Beryl]

I smiled every single time Hucc spoke about Oliver. I remember the long search for just the right child and the Good Lord brought together a wonderful little family of three....remember all the photos of that first Christmas together. They were so full of joy! At one time Hucc was concerned that Oliver was getting teased at school because he called Koolaid "Dad" and Hucc "Daddy". Apparently some of Oliver's school mates found the term "Daddy" babyish. I found this wonderful quote to share. "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy." (author unknown) Hucc was indeed someone very special! I still miss his visits to this board!

 

[KathyC]

I didn't realize it was a 6mo anniversary but he has been on my mind; guess I was thinking how difficult the holidays will be for Koolaid & Oliver. I remember him discussing the process they went thru when they set out to adopt a child & then the process developed into a full fledged love story after they got Oliver. The 3 of them only had a short time together but they had certainly become a family & you could see the love they had for each other in his daily posts.

 

[Calgon1]

Ahoy Lisa!

I just went back and ran a search for Hucc's postings here at C@. Wow. 623 pages. Then, I started reading ...

October 11, 2001 08:39AM

Hello, cruise addicts,

I got the idea from KruzinLinda to introduce myself formally. I've visited this board only for the past few months, and you may have seen me join in on some of the discussions.

I "discovered" cruising back in September of 1998. I was on expedia.com and as a lark, clicked on a cruise special Boston to Bermuda. The cruise was leaving in a few weeks and I guess they were trying to fill up the extra rooms. I called my partner immediately. And, even though we had to put on the cruise on two different credit cards, we booked it.

That was it ... I was HOOKED. The moment the ship pulled away from dock, I knew this was the travel life for me! Since then I've been on 5 other cruises .... sailing with Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. I'm a believer that no cruise is a bad cruise -- always beats the "every day".

I think all 3 of these cruiselines are quite good, but I am a Princess lover most of all. I'm scheduled to sail her February 3 on the Western Caribbean itinary.

My ports of call that I've visited via cruise ship so far are: Bermuda, Nassau, Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and San Juan. I have also visited Royal Carib's Cococay and Princess Cays in the Bahamas. I look forward to adding Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Majahual to that list.

My favorite islands to date are Bermuda, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. Well, that's a little bit about my cruising background. I look forward to getting to know all of you better -- and perhaps meeting in person on a cruise ship!

May all your voyages be bon!

- Hucc(elberry)

Yes, that was just overseven years ago, but itreally does seem like just yesterday ..... God Bless you my friend. I just glad I can't say, "I miss you"; because you're right beside me. Thanks for being here!

 

[nieciez]

What a lovely idea Calgon to bring forward one of Hucc's early posts. Your right, though we miss "seeing" him on the board he will always be standing with us.

So many fond memories of Hucc it's hard to just point to one but I must day I felt privileged that he shared with us the experience of adopting Oliver.....it was so moving to see the three form such a loving family. My thoughts and prayers are with Oliver and Koolaid as they get through another milestone without Hucc.

Thanks Lisa for the post.....

Denise

 

[Cruise cutie]

=hug Lisa.. what a tough week for you indeed.

.I remember Hucc saying how he was always wanting food recipes and descriptions posted as he then could decide if he wanted to try it.:grin so when I posted my Kitchen Sink Brownie food for Friday Food he IMMEDIATELY "had to ask".. funny too as it's what I am making this AM to take into work today for this weeks Friday Food..I have been a month since I've worked a Friday ..and all my help was clamouring last night for me to "make something good today!!" ..:grin..thanks for the memories again..:daisy..Joanne.

 

[reggae]

I used to love Hucc's post of "what's for dinner tonight" He made such great dishes too....

Also, when I was going through some tough health issues, he'd send me a cute little cartoon or note to put a smile on my face. I appreciated his caring and kindness....he truly earned his "wings"

Thanks for posting this, Lisa.

 

[Lisa63]

Thank you all for helping me smile. No need to thank me in return, as the purpose of my request was purely selfish.

Mari - I know what you mean. I still have his number in my cell phone.

Meg - Thank you for reminding me of his garden. I am now envisioning it...he was very proud of it, and rightfully so.

seamom - I had forgotten about the video. Thank you! Yes, and the driving... I once kidded him about that . the first time he drove me somewhere, I asked him playfully, "You're sure you know how to operate this thing?" Trust me, he got me back several times over.

Calgon - Thank you for the blast from the past. Yes, he's here, too.

Beryl/Kathy/Denise - I didn't meet Hucc until the adoption process was near completion, so thank you for bringing my mind back to those posts. He was indeed the perfect "Daddy."

Joanne/reggae - How he loved to cook and bake! Thank you! He even tried to get me to enjoy it. Remember the NuWave oven?

I'm feeling much better today than I was yesterday. Actually, yesterday was very much out of the norm. Thank you all for helping me get through it.

 

[BostonsJ]

Lisa Hugs.... Anniversaries are so difficult. I remember Hucc as being someone who just had so much joy for life in him. When I annoucned I was moving to CO he put a link to a song on his post. It was so appropriate the name of it was Go West Young Girl. It made me cry tears of happiness.

 

[ewheelock]

I remember the birds nest that was on his deck. Following the birds progress was really fun. I also remember the Nuwave oven. Did anyone else get one after he said how good it was?

Lisa, are you in contact at all with Koolaid? If so, how is he doing?

I did get to meet HUCC last year around this time. Him and his family came to the Atlanta area to visit with Kookaid's family. We meet at a local mall and then went to Decatur and had lunch and talked about cruising and about life. I am glad that I got to meet him in person. After we had lunch he rode the Marta train to downtown and popped into the store that Duskbat worked at.

Ellen

 

[Lisa63]

Thank you, Judy and Ellen. Yes, we're in touch with Koolaid...I'll let him know you're all thinking of him and O.

 

[audrey]

I think of HUCC often I enjoyed reading all of his post even when he was not feeling well he was always cheerful. I don't think he will be ever forgotten as long is the board is here.

 

[Lisa]

I've been thinking of Hucc alot lately. I didn't realize it was close to the 6 month anniversary.

I remember Hucc's posts about food......the recipes he posted and the ones about what he and K and O were having for dinner that night. I used to salivate when I read those, especially after I got home after working the PM shift.

Thanks Lisa for posting what a lot of us were thinking.

 

[ShipMaven]

Although belatedly, =hug Lisa. It's difficult to believe six months have passed.

While I have many memories of Hucc on this board - his enthusiasm over meal creations and that NuWave oven that he tried to get me to buy - my favorite remembrance is of his excitement about planting a Japanese maple tree. He made that tree sound so special that I began researching to see if it could be planted in Arizona (no, it couldn't).

May he rest in peace.

 

[iluvcruzin]

I am sorry I didn't see this sooner. Big {{{hugs}}}} being sent your way Lisa! My fondest memories are of Hucc's humor. Sometimes he would just tell it like it is. I would get a big chuckle. If I called him a smart @ss, he would have laughed I'm sure.