The birth of Dan L. Barker must be noted as an important event because without it so many things would not have happened and so much mud never would have found its way indoors.

On Mother's Day morning 1969 it happened. His father, being a preacher, knew right away that mom was joking. He was wrong.

Being before the time of coaching fathers in the delivery room, Dad made it to the pulpit with the line "A funny thing happened to me on the way to church this morning...".

When Dan's father told his brother, Bart, that he had a new brother. Bart's response was very simple: "How do you know?" This tells a lot about Bart. But we're not here to indict those guilty (until proven innocent) parties.

My family had simple tastes:Frozen (not canned) green peas. Pringles. Peanut butter and Banana sandwiches. Tuna Tongue Burner sandwiches. Croutons with Bleu Cheese dressing. Spanish Rice (the Anglo version) every night when it was in season.See my recipes.

My family loved to have fun by:Playing the alphabet game while driving back and forth between the family homes. Setting Styrofoam on fire and bomb it with rocks as it floated down the creek behind our home. Being abducted by UFOs then trying to find out if browns or grays are more ticklish.

I've found that it is important to keep a list of life lessons that you have learned in various ways in life. Here are some of the things I have learned in my life and how I have learned them. This is a space that will be growing as I learn and remember more.

So far:

	I have two pieces of paper from a little school in San Antonio.
	A piece of paper that says I have loved.
	A piece of paper that says I may teach.
	A piece of paper that says I may build and fix virtual things.
	Two animals who depend on me.
	A genealogy.
	A business that sometimes makes money.
	And pictures to remember it all by.
	A few CDs that I listen to every so often.

My quest for the perfect quotation mark is drawing near but first I have more to do.