Ed Vinson

super early…not every thing going according to my schedule. i pretty much under estimated how long it would take to get everything torn down and loaded. wow! Hank and Karen Hustus had us over for dinner last night, thankfully as with everything loaded and/or sold we will be eating little home cooking for a few days. Thank you Hank and Karen.

Going to have to rent another truck to make this all work out, get past the delay and maybe actually get on the road this afternoon.

My brother Terry has been a huge help through all of this and someday i hope to be able to return the favor. We have always been best of friends. Kind of makes me feel sorry for people who dont have a brother.

so…if you’ve considered moving…ask me right now, I dont recommend it.I”ve taken on a few big tasks like this before, but this is by far the largest ever.

So…here we are, MAJOR life change ahead and we have little idea of the actual experiences that are before us over the next few days except that we feel our lives are truly in God’s hands and now it’s up to Him to continue to pave the way.

CORNERSTONE CHURCH!!! What an amazing day yesterday when you hosted the Mother-of-All-Send-offs. A great turnout for yesterday morning’s service and you allowed us the extra time to play 2 songs from each worship team member ( we asked them to pick their favorites) and I know it went a little long but hopefully it was as fun for you who were there as it was for us getting to work together that one last time.

After church, the spaghetti luncheon headed by Mark and Julie Wessel  and the decorations on the tables and stage blew us away. I know Ann Hodges and Donna Dahl had a hand in it and if you helped and I didn’t mention you it’s only because we haven’t heard the whole story yet. THANK YOU!! 

If you’ve never been to Cornerstone Church and you’re in search of a home church…please check them out. Pastor Jed Linebaugh and wife Deb…your counsel and support in the midst of what may seem a loss to you has been more then we could have ever dreamed. I hope Keokuk gets to know you as we have and will soon learn to appreciate you as much as well. Welcome to this town and I trust God will bless this church according to the kindness you’ve shown others because I know that will be huge!

Thank you to other friends who stopped by to say hi and bye. Your words break me and make me at the same time. I am forever grateful!

All props are kicked out from under us here in Keokuk.

The job is gone, Austin is done with school, our church family has given us a very royal goodbye, many many tears, sentiments and words spoken that will never be forgotten. The Uhaul rental, boxes upon boxes and equipment put in the trailer and truck and spending today wrapping up a little unfinished business and then will be time to unplug everything and gas up the vehicles. Judy will be driving one vehicle, I will be in the other and we take to the road early Tuesday morning if all goes according to plan.

Thanks for your prayers, they are working! Keokuk is in ours.

e!

Exhausting wow! With such a monumental move comes such monumental stress. Barb Wilhelm and her crew with The Willow Tree Flower Shop is making great progress painting and changing the front of the building while we are quitely (not really that quietly) slipping out the back.

We have received a ton of last minute work and orders and will probably be working up to the minute we pull away in getting them all satisfied. But that we shall do.

10 P.M. at night and still at it, people telling me how tired I’m looking. I guess that means I better get to bed.

Big day tomorrow at Cornerstone Church and I am and am not looking forward to it. I know it’s going to be EXTREMELY emotional day, but will certainly be one of those days that stand out in my lifetime, one of those that will never be forgotten.

Thank you in advance if you can be there, again, starts at 10 am, coffee and donuts and we’ll begin worship shortly thereafter.

A word of warning, we will be doing a few more songs than usual as it will be our last time on the team. Just kick back and hum with us!!

I have asked each member of the team to name 2 of their favorites and would see if we can do them. Practice went well so I am really looking forward to getting absorbed into the service tomorrow.

Cya then if you can make it,

e!

I can’t express, just cannot put into words the past several days as so many of you have stopped in, written, stopped me in the store and let me know your feelings both about us leaving and about how you wish us well, but with sadness.

In reference to tonights paper at: http://www.dailygate.com/articles/2012/02/24/opinion/doc4f47c3d798654977759985.txt  it tears at my heart and thank you to my son Christopher for his amazing letter to the editor. I am speechless and to have your child write such a profound letter about you…well… all I can say…someday I wish to be buried with it. Thank you Christopher, I love you to the end of time.

Trying to get all the loose ends taken care of, but just want to assure everyone, we are going to be very reachable and accessible in case we weren’t able to reach you or if your orders may not have returned from the lab. We will of course get them mailed out to you at no additional expense.

For those who have conducted business with us in the past, you can still use the online ordering system at www.edvinson.com and if you ever need us to re-upload your proofs so you can see them, please call us at 941-485-0699 after March 1.

For our commercial accounts, we can still service product photography and graphic design service. Just ship products to us at, 101 West Venice Avenue #6, Venice, FL. 34285.

If you need us to travel, I always have and always will do destination photography. My wheels take me about anywhere!

Thank you one and all for many years of patronage. I have been so fortunate to be born, grow up (sort of) , go to school here, conduct business here and if I sound over-appreciative, so be it. I am grateful for what you have made me!

Hope to see some of you Sunday @ Cornerstone, 10:15 or noon spaghetti time.

Here we go….two (maybe three) days and counting.

e!

It’s Wednesday, the week before we leave Keokuk to move to Florida. Unbelievably hectic trying to tie up loose ends and finish work. many folk have brought in work over the past week that they had been intending to have me do for at least a year in some cases. I appreciate it…can use the moving money but I’m not getting a lot of sleep.

Anyhow, this Sunday everyone, I mean everyone is invited to a little get together that Cornerstone Church is providing for us as a going away recognition/party. We have worked as part of their awesome worship team the past 3 1/2 years and we’re going to do a little extra music this Sunday, beginning at 10:15 and followed up by a Spaghetti luncheon (thank you Mark and Julie Wessell) that too is open to everyone who wants to come. It is on 10th and Blondeau in Keokuk and you will enjoy our pastor Jed Linebaugh as well.

Thank you for the literally dozens of people that have stopped by the studio to say farwell and wish us the best. All the handshakes, hugs and tears have made this departure the most intense experience of my life. I love this community and my amazing friends here and again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for lending a hand during this admittedly intense time.

Thanks to Hank, Lora, Cody, Matt for many many hours of time in helping us prepare for this journey!

Saturday, and just a few days left to go here in Keokuk. Judy is busy with garage sale and whittling down all those many items and you wonder how you ever accumulated it all.

Tommorow morning at 10:15 we get to assist in the worship music program at Cornerstone and I get to have my brother Mark with us on drums. Joe Kite our regular drummer originally was going to take a little vacation. Mark was glad to come back from Jefferson City, Mo. and sit in so we are going to get to be together one more time before we pull out of this area.

You are invited if you would like to do something a little different for your Sunday morning.  Jed is a great Pastor too and you will enjoy him as well!

Donna Dahl, Nancy Trump, Caroline Bradshaw, Jeff Ruby, Johnny Rothert, Joe Kite, Brandon Bradshaw along with Jeff Dahl, Austin Kincaid, Lync Fellows, Thad Trump and Alvin all have helped and have been a part of the team the past 3 1/2 years. Also, Steve Wilhelm and Reva Terry. It’s been great and going to be  tough to say goodbye. We love you all!

Back at the business, we are still taking Sr. Portraits and will be still taking them next Saturday, two days before we hit the road. Already beginning to live out of boxes and sure that will be continuing for quite a few weeks and months to come. All part of it isn’t it.

Will post again soon.

Thank you everyone who is visiting this page, you probably came here from Facebook for a little more info.

If you’re reading this, you are invited to Cornerstone Church, Sunday Feb 26 for our little going away party. Church is at 10:15 where we’ll be serving up our last program of Contemporary Christian music with our wonderful praise/worship team followed by a free spaghetti lunch, open to the public, all invited!

Moving…insanity….synonyms…. See News Page

It’s one thing to try to coordinate things from 1200 miles away and try to make sure all the ducks are in a row, but gearing up there and and winding down here at the same time is crazy. We are trying to make sure we notify everyone that may have work in with us to be done and begin tying up loose ends. We still have just under two weeks to go before we pull out, but the heat is on from every angle.

Getting all the bills paid here and getting all the deposits, licenses, tax forms, registrations done there so that we can literally hit the ground running from day 1.

Thanks to Kate who is the current owner of Island Photographics for all the special help and advice. Kate has run the business so very well for over 20 years there in Venice and is patiently guiding us into this new life. I’m familiar with cameras and computers, but surf and sand and her amazing clientele/friends are part of our next chapter and we are excited to encounter all.

I do love the adventure, but I also love what Keokuk has been for me most of my life. Some negative people around here often “dis” on our hometown, but I am not!  This has been the place that watched me grow up, let me succeed, fail and succeed again and has pardoned my stupid decisions, continued to patronize my business and has also celebrated with me and given special honors over recent months. Thank you Keokuk and the Keokuk area for giving me roots and a great Midwestern work ethic which I shall take with me.

Thank you Rotary, Keokuk Main Street, Cultural and Entertainment District, Mississippi River Power 100, Pavilion Commission and others over the years for allowing me to be in your groups and sit on your boards and join with you in concerns for our city.

Thank you especially my church family at Cornerstone Church! You have been amazing!

We have been part of the worship team at Cornerstone Church the last 3 1/2 years and Sunday the 26th of February is going to be a very special day for us as it will be our last day there…aside from the occasional visits. Join us at 10:15 when the music begins!

Cornerstone is hosting a going away spaghetti luncheon/party for us at noon on February 26. You are all invited to stop by!

This, simply put is an opportunity we’ve been working on for over a year to put in place and has finally come together in some very miraculous ways. God is good!

I am teasingly calling this my 10 year countdown to retirement…and if anyone believes I’ll be retiring in 10 years…well…I pretty much doubt that!

I am blogging to help me remember what I may have forgotten once we get to our destination. Please feel to “Friend” me on Facebook.

See News Page for important announcement.

We do Temple Weddings in Nauvoo, Illinois. Nauvoo is only about 9 miles from our studio and we know the City of Nauvoo well. Many great areas to take amazing photos there. Contact us at 319-524-1087 or email: mail@edvinson.com

Visit our website at www.edvinson.com or at www.nauvoophotography.com