Wednesday.. Hot water, baths and the pool.

 Picture of the day.

Now for today’s stuff:

I was in the first grade before we had running Hot water and a bath tub. Until then mama heated water on the kitchen stove and put it in a wash tub for baths, girls first then boys. Sherry was raised in a mill house and did not have a bath tub.  We both know how nice a bathtub or shower is.

Are you addicted to a hometown? My girl is. As a builder I (we) built a nice home in Mt. Holly NC. But that was NOT Belmont. From the time I took her away from Belmont, and for about 25-30 years she always talked about finding a home in Belmont, so she could be back home.

One day I found a lot on South Main St. in Belmont. She nearly giggled as we looked thru plan books. WE agreed on a set of plans that was a large ‘L’ shape.

Her sister Lennie had a back yard swimming pool. WE and the grands had fun there. For a couple years I helped open and close the pool. I learned it was work and expensive. I refused to ever have a pool. Too much work.

AS I looked at the plans, I saw the perfect place for a swimming pool. Just square the ‘L’ shape house up and install a pool. Sounded great to her.

So we did. There were no indoor pools in town, I checked with contractors in neighboring towns, NADA. I found a Pool man, he had never done an inside pool. BUT we worked thru the problems.

 WE thoroughly enjoyed the heated pool all year round.

This is the back corner that I filled in on the plans for the pool It had sliding glass doors two sides for the summer.

Of course it was a concrete inground pool.

Under construction, pumping the concrete. I decided it would be much easier to install the pool first then enclosed..

My Lumber man told me to use Canadian Cedar to line the room and NEVER paint it.

The pool bathroom was the brown door you see. WE had a sliding glass door from our bedroom into the pool room. Just to the right of the glass doors is a door and window coming toward you, that was my office.

I made one BIG mistake.  WE paid for a separate heating system that was NEVER turned on. It is probably brand new to this day.  The pool stayed heated at 92 degrees, so of course NO heating system was EVER needed. LOL

Mark and Corinne had Shereece's Birthday party at the pool.

                                        It was fun at night too!

Nite Shipslog

PS: Life is good. Especially after a bad bump!...

Tuesday.. Just rambling

 Picture of the day.

Above is an AI generated picture. I asked for a secretary making a correction to a document on a typewriter.

Do you trust AI?  See any errors?  Just asking.

Oh yes, Myra, on Friday's entry, that was Jack Jr. to the left. Sorry to be late. ;-)

Now for today’s stuff:

I’m turning into a kid again, when Sherry says get up in the mornings, I want to roll over and stay in bed. ;-)

Our sweet DIL Corinne gave us a Kodak Frame, we enjoy sitting here and watching. It is one of those modern things, it has its own e-mail address and the family can send us pictures. WE sure get a kick out of that.

Many people earned your living with a typewriter. I was just thinking today how wonderful these apps are for typing and correcting errors, some even auto correct is possible. You that used the typewriter will remember carbon paper, when you corrected a mistake on the original, you had to flip thru every copy and fix them. NOW you just back up and fix it.

Mama got her first refrigerator when I was about 6 yrs old. Until then we had an ice box and had ice delivered weekly. Ice was scored in 25 lb blocks, mama usually got 50 or 75 pounds. As the ice melted it dripped into a pie pan that mama put under it. One sister Shirley and my chores was to empty the pan before it ran over into the floor.

Winter home heating for folks my age goes back to fireplaces, cast iron potbellied stoves, floor furnaces gas stoves, steam heat then to central heat.

Central heat and air hasn't always existed.

The first house I built had central heat but the A/C was window units.

Every house since then has had central heat and Air.

The fire place was the most inefficient, but to my memory as a child, it was the most fun. The whole family and a visitor or two sat in a semi circle and talked the old folks told stories. At times there was pop corn over the fire and parching p-nuts.

The fireplace was the least efficient, but to my memory as a child, it was the most fun. The whole family and a visitor or two sat around it  and talked the old folks told stories. At times there was pop corn over the fire and parching p-nuts.

Mama got her first refrigerator when I was about 6 yrs old. Until then we had an ice box and had ice delivered weekly. Ice was scored in 25 lb blocks, mama usually got 50 or 75 pounds. As the ice melted it dripped into a pie pan that mama put under it. Sister Shirley and my chore was to empty the pan before it ran over onto the floor.

(we missed a few times and put a stream of water across the kitchen floor)

Nite Shipslog

PS: Life is good....

OH yeah, I have been asked about our indoor pool of the past. Tomorrow I will get to that.

Monday.. There is always HOPE, wishing, and memories.

 Picture if the day.

I made an attempt to join the USMC at 16 yrs old. I used Sherry's typewriter to modify my birth certificate, I just about made it but I got kicked back. 

This is when I was grown, 17 (LOL), I made it in,  2nd from the right kneeling.

Now for today’s stuff:

I still have some memory, I can remember ‘hoping’ I had passed a test. I have said it here many times, as a 17 year old BOY on Parris Island, I hoped I would wake up and it was a bad dream. ;-)

I am hoping that soon Florida will remember it is supposed to be a beautiful, balmy state!

Recycle, I am sure our parents did this automatically. The groceries were in big paper bags, the bags were always folded and kept, for storage and garbage bags.

My mama used to call in her grocery order in to the grocery store. They delivered and placed them on the kitchen table 75 years ago, that was a long time before it became a thing around here lately.

Dad & Mon had credit at the grocery store. And paid weekly. That was very common in Mill Towns. Daddy had an account at the gas station also and paid weekly.

I was wondering when credit cards became common. Cards came with Gas companies first, Imma thinking.

I am also wondering where some of the statistics come from today. I just read on the internet that the average net worth of a 74 year old person in the USA is 1.3 million $. WHAT? If true, I have lived in the wrong section of the country or I am like Rip Van Winkle and have been asleep for the last 30-40 years. LOL

On Parris Island I learned that sissies used washing machines real men could scrub their own.  LOL

I do hope YOU are doing well and handling the tough weather.

I also hope if I reach 90 yrs of age I am still walking without a walker. Many of my friends do need assistance.

I still wish and hope I will be strong enough to even attempt a thru-hike of the AT in the next couple years. (Yeah, I do know that is a big stretch)

BUT, but there was an old gentleman who made the attempt at 87 yrs of age and hiked 600 miles before he had a problem. I’d be proud of a few hundred miles… ;-)

Nite Shipslog

PS: I think life needs hope and dreams...

Sunday…. That preacher, That speaker!..

 Picture if the day.

Now for today’s stuff

We have all sat under that lecture, sermon, speech, or campaign dialog that we couldn’t wait for it to be over. Lots of reasons for that, some good, some not. BUT, have you ever sat under that speech, talk, lecture or sermon, That you wanted it to continue, or hated to see it end.

Lots of reasons for that also, many good. I have heard a couple military guys give lectures that when it was over, you GOT it! It made sense. Others, Not so hot!

When my hearing started failing, I started noticing, I could understand some TV ministers much better than at a church service. Charles Stanley was one I liked and could understand.

Oh man, I could understand D. James Kennedy word for word and I stayed tuned in, wrapped up!

And a Guy named Hayford, he kept me on the edge of my seat. On radio and TV.

I had a 7^th grade teacher, Ms Grill. I listened when she spoke, I learned under her.

Once a Bible teacher George Voohis had that same effect. Other students said the same, he held your attention.

If someone could save that characteristic, that some calls charisma; bottle it for sale they could make a million $. But that cannot be taught methinks. It is either a blessing, a gift, an anointing or something, but dang it, it works.

To me, what it boils down to is becoming a great story teller. Don’t laugh at that, ONE that I and many millions respect was a great teacher. Have you ever taken the time to realize that Jesus Himself, taught with stories or parables. People flocked to hear him.

I heard a man I respected highly say of one of his pastors, he kept you coming back, he did ot try to say it all in one sermon.

When I heard that old man say that, my mind went back to what was called ‘Serials’ at the Saturday morning movies. They would leave you hanging, you had to come back next week to see what happened.

If the ability to grab attention and hold it could be taught, we would have a lot of silver tongued saints and devils….

There are writers who WRITE! There are speakers that SPEAK! WE who read and listen can tell the difference..

Nite Shipslog

PS: One thing makes a good speaker, “He/She knows when they should end the sermon, speech or diatribe!”

… Saturday…. Weather..

 

Picture if the day.

Now for today’s Stuff:

When I heard of ‘Global warming,’ I laughed. Then those wise men said, not necessarily warming, just a big change is coming, now it was ‘Climate Change’. I laughed again.

Now over the past 10 years this old man has watched the weather, I am not, nor have I ever been a scientist; however, I thought was smarter than they! Me a high school dropout with a GED. With a total, off and on, about a year or so of college, too lazy to get a degree.

I kept saying over and over, “Of course there is climate change, it’s changed off and on over the years, just check the Farmer’s Almanac.

I am thinking a little deeper at present, just maybe I am not as smart as I think. I am leaning that maybe those scientists do know more than I do.

Nah, imma smart guy. BUT,but… just maybe a man who has studied weather, has access to others’ research, has spent his life looking at weather full time, while I wondered job to job if it would rain before I got the roof finished on a house.

So now these guys tell me it just may snow in the

 Bahamas WHAT? ARE THEY CRAZY?

Okay what I am saying is: these scientist guys just maybe right. Maybe Jack has been putting his head in the sand. Maybe I should be paying attention to taking more care of this world that I am blessed to live in.

I do not know your religious beliefs of the Lord’s return. I heard a minister once say, “I’m not concerned about saving the environment, our Lord is returning in a few days and we will have a new earth.

That IS Scripture, but also I am sure it says: Time to God is not the same as us. Doesn’t it say a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day? That is also scripture. So if the Lord is coming in 5 days, couldn’t that be 5,000 years? I really don’t think so, BUT……..

Just asking….

DISCLAIMER: Please, what I have written is serious, and I have laughed at the scientists and climate stuff, but lately, I am questioning myself. I sure cannot prove either direction. WE all have our own thoughts, those are mine,….TODAY ;-)

Nite Shipslog

PS: Don’t leave, imma try to do better. ;-)

Friday … The end of a work week, and Grand Kids....

 

Picture if the day.

Josh & Stephen (twins) and Sherece (Only granddaughter)

Now for today’s Stuff:

I remember hearing when you retire you have 6 Saturdays and one Sunday each week. I just read where the Richest man in the world said, “The person who coined the phrase ‘Money cannot buy happiness’, knew what they were talking about."

We have witty folks here on Bloggersville, I liked what Victor said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, Australia has already had it.”

I remember my daddy ‘way out there’ over our sons. He even held Jack Jr. many times in church until his time to Preach. ….. HOWEVER, when our GRAND KIDS

 came along I UNDERSTOOD how he felt. There is something special about your children’s children.

            Benjamin Aaron (our first)

One Grandpa said, “It is because you can have fun, and enjoy them, then HAND THEM BACK to their mom and dad.”

One of the grand kids gave me a saying on block: “Granddaddy’s are DADDIES without rules!”

              Matthew Dillon and Luke Vegas (Luke the youngest)

And of course as I have said here, I have the BEST Grand kids in the World.

WE are truly fortunate, both our sons have had great work ethics. We are proud of the Grands also; they all have solid work ethics.

Cute Corey, the red headed dude (our truck driver). Ben's brother. He passed away at 44 years of age.  Our only family loss but remembered always.

Enough bragging for today. Thanks for coming, and yes,

I know YOU TOO have the best grand kids too.

 HOWEVER.....!

Nite Shipslog

PS: The Enlisted Club in the USMC are called The ‘Slop Chute’ .

Thursday… This and that

 Picture if the day.

Now for today’s Stuff:

Some words don’t fit my vocabulary. One is the word ‘evil’ used in reference to people I know. At times I might mention a person in the news, and someone nearby might say, “Didn’t you know he (she) is evil?” Nope I didn’t know that.

Hate… Just today I heard someone say, I have had a big problem trying to get over my ‘hate’ for someone. Hate to me is a terrible word. Worse than ‘detest’ me thinks. As of this time and the last couple hours, I cannot think of anyone I have ‘HATED’. I HAVE MET A LOT OF FOLKS I DISLIKE, but not HATE! That seems like a very MEAN word to me.

I have heard many ministers say, I hate the sin but not the sinner. I can go along with that.

I hate to hear of terrible murders, child molestation, etc I guess I find it easy to hate an act, but not an actor.

I guess I am a ‘Flower Child’ I do use Love to often, maybe.

And there are words I am having trouble wrapping my mind around such as:

Trolling (to me that is a form of fishing)

• Slay: Used to compliment someone's confidence, style, or ability to "own it." 

• Zesty: Describes something lively, energetic, or slightly chaotic in a fun way. 

• Bop: A person who bounces from one romantic partner to another, often playfully (but sometimes derogatorily). 

• Glazing: Excessively praising or sucking up to  someone in a way that feels forced or embarrassing. 

• Rizz: Short for charisma, meaning someone is smooth or charming. 

• GOAT: Greatest of all time. 

• Lowkey: Slightly or secretly. 

• Highkey: The opposite of lowkey; very obvious. 

• Cap: A lie. Saying "no cap" means you’re telling the truth. 

Is there a word today that surprises you in its use?

Nite Shipslog

PS: lou probably have never been to a Slop-chute!

Wednesday… Just me? Appointments mess up a day!

 Wednesday… Just me? Appointments mess up a day!

Picture if the day.

Speaking of all the snow lately up there! This is our parking lot on Arlington BLVD near D.C. many years ago.  We returned from NC and could not get in. Hundreds of cars were parked as we did on Arlington BLVD, we all got tickets, and we all threw them away!

Now for today’s Stuff:

WE all have APPOINTMENTS! Doctors, taxes, dentist, parties, etc. But over the years I have noticed if an appointment is after 9AM, it ruins an entire day. I will not start a task, or go anywhere, I seem to just wait/plan for the appointment. I have noticed that lately, more than before.

I do not know if it is the military training or what, but I must be at any appointment at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

Platoon 17, 1956 This is Mine and Dallas's Parris Island grad Platoon. Great memories???  LOL Dallas 4 from left and me 8 from the left first row (I think for what ever it means we all look alike.  LOL

I remember in the USMC, when we were first allowed to leave the base on ‘liberty’; Sgt Bell said when heading back to the base: You had better fit in time to change a flat tire, because I do not buy having a blowout or flat as a reason to miss muster.

After about 70 years, I still remind Dallas of the times I just knew he would not make it back from Pennsylvania, on time. He went to PA to see that pretty Marian, every weekend when he did not have the duty.

Back then he didn’t have a car and he hitch hiked from NC to PA every time. The dude was NEVER late for muster. I knew Sgt Bell (Dal called him Ding Dong) would not buy “I couldn’t get a ride!” if Dallas was late.

But, back to appointments, we all have them, do they tend to mess up your whole day?

Nite Shipslog

PS: Now Good night ;-) Today we will see MORE Florida sunshine!