We got a call from Southern Hydraulics, your Jack is fixed. So now it is reinstalled under the coach. I say that so simply, but it was not. When I went under the coach to remove it, I was surprised how heavy it was. Since I have gotten older they make everything so much heavier.

To reinstall the thing I had decided to use some help. So I went to Mark’s dump. His stack of junk he has pulled off jobs. I picked some wooden blocks. It wasn’t simple even to get the heavy jack on the blocks. But all that aside, it is back under the coach and working (as far as I can tell), tomorrow I will measure the height to see if it is dropping any.

Everyone on here is older this year than you were last year. I am a full year and a half older that I was a year ago. Well it seems so. Things are heavier, things take longer to do and some things I just cannot do anymore. I guess that is aging.
I am noticing:
I cannot understand long directions anymore; they need to be written down.
I forget real well and remember less well.
I find myself getting by myself more, yes I could become a recluse, and I have always been a mixer.

I have talents, but are they relevant for today? Should I continue to try to entertain and teach? When someone calls and schedules a program I get excited. I plan the program, then as the date approaches I start to dread the appointment. This is an indicator to me. It is a talent or art that is fast fading. Not too many chalk artists touring today, I hate to see the medium fade away, but many teaching mediums have gone away.


There was a couple that I loved as a kid, mostly in Sunday school. Do you remember the flannel graph stories? I just loved to see character stick to the board. Were the teachers that good? I sure liked them.

Then there were the flash card stories. A series of 10-12 pictures with the story on the back side. A good teacher could tell the story without looking at the story. I remember these real well, “The Little Red Hen”, “He Took my Whipping” and “Little Boat Twice owned”. The flash pictures were heavy card board and cut in a shape. The little Red hen was in the shape of a chicken, the Boat twice owned was a boat shape.

. I forgot my MOST favorite, “Barney’s Barrel” in the shape of a barrel.

I have mixed feelings, I truly do. I want to and I don’t want to. My Mentor, a great man, got to the age he looked foolish, His drawings were childish, I felt so sorry for him. He left me all his chalk and oils; I still use some of them. But I do not want to perform beyond my time.
Sorry to take so long, Thanks for coming this way.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as medicine.(how could that be, it tastes too good to be medicine!!!!.)
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My question may be answered. After starting this, I went out to chase MJ and I pulled a shoulder muscle or something. The last time it happened it was five years before I could lift my arm above my head comfortably. At present, I cannot lift it. Ahhhhh, what a way to get answer!!! Shucks!!