Working can be a hobby, or at least fun… Also 57 yrs of marriage today!

I get accused of being a work-a-holic at times. I guess it is true. But it is always what I like to do or I would not spend so much time at it.

Shirl was commenting that a lot of folk admired the fact I could do so many things. It is a fact that many folk are jacks-of-all-trades.  But consider the latter part of that, which is ignored that says: ----- “but master of none.”  That is a  pretty honest  statement.

I was a good trumpet player, but I would not practice enough to be VERY GOOD. I was a fair computer repairman, but I would not study enough to be an EXPERT. Don’t laugh now, I was a pretty good preacher, but not anywhere near exceptional. I was a good teacher but I would not study technique and theory to become exceptional. I was a fair chalk artist and entertainer, but I would not practice enough to be a REAL ARTIST. I was also a ventriloquist, good, but not willing to spend the hours in front of a mirror to ‘perfect sketches’. I loved flying by the seat of my pants. I am a fair electrician, plumber and land scraper. I am a neophyte at body repair and auto mechanics.

I have sewn one dress to prove I could do it. I made kites to prove I could do that. I am a weak painter and a fair appliance repairman. I rode one bucking horse to prove I could do it and at Sherry’s insistence hiked 1850 miles from Georgia to New Hampshire. I have rebuilt two engines to show I had that ability.  But none of this was the level of expert.

One day in my 60’s I decided there was one thing I needed to do RIGHT, and that was to be a husband to my wife. I have never put forth the effort to be an expert in any field as I should have. So for the past 12 or so years, I have TRIED to be the best husband I could be. Honest. If you have read my stuff for a while, you will remember while I have been trying,  that one night I had an Epiphany. A realization that I would have nothing, or be anything in life without Sherry. That was not junk, or puff, but TRUTH.  She has been the perfect wife, a great mother and an understanding lover.

It was time I became VERY GOOD at something, and that was to be the BEST HUSBAND to this lovely lady that I could be. So I am trying, I am making AN EFFORT. She deserves the best, because SHE IS! I love you  sweetheart on this our anniversary….

Thanks for coming this way.

Nite Shipslog.

PS:

(Singing ‘Memories are Made of This’, at our 50th anniversary)

On September 22nd, we will have been married for fifty-seven years, HEY, there was a time I didn’t think I would even live that long. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

This Chevy was a Classic. We were married in 1956, not many classics that year, but the ‘57 was just coming out………….

Yep, to many folks, that 57 is THE Classic….

The Cedar (or Cypress) story..

First I must show this picture of our Hummers, I finally got a good shot of them:

Now OUR over grown Cedars. This is the shot of the cedars as you drive by our house.  This is the house our son Mark rents. And YES the rent is on time every month.  But about the trees, you can see they are out of hand, 25-30 feet high.

You can see on the shot below where I started cutting back one of them. This view is looking back up the street.

I am standing in the road looking across the road at where I started cutting back the last one and you can see our home that is behind the house.

So Rocky’s crew shows up on Sat morning to start.

Amazing all the limbs and scrap makes only this much of a pile.

And this is the final look, the crew is gone and the place looks different. It will take a year to fill in, I hope it will look good.  anyway I am glad they are cut back.

We are glad to see this completed.  Now what?

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

One step at a time!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

It was called the EDSEL, by Ford.

I am a people watcher and a wonderer…

With Sherry at the Clinic the other day, I sat where I usually do. And for some reason those mysterious ‘ever smiling’ dressed up men and women pull, drag or carry those large luggage looking units. They always have a laptop or ipad in their hands.  they station themselves at the corner of two passageways just in front of ‘MY’ waiting room.

They chat with each other, read and punch their electronic devices until a Doctor magically appears. At that time they hold out a clipboard with some form attached, the Doctor smiles, signs it and they usually smile thank him and drag their luggage back up the hall and out the door.

This time the last ‘sweet lady’ in a slinky dress leaned up against the door jam of the Doctors office, she smiled real big and they chatted for a few minutes, he signed her ‘whatever’ and she smiled EXTRA big and twisted back down the hallway with the Dr. standing there looking.  Not knowing that the whole waiting room (me and one lady) was watching. (I wondered, would he prescribe her pills more than the others?)

My new (waiting room) friend who liked to talk, put her finger on the tip of her nose and pushed it up, I guess to say snooty. she said a few more things (no idea what), I just smiled and laughed, since I could tell whatever she said, was  meant to be funny.

At that time My sweetie came out and said she had to go get blood work, so I said (too loudly) I think I will go for a walk.  And I did.

Now Imma guessing these folk have something to do with pharmaceuticals, and they must come every day, at least they have EVERY time I have been there.  AND….. if so, are the little (and big) luggage thinghies full of drug samples?  If so why don't they get mugged by addicts, hauling that much stuff around? I am curious…..

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I  purchased thousands of cases of paper for the Government in my job in DC.

The paper companies, Xerox, Standard, Bright, etc must have hired models as the sales persons.  Of course I bought for the gov’t like I buy for myself, the best price. LOL

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A very good mix, is old cars and old Steam engines..

Have you ever had a cedar topped?

We have a row of cedars or Leland Cypress along the edge of our yard. We love the privacy they give, but they are now about 25-30 feet high. I was talking to friend Don and he drove me down to a house where they cut them down to about 6 feet and they look like a hedge.

I was under the impression they would die if you topped them. I don’t have any pictures yet but I started on one, got about half way and saw I was going to have more limbs to get rid of than I had thought.  So now we have called a couple tree men to get prices.  One was supposed to come today but he didn’t make it for some reason.

So friend Bobby across the street  gave me the name of a man who had done his. Sherry called him. He is coming by in the morning. (fingers crossed).

I will get some pictures for another  entry.

Thanks for coming by the log.

BTW if you have any ideas, feel free to let us know.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Sherry had her Physical today, I drove her down and sat around waiting.  That is always a little dangerous, because someone might just want to talk. Most of the time I think, it will be just one or two comments and I don’t mention I cannot hear. Then I get in trouble……

##################################

TWo I don’t know what make ‘Woodies’.  but I am going to guess, the top one could be English the lower one French.  Just a guess….  But I like them both.

The American Dream, maybe not!

I have always thought that we should own our home. When renting I knew I was paying for someone else’s house or trailer, we wanted to be paying on OUR home.

As an investment, Sherry and I bought a very pretty older trailer with a car port and a large storage area with a full basement for the laundry, a few years ago. It was eventually rented to ‘Gary ‘at the trailer’.  I say that because when something went wrong, leaks, plumbing, or power problems, he called.  His conversation ALWAYS without fail started, “Hello Mr. Darnell, this is Gary at the trailer.”

Gary A-T-T, never missed a rent payment, $375 a month. One day I was at the trailer and I asked Gary if he would like to own it. He said he sure would, but the banks would not loan him a dime.

I told him Sherry and I would finance it and his payments would be $275. Of course he jumped at it.  Our lawyer is a sweet lady named Vickie W. She read Gary the riot act (I felt sorry for him). She told him in no uncertain terms, if he did not make the payments I would repossess the trailer.

Gary went about his business and within 3 months he missed a house payment. He was never late for over a year at $375, now for some reason he could not muster the $275.

When a faucet started dripping, it continued. If an outlet ceased to work, he got an extension cord. When the trailer leaked he got a bucket. He could not and would not keep the house up.

Eventually we did repossess the trailer, still having a good relationship with Gary A.T.T. He moved to Florida and in a few months he passed away. I really did like him. We had a long talk after the repossession, he said he didn’t know owning could be so much of a hassle. Repairs and taxes need to be handled by someone else.

So I learned that NOT EVERYONE CAN OWN. It is even a shock to folks who finally pay off the house. Not realizing they have been paying $100-300 in escrow for their taxes while it was financed. Then at the end of the year they get a tax bill for $1200-$2000 and say, “How do I come up with that money?”  they had not planned and saved for their taxes. IT HURTS…

Owning does have it’s responsibilities. In the past week I have had to fix water leaks, roof leaks, electrical problems and appliance problems. Funny how they can all come at once. There is also an A/C problem yet to be fixed by a maintenance man, I cannot do A/C.

I enjoy owning, but it is a fact, everyone is not cut out to own.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Some folk are cutout to handle rent, car payments and leases, I cannot.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When times were different!

Housing and marriage

First of all I want to say up front that if when a couple gets married and can BUY a 3000 square foot home, I have no problem with that.

Sherry and I have NEVER needed more than it took to survive.  The most important thing in my life was her and she, me. Where we spent our time did not matter as long as we were together. Neither of us came from families with a lot of money, and neither of us had a high paying job so we settled for renting a 26’x8 trailer. It was a love nest. What else did we need but a couch dining room table and chairs very small kitchen, bath and bedroom, but it was heaven. We had friends who needed more.

Up front I will say we are very conservative, she more than I. So cost and payments have always been weighed. We raised two boys partly in a 42x8 trailer that we bought. It was a very wise investment. We did finance it and paid it off. After than we bought a small 2BR house and rented the trailer. That trailer paid for itself at least two times. And when I got a ‘wild hair’ and joined the USN, we had the trailer to move to Norfolk and pay lot rent of $20 a month plus utilities. It was a life saver.

When I was transferred to GITMO Bay, the trailer was again rented and finally given to my brothers family for a nephew and his wife.

Most payments we have had were planned so we could double up on payments to try to pay the loan off early. I have found in today’s world, folks want to stretch the payments out as long as they can with no intentions of paying them off, they plan to trade the house in and move up.

As a General Contractor I ALWAYS without fail, tried to counsel any young couple to build small with room to expand, so if one lost their job they would not lose the house. I tried to explain my reasoning. BUT NO ONE took my advice. They all wanted the largest house they qualified for.

I always smiled and said I will build what you want, I make more money that way, and I will build you a good house and guarantee it for 10 years.

All the  buyers held their houses until they wanted to sell, but from talking to them I found that several had marital problems and came close to losing the homes over the stress of the debt. One ended in divorce because of the pressure.

Thanks for coming this way.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Not everyone should own their home. I know it is the American dream, but there are folks who cannot own a home.

****************************************************

.Two Ford Woodies. Top a 1950 below a 1940

or41.

I talk too loud……

Being deaf, I can hear a little with the hearing aids. Mostly is it one on one and in a quiet setting. In crowds I seldom can carry on a conversation, unless I start it and then I can ‘sometimes’ make a couple retorts. Mostly my sweetie has to interpret for me, and sometimes it the noise level is high enough, I can’t understand her.

Some of you will remember when Sherry fell on some unattached steps and broke her arm. After a few days we were in a restaurant, I was telling my good friend Ed, that there were benefits to this injury. I proceeded to explain that now my girl could not put on her bra, and I had to help and explained in detail how I helped.  NOT KNOWING THAT I WAS TELLING EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING.  But I did learn when everyone started laughing. T’was not that funny to my girl.

Church is bad also, I whisper loud enough for the pastor to look back where I sit. We used to shout a little in our church, I think he thinks Imma bout to start. LOL.

I am trying to do better, it doesn’t sound too loud to me. .

I used to assist in the music in church in a band. I played the trumpet.  After church one evening I asked the organist what song she played last. When she told me, I said, “That’s not what I played!” That was early on when my hearing was starting to go. I put the trumpet down right there. I learned someone else claimed it and played it later. I didn’t even bring it home.

This is not a pity party, but if someone you know is hard of hearing, try to look at them when you speak and do not turn away. Actually I am at the child stage again where a noun or verb is good without all the adjectives, conjunctions and adverbs. If I am driving I am down to one word conversations. Not, “It looks like you should stop, that truck is in your lane.”  I prefer “STOP!”  I get it.  Oh yes, and NO is too close to GO, at an intersection!

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

If you are using the four letter word “WHAT” too much, you might need some hearing aids. For the first ones I suggest the cheap ones. The ones for $19 – $30. I bought a good one for 75¢ at a yard sale still in the original box.

PS2:

Or if you are telling a restaurant family secrets, that might be a hint.  LOL

*****************************************************

If you are old enough, you will remember curb feelers.

The Dodge Deora 1967 concept  pickup.

What do you save? What is hard to Throw away?

I am a hoarder of ‘useful things’..  Of course other folks don’t agree all the time.  I have stacks of good rags, but it is hard to get rid of a shirt, even socks with out saving even a little of the cloth for the ‘rag stack’.  And even those I wash for the next event unless it is really oil soaked.

My mama cut every button off of anything that was to become a rag. She had jars of buttons when she passed.

Nuts, bolts, washers and screws are some of my favorites. KEYS! They are IMPOSSIBLE to throw away because they might fit something I have forgotten.

Leather shoe tongues, I just might need a small hinge or a pocket for a sling shot.

Broken tools are kept (I might can fix it later). All electric cords are cut from any thing electrical that is thrown away.

Pencils no matter how short, as long as they will make a mark. Coffee cups are impossible to throw away, unless the handle is missing.

Okay what do you keep?

Thanks for stopping by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I am learning to throw away ball point pens that will not write, but it is tough.

***************************************************

Car tags, I cannot throw them out!

I have this listed as ‘A car in Norway’ I will delete it. It hurt to delete the ones I knew and had years for. So I am shifting to the unknown vehicles I have to delete.