Our Motor Home Christmas

As worked outside after our last move my girl was decorating for Christmas.

I took the first picture across the top of the car, looks like ice doesn’t it. Of course it is not because it was about 80 degrees F.

Better picture lighted, below is the daylight shot from inside. Ceramic tree dolls and two bottle lights given to us by our sweet niece Peggy.

Stocking (with Chrismons) made and given to us from Shirl

Above is our site and the view of tent campers across our front yard. This is The Orlando Thousand Trails RV park. Lots of folk here for the Christmas days and the commercial theme parks well known in this area.

One fun thing here is the sky writing.  The last time it was a love note to a girl friend,l this time it has a religious note: U + GOD. That was preceded by ‘Love God’ but it was too soon ruined by the slight wind.

Sky writing takes me back to my 1-3rd grades. I remember big Coca Cola  and Pepsi logos drawn in the sky. I would stand fascinated at how a pilot could carry that much smoke and get it right.

Glad you dropped by, We will stay here for a couple weeks.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

We love being able to change our front yard.

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This could be from the Villages. They have hundreds of Golf carts based on the classics.

We have moved and have a new front yard.

We are just west of Orlando. We are near enough to Disney to hear the fire works every night. No we will not do any tourist things here, we are at a membership park.

We were here last year and the strangest thing happened. Sherry got an e-mail from our friends Dal & Marion in Pennsylvania. “How are you, and where are you?”

Sherry ans, “We are in Orlando and doing well where are you?”

“We are at our daughters membership park at Thousand Trails.”

“That is where we are!”

So we walked over to their rental unit. And for a couple days had a great time. That was such a coincidence and great fun.

So we are back here and it would be nice if Dal & Marion were here again this year.

As I prepared the campsite, put the flags, awnings, chairs and rugs out, Sherry got the Christmas stuff out from under our bed and decorated the dash. She hung our stockings, so we are ready for Santa. Decorating a Motor Home is much simpler than a full size house.

Do you remember the simpler times? I went with dad to cut a cedar. I watched as he used a hand saw some used boards and nails to make the stand. It was decorated with some homemade & store bought ornaments. Cotton or a white sheet under the tree and maybe a candle in the window with possibly a Christmas Wreath. The fun or frustration of looking at the string of lights to try to find the burned out bulb, because years ago if one light was out the rest did not burn.

And I remember the VERY THIN GLASS ornaments, I always wondered how thy got the glass so thin. It was dangerous to allow a little boy to hang them.

Don’t get me wrong, I love you folks that go all out to decorate, I appreciate the work and love to enjoy the results.  I might do that again before  I die, but I sorta doubt it.

Christmas is the best time of the year, even for a scrooge like me. I never Christmas shop anymore, but at times I love to see the hustle and bustle of those who do.

So keep in the spirit and enjoy the best time of the year.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I plan to count my blessings instead of Sheep this year.

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Strange, Santa drives a pickup with Santa in the car.

Sherry has found a new toy!

She learned about a down-town camera that is live 24/7 on main street. WOW, great she planned to watch the local parade.  BUT she for got to tune in.  She asked Shirl to drive by the camera and wave. Shirl drove to town and parked, it was raining but she lowered her window and waved. I will get a snap of that if it happens again.  She is getting her hometown fix.  Now if they would just mount a camera at Hardees to catch all the old folks in action on Monday morning, she would be set.

Sherry has a nephew in Afghanistan, he can stay in contact with his family daily if he likes via Skype.  We do not have Skype and do not understand it, but if I were deployed that would be a God-sent. Troops can see their loves and newborn babies even while they are deployed on ship or shore. In that respect technology is more than wonderful.

It is so hard to believe the changes in this world. Men deployed during WWII could not tell the family where they were. Every letter was read and sensitive information blotted out. I remember the news flashes on Saturday morning at the movies, They would begin with ‘Somewhere in the South Pacific’, the news men could not say where they were.  Every news cast from the ‘war-zone’ began with the same few words, “Somewhere in Europe I stand looking…..”

The times I was deployed, Sherry and I used letters, reel to reel recorders and later cassettes to send our correspondence.  What a joy to get that reel and I could not wait to get somewhere private and play it to hear her voice.  We also had a little game, underneath each stamp was always a personal love note.

(Another Bob Hope, Somewhere,,,,)

Once or twice I was able to call home using MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System). The system used a net work of Ham Radio operators. The ships radio might get a Ham in Charlotte, NC and call over the ships speakers that he had a contact if anyone wanted a phone patch to come to the radio room. The Charlotte guy would place a local call (or long distance and reverse the charges). When he got your wife or girlfriend on the phone he would patch the phone into the radio. That was known as a ‘phone patch’. Much more complicated than the cell.

 The phone calls were confusing because you had to use the radio term ‘over’, after each sentence. (or your part of the conversation) Then  ‘out’ when you were through.  It was also entertaining, because your conversations were on speakers and everyone waiting for their turn to call, could hear your conversations.  It was fun but to some it was embarrassing because the wife or girl friend did not know everyone was listening. If the caller forgot to tell them.

I know Paula remembers the letters from Mel and some of the rest of you may remember the mail calls. Did you ever do a phone patch?

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Separations are tough on lovers, it is amazing how sweet that familiar handwriting is on that letter, or how precious that voice sounds on a recorder. I can jus imagine the thrill of being able to call on the phone or computer.

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Nothing is gonna stop this Santa!!!!

Commenters, do you remember the first?

I started a journal on AOL just because I like to write.  I made many many entries never even thinking of anyone wanting to comment.

(We had to drive to the very end to see it all)

We were on our first trip to the Cape Cod area, camped over looking Buzzard’s bay.  We were in a 21’ Ranger on a Toyota frame, no tow vehicle. I was on the internet via cell phone after 9PM because the minutes were free then. I don’t remember how I had it hooked up.

It was such a great trip, and such a wonderful feeling. We must have sang a few lines of Old Cape Cod, a hundred times. Patti Page sang that in 1957:

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(Martha’s vineyard cottages, all very colorful)

If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

If you spend an evening you'll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

If you spend an evening you'll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

You're sure to fall in love
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Co

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(Everything on Martha’s Vineyard is painted bright and colorful)

We visited Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Plymouth and much more. To us it was the trip of a life time. Such a thrill to be at ‘Old Cape Cod’.

I was on a high, The ShipsLog had been picked as the AOL Journal of the Month. and still had no comments. There it was,  I looked down one evening, 1 comment!  What? A beautiful comment from a sweet lady named, LINDY.

What a joy to read. She said we were overlooking the area she had lived at one time.  Back when she remembered pushing the stroller to the Laundromat with the clothes basket on the handles. I fell in love';  A comment.

She drops by every once in awhile now, and each time it is a joy.

Thanks Lindy. You make me smile, BIG TIME.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

There are lots of reasons to smile in this life, and some of them are special.

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My kind of Santa! maybe he will bring that MG to me!

Maybe I shouldn’t see Antiques

My buddy Sonny, was known to say, when we were at a Cracker Barrel, at an antique store or a Flea Mkt, “That can’t be an antique, I used one of those.”

We took one of our trips to Webster Flea Market in Webster, FL.  Sherry and Evelyn go one way, Don and I go another. There is an area dedicated to Antiques. There was an Antique M1-Rifle, NAH! that can’t be, I carried one of those in the USMC. My rifle # was 4508321. It was made plain to me If I lost or damaged that ‘piece’ it would cost me $150.00. It now sales as an antique for over a $1000 dollars. Something ain’t right here.

There was a standard round Coca-Cola sign, $450.00. I musta looked puzzled because the  guy said, “Sir, this thing goes way back to 1950!”  I was wanting to smack him, but being he was much younger I didn’t want to hurt the ignorant fellow.  

I saw antique traps, some as high as $1000 for a beaver  trap. Naturally I thought of Slim, up in the North woods suffering, after an accident while running his traps. That is his life, and life in the North Woods. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Slim, his wife Mel and the family. I noticed Sara is noting some updates on FB. We were blessed to get to meet Slim, Mel, Sam & Sara I know they are all in a lot of pain now.

We continued on thru the Flea Mkt. Don & Evelyn keep in touch via cell phones. So they were sitting resting and Don & I went to get up with them. My sweetheart bought me a giant cone of homemade butter pecan Ice Cream.  That is real love my friends.

Don is a lot like the folk up in the North Woods, he knows all the flowers, herbs and weeds they sell at the Flea Market. He likes to talk to the flowers when he sees them he even knows the different languages. Me and everybody else just looks at him. But the flowers seem to enjoy it.

Thanks for stopping by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I do like to know that I am in better shape than some of the ‘antiques’ I saw.

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A Christmas Car…

To quote Willy, My Heroes have Always Been Cowboys…

That is not true with most of the youth today, their heroes are in the sphere of the future, singing, and an electronic environment.  Of course I would like to straighten them out and put them on the right road, but then they would probably end up with good morals but behind the rest in knowledge of the present world. 

Every generation has looked at the rising generation and knew they were headed to hell in a hand basket, and I and my peers are no different.  Unless we look around and say, this is their world now, we are gonna end up bitter and frustrated OLD PEOPLE because we are gonna live longer than our parents did, and see a lot more.

I wish I had the patience of my daddy and mama. Looking back I know they hated the ‘overall jacket’(I never could afford the leather jacket) and ‘T’ shirt. I had the skinny suede belts and wore my jeans low on my hips, we called it snake hips. I had a cool Ducks Tail, and loved my ‘Wild Root Cream Oil’.  (I can hear that commercial that used play on the radio in my mind now): “

Get Wild Root Cream Oil Charlie,

It keeps your hair in trim,

It’s non alcoholic Charlie.

Its made with soothing lanolin.

Anyway James Dean, Elvis, the Beatles and the The Black Board Jungle set the older generations on fire. We were going to ruin the USA…. Now it is our turn, honestly we didn’t ruin the USA, but in our minds this next bunch is surely going to. (IN OUR LIMITED OPINION OF THE FUTURE).

I am trying to be realistic, I am fearful that this generation is the one that will sink the USA, BUT is that true?  Are my grandkids and your grandkids that bad? NO THEY ARE NOT, I WILL TRUST THIS COUNTRY TO MY GRANDKIDS, most of them are smarter than I. 

HEY, I do not like the life styles of the youth, I do not like all their morals, but I am passing off the scene. At the most I have 15-20 years, God bless the kids they have 50-60 years, maybe more. I am going to trust them to do it right.

I am sorry, I do not like the style of church worship services today, in my humble opinion they ARE TOO LOUD. I don’t like all the tattoos, I do not like the piercing. But if they leave the alcohol excess off and drop the hard drugs, I can live with GREEN spiked hair and demolished jeans.

We still are a beautiful free in this country. If that is truly threatened, I know we have some young folk (backed by older believers) who will stand up for what is right.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I am not always happy with our countries leaders, but in the long run, we will be fine. I love this country, just as a citizen of the UK, Russia, Canada, Mexico and the other countries love theirs.

Elvis sang:The future looks bright ahead, don’t be cruel!……

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Who were your Local Heroes?

Growing up in North Carolina in the 1950-60’s there was a couple entertainers you  would recognize right off. One was a TV Cowboy named Fred Kirby. He had a TV program with live kids in the audience and the recorded entertainment was the Little Rascals.  His program always opened with him in all his Cowboy regalia and his guitar singing a song he wrote. “How we love the Little Rascals”.  Fred was a great guy. He was second to Roy Rogers in the tryouts for the ‘King of the Singing Cowboys’, in Hollywood.

He came back to Charlotte and became famous locally. He even had his own Theme park called “Tweetsie”,  I guess the park is still there. The park was circled by a rail road and the Train was named Tweetsie, an old steam engine that had daily robberies with the good guys always riding in to save the day, etc. 

Do you remember the song, “Kansas City Star”? Every time I heard that song I thought of Fred, Kids loved him.

The other was Arthur Smith. He was strictly music. He had an hour program and not too many NC homes missed it, “Arthur Smith and the Crackerjacks”, they sold 3 million records of Guitar Boogie. He wrote Dueling Banjos. He became very wealthy and known Internationally. One of the singers was my favorite,Tommy Faile. He had one BIG hit, “The Brown Mt. Light”. A song of a NC legend about a mysterious light on Brown Mt.

Arthur also searched for talent using a roaming Talent Show. The winners appeared on his TV program and sometimes a contract. When it was announced that Arthur’s Talent Show was coming to the Old Rock School in Valdese, boy, was everyone excited.

Entering the contest was a trio of High School girls well known in Valdese. They sang the Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee hit at the time, “Side By Side”.. These girls could really belt it out.

At the beginning of the song, the musician (who was one of the girls) was playing the Accordion. They strutted across the stage and back singing then back to the piano where the musician moved her left hand down to the keys on the piano and never missed  a beat as the other girls removed the Accordion and they finished, with musician tearing the piano up and them singing the last verse around the piano.

These were 16/17 year old kids. They took the house down with a standing ovation. I was proud, I was MUCH YOUNGER but one of those girls was my OLDER Sister, Shirl.  She and her friends Mickey and Margreta were very good, and the talk of the town. They were going to be on the Arthur Smith Show!

Shirl  continued to sing and play but her career went another direction. Then around retirement time She began to volunteer with a group that Sherry’s Brother Vernon had to entertain the seniors. She was spotted by another musician and began to sing with his band. She now  limits most of the singing to Jam sessions.

The girl still has a great voice. But don’t tell her I said so.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Life is strange, Shirl’s next door neighbor is James (Jim) Arp, lead singer for the Del Ray’s, J’ville Florida 50-60’s. He did pursue a music career and as I have blogged about before, he is one of the locals who made it to the big time.

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A model Woody, I hope he drives that to my house.

Houston, We have a problem!

I remember hearing that on one of the moon missions.  ANY problem, is a REAL problem, on a moon mission.

But like many other old folk here on the net I do something that I do not realize, and it presents a problem. My little problem:

When I open an e-mail over half the time it looks something like this:

Where the X I used to see a picture and a message. (Of course this is an e-mail about FB birthdays), but it happens on many of my e-mails. Sometimes when I click on the little block I get what I am looking  for and sometimes it takes me off into left field. Most of the time If I click it, the system says ‘Loading’, BUT NEVER LOADS.(tied up)

I hate  using the restore because after going thru the motions, it comes up saying ‘unable to restore’.  One time I was told it was my Norton that kept it from restoring and I think I suspended it and got the restore to work, but it hasn’t worked since then.

I am thinking it might be my e-mail settings Imma check… I found nothing. Now I just got another one it seems it is mostly anything having to do with FaceBook. I clicked something about circles once, I am afraid to do that again. I am not a fan of FB, but I do go there sometimes.  Mostly I get lost as I am finding ‘cursor-over, pop ups’  drive me crazy.

Have I done enough griping?  Yeah, probably more than enough.

(And I think I have a problem!)

Nite Shipslog

PS: Time to print the labels for Christmas Cards.

PLEASE.

if you get a card from us, and you have decided to keep in touch via FB, E-mail or Phone DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO DROP US A CARD  (Unless you are sending money then by all means DO IT!  ). Again Please follow your plan. Love from Sherry and jack

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Ho, HO, HO and the Edsel