Saturday, May 16, 2009

We were Poor but now WOW!

Me, Mom, Jack and dad visiting us in the 33' trailer.Cooking out, at the giant 42x8 trailer.

WE lived in this one for a month or so with two boys. Later we lived in one like this as I built our first house.
We have more pics of the trailers we have lived in and houses, but for now I cannot find them.


When we were young and just married, I was stationed at Camp Geiger near J-ville, NC. We got our gas money for weekend trips by carrying passengers stationed in J-ville, home, who lived near Belmont. The 500 mile round trip cost them $5. One couple in particular was Roy and Nancy. We still quote the statement she made right after they were married. (Remember that time when you could eat ‘em up, things were so great and you were in love?)
She was so much in love she said, “I don’t care where we live or what it is, I WOULD LIVE IN A BARN WITH ROY!”




Sadly that feeling did not last with them, but we have used that quote a million times. WE (My love and I), have lived in an OLD 26’ trailer, a used 33’ trailer and a giant 42x8 trailer (only three years old). We have lived in a tent, a chicken house (remodeled for habitation but still leaning by 8” to one side. LOL) We had 8 layers of linoleums (remember them?) on the floor. We got our first washer when our youngest was about 3 or 4. We have lived with no indoor plumbing. We have lived in a van for months at a time. And were always in love! In the Chicken house Sherry would say, “I’d live in a chicken house with Jack! And we would laugh,” and she did.




WE have cut our monthly budget so close we had $1 to spend per month ‘anyway we wanted to’. Due to car trouble we once borrowed $60 from the bank, and financed it for six months. WE were in love.




I said all that, not for sympathy, some of you have done the same or lived in worse circumstances. We have always lived within our means; we had loving parents but no big inheritance. Now I must say something here, Life is and has been good. We now can live the ‘life of Reilly’, because we were EXTREMELY frugal, were fortunate, loved and worked together.




This is not bragging…. After the above situations we lived well, but still within our means. Since those times, we have lived in four brand new houses that we have built. From my perspective, they were beautiful homes. One on South Main St, with a heated indoor pool and three car garages. The last place we lived was here, on an acre of land inside the city. Shirl lives where we once lived, in a CONDO with a total of 2800sqft. And two garages. When we are in town we live behind it in a Motor home, using HER electricity & water.




We are some of the folks on the road who ‘Coulda been rich!’ (Don’t you just hate that, I coulda done that!) Well we are, I doubt there is a day that goes by on the road that I don’t look over at Sherry and say "I am the luckiest guy in the world," and she will correct me by saying, “NO WE are the luckiest and most blessed folks in the world!”




Sometimes I just toot the air horn and wave at the mountains or passing scenery. WE are happy and blessed; I like a story where 'you live happily ever after'. No one knows the future but right now we are going to take it as it is. We have wonderful family members and friends who,like some of you, have lost their mates, they say go and ENJOY each other. Sadly we know it won’t always be so. SO WE TAKE THE ADVICE OF EXPERIENCE, AND ENJOY EVERYDAY TOGETHER.!




Thanks for coming this way,
Nite Shipslog
PS:
It's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular, believe it!

6 comments:

Terri said...

Beautiful entry!!

I hope Jeff and I experience many things in life together as you and Sherry have...and are still soooo in love after many years just as you two!

I love how you two love life and embrace it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love ya'll
Terri

Paula said...

Very interesting and a wonderful story. I'm so glad you still have that love and are enjoying it. I once wrote about the first two places Mel and I lived. They were odd places thrown together during the war by our land lady's mother to rent to soldier's families.

Sheila Y said...

All us married folks could take lessons from you and Sherry. It's great to see such love and respect. Keep enjoying every moment, Sheila

LYN said...

YOU ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION...I FOLLOWED HUBBY OVER HERE FROM THE UK AND HAVE SOME HORROR STORIES OF MY OWN ABOUT THE LEAN TIMES...BUT IT'S FUNNY WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THOSE DAYS NONE OF IT MATTERED AS LONG AS WE WERE TOGETHER....

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great post! I'm so very happy for you both. You have no idea how you are inspriring me! Thank you!

shirl72 said...

Good Entry I think we learned a lot from Mother
and Dad. When I spoke with Carolyn from Albemarle the other night. She said she remember Mother always sitting next to Dad in
the car that was before seats belts. They
ask Mother what are you going to do if you get
a car with bucket seats. She said we will not
get one. She sat right in the middle next to Dad. She would not let us sit in the middle.

Shirl

Shirl