Today I go in to see the Ear people.

I hope they teach me to use my ears correctly. Maybe I’m not pointing them in the right direction. Maybe what I need is a ‘RESTORE’, to  back 25 years. That would do it.

Ahhh, twould be nice if our bodies were like that, huh. But in reality I will go in and hear the same thing. “You will always have to read lips to assist in your hearing.”

I am hoping they can adjust them so they don’t bother Sherry so much. She hears an echo of her voice from my aids amplification.

I hear they are doing wonders thru stem cell research. That would be wonderful, but I get bogged down in how they would hook up or attach the newly grown part.

Sherry got her Flu Shot yesterday, I don’t take the shot, I guess I am just stubborn. But I am a pretty healthy dude, I should be able to fight off some virus’s.

I have a VA doctor also for my primary care Dr. He and I don’t get along well, but I do like him. Most of the VA Doctors I have seen are from India. Every time he goes down a list of pills he suggest I take, and I smile and say no thanks. Then he starts a list of procedures he would like, I say no thank you. Then I accept the poop on a stick thingie to send in.

He started me on statins. Yeah, I know statins are supposed to work wonders but they scare me. I have started two different types and have stopped taking them after a rash developed.

Funny, when I told the doctor the first time, he said it is not the statin, but I will prescribe a different one. He didn’t ask to look at the rash nor do any checking, so I figure I know as much as he does, since it is me that is itching. And I don’t want a pill to stop the itching (if there is one).

  My diet is much better than most in my family. We eat a lot of veggies, I have added Garlic and Olive oil to our diets. We love chicken and have beef a couple times a month. Being cheap, speaking of beef, after checking the prices, I know why Chicken is my meat of choice! $15 was the cheapest roast I could see at Walmart. So I bought a pound of stew beef. It was $5 + a pound. I think I will settle for a steak at a good steak house, for my beef.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

If you talk to the Lord, mention the folks that got beat up by Sandy. If you don’t pray, Think some positive thoughts for them. Life is good!

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We owned a Corvair once in Cuba. The sucker leaked so much oil you could follow my trail from home to work. BUT it drove great!

Yeah, I know, and I don’t like Nader.

I’m just not sure, I wish I could remember.

Sherry and I mention things we have done or things we had, I don’t remember some of them and do not know what happened to some. We were talking about the first house I (we) built for for us. It was a split level house on Kelly Farm Road. The first think I built on the lot was an RV port. We had a travel trailer and lived in it while building the house. She asked, “What did we ever do with that trailer?” I could not remember.

Shirl paid me the other day (her being sweet) with 2 silver dollars and a Kennedy Half. She was serious, so I took them, knowing the dollars were worth at least $25 a piece. That night I was trying to think what happened to the two silver dollars Dad gave us for each of the boys.   I cannot remember. Of course the gift was over 50 years ago.
We had a boat in Key West, and for the life of me I cannot remember  what we done with it!

We once had an Opel, don’t know what happened to it.

Sherry and I went out fro breakfast the other morning at Gerogio’s in Cramerton. A couple ladies were eating beside us. One looked familiar. When we left, one lady was waiting outside, she looked at me and said, “YOU built my house on Powerline.”  THEN I REMEMBERED. She was a single mom, had a cute boy and girl. Now they are grown with kids. She is still in that house. Could it have been that long ago?

The next day we saw Sylvia in WalMart, I also built her house. She is a very sweet lady. The only person who ever wanted gold fixtures in the sinks & shower and a French door into her bathroom. (She wanted a cute curtain on the door).

I try, but cannot remember the houses I built, and where. Of course I will always remember the first one, but here I sit and cannot remember the last one.

I hope this does not mean I am in the ‘early stages’.  I am tired of hearing that statement. I think I will ‘YELL SOMETHING’ the next time I hear an old gossip say, “I think Bill/Tom is in the  ‘early  stages’.

Old folks knows that means Alzheimer's.

Nite Shipslog (I think)

PS:

Have you ever thought what it would be like without memories or memory?

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I want to get in something and go to Florida!

This will do!

Mama said…..

There would be days like this.  I thought about that when I read Mel’s blog. Seems like both the Mel’s I follow got hit with bad days.  ‘Honey I’m home’ is a city girl and ‘UpNorth with Mel’ is a country girl. I have noticed there are a bunch of tough folks from Wisconsin so it is for sure, you guys will bounce back.

My mama was known for her cooking, we entertained many visiting preachers and evangelists in my childhood. Up until the 1970’s they all stayed at our house while ministering at Dad’s church. Mama cooked for them, it was expected, and I never once in my life heard her complain. At times the children would give up their beds for visitors, no one got upset, that was the way it was. Most times there was only one bathroom.

Mama never gossiped  about folks, and was known for saying something nice about everyone.  I mentioned it before,  once my dad was upset at something another pastor had said. Mama, as always, knew how to soothe dad’s nerves. She mentioned that the preacher was a good man but was under a lot of pressure where he was.  Dad said, “Grace, you could find something good to say about the devil!”

Mama said, “Frank, he does work hard.”  They both burst out laughing. All was well, mama could do it.

Like most folk, they had it tough at times. food was scarce during the war, with the rationing. Mama had a knack of ‘making do’.  We never went hungry, she could make gravy and biscuits without milk. She could substitute naturally. Somehow she knew what would work just as well in a recipe.

After my birth mama never worked in the mill anymore. Evidently I was a handful?(or it was Shirl finally go to her!) Most women and mothers have NEVER received the accolades and praise they deserved.

Mama could even make wash day look like fun. Even back when clothes were boiled in the black pot. But when she got that wringer machine, and two tin tubs, wow. did it look like fun watching the clothes go thru the wringers. I loved the tub with bluing in it. I always thought the clothes would come out blue.

I hold women in the highest esteem. Not many of us men could stand up under the pressure of crying babies, cleaning & washing diapers, cooking three meals a day, cleaning house and it seems a hundred other things.

HOME MAKERS (Mama’s, wives and lovers) are the best! (of course we all know, I got the goodest one)

Thanks for coming by the log,

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Voting: My sister Kat went down the ballot, regardless of party, she voted for any woman running. Her rationale was, men have gotten us into this mess, only a woman can get us out. (Kat was a very smart person!)

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1972 Ford long bed p/u.  These dudes are still work horses.

We could have done better

No matter what our station in life is, we could have done better. But we do not get a ‘Do Over’ in life. In every life there was a chance, a gamble that if we had taken, things would have been very different.

To those whose lives were put in turmoil because they chose the wrong guy or gal the first time around, life would have been different. However, when children came from the wrong choice, they were loved and cared for and most folk would take nothing in this world for them.

Occupations, some of us passed up great opportunities, because the results did not seem fast enough.

BE VERY CAREFUL,THIS GAME CAN BE PLAYED TOO MANY TIMES.

The saying, “IT IS WHAT IT IS” is so true. Because ‘IT IS’.

I have advised my boys, about life and its choices. However, advice is just advice, hopefully to be taken but the ‘advised’ also has the right to reject. AND THERE IS THE RUB.

I have told both my sons and I am very serious about that, “I told you so!” is the most hollow victory in the world. IT DOESENT CHANGE A THING. I have tried very hard to never say that.

Sherry and I have always had a practice of enjoying things when they were going well, because we knew from experience, in a little while “your world can (and most likely will) be turned upside down”.

Humans have the propensity to try and change minds, IT DOES NOT WORK. I don’t care how badly you want someone to change their mind, it seldom happens.

This has been attributed to many folk, but Abe Lincoln said it first I think: “He who is convinced against his will, thinks the same thing still.”

So we must live our lives, and do the best we can. We cannot, run other’s lives (Although we want to, especially if it is a son or daughter.)

Nite shipslog

PS:
You can become King, easier than you can change the past.

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This is a 1950 Roadmaster Buick, Woodie.

RARE…

Things change, but it sometimes take work.

When we were reaching the age of retirement and my sister Kat and her husband were too, we decided to build our homes together. Both were joined but split down the center by the deeds making them fall under Condo rules. There was plenty of room for two separate houses, but we opted to build together. Both families got together on the plans and added little things they preferred. Kat added a little breakfast bar, we liked it so we adapted that also.

The units were both 3 BR 2 Bath units, but both opted for combining two of the bedrooms to make one master bedroom suite. Anyway we lived beside each other for a few years and loved the association. They lived their lives and we ours. Then we decided to travel, they had a motor home as we did so we spent winters together also. Even drove to Alaska together.

Kat and Dick have passed on and now we own both sides.  Shirl now leases one unit. She always calls and asks if she can modify this or do that. We always say have at it, knowing all she does adds to the  place.

A couple days ago she found a cedar tree heart and had a brain storm. She wanted a small fence or lattice work at the house entrance.

I helped her cut and stake it and them left. This is what she came up with, I think it is neat.

Sherry and I did live where Shirl lives now. That hill in the front yard was grass. Shirl was worried about cutting grass on the hill, so this is what she came up with. Looks good.

This is a view a little more to the right. Her wild area behind the house with seats and swing, birdbaths and feeders. This is in the city but does not look like it, it is very quiet and peaceful.

She has done a lot of work in the yard. But now the leaves are starting to fall. OUCH! 

This is the time we are usually in Florida, although I do love to see the beautiful fall colors.

Thanks for stopping by.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

It is good to apologize for hasty words, but much better to think and hold them, rather than let them out. I believe Will rogers once said, “It is easier to let the cat out of the bag than put him back in!”

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The final RV (so far) is this 38 1/2 foot, 2000 Monaco Diplomat. We have two slide outs and are enjoying it. This picture also shows out tow vehicle, 2004 Odyssey. The last towable Odyssey without altering it some.

This and that since we returned to NC from the Northeast.

First off, Smoky and Shirl took is out to dinner. We did not take a picture of the Steak and Salmon, they took us to the  Wood Shed, in Stanley, NC, the meal was delicious.

I have been playing in my storage building. I think I now have an office, and I don’t know why:

Then there was the toy box that needed work:

I forget to do ‘befores’, sorry. I built it for Reece in 1985, now I have added Stella to the box.

I also dug out all the pictures and awards over the years and hung them up. I could not see them staying packed up.

To repair the dresser, I cut 4” off the entire bottom and replaced it.

the Chest of drawers I again cut 4” off the bottom. the drawer handles were hardest to repair, being oak insert made especially for this furniture by Broyhill.

The China hutch was a piece of cake. I used Old English polish, my mentor Luke Tucker taught me that. Funny years later they named it scratch hide. Luke knew that in the 1950’s.

I love this wooden anchor and wooden chain, given us by my Sister Kat.

Sherry laughs when she said this was their air conditioner when she was growing up. a seat fan.

She said she would sit on it and spread  her skirt around it and cool off. I pulled it apart, cleaned and oiled the motor, changed the pig tail ( electric wire), waxed it and it works as good as new.

I spread the pictures around the walls:

Some of Shirl’s handiwork above. She done this for all the siblings.  Our family.

One of our GITMO tags and a family pic when I had hair and a dark beard.

Above, a little worse for the wear is Sherry’s mama in a frame built by her Brother Vernon. He inlaid walnuts into the frame, neat.

Thanks for coming this way.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

You never appreciate your memories, good and bad, until you know someone who has no memory, they don’t know you, and you have been their friend for years.

“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

This might have been born a VW!

Three more:

Fidel and Halloween

Everyone has heard that some one had reported that Fidel Castro had died. But of course he says rumors of his death are exaggerated. The State or Government denied the rumors.  Then Fidel did an interview. Now I have no idea how you feel about the man, but you gotta admit, the tail has wagged the dog more than the dog has wagged him.

In 1957 just before my discharged from the USMC, I joined a group of soon to be released Jar Heads, for an interview with someone who identified himself as CIA. they were getting some mercenaries together to join a guy named Fidel Castro who was going to over throw Batista. I really wanted to go, but I had been married just over a year and couldn’t go off and leave her again. I had just returned from the Mediterranean. (If I told that story before, I am sorry for the repeat)

So I didn’t go. Shucks, I could be something in Fidel’s gov’t now (or dead).  I never fought with Castro, but I have always admired him. I have never learned Spanish, (my loss). But While on GITMO every once in a while we would tune into Cuban TV during one of Castro’s speeches. The man could speak for 3 hours.  (Longer than a fundamental preacher on Sunday)

He has lived much longer than most predicted. I am one of those who think we should have normalized relationship with Cuba a few months after the missile crisis. I have never understood how we could cozy up to Russia, Korea, China and not talk with Fidel.  TO THIS DAY I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE RESTRAINTS.

Pumpkins, I am amazed at the Halloween Jack-O-Lantern carvers of this era. They are simply amazing. Shirl and someone else sent me  picture's of great ‘ugly’ carvings.

Amazing this is done for such a short time. The talent is very good. I wish I could do that. Like anything like this, I want to buy one and try my had at it.  LOL

(Above is grandparents tech support)

Nite Shipslog

PS:

I know a person who is quick to give a piece of her mind, even though she cannot afford to give too many pieces.  after each blow up, I think of my dad’s favorite sayings, “KEEP YOUR WORDS SOFT AND SWEET, BECAUSE SOME DAY YOU MIGHT HAVE TO EAT THEM”.

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I love trains also, but all train stories are not good, ref the top pic.

This is GOING in style

Where was this food packaged or grown?

It is getting increasingly hard to read a label to find out in which country a product originated.  I  have lately tried to determine, but you would need a magnifying glass, if you could see it then.

That upsets me, because I would like to buy products made in the USA when possible. but I cannot spend 5 minutes on every item.  Maybe I will start taking the magnifying glass.

An idea would be if the store would hang a little sign on all made in the USA stuff, if they want to promote our country and not China and others.

Yes, honestly I want to buy USA made products. I have no problem dealing with any country as long as the playing field is level. Dealing with Canada for example, we are dealing with an economy that operates on about the same level as ours. A good deal for them and a good deal for us.

Now I do not know for sure, but to deal with Mexico on a level basis, we cannot have an equal free trade agreement, since the hourly labor rate is way skewed toward them, Taxes should be applied to equal the stateside rate. Same with China and the other countries of the world.

I don’t think it is un-American to want jobs returned to our country. This nation was number one in industry 40-50 years ago. Something happened. We need a politician who will push for our country to be independent of foreign oil and foreign steel.  I would again like to see the garment districts flooded with cloth made in the USA.

My heart breaks when I see standing skeletons and open fields where cotton mills (20+ in my town alone) used to be. I would venture to make a guess that within a 50 square mile of where I sit 300+ mills have shut down. These produced thread, cloth, dying, weaving, socks, hose, etc. Anything to do with Cotton and most synthetics.

I would estimate 30 to 40,000 jobs here alone. GONE!

My other home state of Florida lives off snow birds, tourists, veggies and fruit.  Now, much of the juice comes from South America. The veggies from Mexico and S. American countries. Juice factories are closing in Florida.

We need  JOBS!

Thanks for reading this rant.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Money matters. After over 200 years that statement by Poor Richard is still true, a penny saved is a penny earned.

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I never owned one of these, But they were handy trucks. The VW single Cab above. 1961

1961 Corvair Ramp side. below

Ever Stressed to the point you….

Just want to live as far back in the woods as possible? I used to get that way, and even thought I could live there. But all I really needed was some time off. (LOL)
It is funny when I look back on things. there were times I just wanted to get away FOREVER. But once away, a few days, a week I was ready to dive back in. I think that is human preservation.
Now  things are different. As you age, you really have to realize you cannot do all you used to do. That is very hard. EXAMPLES are apparent to men who have followed boxing. We have had famous boxers, who THOUGHT they were still able to tackle a 30 yr old fighter at 43-49, it doesn’t happen. The fighter makes a fool of himself.
There is a Bible story concerning Sampson. After he lost his strength, he said, “I will shake my self and before and destroy these men. It didn’t happen.
Once you get past your prime, it stresses you out to find you cannot do the things you once could  do. That is when you must mature; you face facts. If you are gonna continue DOING, you must do those things you know you can do.  I am at that stage now, and you talk about confusing, it is confusing.
This last week I have been doing something that is not stressful. I am repairing the furniture that was ‘ruined’ in our storage trailer. I started with the mirror and frame on the dresser. My thoughts were, if I can fix the mirror & frame, I can do the rest. I did it. Now the chest of drawers and the dresser itself is almost finished. No stress. I has even been fun.
The funny thing is, if I was getting paid, I would have to be charging $1 an hour at the speed I am going.   but it has been fun and also saving a lot of money.
Thanks for coming by the log.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Life is not always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it is a crisp green apple with salt.
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Here is a Packard, 1953 with a continental kit. (the spare tire on the rear in a sweet case) That was a rage in the 1950’s.

If you are old enough

You remember when you required reading glasses. I remember holding papers out to arms length to read them.  It takes awhile, but some of us give in to bi-focal’s because we get tired of taking out our glasses to read.

When I see an older person reach for the reading glasses, I think of my buddy Sonny. He NEVER gave in to bi-focal’s. Until his death, if he needed to read, out of his shirt pocket came the reading glasses.

Mary Green (Corinne’s mom) gave us a book entitled, “Getting Old Ain’t for Wimps”. That is true.

I smile when I hear someone say, I could hear if folks would not mumble. If I know the old geyser well enough, I will tell him, “Friend that means you are losing your hearing, better check on some hearing aids.” 

I recently lost some fillings from my teeth. I am sure the dentist who did the work figured I would be dead before they fell out. They lasted 50+ years. The internet is a wonderful thing. I downloaded the forms I will need to fill out as a new patient, I am amazed at the questions. I am thankful I do not have any medications to list.

One of the standard questions to old folk is any joint replacements. I put none. I want to say I replaced a couple joints (clubs and bars) with more church, but that would be putting the church as a joint. LOL

I just counted them, over 200 questions. If I consider a question as immaterial and I do not know the exact answer, I will guess or estimate. My girl will NEVER do that. I have had cataract surgery and a vasectomy, when? I am not sure so I make a good guess. WHO CARES when, if it is past 5 or 10 years.

Anyway I am old enough to know better than to try something's but sometimes  I do, and regret it. In my 50’s I got on a trampoline and jumped around, playing. Until this day, over 20 years, my shoulder joints HURT!

I Shoulda ‘KNOWED’ better!

Thanks for visiting.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Be thankful you can read and enjoy life, I think often of the sobering inscription on a tombstone:

Friend, as you are I once was, As I am, YOU will be.

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1919 Model T coupe. There was a time, this was NEW.

Okay, What yanks your chain! What makes you HAPPY?

I think everyone who knows me, knows that getting out on the roads of the USA and enjoying life there, really sets me off. I love it. We have traveled over a million miles and I have never had a ‘bad trip’.

Clothes get to some folk.  Food does it for others. Just being with friends is great for some.

In my lifetime, jewelry was at one time mostly a female thing. That has changed over the years and now men are more attracted to jewelry. I read of one NFL team, during practice, that was looking for a team mates $10,000 diamond ear ring. Lots of men wear jewelry now. Jewelry seems to make a lot of folk happy.

Sherry has a new necklace. I love to see her wearing IT…….  That is when jewelry makes me happy!

Cars? New ones don’t fascinate me, they have no tug to my happiness strings, BUT older cars? Yeah, I have to admit, They Yank MY Chain! I cannot understand the feeling I get seeing the 30’. 40’s & 50’s cars on the road.  It is sort of a love. Not for that particular car, but for an ERA when cars were art. I admit to that one too..

Pictures, Photo’s seem to drive some folks engines. I see some great shots from the Big ‘O’ girls from Wisconsin. I love the shots by Robert in Athens and those of the GATE and around, by Louis! I know photography is apart of their lives. I take pictures, but not for memories I could never compete.

Some folk are into sports, both participating and watching. During any sports season, some folks would never miss a game. Sherry’s family love sports one played professional, Butch Harris.

Golf, I have friends who say, try it one time and you are hooked. That is not true, I tried it and had no problem not going back.

I like to fish, but I am not a FISHERMAN!

My life is simple now, I like to read, write, draw, paint, tinker, and travel. Of course there is always the occasional dinner date, and a night(?) of love, we are returning to the talking stage.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

When you are young, you can plan 10,20,30 years down the road. In your 70’s the range drops considerably.

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

Then in the RV area, we went big time with this 38.5’ Overland. This was a great coach for 11 years, it became our home. I painted the front Bra just after 9-11 in San Antonio.

Colette and Sonny with Sherry. Our traveling buddies, at least two weeks every year until Sweet Colette passed on. Not a day goes by, that we do not think of them.

Ignorance in College

Prescript: I was 17 when I left the nest, Sherry 18. The question I asked but did not answer!

Blog entry:

I tried to follow some of the debates on TV using closed Caption. It was too hard to follow. But later I was reading a discussion with one of the undecided.

He stated:

“Gov. Romney talks about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the USA, I am not interested in a manufacturing job. I will soon graduate from college and expect to see more technical and higher paying jobs.”

I see we have lost all common sense. Whether it is President Obama or Mitt Romney who is in the White house, we need manufacturing jobs. The kid doesn’t realize, A shoe manufacturer brings in jobs for designers, technical problems to be solved by engineers.  Equipment to be designed for state of the art production. Worker Bee jobs. Truck drivers, sales personnel, janitors and more eateries. And that doesn’t count the engineer that designs the plant and workers who build it.

Re-energizing the Auto industry with state of the art equipment. Re-building the garment industry with textile mills.  All these places use phones, computers, vacuums, toilet paper carpet endless jobs flow from any industry.

 Somehow I don’t think this kid has a chance, but some visionary with enough incentives can create his own company, hi-tech or a modern Ice cream parlor.

There was a time Americans would work doing anything, to earn something for their families existence. My dad who was a brilliant man, did not mind sawing, chopping and stacking wood for meals for his family. Now, it seems,  some folk appear too good to pick oranges or dig peanuts. I have found in my life that there is no job that is demeaning. I can clean toilets and still have a smile on my face.  I have said ‘Yes sir’, to men I could work rings around in their job or mine. To support my family, I cannot think of a job too demeaning.

Anyway we need our jobs brought back into this country.  We have borrowed  so much that our kids kids will still be paying for our drunken spending parties.

Okay I quit. Thanks for putting up with my rants..

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Most everyone could do better if we had a chance to do it all again!  (we think)

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Our first real motor home, 24’ Ranger on a Toyota Frame.  This was a fun vehicle. We slept over the cab.