Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The end is never obvious

jj's family & Tenn 011

As many folks know (especially my family), my life, like many in this world, has taken many turns. Today is the closing of one of those steps.

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Once I thought I was a US Marine, then I thought I was a US Airman. During the time in the USAF I met some wonderful folks at a church in Biloxi, Mississippi. I became a Story Teller and took up chalk, as a teaching  method. Oh yeah, there was the period I thought I was a preacher. We pastored 2 churches and organized and built a very successful church, called the New Hope Church. It is still a very active and still growing church today. BUT as always, I learned I was not a preacher, so I decided to be a USN sailor. This I liked and stuck there until retirement.

Then I was a maintenance man for The Radisson Plaza. Next I thought I would like to be a Roach Coach driver. During this time Sherry & I had taken up walking and talking in the evenings. (We had taken up payments on a small home and were in debt $21K.) So on one of our walks Sherry says, I know you can build a house, but can you build us a house and get us out of debt?

“Sure”, was my confident answer. That was the start of my building career. I LOVED IT, THIS WAS WHAT I HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR. I couldn’t wait to go to work and hated to quit and come home.

After awhile I decided I wanted to build a Sub-Division. We bought and paid for the land and I started the ‘EXPENSIVE’ part of the process, meeting city, county & state requirements. Surveying, engineering, qualifying street names etc. I got tired of jumping thru hoops and took a loss of many many thousands, and the land sat.

As I said in the title,  the end is never obvious, until you get there. We just returned from a closing of the last of that property. The Carters, a young couple thrilled to have all the wooded land to build a home for their family.

So like many turns in life, streets named after the Grandkids will not be. I won’t become a millionaire like I had planned. BUT I believe all things work together. The subdivision is a stressful process (my builder friends tell me), So instead of the subdivision project,  we have traveled the USA & part of the WORLD. Saw magnificent sites and met wonderful people

It has been fun seeing the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, the Yukon, the Alamo, Park City, Park Falls, the grand Canyon, Niagara, Nova Scotia, The Corn Palace, Deadwood, Tombstone, the Redwoods, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc then  all 50 states! But most of all meeting the cream of the crop of PEOPLE that we have come to love. That beats a subdivision by miles.

This is the last open land we had, on the brighter side, Sherry’s tax bill will be less next year.Smile

Nite Shipslog

PS:

It is not possessions, but (some) People that make life worth living.

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So this is HOME

Road to FL thanksgiving 001100_1988

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campsite 010pueblo PUEBLO 086

13 comments:

TARYTERRE said...

Wherever you roam you are home. That is a nice reality.

Chatty Crone said...

Gosh at first I thought it was something really bad. I guess what you are saying is that you have now sold all your land.

I do understand you in the fact it is hard to figure out what you really want to do in life. I am struggling with that too.

Home is where the heart is.

sandie

Anonymous said...

so you have fantastic friends and fantastic memories...what a wonderful blessing!!! perhaps I felt a little of what you felt (about your land) when my great grand daddies land dwindled down to what it is today...apx 11 acres...that's maybe still co-owned by my niece

your motorhome is lovely...still miss those out the windshield shots going down the road :D

Anonymous said...

sorry my grand daddy had around a 1000 acres of land when he came down from Vermont with his family after the Civil War

Anonymous said...

Wooded acreage for a young family to raise their kids on. That should give you a good feeling.

bonnie

shirl72 said...

Brother you have had a good life.
Glad you are happy with your last
event. I know the people are happy
with the land close to town but in the Country.

You need a rest from all your
chores you do for people. Glad
Sherry's taxes will go down. hehe

Fred Alton said...

Jack, You and Sherry are definitely "People Persons"! Your life has touched so many others and your positive attitude has great influence - even now through your blog as well as with those whom you meet. Only judgment day will reveal all the good deeds you have done for others. You are greatly loved and you are faithful friends.

Paula said...

Oh so it's Sherry's taxes. hee hee. You've certainly been there and done that as they say and it's all interesting. Mel and John both did the same kind of work all their life and I think they both loved what they did. I loved being a housewife and hate it when people act like that is nothing. I had parttime jobs at times and tended to rent property.

Dar said...

We miss you too, Jack and Sherry. It's wonderful that a young couple starting out their lives will have treasured ground to plant their roots on. Soon you will see children maybe, swinging from a tree. Life is good., real good.
Blessings

Mevely317 said...

What an interesting read, Jack! While reading, my eyes were challenged to keep up with my brain cells. (Tortise and the hare? lol)
'Have to agree, your adventures beat that old subdivision by many a country mile!

Jackie said...

I am happy that you have traveled this beautiful land, that you have enjoyed your travels together and made memories that are worth MORE than millions. You are rich beyond measure and I am certain that you have enriched everyone you have met. Can't get much better than that, my friend ....

Lucy said...

Great pictures and I liked the story of your adult life. I have missed visiting anyone's blog cause I just did not feel good myself and the computer gave me it's bug. I think. I am back to Chrome. You know Jack you said that "you said you were all of those different things, or thought you were." I think you succeeded in all.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

It is amazing how things work out sometimes. In your case, I'd say that deal ended well for you and Sherry. What a wonderful life you lead. It's raining here for the 2nd day in a row. April showers brings May flowers. Gotten a bit chillier too. On the bright side here, at least we had a few days of sunshine and warmth. Hope you all are enjoying some nice weather there.