Bloomfield, NM

We are here because for some reason, a guy born in NC, and a teen age friend of mine is out here. When you get old you look around at what is important, FRIENDS and FAMILY rate high.

I am a pastor’s kid, so we moved some while I was growing up. When you move around you do not develop a boat load of friends. Before my teen years I can think of but one friend and one acquaintance. The acquaintance is Sonny Turner. The friend is Von Dale. Of my teen years there are a few, but Buddy sticks out. During the teen years it was Buddy, Von Dale and I.  That may not be the way they saw it, but it was the way I saw it.

My first real Sweetheart was Margaret. After a year of so, She suggested we drop our ‘love’, she was 13, I had just turned 16. Wasn’t long until my ‘friend’ buddy was going with her. I found love with Sherry and Von Dale had settled down with Martha. Martha and Sherry were good friends so we double dated a lot.

Above on the left is Martha, I put her single picture because of our crowd she is the only one who has passed away. On the right is Martha and Sherry. Below is Margaret and Martha.

Our cars were ‘straight-drive’ cars, so if I was the driver, I had ‘Sherry-a-matic’ (I clutched and she changed gears, because my right arm was around her.) If Von Dale was driving, he had ‘Martha-a-matic’.

All three of the girls were friends. This picture was taken just after Buddy had taken my girlfriend away. Margaret (2nd from left standing, my ‘friend’ Buddy beside her). You can tell he is a little fickle, he has his arms around 2 girls..

Von Dale’s heart throbs were Martha center front, and Rose, peeking over her sister’s shoulder center. Von Dale married Rose, they have been married over 50 years now.

Buddy’s dad (like my dad, was a preacher)  moved from NC to Mississippi, so that broke up those two. I had already joined the USMC, Sherry and I were married already (I was  grown, 17). Buddy later joined the USAF and on assignment in the UK, met his beautiful Di. They were married.

That is our young and old love lives. 

Above is the three boys. All pretty savvy, and all successful in their own right (as old men).

This reunion would have been an even more fun time if Von Dale and Rose could have flown out here. They would have, but their schedules didn’t fit our time frame. They are working in a youth camp in NC. 

Thanks for coming this way and listening to the love life.

Nite Shipslog

PS: I have learned that for us older folk, remembering our teen age years together, and sharing our lives, is entertainment.

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The ‘56 Power hawk, Studebaker.

(Stay tuned for Buddy and Di in the morrow!)