A Friend dropped by

 Aston Concept car:

For today:

WE heard the door bell, not many folks drop by other than Jack Jr. A man was at the door with a mask on. I knew he was familiar, but the mask was discombobulating to me. He was feeding me some hogwash about being from the county and wondering about the houses next door.

When he raised the mask it was Bobby Franklin, we have been friends for years. Our dads were dead eye buddies in the 1930s before me ’n Bobby were even thought of.

His wife is Violet, she had a sister Pansy. What was sorta odd was I had just ran across a 3^rd grade picture of Pansy and had been thinking of the family, especially Bobby and Violet.

The Franklins and my family were close in the 30s, in Gastonia. My family moved away just as the 40s rolled around and I was an infant. The Franklins then moved to the Belmont area and the kids were raised on the Imperial Mill Hill where Sherry was raised. So the Franklins were friends on both sides of our family.

As we talked, Bobby said to me, “You know I found my wife on the Imperial.”

“I did too.” Was my reply.

It is such a kick to have some time with an old friend. Bobby had dropped Violet off at the dentist and they has said the procedure was going to be at least a couple hours, so he was driving around town seeing all the changes. It has been a long time since they lived in this area.

Bobby could not find our house so he called Jim Arp who owns the run down houses next door, to get directions. I had no idea they were good friends.

Anyway today I am just thinking of some quality time spent with an old friend. It was such a joy. Bobby kept apologizing for dropping by without calling and I kept assuring him this is one of the best things that has happened in a while. He told me something I did not know. He came home late (after midnight) while a senior in HS. He had a car, and his dad took the keys to the car and he had to walk to school and work. So like me he quit school, I didn't know that story. I thought he graduated. I really don’t have that many friends anymore, I have out lived them. So I cherish this time, it is a joy!

One thing about these ‘small towns’ ask around long enough and you will learn you are nearly kin to folks.  Sherry & Violet are not kin but do have some of the same 1^st cousins.

 

NiteShipslog

Those Miracle Cures

 Concept cars of the day:                                                                           Just to show I am not stuck in the 50s I will show some Concepts of today Check this Mercedes                                           

                                                                                                                     

For today:

No matter what your problem is there is a ‘guaranteed’ answer or cure on the net.

Some examples from my ‘spam:’

….. Wrinkles? 3-4 drops of this and you will never be bothered again with wrinkles……  …..  I am sure this must be strychnine or arsenic.

….Eat this for breakfast and you will cease to have any ringing in your ears. (Again this must be strychnine)

…..New knees in a week…. (Probably must pay for installation!)

…..Grow hair in 7 days   (That must be hair in your ears or nose!)…..

…..Jack, Get a Full head of hair in 24 days or less….. (That must be a wig?)

…..Hi blood sugar? Cure it in 30 minutes!.....probably a tourniquet around the neck!

…….Your back itching?  Your liver might be dying! WHAT???

…..In my teens I heard about the ‘secret carburetor’ that would give 60 miles per gallon of gas. But the oil people bought it and the design is in their safe!  You believe that, I bet there is a bridge for sale in NYC!

There have always been crazy stories passed down, but now with the internet and FREE exposure things have gone weird.

Heard a good one lately?

NiteShipslog

PS: From yesterday, About the video of our previous home. I remembered Myra saying that one could get a look into a previous home when it went up for sale and was on the net. So we had to look. AND YES it has been very much up graded in appliances and décor. To us it was just a home and YES the grand kids loved it and we did too. WE only lived there 5 years before I built this one because we were going to live on the road and were ‘concerned’ someone would be hurt (or worse) in the pool while we were gone..

..... Thanks for the nice comments, it was a fun house to build!    …

 

Why would someone want to..... PS: our old house

1950s Buick Concept car, The Centurian (Not bad!)

For today:

Someone said it is easy to get old but hard to live it.

 Why would someone want to remind me of what I looked like at 17?  Probably only to make me feel terrible about how bad I look now! I would have never thought I would be bald after such a nice 'Roach' in front and a great Duck's tail to the rear? And sagging skin, NEVER!

LOL

Watch a few minutes of this. It was sent by one of Sherry's class mates with a note : Getting old is easy, living OLD is hard....

Can you imagine one of these videos of yourself. It would  probably  bring a good laugh! LOL

Nite Shipslog

Isn't it amazing what can be done with today's technology?

PS 2 ... Someone once wanted to see the home we had with the indoor pool. It is for sale  so we got to look at it again. The décor is much different, It has been dressed up a lot from when I built it.  But here it is:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/607-S-Main-St-Belmont-NC-28012/5863837_zpid/?mmlb=v,0  

https://www.movoto.com/home/607-main-st-belmont-nc-28012-411_3774818 

(I had to copy and paste this into the search line to get it to work, for some reason)

Everyone wants to go to heaven, BUT…

 

Car of the day:

 1956 Packard Predictor (Concept)

For today:

When you or someone you love has faced that dreaded word Cancer you try to learn all you can about it. Others give it a quick scan and say ‘We need to pray about it.’ Nothing wrong with that, but we also need to understand.

 Let me regress. Some years ago my sister Shirley called us and said, “Jim has something to tell you.” Then she put her husband on the phone.

“Jack, the Doctor just gave me a death sentence, I have incurable and untreatable Esophageal Cancer.”

We went on talking and he was positive, ‘but I can beat it!’ Sadly he did not.

I mentioned that because some folk immediately get a fatal attitude just at the word Cancer, because we have known so many who were taken from us by that dreaded name.

Before I go any further please consider this (Taken from WebMD:

Unlike other diseases, cancer has its own language: There’s no cure for it, but there are treatments that may be able to cure some people of some cancers.

When you understand the difference, it makes all the difference.

 “Fruit” is a general term you use to cover many different kinds: apples, cranberries, pineapple and more.

Likewise, “cancer” is a catch-all word for more than 200 types, including cancers of  the bladder, brain, breast, colon, eye, kidney, liver, lungs, ovaries, and skin  .....................................     

I am one of those who never understood the word. I must guard or I will paint the dreaded word with a broad brush and ‘BEGIN TO THINK’ There is NO HOPE!

When a person is given relief, I hear (and think to myself at times) ‘But it comes back!!’ Sherry’s sisters were both given more time. One three years the other about 20 years. That time was sweet to the family during extra productive years before succumbing to its final call.

So let me ask you? Can you put a value on an extra year of life?  What about a month, day or week? Life is valuable. There have been times that a minute seemed invaluable as I have watched some absolutely beautiful sunsets over the ocean, plains or mountains. There is no way to value that beauty.

(Rick could catch ‘some of the feeling on film.’ Old Pete over at https://sparepartsandpics.blogspot.com/.  Catches some beautiful desert sunsets.)

Hey we all want to go to Heaven, but as the old saying is, ‘But no one wants to die!’ Every moment of life is VALUABLE, let’s appreciate every minute we are given here. Heaven can wait, it is awaiting, with those who have gone on before.

NiteShipslog

PS:  

This sorry generation??

Memorable car of the day:

                                           1957 Chrysler Diablo (concept car)                             For today:    

There are some things I really believe in. Whether you do or not, I believe in the youth of today.  Every older generation I have known has said about the youth, “These kids are going to hell in a handbasket.” I heard that when I was a teen. I remember liking Rock & Roll. When those crazy boys from the UK came over, singing, ‘Love me Do‘ and ‘I want to hold Your Hand’, hey they were great. (I laugh at the term long hair for back then)

(They were called long haired hippies!)

I know some great kids of the day. Some are our Grand kids, and some are our great grand kids. I bet some of you have some good kids and great grandkids. Yes they do spend a lot of time of a phone or actually a ‘device’, LOL.

There have always been kids in the gutter, crooks and thieves. BUT there has always been more that wanted a good job and a family. There is a lot I don’t like about ‘this day & time.’  BUT my parents and their peers didn’t like a lot that was going on in ‘their day.’

WE have millions of hard charging ‘kids’ that want to be Doctors, Nurses, Soldiers, sailors, bankers, farmers, priests, preachers, Pilots, etc, you name it we have those studying to be the best. There will be great Engineers, Astronauts and scientists come from this group. We have young people who will grow to discover cures to help us live and age well. I trust ‘em.

Shucks our own grand kids have some of the best of work ethics I know. They put their shoulder to the wheel every day, I am proud of them.

When I hear someone say, “The kids today aren’t worth a s==t”, I think, ‘Does that include your family?’

Let’s give ‘em a chance, someone gave this 'sorry kid' a chance.

These  politicians of every shade, side (Right, Left or wrong), color and size will all die away, BUT there will be people who love our country and are here to stay. 

There are some good kids working today and in colleges and HS. Lets give ‘em a chance.

NiteShipslog

My time

 Car of the day:

 1956 Pontiac Club DE Mere

Not bad but the shark fin is a little too much!

For today:

Over the last few years of our life on the road we did some volunteer work. When you volunteer you can pick the kind of work you enjoy, doing that is fun and you help folks in the meantime. There was a very sweet lady who needed a bathtub replaced, it actually had a hole rusted in it. I looked at the job while Sherry talked to Sadie. She was a Rancher’s widow in Florida. She was about our age methinks. She had a nice Ranch house but it had gone downhill after the death of her husband. She was on SS and like many folks with house and property, taxes were taking the toll.

When I told her I could do the work, she said, “I need to know what it will cost.”

I said, “Nothing, Sadie, it isn’t a big job.”

“I’m not used to this, I need to pay something. Can I buy the new faucets?” she asked.

“I said, “Of course, if it will make you feel better.”

We did the job and sorta slid the faucets in without mentioning it again.

Now, that is what I call fun. It is such a joy to help someone.  It helps the thrill if they are TRULY sweet folk. I’m smiling now remembering what Sheila just wrote over at ‘Southern Comfort.’ The grand kids were telling how Grandma Jean (of Opp) would pay them for errands and they would slip the money back into her purse, it turned into sort a game for them.

I don’t do much of that stuff anymore, but the last two days have been fun, I built 3 birdhouses. Granddaughter Megan had stated a few weeks ago, “If you have some scrap wood, I would sure like a bird house.”

It is really fun to play with my tools.  I made a good living with them. Now it is payback time, using what I learned over the years. It is nice to see smiles of appreciation. I have learned a lot, SMILES mean mountains in satisfaction. Money cannot buy a REAL SMILE, but help at the right time, earns one!

Amazing how good building a bird house makes you feel. LOL

NiteShipslog

PS:  

Pocket knives and Planes

 Memorable car of the day:

 The Olds Golden Rocket  Concept, Good thing it didn't make it, probably would have been an Edsel.

For today:

Entering the court house once the guard wanted to take my knife. I said I will take it back to the car and leave it there. He smiled and said, “I don’t blame you!” 

It was mentioned 2 or 3 times about losing pocket knives at the airports. I left one with them also. Funny family story about that:

 In their earlier years grandsons Corey and Ben would fly out from Utah for the summer. Once they picked little toy rifles to take back home. They were actually small replicas about 3” long and ¼ thick. No holes in the barrels even. Corey went thru airport security first and Ben second. When they stopped Ben and took his little gun, Corey looked back and said, “You didn’t take mine!”  Then they did!

I have always wondered what happens to all the things confiscated, so I finally asked Mr. Google.

The TSA refers to them as “Voluntarily Abandoned Property,” and contrary to popular belief, TSA employees do not keep any of it for themselves. The agency has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior, and employees can be instantly terminated if they're caught pocketing confiscated items for themselves .May 19, 2017

So any items taken by the TSA become government property. The TSA makes no profit off of items that travelers surrender at checkpoints. Each state sells the TSA confiscated items at auction. The state decides which auction service to use and the state keeps the profit.

I wouldn't bet the farm that some things do not make it to private homes. I hear much conficated is sold at govdeals.com. I am checking that out ……………..

Probably not a bad place to shop, I didn’t see much of interest to me and I did not see anything that appeared to be from TSA.

Take care and remember don’t carry your pocket knife if you plan to board a plane. That goes for you girls too!

NiteShipslog

 

Bump in the night

  Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

                  '55 Lincoln Indianapolis Concept car. It woulda been interesting.

For today:

We went to Outback with JJr and had a good meal last night. Sherry had some steak and veggies left so I made a steak and veggie omelet for breakfast.

As we were eating she said, “I heard a noise early this morning, it sounded like it was in the basement.”

I immediately checked the basement, not knowing if possibly a water break or something. Nada. So we chatted and finished Breakfast.

I headed to the basement to feed the cats and then make a couple bird houses for Granddaughter Megan. When I went out to feed the cats something did not look right near the picnic area. It looked like my rope that was holding a tree was on the ground. I had tied off a tree that looked like it might fall and be near the motor home.

Uh oh, yep it had fell. Mystery of the noise Sherry heard during the night solved. So the bird houses took the back seat. I have 4 chain saws, 3 gas- one electric. I prefer the electric since I am older. So the rest of the day was cutting and hauling fire wood. All this while burning the limbs and knotted cuts. The tree was about 16” through.

It was a fun sorta job and gave my healed back a workout. All is sorted out. I just hauled and stacked the rounds saving the splitting for spring. Sherry came out and we sat around the fire as I petted Trey, the little orange Tom. We had a good talk. It is sorta fun to talk to that girl. She is my best friend. AND she does love to tend an outside fire.

 NiteShipslog

PS: Sherry always says do not get me a gift. But I did look up the 65^th stone and got her a small necklace of two hearts with a Blue Sapphire stone. She likes it.

PS2: I laughed at Victor's comment about birds and washig the car:

Baby bird flying with mama: "Mama I need to poop!"

"You must wait until we find a car," was mama's response.

 

 

 

 

Shots, trash and stuff

 Car of the day:

 1955 Lincoln Futura (concept)  they shoulda produced it!

For today:

No I haven’t gotten the shot yet. Something seems to come up. BUT today I tried to schedule the shot. I don’t want to take the vaccine if I have any physical problems. It was my back first then lately it was a runny nose. That is gone away now. So no excuse, and I do think it is important for me. I am waiting for information back for an appt.

I still think one should use common sense and do what is necessary. Personally since I have decided to get the shot, if I would get sick, suffer and possible die; I don’t want to be saying “I meant to do it!”  LOL (sad laugh!). I have read that lately, “I wish I had taken the shot!” Said by folks just before they died from Covid.

Note: Our car stayed clean until yesterday (drove in the rain), just thought I would throw that in. ;-)  Grandson Matt Dillon noticed it was clean the other evening and said it looked great. (He got some brownie points!) LOL

The cats aren’t showing up on a real regular basis since neighbor Michelle gives them ‘GOOD PEOPLE’ food. LOL They look at me then the food and back as if to say, “Is that it?”

We have two houses next door that are in terrible shape, they are falling down and collecting more junk as time passes with no owner living there. Jim the owner stops by occasionally (once a month, maybe). I would report the situation, but Jim is a good friend and I do not want to cause him any trouble.

It is like situations in most cities w/o complaints, nothing is done unless the problem is high profile. So in cases like ours, it is a dead end street, and the only official traveler here is the postman. The city workers are busy other places and unless they receive a complaint, it remains the same. I have set a deadline, if nothing has changed by next spring when we return, I am going to talk to the city (MAYBE & HAHA!!). Enough is enough. In the mean time I am going to try to talk to Jim.

NiteShipslog

PS:  

That Special day: Sept 22, 1956

Memorable car of the day:       

Our car in 1956

        1950 Chevy coupe              

 For today:

My daddy was a preacher but we went to a Justice of the Peace to get married. We took our parents and had their permission. Believe it or not, that was September 22, 1956.

               

(The above device was not in most stores when we were married, remember it?)

She was 18, a HS grad and member of the National Beta Club (meaning she was a smart girl). I was 17, a HS drop out and a PFC in the USMC having a big income of $78 a month. She had plenty of potential and settled for me. I was/am one lucky dude.

That was 65 years ago. There is no way I could list all the addresses we have had over the years. She has been my friend, my wife and the Love of my life. I would be lost without her.

(Yep we were all in the Magistrate's office)

She says she doesn’t believe me when I say she is still the most beautiful girl in the world, BUT she is. This girl is beautiful inside and out. Just ask her two sons.

We have been fortunate in our 65 years, including 20 years in the military, we have been separated only once on our anniversary. That was our first one.  I was on deployment at Turkey’s Saro’s Bay in the Mediterranean Sea. I got off to myself and cried some as I thought of the song Fraulien that was popular then;

Fraulein, Fraulein
Look up toward the heavens
Each night, when the stars start to shine

By the same stars above you
I swear that I love you
You are my pretty Fraulein

When my memories wander
A way over yonder
To the sweetheart that I left behind

In a moment of glory
A face comes before me
The face of my pretty Fraulein

Fraulein, Fraulein
Walk down by the river
Pretend that your hand's holding mine

By the same stars above you
I swear that I love you
You are my pretty Fraulein

WE talk about how lonely we were.

Military wives are not appreciated as much as they should be. So many times they are left to handle the cuts and bruises, do the cleaning, cooking, get the kids off to school, make sure the bills are paid and do the 100’s of things by herself.

But we are together now and much is behind us. We are on the down side and want to enjoy them as long as we can.

 NiteShipslog

PS: We have known very few folks who enjoyed 65+ years together we feel blessed. 

Funny, my sister Kat, married Sherry' BIL Elmer, after they both had lost their mates. They joked at being married over 110 years. (totaled)

PS 2:

Our next motor home, thanks for the tip Evelyn:

Hairy legs, pocket knives and stuff

 Memorable car of the day:

      1955 Ford Mystere, never produced, they should have!

                     For today:

I can remember when I had hair on my legs. Now there is none. I attribute it to never wearing shorts. I am on my knees a lot (it would be nice if it were praying more BUT….), I am always looking under things like cars, houses, cabinets, the motor home, etc. Therefore I am continually on my knees during any one day. I would need to wear ‘knee pads’ if I wore shorts.

This kid  could be our grandson Corey!!

                        Cory and Scruffy

However this subject came up in my mind yesterday when I was sharpening my pocket knife. When I was younger I kept my knife sharp enough to shave. I always tested it by crossing my left leg over my right, pull up my pant leg and shave about an inch of hair just to be sure the knife was sharp.

I cannot do that anymore, my legs are as slick as my head. Now to test my knife I do a very short trial on my arm hair. Yep still keep it sharp enough to shave, but I do not use it as often.

Over my life time a boy’s pocket knife has been my best friend. I can open most locked doors or windows in p/u trucks and houses.

Peeling apples or splitting a peach to dig out the seed, or cleaning fish to roast on a river bank. I once X’d a snake bite to suck the blood out of a bite. I didn’t get sick. I guess I shoulda done that with that last snake bite, LOL.

 I have lost a lot of knives over the years and also saved some too.

Of course the male of our species ain’t right in the head much of the time. I remember wishing I had a bigger separation of my front teeth to squirt water farther. For some reason it was necessary to make noise by putting your hand over your arm pit and squeeze out that ‘sound’. Then we had to see who could hold their breath the longest once we had a watch with a second hand. Then there was the contest to see who could shoot ‘spit-wads’ in class and not get caught. That graduated to using rubber bands to propel paper missiles.

I never understood how boys could shoot marbles while wearing shorts, I wore the knees out, to mama’s dismay.

 NiteShipslog