Remembering, and a smile

  Car of the day…

A 50's MG seen at Pioneer Days Zolfo Springs, FL

 

Now for Today:

There are many times I cannot find a good subject and so I spout off like a man on a soap box.  BUT we are blessed to have traveled. I do not know how nor when I learned I could put my ‘Pictures’ on this computer as a screen saver.  It has been such a joy at times.

Sherry and I will sit and name the places and people that pop up.  It is amazing to me because I remember going to grandma's house and looking thru the old black felt photo albums with pictures mounted with stick on corners holding them and then getting into a shoe box with old pictures.

Is this shot beautiful or what?

This is the Snake River in Idaho. This is the point above, where Evil Knievel  tried to jump on a rocket powered Motor cycle but failed. Below are some of the many waterfalls on the Snake. I love waterfalls.

Even this popped up from somewhere in the Carribean. I love the old derelict, knowing there were thousands of tales spun on its decks.

 

Above is Bill Irwin, the only blind person to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail. We were fortunate to be able to buy him and his wife’s dinner in Bangor .

No one could forget this guy and that smile.  Bill,the hubby of Dar who comments here. They visited us in our coach  once in Upper Wisconsin.

 

WE get to see and remember many highlights of our Blessed life on the road.

Ahhh and there was Dick and Kat, we drove to Alaska together, this was some of the boon docking up that way. We would park with the coaches facing and put the fire between them..

Above in the wilds of Paris and below a castle in Germany

I am definitely not the best with a camera. I point and shoot. There are times I WISH I had taken more time but then I guess I was afraid I would miss something. But, even bad photography reminds me of some great times.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

DEBT and other things passing. Part 2.

 Memorable car of the day:

Above is Andrew Jackson's 'car'. Andy paid off the Nat'l Debt!

There is a Submarine named after President Jackson.

         

For today:

L  For a few years in Washington, as Chief Data Processor I ran the input/output section of the Navy (BUPERS).  I was responsible to print the USN budget to be presented to Congress. Nearly 5000 pages front and back.

That was just the Navy, can you imagine what the budget for the USA looks like? If printed it would take a truck to haul it. Of course no one reads it, that’s impossible.  SO it is broken down to totals so it can be deciphered.  WE THE PEOPLE trust our elected officials to TRY to spend our taxes and the money they borrow well.

Lemme tell you, this budget ain’t no simple thing to decipher. The decisions are made by low level personnel NOT a Congressman.  Every year I had to sit down and count the cost for running my Section and submitted it. Chiefs thru out the Navy did the same. Thru out this entire government complex, everyone does the same. It all adds up to the National Budget. My boss always cut me some, knowing everyone padded a few $ ‘just in case.’ 

Yes I am sure there are layers of ‘fluff’, but overall I think we do pretty well. Considering Military, Medical, Highway systems, Programs for the needy….., all costs. Can we do better, you bet. I think you and I and our Government should live within our income.  If we do that, many programs will be lost and or cut.  But I still think we should start living within our income.

I am trusting that our government is not like K-Mart. That level heads will prevail and this infighting between a past president and the newly elected admin will burn out. WE have one president, we are not a 3^rd world country to cry and fuss when we lose. We have always shed our tears and said wait until next time. This is the greatest country in the world despite our differences. Drop the hate and use the ballot box.

WE have had deficits since the revolution war. The only time we paid off the Nat’l debt was 1835 when Andy Jackson said a Nat’l debt was immoral.(amen to that)

The only time we have not had a spending deficit was 1998-2001 under Mr. Bill Clinton. He worked well across the aisle to rein in spending. To control spending our president must work with congress and them with him.

I smile when I am told ‘THINGS’, that MY COMMON SENSE and LOGIC say: WRONG, come on, that is IMPOSSIBLE!

Socrates, one of the wisest men that lived is still right today:

Nite Shipslog

PS: Socrates also said: Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblances to that truth.

Studebakers, Packards, and other things passing. Part 1.

 Car of the day…

 1902 Studebaker electric car

Now for Today:

L  There are times, due to complacent management, an idea of product fails. I must tell you that to see Sears and Roebuck biting the dust seems IMPOSSIBLE for older people. Sears was the Amazon and Walmart combined in its day.

Success? The BOSS gets the credit, FAILURE the Boss gets the credit. It has always been that way in life. The country’s doing well, the President gets the credit, if there is a Depression? Remember Herbert Hoover?  A good man but he gets the credit for the Depression and a famous food called ‘Hoover Gravy’ by poor folks. A Gravy for your bread made from flour and water. It was Breakfast and at times dinner for millions of people.

The Studebaker name was on wagons 1850s.  Studebaker built its first car in 1902 before Henry Ford in 1903. The first Studebakers were electric, before their time, right?

The Studebaker Corp died in 1967. Strange, because they had so many innovations over the years. In their last breaths they tried to join with Packard, another ‘once great’ car manufacturer. They tried the Packardbaker car but it was too late. Poor management and lack of forward thinking allowed Ford and GM to go forward. Chrysler about died, but hung in there. 

I was asked a few years ago as we were talking about K-Mart dying. "Do you think Walmart will fail?" YES, Unless they can come up with a miracle they will. Companies get to the point management thinks NO ONE can touch us, WRONG.

K-Mart had stores, supply trucks, service routes set up and in place before Walmart had a store, yet they were caught with their pants down.

Usually the CEO and upper management have a golden parachute, and end well, but lower management and workers must look for another job. That is usually working for the ones that put their company out of business.

It is good to receive accolades, but in the US NAVY it was well known that one ‘OH SH-T’ can wipe out 100 ‘Atta Boys!’

Nite Shipslog

PS: I had completed this entry and it was absolutely too long. If you like, tune tomorrow for the  ‘Rest of the Story.’

PS2:  Socrates said: Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.

 

A few People that lived with us

Memorable car of the day:

  1935 Commander Roadster (Studebaker)

  Used in the film "The Color Purple" staring Oprah Winfrey.    We saw it in South Bend, IN. 

For today:

During my childhood life was much different than today. Our house often had strangers (to me) for days, weeks and at times months and years. That wasn’t all that unusual at the time.

There was one yearly regular, a man called Dugan. He stopped by for a week of mama's cooking. Dad called him a ‘Wayfarer’. He had no home but did work his way around the country doing chores and selling needles and pins.

There was Grace, a sweet young girl. Her dad had told her to leave their house, she was too religious,  Just get out. Dad and mom took her into our home and she was like a sister to me. She met and married a young man, last name Sprinkle. He later became a pastor and Grace was a wonderful pastor’s wife.

That same town, Albemarle, NC. There was what I and many considered even more ODD than our church. I think they called themselves “Nazerites.” The men did not shave nor cut their hair. They were sorta like the Amish in that they ignored many of the modern conveniences, one was cars. They did not drive. The only one I knew, I called Fuzzy. Dad would give him rides if he saw him walking along the road. That really scared me, he looked wild, but now I know it was only his wild beard and shoulder length hair.

Did you know Sampson was the only individual Nazerite mentioned in the Hebrew Bible? You should know also that a Nazarene was a dweller in Nazareth. The Nazarite Sect were not Nazarenes nor identified with a locality.

One of my favorite people was Uncle Ralph. Ralph was one of the ‘mentally challenged’ people I knew in my life time. He was in his 20s before my teen years. He never attended school, but was extremely smart in many ways. We played together. He walked or rode a bicycle to get around. He lived with us a year at a time over the years. The NC hospital for the insane (as it was known at the time) in Morganton, did what was called Shock Treatments. He was sent there a couple time for treatments.

Uncle Hisure on the left Uncle Ralph on the right. After Granny died Ralph stayed mostly with his brothers and sisters. I never saw him wear anything other than Overhauls (Over all's)

I will never forget one time visiting him at Morganton, he called me aside and whispered, “Jackie, there are crazy people in this hospital!”

Mama said long before that she was bringing Shirley and me to visit someone before we started school. Long before A/C, Mama said she was holding our hands on each side of her when a lady put her head out a window on the other side of the fence and yelled, “You think them little devils is cute, but they ain’t!”

Some folks think I am crazy. I talk to myself, trees and animals; even weeds at times.

Nite Shipslog

A good day (so far)!

 Car of the day:

There were a lot of jokes about this car when it came out, if you were not a Studebaker fan. "Is it going forward or backwards? etc."

And for today:

I went shopping. We needed Gas, Ice Cream, onions and I needed to get my COVID shot. So I took off on a mission, by myownself, LOL.  First I met Monae at Walgreen. I asked if I could get the first shot here and the second in Florida.  Of course. So I did. Then she said, I will see you again the 21st of next month for #2 shot. Have you noticed people listen well when you wear a mask????

Now Gas. No receipt at the pump!! Big line at the register inside, so I studiously copied the #'s off the pump for the bookkeeper  who has a record of every gallon we have bought in the past 10 years. The lady in the car waiting to fill up was....... nice I guess, but anxious to get gas and be somewhere else (like a lot of us).

Since I get gas at the grocery store, now SHOP. No problem. with only a couple things I will try the self check out 'again,' I messed up last time. UH OH! not again. I paid for the onions by themselves with the credit card before getting to the Ice Cream. So I threw the receipt in the bag with the onions. Then scanned the ice cream. I couldn't open the plastic bags so I set the  ice cream down on the scanner (I guess) while waving it around the reader again.

This time, after paying, I looked at the receipt and said a bad word, I had 4 ice creams.  I waved the nice lady over. She looked at pity on this OLD MAN.... I now have two choices she said, go to the customer service line and get the charges removed or go get 3 more 1/2 gals.  Soooo the customer service line was LONG I brought 4 ice creams home, we are good to go. LOL

Who knows I may be in San Francisco or NYC for shot #2, they way things are going. LOL

I hope you have a good day also, I really have.  Sometimes it is fun to run without a leash or caregiver.

Y'all enjoy today, I am going to. Today I  said only one bad word and that was  'sh-t'; it was pointed at my ignorant self not my neighbor.

Nite Shipslog

PS: Do you prefer yellow onions or sweet ones?

PS2: A friend of mine remarried and he is 85.  Three months later I asked him how it was going . His reply, "It's like the man who jumped off a 20 story building, as he passed the 10th floor he thought, so far so good!"  True conversation!!!!!  So that is my day, so far so good!

More fire and the wonder years

Memorable transportation:

                                                                                                             For Today:

The ‘camp fires’ have been good to and for us. We continue to talk without being rushed.  We both enjoy feeding the fire, to be truthful, Sherry usually tends the fire. Lately she only does a little. Yesterday she felt pretty good all day.  A few days ago she did tuna salad for sandwiches, then black beans and rice was mine. She wanted a meal, so she asked me to do chicken and rice yesterday. Things are looking up. ;-)

I related one of dad’s stories I heard around the fire as a kid when we were camping in the Pisgah Forest of NC. Dad said:

“In the twenties (1920s), your mama and I used to lived up there in the ‘Pisgies’. Odis and Jr. were babies. We lived in tents somewhere near hear in the Forest. Your Uncle Doyle and Aunt Julia were here with their baby Billy. We walked a long way to work at the saw mill and hobo’d the train on the way back home. 

The tracks would be above us ‘up there’, (he pointed up the MT) as the old train got very slow climbing, it meant it was about time to jump off. One evening the clouds were so thick, we could hardly see the tracks. WE guessed and jumped. When we stopped we were just at the edge of the trestle just a few more seconds we would have jumped into thin air and it was straight down a hundred feet.

Me and Doyle were praying men, we took the time to thank the Lord for watching out for us.”

As a boy, especially a preacher’s kid, it is hard to see your dad working at a saw mill, then hoboing a ride home in the Forest; then swing on trees to the base where mama and Julia are fixing supper over an open fire in the Forest. WOW! I remember thinking, ‘I wish we still lived like that!’

Believe it or not, just today I heard from Jim Page. He was one of my best friends during that very time I heard the story above. Dad was pastoring the church Jim attended at that time.

Jimmy is about my age, he told me in the e-mail he had finally reached his Wonder years:

WONDER WHERE I PARKED MY CAR?

WONDER WHERE I LEFT MY PHONE?

WONDER WHERE MY GLASSES ARE?

WONDER WHAT DAY IT IS?

 Nite Shipslog

Just a fire

Car of the day…

 Until yesterday I never knew this was called a "Chevrolet Bowtie!" Have you  ever heard it called that?

Sherry & I dated in Chevys. My first car was a '48. We owned a '50 as our first car as a married couple. 

Now for Today:

Lately Sherry and I have spent hours at our fire pit. We do a lot of talking, discussing things that happen to OLD people. Trying to decide when to drastically modify our life style.  With Sherry feeling bad lately, feeling nauseous, not having much of an appetite gives her a new view of life.

She is referring to her cousin Ralph, he is 93 now. He and his wife have a beautiful home in the country, down in Georgia. She has not felt like cooking for a couple years now so they have entered a senior community that is detached homes, where all meals are served. He calls and talks to Sherry, neither he nor his wife can give in to selling their home yet.  Most days they eat a meal at their new home then drive back to their ‘REAL HOME.’

WE are hearing what we know is the soul of most seniors, hating to give up that independence. Ralph knows the time will come to release their home. They both know they will more than likely NEVER return to their home in the country.

Since Sherry does not feel like cooking nor eating much, she repeats the often made statement: “We all seem to want to lose some weight, but we do not want to lose our appetite.”  That of course, is a very true statement.

We live in this side of our duplex.  (pic before the drives were paved)

Above is looking down into the picnic area, the fire ring is hidden by the trees.

This is our coach, patiently(?) waiting for orders to head out! We lived in this and one like it for over 20 years.

This is a view of the front of the duplex. It is actually deeded as two condos.  The side you see here is rented out, it pays the maintenance, ins. and taxes on both sides.

So we toss around options:

….. Sell and rent a small place. A very good option where the land lord worries about the normal house problems and eat out more.

….. Complete an apartment in the basement, and hire a full time house keeper and cook. (I would lose some of my play house,  that would be tough).

….. Sell ALL, and move into an apartment at an assisted living place that furnishes all meals and house cleaning. (BUT, I still need a play house to play and FIX things, I know, it is an addiction)

….. Sell everything, move back into the motor home and find a place nearby to rent a parking space.

….. I think the ideal thing would be to sell everything and buy a small 1-2 BR house. Live 6 months here and 6 months in our trailer in Florida.  Driving our car or flying back and forth.  Probably the best option, but Belmont housing is ridiculous at present, a small preowned home like that runs $200-$250K……

The other option, and one that will probably be used is let life take care of the problems as it forces a change, or drops the decisions into our sons’ laps. I do not like for someone to be forces to clean up my mess. L.

 Nite Shipslog

PS: Let me tell you, life gets complicated when you are old, still have health, BUT KNOW it is 'responsible' to prepare for the future (if U can) L.

Cramps, damps but then Ramps

 Car of the day…

 

You must admit, the above statement is VERY TRUE!

Now for Today:

Speaking of foods, I enjoyed all the comments, always do; I appreciate anyone taking the time to leave one.  I smiled broadly when Gary mentioned ‘Ramps!’

Now I will be the first to say Gary, Myra and Lisa always make my mouth water when they tell what they had for dinner. To be honest though, some of the dishes Gary & Anna Mae enjoy I have never eaten, some I never heard of; but they always look and sound delicious.

BUT RAMPS? It was late in life when I heard the term, and that was from a mountain preacher. I checked with google and here is what I found:

Ramps are a member of the onion/garlic family and are often called “wild leeks” by many people. But anyone who has ever eaten farm-grown leeks then tasted wild leeks can tell you that there is little comparison been the powerful and pungent taste of a mountain-grown ramp and that of its milder store bought cousins.

While ramps look very similar to green onions, they have a much stronger flavor – like a cross between a strong spring onion and a garlic bulb.

(Gary has posted pictures of the ones they have gathered in NY. For some reason I thought they were only in the NC mountains, ;-)  I had not notice the leaves before, I sorta expected small stalks, like onions)

I must admit I heard and read of leeks in scripture especially when the Israelites were complaining of being freed from Egypt.... 

We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.

 but did not know what they were. I learned about ‘ramps’ in sort of a joke told by a preacher about an incident at his first assignment to a small mountain church. In any small church or group you learn the regulars pretty quick. The preacher said once he noticed Sister Thomas wasn’t in attendance, he asked at the beginning of service if there was a problem? Her close friend said, “She won’t be here tonight. She had Ramps today.”

The preacher told a group of us, “I had no idea what ramps were but during prayer requests I asked everyone to pray for Sister Thomas, she was suffering from ramps and couldn’t make it. For some reason I noticed everyone smiling some even laughing. Later my clerk explained what ramps were and the mountain folks ate them raw at times and it was hard to get them off their breath. You get an education pastoring mountain folks.” He ended with, “Embarrassed? YES!”

There are times you can’t bluff your way in life, so I will say, I still have not eaten nor met ‘ramps’ yet.

Nite Shipslog

Foods I never had growing up

 Memorable car of the day:

This 1956 Ford was NEW when I left home to join the USMC.

            

For today: (been a busy day, I sat down to post and got distracted before church!)

My mama was a great cook, it was simple and southeast.

Common foods around our house were:

Eggs, tomatoes and onions (Not together)

Cornbread, milk, chicken dumplings, potatoes and some pancakes.

Biscuits

Pork, Bacon, Sausage and ham (Until I was in the 6^th grade daddy raised a hog every year)

Stew beef, chopped steak, oyster stew and fish (If we caught them)

Cabbage, turnips (& greens), string beans, pintos and black eyed peas, okra, creamed corn and corn on the cob. Oh yes there was macaroni and cheese (using cheddar).

Desserts were: Molassses/butter, Egg custards, sweet potato cobbler, apple pies and banana pudding. Fried Apple pies were also served at home.

Foods I enjoyed raw: Carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, apples, turnips and potatoes. (anyone else like the cabbage core?)

Foods I never saw or heard of until I left home: Lasagna, Broccoli, cauliflower, cooked carrots, Brussel sprouts, rhubarb, homemade spaghetti and ravioli. I was 16 years old when someone told Sherry there was a ‘Pizza place’ in Charlotte. We went there. That was the first time either of us smelled, saw or tasted a pizza. Oh we never had pumpkin pie either.

I usually try local foods when I can, whether it is a different state, city or country. I could not get used to plantains and YAMS in the islands.

Plantain above and Island Yam below.

 Lemme tell you ‘em island Yams ain’t sweet potatoes. And don't even think a Plantain is a banana. LOL  Also Texas nor Florida have my favorite BBQ; the BEST is in North Carolina. LOL .........  ..(IMHO)... ....

Now that I think of it, if you are in San Antonio and like steak, you must try “The Little Red Barn.”

Sherry and I were long married before we ever had a real Steak (Until then we had HB steak or chopped steak ‘n gravy). T-bones and NY strips were for wealthy folk. LOL

I thought of all this yesterday when I decided to fix Black Beans and rice. I was in my mid 30s before I heard of Black Beans. I learned that I like them. Sherry has fixed them before, this was my first time.

NiteShipslog

PS: What foods did you learn to enjoy late in life?