Habits

 Cars and animals:

 Dog gone good driver!

 

 

Some thoughts for today:

We still haven’t driven our new-to-us coach yet.  But we are in and out of it trying to get used to it.  Of course by habit I each for lights where they were in our previous coach.

I notice I am like that about the  micro-wave units.  The start and stop buttons are EXACTLY reversed from our coach and here in the house.  I will put in cook time and hit the stop button, cancelling the cook time so I start all over again.

It is said we humans are creatures of habit, and we sure are..

Just today my sweetheart said, “I still cannot get used to our moving the trash can from the corner to under the sink. I walk to the corner then come back to the cbinet under the sink.

I can remember changing cars and it took a long time to  REMEMBER the light switch and wipers were just opposite.

Anyway that is me for today. I am tied up  most of the day with volunteer work…  I B tired..

Nite Shipslog

Square

 Cars and animals:

 Okay, take me to the next construction site.

 Some thoughts for today:

I covered a lot of ground in my life. Always searching for THAT JOB.  That job that I would love. I enjoyed many occupations over my years, but once I started building I hated to see Saturday come and loved to see Monday roll around. I loved my work. I preferred Speculative building but did so some custom homes. The spec home was my own choice of size, shape, color and bath & light fixtures.

Things had to be square.  I noticed myself in church with my note papers trying to make them all SQUARE.  I was shocked into reality as a memory of a dear friend flooded my mind.

Kenneth Conrad, I met the man in Missouri. A great guy with German knowhow. After his tour in WWII he was mustering out of the Army in Florida. He and a beautiful lady (of Florida) fell in love. Eileen was a professional singer with the voice of an angel. She left the modern facilities of Florida, i.e. the city, hot / cold running water and inside plumbing and moved to a farm in Missouri with a well and outhouse.

Their love brought 10 kids into the world and made a great family.  We became close friends. As his life progressed he farmed 40 acres and worked a day job in a factory. I always admired his abilities, keeping everything on the farm going.

(Kenneth and Eileen,  She had a voice that would bring the house down.)

(Kenneth was a man's man. The hunter, the farmer, the 'make it work' man)

Kenneth’s mind started leaving him. The last time I saw him was at his daughter Glenda’s home in Okeechobee Florida.  He no longer knew me but as we sat together at a table I watched as he matched squares up. He formed designs on the table with napkins and paper.  That came back to me in reality as I found myself matching up squares.  Am I losing it?

(Kenneth did not know me here)

In the military I stayed ‘squared-away,’ but now small things shake my tree! Maybe I am Square…  We seldom use napkins, but we use ‘paper towels’.  I find myself trying to make smaller squares out of them. Imma going to try to stop, and quit worrying about things being SQUARE!

Nite Shipslog

Small towns

Today’s one of a kind:

 Somebody really wanted a Caddy very badly!

This will be the last of one of a kind vehicles.... Not sure what is next! Maybe animals?

 Some thoughts for today:

But first, yep still having trouble commenting on several blogs. At least I am able to post ‘anonymously’ on some that allow the ANON comments.

Some just say posting, but do not post.

Susan K is one that won’t let me comment no matter how many good or ‘bad’ words I say.  Some I want to say something, one especially lately about the town where She was raised, comparing it to Mayberry. I agreed with her, Don K played Barney perfectly.

My mind traveled very quickly to the small town of Belmont, NC. Sherry’s home town. When I arrived here in 1954 it was a great small town, with all the atmosphere. NOT so anymore, we are a room for the city of Charlotte, fewer and fewer people live here that even remember when folks walked to town during the week and walked to church on Sunday.

Many people raised hogs and chickens. Had hog killings and gathered fresh eggs.  Now both are illegal within the city limits.

I would move to the country, but this is Sherry’s hometown and no one is going to run her out!  LOL.  Fortunately here on our acre, we have enough trees to feel like we are out of town a times.  Many days there are more cars stopped at traffic lights that existed in the county in the 50’s.  ;-)

Anyway, are you familiar with small towns?

Do they still exist where you are?

Nite Shipslog

PS:  This is Gary.....

This was his school!

You learn a lot on the net. We were very surprised that Brother Gary ( https://oldboomerwoodys.blogspot.com/) up in New York who is younger that we are, attended a one room School house and walked to school. That was easy to believe down south, but we had no idea it would be in NY.

Thinking

 

Today’s one of a kind:

If the New-to-us RV title doesn't come in, this might be our next RV.

 Some thoughts for today:

Yes, I know that ‘me thinking’ is dangerous. But thinking is what I have been doing as we await the arrival of the title for our new-to-us RV.

First is a short 500 mile trip back to Florida to Register and Title the RV there.

Next we are hoping to get some time at an RV park near Lancaster to attend a play at ‘Sight and Sound Theater.’  We have been to see a few there and have always enjoyed them. For us it is a huge presentation.  We have never been to Broadway and probably never will. 

The extent of our ‘Play type’ entertainment has mostly been outdoor dramas. We have been fortunate to see these I remember:

(Lost Colony)

The Lost Colony, The Waldensian Story, The Hatfields’ and McCoys’, Unto These Hills, The Long Way Home, Oklahoma, My Old Kentucky Home and Horn in the West.

But our introduction to Sight and Sound near Lancaster, PA put this southern boy in awe.  I have said it before but what I remember most was the story of ‘Noah.’ As the play progressed, the lights were dimmed to Dark, then slowly raised to bright and we were suddenly INSIDE an ARK!  The walls were now filled with animals, enough live ones to make you think they were all real.  It was such a pleasant shock to see the transformation. We were hooked.

This scene is before we are inside the ark. LOL

So I am ‘thinking’ maybe a trip back to NY’s Rondout Valley.  There is one other destination you may or may not have heard of, Moscow, Iowa. Home of HWH RV Jacks. We stopped there once on the way back from Alaska for some work.  We might need to go back on this new coach. We need to make another trip to Missouri and Iowa anyway, we like that country.

Anyway, I am just thinking…. Of course there is also San Antonio, Love that area also.

Anyway, Thinking can be fun, but dangerous…

Nite Shipslog

Old age competition

 Today’s one of a kind:

 Who knows what this was orginally, but it s one of a kind now...

 

Some thoughts for today:

My face ain’t purty. I am in competition of an OLD friend who is presently in Florida. My friend who will remain anonymous but is Evelyn, hurt herself the other day. It was accidently of course, maybe.  You see not long ago I had an accident and got a very impressive black –eye.  I was proud of it. Well Evelyn had to out do me so she really did. I mean she has one to be proud of.

Well, not to be out done, yesterday I was clearing a couple  areas here in NC where we had some large limbs fall. I had cut thru the rubble leaving a few small stumps when low and be hold I decided to trip and fall, ‘face down’ onto one of those stumps.

I was lying there in the vines when I heard my neighbor call out, “Jack are you okay?”

I realized I was lying there trying to figure just what had happened,  I slowly  replied, “YEP< I think so.”  He came over to help the OLD man up. He tried to get me to go in for first aid but I decided to face Sherry first.  LOL

Anyway, yep, I did something I thought I would never do, I fell face first, because my hands and arms were occupied in vines and could not protect my face. At least I broke no bones. I remember ‘Yaya’ from up north said she fell and broke both arms OUCH!  I know I am older than that young lady, but she is a nurse and probably set both arms herself!  ;-)

Anyway, I hate to admit it, but as Sherry reminds me, I am NOT GETTING OLD, but I AM OLD!

Things aren’t too bad. At least the Feral Cat I call ‘Fraidy Cat,’ has decided to allow me to pet her today. I think she feels sorry for me.  LOL

This black eye and face still ain’t as good as Evelyn’s. but I tried!

I will return again…. I hope I decide to just let Evelyn win the blackeye competition...

Nite Shipslog

PS

Getting Old and Taxes

 Today’s one of a kind:

 Okay, I want one for my Birthday!

Some thoughts for today:

This life has taken on a turn that is hard for an old mind to handle. I had two BIG tasks on my ‘to do list;’ Retype my pass word list and do our taxes.

I don't know about you, but I have 3,463 pass words, well, at least 100. LOL. Some must be changed every 90 days with strict rules. I did that task 2 times (retyping) and when it came to saving it, it just disappeared. I attacked it the 3^rd time and saved it after every 2 or 3 entries, finally got it done.

Taxes? Ah ha, this is simple (he thought). I used the Gov’t free feature and came up with owing a bunch. I just knew that was wrong, so I did it the old fashioned way, and showed a refund, I THOUGHT!

The gov’t dude argued with me. It makes me sick to be that WRONG, but I was. I had missed one of the lines in the Social Security Worksheet for taxable amounts.

Here is a sample of the instructions:

On line three this old man missed line 1z in my totals and THAT made all the difference.  I just hate being VERY WRONG.  LOL  But I was.

Well anyway I did get the taxes out of the way.  Now we are waiting other news, one is the title of the new-to-us coach before we can head back to Florida.

We know all families have problems that come up and we are not too old to be exempt, I wish we were. LOL

Still not comfortable back on this old computer, time for a replacement, Things keep going wrong and Mr/Mrs Micro Soft finally notified me there would be no more support for my old computer.  FUNNY (not haha) but with this generation nothing lasts much more than its ‘break in time’ and then something new replaces it.

 Nite Shipslog

PS: I noticed that former President Carter is in Hospice. I voted for him once, Sherry voted for him twice. We all reach a time we face death whether king, president or ditch digger. It is appointed.......

Remember:

WE are FREE to honor this Flag and Worship as we choose.

Taking a few days off.]

 I will be missing from Bloggersville for a few days.  Headed to Florida for a few days without a coach.  Just need a few days to warm up?  Yeah maybe that too. 

We have been getting this coach ready to roll and 'be ours'.  Unfortunately a few odd things happened about the title to the coach. It is making circles in the mail evidently.  It was sent to the office of the community the sellers live. Instead of being neighborly and calling the folks to tell them they had an official letter, they returned it to the sender.

The sellers are upset of course, but it is what it is.  We will take care of some other business in Florida and return to  NC and finish our plans here.Y'all take care.  See you soon.

Sherry & jack

Nite Shipslog.

New stuff, food?

Today’s one of a kind:

 This hummer might not get you there fast, but it should NEVER get stuck..

Some thoughts for today:

I enjoy hearing of your part of the country and some of your growing years.  It is nice to hear things that I can relate to and also hear of things I know nothing about.

Most people who were born early to the mid 1900’s remained in the area of their birth. In the last 40-50 years folks have moved more due to jobs, health and a desire to see something new. 

Ma and Lisa does a lot of good recipes and I am noticing more and more foods mentioned that I have never heard of. Myra mentions a lot of spicy foods, I think that is what I called HOT.  She mentions a chili that the name burns my tongue. LOL

Oh, Gary and Anna Mae up in NY cook foods, related to her heritage. It sounds great but I cannot even pronounce the names. ;-O.

Much of the moving around came due to wars. Men/boys (some ladies) who had never been off a farm found themselves in Europe or the Pacific Islands. We lived in Cuba for near 4 years and the only Cuban food I picked up on was ‘THE CUBAN’, a great sandwich, we haven’t found a place that comes close to matching it.  I forgot, I think I picked up a love for black beans and rice there.

(the pressed Cuban, above)

Oh and a real Philly Cheese Steak? I have never found one to match the one I got on the docks of Philadelphia in sort of a dive, but the sandwich was PERFECT!

Have you picked up any foods you enjoy that were not part of your upbringing?

 

Nite Shipslog

PS: I never saw nor tasted a Pizza until I was 16 years old.

I never saw broccoli, cauliflower, brussels spouts until I joined the USMC at 17. 

  I saw a potbellied stove on Gary’ Blog

Today’s one of a kind:

 
A little hauler over in the UK

Some thoughts for today:

Old Gary at https://oldboomerwoodys.blogspot.com/ made some interesting statements in his latest entry. The old sailor turned civilian law enforcement found a sweet lady, Anna Mae that would put up with him. ;-).

 Funny when we folks down south hear New York we see NYC!   Until I visited the backcountry of New York I thought it was all pavement and skyscrapers. Now a man younger than I talks about a pot bellied stove in his school and walking to school in zero and below weather in New York!

Also he mentioned schools seldom closed because of weather there.  The same here in North Carolina but we NEVER had the weather he described. Even though we were in the undeveloped South, we did have those warm radiators to get close to in cold weather.

I have seen stoves like the one above with the belly just as red as that flame inside many times.

BUT it set me to thinking of the churches and the houses of my childhood that used the cast iron potbellied stoves. I mean, absolutely RED HOT glowing red to warm a room, church or house. Kids could take a stick and touch the belly and it would burst into flame immediately. Of course a boy could get a quick ‘swat’ when caught doing that.  At least that is what I have heard,  ;-)

Of course around old folks when things like Pot Bellied stoves are mentioned, there comes stories of the pedal sewing machine, wringer washers and the old black wash pot.

But I ain’t going there.  LOL

Love you all, come back later for more corny stories.

Nite Shipslog

PS: Blogs, I ain’t even gonna mention Chatty and eating bugs!  :-O   https://chattycrone.blogspot.com/2023/02/would-you-eat-bugs.html

When you look, you are AMAZED

 Today’s one of a kind:

 I am amazed at how people travel!

Some thoughts for today:

Our English language, all words mean something, it is just that some words ‘weigh’ more than others.

amazed

[əˈmāzd]

ADJECTIVE

1.   greatly surprised; astonished:

In 1956 I became a Radio Relay Operator.  I still have a friend, Dallas, up in Pennsylvania who did the same job. We had a ¾ ton truck with radios mounted the bed and we towed a trailer with a lot of gasoline and two generators. Since the word relay means you are in the middle of something, our teams were isolated. Receiving a signal bosting it and sending it on it’s way.

That wasn’t a big deal, but I was AMAZED when they gave us new equipment and we could send FACSIMILE. Miles away a map was mounted on a drum. In our trucks a bank sheet of paper was mounted on a drum about the size of a 2 liter drink bottle. It took about 30 minutes but the map would appear one small line at a time as the drum turned. Of course it was black & white.

Shucks TV amazed me, and WOW then color was added.

The older I got I paid more attention and the more easily I became amazed.

I was AMAZED when the Russians announced they had ‘orbited’ a satellite, called Sputnik. It was the size of a Grapefruit if I remember right. I think I was also AMAZED when I began to WONDER, WHY? WHY would anyone want to do that?  Now we know don’t we?

Thomas Jefferson could write with both hands in different languages, AMAZING.  I have been to one of his homes, but Of course I never knew Jefferson.

Some photographers can catch amazing shots!

But I have known AMAZING women who could give birth to a baby and no matter what the pain or problems, they could smile and say it was worth it. I bet you are one and have known others who are AMAZING.

I am amazed when I realize I have lived 84 years.  I am more amazed that the most beautiful girl in the world has stayed married to me for over 66 years.

NOW YOU…. I am so pleased and AMAZED that you would take time to read this,  so yes….

            

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Thanks again & Stuff

 Today’s one of a kind:

The Tiki RV

Some thoughts for today:

(Help is always appreciated!)

Thanks to Myra ( https://mevely317.blogspot.com/.) She had the name of the artist of the painting hanging just above my head here, in a flash. Giacomo painted many skyscapes of NYC and is a well-respected artist.  This will be the closest we will ever be to owning the work of a famous painter.

I am not a judge of art. I see some works that sell for millions and think, WHAT?  I used to go to flea markets a lot. I looked thru the new cheap imported paintings, $8 to $20.  Most of them are beautiful and the painters create many a day. It humbles me, as a ‘starving artist’, when I look at those 'cheapos' and wish I could do one as well.  LOL

I was named correctly, or I followed my name: Jack of all trades (master of none). I am a handy man to have around my girl says.  

 I (WE) am a ‘frugal’ (translates cheap) person and very seldom buy a vehicle ‘new.’ My dad never bought a new car but did tell me when he did, it was dealer’s demonstrator’.  It was used, but cared for.

This (new to us) coach is a 2005 vehicle and looks new. We are in the process of deciding where is best to store pots, pans, dishes, everyday items and my tools and toys.

This refrig does not have an ice maker. My sweetheart loves ice. She constantly has a glass of ice with water in it. She loves to crunch ice. She noted that I once found a small ice maker at the dumpster, brought it home and fixed it; used it a little while then sold it. So I ordered one for the coach. It is small and will work well we think.

We will head out as soon as we get the title worked out. The seller is in the hospital with kidney stones at present so it will be a few more days for sure.

Take care, and thanks bunches for all the comments, prayers and bits of advice.

Nite Shipslog

Care giving now and in the past…

 Today’s one of a kind:

Called the 'Hell cat'.

Some thoughts for today:

If you have ever been one or close to someone who gave so much to care for someone, you will appreciate what maybe kin, a friend or neighbor is going thru. I speak from experience here, but mostly for my sweetheart. I took my mama into our home and Sherry gave herself completely to mama’s care. She loved and cared for my mama like NO ONE else could or would have. I KNOW the stress and pain she went thru. BUT this is about someone else….

When we lived in Albemarle, NC our closest neighbor was a widow lady who cared for her dad who was bedfast and suffering the ‘long death.’  I think I have heard that term, LONG DEATH, if not, to me it means a person suffering a fatal disease with no cure.

I was in the house several times and the house smelled of urine. The lady had no washing machine, used a black wash pot outside, that her son (my age) kept a fire under.  Her clothes lines were always lined with clothes, blankets and sheets.

I thought for a long time it was from her dad.  I learned later taking in laundry was the only way she had of making a living and staying home full time to care for her dad. There were no social programs then, churches and friends were the only assistance, as I remember.

The few days of isolation I ‘endured’ in the mountains of wind and cold, I thought of a childhood friend and his family. We have a lot in common. Both our dads were pastors. One oddity is he and I have the same VA Doctor and have the same opinion, Dr. Coutts is the BEST.

Phillip suffers from several ailments. He is in and out of the hospital; now is in a wheel chair and on constant oxygen. He and his wife have two children, one was born mentally challenged. That son is now nearing his 50^th birthday. He has always been at home. You would be amazed, he was encouraged in music. He now has a dynamic voice and sings beautifully. He also is a great bass guitarist and drummer. He somehow memorizes many songs and sings in church.

THAT woman, named Wanda, has handled ‘her crosses’ and never a complaint. I know at least one sister-in-law she took into their home and cared for. Her SIL’s death was a slow one also, but Wanda cared for her.

Yesterday we visited and took gifts, we had a good short visit.  I could tell she appreciated the visit.

You or someone you know has probably given of themselves to CARE.  Caring people are SPECIAL, appreciate them.

 

Nite Shipslog

 PS: