Taking things for granted,

Picture from the past:

This is our youngest Grandson, Luke Vegas. He saved about every thing he earned. He became a homeowner, (house paid for,)  at about 23, He bought an old run-down house that was the home of the Hell's Angels, and with help from his dad and family, restored it.  He is now 29 and just told us a couple weeks ago he is gonna be a daddy!  The young man has a great work ethic of course. (today is his birthday!)

 For Today:

We, citizens of the USA, must be careful or we start taking things for granted. We are parked just a few feet from the Conestoga River here in Lancaster, PA. Great site, BUT BASICALLY NO cell signal.  WHAT? Yes, we take for granted that we can pick up the cell phone and call anywhere in the world.  Normally we can turn on the computer and get the latest news and weather. All of a sudden you feel isolated with no ‘phone’.  Now I have this on sporadically. LOL

We lived for many years with only Bell Telephone land lines. There were pay phones, and for a dime you could pick up the receiver and hear a sweet voice ask, ‘Number Please?’

I am so proud for the great technology of today where a person separated by thousands of miles can pick up their cell phones and using some app, can talk to and see their family.  I think how wonderful for military personnel on deployment. My nephew Rick can talk to and see his 2 yr old daughter in Kenya!

Gas prices? We paid around $3 a gallon on this trip, and I fuss. BUT I know in Europe it is around $6. Why can’t I smile and think how well off we are.

Oh yes, and we gripe about the price of groceries here, but here in the USA we spend an average of 4.5% of our income for groceries and in the UK it is 9.4%, Germany about 12% and in Italy a whopping 16.5%.  OUCH, yet I gripe!

We ate at Red Lobster for our Anniversary dinner. The price was around $34 before the tip. Average for 2 people in NYC is $100. Switzerland it is $105 average for two meals.

Anyway, Sherry and I are blessed (I know, I still gripe). In our 80 plus years of life I have never spent the night in a hospital and Sherry has spent one night. Nothing life threatening.

She takes a blood pressure pill, and I take Vitamin C, iron pill and daily vitamin.

And to end this diatribe, If I were typing this 65 years ago I would have already had to use correction tape over a hundred times. But then I also would have to make copies and pay for stamps to mail it to you; also to get the statistics I used would have been impossible without hours of research at a library.

And I take much of it for granted.

 Nite Shipslog

PS 

 WE enjoyed Coconut Shrimp at the Red Lobster!

 Thanks for all the comments, They are always good to read, you guys do enhance our lives, and we do not take that for granted!