Monday… Glad times and a special occasion, OUR 69th wedding anniversary…

 Picture of the day

Those young couples in 1956

The same couples in 2025 

This picture taken at Marian's 85th BD. She is the kid in the bunch and I am next. Dal and Sherry are the old folks.

BUT for now:

After today we will be working on being married 70 years. WE are not the only couple to be married this long, but we sure do know how to appreciate the fact that many marriages have been broken. Even worse, many loving people lose a mate, a partner, a lover and due to death their happiness was kicked in the teeth.

Just yesterday we spent some valuable time with Dallas and Marian Fletcher; friends who were married just one or two weeks after we were married. The two young married couples moved to Camp Geiger Trailer Park at Camp Lejune, NC.  WE became life long friends. Both coupes happily married.

Oh YES, My Sherry….

There is no way I can express how I feel about this lady I married. She was beautiful, that was obvious, but within a few weeks I learned she was also very smart, talented and a brave lady.  I am glad she kept me….

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

Thanks for stopping by the Shipslog.   Proud you took the time to  humor an old guy! ;-)

We celebrated with Marian and she had a cake with 85 candles on it, what a sight.

Sunday dinner, Which Fork?

 Picture of the day

 

 If you set at one of NanaDiana's tables you will know what a real layout is!!!!!

BUT for now:

I read the following just a few minutes ago. It was the report of a royal dinner. Friend Victor will recognize this meal.  He and his wife probably enjoy this twice a week.

According to the BBC, the menu included three courses, which were: Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, organic Norfolk chicken ballotine in zucchini with a thyme and savory infused jus, and vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet interior with lightly poached Victoria plums..

(I read that to Sherry and she asked, “WHAT? NO Chocolate?”)  LOL

(I am getting pictures late, my thoughts are backwards, this gets complicated!! LOL)

I do not know ‘protocol’ for dining, other than my mama said: Keep your elbows off the table and do not chew with your mouth open!  But then she also said At BATH TIME, “JACKIE! Just look behind your ears!”  I didn’t understand how I could do that either.

Growing up our table was normally set, I do not remember cloth napkins, but for sure we had only one fork. I cannot remember when, nor where I saw my first ‘proper’ full layout of silverware.  Of course I am not sure I have ever eaten with ‘real’ silverware. Our family always had stainless steel, but we still called it silverware.

I remember hearing concerning utensils, watch the host and do what he or she does. (Friend Dallas is left handed. He told me the USMC would not allow him to shoot left handed in boot camp.  I wonder if the silverware layout is confusing to lefties?  I will ask Dallas while we are here in PA.) But probably Dallas doesn’t know which fork to use either, unless Marian tells him!

My Sweetheart has real silver. It was just seen while we were packing to move. WE cannot remember using it, it is still wrapped in the ‘silverware box’.  She said ‘I thought a young girl was supposed to have a silver set, I was working, so I bought it, BUT I learned I one thing, I was not going to polish silver.’

Life is different for everyone. Not everyone is taught manners or protocol.  We notice while RV’ing; it seems many people do not know which side of the road to walk on, i,e, the rule ‘Always walk facing traffic!’ That is much safer for the pedestrian.  And there Is an ‘eternal rule’ concerning camping, “NEVER WALK THRU ANOTHER’S CAMPSITE!”  We see that violated many times.

Take care, be safe, and walk on the side of the road facing traffic!!!

Nite Shipslog

PS. 

I have heard rules are made to be broken, not sure what that actually means. LOL  When Susan commented.. 'when our wringer washer broke, I went to a laundromat.'...I had to think, I bet every little boy had to get his fingers caught in those wringers, I sure did, not sure of girls.  LOL   Heading to church to meet Dal and Marian here in Lancaster...

Saturday and Clothes lines

 Photo of the day:

 

So for today:

Monday was wash day and Ironing on Tuesday. For many of our early married years of course we did not have a washing machine. WE saved quarters because the washers and dryers took quarters, at the Laundromat.

If I remember right the washer was 2 quarters and Dryers were 25¢ for 10 minutes methinks.

Of course at times Sherry washed by hand or we had a washing machine and no dryer, so we hung the laundry out. I had no idea there were unwritten rules for hanging clothes, I learned quickly. NO underwear is hung so it can be seen from the sidewalk or road. Sheets and big stuff are hung in front of all undies. Did You know that?

 

Once we saw a couple men doing their washing in Biloxi Ms. They were foreign troops in school at Keesler AFB. The washers were front loaders and the soap powder was put in on top just above the door. They put too much detergent and suds started coming out the soap hole. They took turns trying to look nonchalant and holding their hands over the hole which didn’t work of course but they were embarrassed. Suds every where, we all got a good laugh, even those men

(It wasn't this bad)

The last time we saw someone hanging clothes was on a walk in a small town in Kentucky. A lady was hanging clothes on her clothes line in the back yard.

Clothes that were hung to dry, did smell the best. BUT the ironing day was not fun.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:  Think of the good things in life, we tend to forget those things in trouble-times. BUT they are still there.

AGAIN THANKS for reading the  Shipslog. 

 

This is Friday, WE have landed in Millersville, PA on the outskirts of Lancaster.

 Picture of the day

 

Just inside the VA line on I-81, on a mt and can see those in the distance. 

For now:

Sherry and I enjoy traveling.  I have said many times this country  has so much beauty.  This trip from Belmont NC to the Dutch country of PA, is ALWAYS Great in sites and beauty.

There is Fancy Gap, the mountains we drive thru on I-81. The views as we climb the mts are fantastic; getting into Virginia, the countryside is refreshing with the huge farms and cattle.

Sherry got this one from her side looking at a NC valley just before Fancy GAP

 When we walked the Appalachian Trail we crossed under I-81 via a small road underpass . Then we climbed up to the Shenandoah mountains and walked for about a 100 miles. Like I-81 the trail only touches about 20 miles of the West Virginia mountains and a very short trip thru Maryland.

Those distant mountains brought back many memories. Remembering walking at a snails pace, as we drove 60mph in the coach, looking up where we once walked.

Then this trip ends in Pennsylvania. This country is hard to put into words. So much beautiful country mostly farm land and so many big beautiful barns.  Even the ones abandoned are pieces of art.

I have said too many times, we kids down south thought anything North or us was all cities, we had no idea there were bigger and better farms in Pennsylvania.

And then there is a famous river, the Susquehanna. I had never heard of it until I met Dallas, the guy from this foreign country.

This bridge over the river must be close to 3/4 mile long. You see a RR Tressel in the distance, Sherry could not get the whole bridge. (lotta rocks in this river, should be called Rocky River! (I coulda spelled that)
 

Oh, I almost forgot.  I grew up driving thru tobacco and cotton fields, but it has been along time since I saw Tobacco growing. This trip we passed a tobacco field brown and ready to harvest. Truthfully, although I no longer enjoy tobacco, that field was beautiful…

.Nite Shipslog

PS.  About those folks on I-81 in Maryland yesterday. Stuck in a 10 mile traffic jam, it was a 10 mile 2-3 lane parking lot.  I am not sure how long but I would guess at least 2-4 hours. Can you imagine needing to PEE? Or needing to get to a hospital for a sick loved one or dying?  Life is unpredictable! Driving 65 70 mph then sudden STOP!

Strange that I got a comment from Patricia who saw the same jam...

This is Thursday’s post… No internet/phone

 

 

BUT for now:

Sorry I got my days messed up, We had no internet last night.  I cannot believe it.  But WE had a bad start, the 12 volt system would not work in the coach.

After a lot of touch and go, we finally got the 12v.

Then a big traffic slow down in the short 10 miles we were in Maryland. The traffic jam was most of the state.  dOnce thru we noticed there was NO I81 south bound traffic NONE! T THE END OF OUR traffic jam we saw why. Two  tractor/trailers had wrecked completely blocking all 3 lanes. It was a terrible jam. We drove past about 10 miles of trucks and cars on the south bound side that could go no direction. We felt so sorry for them.

Anyway we are in Pennsylvania ready to take a break LOL

On the road to Lancaster and a little rest. LATER!

.Nite Shipslog

PS.  No one knows what the future holds, but when adversity comes we must be ready to handle it.  Knowing the Lord does help!

(review in header is word count!)

Thxxxxurxsday Wednesday (sorry I had the wrong day!)… Minister or bartender as marriage counselor!

 Favorite car Picture:

 

A lot of dating in this '48 chevy!

Probably as you read this I am on the road with my sweetheart. I enjoy driving with her beside me.  There was a time she would nearly be in my lap, kissing me as we rode around.  LOL (Happy times!)

BUT for now (continued) :

Sherry quit a good job in DC and returned to NC to take care of mama.  I remained in D.C. and kept bugging my detailer to find me something near to Charlotte, NC. He did find me a billet at the Charlotte USN Reserve Center, and I could help Sherry some.

FAMILY Caregiving is a serious, mentally strenuous situation. The situation was tough. Sherry did not have a problem taking care of mama, her love for mama was obvious, BUT the strain became too much. I don’t remember all the circumstances, and I might have some wrong, but the tension was rough on our marriage. 

So once ,I left Sherry and took mama back to her home. She was constantly saying, 'I want to go home!'.  I got mama settled in and comfortable, then I took a short trip of about a mile to where Martha was bartending. It was around 3 or 4 in the afternoon bar business was slow and so Martha had time to talk, while I had a couple beers.

Now a funny thing, Doug's pastorate was about a 100 miles away; Sherry was making a trip to see him.  I, of course, did not know that; vice versa, she had no idea I was at a bar!

Martha was still single, she never married. WE had a good visit. She slowly gave me HER advice (bartenders do that you know). She laughed telling me that once when Vondale and Rosa were having some marriage problems, he came to see her and sat right where I was sitting. LOL  Laughing she said, 'I told Von Dale he made his choice, now get back with Rosa and make it work.'

Then she looked me in the eye saying, " NOW YOU! Sherry is the BEST, get yourself back with her and do some apologizing. She loves you to death!”, 

Strange isn’t it?  Bro Douglas gave Sherry the same advice, except I am sure he did not say I was the best. LOL

But thank the Good Lord, my Sherry is the BEST, and we were only separated a few days.  WE were able to keep mama and things leveled out. That was many years ago, life has been good to me, I am one fortunate dude!

But NOT everyone can live in a home with another member of the family.  I sure appreciate and admire those folks who can.  It takes a special relationship on all sides to make that work.  And it is wonderful and sweet when it works smoothly.

.Nite Shipslog

PS.  No one knows what the future holds, but when adversity comes we must be ready to handle it. WE just heard that my friend Von Dale is watching his Rose fade away. A family member said she now weighs 75 pounds and just broke her hip. Not strong enough for surgery, but it must be done! They need all the good thoughts and prayers they can get...

Tuesday, Tuesday, Soon we will celebrate 69 years together

 Picture of the day!

Picture you have seen many times.. 

BUT for now:

I have blogged about our lives too much, most likely. But soon we will have been married (mostly) happy 69 years. I remember two bumps in this happy road of ours, making this a happy 68 years and about 11 months.

Being raised in a parsonage of a fundamental church pastor, I was moved from church to church as my dad ‘felt God wanted him to move’; six times in my life until I was 17. Most moves I made my parents lives miserable by  pouting and fussing at leaving friends.  Knowing I would have to go thru the process of making new friends.

When I was about 14/15 I met a pretty girl named Martha Carver. She said she lived in Belmont, NC. We flirted a little. At the time I lived in Valdese, NC.

That same year my dad said, "We are moving to Belmont, NC." I did not fuss nor pout, I was ready to move, I remembered Martha!

Sadly the first week in Belmont, I did not see Martha, but met a pretty girl, Margaret Woods. We became sweethearts. Martha and I did become good friends. She & Sherry were good friends. Martha became Von Dale’s sweetheart.  WE spent many, many double dates together. Martha had a brother, Doug, also a good friend of Sherry’s.  Doug was a great guy.  He became a minister and pastor, later Martha and Vondale broke up and he married Rosa.

  Below is Martha left and Sherry right.

Below  left is Margaret  and right is Martha...

Margaret and I broke up and she became Buddy’s sweetheart.  Sherry and I married. Martha remained a good friend of ours and as sweet as sugar, she steered opposite of Bro Doug and became a well-known bar tender. Interesting huh? The brother a preacher and his sister a bar tender.

Until tomorrow, remember Martha became a bartender and Doug became a pastor.

Our marriage remained solid. Over the years, I was on active duty (USN) and Sherry worked full time in Washington . My mother became bed fast, losing her legs to surgery and Sherry loved my mother, she left her job, retuned to Belmont and became mama’s care giver.

To be continued...Then the Bump!…….

Getting close to my self-imposed word limit. 

.Nite Shipslog

PS.  Remember Martha was a good friend, and a sweet bar tender. ;-)

Monday, yep again this week, Monday. ENJOYING OUR own Pop Ups!

 Photo of the day:

 THOSE ARE TRACTOR TRAILER LOADS OF ORANGES

Sadly most of these orane juice plants are closed now.

So for today:

As I type, sitting here at the kitchen booth of the motor home, I see some GRAND pop ups.

Yes, we live in the motor home now. WE are still in our backyard and go up into the house to take a bath or wash clothes.  You cannot wash clothes here in the coach, the washer will only wash about one change of clothes. LOL Here we have the Splendid washer/dryer combo. A good little machine, it will just handle only mall loads.

BUT about our pop-ups?  DIL Corinne gave us a Kodak thingee that has an e-mail address and can receive pictures from the family. The Kodak show goes on all day, So we get to see our family & friends from the past constantly, the sons, grands and great grands. It is great entertainment.

WE love it and think of Corinne of course.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:  Think of the good things in life, we tend to forget those things in trouble-times. BUT they are still there.

AGAIN THANKS for reading the  Shipslog. 

Sunday, Sunday The day of rest

 Picture of the day!

 

BUT for now:

WE B Tired! Today will be church and some time to rest.  WE are now 500-700 pounds of stuff lighter than we were on Sat morning. We sold and gave away about half of it, then a truck from the Kidney Foundation came and took what was left. We are relieved but have ‘vowed’ not to do it again. LOL

WE met some wonderful people and enjoyed a lot of fellowship. Even saw the owner of a local Lumber yard I did business with or 30-40 years ago  while in the building business.

But today is a day that was the center of my life as I grew up. I cannot remember missing Sunday School.  Even when many families did not attend church, their kids found their way to Sunday School.

It is sad that many kids today do not KNOW the great basic Bible Stories I grew up with.

There are wonerful teaching stories in scripture, no matter the many interpretation you can read.  Most of us older folks have a favorite Bible Character that grabbed our minds as a kid. From Moses to John the revelator. To this boys mind it was hard to top David and Sampson.  LOL

Of course the Birth of the Lord is tops in every child's life at Christmas.

Do you have a favorite Bible character?

 

.Nite Shipslog

PS.  No matter what else happens, I will enjoy thinking of HIM and Scripture today. I just thought of Calib and Joshua, my dad could make that story come alive.

Saturday…. Saturday YARD SALE!

 Photo of the day:

 

So for today:

We HAVE STUFF TO GET RID OF.  I am sure you do not, LOL. The ladies of our church are sponsoring a yard sale today.  We have a trailer load of stuff to take down there.

This sale is different than I have known, someone is going to be there at the end of the sale to take the stuff left if you do not want to bring it home, Sooooo we hope to come home with an empty trailer and less stuff in the garage.

I am posting this on Fri evening ‘cause we plan to be up at the strange hour of 5-5:30 to go down to help open up the show!

We plan to have a give away table and a 25 cent table. We do have a couple things with a $3 price tag or best offer.  Any offer will be the best offer. LOL

There is plenty of very good stuff, but it is stuff we do not need or will NOT use.

Have a good day… We normally visit yard sales..  We used to get most of our books there, but since we read mostly digital that is out.  Unless I see a newer John Grisham ;-)

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:  See some great pictures at  Spare Parts and Pics they are fantastic; many are from the Joshua Tree area of California.

AGAIN THANKS for reading the  Shipslog. 

 

Friday yep Friday.. What the Dr. said…

 Picture of the day!

1938 jAGUAR, One year before I was born...

Note in update 9/11

I ADDED THIS YESTERDAY TO MY LAST POST AFTER DR VISIT.. UPDATE  ;-)  Doc says I will live. made some suggestions about dizziness along with some therapy and nutritional appts.  Not sure yet, but he says my blood work is 'beautiful'. HE ALSO SAID & i QUOTE: "If you have a problem with my diagnosis, talk to Jesus!"  As I was leaving I asked the clerk out front for an appt with Jesus, his retort:  No appt needed He is always available. (That got a lot of smiles and laughs from those in waiting room.)

 

BUT for now:

I was very disappointed at the Dr. office. NOTHING EARTH SHAKING! Shucks after imagining I was surely slowly dying of an exotic disease, he says, “The blood work is beautiful, cholesterol is a little high but you can handle it.

I told him my concerns, he had me stand, gave me some movements to do, hand, arms, head, legs etc.  He smiled at my weight loss, “If you had lost like 10% of your body weight since your last visit I would be concerned.

He is putting me in touch with a nutritionist for my weight and some ‘therapy’ for the dizziness.  He hinted that since I do not use my ears for much anymore (since my cochlear implants) that may be the source of the light headedness. He says physical therapy may each me something.

So according to him my funeral is not imminent. Just to prove it he says I will see you next year…. WHEH, Now I don’t have to make a list of who gets my pocketknives and tools.

Honestly I ws expecting something more drastic, but imma be happy with what I now know…

Thanks for all your concerns, thoughts and prayers.  Who knows what prayer might have already done.. ….TRUE DAT!!

.Nite Shipslog

PS.  No matter what else happens, I will enjoy tomato sandwiches until the vines are empty.

Thursday.. AGAIN..I like a lot of things, somethings I LOVE

 Picture

 

That is about a 1955 Caddy, Not many folks could afford that one, it sold for close to $3700!  The '55 chevy could be bought for about $1400.

So, for today:

. UPDATE  ;-)  Doc says I will live. made some suggestions about dizziness along with some therapy and nutritional appts.  Not sure yet, but he says my blood work is 'beautiful'. hE ALSO SAID & i QUOTE: "If you have a problem with my diagnosis, talk to Jesus!"  As I was leaving I asked the clerk out front for an appt with Jesus, his retort:  No appt needed He is always available. (That got a lot of smiles ad laughs from those around.)

but for now:

I love Butter Pecan Ice cream, but due to it having less cholesterol I have been eating Orange Sherbet. I do like the Sherbet.

I love Grandkids, even after they are grown.

I love seeing OLD cars. It probably has a lot to do with the memories I associate with them. (Like smooching in the back seat!)

(we try to fly the flag regularly)

I love this country, it is special to me. In the USA by applying oneself, you can accomplish much. You cannot always be what you WANT to be, but when you try you can reach your potential. BUT it takes planning and many times sacrifice.

I like finding a 4 leaf clover. I haven’ found one in years. Sherry and I once worked in a building that overlooked the Pentagon and part of Arlington Cemetery. WE carried Our lunch most days and sat in the grass and clover overlooking the cemetery.  WE found MANY 4 leaf clovers as we sat enjoying our picnics.

My favorite flower is the Tulip. I love to see them. I never realized the many colors they are until we drove to Holland Michigan for the Tulip Festival, what beauty!!!

On up to northern Michigan is Mackinac Island. Now I liked that, no motor vehicles are allowed. Bicycles and horses. Pace slows down of course.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS: God is Good,  It is said....love one another!