My memory is not……

Most Saturdays our fun time and entertainment is to go to Yard sales. A week or so ago we were riding around Belmont and I read a sign, “Yard sale at 18 Henry ST.”
I drew a blank, where is Henry Street I asked.
SHE GRINNED (You know the kind) Turn right up here. She continued giving directions until I finally turned onto  a short street (2 blocks long) and ended up at 18 Henry St. A house I had built.
 
Man I thought, I built three houses on this street and two just off of it and I have forgotten?  My mind isn’t right!!
When my buddy Sonny was alive he and I used to joke constantly that Sherry, Elmer and Collette would miss their minds if they ever lost them, but ‘Me ‘n him’  would go happily on.

(In our small travel trailer, Sonny and I on a hunting trip. We never brought home a thing, but we sure ate well in the woods for a week)

So Sonny, you are gone, you left me, you left before our minds did, but Son, Now mine is gone and I didn't’ know it, but for your information,  I do miss it.

Much of that is in jest (Except the incident) but now I am heading into my upper 70’s I am finding it true, the blank spaces in my thinking and mind are getting bigger, and I do not like it.
  
But I don’t mean to complain, but I am getting to the place in age that inspired the joke about going for the mail, and noticing the yard needed mowing, go get the lawn mower and notice the hinge on the door needs fixing, look for a screw driver, notice your coffee cup you left there yesterday, take it inside, rinse it out and pour a cup of coffee and ask, now what was I going to do?
 
Thanks for stopping by. Now please tell me I am normal, Imma beginning to wonder?

Nite Shipslog
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This one never made it into production:

1956 Pontiac Club Deb Mer (The 50’s there was a big flair for fins.)

A Fun date

“Let’s go over to the BBQ King for dinner!” said my Love. Hey that sounds like a winner. The BBQ King is a land mark on the west side of Charlotte. Still a curb-hop place since 1959. Much after our ‘singles’ dating days but still in the time frame of those GREAT YOUTHFUL days.

On the ride over we drove past the Star Castle (Now a used car lot). Our date spot 1955/56.  We could park and order, Watch the Disc Jockey live, sit in the car and smooch to Blues, Rock and Roll and Rock a Billy music.

    

WE also drove close to the Airport where we used to go park to watch the Airplanes land and at time Submarine races (LOL).

Life was sweet and we were really in love (I was also in heat, methinks). That area of Charlotte was very familiar, there were several curb service places along Wilkinson Blvd which was the first 4 lane road in the area.

Believe it or not the Sliced BBQ sandwich was as good as in the 50’s. The slices on the sandwiches 1/2” thick and tender. There was over an inch of meat on each sandwich and hanging out. Of course the $.35 sandwich is now $4.50. The curb hops were older men no longer pretty girls, but they were very friendly and good at their job.

Sherry flirted with me on the trip, we talked of the days of our youth, when there was less traffic and I could kiss her for miles and still stay in the road and shift gears. (Hard to miss 4 lanes though).

I know consoles were invented by fathers whose daughters were  dating.

“How about an ice cream cone from Tony’s?” My girl is full of great suggestions , it is only 20 miles, why not. Some of our first dates were at Tony’s. They made the largest and best milkshakes in the county. They also made their own Ice Cream. I am sure the tables and booths are the same ones we used in the 1950’s.

As we licked ice cream cones, we smiled. WE are really the same inside as we were back in the 50’s, the outside has changed some (few wrinkles, less hair, gray hair) but there we sat eating the same flavors, me butter pecan and she chocolate. See…. Nothing has changed we are still in love. Plus, I like ‘at girl too.

Nite Shipslog

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I made production ;-)     in 1956, this vehicle did not:

1956 Golden Rocket, an Oldsmobile.  We were teenagers and  married in 1956!

Are you Bi-lingual?

If learning a new language was easy, I would be bi-lingual. I had this idea that I could learn (I could still hear) Spanish via Berlitz tapes as we hiked for months, but I had very little luck.

I admire anyone who speaks other languages. I am not in favor of bending the ‘USA’ to accommodate other languages, but I see nothing wrong with teaching a foreign language in our elementary schools. High school is a little late, I have a rough time remembering just a few words of French.

I am not in favor of our laws, signs, forms, etc being printed in many languages. I think the official language of the USA should be English, and business be done in English.

I think we as citizens should be tolerant as the new ‘citizens’ learn the language. If we knew their language it would help.

      

Example: Once we were in  France driving thru a small village. WE went into a small store for some drinks and snacks.  WE were having a TOUGH time conversing until a nice lady who spoke English came over and interpreted for us. I loved that lady!

Once in Mexico, Sherry and I were trying to order a meal, WE WERE LOST (language wise). Fortunately my dentist walked in and smiling spoke to the waiter and ordered for us. What a relief.

We were lost in Germany, driving, could not find our way back to the motel. I was thanking the Lord for my little pocket translator, because I did not run into an angel who spoke English.

You are blessed if you speak a couple languages, I have a tough time with English. So if you can help a foreign visitor get around in our country, do it, they will forever appreciate it.

(Shirl taught me Latin as a kid, but she didn’t explain it was Pig-Latin, did you speak Pig Latin?)

je vous aime beaucoup., J’taime  beaucoup. Parlez vous Françie’? (Misspelled, but my extent of French.) I can count to 4 in Japanese. Then my Spanish is great. I can count to twenty, Si, amigo, caliente, and nada.

So I know ‘of’ 4 languages and only speak one.

Please understand how hard it is to explain, “I need to use the bathroom.”   in a foreign country.

Nite Shipslog

PS:Together Sherry and I have been in over 26 countries, we got by, but it would be so nice to speak the language when visiting.

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Never in production:

1956 Buick Centurion II

Rev. B.F. Darnell, Jan 14, 1903- 1972

It is interesting being a preacher’s son but not always fun. By the time I was 16, I thought I had attended enough church services to earn a ‘Get out of Hell Free’ card. However I took note, no one ever gave me one!

My dad did not start off life to become a minister. He was the firstborn of a large farm family. 9 boys and 3 girls. In about 1909 after the 3rd grade he left school to work full time on the farm. The family was amazing. Everyone of the family was successful in their own rite.

 

An amazing picture dad is the baby circa Jul 1903

Grandpa Alonzo and Mae Etta (Hilley) Darnell

Dad married mom and they became share croppers in Peanuts. In the early 1900’s there were a lot of tent revivals. Dad & Mama attended  tent services and both became Christians. They both studied the Bible diligently and my dad said he felt a drawing, a yearning, a calling to spread the Gospel. Working and studying the ground dried up, there was a depression. Still studying they headed to Florida for a WPA project.

A lot of folk will remember how happy I was when Cousin Dewey (out in sin city) sent this. Daddy on the left and Uncle Oscar (mom’s brother) circa 1924

Dad like many others during the Great Depression was resourceful. When the tires blew out on the T-model they stuffed the tires with rags, and weeds and made it to Hollywood Florida.

Later they would follow dad’s parents to North Carolina, to a Mill Village called ‘Art Cloth’. The textile industry was booming, Cotton mill towns were needing workers. Dad became a weaver, then a loom fixer. During this time he attended some Bible School courses, and finally decided to build a church.

The Church was VERY successful, for years it was among the top 10 churches in our denomination in NC. We moved 6 times in my childhood. I did a great job of pouting and making mom & Dad’s life miserable on a couple moves because I was leaving some good buddies.

Dad never took a church larger than the one he was pastoring. He always took a smaller one and when he left it was larger than the previous one and usually out of debt, Dad Hated Debt (His or a church).

Dad’s last Pastorate, The East Belmont Church of God, Belmont, NC.

He had some personal opinions:

A pastor should never drive a car better than his average member.

A pastor should not be rich, we weren’t put here to be rich, Jesus nor his Apostles were rich, nor did they own fine homes or have a stable of horses and mules.

God will supply your needs, he never said your wants.

That was my dad. Frank Benjamin. Named after Frank James. And yes, he had a brother named Jesse James Darnell.

Nite Shipslog

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This one never made production:

1956 Packard Predictor (Sherry and I saw this one in the Studebaker museum in South Bend)

Grandson Josh and wife Megan, trip to Ireland

We received a dinner invite to Josh and Megan’s home. We want to go to Ireland, they were going to tell us about their trip. When they married he brought a cat and she a dog . They get along well and were a joy to watch as we talked.

I was surprised, Megan arranged the trip thru a website that specializes in placing the tourist in private homes. They were all praises for the arrangements. They loved it, said the roads were narrow and signage was sparse as They traveled From Dublin south.

An article on the news tonight from Scotland, reminded me of part of the  trip. The grand's told us their trip also included a small island, sparsely populated, where all basic needs must be brought in by boat. No crime and no police force.

      

That news I referenced, was from a small island in Scotland. It was their first criminal act in fifty years this past week a store was robbed. The owner said, he really hated to, but now he would have to lock his store at nights. It was his practice to leave the store unlocked and anyone needing anything after he left could go in get what they needed and put the money in a small honesty box.

Can you imagine anyone leaving a store open 24 hours a day and the majority of the time there is no owner or worker present?  Many of the folks who read blogs are from a time when no one locked their homes and most cars sat with keys in the ignition, but I NEVER heard of a store doing that.  It is such a shame that anyone would be that cruel to ‘challenge’ such trust.

I lament the loss of his faith in his fellows, but most of all for the person with such low morals to injure a trust that was so strong.

Our world has changed. We still have good, honest, solid citizens in our world, but our trust is now backed with locks instead of complete faith in our fellows.

I miss blind trust.

Nite Shipslog

Pictures are from the internet, Ireland Tourist.

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This dude never made production either

1955 Lincoln Indianapolis

For some reason that seems to match Myra’s personality, She would be cool in this one.

Communities

There are groups of folk you have never heard of. Or at least that is what Sherry and I have found. When the boys were in Cuba they got into Moto-Cross. They enjoyed it and when we got back to the States, they continued for awhile. We learned that there were  circles of friends who met on and off track, RAcing was also social.

 

Also in Gitmo a friend invited Sherry to learn Square dancing. I was shocked at the detail and extent the Square Dancing Community reaches. There are buttons and awards for the number of dances attended. Dancing on top the Empire State Building. Dancing on a Ship, barge, beach, airplane, you name it there is a badge for it. It was fun, but we did not continue.

 

When Sherry decided we should walk the Appalachian Trail, I was flabbergasted at the extent of the community. There are people who get so involved they dedicate their life to walking and cleaning the trail. There are AT clubs from the start at Springer Mt to the Terminus 2170 miles away on Mt. Katahdin. There are shuttles, Trail Angels and thousands of volunteers. It is so advertised that people from all over the world travel to the USA to hike. It is tight  for some and loose for others, but still a community.

I mentioned musicians, until you are connected you do not know how many ‘scheduled’ and unscheduled Jam sessions there are. Bonnie over at Organic Discourse, has a son and here hubby who do alot of jamming and ‘gigs’. Bonne joins in and sings also.

And then there is Karaoke? Jimmy down in Miami does a lot of Karaoke. We have a friend who has a Karaoke business in Florida. I would have never thunk it.

The latest community, that I NEVER heard of, is song writers. I have known several professional song writers but never thought any of them ever got together. Rick, whose blog I have been reading lately is a member of a song writers group. SO THERE MUST BE MORE OF ‘EM SO BEWARE! ;-).

Now when I read Linda, the mountain boomer, she talks about quilting. Now that community is one I have known about all my life. I have spent many hours playing cars UNDER a quilting frame while the ladies surrounded it were sewing or quilting.

Are you involved in a club or group?

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Humans seem to migrate to like minded folk.  Many small churches are like a club. (some good and some bad ;-) )

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This car never made production:

1955 Futura by Lincoln I think I would like that.

Now I am really mad!

(If I covered this subject before, here it comes again)

For years I was told, winterize your small engines. Lawnmowers, weed eaters, tillers and such. Drain the tanks and let them run until they are completely out of gas. I fooe’ed that. NEVER in over fifty years ‘winterized’ a small engine.  One reason is that in NC, you may need to cut your ‘weeds or grass’ before spring, we have mild winters.

Anyway THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. The mowers have been covered and protected, but nothing would start and run. The only to keep an engine running was putting gas in the carburetor  manually, and they would run.

Okay so I break the first Carburetor  down, it is a Toro that Shirl gave us. A great riding mower. WOW the carburetor was filled with a jelly like substance and every thing was STUCK and blocked.

   

So I cleaned the carb and got it running. Later In a conversation with Don I said my carb for the first time ever was full of jelled something. This has never happened to me!”

He smiled a wise smile and said, “YOU never had ETHANOL in your stored gas before.”

LIGHT COMES ON IN MY NOGGIN! BAD WORDS!

So a quick check on the net and it is stated that Ethanol is good in cars 2001 and up! WHAT are the millions of folks driving older cars supposed to do?

It is further stated, Gasoline with ethanol IS NOT recommended for small engines!!!

Search for gas stations with non ethonal fuel: Two within 5 miles. I know the first and head to Dales down by the river. Sticker on the tanks 10% Ethanol.

“The inter net says you have gas with no ethanol,”

“WE do, the racing fuel over there (pointing) at $8 a gallon.”

Next place. No sticker on the tank, Sunoco. Nascar recommended. I bought $20 worth. I went inside to get the receipt,on the way out I see a sign on the opposite tank, 10% E………. SHUCKS!

 

(MY Sunoco had Ethanol 10% in it today!)

So I Pour what I just bought into car tank and go down the road and finally buy ETHANOL FREE GAS for $4.22 a gallon.

 

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE! One thing I am sure of tonight is, I don’t like Ethanol. Someone recommended buying camp stove fuel in the sports section, at $6 a quart, WHAT? I do not plan on spending $24 a gallon for lawnmower food.

I know this will work out. Maybe Someone should invent the removable gas tank on the mower to make it easy to dump it for the winter.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Shucks, life ain’t bad, I think I just get side tracked and forget that everything in life “Don’t Bee Sweet”. Taking a thought from MA’s blog and BEE Attitudes.

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This one did not make the production line either..

 

1955 Ford Mystere (I first read that as Ford Misfire)

That would have taken the sporty world…

Musicians

In our years together, most of your lives have been centered around church. Strange but as an Atheist and Agnostic, I still attended church. It wasn’t a problem to me because I grew up in church. Some of the best (and worst) folk I have known were church people. Since my wife NEVER waivered in her beliefs and did not feel right by herself, I attended.

Anyway, that aside, our church always had good music. Not trained, but heartfelt giving by singers and players of instrument. For a few years I even played the trumpet in our small church bands.

I guess I set the style of guitar player by Garland Page. Garland picked the guitar. I can explain what I am saying by this: When Garland picked a song it almost ‘said’ the words, vs ‘cording’, I guess. Chet Atkins comes to mind.

The churches usually had a piano and an organ as the main instruments. Over time now the ‘keyboard’ has replaced both. (many old folk don’t like that). But all keyed instruments REQUIRES TALENT to make them ‘draw you in’, to make you meditate, pat your foot, hum or sing.

But I must tell you, musicians are a strange breed. NOT ALL. but many are very temperamental, ‘touchy’ and have an ego as big as Atlanta. Now don’t get me wrong, it is not always bad (but it can be). Popular bands are not exempt from the problem, some of you are old enough to know the Beatles had that problem.

I had to laugh when some friends came together for a reunion. Sherry and I were there because they were all friends. A good friend George (not Jones) a professional singer himself and   married to  Donna, a professional singer. Bill W. was there, a song writer, a good pianos player (who was the host).

   

During one spontaneous jam session  it was obvious the piano player was miffed. Over lunch I mentioned it to Donna who had been playing bass and singing. She laughed, “Aw don’t pay any attention to that, all of us musicians are like that at one time of the other, we all think we are better than anyone else,” She was serious and laughing too. Right then I told Sherry that is one honest lady, and crazy too.

 

Music can be a great asset. whether church or county fair. campsite or deck of a ship, and the stringed or keyed instrument MUST be a great mental past time for the talented.

I once added a room on a home for a pianist. Who gave me the acoustics she required and angles of the  ceiling and walls. A huge black grand piano was the center piece. She played for her own peace of mind and satisfaction. This lady was good.

I loved orchestra and ban music. Some things cannot be replaced. If I envy, it is key or string talent.

Nite Shipslog

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continuing the automobiles that NEVER made production:

The ‘54 Olds Rocket 88.  I read GM would not allow it’s production because it could hurt the well known Corvette.