Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was and is a religious oriented holiday (methinks). BUT, but one doesn't have to be religious to be thankful.  Being thankful is an act that gives inner peace. Grateful and thankful seem to be synonymous, probably in the strictest sense they are not, but that is how I see them. 

Have you ever been in a 'near collision' and  breathed a sigh of relief, THANKFUL that you were not part of an accident.  I am not sure that God micro manages this earth, and I am not sure that His hand is not in some small things.

Many  blessings or Luck comes our way because of wise decisions  back seconds, minutes or even years prior.  There are diseases or health problems we can avoid by being wise in our lives choices.  Other diseases hidden in your genes 'may or may not' show themselves in your life time.  

I am thankful that the nasty word cancer is not prevalent in my family.  But I am VERY aware that heart disease and some dementia 'runs' in our family.  Being thankful the Hurricane, tornado or flood missed you is not being 'glad' someone else was hit.

This could be sister Shirl, she is thankful for pigs.

I am a thankful person.  SELDOM a day goes by that I do not express my thankfulness to someone, usually my girl, whom, I am the MOST THANKFUL. I would wager that every trip we have made that at one time of the other in that trip I will look at my sweetheart and say, I,we are the most blessed people in the world, you and I.

I will not take up more of your time on this Thanksgiving. I just wanted to say to the folks who read, THANKS.  To the folks whom we have met through this 'social Media', I am so thankful for you guys.  I am an optimist on life and our country.  I am THANKFUL for the USA and the opportunities I have been presented with here. This is a great country and will remain so.

Thankful for a 3 dog night!

THANKS!

Nite Shipslog.

   The Horch, Luxury cars time forgot!

New exercise, shocking hair and a K-9 Killer holed up a mile away!

Just a note about all this soft soil I have talked about in Florida.  I learned earlier that this is the easiest soil I have ever seen to dig in. BUT, I found out that it can also be TOUGH!
This is the roots that have been my new exercise, a heaping wheelbarrow full!

All that came from a spot 3' square.

The rest of the rear of the back yard is just like this.  It was covered by bushes and trees when we bought. There is a lot of exercise pulling these roots.

Okay the surprise.  Sherry and Jack Jr went off to Walmart yesterday while I fixed chicken, rice veggies and gravy for supper.  I thought they got lost. But when they left Jack's hair was grey. When they returned this is what I saw:

He said he asked for strawberry blonde color, looks pretty red.  But he is having a lot of fun with it.  hahahaha.

This was such a peaceful quiet place then all of a sudden Deltona made national news when a squirrel about two blocks from here attacked a senior.  OUCH

Then yesterday we were bothered by helicopters buzzing. Mark was on his way here from Port Richey and some of the roads were blocked.  A person had killed a K-9 dog in a gun fight with Deputy Sheriffs.   They had him surrounded in a few acres of woods a mile and a half from here. Jack Jr said he heard from the helicopter "We have eyes on you, come out with your hands up!"  He did not respond.

The copters went all night. keeping everyone awake but me, since I cannot hear with my devices off.

Today he was wounded and captured ending the two day stand off.

So I have been singing When the Squirrel went berserk in the First Self-righteous Church in Pascagoula.  

I smile thinking of Pascagoula, MS. WE worked a little there after Katrina devastated the place. We met the nicest couple while we worked there. Some folks you never forget.

Anyway, all is well. I am extremely THANKFUL. Life is good and goes on.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Nite Shipslog

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The 1956 Lincoln Continental 

Not so small things you over look.

Most folks have heard or know the expression Never ASSUME!  When you do you make an 'ASS' out of 'U' and 'ME'. That was one of the lessons I was taught when I first started teaching. DO NOT ASSUME you have the only answer, some student will prove you wrong.

When we lived in Key West I bought my dream car, a 1955 Chevy for $50. The heater for the Chevy was under the passenger's seat. I had assumed I would find one there. I looked and no heater.  Then I realized in 1955 the heater in a car was optional, since the car was bought in Key West the owner ordered it without a heater, he certainly didn't need it.

This is the Chevy after I restored it and brought it back to NC with us. That is Marty, jack's buddy, standing. He also was met in Key West.

When we bought here in Deltona, the one thing I was proud of was, it had a new A/C unit. Once the power was on we learned the A/C did not work.  Mr A/C man got it working in very little time for some $$.

WE had a cool snap, Jack and Mark arrived, switched on the heat, NO HEAT!  I had ASSUMED that since the A/C was new it also included new heat strips.  The statement came back to haunt me, "DO NOT ASSUME".  This is Florida, but it does have cool snaps.  I forgot that unlike further north, many folk here use space heaters on the few cold nights. This morning I pulled the covers of the unit and sure enough, NO HEAT STRIPS!

(We seldom have a 3 dog night in Florida, usually one would keep you warm, and comforted)

Mr. HEAT and A/C man arrived, and for $$ and an hour labor installed the heat strips. Yep, now we have heat. (Plus two space heaters we bought last night. LOL)

But life is good, it could have been lot's worse. The charge was about half of what Mr. Heat man had estimated. (Could that be done on purpose to make me smile!)

Sherry just got a call from Mark, he is coming up tonight and staying until aft Thanksgiving.

Nite Shipslog

Luxury Cars time forgot

The Bargward, 1924 -61

I'd rather work

We took a 200 mile day trip today.  We drove Mark and grand dog Janie home.  We went out to eat at Culver's before starting back home.  While in New Port Richey for a couple hours Mark drove us around the area giving Jack Jr a tour around the area after showing his home.

I learned that 200 miles in a car wears me out.  Jackie who is a professional driver, he is a part of a courier service. I have said here before he knows the company from the driver's standpoint to top management. He has organized at least two new offices for the company, but prefers to just drive. But just riding wore me out.

I told Sherry a few minutes ago, I can ride or drive this thing (the motor home) 400 miles in a day and feel like I have just been siting around at home. She sorta laughed and said, "Well when you drive and ride in this coach, you are just sitting around home."  She is absolutely right.

I believe I am spoiled.  But this is a choice, and at present we both are satisfied to have a nice guest house.  Jack Jr. has the house to himself tonight, and we are snug as a bug in a rug here. It is 51 degrees in central Florida tonight.

Mark will be back up on Wednesday because mama has promised the guys fish stew.  Then Thanksgiving Day, since it is the four of us, I got the idea we were all going to eat out. But  that is not set in concrete.

My dad was a stickler for taking care of his car engines. I think I do a good job, but not as dedicated as dad. Son Mark seems to think gas in the tank and an oil change every once in awhile is okay. Now Jack Jr. puts me and my dad to shame. He is very particular, consistent and strict in adhering to engine maintenance and cleanliness. He says, "The car is my life, my work, if it doesn't run I lose money."  Of course he is right.

Nite Shipslog

PS: The system will not load a picture tonight!

Company's here

Sons Jack Jr and Mark are here for Thanksgiving.  Life is strange (funny), the boys were a thrill a minute watching them grow and learn into the school years.   It was a wonderful life watching them play ball, going to their games.  Thrills and scares as they raced moto-cross.  Disappointment when they both quit school (like their dad), both with top grades.

 Son Mark up son jack down

Thrills when they are successful.  Happy when they marry and grands are born. Thrill upon thrill seeing the grands learn and love.

Disappointment at divorces and heart breaks at not seeing or communicating with two of the grandsons for three years.

Thrills when a great granddaughter is born, then Twin grandsons, more thrills.

BIG Thrill when the two missing grandsons fly to NC for the summer, 3 yrs after disappearing.

We have always had a close relationship with the boys. But it hasn't always BEEN FUN. Now that they have pretty well grown up, LOL, (Sherry's baby Mark is 55) we look forward to being close and visiting. They are a pleasure to be around.  They are Redskins fans, and the Skins have a game tonight. It is fun watching them watch the game.

Janie praying the Redskins win.

The boys are like the guys from the  'Odd Couple' TV series.  Mark is the 'messy dude' and Jack Jr is the neat one.  They pick at each other and it is actually fun to watch and hear now.  Both boys are opinionated, oddly though, they both were sure Trump was going to win the election.

Janie has decided she doesn't care who wins.

Jack Jr. is the techy type, Mark despises computers but both love their smart phones.

Both boys (men) have been successful in their own rite.  They will be here on and off until after Thanksgiving. And yep, the house is in top shape; but they and the dog, Janie, are here in the coach with us.

We may try to use the house some of the week for meals, we will see.

Shirl called chiding the guys for leaving her in the parking lot with her suitcase packed. They enjoy  kidding with their aunt Shirl.

Nite Shipslog

Every boys dream, Mark's Vette  in our next to last house garage. The grand kids had their town. With a police and fire station, store and  a two story playhouse with balcony)

The old ways

There are good practices, things from the past that we forget.  We forget them because for one thing we are a throw away society.  This subject came about last night as I was mentioning I cannot throw a container away.  If you are familiar with 'canning' you know about pint and quart jars.  I checked the price of jars just for the heck of it the other day and some run $1+ each.  I can remember mama giving canned stuff away and in a few weeks the jar was returned washed, with thanks. The only way a canner lost a jar was dropping it..

We are not as faithful as in the past at returning jars, but we try.

In my childhood a kid could earn some spending money by finding and saving soft drink bottles. If you took a bottle away from a store you had to pay 3¢. It still amazes me that anyone would throw a bottle out the window of a car that was worth money. But I have looked in ditches and found bottles enough to buy a Pepsi and a pack of crackers or go to a movie. When you found bottles and took them to a grocer he would give you 2 maybe 3¢, even muddy. That always amazed me because the Pepsi or Coke cost a nickel.

Many of the blogger readers who read 'Life 101' didn't notice back in the spring that Rick made a statement that dated him, it said, "Rick is OLD." Rick is a very good writer and has a pretty young wife (but he is old fashioned in some ways.) Last Spring he said, "It is time to break out the garden tools and RUB THE HANDLES DOWN WITH LINSEED OIL.

That may not mean much to some. The practice could come from military training. Years ago when the soldier carried a rifle it had a wooden stock. To keep that stock in great condition we applied linseed oil to it.  

But most likely the practice was handed down by a dad or grand parent who still had tools in their sheds that had been there 20-50 years because they were taken care of..  I have several shovels, the handles are weather cracked. If dad were alive he would shame me and say, "Son you should oil these  handles."

WE should appreciate the past enough to keep some practices alive.  It doesn't have to be a physical act, but a personal act of trust or compliment.   Life is good, some of the old paths are good to walk down, like helping a neighbor or lending a hand to some one less fortunate.

I have blogger friends who every day remind me how wonderful life and people are.

Thanks Guys (you too Rick) and thanks for stopping by the Shipslog.

Nite Shipslog

A forgotten Luxury car

The Stutz  from 1911 to 1937  The most notable the Stutz Bearcat

Coffee & containers

My job at night is preparing the coffee so Sherry can press the ‘go’ button in the morning. I am normally last to head to bed and she the first to rise.  She started buying 50% caffeine coffee for some reason (I don’t ask because I don’t care. If you are a sailor and drink coffee on the mid-watch you don’t care, just so it is black and hot).

Anyway after a couple shopping trips I suggested buying two pounds of coffee, one reg, one decaf and mixing them. (I am a cheap skate and it is cheaper that way)  Besides how do they make 50% decaf if they don’t do it the same way?

Good containers: I have a problem with throwing empty containers away. The coffee we buy now comes in cans, I save a bunch of them. We drink Green tea by the gallon jug and I keep the jugs.  I have at least 15 empty containers in my new shop already.

They work great for the small amounts of paint left in the gallon and 5 gallon cans.  They work for small containers when you are doing touch up paint work. I cut them in two and use them to hold nails by size and nuts and bolts.  The Gallon tea jugs work well as a water bowl by laying it on its side and cutting the side out for Janie the grand dog when she visits. She is a bull dog and a messy drinker anyway. LOL  I sympathize with her because like her grandpa she is deaf.

Do you have any objects that are hard to ‘throw away?’

Nite Shipslog

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Luxury cars time forgot

Isotta Fraschina (1900-1948) Italy 

Digging in the dirt and ignorance

There are times fate allows ignorance to win.  When I first had the urge to build a house I found a 'shack' for sale on a small lot, cheap. I bought it. Grandson Corey and I went over to the shack and started tearing it down.  He found a small plastic bell he liked and took it home. I told him what we were doing was a secret and he could not tell anyone where he got the bell.

(Corey with George, my partner.  Everyone loved George, he was with me over 20 years)

Sherry asked him that evening about the bell and he said, "It is a secret grandma and I can't tell anyone, and he didn't."  Of course Sherry learned about the shack and lot in a few weeks.

Ignorance. I didn't know I needed a permit to raze a house. The city let me slide after it was down. I learned my first lesson, given me by the city planner. "Mr. Darnell, I guess you were using the theory, 'It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.'  We didn't care about the shack anyway, since it had no electricity."

I didn't tell him I had never heard that statement before, but it has come in handy many times since. LOL.

When I applied for a permit to build a house, using a sketch, the city planner hemmed and hawed. Saying the lot was too small to build on, (I had no idea there was a requirement for lot size to build) but smiled and signed off on a permit.

Using a garden tiller, pick and shovel I dug my first foundation footer. The NC red dirt (clay) is tough to dig in but my first inspection was that footer. The inspector was amazed and said, "NO ONE digs a footer by hand anymore.."

That little house was the beginning of my love for building.

I said that to say this.  Today I have 'enjoyed digging in the dirt'. WOW, Florida is so easy you do not need a pick, mattock or hoe, just shovels.  Today I extended a sewer line 12 feet in an hour and a half.  Then dug  post holes for a privacy fence. I am not kidding, I dug holes 2 feet deep in less than 2 minutes with a posthole digger.  It was so easy it was almost a sin.  I love this soft dirt. (That feeling changes when it comes to areas close to bushes and trees. the roots run nearly on top of the ground.)

Nite Shipslog

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Cadillac Seville

Junior my brother stopped by our house once in one of these he had just bought. I said, "The pottery business must be booming."

He said, "Jackie, I charged it."

(Most of you know the term Charged it, is the same as financing it. Of course I knew he was kidding, he believed in debt free living)