Not to be out-done

  Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

Evelyn knows I love old cars, she called us once to see some on New Hope Road near Belmont.

For Today...

Our friend Don comes to Florida every winter (most times he brings flowers, sometimes he brings Evelyn, his wife). BUT every year he does bring plants of some kind.

This year I decided not to be out done, I would bring my wife AND A PLANT! I SEARCHED FOR THE PROPER VASE. After getting the vase at much expense I transferred my latest trial at killing plants.  I have been very good at that in the past, I just hope it doesn’t continue.

I chose an unbreakable vase due to its riding in the coach.

Our home at Thousand Trails Orlando

In just over a week, if I can keep these plants alive that long, I might get some professional advice from Don.  We are supposed to be in the same RV Park then.

This is the entry to Don/Eve's front porch, the porch has rockers and a swing

(This is just a sample of the flowering around their house, that is their RV out in the field, Don has hookups out there.)

Evelyn and Don are good friends and have a beautiful country home in our area of North Carolina. Like Sherry, they are life time residents of the Belmont area and attended the same schools as Sherry. I was in the same school for a year myself, before I became the only drop out of the group.

Don is amazing, with flora and fauna. He has his own large pond and 'raises cane' and stuff, he even ‘found’ marijuana on their land once. The dude has a green thumb. He even trains his butterflies. I remember Rick, of Alabama, could get butterflies to ‘pose’ for him. Don can do the same.

Does that make your nose itch?

Anyway, this year we have our own plant! no butterflies ;-)

  

NiteShipslog

PS .  Short movie of one of Don's butterflies.

Jerry Clower, my favorite comedian

 -00456 Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

The Corvette, probably the most identifiable classic made. 

To lighten your day...

When I did the blog entry on wakes I remembered we kids would pile on a bed to sleep 4-6 of us. We had played until we were tired and had eaten all we wanted, then we crashed. Of course the adults stayed up all night with the deceased.

Jerry was beloved throughout the South.  I have laughed hours at his funny stories. This one is not long, and it is funny to us southern folk. OK here is Jerry’s spiel of ‘Sitting up with the dead.’’  I hope it opens for you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdW6oBPao4Y

 

Whether you listen or not, we hope you are having a good start of the new year.

Thanks for stopping by the Shipsblog, life is good.

NiteShipslog

Sherry and I are not as close as we were

  Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

1964 Corvair. We had a hardtop version and loved it.

For Today...

Sherry & I both now have ‘all in one’ HP personal computers. (Mine is back on line thanks to Grandson Josh, the wizard). When we moved into an RV to live we had one PC, Sherry did not have much to do with it. Facebook was not big then. I rigged a place for the ‘bulky PC & printer) in limited space. Gradually we shared the computer as she was getting more involved. We hooked to a cell phone for internet.

This is Josh in the first coach on the PC, we had 9-10 family in that day.

Grandson Matt at the computer then also, Below was Luke and friend playing the short guys. (you can see it was a little crowded, but we loved it)

WE traded Coaches and had a cabinet maker build us the setup we now have here in the coach. I received a new BULKY PC for Christmas and shifted the old one to her side of the kitchen table. That was more wires and the huge ‘boxy computers were under the table with monitors and keyboards useable on both sides.

The original layout is above; the added cabinet is below.

The view below is when Sherry was using the old laptop, now there is a PC both sides.

The latest addition to our lives is the Trailer in Leesburg. There I made us a computer room (BR2) with our PCs side beside. No longer a table between us. I can lean over and get a kiss most any time and also play with touch her leg a little. We were that way for 3 months.

(above is the closer setup at the trailer)

Now we are again 32 inches apart, a table has come back between us. BUT it is worth the sacrifice because we are back in the coach and very seldom are over 8 feet apart. We sorta like that. We have had our BIG separations while I was active duty, we do not want more.

If we could magically clear everything out of our home and turn it over to Tom (Mr. rental man) and come back on the road to live, ‘I’ would do it. Saying ‘I’ because methinks Sherry might prefer as-is.

So now the truth is out, from sitting 12-16 inches apart, we are not as close anymore.

NiteShipslog

PS .  Blogger Lisa and hubby have their camper at an Atlantic beach Campground. Diana (of Nana Diana) mentioned on her blog that their RV will stay on an annual or seasonal spot since it is getting hard for hubby to tear down and hook up during trips.  We have friends in the same situation. ALSO I am noticing it is taking me longer than it did in the past.

MA too, has moved out of her  ‘Summer’ RV home she enjoyed into permanent foundations.

 

Remember not all bears are BIG!

 Autos of beauty

 This 1932 Ford Roadster was new when Paul Anderson, known as the strongest man in the world,  was born.

For today:

I heard more sermons growing up from dad, preachers, evangelists, ladies and men of the church than most kids. Most were Bible based and good for me.

I remember visiting a church once; the pastor was in a big way and said, “If there was one person in the church dedicated to God, we could turn this town upside down for Him”

I’m sitting there wondering, ‘Aren’t you one man?  I guess I am too skeptical.

I once heard a guy say, “If anyone would buy stock in xyz Company, they would be millionaires in 5 years!”  I figured that dude had bought all stock available. ;-)

Whether we are rich or poor, wise or foolish, we must be careful and not let our mouth overload our rear-end. (A statement I have heard all my life.)

A man known as the ‘Strongest man in the world,’ Paul Anderson, was from my dad’s hometown, Toccoa, Georgia. Dad told of a story he heard about Paul. Paul never ‘out grew’ his pants as dad would put it. He was just one of the boys around town, even with his fame.

The true story: The locals were gathered in the general store playing checkers and talking when a local spoke to Paul, “Paul, dad gummit, I’se you I’d go out in them South Mountains and git a holt the biggest bear I could find and bring him home fer a pet!”

They said Paul laughed, slapped the guy on the back and replied, “Johnny boy, there are some real little bears up there in the mountains, go git you one!”

I heard my dad use that in a sermon as an example once. It always stuck with me.  He was saying ‘Folks we may not can save the world, but There are always things we can do."

    Paul Anderson Memorial Park Toccoa, GA.

Dad had no idea that Paul was one of my heroes. I talked to him later. Yes, he knew Paul, Paul was my sister Kat’s age, they were not close friends, he older than Paul. But he knew the family. Paul won the Gold in the Olympics in 1956.

STUFF you just do not know about your family, and special people.

NiteShipslog

Wakes, Away, way back

  Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

1906 Mason Car. (It is hard for me not to say Mason Jar)  Same company methinks.

For Today...

My dad would answer when asked when he was born, “I was born January 0h-three, (Or just 3)!” He NEVER mention the 1900 part. Now that I think of it I wonder if the coming years our Great Granddaughter Elsie will say I was born in 8 ? Or Great GD Stella, “I was born in 12!”

Most people my age know very little about the lives of their Great Grandparents. Families of yester years were different than today because of the large families. Grandma Darnell was pregnant a couple times when my mama was. Therefore my brothers were older than some their Uncles.

I even played 'cars' in the dirt with an uncle. Daddy’s sister married one of my mama’s nephews. Making their son Bobby and I double cousins.

Bobby and I are the last of our families, the rest have passed on. I don’t make resolutions, but I haven’t seen Bobby since Aunt Aggie’s funeral. Formal funerals and wakes won’t happen again in our lifetimes I guess, so I am hoping I can get down to Greenville, SC to see Bobby in 2021. For years our families never had reunions, but the funerals became just that.

Cousin Bobby O'Shields and I (I am jealous of the hair)

Some who read this trivia have never attended a wake. There was a time in ancient history (Up until the 1960s) down South the body of the deceased spent their last night at home lying in an open casket. Someone was awake all night with the body so they would not be alone. By the time I was an adult, wakes were a thing of the past.

Cakes, cookies, ‘nannerpudding’ and real food abounded along with sweet tea and coffee. Wakes were actually a festive occasion. Cousins played in the yards while aunts, uncles’ parents and grands visited bringing everyone up to date since the last wake.

Our families were scattered from mid Georgia to the Virginia line. I can remember the special treat would be a having a family member in uniform home for the funeral; that was special.

Kids and family grabbed naps and crashed anyplace they could find; Pallets, cars, porches, chairs, etc.

Some things I really miss.

NiteShipslog

PS .  For many years traditional families fought the idea of a family member spending their last night above ground alone in a funeral home.

The Pandemic and RV’ing

  Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

We loved those white walls in the 50s.

Some of us had these curb feelers to keep from scrubbing the white walls against the curb. ;-)

For Today...

Most everyone we know KNOWS we are dyed in the wool RV’ers or modern Gypsies. I am shocked that it seems the RV industry is booming so It is hard to find a ‘reasonable site’ to stay in.

It stands to reason, more people feel safe in an RV. If a person can work from home, it doesn’t matter where home is.  For folks who work at home and also home school, there is no reason to have a mortar and stick home.

HOWEVER the check in policies are confusing as the dickens. We received an e-mail saying to CALL ahead to check in for lot # etc, no one is allowed in the office. Sounded good. BUT she got a call. No need to call, just go to the gate. The checkin line was about ½ mile long. But we got in. The person showing us to the site said go to the office after 3PM and get your paper work taken care of.

WE went at 4PM and waited in line outside. WE were 5 back in line. It took over 20 minutes for one person. OUCH>
A man came to find out what we needed...... Oh you need to go to the gate keeper he will take care of you. The 5 behind us left with us they had been told wrong also.

It was a little frustrating, but we are onsite and had our pork, greens, cornbread and black eyed peas. Sherry’s family followed the tradition, so she kept it up. My family did not.

We hope you had a good day and are ready for 2021. The last of 2020 was WEIRD and the first of 2021 from the news ain’t gonna be half normal, not to mention the Pandemic.

But we are gonna enjoy our vacation, nothing we can do to change world or national politics, so we think positive and pray.

NiteShipslog

THE Year 2020, remembering life; the UGLY and the GOOD.

 Autos of beauty

 What a difference 81 years make: 1939 and 2020 Chevy convertibles.

(Posting early to pack up the computer.)

For today, I welcome 2021, 2020 is hindsight:

Statements some of you have heard and cringe:

“I envy you, you can eat anything you want and not gain a pound!”

“You have a great life, never a problem!”

Right now I am looking back over our life, and overall it has been great.

Like a lot of families we have had some good and ugly things happen in our lives. Drugs and alcohol have been the cause of most. I want to say here, if drugs have not touched your family you are SOOOO blessed. Divorce is another. YES we remember them, some vividly. We remember praying. Crying privately and together for wayward sons. I remember especially standing at a sink once, washing dishes, crying and saying, “I can fix just about anything, but I cannot fix a son.” I also remember Wondering, “How much of this is my fault? I still cannot know.”

My dad & mom were perfect. They never had an education, they wanted to see me graduate High School. Being real……., they tried but yet they could not prevent their ‘wayward’ son from being a dropout, leaving home and joining the USMC.

Don’t get upset, age is talking here. I know I am old, only a few years left in life at best. Age doesn’t always bring wisdom. Now being REAL overall, we have had a great life. OH YES….And Those wayward sons,? now men!

Mark and his kids on our family cruise

Jack Jr and his 4 boys the last time we got them together in Utah

The oldest Jack Jr. is a genius. Probably an IQ higher than mine. He has opened and managed two or three offices for the courier service he works for. Presently he is 62 years old and owns two homes. Now he is just happy to drive as a courier and be his own boss. As a single parent he has raised 4 good, sharp sons and proud of them all.

That younger, a wild one, became the best employee I ever had. He became a contractor himself and built bigger and better homes than his dad. He still owns two homes also. He has three smart, hardworking kids, two sons and a sweet daughter.

Both boys have had bumps in their own lives, but have handled them and overall they too are proud.

Lemme tell you I always had HOPE for a good ending, but there were times I thought I would be visiting them in prison or burying them early.

Hey, I am coasting toward the finish line proud of my sons and also our wonderful talented grands and Great grands…..

As the year 2020 ends and I prepare to become 82 years OLD. I know we prayed necessarily for a lot of years over the boys. We worried too much. WE even turned to ALANON for a year or so. But as I approach 82 I am breathing easier, have a wonderful life and looking to make 83. ;-)

Sorry to bore you with history, but the past is past and life is good. WELCOME 2021!!!!!

NiteShipslog

PS: I would still prefer the 1939 convertible if I had a choice. ;-)

Time for a vacation ;-)

 Memorable Automobiles of The Past:

1908 Cupell 8 HP

For Today...

Yep, time for a vacation. We are heading for Orlando for a couple weeks. We’re hitting the Thousand Trails Park there. It is a great park to walk and watch nature. No we won’t be trying Disney, Universal, Lego Land nor Alligator World.

The last thing we visited in Orlando was interesting. It is called ‘The Holy Land Experience.’  It was very interesting having featured areas and Character actors as some famous Biblical Heroes. Of course it is Christian oriented and well attended. A few Novembers ago the boys came down along with BIL Sonny and took Sherry there for her birthday.

A couple years in a row we met Dallas and Marian at Thousand Trails in the winter. That was always a treat.

OH YEAH, we will also head for an additional two weeks of vacation to the Wildwood area again to see Evelyn & Don of Belmont and Donna & JIm of the Lenoir area of NC.

Hopefully Friend Buddy and wife DI can find time to show their new home near Beverly Hills. NO, not the one where the Hill Billy’s live, the Beverly Hills of Florida.

Buddy is featured in most of my books. WE were teenagers together for a couple years.

This winter-land is good when you get to see friends and visit. Some can talk of old times but then some of us are just OLD all the times.

NiteShipslog

PS As you read this we will be getting the coach ready to roll.

Our first Orange juice from our tree. It was delicious

My OJ was switched to the Lucky Dill cup saved from one of our carry outs. LOL This was red Grapefruit juice also very good.