At times life ain’t fun

 Memorable car of the day:

THAT 1948 Chevy Convertible 

For today:

When I was 6 years old, I was in the room when grandma Darnell died. She had 9 men and 3 women around her bed, her children. None could stop that death.

I was there when my brothers and sisters died.  I was there when mama died and then my BIL Jim died.

Sherry’s mama died in my arms, as I tried desperately to keep her alive with CPR.

I was actually there when some took the last breath.  That is such a sad helpless feeling.

Just last night my screen saver brought to mind many friends who are GONE.

My best friend lost his sweet wife. He was the husband of Sherry’s sister Colette. Colette was a beautiful Christian lady. I remember the exact spot on the road while I was driving when Sonny said to me, “I know you think I am a terrible Christian, and I know you and everyone tells me she is in a better place, I believe it, but I don’t care, “I want her back!!”

Colette, Sonny and Sherry in Yosemite, he and I loved our girls who were sisters. They were the best of traveling companions.

We talked and I told him that me, nor especially God, would hold that against him. We are human.  We talked a lot, because we were the BEST of friends. Today, many years after his death, his name comes up at least once a day.

NO! I am not mad, upset nor frustrated, I am real. I miss Sonny, not as much as he missed his wife I am sure, BUT I miss him every day.

Today I am thinking of those who have gone over, those who have seen heaven and our Lord before me. I am not a bit envious of that……. And to tell the truth, many of them I would love to see back here with me, probably some kind of jealous love. ;-)

BUT THERE ARE/WERE FUN THINGS……  And yes, I remember them… I could kiss my girl for miles as she lay on the front seat across my lap facing me as I drove that straight drive ’48 Chevy. Traffic was much lighter then. LOL

She was one of them ’Good girls’ but once I did get her bra undone (with one hand!), but never got a handle on things. All she said was ‘hook it back’. Then she kissed me again.

Once after we were married and curb service was still popular. We ordered and ate. Then she would not leave me alone, we loved to smooch. The curb hop came out, apologized and said, the boss said knock it off.  WE really laughed and laughed, after all we were married. She has always been a hot mama!

So yep, I think of the fun things too.

Nite Shipslog

My fault, ants in the house!

Memorable car of the day:

 

MY girl pregnant with Jack Jr. in front of our '53 Plymouth. Note the window fan in neighbor's house, remember them? Neighbors '56 Buick in back ground.

 You know you are home in Florida when you see a covey (herd, bunch, group) of white Ibis wander across your yard pecking. Note the bush it is now trimmed back 2 feet.

Now today's stuff:

First, thanks for all the very good comments on our ‘grand situation’. I truly mean that. It means a lot.

Lisa (away from the office chair), said hibiscus was her dad’s favorite, but he calls them ‘Hibiscuits’. Sherry and I got a kick out of that, once we had the twins with us as kids and Sherry showed them the Hibiscus, they both called them hibiscuits, that has stuck with us over the years.

Okay, I was so proud of me for saving the beautiful flowered Hibiscus, I did not notice they also had ants visiting at the time I cut them. I brought the flowers in to let Sherry enjoy them. Before long she caught it before they got out of hand and I put them out on the patio, they are still beautiful. LOL But we will enjoy them from afar.

From yesterday’s work:

 

This shrub out back was above the roof and over to the coach.

I have no idea what this bush, tree was but it was twelve feet high.

Below is one of the Hibiscus Plants. below. Note the bush at the corner. It is a beautiful poinsettia, but not red yet. I didn't mess with it.

Next is the last Hibiscus.

Above is the results, tied into 4 foot bundles as required by the city of Leesburg for pickup.

Our trailer and coach in Leesburg.

 

Above is our orange tree, it is loaded this year. Below is the lemon tree also loaded.  The Grapefruit (not shown) not doing so well this year.

 Sorry for the over load of photos, but I had to 'splain the work involved in leaving a house for 6 months at a time. LOL 

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Meandering

Memorable car of the day:

 

Mark (left) and Jack Jr (Right) on the hood of our

1960 RAmbler. Photo compliments of Friend Retha via Friend Glenda down in Choobe, FL

 For today:

I remember that word from English class many years ago. My thoughts lately have been doing just that, meandering.

Well the coach is unstuck and all hook ups in place, water, electric and Sewer.

Our bushes and trees were going wild so I had to take time to trim several away back, cut the remains into 4’ bundles to place by the road for future pick up.

The two big Hibiscus bushes were in full bloom.

I made two vases of a few of them for my love. I could not put them all by the road.

Haven’t heard from son Mark about his inspection today. Hope it went well.

 Nite Shipslog

The grandson says, "I am a girl Grandpa! What do you say?"

 Memorable car of the day:

        1941 Graham auto

 

For today:

I have said a lot over the years here in bloggersville. Now I ask you, “How would you approach it, if you had a son, grandson or great grandson who tells you, “I am not a boy, grandpa, I am a girl.  I am no longer Stanley I am now Susan. I was never supposed to be Stanley.”

“BUT honey, I have always loved Stanley!”

Looking back. I remember when ‘Aids’ first came to the forefront. I read, “Within 2 years you will know someone who died of Aids!”  I did.

Then came Covid, it was unnatural, but I knew one of the first people who died of Covid, he was a first cousin.  Now we know at least 6 people who have died of this terrible disease.

Then comes one of the latest ‘Headline’ subjects. More and more people, even children, who are sure God or nature made a mistake and gave them the wrong plumbing when they were born. Now is when the rubber meets the road. What do you do when a child you love, who is dear to you, all of a sudden announces, “Grandpa, I am not a boy (or girl) I am really a girl (or boy)!”

Tell me how you would handle it! Friend it is going to happen, believe me.

Life throws some curves my friends, we must be ready to catch or dodge them, no matter how wild they are.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

 

  (Saturday...)   Break time

Memorable car of the day:

 1936 Landchester  (by Daimler, methinks) 

     UPdate: will take only a day.......... then back

For today:

I will give you all a break from my wisdom, LOL. WE are heading out to help son Mark get his house ready for inspection to sell. (He is feeling under the weather and this needs to be done by Tuesday) 

Will most likely be gone for a few days and ‘away from the office chair’ as Lisa has titled her blog.

Anyway y’all try to be good, I will return…

Jack  (Sherry is going too!)

 

Nite Shipslog

Sand and Florida in the winter

 Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

                 A 1927 Erskine

For today:

While still in the Navy our ship pulled into Mayport FL. That is on the Jacksonville harbor or bay. The uniform of the day was short sleeve shirts, after all this is Florida. LOL

We about froze at the bank of Telephone booths standing in line to call home.  Every port was the same, long before cell phones or the wide use of answering machines. There were 5000 men on the ship and about ten telephones. Of course the lines were long.  If no one was home or there was no answer, you had to go to the end of the line and wait again to maybe call someone else. But believe me it can get COLD in short sleeves at 40-50 degrees with a 20 mph wind coming off the bay.

About this Florida sand.  It is solid to drive on most places, but if you forget and turn your wheel while stopped, they just drill into the sand, much like you standing still on sand and just twist them back and forth, you will go down. If you do that two times, your front wheels are buried and the back wheels spin trying to get the front wheels out, so they dig into the sand themselves. Believe me it does not take long less than a minute. LOL

I laughed when Myra mentioned an audience, I did this in Deltona when we bought a house over there. With the front wheels buried I did get an audience of about ten neighbors, here I did not get an audience, Thank the Lord.

We have been dining and visiting friends who lost loved ones to Covid since we were here last. One lost a mother over 100 years old, the other two were son and son-in-law; both in their 30s. They are still devastated. We lunched with two Covid survivors, one 87 the other about 80.

Meanwhile the coach is still stuck. I hope by the end of today I will have the coach out and on the parking boards.  Life Goes on.

Wishing all of you a good day and that you are enjoying LIFE!

NiteShipslog

That will never happen in my home town.

  Car of the day…

 1904 Buckmobile

Now for Today:

I left home at 17. I was raised in small towns. Property rights were respected. You could buy a lot build you a house and call the electric company. They would come out, look at the electrical work, if it looked good to them they would hook you up. If not you would fix what needed to be done and then they hooked up the power.

My great grandpa’s house was built in the mid-1800s using  big rocks as pillars to hold it level.  It is still standing today near Toccoa, Georgia. Some people stacked blocks to build on. There was no requirement for a foundation.

On Bivouac, talking to some guys from the NY, NJ areas and learned that they had to get permission to build or change their own homes. I made a statement, “I can’t believe all that, That will never happen back in the south. WE will never be told what we can do with our OWN House!!”

 LOL That was youth speaking.... Ignorance is BLISS... I learn slow but I learn.

When I became a General Contractor I learned very soon that “YES, it can and did happen down South!”

That is also one reason I smile when my friends say LOUDLY, “The government will NEVER TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

Mostly concerning face masks and vaccines.  I had never taken a Pneumonia Shot. But when I was told I had to take the shot to get my Cochlear Implants, I immediately drove to a Walgreen Drug store and got one.

Now, if I was still in the military and they said take the shot or you are OUT, I would definitely take the shot, because I was making a career out of the service.  If I was dissatisfied with the military, I just might welcome that excuse to be discharged.

Honestly if I had a great job and the choice was take the shot or leave, I would take the shot. BUT that is a PERSONAL opinion, a logical one for me, a no-brainer.

After a talk with my doctor, whom I admire and respect, I am in the process of being immunized. I will get my second shot here in Florida in the couple weeks.

I truly hate it that is has become a political FOOTBALL! Intelligence and logic say % wise, it is smart to be vaccinated. All my doctor said in the end was, “Do the math!”

Wouldn’t you be upset to be dying and KNOW, “IF YOU HAD BEEN IMMUNIZED, MOST LIKELY THIS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING!”  I like Dr. Coutts,,,,  (2nd shot in 10 days)

Nite Shipslog

A Bad landing, LOL

 Memorable car of the day:

 The Alpha Spider

    

        For today:

I’m not bragging, but I have been able to stick this coach up in this Florida sand on two occasions, with NO HELP at all. LOL!  I am hoping I have really learned something. The coach is 26000 pounds. If you sit still and turn the front wheels they will eat right down a foot in no time.

I, the professional driver smiling in his comfortable driver’s seat didn’t realize that, and started backwards, the rear wheels learn about the front wheels very quickly and start to spin and dig down a good foot. Lemme tell you, when I GOT out of the coach TO see why it ain’t moving, I gently chided yourself fairly loudly, NOT AGAIN!  How can I be so stupid, I mean I am good at sinking into the sand!!! LOL

So to relax and do something important we decided to drive the car to Eustis and check our mail. We had a load, a lot of Birthday cards for Sherry and also junk mail. However,  at least in all the junk we got a good relaxing laugh.  We received a huge check from our over payment of County Taxes. Our refund is $1.44.

Sherry laughed and said that is better than owing the $1000 they told us at first. LOL

We do have road service, but I am sorta stubborn and try to fix anything I break. So the coach is dug out and I will reset it today.

All in all it wasn’t as bad as we thought, We spent the night in the coach in our yard.  We just might live in the coach until our drive back to NC in December.

WE have all the comforts of home right here at our finger tips.

Nite Shipslog

PS: I have been asked how long is our rig.  We are right at 60 feet when on the road.

It doesn't look as good buried in the sand. LOL No I didn't take a picture ;-)