Thinking of Friends

I received this a while ago and saved it:

Friends are like balloons;
Once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away. Sometimes we are so  caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong.. Sometimes we just  don't realize what real friendship means until it is too late. I don't want to let that happen so I'm going to tie you to my heart so I never lose you.

Now that is a little hokey for a man, so I will say that is Sherry speaking. Since she is actually my Better half, it will be okay.

I have met some great internet friends, many read this blog. Thanks for being around.

(You had better listen)

I have friends who write above my eighth grade vocabulary, but I don’t mind, sometimes I look up the words to find out what they mean. Then I forget them because that is the nature of us old folk.

(3 is cool)

Shirl asks if I can believe she is 7x, I tell her I can’t even believe I am 74. Shoot I can remember Orwells 1985 (wasn’t it?) and thought, wow that is a long way off, I will never see that.

But physical friends? I don’t have many. In reality my male friends I can count on one hand. But  I sure do not want to lose them, I might need a loan one day.

I read once, a friend would give good council and say, I will go with you to the police station to report this. A  real friend would help you bury the body. LOL  I have two of those (+me makes three).

(I think we can catch dem birds)

I started to say maybe I’m feeling down, but I am not, I am very happy. My daddy said, when it comes down to the end, where the rubber meets the road, if you have ONE good friend, you are better than most.

So thanks friends, Life is great..

Nite Shipslog

PS:

To actually be loved, is one of the greatest pleasures a human can know or enjoy.

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Must have been Sunday when this picture was made. For many years gas stations closed on Sunday.

Ah, the days of the Continental Kit.  I think this is a ‘55 Merc.

What happens when you die?

I didn’t ask what happens to you, but what happens around your body? By the time you reach your 70’s and 80’s you will have seen some deaths. Family and friends, many of your peers will have passed away.  I do not remember anyone being ‘happy’ at a death.  Once the death sinks in and the shock is gone, folks are able to smile some.

(I hear undertakers must take the casket you provide, I have often thought abut making mine!)

Only a few people who read this will have attended a wake. As a child,  we gathered at the home where the loved one would lie in the casket for at least a day, a night and part of a day before the actual service and burial. Daddy was from a  family of 12.  So when someone died there were a lot of folks around.

(These from a late square dance but the same idea)

To a kid it was fun, a time to see your cousins, play and eat until you were beat, then the kids collapsed all over the place. Most of the adults stayed up laughing and talking, relating funny things that happened to or by the deceased. It was a festive occasion, for remembering the good times.

That doesn’t happen anymore,  you still see and enjoy family for a short time. I never knew of any trouble over an estate. Mainly because there was never (in our families) enough to worry about. I think most were happy if the burial and grave plot was paid for.

That is one thing that is changed over the years, inheritance.  I have heard of family even arguing over a TV set lately. I cannot imagine what happens if there is a big estate.

I knew of one lady who was shocked at the amount  of money in her deceased husband’s wallet (Thousands$). She was under the impression they were living close on finances.

Sherry may find an extra $100 in my wallet, but not thousands, I would spend that (Of course she knows that. LOL). The nearest survivor should check everything left by the deceased, I read today that some old folk clean out a chap stick and store bills rolled up in it. SO CHECK IT OUT! Would be terrible to throw money away!

Just be careful.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Hiding money isn’t hard, It is finding it that is tough!

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That price is 25.9 per gallon

Sitting here thinking

(The Mayflower, Plymouth, Mass just north of Cape Cod)

For the last few days folks have been e-mailing and calling me to wish me a happy birthday. For some, it is a FB courtesy, and nice. BUT, I also know I have  friends some of you guys that I have never met, good friends I might add, who contacted me.

(Me, at the helm of the Mayflower)

When I first started the ‘Shipslog’ (on AOL) I never expected anyone, other than my family to read it, much less comment.  I have said on the Shipslog the first person to comment was ‘Lindie’. It  floored me. She was so sweet and said she  agreed with something I had said. Shucks, I feel in love with Lindie.

There are some trips that have absolutely blown me away. One was at the entrance of Cape Cod. Rose, from ‘Roses are Read’ was probably a kid up  in the Boston area then!

We had a camp site over looking  Buzzard’s Bay. I was on the internet using the cell phone as a modem. Sherry and I were  constantly singing Patti Page’s  ‘Cape Cod Bay.’ I cannot explain the wonderful feeling we had. A song from our courting days and we were actually there.

If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
(You're sure)You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
(Cape Cod, that old Cape Cod)

If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
(You're sure)You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
Winding roads that seem to beckon you

Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
(aah, aah)
If you spend an evening you'll want to stay (on Cape Cod Bay)
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay

You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
You're sure to fall in love
You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

My entry that night was about Cape Cod  and the direction we were facing. Lindie commented again that night. In her comment she said. “You are looking toward where we once lived. We were so poor then, my husband was in service, I would push the stroller to the Laundry mat, with the dirty laundry wedged behind the baby. But we were oh so happy.”

That night I cried a little as I read it to Sherry. Because we had been there. The same situation.

Last night out of the blue, Lindie e-mailed to say Happy Birthday. She is a Missouri Girl. Lives not far from where THE MAN Harry Truman lived.

One of the memories, of FRIENDS I have never met.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

“If you spend an Evening you’ll want to stay!

Here in Bloggersville, with something to say!”

LOL

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Amazing how many Studs you see getting gas. Also an early 50’s caddy(I believe the gas cap was under the tail light) and a nice Chevy truck.

The older I get, the more Birthdays I’ve had! (profound)

(These are the earliest pictures of me)

I was born January 17, 1939. I was the sixth child to Frank and Grace Darnell. I was born at home like most kids in that time frame. When the older brothers and sister were ready to leave home, Shirl and I were still kids at home. The brothers joined the USN and served in WWII. Kat got married.

Up until I was about 7 I didn’t mind being a preacher’s kid. I started realizing I was spending a lot of time in church, when I could have been our playing.(most folks would think that was good, but the kid doesn’t). Revivals were the worst, “Church EVERY night”. (I thought that could stunt my growth.)

During the 1940’s all churches kept their doors and windows opened during church services, there was no A/C. I learned If I could sit on the back bench (now pew), I could duck down and crawl under the bench and out the door, and go play like I was supposed to.

There were times it didn’t work well, and I got caught, that was no fun, the world still believed in the switch and belt for the misbehavers.  But being pretty much of a rebel I thought it was worth it.

I had the best mom and dad in the world, but like many children I wasn’t too sure about that ‘ALLTHE TIME’.

Dad & Mom came from Georgia but there was not a prejudiced bone in either of them. For awhile my closest friends were from the black folks farm closest to Dad’s church. Mammy would not let me eat at the table with the Davis kids, her words, “Blacks and Whites ain’t supposed to eat together.”

(Shirl hanging cousin Bobby, Me & Guy Abee on the clothes line)

But when the Davis kids were at our house they ate at the table with us.  I now know that Mammy was pretty smart, she did not believe what she said, but she knew it was prudent in the 1940’s.

Dad was invited to preach at Black churches, pastors would ‘swap pulpits’, he loved it. Our church had some shouting and dancing when folk got happy, but in the Black churches, they took the cake, they loved to dance and worship. I sorta liked that too. There wasn’t much rhyme or reason to white folks dancing, but the black brothers and sisters had some ‘real smooth moves’! Shucks I wanted to do that.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Enjoying birthdays or not, that is up to you, but as long as you are having them, you are alive.

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WOW what a service station! Picture had to be in the ‘30’s.

We are not Moving Far

We are on the road back to Wildwood. We like the area there, and we stay at Three Flags a good park.

Love our neighbors at 3 Flags.

While there we will drive to check our mail, about 30 miles.  We are sort of addicted to a Cajun Chicken place called BoJangles. There are only a few of them in Florida, but they just opened one between Leesburg and Tavares Florida, ON THE WAY TO CHECK THE MAIL.

We really are looking forward to that.

(Upper Michigan, Just pictures))

Sherry and I sit here sometimes and truly enjoy seeing the pictures that come up on the screen saver. When I was a kid I loved to look at mama’s picture books. The old ones with the black felt type paper. The pictures were held in by the black corner stickers. I think we had two of them and then a shoe box with old photos in it.

(A park of unique figures hand made from concrete bottles and stuff salvaged from the road side, Wisconsin)

(Gateway Arch St. Louis, Laura Engle's attended school here before she wrote the little house on the Prairie)

Now, with thousands of pictures stored from allover the USA and part of the world, we can name most of the places and all the folks who pop up. It is fun. We have been fortunate to travel a lot so we have too many pictures. Pictures from all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Europe, About 30 different countries.

One of the most unique to me, in the Navy I   had the pleasure of traveling the Dardanelles twice. That is something to see. The most spectacular site was seeing Mt. Vesuvius, in Sicily, erupt at 2am. As our ship passed thru the Straits of Messina. It was a thrill seeing Robert’s Athens two or three times.

(First trip to Athens was paid bythe government, The AKA 107 skipper was my Driver. LOL)

(The Eiffel Tower and a Castle in Germany, with color film)

We have been blessed with good health, we worked very hard with a plan to travel. I built a lot of houses and saved so we could travel. We own some nice properties, but we prefer the smaller lifestyle in the motor home. It moves, like today, I get to ride beside my bride and enjoy the open road.

Thanks for coming by the log

Nite Shipslog

PS:

We pass this way only once. I have seen some miserable folk and I wondered if they thought this was just a practice life, THIS IS NOT A DRESS REHERSAL, this is the real thing. ENJOY IT!

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I know the ‘47 Fleetline but is that a ‘48 Caddy convertible?

Surprise…

It is no secret we have good friends in Okeechobee.  Gary and Anna Mae used to always come to Okee in the winter, but they have had too much going on with doctors and such, and didn’t make it. We happen to be staying closer than ever and had hoped to see them, well, for sure next year.

(Holly, David Luke, Glenda and me the fish on a line,  lol)

We make it to South Florida about twice each winter. We eat at Aunt Nee’s, Glenda or David Luke’s.  So this time I told them no home cooking we want to take you guys to lunch. So we did. They picked the Cow Town Cafe. We had a great time after lunch the girls were cleaning the table. I asked if they were trying to get the waitress’s tip. They laughed.

I am sitting there fat, dumb and happy waiting for the check, when out comes the waitress carrying that beautiful cake, also the cook and dishwasher and everyone starts singing happy birthday!

See how magically David Luke made that age correction!

 

Now, this one WAS A SURPRISE! I was flabbergasted, Holly, who had baked the cake handed me a knife to cut the cake and I murdered it I was so excited.  That was so very sweet of Glenda and David Luke. Especially sweet of Holly who baked the cake and it was a beautiful cake, a work of art, with pecan halves surrounding the pineapple slices. It was as delicious as it looked.

Amazing, birthday was the furthest thing from my mind. This was one that was pulled off as slick as grease!

Thanks to the guys down Okeechobee way, that was so sweet. (And special).

Nite Shipslog

PS: Jan. 14, 1903 was my daddy’s Birthday, had he lived he would be 110 yrs old. I will always miss him. (Even thought Shirl was the pet!) Shirl sorta looked after dad in his last years, I know she misses him.

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A Pontiac wagon towing an Air Stream Hey the wagon has fender skirts…

A New Wrinkle in Our horn

My daddy’s saying. When he experienced or learned something new, he would say in amazement, “That is a new wrinkle in my horn.”

I wonder, do cows get more wrinkles in their horn a they get older?

I have tried a lot of things in my life. I have never tried to ‘push’ my opinions on anyone. Religion? I consider myself a Christian. I’ve had friends who would not agree LOL, but we all have opinions. I have said it many times, It is hard to imagine anyone preferring chocolate over Butter Pecan Ice cream, some folk just don’t make sense.  But over the years I have learned that humans (over all) do the best they can. Some cannot do as good as others, and some do better, but we all try.

I have never cared too much what folks wore, to work or church. I left my prejudices a long way behind me. I have had friends who were from a broad spectrum of beliefs. I have friends who are gay. I have had friends who are atheist, agnostic, or just unbelievers. BUT they are friends. If they want to talk religion, we talk, if they don’t, that is their business.

(Sherry got us some coffee, before going in)

Never been to a Cowboy church. So when David Luke asked me to attend with him, his sweet wife and Glenda. We made a dater for yesterday.

(David Luke, Sherry, Glenda and Holly)

WOW a beautiful setting. Giant Live oaks, palms and a few orange trees thrown in. Folks of every shape, color and size. No dress code of course, but it was from shorts and halters to complete cowboy attire including the Stetsons.

(Roughly 300 folks in attendance)

I could not understand the words, but the sound was good, a couple and a guitar. (I was disappointed they didn’t ask me to sing) I am sure they will next time.

Sherry said it was a good sermon, and the preacher also baptized a convert in a horse trough. (I thought that was a neat trick).

Dogs attended, this one became bored.

More ladies with their dogs.

The girls who were plotting and I did not know it! More on that later.

Ahhhh, after church, can you imagine these huge live oaks for the kids to climb in while mom and dad visits after church? They were having a ball.

It was a wonderful time This is Freedom Ranch, very patriotic, very loving folk. It was a GOOD wrinkle in our horn.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

It is not the type of shoe or boot you wear, but it is how straight you walk, that counts in this life.

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I believe this is a 1949 Buick.