Life and Religion

 Memorable car of the day:

This Ford was new in 1903 the year my dad was born.

For today:

Growing up I attended church enough that I thought I should get a “Get into Heaven Free’ Card, like a ‘Get out Jail Free’ card in the game of “Monopoly.”

I could not claim sickness to miss the Revival Meetings, Dad believed in divine healing and I was prayed over, and ordered to church. A Preacher’s kid could not miss church, what kind of message would that send to the parishioners.  LOL

We have a great country with many religious denominations. We have differences. But the object is conversion methinks.

I have a former shipmate and dear friend I have mentioned here on the Shipslog. Frank M. whom I thought was Catholic, but learned he is a Protodeacon with the Orthodox Church. A great guy and always has been since we met. I will not doubt his love for our Lord.

I had a supervisor, the leading Chief in Naval Intel School where I taught, Chief Dan D. who married a beautiful young lady named Joan who was Catholic, so he converted. His sweet Joan now has Alzheimer’s and he still loves her dearly. He is one of the best men I have ever known. I have no doubt he is a Christian.

Sunday morning Broadcast once his Radio Program was remote from the Church.

My dad was a fundamentalist, a conservative and Pentecostal. One of the most dedicated men that I knew. He would have loved both men I have mentioned. I have been reading some of Victor Moubarak’s stuff. His leading character in fiction is Father Ignatius.

As I read about this Catholic Priest, I actually see my dad. Both come from poor families. Both dedicated to our Lord and both facing the same problems in their ‘sheep.’ Methinks Victor is a Priest in secret. LOL

I must go. I have important things to do. I need to get some 12/2 electric wire for Grandson Luke who is installing H/AC in his house today. We then will head up the road to GGrand Stella's ball game in Cornelius, NC. 

We have things to do!

 NiteShipslog

Playing with fire and hair pins

 Memorable car of the day:

            1953 Buick Skylark

                                                                                    I saw this one on display the end of 1952 in Valdese, NC

For today:

WE have a fire in our fire pit very often, almost every day. I normally start the fire with the coals left from the day before using twigs first and some leaves. Then I start finding larger limbs that have fell overnight or I have missed on other trips around the acre we have here.

Yesterday I remembered to look thru the ashes to see if the glass I had added to the fire had melted. It had not. Since we had a very hot fire I tried again. An hour later it looked like it was yielding to the fire and I folded the round bottom of a jar I had thrown in. WOW, I actually folded it over and it looked like a Taco. I like this.

I had a bottle tree in the woods of old bottles I had found when cleaning up. I retrieved a liquor bottle and added it to the coals beneath the logs I had added. Hey I did melt it a little I was even able to push a hole thru the bottle with my fire stick.

I was so happy with my efforts I took my ‘taco’ out and laid it on the ground. Within minutes it cracked, forever gone. It looked like I would save half, but it eventually broke. SOOOO I guess it must cool down like it heated very slowly.

So I left the liquor bottle in the coals just knowing it would cool with the fire. This morning I drug it from the ashes, it was still hot to the touch and we had rain last night too. I still took it out and laid it on the ground. OUCH, that sucker broke too. I reckon I should have left it the rest of the day.

 

This is all I have left.  But at least I learned I could melt and mold glass. Maybe I need to study this some.

Anyway I am making a Black walnut cracker now. And I remember mama using the curved end of a hair pin to dig out the nuts of a Black walnut. I must ask Sherry if those still exist, do they.

Are they hair pins or Bobby-Pins?

NiteShipslog

Losing our ‘RIGHTS?’ Which ones?

 

Memorable Pickups from The Past:

Above was a truck when Amendment 27 was proposed, this truck below was NEW when it was Ratified over 200 years later. And we think congress is slow today! LOL

 1992  Ford Ranger

         Admendment #27 Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992.

 

For today:

This is a wonderful country. Our forefathers wrote some very in-depth documents that have kept this country free for a long time, and I pray for may years to come.

I hear this more and more lately. Are we losing our rights as given by our Constitution? Do you know OUR  “Bill of Rights”?

The Bill of Rights of our USA are amendments to our Constitution to spell out BASIC RIGHTS.

There are 27 amendments total in the Bill of Rights.

“Notable to me are: One gives the vote to females, one made liquor illegal (prohibition), and one later repeals that amendment for prohibition.

(Note, in ref to Prohibition, It is impossible to legislate morality successfully in a free country, IMO)

The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans’ rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people or the States. And it specifies that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

The First Amendment

The First Amendment provides several rights protections: to express ideas through speech and the press, to assemble or gather with a group to protest or for other reasons, and to ask the government to fix problems. It also protects the right to religious beliefs and practices. It prevents the government from creating or favoring a religion.

The Second Amendment

The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.

The Third Amendment

The Third Amendment prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes. Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes.

The Fourth Amendment

The Fourth Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an individual or their private property.

The Fifth Amendment

The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes. It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury.  A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken away without just compensation. People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law (fair procedures and trials.)

The Sixth Amendment

The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer. 

The Seventh Amendment

The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases.

The Eighth Amendment

The Eighth Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

The Ninth Amendment

The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out.

The Tenth Amendment

The Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people.

You can easily read #’s 11-27 if you would like.

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27

 

NiteShipslog

PS: I highlighted NO cruel and unusual, because their meanings have had a lot of debate.

More stuff and confession of stealing

 Memorable transportation of a day:

      

      Sherry on one of the boys Moto-cross bikes .       

For today:

Something there is about uncertainty that interferes with life. We (Sherry & I) are sorta ‘marking time.’ ‘Marking Time’ is a military marching order that you stand in place and march, but do not move. In other words just waiting here in NC.

Today, at 82 years old, I noticed I still use a couple marching movements without thinking i.e. turning on the ball of my foot to make a 90 degree turn  THEN I THOUGHT, if you are taught to march in the USMC you will be able to march for the rest of your life, because  “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Boot Camp does make a difference.  HOWEVER I also think, ‘Once a Soldier always a Soldier.’ And the same for all branches of services.

You could say in life, once a Preacher’s Kid, always a preacher’s kid. OR  Once a mill worker’s kid always a mill worker’s kid.

I am trying to say, how you are trained, or raised MOST LIKELY you will remain in your mind.  There are exceptions.  I have known preacher’s kids that did a 180 degree from church. Also mill worker’s kids who said they would never work in a mill, but always respected their parents for their sacrifice to give them food and life.

Life is ‘funny’.  Some, funny strange; some just funny. Growing up most kids I knew had two pairs of shoes. There was a pair for school and play and the dress up pair for Sundays and funerals.

I know I steal from you guy’s blogs and comments. Stealing is a hard habit to break. Alright, plagiarizing, that sounds just as bad. Soooo, I mentioned Haiti, I am not sure how many have been there, but you cannot even imagine the poverty. Community water supplies, that means a spigot every once in a while along a dirt street. Homes made of rusty tin roofing, scrap wood, old tarps, rags and pasteboard boxes. Myra said she was there once and commented on the poverty, she also quoted someone in the group when seeing the squalor and poverty, commenting, “Every teenager back home should see this!”

How right that is, I have never seen poverty on that magnitude.

Thanks for stopping by, I promise to do better.

NiteShipslog

PS

When you REALIZE you ARE OLD

 Memorable Vehicles from The Past:

Main street Port au Prince, Haiti when we were there.

For today:

I saw some terrible news Of kidnappings and gangs from Haiti yesterday morning. I looked closely at the pictures. They said this is Port au Prince. I was dumbfounded. There was no buildings like this in Port-au-Prince when we were there. The tallest was 2-3 stories high.

We were stationed in GITMO at the time we went. We took an Embassy flight to Port-au-Prince a couple times. SOOO Remembering those trips.........

  I said to my girl, “Honey, do you remember anything like this in Port-au-Prince, Haiti?”

“No, but you must remember it has been over 50 years since we were there!”

WHAT?? It seems like about 5-10 years.  LOL.  But then ‘Papa Doc’ had died, because we visited his grave. Baby Doc was then the Dictator, so yeah it has been a few years… OUCH

 

This is Papa Doc Duvalier's grave site, it has an 'eternal flame'. Yep it has been awhile I even had hair; Sherry is retired and Jack Jr. is on Social Security. Yep it has been awhile since we were in Haiti. 

We spent the day with these missionaries (The Garlands)  there in Port au Prince. The missionaries have passed away but I understand the oldest daughter is a pastor in Florida. I bet she is a good one. The whole family were super nice folks. Somehow I had contacted them and asked if we could bring them anything. They said that a big ham would be nice, so we took a big one.

Now in my life time I do not remember transportation as above in the USA, BUT, but I can remember my mama washing clothes something like this below.

So yeah, I must admit, I AM OLD!

NiteShipslog

PS:

Music Instruments

 Music in the Car:

Do you sing as you drive?

For today:

My sister played the piano and accordion; oldest brother the guitar. Mama the piano some and daddy played the ‘spoons’ at times. I ended up after several tries, with the trumpet because it seemed simpler with 3 keys.

The harp was always a fascinating instrument to me. As a kid I looked inside a Grand piano and it appeared that a harp was laying sideways for those keys to hit.

  Growing up I remember hearing the word violin but I knew them as fiddles.

I went thru periods of certain music’s in my life. I did like Rock and Roll because I was a kid in its heyday. I remember liking Hill Billy Music for a while.  Do you remember ‘Airlines Tapes?’ Many years ago when flying there was background music playing once the stewardesses had gone thru their safety spiel.

I bought a couple airlines tapes, one was all Chet Atkins music.  I played that reel to reel tape in my work area on the ship. The sailors in my division would stop by just to listen to his ‘easy listening’ picking.

Since I lost my hearing and have the Cochlear implants sounds are NOT the same. I can communicate but sounds are more like ‘mechanically produced’, it is hard to tell a tune, or key it is in.

BUT lately if I am alone in the car I have the radio to a classical station. There are times I want to appreciate Beethoven and Brahms.  I think I can tell the difference in the violin and piano, but it is hard. It is the complicated sounds that I enjoy and am amazed anyone could put all those instruments together.

Technology amazes me in music. It is hard to imagine the keyboard today. Joshua (grandson) can set down (or stand) at a key board and make it sound like everything from drums to a symphony. He throws individual keys & chords together and it amazes me.

I am not a fan of ‘Guitar STRUMMING’ I was spoiled to Chet Atkins and his ‘picking.’ I ask Stephen (the other twin grandson) who can do anything on a guitar, why he strums (beats) a guitar when he picks beautifully and a good as I have heard. “Grandpa, the audience demands a show with a group so I give them what they want.”

Now he teaches his son!

But I still love to hear him ’pick.’ I prefer Country Music, as it was back when it was Country. LOL I just wish I could actually ‘HEAR’ it, as it really sounds, I must imagine.

 

NiteShipslog

PS:  Some of you have music in your home. What instrument or music do you prefer? 

Mystery and Car show

 Car of the day:

WE almost met Lisa (Away From The Office Chair) But I did meet her brother and his 1951 Ford. This is one beautiful work of art. It is as nice as Lisa said it was. (He is too!)  ;-). 

For today:

This picture is below is of dying tomato plants.  It is hard to see but in the spring every year this is a garden about 25’x25’ here in the yard. It is at the beginning of our dead end street. We pass it daily. There are cantaloupes, squash, cucumbers and tomatoes. The garden flourishes. As far as we can tell not a thing is picked or harvested. It grows beautiful veggies. It is weeded until an area is gone then the grass encroaches. The tomatoes are all that is left. They were big, red and looked delicious,  BUT NONE ARE TAKEN. The veggies mature and rot, the tomatoes mature and fall to the ground, then rot. A few still rotting on the vines.

That is a mystery that would fit Paula down Texas-way if she was still with us. She was always finding mysteries… I would sure like her opinion.

Evelyn & Don met us at a car show yesterday. We loved seeing the cars.  

We saw Jerry a nephew, and also saw some old friends from the 60s.

Walking down the rows Sherry said, “There is Nick, Lisa’s husband!” (She recognized from pictures on the net.)

It was, and we had a chance to meet him and talk. One day we will run into Lisa. She was off with her daughter getting their nails done.

I thought of Victor when we saw this older English Ford.

Lots of old men looking to bring back memories.

Here is a 50 Ford straight out of the custom shop in the mid 1950s. We called it shaved, meaning it had no hanging chrome including door, hood or trunk handles. Each owner had a secret way to open the doors. French head lights and '54 Chevy grill.

I enjoy meeting the proud owners, not all but some did the restoring themselves.

It is hard to beat a '56 T-Bird.

50s VW with a Surfboard atop.

NiteShipslog

PS:  I was surprised to see an unrestored Soap Box Derby vehicle:

 

This was one of the largest local shows I have seen,  Hundreds of cars

Afghanistan, Religion and Politics

 Cars seen in Maine 2012:

 

For today:

What I read and hear, we are not at war with any country or sect at this time. WONDERFUL!!!
The 20 years wasted along with nearly 80,000 lives including nearly 2,500 US personnel. I watched our withdrawal. It was tough. It would have been horrific no matter the administration. I did not know anyone serving there at the close, but I did know men serving when we withdrew from Vietnam. That was terrible also, and appeared to be a comedy of errors just like the latest withdrawal.

Logic tells anyone there is NO way for an easy withdrawal when you become outnumbered. I feel for our people during that time but also for our friends (as in Nam) who would be killed if left behind, and we did leave many behind, in both countries and they were killed. TERRIBLE.

But now I read in the news exactly what logical minds have said when THE USA decides to bring democracy into a country that does not like it, nor does the mind set allow it. You cannot change a basic mindset. SADLY NOW MUSLIMS ARE KILLING MUSLIMS, and the sadistic thing about it is they are doing it at their PLACES of WORSHIP.

 An Islamic State suicide bomber has struck a mosque packed with Shiite Muslim worshippers in northern Afghanistan 46 killed (Associated Press).

 

— Suicide bombers attacked a Shi'ite mosque in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, killing at least 35 people, the second week in a row……

  That is one thing that is prominent in our National Documents, Separation of Church and State. We are free to worship in this country BUT, but for some reason not all peoples agree. Some want their state religion to rule the country it seems.  Please let’s not waste anymore young lives.

With separation of church and state churches and citizens of our country (USA) are free to evangelize and many a missionary has given ALL to do so. We can take our beliefs abroad, but not our politics unless that country is amiable.

I am not well versed In the Muslim Beliefs, but it seems that the Shi’ites are not liked by the Sunni. There are other sects, but they are all Muslim.

I see it as in our country the Methodists fighting the Presbyterians or Baptist.  We do it in words at times but not to killings. We, even we Christian believers at times forget we are supposed to love, not hate.

NiteShipslog

PS: