We are so fortunate – not only do we get beautiful sun rises – but the sunsets at night are just as beautiful!
Because we are on a major curve to the ocean – if you look at a global map – from below Myrtle Beach up to Wilmington N.C. – we are constanlty getting clouds and winds from the ocean – coming in from the sunrises and then at night coming in from the sunsets.
They say because of that curve – hurricanes usually by pass this area and head for the tip of Wilmington and then onto the outer banks!
Now – if there is a high pressure off shore -then that will direct the storm into the mainland – but that does not happen often.
Beautiful sky from the west.
And the lightening storms mostly come from over the ocean some three miles away! Thunder and rain!
Never tried this but think it to be funny!!! Might be my go to in the store next time! LOL!
With the sunset behind us – the ocean clouds in front of us!
The ocean clouds to the East – our neighbors house who has not closed – and the last foundation close to us.
Thank you for reading Papa’s World – from Cameron Woods Community – Ocean Isle Beach – N.C.
WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY PAPA’S WORLD livininglifedoingitmyway.blog FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
SHERRY CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH http://www.sf.juiceplus.com ssherrylynn49@fitztdf GOODNIGHT FROM OUR HOME AT NIGHT!
OH MY! Here Sarah is first day of H.S. and Ella first day of college and soccer!
Now – Maddy is also in college – her third year of classes and also playing soccer!
Life is changing – Deb and Mike – from three girls at home – to now just Sarah.
The twin girls – soon to be 11 years old and Bode – soon to be 8 years old.
Are also growing up so fast – and so we live on through them!
Sarah growing up – almost as tall as Ella who is taller than Sherry at 5′ 9″ !
She is now in her first year of H.S. following in the footsteps of the other two. She also could of been a really good soccer player – but has chosen the arts as her focus – dance – acting – and writing!
She looks to me just like her mother Debby!
Full of life – independent – caring – and gives her dad a run for his money! LOL
Fashion – make up – leader in trends – this is Sarah!
Full of life – she wanted grandma to take her to NYC – now I think it is Paris!
She will walk her own path in life – always looking forward.
All three of these girls – are like this – never asking just giving – helping and caring for others.
Ella from her dorm room on campus of Randolph College in Lynchburg Va.
Her picture is her first day of classes and her first day of soccer practice.
She will compete against her sister Maddy in the same cofference – and Maddy is at
The University of Lynchburg – right across town from Ella!
Maddy played in 15 games as a Freshman and was a starter her Sophomore year.
Our calender is marked for when they play each other.
We hope to plan a long weekend to see them both.
Ella is so excited – on her own – no pressures from peers – just being Ella and playing soccer and taking classes.
As you can see in the picture – smiling – gentle – caring – “TINY” as we called her – all grown up!
And then there is Papa – Thomas David Fitzsimmons – graduating in May – 1967 – all those years ago.
My best H.S. friend – bottom right hand corner – Bobby – who we have reconnected the last ten years –
who in October will come for a visit – with his wife Pam – and we will play golf – beach it –
and just be talking of old times past!
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WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY – FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
The trees behind the house are alive with the sounds of nature – frogs- cicadas – birds and the gentle breeze of the wind – the leaves – the pine needles –
I am a morning person – waking before sunrise – my favorite part of the day – seeing the breaking of the dawn.
Here – you can still see the lights on the garage – they come on at dusk and off after the Sun shines on them.
Across the street – just peaking through – the pink sky – the sun is about to shine. A new day set to begin.
Think about this sign – live life to the fullest – one day at a time.
Captured a neighborhood about to come alive.
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One thing we wanted to do when moving farther South – was golf together – and we selected this area
because it was right in the middle of all the golf courses that we want to play.
Back in NVA where we moved from – we did like golfing there but it could be expensive!We have always golfed – even back in WNY where we belonged to Saint Bonaventure golf course.
But when we moved to NVA – we found it was just too much money and not enough time!
Our friends – the McBrides – live about forty minutes from us – but they do most of their golfing within 5 miles of our new home.
We usually do a scramble for 18 holes – guys vs. the gals.
And – as usual – they always beat us by one or two strokes!
No shame there – they are putting in regulation and we can not putt! LOL
Sherry hits a straight ball – almost everytime – down the middle – I never know where I am going!
Here she is and she got a hold of this one!
The result of the previous picture drive – the green is like less than one hundred yards away!
And this was on a 320 yard hole!
Good second shot and she was putting for birdie.
Golfing with my wife SHERRY!
We try to get out once a week – sometimes we do and other times we do not.
But golfing is being outside – green grass and trees.
Year number two – being invited to the house on the lake.
We were all neighbors back in the old hood in Portville N.Y.
Sherry and I moved there in ’86 and stayed until 1999.
Buck and Cidy lived there prior to that and moved South in 1996.
Mike and Carol – well they never left – being some of the orginal people on Pleasant Acres Drive.
WE HAVE ALL STAYED FRIENDS ALL THESE YEARS!
The view of Lake Chautauqua – WNY – from the deck of the lake house.
Mike and Carol made a dream come true – they bought a house on a lake – a 30 mile long lake.
They still live back in the hood – and they own a national – pipeline painting company – going all over the counrty
for natural gas and oil lines among other construction projects!
From Mike all those years ago painting solo to now employing crews that travel the counrty –
and still the same old Carol and Mike.
Carol – that sweet smile – not a bigger Bills or Bonas fan!
Mike – we always were playing tricks on each other – or lining up the lawn mowers and racing them down the street.
William “BUCK” McBride – we have known them since we were first married in 1982. My golf buddy!
Cindy – always moving – like the engerizer bunny – walking – always doing something.
Sherry – always smiling laughing – reminds me so much of her father Bill.
We stayed until Monday morning – riding in the boat – golfing Sunday morning – tubing on Saturday – waiting out the rain – listening to music – laughing – just like days of old when we were all neighbors!
TUBING CINDY and PAPA!
Waiting out the rain storm under the canopy in the boat.
Eating dinner on the boat at the Casino Bar and Grill.
Slow cruising Lake Chautauqua before sunset.
A big heart felt thank you for our second time here to Mike and Carol.
Thank you for reading Papa’s World – The Lake House – Lake Chautauqua – WNY – friends forever.
We had just made our first slow loop around the cove on the tube – Cindy and I.
The sky turned gray – and we could see the rain coming – so we got back on the boat – pulled the tube up on the rear walkway – and headed into the covered dock area.
I had tried tubing – even if it were a slow trip around – and I was ready to go back out again and speed things up!
It was a quick rain shower and we drove onto the boat lift which is covered.
There was no lightening – just a steady rain.
We talked and decided to once again go tubing – this time a little bit faster – as the first time was sort of boring!
The rain continued for about a half hour – and we could watch it from under the canopy. We had some munchies and drinks – and were dry – the boat has a really good radio so we listened to music and talked.
Cindy and I – life jackets on – the rain almost stopped – for the time being – we were dry!
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Next – after the rain – riding the tube and the waves – cross it off my bucket list.
We were on our way for a long weekend at Lake Chautauqua and stopped overnight in Lake Holiday!
We had planned this – but they had taken Maddy back to college that day and left Ella and Sarah home.
So – we arranged to have the two of them meet us in Old Town Winchester for dinner.
Our friends Buck and Cindy were with us so they got to once again vist the family.
Debby’s flowers are just beautiful – colors everywhere.
Mike made a Swedish Bear and Ella painted it and did all the artwork on it – Welcome in Swede.
Some more of her flowers.
Debby’s Mantra.
Walking around the yard – does not do it justice as the whole back yard is the same. She has a green thumb.
Buck and Cindy saying their goodbyes and thanking them for having us overnight.
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By the time this blog posts – Ella will have started her Freshman year at Randolph College – right across the city from Maddy at the Unversity of Lynchburg.
This picture has Debby – sitting on ground in front – Tammy – with her arm around Sherry’s fathers shoulder – Sherry’s mother second from Tammy’s left in back row – and me holding Nathan – this was taken almost 32 years ago. Cassidy looks just like her mother Tammy !
We have always been a close knit family – Barb and Bill have passed on – all the cousins have children.
Sarah – who now is almost as tall as Sherry – has always wanted to dance.The twins as babies – Taylor and Cassidy – then Sarah Maddy – Debby and Ella – who starts college and will pay soccer against Maddy.
Taylor – our grand child who loves to ride horses.
They are growing up so fast – I still call them the little ones!Bode – blond hair and a smile – who searches me out in the morning to sit on my lap!The little ones when they were samll but just a few years ago.Maddy – Ella and Sarah – grwoing up – no longer the small ones – young ladies now.
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Many times when you attempt a HOME BUSINESS , the biggest obstacle can sometimes be ones self! You just have to get out of your own way ! Ask yourself not WHY ? But HOW you can accomplish what needs to be done.
During my years I have learned that success for me has come in the form of three principles that I follow.
BELIEF : Believe in what you are doing – follow your heart – ones belief is a potent force when you apply it to your convictions. Stay the course – remember – in order to succeed – take care of all the small things and the larger problem will most likely take care of itself.
FAITH : Listen – observe – and then have the FAITH to act. Plan – ask questions – and then formulate a plan of action – list your goals and have the FAITH to act on them. If you have FAITH in yourself and those around you – you are on your way !
POSITIVITY : I was asked once to give my impression on the HALF FULL vs. HALF EMPTY GLASS . To me , it is neither HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY ! There are two ingredients that are involved here. AIR & LIQUID. Without one or the other , you can not survive as far as I know! The Glass has both – both essential to you and your team ! Positivity is something I wake up with every day. I always look at whatever is positive in the situation and act on it !
In a home based business – and with a TEAM – what comes out of you goes into them ! LEAD FOR SUCCSS !
I hope this little bit goes a long way in helping you overcome the fear of leadership – look at your team and then look in the mirror. Your team will be reflected back to you !
Hallway entrance to master bedroom – great grandmothers desk ( Sherry) numerical location of our prior home – lamp that was a shower present ofr her mothers wedding – a door stopper that belonged to my parents and grandmother – family picture and Mount Nebo church done by my son in law Mike. And a large family history picture of the grandkids to the right.
In the master bedroom looking back to the hall way entrance. We sold all our furniture with the old house – so everything we had to buy and shop for.
The bedroom outfit in each bedroom and all the chairs and couches and kitchen table – end tables – stand for TV and desks in office. Outdoor patio and front porch furniture.
This was given to us as a wdding present form a fellow emplyee who worked with Sherry in the front office and has hung on our bedroom wall in every home we have lived in together. This being home number six!
Our first king sized bed we have purchased – along with a couch that pulls out into a twin bed that Bode used when they were here – all three grankids had a bed to sleep in.
We were worried about beds to sleep in – and we have enough plus our office ( blow up queen mattress to sleep both families) plus we needed storage for clothes and items – by planning with extra drawers and arranging coat closets and linen closets plus the overhead storage in the garage – we have come up with ample space along with oversized night tables and storage shelves under one bed.
This was given to us on 6-25-1982 from Pastor Dan who married us that day in Portville N.Y.
And has hung on every wall of every house we have moved into.
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Master bathroom – all tile and hardwood floors come from Dal Tile where we worked a combined 79 1/2 years before we both retired.
The middle bedroom – decorated with pictures of where Sherry grew up – Mount Jewett, Pa.
This room is where we put pictures of Mount Nebo – the historic 1800’s eight sided Swedish church –
which was built by the Swedes who settled here. It also is the final resting place of her realatives.
There is a copy of a very old map of the town of Mount Jewett – which we just framed but have not hung yet.
And of course the historic Kinzua railraod bridge – constructed in the late 1800’s –
across a valley and over 300 feet high and a mile long – and part of it taken down by a tornado!
This same bridge is where they filmed a episode of the TV series “BIGFOOT”!
This was all territory that belonded to the Seneca Indian tribe before the white man.
Looking back toward the hallway to the front door – with the bedrooms and guest bathroom to the left –
The office is to the right and behind that wall in the center. To the right is the hall leading to the garage and laundry room. We choose this model for the open concept and the enclosed office space.
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I wanted color back here – the builder planted white Crepe Myrtles out front – these are WATERMELLON!
We also replaced all the Pine Straw and moved it to the tree line where we had three Oleanders put in!
They are young plants and hoping they will take hold – watering them everyday – but next year they should bloom
a bright RED againest the back drop of the protected tree line.
The second Crepe Myrtle – all trees in the yard now have stone and brick or edging depending where they are. The ones next to the house are mulched in black and serve as a contrast to the light gray siding.
A quiet neighborhood – but already a man rang the doorbell trying to sell home securtiy!
We are slowly putting in flowers that will come back year to year – hoping to make this area wild but colorful!
This will be a on going work in progress – adding a little bit here and there!
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Even though we are surrounded by construction on new builds – my view each morning begins sometimes with the sun peaking through the clouds – the Ocean is but 3 miles away in that direction.
Welcome to Papa’s World and another day in my life.
This day we would later meet up with friends – for we had tickets at the Albama Theater in Barefoot landing –
To see the MOTOWN review straight from Broadway.
But first – I sit on my front porch every early morning – waiting for the sun to peak over the tree line.
The early morning is my favorite part of the day – has been my entire life.
When I was growing up and my brother left for college – I moved into his bedroom at the front of the house –
which faced East – every morning I would be awake listening to the birds chirping and then the sun coming through the two front windows of that bedroom.
In all my years since then – I have never lost that feeling of the dawning of a new day!
Sunrise at the new house in Cameron Woods – Ocean Ridge – Ocean Isle Beach – N.C.
But we had a show to see and first a meet up at LULU’S In Barefoot Landing with friends!
We have known them for over 35 years being neighbors before they moved to the Willmiington N.C. area.
Buck and Cindy – who now live about 40 minutes away in Magnolia Greens just outside of Leland.
We try to get together once a week to either golf or go to dinner or to a theater.
Sometimes we or they get busy and then it is several weeks before we golf!
We plan major trips every couple years – the last one was North California and Reno –
which we took ten days and traveled some 1400 miles covering the entire portion of the state near Sacremento.
We have been to Oahu – Spain – Gilbraltor and Morroco –
We have covered Mass. and Maine –
We did the wine country in Canada and Niagra falls –
a golfing vacation back home in NWPA and WNY!
We are in discussions now of a trip next year but have to wait and see how the year proceeds with Covid.
Sherry and Papa – Cindy and Buck – laughter is never not a option.
Thank you for reading Papa’s World – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog SHERRY – CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH
The entrance to Cameron Woods which is part of Ocean Ridge across the highway.
In part we choose this development because it has a place to walk! Quietly – and not much traffic!
Also close to the entrance – a retaining pond – one of many in the area.
A look from the street into Cameron Woods – Ocean Ridge.
This area was supposed to be developed much like Ocean Ridge across the street –
where the BIG CAT golf courses – four of them – are located.
When the downturn came – this section discontinued development –
somehow – Realstar became involved and is developing Cameron Woods in among all the lots that were previously
sold by the main developer.
For whatever reason – no one is building on them except maybe 8 to 10 houses.
This area is like entering a national forest!
The beginning of my walk back to the house from the gate. QUIET – hardly any cars!At the beginning a few of the less than a dozen homes that were built here.
Then you enter the forest – there are utilities here – water – sewage and electric – berms and drains and street lights with Ocean Ridge on them.
I wonder just why no one is building in these sections with many named roads turning off the main road.
Might it be all tied up in courts or someone bad mouthed the development!
Very interesting – and we have been told – they paid a lot for these properties.
We made the right choice – our development is thriving – another and last section will soon open up.
By the end of the year – our section should be completed and all sold out!
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Wild life is here – I have seen deer – turkeys – gators – turtles – birds of prey – not any snakes just yet!SHERRY – CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH – site http://www.sf.juiceplus.com – contact ssherrylynn49@aol.com
When ever we are on the beach – she is drawn to the water – wading – watching the surfers.
The beach draws her – to let off stress and a quiet place to walk – the sounds of the surf – the warm waters.
With friends – out and about – exploring the world with these two – every couple years we plan a break.
Buck and Cindy are our close friends – we moved into a house next to them 36 1/2 years ago –
and had known thenm before that. We get along and enjoy much of the same things.
Cindy is very active as is Sherry – always on the go. They walk together when we are around.
Now – our new home is about 40 minutes away from them.
We try to golf once aweek or go out to a show or dinner.
Family has and always will play a part in our lives. Sherry now is the oldest – and they all look up to her.
Here is Bode in front row with the five grandaughters behind him.
She reminds me so much of her father – tall – slim – smile – always on the go and a born entrepreneur
He always was looking for a way to make money and she has that also.
Not afraid to stand up in front of people and talk.
And they played golf just alike!
I became very good friends with him before he passed away – he told me many things promising I would not repeat them. All had to do with the War and I shall keep that promise I made to him.
I repsected him that much – it was a bonding moment for him and me.
Sitting on the Intercoastal waterway – just her and me – watching the boats and having dinner.
She loves our new area – back in NVA she would take dozens of visitors on tour guides into DC.
She is a leader – a natural born one at that!
And now – our new home – close to the beaches and the ICW – close to golfing and close to friends –
A place for FAMILY to visit and room to have them.
This is her happy place once again – walking – meeting new neighbors –
exploring and in a area that does not have the freezing ice and snow.
The new lanai and her putting her finishing touches on it!
These are but a few of her happy places – places she feels most comfortable in.
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WHEREVFRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY – FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS – PAPA’S WORLD – living life!
The view I have each morning when sitting on our new front porch!
And in the evening – we have the view to the West of sunsets!
As you can also see – we are in the middle of construction of new houses – we are the second to close –
but we have been through this twice before – and the values have already gone up!
This is our third build – in the last 22 years!
Moving South – first to the NVA area – outside of Washington DC – and buying and selling three times –
With twice building from ground up –
has led us here – in Ocean Isle Beach – Cameron Woods – and sitting on our front porch.
Our new house and most likely the last one!
We have done major landscaping since this picture was taken – removing the pine straw and replacing it with the black mulch – putting in white – gray stones around the trees in the front yard and large rocks around the lanai.
Today it looks like this – removed some bushes and put in the mulch!
We have just a few more ideas to formulate – changing a few things and we will be settled!
Another sunrise from the front porch.
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At our new home in Cameron Woods – sunrise from the front porch – at the end of this street is a pond – and a 7 foot gator lives there!
Our home – living in the South has taught me to be careful – look everywhere – snakes – spiders and gators!
I am careful where I step – I constantly look ahead – ticks are also abundant here!
But – we choose to be here – the weather is warm – but I am a warm weather person!
We finally went for a walk into the new section under construction – and found the big pond we were told about!
If you look real close – you can just see the eyes and nose of this little fellow!
He or she was about 2 1/2 feet long – just a baby – but WHERE WAS MOMMA?
We did not hang around to find out! When we started to walk away – it started to swim directly toward where we had stood! When we stopped – it stopped and when we started walking again – it swan to the bank and we could not see it! TIME TO LEAVE – and just WHERE WAS THE MOMMA!
GOLFING – we almost always see gators – so we stay away from the water!
YES – there are gators in these ponds!
As we drove by this pond on the golf cart – and I also watch out for snakes – although I have yet to see one!
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FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
And for my grand daughter Ella – we see turtles – lots of them!
