Our volleyball team after I quit playing softball – Back row – next to me – Steve and in front of him next to Sherry – Elaine. This couple are some of our oldest friends – and we still stay in touch today.
We are blessed in that we have so many dear friends.
Some – for me – go back to childhood.
Sherry – Papa – PJ – and Bob!
We have been friends since first grade – Bob and I.
We played sports together – stayed at one anothers homes.
Ran the streets after dark – drank a few beers together
and still – to this day – meet up and share old memories.
They will stop in on their way back home to N.H. in May.
HUGS TO P.J. and Bob.
Fred and Lynda – Sherry!
Freddie and I go back to 7th. grade
Playing sports together – card games – there were four of us that paled around
Freddie – Bobby and Jon ( deceased)
Lynda and Fred are the oldest couple still together as our friends.
Sherry – Buck – Cindy and Papa.
We have traveled the World together –
Spain – Gibraltar – Morocco – Canada – and numerous states on the East coast and the West coast
and in between.
Always planning new adventures.
Friends as neighbors since 1987!
Papa Jim Sherry Dottie – they have been married 40 years – and I knew them both before that – Jimmy and I played softball together for two teams in the late ’70’s!
Jim – Dottie and I all grew up in the same town in Pa. called Eldred.
Jim -Sherry and I all worked together in Olean N.Y.
It has been a long and rewarding friendship all these years.
When all the kids were young – we would vacation together at the beach.
Carol and Mike John, neighbors for 12 1/2 years in WNY!
We were neighbors and they were Buck and Cindy’s friends.
We lived beside them for 12 1/2 years
We would race our ride mowers up and down the street! LOL
We would play jokes on each other.
It was a great time in our lives and the McBrides and us left the hood
shortly after they left and moved South.
The John’s own a painting corp that travels the USA
painting various structures and energy companies pipe lines.
We will spend a long weekend with them at the lake house in WNY!
The Browns and McBrides also.
Jo Paul Peterson and Sherry
Jo graduated one year behind me
Paul graduated with Sherry from Smethport.
We got to know one another through reunions
and have traveled to their home in Phoenix and them to ours before the pandemic.
We have maintained that friendship for the last ten years or so.
Here we are at the WALL in DC.
Reflections of the soul I call this.
Gerhard and Jennie – our son in laws parents
For the last 14 years or more – we have bonded with his parents.
Always visiting them when we lived in NVA.
They have come down to visit us in North Myrtle Beach.
In laws and friends – FAMILY!
Our little group get together to golf.
There are times we try to bring us all together to golf.
Wish it would happen more often.
But when it does – it is fun and guys vs. gals!
If we are not on our game – they will beat us! LOL
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WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
Sherry’s FAMILY & FRIENDS of Juice Plus. Her network marketing business – http://www.sf.juiceplus.com SSC QMND
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When we were here with our grand kids – CASSIDY -TAYLOR – BODE – they strung together these shells with all our names on them including MORMOR & PAPA! Each time we return – we can feel them being here!
They began gathering their shells –
We had shown them the shells that the grand kids had hung from the tree!
The shell Taylor hung with her initials – TK – and the month and year!
In the back ground – our grand daughters – Cassidy – shell with her cousins Olivia in the foreground.
They loved doing this – and when other family members come down
we shall do the same!
On the tree – Sherry wrote the names – Taylor – Cassidy – Bode and now Maya and Olivia.
Maya signing her shell.
Olivia signing her shell!
We spent some time here – reading other shells and found one with a date of 1990!
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Mother and daughters – Kristie – Maya – Olivia
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FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
MAYA
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BLOG: FAMILY JONES
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PAPA AND MORMOR with Casey – Maya – Olivia – FAMILY JONES!
MORMOR – Swedish for MOTHERS-MOTHER – that has become her name for the three little ones!
Sherry has introduced crafts to all the grand kids –
and to this day – the three older ones still do crafts!
Taylor Bode Cassidy 10 6 10 years old.
All you have to do is say craft and the go right to the table – no fuss!
Busy once again – crafting – she teaches them and now Cassidy helps the other two. She is the one who texts – calls or zooms her MORMOR every day!
Cassidy – who can do any craft by herself – and often sets by herself with her IPAD – listening to instructions and creates pictures and drawings that are much larger than what she sees on the IPAD – drawing freestyle!
The older ones have that same talent – Ella has won awards for her creations.
Taylor – whom loves her alone time – building farms – houses – horses out of LEGO’S!
Bode -the one who is hard to slow down – always on the move – loves his craft time with MORMOR!
She teaches them – one at a time – not only crafts – but life itself!
Here they are after creating their make a shell wish – and MorMor helping to hang those wishes!
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Our young grandson – five granddaughters and then Bode!
From the very moment they pulled in – he asked that question –
PAPA – CAN WE GO ON YOUR HIKE?
To him – a hike is like back home – rocks – hills forest – streams!
I tried to explain to him it is different here –
But PAPA – That is not a hike – we have to go to the mountains!
Bode – entering the forest for our hike – along the ICW and the marsh land – no gators – at least we saw none!
“FOLLOW ME GUYS”!
He is a leader – and always out in front!
This is him to a tee – always staying ahead of the game – his own mind.
We walked a good mile and one half through the woods –
although he was out in front of me or alongside of me –
he never sought to run off –
staying close to me!
There were many intersections going in different directions – which way do we go PAPA he would ask – I had a map so I could tell him – he always listened to what I would say!
The twins – Taylor and Cassidy stayed close to their MORMOR ( Sherry)
We spent the better part of a hour walking the marsh and the woods
I want to come back here in the Summer so we can see more wild life!
Cassidy MORMOR Taylor Tammy Bode
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The day we went on our hike –
Bode now understands a hike can be different
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At the end of the hike – snacks and a swing – life is good and feeling blessed!
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The first thing they wanted to do was walk the beach!
Now – wouldn’t you know it that it got cold and windy the day they arrived!
It was so warm the day before people were sitting on the beach and wading in the water!
So we pressed on and walked down and onto the beach.
The wind was the culprit – making it very cold.
Even Bode has enough even though he had no shoes on!
Cassidy Taylor Bode after he put his shoes back on!
We walked to the next beach entrance and exited!
MorMor Bode Cassidy Taylor Tammy
It was a very short walk – but they got to see just how close we are!
Tammy said the kids were great – she had told them she would not stop and she didn’t making the seven hour drive in a little over six hours and they never complained!
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And that night after the kids went to bed – we relaxed and watched a playoff game
We are all from Western New York
and were huge fans when Buffalo Bills made their four straight Super Bowls!
One of my favorite beers from back in Western New York!
Ella – back when I called her ‘TINY” – a nickname her father to this day still calls her!
When she was small – she would follow me around –
when there was company she was not sure about –
she would hold my pant leg or climb up into my lap.
OH – TO HAVE THOSE DAYS ONCE AGAIN!
She has the kindest heart – always doing things you ask of her with no complaint.
Our only grand son – Bode – adores her – hanging onto her as she did to me.
She has had a trying past four or five years –
Twice braking a bone in her feet
so that she was in casts and crutches so she could not play soccer.
Missing valuable time – but when she did
she proved she belonged out there!
She caught the coaches eyes when she played – and when healthy – she was voted MVP of her JV team – alongside of her sister – who was voted MVP of her varsity team!
Today – she has sprouted up – four inches taller than her big sister
who is in her second year of college soccer at University of Lynchburg.
Ella and Maddy – loved these two little ones.
With all the adversity of her broken bones in her feet
and this past year – her senior year – because of the Pandemic
her soccer season was postponed to be played in the Spring
if they can!
The whole World has changed – but for Ella – she had choices.
Two of them – where to go to college and which coach to play for!
Not a easy choice for a 17 year old!
Taking classes on line – working her job and not playing H.S. soccer
although she did play travel team this past fall.
Ella – when she is able to play – shows great speed and control
Those two teams and coaches recruited her
attending her games when she played
It would be a hard choice to make!
Sisters – Ella will be attending Randolph College – playing against Maddy at the University of Lynchburg with youngest sister Sarah – only 14 years old!
It is with in mind – I record our lives one day at a time –
hence my blog: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
In a little over one year – thanks to my wife Sherry –
I now have a following of 362 plus followers!
Of which I only know four of them!
The rest are from all over the USA and the WORLD!
Screen shot on a normal day – I never though this would happen – but I guess projecting good thoughts – happy family life and adventures of two 70 plus year old’s must appeal to people!
Sherry and Papa – (Tom) living our life one day at a time. Each day I am alive is a blessing! I do not take it for granted.
Sherry is the driving force behind my blog –
” YOU HAVE TO WRITE AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE – A PLACE WE CAN FIND – WHEN YOU ARE GONE”
That is the reality and I am okay with it!
I write for family – I write to record for future generations so they know who I was!
Each day I open the site – answer the comments and push on!
I include lots of pictures – they all tell a story.
Each day I start out not knowing what I will write about
I see a picture I have taken – a event we did – or where a day has taken us.
Then – I start – so far I have scheduled a month ahead in stories –
That way – is we are going someplace – all I have to do is share it to face book!
On here – it is automatically scheduled!
My hope and desire is to bring inner peace to those that read this – and to see – when adversity hits home – when death knocks on your door – there is a life beyond and each day is a blessing – one that had it gone the other way – well – I am happy it didn’t – and that is going to be my legacy – living life doing it my way – blog!
Papa – walking the beach – after spending Christmas in NVA!
When we moved 21 years ago – from Western New York –
to Northern Va. my thought was we are now in the South!
We actually picked up another four to six weeks of better weather
on either side of winter!
We liked the area – going into Washington DC on a regular basis.
We purchase three homes while there – two that we actually built.
We had most of our family follow us there.
But – it still got cold and three times –
an accumulation of snow greater than in all the 50 years we lived in the snow belt!
You can change your looks – but mother nature does what it wants to do!Although I am not going into the water – 2 days before New Years eve – people in the water on North Myrtle Beach!
Now – we are calling this home until our home we are building if finished
some time in the next 4 to 6 months!
The first thing we did the next day after returning HOME – was do our walk on the beach!
Home has a different meaning now – and we have become comfortable now here.
Enough that when you have that yearning to go back home
visions of what awaits you run through your mind!
We both have always been drawn to the surf – beach – water and sand.
While dating almost 40 years ago – we spent a week in the outer banks
with my brother and some of his friends.
That is when our bond for the ocean became a fixed state in our minds.
Our Vacations revolved around different trips with our children
to beaches up and down the East coast!
It was a fun time in our early life together – the kids remember and have carried on the tradition of beach vacations!
Here we are – in our early ’70’s – homeless – living with daughters –
until we pack up and head South
to North Myrtle Beach S.C.
First thing we do as vagabonds – is play some golf!
We made it a point – have fun – play golf – and enjoy the warm weather while we can!
Here we played one of our favorite courses in NVA!
Deer are everywhere – and are so tame – even when you hit toward them
they do not move!
You have to be pretty good to hit them and we are not good! LOL
Our view from youngest daughter and husbands home!
We would have almost three months to wait before we left –
pack up and go –
to a place we had never been and found by accident
OCEAN KEYES – North Myrtle Beach
every day a 1/2 mile walk to the sand and water of the beach.
First – we had to downsize – made dozen of trips to the Salvation Army – sold almost 95% of our household furniture with the house ! And got ourselves a storage unit – one big enough to walk in and through all our “STUFF”!
I thought I would MISS STUFF but I don’t!
I have moved on – just as we were about to do!
But first saying our goodbyes – these are what I will miss – FAMILY!
You never get use to that – WHEN YOU THROW IT AWAY – REMEMBER THERE IS NO AWAY!
That is why we are back home for the Christmas time – for three weeks!
And we will come back again in late Feb. and early March.
They will come down to visit –
And our life will go on!
We will walk once again with them – we will share laughs – and in Jan. hope will bring them to us!We will meet up once again with old friends – laughing – exploring –And true to form – PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING! LOL!
ICE CREAM and a SMILE!
This one texts or calls everyday her MORMOR & PAPA!
FAMILY – fun times and memories made –
FUN TIMES and memories to be made!
NEW ADVENTURES AWAIT FOR THESE TWO – as we a\have traveled the World together and now they live only 40 miles from us!
Our friends of many years – Buck and Cindy – have lived down in N.C. for years
and now – we golf every week together.
Family is back home – friends are here!
Yes – the Sun set of a family home – the night before we left – rain shower cleaning the roadway – vagabonds!
We are blessed to have these places to stay –
and now – we have begun our new home build
and once again – it will become a FAMILY HOME!
Once again in the South – we will be together – family – as always – you never throw that away!
Alligator laying in the backyard of someones house! Across the water from the putting green!
Our friends – Jim – Dottie – Buck and Cindy – came for a visit!
And we planned to golf two different days!
The last day was at Oyster Bay – not very far from Calabash
The Seafood capital of the world
and home to many – many “GATORS” on the course!
BIG GATORS!
Jim & Buck
We had a gals vs guys match
and off we went –
I had listened to other players who had finished
talking to the starter about the “GATORS”
and how big they were!
Just laying there almost seemed it was dead until it moved its head!
We saw them a lot – esp. on the middle holes!
The ladies putting behind us – we were able to tell them where the “GATORS” were.
One par three – surrounded by water – except a small walking path
lined with flowers and tall bushes
kind of sketchy walking through there
had a drop zone right next to the green.
And a large sand trap.
Well – right next to the drop zone lay a six foot gator!
Dottie actually hit her ball and it landed on the green and rolled into the drop zone!
Where she left it for some future golfer to find as it ws too close
to that six foot gator!
We had a good time regardless –
you just did not look for golf balls as I think snakes are also here!
Me taking a picture of Jimmy taking a picture of two gators – one to his left and one to his right – the one on the left was very big!Cindy about to hit from the fairway – they are always in the middle which makes it so hard to beat them!Sherry lining up her putt – they also are always putting for either birdie or par!Jimmy hitting his Tee shot. Look close in the middle just between the fairway and trees – his ball going down the middle!Dottie playing her approach shot two strokes from there for par.The “GATOR” laying next to the sand trap and drop zone!They pared this hole!Beautiful but a lot of “GATORS” in there!People live here despite the “GATORS”!
We enjoyed this course despite the “GATORS”
being a fun course to play.
Lots of fairways and marsh – small lakes – water everywhere!
Again right down the middle!My co – pilot – Buck!
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Sherry and Cindy – Dottie walked to her ball
And yes – on the course called OYSTER BAY!
With all the “GATORS”!
It came down to the last hole – number 18 !
We had a boggy – long par 5 – missed putt and they pared!
GALS ONE UP AFTER 18
35 to 36!
70 to 71 !!!!!
I told you Jimmy – they are too good!
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All the grand kids and their parents with Sherry and myself.
When this picture was taken – the only thing we had planned
was for her 16th. birthday – we would take Ella to Florida with us for a week.
She would go to Hollywood studios to see Star Wars!
When each grand child turns 16 – we do something special with them.
Maddy wanted to swim with the Manatee’s and we did that!
Growing up in the ’60’s – we never imagined taking trips with grandparents – mine were all gone by the time I was 16!
As the year progressed – plans were made and soon – we would leave for one month in Florida.
But first – quality time with the young ones.
I will for the rest of life see this as MORMOR and Taylor – walking hand in hand to church!
Although now she is only ten years old – she comes up to just under Sherry’s chin.
She is going to be very tall and loves horse back riding!
2019 was also the year we had friends from AZ. come to visit – and accomplished crossing off everything on their bucket list to see in DC. This is a reflection of Sherry among the ghosts of the Korean War.
Many friends visited over the 21 years we lived outside D.C.
We acted as tour guides – and in the year past – we toured almost every facility
there was to visit including the Capital Building which was a first for us!
The year in review – blessings will continue in the next blog!
We also venture to outside Raleigh – N.C. to visit her sister.
Here – we went to a farm that had what are called BELTED COWS – GOATS & CHICKENS!
They are white with a black belt around the middle!
Never heard of this and never saw this before!
Standing outside the pen with the goats – chickens and cows at the BELTED FARM!
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A YEAR IN REVIEW WITH BLESSINGS WILL CONTINUE IN THE NEXT BLOG!
She would come down those stairs to say good night
give hugs and this would happen several times!
She was always asking when we would come back.
Bode – so much like Cassidy but all boy!
Every morning without fail
from 6 to 6:15 AM.
Down those stairs he would come or if I were on the front porch
climb up onto my lap.
” I LOVE YOU PAPA”!
As simple as that!
Taylor or “T” as I call her
so mature – so kind – who only wants to ride horses!
She takes lessons once a week –
She knows how to groom them and saddle them
how to clean their hooves.
“T” who just wants her ALONE time-
in her room reading or playing with her horses and lego’s!
WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER!
We spent almost three months with them
One time they spent a year with us.
Sherry is their “MORMOR”
Swedish for MOTHER’S MOTHER!
That is all they have ever called her.
Bode at five is now golfing with his daddy!“T” is so fast growing up!Cassidy is the one who teaches the others crafts – just as her MORMOR teaches others!Cassidy is her MORMOR’S SHADOW!
Yes – missing the three little ones
The older three are growing up
one in college – one about to graduate
and one who wants to be with grandma!
The three little ones – who are young enough
to see we are now at a distance and call all the time.
And then there is Tammy – their mother
who in all her life has never lived more that two hours away
They all could not be there because they are spread out
up and down the EAST COAST!
That is what she has done as the leader of TEAM GENERATIONS!
Debby ( QMND) Julie ( QSC) Mandy ( QMND)
They came because in less than two weeks – we leave the area
To start a new journey – they did not say goodbye –
but in this NETWORK BUSINESS
They said “SO LONG UNTIL WE MEET UP AGAIN”!
Lori ( SSC_
Who lives in the Outer Banks –
somewhat close to where we are going
The beauty of TEAM GENERATIONS SMILES!
They ZOOM often – these team leaders
they lead by example – healthy living.
Linda (QSC) Debby ( QMND) Shawna ( QSC)Shawna – (QSC)
The leaders of TEAM GENERATIONS – because 15 years ago –
Sherry ( Mama Bird) said yes to the health and the Business.
Changing all these lives and their families.
Julie ( QSC) who has sold and installed over 100 Tower Gardens to schoolsJulie and Carly
These ladies have promoted healthy eating and growing
ZOOM calls are now a major part of the internet business.
Stepping up to and beyond to bring health to families
and a way to supplement the income of their families
All from home – over the internet and phone.
That is why a GOODBYE is not needed
Just a SO LONG until next time.
Mandy ( QNMD)
Leading by example –
family – friends and healthy nutrition
The HOW – product – health in bottles. 30 fruits and vegetables.Debby and her mother – forever grateful – bonded – over health and nutritionFifth teen years ago – saying “YES” to these has lead to below.The leaders in TEAM GENERATIONS
A simple YES led to this and beyond
leading and showing the way
Not saying GOODBYE
But ” UNTIL WE MEET UP AGAIN”TEAM GENERATIONS ( MAMA BIRD)UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN – A MEMORY FROM THE TEAM FOR ” MAMA BIRD “!
GIGI Maddy Sarah Ella Cassidy Taylor GIGI WHERE IT ALL STARTED Sherry’s mother
We have always been family – getting together –
That comes from the close bond Sherry had with her parents.
Even though she left to go to college
and never moving back home
she always made it a point and time to go back.
Sherry Bonnie Debby Barb BillBack row Tammy Kristie Natalia Nathan front row Debby Barb Nigel Bill BethanyDebby and Tammy
And she passed that thought onto her daughters – my step daughters
and almost 39 years later – they have passed it onto their children.
Barb ( GIGI) Debby (L) Tammy (R) and Sherry
When we moved to NVA 21 years ago – it was not long before both girls and their family followed and settled near us.
Debby’s Sarah Ella Maddy
Mike and Debby eventually settled in Lake Holiday – North of Winchester.
Cassidy and Taylor the twins of Tammy and Marcus
Tammy and Marcus have always lived within a few miles of us
Marcus has a residential and commercial carpet cleaning business.
Cassidy BODE Taylor
Now there is BODE – the only boy with five girls.
Sarah and her best friend Justin who lives next door to themMaddy and Ella
Maddy is now in her second year at the University of Lynchburg
An Academic All American in her freshman year –
she plays college soccer.
Ella is now a senior – plays soccer on the Blue ridge travel team
and on the High School team of James Wood.
Maddy earned MVP on her HS team and in the same year
Ella was named MVP on her team.
Taylor now rides horsesTaylor loves horsesCassidy and Ella and Sarah are our artists Ella now stands 5′ 8 1/2 ” almost as tall as Sherry and Sarah is catching up – Taylor will also and Bode!BODE is all boy – trucks – bikes – balls – runningTaylor Maddy Cassidy
Cassidy just drew a picture of Maddy in her soccer uniform
and wrote her a letter to send to her in college
such a sweet thoughtful little girl
and she is our gymnastic and tennis player
Sarah is our dancer and going to NYC girl!
Ella is a extremely good artist and plans on playing soccer in college.
She has plans to become a PHYS ED teacher just like her father.
Taylor at one year old & her horsesFamily has always been important to all of usMaddy graduating from 6th. gradeTaylor Maddy Debby CassidyCassidy and Taylor our favorite place to get together THE BEACH!
I 