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Papa’s World – More memorable times!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Before we moved in 2020 to N.C. & S.C. ( nine months) –

Sherry was a runner – along with her daughters –

pictured here is the youngest – Tammy-

All three of the oldest grandkids also run!

Her best run was finishing first in the 60 to 64 age group.

Many memories are here!

All three ran the D.C. Cherry Blossom race! TEN MILES!

I was in charge of grandkids that day –

the three youngest were not born yet.

We went into D.C. with backpacks –

And we found a place to stand – sit near the finish line.

That was a day to remember as all three came across the line holding hands!

Two daughters and their mother!

Until we left to come South – they ran on occasion.

MORE MEMORABLE TIMES!

Debby – Sherry and Tammy-

The Swedish gene runs deep here!

Sherry’s grandmother was born in Sweden.

She still has distant relatives there.

We did take an extensive tour of Denmark – Sweden, and Norway with her mother and sister-

We were on a bus and traveled for 1400 miles –

only staying more than one night in the same place twice!

We saw from a distance her homeland of her grandmother.

That is a cherished memory.

MORE MEMORABLE TIMES!

Friends for years and years.

Sherry – Dottie and Cindy.

Dottie grew up in the same town I did and married Jim who I knew and played softball with.

Cindy was our neighbor but had known Dottie and Jim.

We all lived in WNY and WPA –

although the border separated us –

it was only ten miles or so.

We have vacationed together – raised the kids and traveled the World.

To this day every three to five months we get together.

All three now live in N.C. –

Cindy is 38 miles away and Dottie is about three and one-half hours away.

Over the years which go back to the early 80’s –

We have had many memorable moments.

Today I share this moment on the waterfront-

in Wilmington, N.C.

MORE MEMORABLE TIMES!

I know this to be very true! LOL

Jimmy and I have been best buds since we played softball together in the mid to late ’70s.

We also worked at A.O.T.C. – Dal Tile together.

I went to Dottie and Jim’s wedding before I met Sherry.

Friendship runs deep – The little town of Eldred, Pa. where we were raised –

still holds a lot of special memories for the both of us.

MORE MEMORABLE TIMES!

Close friends through time.

Buck – Dottie – Sherry – Cindy and Jim.

Thanks for reading –

PAPA’S WORLD-

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway. blog

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Papa’s World – Some more good times in pictures!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

This picture not only shows Cassidy – Sarah and Taylor

when they were younger –

But was taken in Sherry’s mother’s backyard.

Every spring time this bush bloomed with purple flowers.

Looking out the breakfast room window off the kitchen –

You could see this huge bush-like tree.

Back in NWPA in the Swedish settlement of Mount Jewett –

a place we would return to often after moving to NVA!

This town was settled by immigrants from Sweden in the 1800s.

Her mother lived in this house after Sherry’s father passed away.

The house was right behind the Lutheran church

and Barb would walk out of her side door

and fifty feet at the side entrance to the church.

It is a small town –

today –

most all the store Fronts are vacant.

But – we have so many good memories of the town –

the house and her mother’s presence there.

MORE GOOD MEMORIES!

Sherry hits the golf ball –

you can see the flight it takes –

look at two o’clock from her head-

As the flight takes it to the center of the fairway.

What makes this a good memory for us –

Is this in OHAU –

on a course in the mountains?

Part of this course is in the rainforest –

it actually was raining on that part-

the other part not raining.

Those mountains were quite high

and the cliffs

were where tribal battles were fought among the different islands.

The tribe from OHAU was forced to retreat there

and eventually forced over the cliff

to their deaths.

We saw wild pigs –

mongooses – exotic birds.

Many of the holes –

I just took a stroke and went to the other side of the ravine-

It was a 200-plus-yard carry over the ravine!

You can see how lush the course is.

We can now say we played golf

in the middle of the ocean on OHAU!

ANOTHER GOOD MEMORY!

Back in Olean at DAL-TILE –

formerly American Olean Tile Co.-

We worked with artist Eric Jones

who was in the design department –

which made ceramic murals

out of the small tiles we manufactured –

You can submit a picture

and he would make it real with the tiles.

Today he runs his own business back in WNY –

Every winter he does snow sculptures –

The Buffalo Bills come to mind!

Here is one he did that portrays the mascot-

of the SAINT BONAVENTURE BASKETBALL TEAM!

His snow sculptures are in demand

from corporations and he also has been on TV-

Where he carved pumpkins and won the challenge.

A very gifted artist who also does caricatures.

This is another GOOD MEMORY!

Our life together spans some 43-plus years –

a second marriage for both of us –

two sets of children –

her two girls and my two sons.

Our journey together-

has taken us through six different houses –

and one condo.

Three of the houses we had built.

We span four states –

five if you count the state we were raised in.

We have many friends –

some closer than others.

We worked a combined 79 1/2 years for the same company

and retired from that company.

We worked in NYS and NVA.

Today we are in OIB – N.C.

near the border of S.C.

We enjoy exploring – entertainment in NMB –

and Wilmington.

We travel back and forth to NVA

where most of the family and grandkids are.

We golf – go to the beach

and volunteer for the Protection of Sea Turtles –

Coastal living for seniors –

helping out at the store and library.

And through our church –

the Brunswick County Food Pantry.

Living a Meaningful Senior Life –

provides MORE GOOD MEMORIES!

On OHAU – traveling together

and making GOOD MEMORIES!

Thanks for reading –

PAPA’S WORLD –

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

Papa’s World – Senior life – one day at a time.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

In our senior life together – I try to capture moments in time – to look back upon.

These moments all have a special place in my heart.

Here is Bode – maybe one year old – and Cassidy together on the couch.

Taylor and Cassidy are the twins – not identical but fraternal.

I can tell you right now – these two should have been the twins!

They are two peas in a pod!

They look alike – act alike and sound alike.

And – they are like oil and water!

You would not know that from this picture –

but it forms a picture that in my senior years –

I can reflect back on the early years!

Bode is much closer to Taylor and I asked him who he would ride with

when they both start to drive. TAYLOR!!!! LOL!

Taylor and Marley – the family dog who she has trained to do so many things!

While you can not tell from this picture – she is very tall – almost as tall as Sherry.

And Marley is a big golden doodle!

Taylor loves animals and has been riding horses since she was four years old.

She spends all her free time at “THE BARN” where she rides.

And hours there cleaning stalls – rubbing down horses –

Her dream is to one day own a horse!

Watching her clean their hooves –

Does not matter if it rains – or snows – she is there.

This picture is a special memory for me as she grows up!

A senior picture in time.

A memory from back in time when we vacationed on OAHU – THE NORTH SHORE!

It was a special time and I would love to go back and also see the other islands.

The time there spent with our close friends the McBrides.

We explored almost every inch –

and had such a good time.

This is a Senior moment in time!

Our friends the McBrides who we have known since they were our neighbors back in the late 80s.

We have traveled the world with them –

and the country.

We now live 38 miles away and get together often.

Always a good time and friends for life.

A senior moment in time.

A SENIOR MOMENT WHICH I AM SURE WE ALL HAVE!!! LOL

At this moment in time is the McBrides – Sherry and perhaps our oldest friends – the Browns.

Dottie and Jimmy.

I was at their wedding and Jim and I played softball together.

The three of us grew up in a little town in NWPA called Eldred.

We took our families on vacations together to the beach.

We watched as the kids all grew up and now we all have grandchildren.

Truly a senior moment in time – Priceless.

Our oldest daughter Debby and her husband Mike –

And the three oldest granddaughters –

Next to Debby and in order oldest to youngest –

Maddy – graduated from college – Ella – soon to graduate from college – and Sarah – soon to graduate H.S.

Here at the open-air music concert on OIB Park.

During the season – May through September – every Friday night – is free music by very good bands.

We tried to go each week and when they visited on vacation – we took them.

A senior moment in time.

This is true each way! LOL

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD –

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

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Papa’s World – The good life.

/ Tom / 1 Comment

We have had numerous blessings –

Through our 43-plus years of being together.

When we were married – I converted to Lutheran from Catholic.

Sherry was raised in the Lutheran faith –

And asked me to convert –

I did and have never looked back.

This was and is the first blessing we shared together.

They are very similar but different.

I did not fully embrace the Catholic faith –

But I did and always have believed in a greater being.

Today, we belong to our third church –

all Lutheran and in three states.

This more than likely will be our last home church.

This will be our final resting spot as we have a spot –

in a Columbarium right out behind Saint Lukes Lutheran Church in Shallotte, N.C.

Just five miles from our home in Cameron Woods Community- OIB – N.C.

Close to where the survivor can visit.

We have traveled the World –

here we are on the North Shore of Oahu- Hawaii.

Travel by ourselves –

or with family and our friends – The McBrides –

has led us to the different continents and many memories.

Sharing our love for that with family – friends and each other.

Our senior years have brought us South –

Warmer temperatures – water – surf and sand.

We did not plan this as such –

But a door opened and we went through a window.

A window that we would spend our senior years living a good life.

All – because of a turndown in the economy –

A major loss in our retirement 401K –

but a huge increase in the value of our home-

And a chance Google search showed a condo in North Myrtle Beach –

brought us to NMB for nine months during the Pandemic.

A billboard with Cameron Woods Homes in OIB –

Led us to a sales office model –

And that day a woman had withdrawn her deposit –

on the lot we visited and decided –

this was it!

I consider this to be another blessing in our lives together.

Here is a picture of Sherry and I –

with our close friends Cindy and Buck –

Who came to The Villages to visit us while we were staying with my older brother Roger-

seated next to me.

Growing up – Roger who was ten years older than me –

Was an idol to me.

Everything I did was based on him who I adored.

He left for college when I was eight years old –

and seldom came back home again.

He was nominated and made WHO’S WHO in collegiate circles –

He was married after graduation –

and went into the Navy as an officer during the Vietnam War.

Over the years I only saw him rarely –

But kept in touch by letters.

It was only later in life –

just before his wife passed away and I was retired –

We began spending the Winters with him –

in The Villages in Florida.

He wanted us to move down with him –

but we had young grandchildren –

and our home in Brambleton, Va.-

was going to be our retirement home.

We were blessed that we spent the last 7 years of his life visiting him –

And he also came up to visit us.

To this day I look up to him –

and still consider him to be my idol.

Today we live our senior moments here in N.C.

Where seldom is snow or ice.

Most of the time it is warm –

blue skies and beautiful Sunrises and Sunsets.

We are ten and fifteen minutes from two beaches.

We volunteer for the Coastal Carolina Senior Center –

The Protection of Sea Turtles and the Brunswick County Food Pantry.

We love our church – we have close friends – three couples –

Five to Forty minutes drive from us.

And – the possibility of one more couple moving somewhere close by.

We now play golf as often as we can –

we are right in the middle of 30 gold courses.

We are close to entertainment either in Wilmington, N.C. –

or North Myrtle Beach – Myrtle Beach.

Shopping is also close by

This is now our home.

WE ARE BLESSED!

On the North Shore – loving life and blessed to be together,

Thanks for reading –

PAPA’S WORLD –

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog SUBSCRIBE – IT’S FREE!

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Papa’s World – A world full of memories.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

If you look straight from Sherry – in between the two shadows – you can see the ball after she hit it!

Going straight down the fairway over the cart path!

She has good form and a nice easy swing.

Most of her hits are like this –

Not as far as she would like –

But straight which I wish I could say for myself.

One time she hit just like this and the ball continued to bounce forward –

On the cart path, she ended up just short of a 300-yard fairway and green! LOL

A WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES!

In my senior years – I battle endlessly with weight –

For the last three and on behalf years –

I have been slowly losing that extra pounds.

To date, I am down some 13 to 14 pounds –

and weigh in at one and one-half pounds less than I did when I graduated in 1967!

IT IS NOT EASY and I am a type 2 diabetic.

On my journey for these last years –

I have dramatically reduced my BEER-SUGAR and depend mostly on WATER.

Also – I have stuck for 19 going on 20 years with my supplements of FRIUT – VEGGIES and BERRIES!

I also take OMEGAS that are made from ALGAE instead of FISH OIL –

That may or not contain MERCURY from FISH!

I watch what I eat and when out try to stick to salads and fish or chicken.

And I get tested every four to six months –

My latest cholesterol was 100!!!!!!

I dress warm for the weather as I get cold easily.

It is not easy and I have brought my A1C down from 7.0 to 6.5!

So yes – the above is funny but I know I have to stay doing what has worked for me!

A WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES!

Sherry’s two daughters and my stepdaughters.

We have been together since they were small.

I would do whatever I can to help them.

The Swedish genes run deep –

Sherry’s grandmother was born in Sweden.

The girls are close to both of us and to each other.

We stay with them when we travel back to NVA!

Debby has two daughters who have graduated from college –

and the youngest H.S. this year

Tammy has two almost 15-year-old twin girls and an almost 11-year-old son.

EVERYONE HAS given us A WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES!

My youngest son Shawn and wife Trisha.

Who still lives in NWPA where he was raised.

Today they own and operate a business that provides insulation for the elderly to conserve energy-

Through the State and Energy Companies.

One side is insulation and the other side is inspections to see if they qualify through AUDITS!

Shawn also is a ranked pool player in the USA and CANADA –

Winning many tournaments and yearly trips to Las Vegas.

They both have brought A WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES to us.

We all are from WNY and NWPA and have been friends for over four decades.

We try to get together every four months and we all now live in the state of N.C.

We are all retired and living our dreams –

Fun – laughter – and singing are but a few of the things we enjoy together.

Thus bringing A WORLD FULL F MEMORIES into all of our lives.

My oldest son Troy and partner Andrea –

along with the rest of the family.

He builds houses from the ground up – EVERYTHING!

He gets that from my own father –

who could do the same.

He still lives in NWPA where he was raised.

He has been down once-

and hoping he can make it this year once again.

Proud father of this man –

They bring A WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES to us.

It all began here on 6-25-1982 for our WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES.

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD –

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

A WORLD FULL OF MEMORIES!

Papa’s World – What I saw!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Throughout my time here on Earth – I have seen many sights and though how it could be a story!

So – I constantly look for things in my life –

Here is a pile of shoes –

Not just any shoes –

And notice – The pair on the far right –

Both facing in the same direction –

And a pair of socks!

These belong to our young grandson Bode –

And this picture was taken back in our home in Brambleton, Va.

We sold this home in 2020 – during the pandemic and moved South –

To North Myrtle Beach before we built our house in Cameron Woods Community!

I found this shoe placement to be interesting.

They would come for a visit and rule number one –

Remove your shoes! (Bode also chose to remove his socks!) LOL

Now the first pair to the left is Cassidy’s -And the Middle pair is Taylor’s!

Taylor has always been the bigger of the twins.

But what caught my eye was how they took them off and placed them!!!!

Being twins – they are exactly placed alike!

I found this to be interesting so I took the picture.

They are both alike and different.

but in this one instance –

More alike than different!

WHAT I SAW!

Here is Buck in the cart and Jimmy standing.

These two are besides grade school friends –

My oldest friends.

Jimmy and I are from Eldred, Pa.

While I am older by 9 Years –

We played softball together and worked at the American Olean Tile Plant together.

We went on family vacations together –

Raise our children and go to each other’s weddings!

We go back to the mid-70s.

Buck actually knew Jimmy before he knew me.

But – when we sold our first home we moved to Pleasant Acres Drive and became neighbors –

Buck and Cindy McBride became close friends and golfing partners-

all those years ago in the 80s.

Then they moved South to the Wilmington, N.C. area.

On vacations, we would visit and at that time we both loved the area.

We have traveled the World with Buck and Cindy.

And now live 38 miles from them –

They are in Magnolia Greens Gplf Plantation outside of Leland –

Still close to Wilmington, N.C.

Friends for life – WHAT I SAW!

Sherry – Buck and Cindy at Vanish back in NVA near Leesburg, Va. –

While visiting our family.

These are times gone past but remain as memories and times to come.

McBrides and Sherry and me.

Thanks for reading and as always HGD!

Jimmy and Dottie – Julie – Cindy’s sister – Cindy – Buck and Sherry –

WHAT I SAW – is forever friends!

PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog