Often times you look on the other side of the fence – and then there comes a time you get a chance to walk at a place that would look the same 300 years ago! Here is that place at the far end of Cherry Grove – S.C. where no houses are built – no piers or docks – just sand – ocean and trees and shrubs – a deserted beach!
This I think is what the coast line looked like long before the settlers came here. No buildings – just raw nature – surf – and sand!
First – you have to find the path through the trees and shrubs to get to the beach!
Finding a very large tree washed upon shore – perhaps 60 feet long!Sherry Tammy Cassidy Bode Taylor
Walking along the surf – no one in sight – imagining that this is how nature looked centuries ago!
And then we turn around and in the distance the pier – broken from the last major storm! Mother and daughters – solitude – listening to the surf – and time to turn around – head back to the houses.
In the background – the end of the buildings – the broken pier and a deserted beach – and looking ahead into nature what it looked like all those years ago. Tammy – Cassidy – Sherry (MorMor) Bode Taylor
This is a place where the past meets the future –
and we had the pleasure to bring the family
to see – hear and experience it!
Walking back to the future – Bode and MorMor!
Walking to the past from the future!
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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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There is a place – next to the ICW – in Vereen Memorial Park – where you find a shell – date it and your name – hang it from a tree – and then make a wish – hundreds of the hang and this one is from our Taylor!
At ten years old – she already is five foot tall – she will someday be taller I think than her MorMor( Sherry) who is 5′ 9″ must be the Swede coming through!
I am little – some day I will be bigger – so she says – but every day she either calls or texts her MorMor ( Sherry ) and that sweet little soft voice – “I love you MorMor ” here she hangs her wish!
Cassidy showing her shell for a wish! I think she looks just like Taylor in this picture!
Bode – hanging his seashell wish – the only boy out of six grand children!
I have said – Cassidy and Bode should of been the twins – they are two peas in a pod!
Bode Taylor Cassidy
They came to spend a long weekend with us –
seeing where we live and where we are building our new home!
They were so excited – and hiking was on our things to do!
We had told them there was a place to make a wish and hang the shells from a tree!
But first you must search for the right shell
then date it and put your name on it!
MorMor – leading Taylor – Cassidy and Bode on a search for their own perfect sea shell!
MorMor(Sherry) inspecting each one as they bring them to her!
Tammy Taylor Cassidy MorMor standing in the seashell tree beach – overlooking the ICW!
Cassidy Taylor and MorMor getting their wish shells ready to hang!
Taylor with he make a wish shell.
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Bode after hanging his make a wish seashell!
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
Cassidy after hanging her make a wish sea shell!
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PAPA CASSIDY TAYLOR BODE
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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!
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!
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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I love this picture – I told Sherry we need to get it blown up and framed!
And – it all happened in a space of two or thee minutes!
Maddy took her phone – while we all just sort of found a place –
put it up and braced it on a tree limb –
set the timer for 6 seconds and “BOOM”
there it was!
We went back to the new trail – but this time – the whole family went!
This family hikes all the time – that is their form of family time together!
Mike will take the older two – Maddy and Ella – overnight hiking!
He would take Sarah – but she is into more like N.Y.City hiking!
Sarah – but she is the adventure type – always climbing – swinging from vines – exploring woods and meadows.
She is the one I think really likes it but has aspirations of one day dancing – acting – fashion –
But once you do get her out there – no boundry is off limits – being the free spirit she is!
Ella – come on – follow me!
Ella is 5 ‘ 8 1/2 ” Sarah who just turned 14 – I think will be taller – both taking after their grand mother Sherry – who is 5’ 9″
We made it a family day hiking – where Debby – Sherry and I had gone the day before!
A new trail within the city limits of Winchester Va.
When it is completed – with all the side trails and loops
you pretty much can get a easy five miles in!
YEP! there are also pastures and cows!Walking the trail – Ella Maddy Sarah Mike Papa the trail is made of crushed limestone the whole way! Easy to walk on and not trip!
This day was somewhat cool but warm in the Sun!
And we made a day of it as long as we could.
Many volunteers keep this project going
helping to clear out brush
and maintaining the cut area’s!
There is a farm silo – which you can walk into – and look up and see this. A hand crank on the wall – makes these turn in opposite directions – providing the look of birds soaring in the clouds!A old farm tractor just sitting there offering a photo opportunity!Thank you for reading Papa’s World – where friends like you meet our family!Sarah on one of the many standing sculptures along the path!Daughter and Mother – living life to the plus – one day at a time!
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Papa (Tom) & MorMor ( Sherry) Swede for Mothers Mother
First you gather the ingredients – then you gather the grand daughters and their mother!Mother ( Debby) Ella Sarah Sherry ( grand ma) Maddy
Memories are made each year during the holidays –
making Christmas cookies is one of them!
Sherry has done this for years – and they all love it!
They laugh and laugh at her and with her!
The results – or a small fraction of the results – all decorated by each of the grand daughters!
She teaches them her heritage and is passed down generation to generation.
Sherry is Swedish – her grand mother was born in Sweden.
She is 5 ‘ 9″ tall – and Ella is almost as tall – Sarah will be that also and Taylor at 10 years old
comes up to her chin!
The temptations are there – YUMMY!She is a educator – teaching them to be themselves – honor – compassion and self worth!
Respect is what they have for her.
Admiration – and laughing – both at her and with her.
Going shopping with Grandma!
MEMORIES for a lifetime!
Ella Sarah Sherry
We will come up once more and spend a couple days and Christmas eve.
Then we will go back to Tammy’s for Christmas day!
The little ones are so excited and she made cookies with them also!
To them she is not grand ma – but MORMOR – mother’s mother in Swedish!
After Christmas we will once again head back to S.C.
Knowing that Memories were once again made
and captured into this blog
for future reading – seeing !
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My little contribution to the cookie making!ELLA will be on a soccer team in college – and will play against her sister Maddy at the University of Lynchburg!
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 saw a post that stated ” GRAND PARENTS REMAIN YOUNG ” while watching their grand kids ! Boy – that was right on !
As most of you know – Sherry and I – pick up the twins from school -bring them home until their father picks up the youngest ( only boy grandchild) and then stops to pick up the twins !
Tammy opened her store almost one year ago – Kids consignment store – which is open every day except Monday 10 am. – 5 pm.
So – they needed help and we stepped in along with Marcus’s parents Jennie and Gehard. Since Bode’s preschool is close to them – they pick him up at 1:00 pm. and then Marcus goes after work to pick him up.
Now I must say – I really enjoy my little trip to the school – a little over one mile away. “PAPA – BE FIRST IN LINE ” is what they tell me. Well – even though I am in line one hour before they get out – most times I am second !!! That person must get there after breakfast !But – I use that time to listen and read !
Listening to my favorite radio station – not classic rock or country or rap or whatever else is out there – but ” SPORTS RADIO” 106.7 The Fan! I enjoy kicking back – using a couple wadded up blankets – for a pillow – and just spacing out listening to the talk show. This relaxes me and yes sometime I catch a quick 10 minute power nap ! When I was working – I used my lunch – one hour – every day to do the same thing ! Habits are hard to break !
But – I also listen to these two little girls – talking – conversing and sometimes a argument breaks out ! Now at that time I either look back and tell them to stop or I turn up the radio so loud – that they become silent ! LOL But I find they actually talk so much like adults – on their own daily lives.
Being with them makes me feel young at heart – relating to them – and oh my goodness – the questions are endless – and” WHY” is always asked.
But – then it gets adult like with the answer ” OF COURSE ” or ” ACTUALLY ” or “PAPA” ! I love that – and it makes you think when you answer the “WHY” !
” WHY ARE YOU NUMBER TWO AND NOT NUMBER ONE ” ? I get that one almost every week ! But – how can you argue the fact that life is about staying young even though it might only be a frame of mind !
Turn back time – can’t – capture thoughts words and deeds in pictures – you can – but staying young is a art that we all try to master.
Mine is a matter of mind over physical – thinking – acting and doing! I may not be number one in line but I think I try harder at being number two – after all – “PAPA – WHY AREN’T YOU NUMBER ONE ” keeps me on my toes each week to give a answer and that my friends keeps me young !
Soon – that word – meaning like just around the corner – is about to happen!
Our little grand daughter Maddy – with her “PIGGY” – which went everywhere she went. Just outside Sherry’ s parents home.
She now is 18 and about to graduate and start a brand new journey at The University of Lynchburg, Va. And signed a letter of intent to play soccer.
Maddy sitting next to her sister Ella at Raquet Lake N.Y.
She has grown into a beautiful young lady – who maintains a 4.10 GPA. Playing soccer at a high level.
Here she is with her two other sisters and her twin cousins. With GIGI who sadly passed away last November – Sherry’s mother.
Through the years – when she was almost as small as the soccer ball – she played – co-ed and then onto two travel teams. One in Winchester Va. and then – to better herself- she traveled 60 miles each way three times a week to practice with the Loudoun RED soccer team.
Forever young in my mind.
The years have swiftly marched by – all the games in and out of state have passed – memorable only in so many pictures taken. Now – she is about to take the final walk on stage – graduate and then go on.
Her drawing years ago of her ” PIGGY” as she called it – so innocent on a swing – memory of sweet youth.
The memory of the little girl – always smiling – always so small – everyone else was so much bigger until the growth spurt of the last few years. Today – she is almost as tall as her grandmother Sherry who is 5 ‘ 9″ !
She has grown into her role as starting midfielder the last four years.
Three sisters – the start of college – leaving the home – and two behind.
The years have gone by so fast – the other two will be left behind at home – but her presence will always be felt – her favorite “PIGGY” on top of the stuffed animals – her MANATEE blanket on the wall. The trampoline will only feel the bounce of the younger two. The sound of the soccer ball will be down to one – her memory will remain – but her journey begins.
Her determination – all conference – signed letter of intent- to play college soccer
Today I blog not a end or an old story – but the beginning of a new book – a new chapter and a new page about to open up – the little one has gone into memory – but the image still lingers in my mind – PACA – is what she called me – I think because she couldn’t quite say PAPA – but she made my World – and I look forward to the travel to watch once again. The memory shall always be with me – the little foot striking the big soccer ball -and then the smile and off she would go.
SMILE A SMILE FOR ME MY LITTLE MADDY
I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did writing it – my tribute to the little one – the soccer ball almost as big as she is.
I 