From that little one to an adult and a junior in college. Maddy was the first and now there are six.
TAYLOR and Papa.
Cassidy – TAYLOR – Bode
TAYLOR – today – who is going to be taller than all the rest – no longer my LITTLE ONE!
ELLA ( tiny) and Maddy
ELLA ( tiny) now a Freshman at Randolph College
We called her the nickname from her father – she always had a soccer ball or basketball in her hands.
Today – she is the starting midfielder for the college – playing almost every minute of the games.
Tiny now is taller than Sherry who is 5′ 9″.
CASSIDY and Taylor
CASSIDY – the caring little mother to Bode.
Today she is the smaller of the twins – with the biggest heart – always protecting Bode when not arguing with him! LOL, They should have been the twins they are so much alike!
She is the one who counts the days down to when she can see us – who zoom calls every week.
A little fireball with the biggest heart of them all.
SARAH and Ella
SARAH – Bode – Cassidy – Taylor and Ella.
Today – Sarah is almost as tall as Ella who is 5’10” – the fashion girl who wants to go to NYC!
The twins adore her and whenever we get together – they are three peas in a pod.
She is only a Freshman in H.S. – already was a contender for prom queen.
She is her own self – funny – outgoing – and just might have been a very good soccer player like her sisters.
Cassidy BODE Taylor
Taylor BODE Cassidy
So much like Cassidy that they should have been the twins – yet – he is growing –
and someday I think will be taller than Taylor who he is built just like at seven years old.
Full of energy – always on the go – wear no socks or shoes most of the time.
Or a jacket or gloves!
Out of the six grandchildren – the only boy.
Bode Ella Cassidy Taylor Maddy and Sarah
Here today at Christmas day for presents – memories from the past to the present.
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Every once in a while – the three of them get together and then the magic happens. They seem to find everything and anything to dress up.
Be it as it may – I never cease to be amazed how well they get along. Hours and hours they will play. Never a argument – always laughing and they adore Sarah!
I wonder how it will be in a couple weeks when the new brother for the twins comes along. “MAXPANDA” they call him already. Already they walk around with little baby dolls , dressing “HIM” up , and when they come to “MORMOR’S” house, out comes all the old dolls of Debby & Tammy’s , along with all the outfits she made for them.
I can see it in the future – Taylor , Cassidy & Sarah all standing by the little brother known as “MAXPANDA” , looking down before they are off to DRESS UP once again.
A few years from now , it will be the three and BIG COUSIN Sarah – playing at PAPA & MORMOR’S – another adventure
in our lives to soon begin.
Can’t wait to see the outfits then – and my memory of them now will last for as long as I live. THE FROG , THE PRINCES AND THE BIG COUSIN – WAITING FOR “MAXPANDA” !!!!!!!!!
Our very first Christmas in our new home! Sharing some pictures! Keeping some memories.
Our front entrance with wreathes both front and back – candles in the front windows.
A child was born – swaddled in clothes – the baby who changed the world – bringing joy to each and every one. Bringing light into a dark world. As Christians – we believe.
Our wall is dedicated to our Dream – beach living!
In the joy of this season – the first for us here – we had a dream – a dream to live near a beach – we have two – Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach – keep positive thoughts – rejoice in your dreams!
Our Charlie Brown Tree.
In this season of joy to us and the world – giving is more important for us. We found a family of five.
Two little girls and one little boy and parents.
On Facebook – the mother asked if anyone had decorations they did not want – for they had none.
We had so many in storage – and had gone away from the green trees of lights and bulbs.
So – Sherry contacted her and we made arrangements to drop them off some 17 miles away.
When the mother thanked us through PM later – she said now they could decorate for the kids.
Asking is hard to do – giving is easy – tis the holiday season – tis the joy of giving.
Our first lighted front of the house.
We decorated early this year – to be able to enjoy it being our first time here.
In this first holiday year – Christmas caroling by Sherry and neighbors.
A golf cart ride around the neighborhood to see the houses all lighted up!
A neighborhood cocktail party and two we missed for other commitments.
Our first holidays here and already the joys of friends we have made and friends we have still to make.
Today as you read this – our thoughts are with you.
All those years ago – a babe was born – we celebrate that birth in a Christian way.
We celebrate family – friends and those in need.
We celebrate a way for peace in the world and at home.
Thanks for reading – thanks for following – thanks for being a part of my life and this blog.
PAPA and SHERRY – wishing you love – happiness – joy and a MERRY CHRISTMAS on this day!
In North-Western Pa. in the midst of the very ancient Alleghany Moutains –
Sits a village known as Mount Jewett.
A town was built and settled by Swedish Emigrants.
Sherry’s mother and her mother were Swedes – her grandmother was born in Sweden.
Memories of past generations.
Historical Mt. Nebo Lutheran Church
Built in 1885 by the Swedish men – this is a replicate of an actual EIGHT-SIDED church still existing in Sweden. This church was built for them and services were held there regularly through out the 1900s until the early ’60s.
When a new church was constructed by the ancestors of the Swedes of the 1800’s!
Memories of generations!
Today it is on the Historical resgister
It is completely surrounded by graves of those early settlers and this view is almost from the graves of Sherry’s parents and family members.
The interior of the church is a Octogon and consists of two levels.
The mural behind the altar was painted by a traveling artist and signed in the early 1900s.
All the original altar – organ – pews and communion vessels remain.
Memories of a congregation of immigrants.
Nearby is the historic Kinzua railroad bridge – the highest bridge built at the time in the 1800s.
A tornado came through and took down half the bridge – today it is a tourist area and a state park.
It also was the location for the TV series ” FINDING BIGFOOT”!
Memories of a long-gone dream of transit railroad through the mountains.
The little Swedish coffee shop
KAFFE SOL – Swedish for coffee shop – sits in the heart of the town of Mount Jewett.
If you like homemade cooking and great tasting treats of cinnamon rolls etc.
Then this is a must to stop and eat.
But it closes in mid-afternoon so they can go home and start that homemade cooking all over again.
Memories of sights and smells of the past in NWPA!
Our Tower Garden on patio two – in our home in Brambleton, Va.
We have been growing our own vegetables for TEN YEARS in the aeroponic TOWER GARDEN!
We were one of the first to do this in the country!
The system is completely run on WATER and AIR and mineral NUTRIENTS!
Because of the winter – we would start in May and grow through October – November!
Now – in N.C. close to the border of S.C. – we are right now – in December and still growing!
Memories of the past become future memories in the present!
Two more TOWER GARDENS in Patio ONE in Brambleton Va.
In Va., we had a total of FOUR TOWER GARDENS going at the same time!
These two were in the main patio – and we also had one with grow lights in the garage!
We had so much produced that we gave it away to the neighbors and family!
Memories of giving – memories of sharing.
The patio became an oasis for growing -plants and vegetables.
The main thing to grow was making sure the reservoir never ran out of water.
If we went away – I had a garden hose nearby and my neighbor would fill the reservoir every three days!
And whenever he wanted he would come over and harvest – he loved the cucumbers!
Memories of Dexter – my neighbor.
Indoor TOWER GARDENS with grow lights!
Today – we are down to one – we sold the others with the house – and now – in five months – as you can see – on the patio – starting our third harvest – having already grown cukes – tomatoes – herbs – now we are growing lettuce and herbs for the Winter growing season!
In Cameron Woods Community – Ocean Isle Beach – N.C. – there will be a lot of firsts!
COCKTAILS in the driveway – lunch at Riversedge golf course – picnic at the park.
The new book readers club and in the future the free book exchange library!
And now a new developer!
We have been sold to LENNAR – the number two developer in the country!
Things have changed and they are known for building spec homes – you get limited choices!
Different elevations – and one price has it all!
Whereas we were able to select almost everything! ( we are happy to have already built!)
We are hoping by Easter the community center is done! At least the main building!
Our new community center – slowly being built – the curbs have just been laid – pickleball courts are paved – and the pool has been in the ground for months – waiting to be finished!
It will be here that we will all come together as a community of neighbors – meetings – lunches and dinners. The free book library will be out front by the road somewhere I presume for access to exchange the books. We can walk to this easily! A workout room and kitchen and bathrooms.
And this year for the very first time – three families got together on Thanksgiving day – to walk!
8:30 AM. = we all met at the intersection of Waterway and Lindley – it was cool but bright sunshine –
led to a warm 3.7-mile walk!
The very first TURKEY TROT WALK-RUN!
A big thank you to Rob – who organized it by simply announcing it on the Community Facebook page!
And YES – the picture of the TURKEYS are from the neighborhood – on the cul-de-sac behind the
new community center -taken a few days before by Sherry!
The Zimmermans – the Sopers – and Fitzsimmons families!
We have heard from others who were away and could not join us in the first neighborhood
THANKSGIVING TURKEY TROT!
But – will walk next year!
We are a transit community – many people have this as a second home awaiting retirement.
A lot of people are here but working from home.
And a few of us old-timers ( us) are retired!
I think Sherry and myself are more the Grandma and Grandpa of the neighborhood! LOL
It is a community of many FIRSTS – waiting to be completed in a couple years.
CAMERON WOODS COMMUNITY – OCEAN ISLE BEACH – come and join us – either if you already own here or want to build in the new Phase Three!
Cocktails in the driveway – picnic at the park – lunch meet and greet at the golf course
and now the first TURKEY-TROT-WALK!
Chrismas caroling is in the works and who knows what else is being talked about!
Thanks for reading Papa’s World –
my blog site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
my email: fitztdf@aol.com
PAPA’S WORLD – CAMERON WOODS COMMUNITY – OCEAN ISLE BEACH – N.C.
The streets on cul-de-sacs – palm trees and each house have a small little cottage over the golf cart garage!
The streets are two-way – most of them – through the housing – the houses are a mixture of cape-cod and craftsman style. Two stories and little cottages in the front. Most have elevated views of the ocean and many are beachfront.
The ladies – Diane and Sherry – explore the path to the beach and water.
While Steve goes over the map – get a map or you end up in dead ends!
We had the car for about five hours – and also a map to get around. Here we can see where we want to go – but it is on the other side of the channel – we had to retrace our way back to the main road.
The island has a main road that goes all the way around – and many roads into neighborhoods!
They can be dead ends or through a maze of roads cut through to the other side.
So it is best to have the map.
There also is a 18 hole golf course here – we caught glimpses of it through the trees.
One of the many beach access with a place to park the golf cart!
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Diane and Sherry walking from the beach access to the beach and ocean.
TOURING BALD HEAD ISLAND BY GOLF CART – to be continued in the next PAPA’S WORLD BLOG!
We had decided to make the trip to this island right off the coast of Southport, N.C.
It is unique in that no autos are allowed – you cross on a ferry boat – and once there –
you either walk – rent a bike or a golf cart!
You can take luggage – in a small shipping container – and a tram will take you to your rental. Once there – most rentals have golf carts as the whole island is set up for them.
The view from the ferry arriving on the island.
The beaches are wide and plenty of public beach access from the golf cart paths.
Along the way to the beach access – the little house for the lighthouse keeper!
There were many things to see – rows of neat houses – cottages – some private – others you rent.
The beach was deserted – no matter which one we stopped and walked!
Miles of beach – nothing but sand and water.
It was a beautiful autumn day – high 60’s – blue skies and bright sun.
On this midweek day – all the places to eat or drink were closed for the day except one!
And that would close at 2:00 PM.
So – we decided to go back and get a boxed lunch –
and then find the closest beach access – park and walk and sit on the beach and eat!
Papa and Sherry with our neighbors Steve and Diane – they are from Western New York where we lived until 1999!
Eating our lunch sitting on the sand with Diane and Steve – who just happen to live the summer months
back in WNY near where we lived before moving to NVA!
Small WORLD as they now are our neighbors in Cameron Woods – Ocean Isle Beach – N.C.
Our view as we ate lunch.
My next blog will be in and around Bald Head Island – riding the golf cart for four hours!
Thanks, for reading Papa’s World
MY SITE: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
MY EMAIL: fitztdf@aol.com
PAPA’S WORLD – sitting on the sand having lunch at Bald Head Island
The doctor said it was time – Taylor – was taking all the substance in the womb.
Taylor bear , as her mother calls her.
Today – they have maintained that difference – Taylor is going to be very tall – Cassidy is normal for her age. Bode – the younger brother – acts like Cassidy but is going to be tall like Taylor.
All three are blond and blue-eyed.
I miss these times – our little ones I called them.
They are on the banks in the sun – when it gets colder – they do not move much.
We always are on the lookout for Gators and Snakes – I have not seen any snakes so far – but they are around.
Now – Oyster Bay – Sunset Beach – N.C. is one fine golf course – love playing here – and people live along the fairways and ponds – 14 – 15 and 16 are full of gators!
Sherry in the cart and behind her to the left while we wait for the fairway to clear – GATORS – four of them!
Needless to say – you do not wander around – we do not get close – and they seem to just stay there. Hundreds of golfers play this course and do not go to the water to find your ball – same for high grass and weeds!
Other wildlife and birds – a beautiful setting – and across the road is the ICW!
Sherry on the cart path between two lakes – and yes there are gators in there!
Now – if you ever get the chance – make a tee time here – it is beautiful – a challenge for golf – tough holes -located by Sunset Beach – N.C. OYSTER BAY GOLF COURSE!
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The tee box for across the pond and up the hill to the green!
And this is just the back nine!
PAPA’S WORLD – OYSTER BAY GOLF COURSE – SUNSET BEACH, N.C.
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