Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Seven

[Uncle Willie]

In Memoriam

Her name in Real Life was Debbie .. she was kind to me, as so many others have been here .. we exchanged emails periodically .. she was a good Woman, proud of her Family .. proud of her work .. strong, independent .. her ECF Handle, my4jewels, represented her Family ..

Although she chose to not share her Journey as it began to approach the End, It is my Hope that her memory will live on with most of us .. I am hoping to be able to gather enough material for a Tribute video .. until then, I will leave you with an exchange we had almost exactly One Year Ago near Labor Day ..

I wrote to her : "I hope all is going as well as can be expected for you .. as Summer begins to draw to a close and another year will approach it's end, it seems time continues to accelerate .. there should be some mathematical theory that deals with "The Older You Get, the Faster Father Time Moves" ... remember when you were a child and things moved so much slower .. ?? Maybe it's just me ..

I thought about you this morning when my mind began to drift into sadness and thinking of your journey and attitude helped put things into a better perspective .. for what ever that's worth .."

Debbie wrote back :

"It's not just you. Time does seem to move faster as we get older, at least I think so. Funny that I should inspire you. Last night, my thoughts were also of summer coming to a close, and I found myself having a total meltdown, wondering if this was my last summer. If I allow myself to entertain those thoughts for more than a nanosecond, they take me over. My eyes are still puffy from crying. I gave myself 20 minutes to have a pity party, and then said, "That's it"! Today I am much better emotionally. Yep, it's all about perspective."

A few old Thread Quotes from my Friend Debbie ::

"I never expected to develop such strong relationships with all of you either. My friends here are a lifeline for me, since I work at home and have a very small circle of friends and family. Most of you are more real to me than the physical presence of people in my day to day life. It's my lifeline to the outside world ..."

"So funny, Willie. "It is what it is" is my mantra. I say it and think it 100 times a day. It's the only way I can cope on a daily basis. It really helps me to move along with reality instead of getting stuck wishing things were different. It reminds me that I can't change everything, but I can change my perspective."

"I really love to dance. We went to a wedding a few weeks ago, and I danced the entire evening, didn't even get out of breath like I used to. Now that I can breathe, it so much more fun, if only I didn't have bad arthritis in my left foot and ankle... I love to dance around the house with the radio on. Oh, well. like they say, use it or lose it, right?"

"As you know, I work at home, and spend a decent amount of time on the computer. My son asked me why I don't spend more time with my neighbors and make some real friends. I told him that I have lots of real friends right here... "

"But you know what they say, "Use it or lose it." I'm gonna use it until I'm all used up."

"Let's see, in '72, at 15, I had my very first boyfriend. I was in 10th grade, and we shared Biology and Geometry class. I asked him to be my date and take me to a church dance. It reminds me of innocence, took him 6 months to kiss me on the lips. He turned out to be the love of my life...and the rest is history..."

"WOW !! I spend so much time working and spending 95% or more alone and here people really think of me !!! Brought tears--thank you so much !!!"

I am filled with sadness, knowing we have lost another Good One .. yet, at the same time, I feel Debbie would not want sadness, she would, instead, prefer we celebrate a Life Well Lived .. I used to kid her that she was the "Worlds Biggest Toby Keith Fan" .. so it only seems appropriate to put up this tune .. and I won't post a sad tune .. so Debbie, raise that margarita glass, a little salt on the rim, on the rocks, please ..

 

[Uncle Willie]

My first real Post from Older People 1st Thread .. I would encourage all of you to share for posterity a little History on how your personal journey began ..

"I decided to quit telling my age some time ago, and would quit birthdays as well if folks around me did not just have to remind me .. suffice to say, I qualify to post on this thread ..

45+ years / at least a PAD / believed the word "Light" actually meant they were not as bad for you .. it was the cool thing to do when I started .. no health facts were well known .. and that first smoke about made me cough up a lung .. but I hung in there ... gas was about 20 cents a gallon in my neck of the woods and when I joined the Military, smokes were around 25 cents a pack ..

Heart attack and 2 stents a few years back .. first thing I did when I got home from the Hospital was, guess what .. ?? Light up a Marlboro .. sadly, true .. the power of addiction ..

One day, a few years after the heart attack, I saw an expensive e-cig in the local smoke shop, NJOY .. paid over $100.00 for it, used it for a month, maybe .. put it away, back to the analogs .. about a year ago, I broke it out and decided to give it a try again .. nosed around the Web for supplies and accidentally stumbled on ECF .. read / read and read some more .. ordered a proper PV kit and some liquid with the help of classwife .. (who I owe a lifetime debt of gratitude, so, Baby, if you ever need anything .. )

In the last year, I'll admit to having 3 analogs .. each time at a function, each time as my old friend Jack Daniels had loosened my resolve .. "

Now, I need to start the "Battle of the Bulge" and try and shed those extra pounds I've put on due to my inability to resist cuisine that now makes even a Big Mac taste like gourmet ..

 

[Uncle Willie]

I'll give Mike a hand here .. Mike's first intro :

"Guess it's time to come out from behind the bushes, say Hi all, and introduce myself. Ran across this place a few nights ago and have been wandering back each day since. Feels like a comfortable place to be.

I'm Mike, my wife's Janet. We started vaping Sep. 2011. Both now ex-smokers after 45 years of sucking the ugly burning stick. Janet stopped analogs the day she took her 1st vape. It took me about a month longer. The 1st month I went from 2 ppd to 1/2 ppd which was remarkable for me. The 2nd month I discovered WTA juice from Ethan at Vapelicious. The day I tried his juice was the last day I smoked an analog - been free of 'em since last Oct. 14, 2011. On Nov. 14th I was analog free for a month on my son's birthday - he said with a huge grin - "Pop that's the best birthday present you could give me." That's been a big inspiration for me to stay off the ugly sticks.

We both started on basic slim e-cigs. Janet went for the 808's and I started w/ Joye 510's. Being brand new to the sport of e-cigs we thought we'd each try a different brand to see if one was better than the other. Her 808's lasted longer between charges as she vapes less than me and the batts are a bit stronger. Me - I had one of the multi-charger's for the Joye 510's and was charging ten of 'em at a time to get through a day. One would last me 2 hrs if I was lucky. I moved quickly to the Joye eGo. This was much better, I could get through the day with 2 of them, maybe 2+. This was so much better, way less fuss and muss over constantly recharging the basic 510. Janet thought the eGo was BIG. But within a week or so, she saw how much more convenient they were because of the battery life. Yup, she switched to eGo's too. She's got 1/2 doz in assorted colors plus my few black ones.

She's in love with her eGo's and see's no change in the future to needing anything else. Me - well bigger is better right. When I passed my eGo's to her it was because I bought my 1st ProVari. What can I say about a ProVari other than it's a black chrome w/ blue led and it's awesome. Did I say I bought my 1st ProVari - that implies I have more than one. Yep - the black chrome is beautiful but I treat it like a newborn because I'm afraid to scratch it. It spend 90% of it's life in a carbon fiber sleeve to avoid accidentally scratching it. But then I don't get the satisfying visual and tactile feedback when vaping with it in the sleeve. Sooo, when the black satin ProVari came out - yep - I got one of those w/ the blue led option. I'm a happy person!

In the begining like everyone we tried lots of juice vendors and different carto's and tanks, etc. We settled down a lot and our primary juice is from Vapelicious, BWB, and Sweet-Vapes. I'm a dripper using IKV IO6 2.5 ohm or 3.5 ohm atty's. Janet keeps two of her eGo's topped with Stardusts, which she really likes, for easy refilling, vape and taste but prefers the vape and flavor of dripping - so 2 more eGo's are topped w/ IKV IO6 2.5 ohm atty's.

Whoa! 'nuf said for now. Didn't realize how wordy I got.

Best regards all,
Mike"

 

[Rat2chat2]

Raise a Glass ...

"CHEERS"

 

[Uncle Willie]

A few "Handles" some may or may not remember .. Tiny, n9emz, bobalex, sandybeach, Richie G, VapRon, wendallb, tj99959, Gadd, wyojoe, toothfairy,
Bullette the Cowdog, Corpa, harleydiva, taxman32, morri, RicardV, old hippy, NorthOfAtlanta, CharlieGirl, BacsiBob, BHam, andel11, Tracker II, Fizzy-Penny, RichardV, NGIB, Tom10, williegntx, RichardV, Reidus, Via!, Waspy, caffeinator, fieldh0, plantlvr, frankie1, Mookie, daisygirlie, Wuzznt Me, Teacup36, amerirish44, LadyStrick9, MichaelB, super dave, dayworks ..

Just a few of the many that have come and gone .. Some likely still on ECF, some not

 

[Uncle Willie]

And, of course, elbertdee .. our Gentle, Native American ..

"I am a storyteller have been for about 35 years.
I can honestly say I believe them all to be true,regardless of the nation they come from.

Like the stories here. Everybody has one and they are all true.
Most nations in North America, that I am familiar with, have same motif story about humans and Wakan Tanka/God/Creator/Tabaldoc/...

Long ago there was a wise and peace-loving elder who travelled from tribe to tribe
encouraging cooperation and friendship between all nations. He was a spokesman for
the cause of good will and his mission was to promote unity among all beings.
At a very great age the elder called a council meeting of elders and representatives
from the many clans, tribes, and nations which he had visited and taught. He told them
that his work was coming to an end and he must soon join the spirit world. However,
he promised to return in a new form as a reminder of the peaceful brotherhood he had
sought to establish among the nations.
A short time after his death a new plant sprouted from his grave. This was tobacco
and has been used in ceremonies ever since as a symbol of unity, honesty and peace.
The rising smoke from the pipe is a reminder that the thoughts and prayers of people
go upward to the Creator."

Elbert's favorite quote...

"Why we dance: To dance is to pray, to pray is to heal, to heal is to give, to give is to live, to live is to dance."

 

[Uncle Willie]

'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm ..






One from the Archives ::

 

[Iffy]

hadn't heard about this..........looked it up, still dunno what it's all about

CREEPY CLOWN ENCOUNTERS There has been a rash of these 'round da nation, including up in Tampa.

 

[yiddleboge6]

You've got me dancing again....

I, and others, have missed your posts and the music you bring to the thread. Thank you Willie.....

 

[Uncle Willie]

Semiretired ::

"Well, lets see, my wife can paint, caulk, cut wood with a hand saw, band saw, circular saw and or a chainsaw (Stihl 361)... She can chase a chicken down in the yard and later serve it for dinner. She can also sew clothes, mend fences, mow and rake the yard, change the oil in the car and mend the roof (as my helper). She also can fish, bait her own hook and bake/fry some of the best fish you have ever tasted - and - She is all mine... "

Janet H ::

"My daughter gave us Hallmark books, A Mother's Legacy and A Father's Legacy. It prompts you with questions about what life was like for you. I did mine and both our kids were thrilled to learn about who I was, and what my life was like before they came along.

Our trip was by VW van. We left July5 and didn't return to PA until Halloween. So glad we did it back then even though parents were having fits because we quit our jobs to do it. We stayed in some hostels and Nat'l parks or at the vista points along the route. We met some great people by giving them rides. Don't know if we could do the same kind of trip these days, certainly not as cheaply as we did it back then!
And we picked up a hobo dog too, named him Travler.

Oh my, Traveler (part Shepard, part Husky), haven't thought of him in years. We picked him up as a stray in Vancouver. Actually we had seen him around the area we were camping and fed him a few times. Then one morning he wasn't around. We heard someone say they saw a dog pound truck in the area. We searched out the city pound and there he was. We signed the papers and took him in. He started being protective of Janet from the git-go. Always got between her and anyone approaching - wasn't nasty or aggressive - just on guard.

He could have been a verse in that song. Somewhere along the road we were staying in a campground. One morning, we got wind of a farmer from down the way, asking if any dogs had gotten loose. Seems a dog got to one of his young pigs. So that's were Traveler got to last night when we couldn't find him. We packed up and left there right quick.

He never did get over his scrounging ways. On a California beach we were running and playing with him. He took off for a trash barrel and started circling it. Then he jumped in head first and got stuck. When I reached him and started pulling him out he wouldn't leave go, what he had in his mouth. It was the carcass of a small sand shark.

Ironically, we wound up giving him to a friend we met in San Francisco and he wound up living on a pig farm in Nebraska. "

As a Side Note :: Janet is a Toll Painter, Chef and also has done Stained Glass, among many other things ..

MikeE3 ::

"Back in the BK days (before kids) Janet and I took a cross country road trip. Up the east coast to Canada, then across Canada to Vancouver, then down the entire west coast from Vancouver to Mexico (via San Diego). The trip along the western coast is still my fondest memories of the 3 month voyage. we did drive the entire trip as well as live in our VW bus.

Ours was a '69. I gutted all but the front seats and converted the inside for sleeping, cooking and storage. We had a budget of $20/day including fuel. We actually lived pretty good by taking advantage of hostels when ever possible for a free meal and hot shower. We avoided commercial campgrounds. Provincial parks were inexpensive and even better when the parks were full, it was 'legal' to use scenic pull-overs for overnight camping. We had some spectacular views for our overnights when we were in Banff and Jasper national parks in the Canadian Rockies.

In the mid 60's this country boy went off to the big city to attend college. One Sunday afternoon someone says - let's go over to Fairmount Park - there's going to be a Be-In. What's a Be-in? I don't know. Let's go find out. What we found were girls blowing bubbles and dancing, wearing paisley skirts, flowers in their hair and little else. Let's just say I was introduced to something beyond quadratic equations that afternoon.

Dollar night at the drive-in - how many people could you pack in the car and get in for a buck. Can you say party time!

I grew up in an area called Trevose, in Bucks County, PA. It was farmland just outside the NE border of Philadelphia. Lots of returning GI's moved from the city to build their cottage with a picket fence and raise their families. My Dad and his friends built a number of houses for each other. They'd all just pitch in and help each other. There was an 'old' lady in their Kennsignton neighborhood in Phila, that owned a lot of land in the area. She was selling it dirt cheap to the returning GI's. I always thought that was such a great thing for someone to do. My entire family relocated from Philly to Trevose over a few summers of house building. The housing boom really exploded when Levitt built one of his pre-fab towns in the area.

We had American Bandstand in the city and Bristol (a small town outside of Philly) became famous for the 'Bristol Stomp' if you remember that one. The area really was a slice of the American Dream for the post-WWII generation. It was a lot like growing up on the set of Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet or Happy Days. "

Heartache, from a young woman I am proud to call my friend, Sandra ::

Came on here today to first see that pic of Clapton, followed by the Bee Gees and I was sitting here with tears streaming down my face. Had to go get a cup of coffee and pull myself back together. I have memories of my 16 year old son telling me "hey Mom, have you heard Tears in Heaven? I think you'd like it" He told me the story behind it. A few short months later my son was gone and we played that song at his funeral.

A few Random Quotes I have saved over the years ::

Being Green

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartass young person...

We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off."

"People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."

"Sure God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece."

"We like to consider ourselves the cool, mature folks .. old enough to know better but young enough to keep trying anyway .."

 

[Rat2chat2]

and others, have missed your posts and the music you bring to the thread.

Got me dancin' too. . .

,

 

[Uncle Willie]

I have been given the go ahead, so reposting this one ::

 

[Rat2chat2]

Damn Sandy. . . I can't keep up with you!!!!

 

[Uncle Willie]

I will stop now .. and end by saying, as I've said before ::

When I first stumbled upon this small area in the CyberWorld, I never realized that the Journey would bring me in such as it did .. I don't have much in the way of Family left, and here I found a solace of sorts, a group of folks that took everyone in, regardless .. it's been a wonderful ride, a way for me to vicariously have a Group that I came to rely on in many ways .. laughing, crying, sharing, the Good, the Bad .. just like a real Family .. .. we've not always agreed, we've not always been completely kind to each other, and I think that's as it should be .. there are no perfect people .. my Dad, a deeply religious Man, would say, when I was a child "There was only one Perfect Person, and Humanity decided to get rid of Him .."

It is my sincere hope that the Tradition goes on in perpetuity .. although I'm sure the Future will change, with some sort of Vulcan Mind Meld Headset that will eventually connect your Brains into a Giant Collective and typing will no longer be necessary ..

As you continue to gather around the Digital Campfire, I simply want to say that I hold dear the Past that many of us have shared, "A Simple Twist of Fate" that brought us together and continues to bring others in .. over the years, it has, in some ways, restored my Faith in Humanity, and, for that, thank you ..

My words have, in many cases, been better expressed thru Music, so with that ::



Although Neil wrote this about his car, none the less ..

 

[MikeE3]

Holy cow @Uncle Willie, you sure have a nack for bringing the past to the present. I don't think I could even have found my old posts yet alone the others. Fantastic flash back indeed!

So I hear by proclaim you to be the official archivist of the back porch.

 

[Iffy]

Willie,
Thank you, absolutely wonderful and touching contributions for/to the Porch Family!

 

[2legsshrt]

Enjoyed that a lot Willie. When I get back from the VA I will listen to all the music. Thank You very much.

Pat

 

[clnire]

Thank you @Uncle Willie . I always enjoy reading your archives again and love the music!

 

[therussellv]

Ok, so I put my foot down and begged to be allowed to buy a new mod, but found two I like, so I ask your opinions: should I go with the movkin disguiser or the istick pico mega?

Sent from a dark, twisted corner of the back porch, covered in cobwebs and slightly damp.

 

[Debadoo]

lmao......the kids got a new cage for my granddaughter's hamster Chloe. she is a FAT hamster and the wheel was smaller than her old one....... when we first put her in there, she would only go on top of the wheel. Took her a couple days to get inside the wheel like she did with the old one. She climbed up the metal bars to get to the upper level, but couldn't figure out the way down was the same way she got up there, so she'd hang down with her back feet gripping the upper deck......stretch as close to the bottom of the cage as she could get and drop to it. We may not have the smartest hamster of the bunch

ummm, errrr, you mean like which puppy to pet?

hehehe saw a local news story the other day about a couple who got married. For the wedding photos, instead of carrying/wearing their flowers, the bridal party posed holding rescue puppies to advocate adopting them. Your pic would likely work even better! Two things women have a hard time resisting.........adorable puppies, shirtless firemen!

I should have done a quick knead while the mixture was still crumbly and then set it aside to rest and come together.

That's what I always see on food network. Use the food processor, just til it begins to come together. dump it out on a floured board. Don't need it........just form it with your hands til it's a solid. Wrap in plastic, refrigerate 30 mins. Let come to room temp, and roll it out, rolling only as much as is needed. I don't really make pies, so haven't tried this.

My dil made this the other day, and it was surprisingly very good.

Low Carb Crockpot Chocolate Cake I don't think she has the swerve sweetner, so may have used Stevia. I typically don't like things like this, but this was really good.

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup almond or coconut milk, unsweetened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips(optional)

Instructions

1. Grease the insert of a 6 quart slow cooker well.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, whey protein powder, baking powder and salt.
3. Stir in butter, eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract until well combined, then stir in chocolate chips, if using.
4. Pour into prepared insert and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. It will be gooey and like a pudding cake at 2 1/2 hours, and more cakey at 3 hours.
5. Turn slow cooker off and let cool 20 to 30 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve warm. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

CREEPY CLOWN ENCOUNTERS There has been a rash of these 'round da nation, including up in Tampa.

Thanks darlin........I saw a couple reports, but they didn't say what was really going on. That's horrible. Dunno if it's happened around here, but will definitely make sure that my son and dil know so they can talk to Faith about it.