75 Years

Well, I have made it to 3/4 of a Century !    On the 20th I turned 75,   I scared myself on Wednesday the 16th as I went into Unstable Angina, Chest Pain and needed to go to the Emergency Room,  My Honey called 911,  I was scared and in pain, Ambulance Crew arrived and I got to our local Hospital ER about 8PM,  made stable and then Transferred to Syracuse City and St. Joseph's Hospital, Admitted and had the Heart Cath done.  This was a rough one as the prior ones went rather smoothly !  Cath done in the right wrist and Heart checked. Results showed the 14 Stents I have as mostly being OK.  No other issues found, ruling was "Progressive Unstable Angina" !

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Spent the Night and wife came down and picked me up.   We were going to have a Big Birthday Party on Sunday the 20th but that was cancelled. 

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This shows the wrist area where they did the Cath incision, it's sore but healing, I put a Heating Pad on it and try not to use it.

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My Birthday Dinner was Not a nice Prime Rib with the Family but my Honey made my Favorite Shrimp Scampi over Pasta and it was delicious !

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I had a nice Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Ice Cream for Dessert !

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It was a Great Birthday because I was Home and was not in the Hospital and got to sleep in my own bed  ! 

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My Birthday was great as I got to spend it with my Honey, in our own home, we surely are Blessed !!

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My Honey clearing away Snow, Spring is coming soon, we have had some nice days and going to Rain Tomorrow, the 22nd.

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"The Ride Goes On !!!

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We are Home, Both Holding on and Cherishing our Life together and are enjoying our Blessing "One Day At A Time" !

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74 years, 11 months, 6 Days old

I have traveled a few times around the Sun so far with many more trips to go I pray !  Each Year has always been an adventure like everyone else.   I truly have been Blessed many Times !  

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This is where I went to School,  a one room school House,   I walked to school, from my house to school was about a half a mile and I went every day, School house was 1 room, it had a woodshed attached as big as the school room stacked full of wood, parents with children in school cut, split and delivered wood to the school,  there was a small water closet for the drinking water jug and coats and boots. 

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This is my old school house, after it closed my Sister Bought it and converted it to a Home for her Family !  There was no well,  water was carried to school from across the Road and it was older Boys job to carry the water.  The Bathrooms were one big "Out House" with Girls on the right and Boys on the Left.  It was cold in the winter.  Bathroom Breaks in the winter were always done by going with a Buddy, never alone.

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I sit in the back because my last name was Wood, the front rows were last names with A !!!

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We sat at Desks with Ink Wells,  There was no Ink in them as we used only Pencils.

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The center of the school had a wood stove we would gather around in the winter to stay warm, old school houses were not insulated,  Lights were Bulbs hanging down from the ceiling.   On top of the wood stove there would be a Big Cook Pot,  The Teacher would have Bean Soup,  or Macaroni Soup,   Hot Dogs and Beans,   Goulosh,  Spaghetti.  No one went Hungry and they were kids  I went to school with back then that lived in shacks with Dirt Floors !!!!  (Sad) but True.

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. The 5th Grade I was 1 of the first ones that was sent to the Big School in Town,  I went from Grades 1 thru 8 now to a school of Grades K thru 12,   This is where I saw my first Flush Toilet and a Urinal !!!!!    Thankfully I had a friend who showed me what they were for,  Remember I grew up in the Country !

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I adapted to Riding the School Bus,  the Big School and all the Kids,  School Lunches, Recess, Cafeteria food, and "Detention" ,

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I flunked a couple Grades and realized that if I went to school instead of skipping school I could pass the Grade.  

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My Graduating High School Class of 1966 ! 22 Of us. Before Graduation all 6 Boys had their Draft Notice or had Enlisted into the Service.    Girl in the front Center was an Exchange Student from Guatemala !  

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This was our 10 Year Reunion after Graduation ! 10 of us showed up.

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This above was our 50th High School Reunion ! 10 of us showed up for this Banquet !

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Stepping out into the World. 1966 !

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Next Chapter 75

 February, a Cold and Bitter Month here in the North Country,  I was born into this world three quarters of a Century ago and will celebrate those 75 years soon,  Father said the day they brought me home with Mother from the Hospital it was a terrible day, there was Snow Banks 6 to 8 feet tall, he carried me into the House first, then went back to his 1938 Ford Sedan and got my Mother and half carried her into the House where I joined my Brother John, Jim, Sister Janice, Brother Donnie and my Sister Beverly !  My Aunt Tressa and My Aunt Sarah were there watching my sisters and brothers.   I was a large Baby my Mother said.  I was the Baby of the Family until Mother had a set of Twin Boys, Ronald and Roland !

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Mother and I in 1948, I had long Blonde Hair !!!  

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This is me and my Great Grandmother, Sarah Ellen McKain Hall,  Right from Ireland.  This is where some of my Irish Blood Line Came from !

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My Oldest Brother John and I !

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I was rugged, had to be in a Family of 8 children, usually always several cousins and neighbor kids at the house,  No Belt for me as elastic held my pants up and usually I was always barefoot till snowfall !

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Left is Brothers Jim and Donnie, Me in front of Dad, sister Bev and Mother, we are all out fixing fence with Father !

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Me in middle with brothers and cousins !

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Sisters Bev and My Sister Janice holding me and Brother Donnie,   

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The Boys, John Jim, Donnie, Me, Ronnie and Roland !!!!

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Our Family !

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Above is some of the family, not all !!!

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Sadly missing John, Janice and Donnie and Father and Mother !

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I am holding a Cap Gun, Holster on,  Dressed warmly in February of 1957 !!!!  Always knew I wanted to be a Law Man !  

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Yup, Buck Teeth,  Big Ears and smiling !!!  Growing up in the Country !,   I had left the country school, now went to Town to the "Big School" !

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My First Guitar,  I knew right then I was going to be on Stage in Nashville singing with all them Hero's of mine !  This was about 1960

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My Second Guitar, A souped up Electric, Mail Order from Catalog , now I  knew I would be Famous country singer !!

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Well, Dreams can come true, In 2011 while heading to Florida for the Winter we stopped in Nashville,  We went to the Grand Ole Opera in the morning, It was closed, there was a Guard by the Door and he saw I had a Police T Shirt on found out he was retired from a Police Department near where I worked and he let us in !   Well I headed for the stage, there were these 2 Guitars leaning up on stands there, I picked one up and : "I stood in the Circle and sang and Played" where so many many Great Opera Stars had done before !  What an awesome feeling, when I stopped playing I heard applause and saw about 10 to 12 people standing there who were taking a private tour of the Opera !  

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This I think is enough for tonight,     AND THE STORY WILL CONTINUE WITH PICTURES................................

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