Video House Tour Of Our Pennsylvania Home October 2005

These days, after the passing of Bill I've been very reflective of our past years together.

This video that I'm posting today is a video copy of an 8mm film compilation that Bill and I made of our previous home in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. We had our home built on 6.875 acres of wooded land in 1980. This home was to be our dream home. We planned to spend the rest of our lives in this home but that dream was cut short by the ever increasing Pennsylvania school taxes we could no longer afford to pay. 

In this video you will see me refer to getting ready to spend two weeks in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. At that time I was scheduled to house and cat sit for two women who were going to spend a few months in the winter in Florida golfing. 

I don't remember seeing this video before. I just watched it which brought back a lot of fond memories of the wonderful house that we had in Pennsylvania. I will harbor a resentment against Pennsylvania for taxing us out of our wonderful Pennsylvania home the rest of my life. So many of my Delaware neighbors moved here from several high tax Eastern states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey (even worse than Pennsylvania), and New York. 

Watching this video reminds me of how much I miss my longtime friend Bob McCamley (we met when we were in Army together in 1960). Bob died in 2013 of Parkinson's Disease. 

It's interesting seeing both me and Bill when we were much healthier. I could walk like a normal person. Look at me going up the stairs. I could actually do it on my own. Now I struggle. Even walking on even surfaces I struggle. I like the exchanges between me and Bill, the little digs at me when he says "junk". I do tend to accumulate.

Watching this video I am also reminded of my ponds. Oh how I miss those ponds. They were self filtering and crystal clear. I have a pond here but I don't have an electrical pond filter here. My ponds here aren't so clear but the goldfish who inhabit them are happy and reproducing.  I refresh the pond water here with a hose from my well. Interesting I always used to say "we" when referring to anything around this house but since Bill is no longer with me, I have to get used to saying "my", which always causes me sadness.

This video is long. You're not required to watch it of course. But I do want to post all my videos that I had made from our many 8mm films. I have them all in my You Tube account now under "Private" but since I don't plan to be around much longer in this world, I figure I better make them "Public" so there is a history for anyone who is interested in my time on this planet. 

I'm cleaning up things folks for my eventual Final Exit. Maybe some distant relative in the future will be interested. I hop so . If not, well I tried. One thing I do know now is than none of my relatives now are interested. Not even one of my twenty-four nieces and nephews. Which is sad but it is what it is. 

I Am Going to Speak

Bob with "Ronnie" (a cat he named after me) and "Stormy", a brother and sister duo who showed up on his doorstep one rainy night

I've never spoken at a funeral service.  I wanted to at both my father's funeral service  in 2000 and my Mother's funeral service in 2010, but I didn't.  I was afraid I couldn't get through my words without breaking down.  Lucky for me one of my brothers is a care pastor, and he has spoken at hundreds if not thousands of funeral services and he read my words.  

I want to speak at my friend Bob's memorial service.  I feel the need to pay him this one last honor and also to share the Bob that I knew with the new friends he made when he moved to Delaware over thirty years ago.

Am I afraid I will choke up?  You bet.  In fact I know I will.  Heck, I choked  up testifying before both Delaware state legislators for marriage equality.  I am an emotional person.  Why even last night my friend Pat was reading "The Velveteen Rabbit" to me over FaceTime and I choked up at the ending of the story.  I don't know how many times I've seen "Dark Victory" with Bette Davis but choke up every time she climbs those stairs to her bedroom for the last time.

Pat gave me some advice.  He said "Write what you're going to say down on paper.  Practice it in front of a mirror at least twenty times.  You'll get through it." 

Good advice Pat! I'll start this week.

Bob's memorial service will take place Saturday, October 25th at the Metropolitan Community Church in Rehoboth Beach.  Bob used to love going to church.  I went a few times with him (at his urging) but I could never get into it like he did.  But this time I'm making an exception.  I owe it to him.  He was my friend.

Bob at the White Caps Cafe, Oak Orchard, Delaware - 2000

Bob McCamley

Robert A. McCamley - U.S. Army 1960

My friend Bob McCamley's obituary appeared today in our local paper. I am posting it to my blog today in the hope that those who were privileged to know this gentle bear of a man during his seventy-seven years on this earth but who have lost touch, will now have closure. 

Thank you my friend Bob for making my life so rich.  Your memory will never fade.

Bob, Jim and me - 1982

Musings on a Fall Sunday

Jack, the Cajun and me in happier times - 2009 - doesn't the Cajun look fabulous?

No particular subject on today's posting.  Just some random thoughts carousing through my head.

My friend Bob's memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, October 25th at 11 AM at the Metropolitan Community Church on Route One, halfway between Lewes and Rehoboth.  I don't know if I'm going.  I feel that will be one of those "church members only" thing and I will feel like an interloper.  Oh, I can go but I would have preferred his memorial service be in a more neutral setting. I've been to that church before and I'm familiar with most of the small congregation who attend.  With a few exceptions (Tim and Miles and maybe Terry), I've never felt welcomed there.  Regardless of what anyone says or wants to believe, I never have.  I don't Believe, maybe that was part of the problem.  Also, the membership is mainly lesbian and the gals keep to themselves as lesbians tend to do.  I've tried to befriend them but without success.  Plus I don't like being hit on when I'm at a church service, and that has happened to me all to often. Nothing like being introduced to someone and knowing they're sizing you up for a potential hookup because they're looking you up and down and settling on the crotch instead of making eye contact.  One thing that really turns me off about some gay guys, always on The Hunt.  Oh well, you can see I'm wandering down into negative territory so I'll do a U-turn here.  I'll see how I feel at the end of next month. 

Me and Bob with our new Army vet hats -  April 19, 2010

The past couple days I've been worried about my computer's backup system getting stuck on "Verifying backup."  I have an iMac (Apple) computer and have been very pleased with it but I was worried that I was putting my large (80,000 plus) iPhoto library at risk.  After several calls to Apple support I can now relax.  I've been assured that as long as my Time Capsule is backing up, it's working.  That part is working.  Thank goodness.  I would hate to lose my photos.  Of course I often think, what's going to happen when I die.  They're gone baby, gone.  So maybe I shouldn't worry.

Another beautiful day here in Lower Slower, aka Sussex Country Delaware.  I've gotten back into my walking mode the past few days.  The best exercise ever, walking.  Gets the blood flowing, not only in my body but my brain cells. Sometimes when I watch the news I get depressed and overwhelmed by all the stupidity and cruelty that seems to dominate the news.  I just have to get away from it and concentrate on the good stuff. So what did I watch last night on my Netflix rental?  "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest", the third part of the trilogy of the the girl with the dragon tattoo (Swedish version, which is the best).  Watching that movie will lift your spirits.  Uh huh, sarcasm here.  But it is refreshing to see a gal kick ass and to also watch a movie that doesn't have the usual predictable Hollywood script tricks and the pretty boy and beautiful women actresses in the lead.  In the Swedish film version, the main actors look like regular people.  I guess Brad Pitt and Scarlet Johansson weren't available.

The day I found out that Bob had died Bill and I visited the place where Bob and Jim used to live before they moved into assisted living a few years ago. Below are two of the last pictures I have of Bob and Jim at there double-wide in the woods (22 acres) outside Georgetown. 

Me Bob and Jim in happier times - 2012

Bob and Jim's home now, overgrown and neglected.  So sad.

I called two of his good friends yesterday (Howard and Tommy) and informed them of Bob's memorial service.  Tommy lives in Philadelphia and doesn't drive and Howard may have to work that day.  Tommy and Howard were two of Bob's best friends ever.  Many a good times we all had, never to be forgotten.

Howard and Tommy at one of Big Bob's birthday parties at "The Ranch" (the double-wide) - 1980

Tommy, Howard and me - March 12, 2011 - their last visit with Bob and Jim

( Bob, Jim, Bart, Tommy, Howard and me - March 12, 2011 

We all used to eat breakfast together every Saturday morning.  Bob, Jim, Bart, Tommy, Howard, me and whoever else wanted to attend.  We had a good thing going for many years.  Then it dropped off.  Now days we're all flying solo.  However, yesterday Bill and I visited Bart (the man in black to the left).  The irony here is that many years ago (1980) Bob and Jim urged their friend older friend Bart to move to Delaware where they would take care of him as he got older.  Bart is 92 years old now.  Still living alone and doing fine, or as well as a 92 year old man can.  He doesn't drive at night and needs a cane but his mind is fine.  You know the saying "The best laid plans of men and mice" or something like that?  You just never know.

Bill (86) with Bart (92) yesterday.  I'm the "youngster" (72).  Guess who will probably go first?