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Christmas in Germany

27 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

 

Recently, on facebook, I saw that our daughter, Karen, has posted a picture that took me right back to our first tour of Germany. She stated that it: “brings back memories of living in Germany!”  We were in Wiesbaden, living in government quarters, which was a “stairwell” with two “apartments” on each level. And there were two stairwells in each building. We happened to live on the top floor, which we later discovered was the best place to live. No one above us…if we needed a breeze, we had it whether or not the other levels had the breeze or not. The only drawback was carrying grocery sacks up those three flights of stairs – and laundry down to the basement!

But usually, at Christmas, we were encouraged to decorate our picture window. I seem to recall there were competitions among the buildings to see who had the “best” or most elaborate decorations, or the most meaningful….you get the picture.

Therefore, this picture really reminded me of that time. Here is the picture Karen posted:

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I’m sorry this picture is in black and white. However, let me show you one of the building we lived in, and what we did one of the Christmases:

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Our apartment is the upper left one – the one with the silver bells. I don’t think we won any awards, but it was fun, anyway.

Here is another picture, but not of our stairwell. They may have won an award!

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Ten years later, we were stationed in Heidleberg. We lived in a different “type” of government housing, with the picture window at the end of the building/room, rather than like the housing in Wiesbaden. Here is what I did for our window treatment there.

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The Germans made these wonderful decorations out of wood/wood shavings. That’s what this one was. Unfortunately, I must not have packed it well enough, because it arrived in the States rather beaten up, and unusable. In any case, I don’t have it any more. But we enjoyed it while there.

My taste in Christmas decorating may not be very elaborate, but Fred and I both enjoy what we put together to decorate our house.

But more than that, many of our decorations and tree ornaments are from Germany, and we are reminded of our time there every time we decorate our tree, or put together some sort of decoration in the house. It was a wonderful time in our lives, and we are thankful God gave us the opportunity to live outside our country.

 

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Love

20 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

 

Love………what is love?

That is such an intangible word and concept – and yet we fling it around like we really know what it is:

“I really LOVE this dress……..I really LOVE that movie……I really LOVE that ice cream…” and on and on we go.

Of course, the BEST love is…….saying “I Love You” – to your mate.

But there is another love that tops them all – the LOVE God has for us. God loves us so very much that He actually sent His one and only Son to live as a human being – just like us – but without sin – and that Son took my place (and your place) on the cross and died for us. All that so we could be children of God, and live with His strength on this earth, and then eternally with Him in heaven. Unthinkable….unimaginable. And yet, it happened, and I am a child of God because of it.

Once again, on facebook I found a cartoon that says it all. Credit to Charles Schultz.

 

Peanuts a man called Jesus

 

How did Charlie Brown get to be so smart?

I thank my God and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this wondrous plan that allowed me – a Gentile – to be in the family of God. Oh, the wonder of it all. Thank you, loving Father.

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The Door

13 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

Many years ago, I came upon something my Father had saved. It was an “etching” of an ancient doorway, with lantern overhead to light the way. There was a description attached to it, explaining where and what the door was all about. Somehow, I have misplaced that etching – every once in a while I come across it, but can’t seem to find it when I’m looking for it.

As I recall, that door was somewhere in the ruins of an English castle or cathedral. However, Fred and I have found another “door” that reminds us of that original one from Daddy. We just happened upon it while we were visiting Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany many years ago.

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That is one of our favorite places to visit, and we did it often while living in Germany. It is an old, medieval town, and is a walled city. One can still walk along the covered walkway at the top of the wall.

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It was built in the 1100’s. Fascinating! Any time we had visitors, we always took them to Rothenburg. Such fun!

I’m not exactly sure what there is about that door that is special to us, but we enjoy it so much. It’s tucked back, almost in an alleyway, and is rather easy to miss, unless you are looking for it.

Recently, Fred and I took a 15-day Viking River Cruise (more on that later). One of the stops we made had an excursion – a bus ride to Rothenburg! We’ve never had a guided tour before – usually we just looked around on our own. So we found out some things about Rothenburg we didn’t know. But as we followed along with our guide, we came upon “the door” again, and were so pleased to find it. We had intended to try to find it on our own again, but there it was!

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One of our favorite Christmas gifts from our daughters, are calendars for the next year, with pictures of castles or of Germany. So might imagine our delight when we turned the calendar page to December on one calendar and…..there was “The Door!” Of course the professional picture is better than ours, and we thoroughly enjoy the fact that someone else likes this door as much as we do.

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Beautiful, isn’t it?

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Toy Truck

29 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

I admit it – I love to look at the e-mails we are sent, and I enjoy most of the facebook stuff I look at. I also have to admit that on FB, I usually just look for the “pictures” and videos rather than all the verbiage presented there.

I’ve been really amused by some of the pictures on FB. This one really caught my eye and had a good laugh over it. When I showed it to Fred, he laughed, as well.

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What do you think? Cute, huh?

But think how creative that truck driver was to put this together. It didn’t really take a lot of thought to do this, but gave a great deal of enjoyment to those who saw it.

The same could be said of the things we say and do in our lives, to those around us. Do we say and do things that bring joy to those we live with? Or to our neighbors? Or to our fellow church-goers? Or have we become so jaded that we don’t have any joy left in our lives?

Recently I had total knee replacement – not a fun thing, that’s for sure. It was done to help relieve the pain in my knee, since the “cushion” in my knee was gone, and the two bones in my knee were grating upon each other. Ouch!! But through the surgery and the following physical therapy, I’ve tried to keep an upbeat spirit. One of the best exercises was what they call “foot pumps.” I joked that I would probably wake up from the anesthesia saying “foot pumps….foot pumps.”

I’ve joked with the therapists and their assistants. When the therapist commented that I wasn’t “grunting and groaning” when he was severely pushing on my leg, I told him that my mind was saying “I can do all things through Christ who keeps pouring power into me….. I can do all things through Christ who keeps pouring power into me….. I can do all things through Christ who keeps pouring power into me…..(and by the way – that’s what the Greek actually says!)” And he laughed. I’ve gone back to see the nurse on the floor of the hospital where I was for four days. She was such an inspiration – she even pulsed pom-poms as encouragement for us to get up and walk! She always had a smile on her face. And she seems pleased when Fred and I go back just to see her. We get hugs.

My time in the physical therapy clinic is past now….anything else I “recover” will be by my own working out. Recently on FB, I saw a video clip of a little girl – she couldn’t have been more than 1½ years old, trying to walk to her encouraging Daddy. The thing that impressed me was that she was trying to learn to walk with a prosthetic leg! I saw that and said to myself…”Well, Judy, if she can do THAT, you can just suck it up and dig in and work to get this leg back into shape! No more belly-aching!!”

Everyone says that laughter – a good old-fashioned belly laugh – is some of the best medicine anyone can have in healing. And that’s why that toy truck struck my funny-bone. It gave me such a good laugh, that my spirits were lifted.

And here’s a directive from scripture:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE!

Philippians 4:4

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Discipline

22 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

As I’ve mentioned in previous musings, I’ve been going through stacks and stacks of papers and pictures that we have accumulated. I’ve found a number of cartoons that my Mother had cut out – probably the newspaper – and sent them to me. And I’ve used some of them in my Old Things R New postings.

Today, however, I would like to share something that we found in my Mother’s Bible following her death.

She was always a hard worker, whether it was at the job where she was paid (she was an accountant, and worked at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque to supplement Daddy’s paycheck, to purchase things that we might not have been able to have otherwise), or when she purchased and opened the Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, or when she was cleaning the house, cooking our meals, doing the laundry…. She was a hard worker.

I think the only time I ever saw her sit down and “rest” was after dinner and clean-up from that, to watch a little TV. One of her enjoyments – especially in her later years – was to sit down after breakfast, with a cup of her favorite coffee, and peruse the newspaper. She would read it from cover to cover.

But this little snippet of information is a real insight into her life. I think it was a testimony to the way she lived her life, and the way she saw life. It certainly makes one take notice about the wisdom of the words.

Discipline

What do you think?

Her favorite scripture was Psalm 118:24

This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

 

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How Did He Know?

15 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

As I’ve mentioned in previous musings, I’ve been going through stacks and stacks of papers and pictures that we have accumulated. I’ve found a number of cartoons that my Mother had cut out – probably the newspaper – and sent them to me. I have enjoyed them all, and found some to be more poignant than others.

As I said, my Mother has been gone since 1993, so all of these things were sent well before that. But they still hold true for today. I hope this particular one holds true for our daughters.

We always used to enjoy anything Dennis the Menace, and this is no exception.

Dennis the Menace

 

Credit to Hank Ketcham:

 

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Practicing the Piano

25 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

I’ve mentioned in previous musings about how I started taking piano lessons the day I started first grade – and they continued until I graduated from high school. I was not a very accomplished pianist at that time. Perhaps still not, but more than I was at that time.

1952-Our new piano

1952-Our new piano

I remember my brother, Bill, saying how much he hated practicing the violin – so much so that our parents gave up and let him quit. Well, I pretty much had the same feeling about the piano. Yeah, I wanted to play that instrument, but just didn’t want to devote the time to practice! But they wouldn’t let me quit.

In going through some old papers recently, I came upon this poem.

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My mother, at some point in time, found it and cut it out and sent it to me. It depicted how I would “practice” so much of the time. I remember one particular time that I just sat there on the piano bench, not even touching a note. Mother was outside, hanging up the clothes on the clothesline, so I didn’t think she would hear me. When my “time” was up, I just skipped outside, ready to get to something else. Mother looked at me and said, “Did you have a nice nap? Now get in there and practice!!” Trudging back to the piano, my thought was, “how did she know???”

But, as with all things, practice…practice…practice is what it takes to get a command of any instrument. I learned that the hard way, whether the piano or the organ (still not my favorite instrument to play). As I said before, I have the talent, but I don’t have the gift of the instrument. I’ve never been able to just sit down and play something for my own enjoyment. I wish I did or could – it would have made my practice time so much more enjoyable.

I haven’t used my talent on the piano for several years now. I still have my books and I do sit down occasionally to keep my hand in, but not very often. I still love to play the old hymns – and some of the arrangements of some new songs. But I still must have that piece of music in front of me in order to play it. None of it comes naturally.

But if I am ever needed, I can, and do, pick it up and play. God has given me the ability to be able to play for Him and His Kingdom. I play for His Glory, and that fills me up like nothing else.

Judy at the new piano-1952
Judy at the piano-1956
Judy at the old upright 1951
Judy and niece Renie Lites-1963

I am blest.

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Showers of Love~Part 3

18 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

I’ve told you about the SHOWERS OF LOVE that my husband gives me – especially following my total knee replacement surgery and my cancer episode.

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I’ve told you about our oldest daughter’s SHOWERS OF LOVE in her coming to help out following my knee surgery.

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I see love in my life every single day – and I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am that God has blessed me so much with family and friends who aren’t afraid to show their love. It showed up with those who came to visit, those who called, and those who brought food for us. I just hope and pray that I return that love to those around me who might need it.

As I was in physical therapy this week, the young man who is my therapist told me that he’d had an interesting weekend – he got engaged! Congrats all around!! As he was working on my knee, I informed him that my husband and I have been married for 54 years. His question was, “what kind of advice do you have for someone just starting out?”

I only had to think for just a moment before giving my response: “Well, I don’t know where you are spiritually (he began nodding his head at this), but….put Christ in the middle.”

I can’t think of a better way to show love to either your marriage partner, or to those around you. Just put Christ in the middle of any relationship, and it all works the way it’s supposed to work. God certainly knew that when he created us.

Many, many years ago, I saw a cartoon in a magazine that touched me – and amused me. I cut it out, and here it is. Those “three little words” have a way of lifting us up, and letting us know that we are, indeed, loved. Of course, a hug would have gone a long way, as well, but to say those words out loud, to the one you love, makes all the difference in our attitude.

See what you think:

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May God bless you richly in all your loving relationships

 Because your love is better than life [O Lord], my lips will glorify you.

Psalm 63:3

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Showers of Love

20 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

I’ve been on a sabbatical for a few weeks now, and the reason is that I had total knee replacement surgery, along with the recovery time involved with that (an on-going thing).

I am about to sing the praises of my husband, but I want you to understand that God Himself is the foundation for ALL that goes on in our lives. With that firmly in mind…..

I’ve mentioned in previous postings that I had breast cancer in 2000 (please see my first post with oldthingsrnew….Safe, September 16, 2012). What I did not mention is that my husband, Fred, was my anchor during that time. He has been the love of my life now for 54+ years, and God has blest me with his presence.

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There are so many ways of showing love to someone, but Fred absolutely showed his love for me during my cancer time. He was with me throughout all the visits to the surgeon, and through the surgeries. He was the one who cleaned my drain tubes each day. He took care of the household duties during that time. I’m sorry to admit that he really isn’t much of a cook, but we were blest with many friends bringing food, so all he had to do was heat it up.

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While all that took some time, the recovery time for a knee replacement is much, MUCH longer and more painful. Fred is my “coach” in all this. He attended the pre-op class and learned what he would have to do to help me through it all. And he has done so, marvelously. When I don’t want to do the exercises to get my knee back to working order – he’s the one who pushes me to do so. He counts out the reps I have to do for each exercise. He actually does some cooking – he’s learning to make a mean Canadian bacon and scrambled egg breakfast! (As a footnote – I always said he would never starve, because he knows how to make peanut and jelly sandwiches!) He hooked me up the electric ice machine throughout the day and night. He helps me into and out of the shower stall. He wrapped my knee with Saran Wrap and taped it down so I could shower – then removed it when I was done. He dries my feet when I get out of the shower because I have to hold onto something for stability.

I am up to walking with a cane these days rather than the walker, and he is right beside me – on the other side and holding my hand – giving me the stability I need.

There are so many more things I could say that he has done – and is continuing to do – that will enable me to get stronger and back to “normal” with this new knee I have.

All that to say, that my love, my Fred, has absolutely SHOWERED me with his LOVE!! What a perfect example of love he shows me each and every day.

I thank my God every day for bringing Fred into my life. His love is so very pure and wonderful.

I am blest.

Psalm 21:6

Surely you have granted him unending blessings

and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

Fred and Judy at EPCOT with Fred's sister, Sally

Fred and Judy at EPCOT with Fred’s sister, Sally

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Granny~Part 3

26 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

                                      

I’ve mentioned before that Granny was a great seamstress. I don’t know whether or not she made Mother’s wedding dress, but it is quite possible.

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And remember – she and both of her daughters (my Mother and Aunt Jessie) all three worked in the Rochester Handkerchief Factory in San Antonio for a number of years. So she was well-versed in the art of sewing, and with a machine.

I know that she was partly responsible for teaching me to sew fiesta dresses (please see my post on December 9, 2012).

I remember my brother, Bill, telling me how she would make Western shirts for him. Seems she had the pattern for a long-sleeved western-style shirt on hand. He would go to Sears or Penney’s or a fabric store where they had fabric by the bolt, and he would purchase 3½ yards of fabric of his choice. He would take it to Granny, and she would sew up that shirt in no time. Bill had a “kit” that enabled them to anchor pearl topped snaps on the shirt. They would get together; Granny would mark off where the snaps were to go; and Bill would make the attachment. Fun time for both of them, and lots of shirts in his closet.

Remember now……Granny had an old treadle Singer sewing machine.

She did all this work on that machine. I seem to remember it was “commercial grade” – they probably purchased it from the handkerchief factory. I believe in later years they removed the treadle and upgraded to an electric motor. But I’m not sure about that. One thing I really do remember about that machine is that, off to the left side, was a long button drawer. And it had tons of buttons in there – all kinds, colors and shapes.

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I would spend hours just sifting through those buttons. It was such fun for a child. (Don’t be alarmed – I never swallowed any!)

Bill told me that Granny also made him an “Ike” jacket, which was very trendy during that time.

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She made it out of red corduroy – and he loved it! He had a pair of red corduroy pants to go with it, and he wore that outfit to school. He thinks that is what captured DiVoran’s attention after they had met. Interesting story, huh?

I also remember that she made a turquoise velveteen jumper. I wore it a lot.7

She also made a turquoise wool coat for me –

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and later a blue wool coat. And along with those, was a turquoise bathrobe. Think I might like the color turquoise?

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

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