Archive by Author

Let’s Eat!-Part 4

7 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Do you have a favorite dessert?  Someplace you go to get that special dessert?  I’ve had a few of those in my lifetime.

For instance, when we lived in Panama City, Florida (Tyndall AFB), I joined a singing group of officer’s wives.  Not only did we sing for events on base, but we went to different venues around Panama City to sing for their events.  Instead of driving myself, I usually rode with an older woman, who was a Colonel’s wife.  One day, following a Christmas concert we had given in town, driving back toward the base, with a grin she asked me, “do you like to be bad?”  No knowing just how to answer her, I mumbled something like ummhmm.  So she took me to a local Dairy Queen

Credit Google Search and Dairy Queen website

and she introduced me to their wonderful banana split.  Since this was my introduction to banana splits, I have measured every other one I’ve had with the Dairy Queen’s – and NONE of them have come anywhere close to how good the Dairy Queen’s are!  Most are made with Neapolitan ice cream – part chocolate, part strawberry, part vanilla ice cream (I’ve never liked that particular ice cream anyway), scooped onto a split banana, with whipped cream and perhaps a cherry on top.  Dairy Queen’s banana split is made with three dollops of their luscious soft ice cream on top of the split banana, then chocolate syrup on one dollop, strawberry syrup on another, and pineapple on the third dollop, then topped with whipped cream.  Delicious!!  You just must try it some time.  The difference is aMAZing!

Credit Google Search and Dairy Queen website

When we were first married and living in Fort Worth, Texas, we were told about a really good Texas BBQ place called Jettons.  As it turned out, Mr. Jetton was a member of the church we were members of in Fort Worth. His eatery was a cafeteria-style restaurant.

Credit Google Search and Texas Monthly

We would each get a platter stacked high with chipped beef (or shredded beef), swimming in BBQ sauce, a vegetable, Texas Toast, and a Texas-sized ice tea – all for $1.00!  Now, realize that was back in the 1960’s, so $1.00 for that much food was not unreasonable.  And since we were poor school students, that fit our weekly budget just fine.  That was our “splurge” for the week.  Boy did we love to eat at Jettons!

A history of Walter Jetton is due here.  We learned that he not only had his restaurant in Fort Worth, but he would take his traveling pit and serve BBQ in other states.  The most famous of his adventures was to take his pit to Washington D.C. and BBQ for President Lyndon B. Johnson on the White House lawn!  He was crowned as the “King of Barbecue” through the United States.

Credit Google Search and Texas Monthly

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

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Let’s Eat-Part 2

23 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Funny thing – I had never even heard the word “pizza” until I was in high school (1950’s)!

Credit Google Search and Pixabay

I remember a girl in my chorus class flopping down on a chair and saying that she couldn’t move because she was so full of pizza!  Pizza?  What in the world is THAT?  Turns out there was a great little pizza eatery on Central Avenue (main street of Albuquerque, U.S. Route 66) called Casa Luna, that made the best pizza I think I’ve ever had.  After that recommendation from my fellow student, a bunch of us would go there often – and I fell in love with pizza!  Unfortunately, that place is now a carpet shop!

After Fred and I met, his parents would occasionally come to town, and they would take us to the Officer’s Club on Kirtland AFB.

Credit Google Search and Kirtland AFB website                               Credit Google Search

A new experience for me, but one we’ve repeated on most of the bases where we’ve lived, since Fred was commissioned as an officer himself. (More on that later)

Another place where we liked to eat (but it was only introduced to us after Fred and I moved away) was called Bella Vista, and it was about 20 miles into the Sandia Mountains East of Albuquerque itself.

Credit Google Search

Great fried fish – all you could eat!  Unfortunately, after the owners turned it over to their children, the kids turned it into a sports bar – and it is no longer in existence.

When I was still a teenager – fresh out of high school and a year of college, I went to work for Civil Service located downtown Albuquerque.

Credit Google Search – Simms Building –  where I worked

I discovered a “hole-in-the-wall” little eatery just around the corner from my office building.  I would go there for lunch frequently, and occasionally after work for a burger before heading home.  It wasn’t a big place at all.  It had counter space for about eight stools, and about five two-top tables.  The counter faced the grill, which was quite large – as big as a dinner table.  The burgers were delicious, and I found that adding the home-made chili to the burger made it mouth-watering!  I was in there one day after work, and was watching the owner/cook making the chili.  He had it spread all over that grill and was working it.  I asked why he made so much, and he told me that one time some people from Boston had come in and had some of his chili and loved it so much that they commissioned him to make them X-number of quarts of the stuff to ship to them to Boston each month!  WOW!  He also told me that several people wondered why he didn’t expand his space.  But he told them (and me) that it was just exactly the size and amount of business he wanted to handle.  I admired him for that.  He knew what he wanted, and didn’t need more.  I don’t remember the name of the place, and have no idea whether or not he is still in business.  It was a great little eatery, and is still in my memory.

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

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Let’s Eat-Part 1

16 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Credit ChurchArt

I think most of us have a “favorite place” where we like to eat.  For some, it’s at home with all the home-made cooking we like to do, or like Mom used to make.  I’m from the generation that came from that.

My family – Thanksgiving 1956

To eat “out” was a rare and precious privilege.  There wasn’t a lot of money to throw around in my parent’s house, so we only ate out at special times.  That got better as time went on, and going to the local Furr’s Cafeteria for lunch after church services became the norm.  And we loved it.

Furr’s was known as the best grocery store in Albuquerque at the time, so when they added a cafeteria, we were ecstatic.  And the food was good.  We’ve eaten in many a “cafeteria” in past years where the food was only passable – and they didn’t last too long.  But Furr’s was an exception.  I’ve just checked online and found that it is now located in cities and states other than Albuquerque and New Mexico (Colorado, Texas), but it is still in existence – now known at Furr’s Fresh Buffett.

Credit Google Search and Furr’s website

My family also loved to eat Mexican food, and Albuquerque was loaded with just such places.  Some of our favorite Mexican restaurants were in Old Town – either La Placita 

Credit Google search and explorall50.com

Credit Google search and Pinterest

La Placita was known for the trees growing inside some of the rooms or La Hacienda.

Credit Google Search and Pinterest

They were practically next door to each other in Old Town, and only a few minutes from our church, so that was also an after-church place to eat.  Of course, those were highly “touristy” restaurants, and they seemed to take turns having “good” food and “not so good” food.  When one wasn’t too good, the other one was.  And then it would take a change and we had to guess which one to go to that next time.

But then a really good Mexican restaurant opened its doors, called El Pinto.

Credit Google Search and b.zmtcdn.com

It opened after Fred and I married and moved away (1961), but Mother kept telling us it was her favorite place to eat.  So we always went there when we visited Albuquerque.  It lived up to Mother’s reviews.  I just checked online and found it still in business with many glowing reviews. 

We lived in a house just two doors down from a main auto artery, Lomas Blvd.  If I walked to Lomas, and turned right, there was a little strip center there, with a small hamburger joint on the end of it.  I don’t remember the name of it, but they made the BEST hamburgers there!  They put chopped onions and mustard on their burgers, and wrapped them in wax paper, creating an aroma that I’ve never found since then.  I think the nearest aroma to that I’ve found is when we were in Texas and ate Whataburgers.  They are the best!  And their burgers come the closest to that little burgers shop I’ve ever found.  I really loved that place.

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

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-9

9 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

CONNECTION…

How do you connect with people?  If you are in a business, you probably have some sort of “plan” to connect with people who could be your customers.  We see ads in the newspaper and on the TV all the time for businesses selling their particular product.  We see ads looking for people to work with a specific company, or in a specific position.

I’ve heard of people who attend benefits or parties or some such event just so they can “network” the system, and benefit themselves or their company.

But what is your connection to the one and only true living God?  Is it an Easter and Christmas connection?  Is it a once-a-month connection?  Or is it a genuine, life-sustaining, personal relationship with God?

Credit Google Search

Credit ChurchArt

My brother Bill wrote about this recently.  Here are his thoughts:

Our connection to God is, quite simply, the only way we can live this life with any purpose or satisfaction.  It allows us to walk upright without staggering or tripping or falling down.  There may be bumps in the road, but if we keep our eyes on that connection to God, He will keep us from falling flat on our faces.  He will help us see the direction we need to take – to be His children.

We are blest, indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~This Concludes Bill’s thoughts through his Minute Meditations~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-8

2 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

REST

What gives you the most rest in your life?  Is it just a good night’s sleep?

Credit Google Search

Is it vegging in front of the TV after work?

Credit Pixabay

Is it sleeping in that lawn chair after a hard day’s work?

Credit ChurchArt

Is it doing something other than work?

Fred and I have often agreed that, doing something different from your normal work day is a type of rest for your body and mind.

When I was working for a company in Virginia, one of my six (count them….SIX) bosses was a young man, very skilled in finance.  It was a small company, and he was tasked to do a lot of things for the company.  In his office, directly across the room from his desk, was a very large picture of a mountain scene, complete with snow, ski lift, and a bunch of skiers swooping down the mountain side.  Snow skiing was his passion.  I understood that, in a very stressful day, he had only to look at that picture for a few minutes, visualize himself in that picture-setting, and have a moment of rest.

Have you ever “rested” in the Lord?  Have you ever just let yourself know that God is in complete control of whatever situation you find yourself in, and sit back, relax, and REST in God’s capable hands?  WOW!  Talk about rest!!  That’s the ultimate.

My brother, Bill, wrote about this one time.  Here’s what he said:

I’ve written about God’s perfect timing before, and it still stands.  It’s when we can allow God to have complete contl of our lives that we experience true rest.  The peace that comes with that rest is the best and most refreshing we will ever have.  And if we wait upon the Lord, we will see that, indeed, His timing is perfect…and so is our REST in Him.

I am grateful.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-7

26 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

POSSESSIONS

What is your most prized possession?

Your car?

Credit Google Search

Your house?

Credit Google Search

An instrument you’ve scrimped and saved for, for so long you wondered whether or not you would ever be able to afford it?

Credit Google Search

That big-screen TV?

Credit Google Search

That stereo system?  That computer?  That ipad or iphone?

What about a pet?  Is that considered a “possession” to you?  

How did you feel after you acquired that prized possession?  Did the possessing of it complete your life, like you thought it would?  Or were you “let down” now that you had it in hand?

My brother, Bill, wrote about a woman who desired something – something she considered more than life itself:

In acquiring those prized possessions, if we consider how that possession can be used to God’s glory, then we can use it – “give it back to God” – and know that we have fulfilled God’s desire for us in that instance.  We can give God the opportunity to bless us with our use of the possession.

The “essence” of this thought is that, what God gives still belongs to Him – to be used for His glory.

I had never thought about my possessions in that light.  God really DOES want to give us the best, and to bless us with it.

WOW!

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-6

19 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Reblogged

POWER

…..What’s your first thought when you hear/see that word?  Power:  electrical?

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  hydro? 

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 aircraft takeoff or landing?

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  a violent electrical thunderstorm?  

Credit Google Search

What about the power of a word?  A judge can, with one word, sentence a prisoner to life in prison or the death penalty.  That same judge can also, with one word, set a prisoner free.

Credit Google Search

What about the power of God?  I wrote about my feelings on God’s power in an Easter blog last year:  God’s power is so tremendously great that He actually raised Jesus from death back into life!  Amazing!!  It’s so easy to just say…He arose.  But just think of it – He actually rose FROM THE DEAD BACK TO LIFE!  That never happened to anyone else, that didn’t physically die again.  

I sometimes have a really hard time wrapping my mind around that thought.  Raising someone from death to life.  I know that many people have been declared clinically “dead” and through CPR or some other method, have been brought “back to life” again.  But not after they had been dead for three days, as Christ was!  WOW!

Photo Credit Judy Wills

God’s power is unlimited.  Have you ever had your electricity go off?  Have you ever heard of airplanes crashing because of loss of power?  God’s power just doesn’t have that kind of limitation.  Well ….because He’s GOD!

My brother, Bill, wrote about the Israelites in Biblical times, who didn’t understand God’s complete power.  Here’s what Bill wrote:

Praise the Lord indeed!  God is truly on OUR side.  And as Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do ALL things, through Christ, who keeps pouring POWER into me!” 

Woohoo!

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-5

12 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

REBLOGGED

Perfect Timing…

Every once in a while, everything just seems to fall into place, such as: you’ve had the house on the market for months and months….and then all-of-a-sudden, the right buyer appears, the house is sold, and you move out.  Just like that.  Click…click…click, just like clockwork, the timing is perfect.

Credit Google Search

Or, when you are writing a blog to post, nothing seems to be forth-coming. 

Then, all-of-a-sudden, an idea pops into your head, and you can’t get the words out fast enough. Click…click…click, just like clockwork, the timing is perfect.

Coincidence?  Hardly.  That’s God’s hand at work.  And it’s amazing – and I’m sure frustrating – that we don’t recognize it for what it is.

My brother, Bill, wrote about that:

So when we do take advantage of that opportunity, and recognize it for God’s perfect timing, then we can express our thanks to Him and know that He has blessed us, indeed.  

There is absolutely NOTHING in this life that feels so right as being in the perfect timing of God’s Will.  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-4

5 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Reblogged

OBEDIENCE…  What a hard word that one is.  We have to obey our parents when we are young.  We have to obey our teachers in school.  We have to obey our boss.  We have to obey the rules of the road – that one can be really dangerous if we don’t obey them!! 

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There are rules in the military. 

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There are even rules in the games we play!

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We keep thinking, “I’m the master of my own self!  Why do I have to obey anyone?”  But it just doesn’t work that way, does it?  No man is an island… isn’t that what the bard said?  Well, it’s true.

So many people criticize Christianity as being a “crutch” for life.  I hate to disappoint them, but they have some sort of crutch as well.  Their crutch can be a job, a spouse, a significant other, money – or love of it, booze, drugs, etc.  And if depending upon God and His love requires my obedience to survive in this world is my “crutch” – then I’m all in.  Fortunately, God’s “yoke” is very easy and light.  He gives us so much leeway in what we do, and all He asks is that we let Him take our heart’s desire and turn it His way.  Have you noticed that, when you become God’s child, that your desires change?  You no longer want to do those things you did before.  They frequently become distasteful to you, so you stop doing them.  You want to please God with your actions.

My brother, Bill wrote about obedience.  Here are his thoughts:

Obey His commands.  What does that mean?  Jesus was asked that very question in Matthew 22:37-39.  Jesus answered the Pharisees:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.

In other words, if we keep our eyes on God, then everything else falls into place.  Obedience to God becomes easy.  Not that everything we do on this earth will be easy, but with God’s help, obedience to Him becomes our life’s goal.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Minute Meditations-3

28 Apr

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Reblog

TRUST…..

What does that word mean to you?  The New World dictionary defines trust as:  firm belief or confidence in the honesty, integrity, reliability, justice, etc. of another person or thing.  A secondary definition is:  confident expectation.  How does that fit your definition?  

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Have you ever trusted someone with a “secret” only to have that secret spread around and get out of control?  How did that make you feel?  Did you feel like you could “trust” that person with anything personal again? Most likely not.

My brother, Bill, wrote his thoughts on this:

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.