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Our Trip to Maui-Part 3

3 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

The next day, being Sunday, we wanted to attend a local worship service.  There was a Baptist Church in Lahaina, and we decided to attend there.

It was a lovely building – without air conditioning, of course – but there were open doors all around the building to let the cool ocean breeze blow through, aided by several ceiling fans.  It was a wonderful way to worship – almost like being outdoors.

The people were quite friendly, and we enjoyed the service immensely. 

After the service was over, we went to lunch at a cute little deli called The Gazebo.  We later found out that Fred’s sister and her husband didn’t even know about this deli – even though they had been to Lahaina for many years.  We sat at the back side of the deli, and could see the beach all the way around Napili Bay.

The Gazebo Deli

After lunch, Dad wanted to show us a sight he had seen before on Maui.  It was call the Iao Needle, and is an “erosional remnant” that was formed by wind and rain.  During war times, it was used as a lookout spot.  There was a way to get up to it – but it had 300 steps to it, so we declined that adventure!

The Iao Needle

Fred’s sister and her husband had raved about a restaurant on Napili Bay that they insisted we try at least once, so we decided to eat there for supper that evening.  It is right on the beach, and is called the Sea House Restaurant.  While at lunch, as we ate and looked about Napili Bay, we were amazed to see how quickly the coastline went from sand to large rocks.  The Gazebo was in the sandy area, and the Sea House was on the rocks.  Amazing.  But the food was good, and we enjoyed each other’s company. The restaurant was, again, all open-air, with ceiling fans to stir the breeze.  While we were waiting for our table, a “local” young man in Hawaiian garb, went running down the beach with a torch and set the island torches alight.  Very quaint!

Napili Bay, with the Sea House Restaurant 

Home and to bed – as we were still getting over our jet lag.

[2023 – we spoke with Fred’s sister and her husband recently, and they told us that the Lahaina Baptist Church survived the devastating fire!  Praise God!  And Napili is quite a way’s from Lahaina, and the structures there survived, as well]

~~~~~More to come~~~~~

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.

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Our Trip to Maui-Part 2

27 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

After we left Costco, we drove about 45 minutes to the other side of the island, to Lahaina.  Fred’s sister and her husband had told us about the Lahaina Cannery Mall, so we stopped there.  It was an old pineapple cannery that had been made into a mall of sorts.  It was rather miniature compared to some in the States, but it was indoors with lots of shops and eateries.  There was even a Safeway grocery store in there! 

Maui

We had lunch there, before heading out to our time-share at One-Napili Way. One-Napili Way was in a lovely setting – lush green shrubbery, palm trees, and some of the most gorgeous exotic flowers imaginable!

Maui
Orchids Growing Wild
Maui
Bird of Paradise
Maui
Hibiscus Growing on a Rock Fence

The unit we were in was nicely appointed and fully stocked.  It had a living area (with TV) that opened out to a lanai.  The kitchen (which included pots, pans, dishes, dish soap, towels, etc.) looked out over the living area.  Dad gave us the master suite, which included an attached bathroom, and another doorway to the lanai.  The second TV was in that room.  He took one of the other bedrooms – it had a double bed in it, while the third bedroom had twin beds.  There was a second bathroom down the hallway between those bedrooms.

We were surprised to find that none of the units had air conditioners!  We thought we would surely melt – especially at night!  But each room had a ceiling fan, and there was a screen-covered set of louvers that had the fresh ocean air blowing into each bedroom.  We could always open the lanai doors and let the air into the rest of the rooms, as well.  We were quite comfortable with that – even at night!

We seldom had a fully rainy day while there.  It did rain, but the short, small rains were more just heavy sprinkles.  Dad, having lived in Hawaii for a while, said the natives call it “pineapple juice.”  Cute.  On the one day we did actually have rain, we saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky.  Everything about Maui was beautiful!

Maui

Not only were the flowers gorgeous, we also saw a tree that Dad called a “flame tree” around the island.  It really lives up to its name!

6

Fred’s sister had told us be sure and partake of a particular fish there.  There was a small take-out-only hole-in-the-wall deli that served the best presentation of this fish – Ono.  This deli serves this white fish in a delicious sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and mushrooms.  With sautéed vegetables and rice on the side – yum!  We managed to have this meal from this deli several times during our stay.

~~~~More to Come~~~~

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.

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Our Trip to Maui-Part 1

20 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy WilLS

REBLOG

In light of the catastrophic fires in Maui recently, I would like to reblog what I wrote about our trip to Maui back in 2004 (I wrote the series in 2013).  I do not want to be flippant about any of this, but this was such a special trip for us, and the devastation of Maui and Lahaina hurts our hearts.  Reblogging this series keeps alive to us the Maui we visited and explored and enjoyed.  I hope my readers will see the beauty of that lovely island along with us.

Here are some pictures of the “before and after” of Lahaina I retrieved from the internet.

Lahaina, Maui before the fires – Credit Google search and Leslie Prètot

Lahaina, Maui after the fires – credit Google search and Leslie Prètot

….Fred’s parents were living in an assisted-living facility in Washington State.  They had thought to make a trip to Maui for a week in a time-share owned by their youngest daughter and her husband, but needed/wanted some of the family to be with them to sort-of keep an eye on them.  Since Fred and I were retired at the time, we volunteered for that job.  

Two weeks before we were scheduled to depart, Fred’s mother, already afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease, had a major set-back.  She was placed in the Special Care Unit of the facility, where there were trained staff to care for her.

Since Fred’s dad had been caring for her by himself – and he was encouraged not to visit her for a few weeks so she would become adjusted to her new home – we decided to go ahead with our plans.  Frankly, he needed the rest from all that stress.  

So Fred and I flew to Seattle, rented a car and dropped our luggage at the hotel where we would be staying for just one night.  We drove to Shelton, an hour’s drive away, and spent the rest of the day with Fred’s father, sister and her husband.  We three (Fred, his dad, and I) then drove back to Seattle for the night, as our flight out was quite early the next morning.

In spite of being on the West Coast, the non-stop flight was really long to Maui.  We arrived at the Kahului airport in the capital of Maui.

We had arranged for a rental car, picked it up, stopped by the Costco nearby and picked up groceries for the mornings we would be there.  We planned on partaking of all the wonderful island foods for lunches and dinners.

~~~~More to Come~~~~

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.

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62 Years and Counting-Part 5

13 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Day five of our seven-day cruise was another day at sea.  Again we spent most of the day walking the ship, eating and resting.  Up on the Cabanas deck, there is the swimming pool and places for the sun-worshipers.

Above the pool is a huge screen, and it is usually running either a movie, or something for the children to enjoy.

There is also an area that is just for adults – no one under 18 is allowed to swim, sun-bathe or eat in that area.  It is quiet, mostly, and very relaxing. (some of the following pictures are from other cruises we’ve taken, not necessarily on the Fantasy)  Also on that deck is a salad and wrap stand,

a hamburger stand,

a pizza stand, 

a dessert stand,

 and the soft ice cream stand, as well as the soft-drink fountain drink dispensers.  So it’s kind of nice to get an ice cream and just sit and people watch.

The final day of the cruise takes us to Disney’s island in the Bahamas – Castaway Cay.

 We have always – always – enjoyed our time on the island.  While we don’t participate in the water sports, we have frequently taken the glass-bottom-boat ride.  And occasionally we have rented bicycles and taken a ride around the island.  But this time, we did neither of those things. 

We just walked around and enjoyed being on the island.  Instead of walking our way down to the “adults only” beach, we took the tram – it’s a LOOOONG walk.  It actually looks like it could be a runway for a small airplane!  Fred was told once that it is about 8,000 feet long – and we’ve walked it before – there and back to the main part of the island.  Whew!

While we were down at that beach, it became time for lunch, and they were serving BBQ that day.  So we loaded up our plates and found a picnic table.  Some of the ship’s servers always go onto the island to help with the meal, and so we get to meet other servers.  This particular day, after sitting down, one of the servers came to talk with us.  I didn’t catch his name, but noticed that his name tag said he was from Brazil.  I asked him if he enjoyed working for Disney, and he replied, “it’s a job.”  He said the thing he missed the most was his child back in Brazil.  He had just come off a vacation, and was a bit homesick.

We talked about other things a bit, and then he needed to tend to something else in the eatery area.  And then we spoke with another server who was from the Philippines.

All that to say that, during our last night’s meal in the Royal Court Restaurant, I spotted that young man from Brazil, serving another table near ours.  Since I’m sure he sees hundreds of people each day and each different cruise, I was convinced he wouldn’t remember us or our conversation from that afternoon.  As we were leaving the restaurant, the doorway was next to a staging area for the servers.  This Brazilian young man was exiting the staging area, saw us, and his face split with the biggest grin!  So he did remember us!  Perhaps it was because we had taken the time to talk with him…who knows.  I didn’t see many other guests talking with the servers on the island.  Whatever it was, we had made a favorable impression on him.  It made my heart glad.

So that concludes our cruise.  We sailed overnight back to Port Canaveral, arriving in time to have a quick breakfast, then disembarking the ship and go through Customs.  It’s so convenient to have our car parked right there at the port – just hop in and drive that hour’s drive home!

Our bed felt VERY good that night!

~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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62 Years and Counting-Part 4

6 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

The first two days were days at sea, so we just walked the ship, ate our way through each meal, and saw great entertainments.  

One of the entertainments was a ventriloquist.  What she did was familiar to us, and perhaps she was on another Disney cruise with us.  In any case, she was excellent.  I have a difficult time realizing how she could do all those different voices.  It was a hilarious performance, and we enjoyed it greatly.

The second show was a magician.  He was excellent in what he did, and again, we were greatly entertained.  Both shows included people brought up from the audience.  Seeing their willingness to participate – and some of the fun poked at them – was a highlight.

The third day was a day in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.  We had not planned any excursions around the island, so decided just to walk around a bit and see the island.  We had not been to Tortola before, so it was interesting.  Here are a few pictures we took that day.

The entrance to the shops at the port.

A statue of some dignitary – I didn’t get close enough to see who it was

The temperature was what I call “beastly hot” there, so we didn’t stay very long before returning to the ship.  We have really become accustomed to air conditioning!

That evening we watched a movie in the main, large, Walt Disney Theatre.  It was “The Little Mermaid,” starring Halle Bailey.  I know that “The Little Mermaid” Disney-style (as in animated) has been around for a very long time, but this is “live action” and many times, while watching it I thought, “how did they DO that???”  It is, truly amazing, and well worth watching.  Very well done.

The following day we docked at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. 

 We had purchased a shore excursion for this island – a “bus” tour of the island.  The driver, David, told us that it was an air-conditioned bus – the faster he drove – the cooler it was!  As you might have guessed – not only was it NOT air-conditioned, it had no windows – all open air.  But it was an enjoyable trip, and we enjoyed David’s comments.

The excursion took us up to a high mountain, and at the top was a store that also considered itself the origin of the banana daiquiri.

Quite interesting – and if one wanted to purchase a banana daiquiri – they were available.  We didn’t partake.  We walked around the shop and outside some.  

Here is a picture of Fred and me beside the bus – David took the picture. 

 When I wanted to have one of him, he insisted that he take it beside me with Fred taking the picture.  He then said that when we got home, I could tell everyone he was my island boyfriend, and my husband took the picture!  Unfortunately, the picture didn’t take, so we don’t have that one.

Once we were back to the pier, we once again got on the ship, as it was “beastly hot” again.

We’ve just about decided that if we make another cruise to those islands again, it will NOT be in summer!  We have a difficult time tolerating that heat!

As a footnote here – the ship was offering the movie “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” but it was never at a time where we could see it – we were either at our scheduled eating time, or way after we had gone to bed.  So we have yet to see that one.

~~~~~~~~~~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.

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62 Years and Counting-Part 3

23 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

I forgot to mention last time that the servers in the restaurants “follow” those whose tables they serve from restaurant-to-restaurant each evening.  That’s a really nice aspect of the Disney ships – you get to know your servers, and they get to know you.  For instance, once we asked for Ginger Ale to drink that first night, Ginger Ale was waiting for us on the table every night after that – without us having to ask for it!  If we had wanted something else, they would have brought it to us.

Here is our main server – Amit – from India.  He brought our bread, took our order, and brought our food each night. 

And here is Roman – from Indonesia.  He mainly brought our drinks and kept us supplied with whatever we wanted/needed.  They were delightful young men.

Following the meal-change, the next endeavor was to get into our stateroom.  Now this was quite an adventure, as they had assigned us probably the last room on the ship – as it was at the very VERY back of the ship! 

And not only that, but it was a “handicap” room.  The normal “Oceanview” room (which is what we usually stay in) has about 204 square feet of space.  Because the room they assigned us was handicap accessible, it had about 246 square feet of space.  Considerably larger! 

 We didn’t have access to a veranda, but we had two very large port holes, lots of space for walking around in.  Here are the “key” cards we were issued – they were to be used to get in our stateroom, as well as to be presented whenever we left the ship or returned to it.

One of my most favorite parts of the Disney ships is the split bathroom.  One side has a sink, mirror, and the toilet.  The other side has a sink, mirror and the tub/shower…with a wall separating the rooms, and separate doors for each room.  Consequently, Fred and I can both get ready at the same time, with our own sink and mirror.  However, because this room is handicap accessible, it does not have the split bathroom; it only has one sink, and only a shower that is level with the floor.  I thought that would result in a very wet floor, but there are drains all around.  In that respect, very convenient.  But I really missed that split room!

I had said that I could probably eat anything I wanted because of all the walking to and from the stateroom!  Fred says it was about 1,100 feet from front to back – and we walked it many times during each day!  Here’s a shot of one of the long hallways – and this is only from mid-ship to the rear of the ship.  There was another one just like it from the front of the ship to mid-ships!

Something I’ve enjoyed – but never attempted to duplicate – was the way some of the passengers decorate their stateroom doors.  Here’s an example of that, and one that caught my eye.  They were very creative, I thought.

~~~~~~~~~~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.

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62 Years and Counting-Part 2

16 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Last time I wrote about our “day” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and our anniversary “celebration” we had there.

The pin we both wore at the Hollywood Studios

But we weren’t quite done with our celebration!  Fred had reserved a space for us on the Disney Cruise Line ship Fantasy, for a seven-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean – stopping in Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and then St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with a final stop at Disney’s island, Castaway Cay.  We recently returned from that cruise.

The Disney Fantasy – Credit Google Search and Disney website

We had taken this same cruise some years back, but we hadn’t been on any cruise in four years – we didn’t want to bother with all the covid restrictions, so we didn’t.  But that is essentially behind us now, and we are sailing again!  YAY!

We arrived at Port Canaveral at least an hour before our “boarding time,” so we drove along A1A for a while, remembering the last time we did so. 

Photo credit Google Search

 We returned to the Disney parking lot and then boarded the ship.

Disney Cruise Line Terminal – Port Canaveral

Photo Credit – Judy Wills

 Since it was still too early to get to our stateroom, and we had not had lunch yet, we went up to the “Cabananas” for our meal.  In any other cruise line, that would be the Lido deck.

A view of the Cabanas – Photo Credit – Judy Wills

Tiny tile mosaic wall in the Cabanas – Photo Credit – Judy Wills

Once again, I was greeted with that “tub” of boiled, peel and eat, shrimp.  Disney ships have that every day at lunch, and I am sooooo glad – because I LOVE shrimp!  This time, I decided it was time to take a picture of that tub of shrimp.  As you can see, there is a tub of shrimp, and a tub of crab legs beside it.  Oh my heart!!!

Shrimp and crab legs…yummmmm   Photo Credit – Judy Wills

The next thing we did was see if we could change our “late seating” assignment for dinner/supper to the “early seating.”  The late seating for the last meal of the day is 8:15 p.m.  Which means we wouldn’t be eating until about 8:45  or 9:00 p.m.  If I eat that late, I can’t sleep!  The early seating is at 5:45 p.m.  The people we spoke with told us that the ship was “full” but if we approached the head server at the desk at the Royal Court restaurant at 5:45 p.m., perhaps they could seat us then.  Turns out, they were able to do just that.  I have a feeling that they keep one table aside just for people like us, that want or need the early seating.  It was Table number 23…we were always seated at Table 23 each evening, in whatever restaurant we were in.  We were seated at a smaller table for four, and there was a young woman with her son seated already.  She said every time he crosses a milestone (in this case, graduation from 5th grade), they have a celebration.  This Disney cruise was the celebration for this milestone.  While it was a nice meal with them, we never saw them again during the entire cruise, so we essentially had a “table for two” the remainder of the cruise.

Table 23 – look closely and you will see Cinderella and Prince Charming

This is from the Royal Court restaurant

Table 23 from the Enchanted Garden restaurant.

I neglected to get a picture of the one from Animator’s Palate restaurant.

Next cruise…

~~~~~~~~~~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.

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62 Years and Counting-Part 1

9 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

You might guess from the title that “62 Years and Counting” pertain to our 62 years together as a married couple…and you would be right.  It’s sometimes hard to realize that we’ve been together that long – and still loving each other and making each other laugh.  But we put God and Christ in the middle of our marriage and family from the very beginning, and feel that has made all the difference.  And we are quick to tell any and everyone that is the case.

With the pandemic happening during our 60th anniversary, we weren’t able to celebrate much.  So last year and this year, we are making up for it.  For instance, today (as I write this), June 20, 2023, was our day. 

The pin we both wore at the Hollywood Studios

Fred had arranged for us to get into the Disney Hollywood Studios park early in the morning – while it is cooler. 

Credit Google Search and Disney World website

 And then made reservations for us to eat at our favorite restaurant – Mama Melrose.  Great Italian food!

We had a most enjoyable morning there, as usual.  Since we are the ages we are, between Fred’s back problems and my knees and feet, we tend to not spend too much time at the Disney parks these days, and the Studios had the least walking of the four parks.  We did a couple of the attractions we enjoy most, then headed to the other side of the park to watch “One Man’s Dream” which is essentially the story of Walt Disney’s life.  The neat part is that Walt himself narrates most of it.  It’s a wonderful video, and we thoroughly enjoy seeing it.

Credit Google Search and Disney World website

A little serendipity happened before the movie started – there is only one “bench” in the waiting area to sit on, and a young lady had just settled herself down on it.  I asked if we could share her bench, and she moved over.  We had about 12 minutes to wait. So she asked me if we had seen it before, as she had not.  We had a lovely and lively chat for those few minutes – about “One Man’s Dream” and the Studios, and Mama Melrose in particular.  She was visiting the park alone, which surprised me.  She said she would be back in August with her family, so I told her she was the “scout” for the parks.  She was lovely girl.  After the movie was over (it lasts about 20 minutes), we caught up with her and I asked her what she thought of it.  She was quite ecstatic about it – raving that she had always loved the “vintage” Disney movies, and there were clips of some in the movie that made her appreciate it more. 

By that time, the storm clouds were beginning to gather and the wind was picking up, so we quickly made our way to the Disney Skyliner for our favorite ride.

Photo credit – Judy Wills

Photo credit – Judy Wills – inside the gondola

But we were turned away, as there was lightning in the area, and they were not carrying passengers at that time.  Big disappointment – but we have ridden it many times in the past, so we didn’t let it worry us that much.  And as it turned out, on our way to the car, we did see lightning flashing in the distance…and we encountered lots of rain on our way home.

~~~~~~~~~~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.

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Long Ago and Far Away

2 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills.

Recently, Fred and I were just chatting, and something clicked in my mind, bringing up a memory.  I don’t remember the trigger, but the memory is quite clear.

The memory took in something from my high school days, and that brought up a memory from another part of our life.

And so, I got out the yearbook from my senior year in high school – at Highland High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, my home town –  to look up the fellow in my memory.  WOW was that a walk down memory lane!  There were over 700 students in my senior class, so it wasn’t possible to know or be friends with all of them (and by-the-way – there were 3100 students in my high school, in just the final three grades of high school – sophomore, junior, and senior).  But quite a few were quite recognizable, and I had classes with some of them.  While I was mainly involved with the music program, some of the sports jocks were in my periphery.  

Highland High School – Albuquerque, New Mexico Credit Google Search

There was one guy who was in a lot of sports, which was a bit surprising, since he wasn’t much taller than I am.  We always called him by his last name – Taylor.

And that brings me to the main memory – Fred and I had been married over four years, when he joined the military (U.S. Air Force).

Credit Google Search

He had to go through the Officer Training School (OTS) as his “basic training” in San Antonio, Texas.  I elected to go with him and found a job with Civil Service at Kelly AFB.

1966 – Judy, my boss and a co-worker, at the beginning of “Zero Defects”

Kelly AFB, San Antonio, Texas

I had my own small apartment, and Fred was able to leave the base just one night each week.  All that to say that a National Guard unit from Albuquerque was going through the same OTS training the same time as Fred was. 

1966 – Fred receiving his certificate commissioning him as an Officer in the U.S. Air Force

Photo Credit – Charles Wills, Fred’s dad

1966 – After Fred’s graduation from OTS, Fred’s dad (full bird-Colonel) and me pinning the 2nd Lt. bars on his shoulders.

For some reason, I was with Fred at the same time this Guard unit was disembarking.  Perhaps I was just getting Fred out of the car and into the barracks, I just don’t remember.  However…standing there was a face from my past – my high school past no less!  And I yelled out  – “Hey Taylor” – because it was A. Taylor, that same sports jock, getting set up for OTS training!  He turned around, saw me, and with eyes as big as saucers said, “ohmygodlymygodohmygod!”  We both had a good laugh.  I don’t remember that we talked much – I’m not even sure that he remembered exactly who I was, but he remembered me from high school.

I have never attended any of my high school reunions, but my good friend from Albuquerque, Mary, has attended most of them.  We have talked some about the kids we went to school with, as she remembered them from those reunions.

There was another “sports jock” – B. Thompson – who lived not too far from me.  He was a real looker, and I’m sure a lot of the girls had a crush on him.  I probably did, too, but never got that close to him.  In any case, when I mentioned him, Mary said, “oh, he’s probably in jail by this time!”  So I guess he went off the rails somewhere along the line.

So how’s that for a memory, hmmmm?

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.

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Random Memories of Virginia-Part 4

25 Jun

MEMORIES

RANDOM MEMORIES OF VIRGINIA – Part 4

8.   Driving out of Seaford and approaching U.S. 17 again, we saw many landmarks that were there when we lived there.

      Pop’s Drive-in. – a greasy-spoon diner that had been there longer that we had.  We learned just this trip that it has finally closed, just this month!  Wow!  

Credit Google Search

      The Red Barn gas station – right near Pop’s and where we would fill-up the car quite often.  It was fairly close to the Newport News Airport, so we would fill the gas tank on our rental car and drive to the airport with a full tank to turn the car in.  Still in business.

Credit Google Search

      Bill’s Seaford House – a favorite of ours for a long time.  The owner was a member of our church.  Wonderful seafood, and the restaurant was closed on Sundays.  Bill sold it to one of his managers, who essentially turned it into a bar.  Not sure it is still there even (just checked Google Search, and it is permanently closed).  

Credit Google Search

9.   There were a couple of “bases” we remembered as we drove along the Colonial Parkway and Interstate 64.  They were – and I suppose still are – shrouded in mystery.  Camp Peary was one, and the rumor was that it was a CIA training ground.  It was said to be a “body farm.”  True?  According to Wikipedia, it is true. Wikipedia explains it quite well:

A body farm is a research facility where decomposition of humans and other animals can be studied in a variety of settings. The initial facility was conceived by anthropologist William M. Bass in 1981 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Bass was interested in studying the decomposition of a human corpse from the time of death to the time of decay. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the decomposition process, permitting the development of techniques for extracting information such as the timing and circumstances of death from human remains. Body farm research is of particular interest in forensic anthropology and related disciplines, and has applications in the fields of law enforcement and forensic science. By placing the bodies outside to face the elements, researchers are able to get a better understanding of the decomposition process.

I find it fascinating that such a place exists.  Wikipedia also states that there are seven such body farms throughout the United States.  Amazing.

The other “shrouded in mystery” base was Cheatham Annex (pronounced  Cheat’ – um).  Turns out it isn’t a mystery at all!   Wikipedia states:   Cheatham Annex is a Naval Base, located near Williamsburg, Virginia on the York River approximately 35 miles northwest of Norfolk in the heart of the famous Jamestown–Williamsburg–Yorktown “Historic Triangle.” Although Cheatham Annex was not commissioned until June 1943, the land on which the base is located can claim the unique distinction of having been associated with every conflict involving the United States freedom and independence. The mission of Cheatham Annex includes supplying Atlantic Fleet ships and providing recreational opportunities to military and civilian personnel.

And:   The Navy Morale Welfare and Recreation (NMWR) runs a cabin and recreation facility on Cheatham Annex. Cheatham Annex (CAX).

CAX is home to the largest Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Outdoor Recreation facility on the East Coast. Active duty, Reservists and military retirees and their dependents can take advantage of a wide range of facilities, including 54 cabins, 50 RV parking spots, 20 primitive campsites and more than 10 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Along with fishing on two lakes and the York River, swimming pool and an 18-hole golf course, the MWR Outdoor Recreation is ideal for military families looking for a chance to relax. 

While that solves the mystery, Cheatham Annex was never even mentioned to us as a resort and recreation area for the military while we lived in Virginia.  Hmmmm…

Well, folks, that’s the end of “Random Memories of Virginia.”  There may be more in the future, as Fred and I recall our times in Virginia.  Thanks for letting me ramble, and I hope you enjoyed the ride – we certainly did!

~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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