2023 Road Trip-Part 16

3 Jan

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 16 – July 30: 

 This morning, after breakfast, I headed east about 30 minutes on US-72 to visit the Apron Museum located on Main Street in downtown Iuka, MS.  The only thing moving this early on a Sunday morning were the big 18-wheel trucks rumbling thru town on their way somewhere.  Of course, the small street-front museum was closed, but the beautiful First Baptist Church of Iuka across the street was very busy!  A few blocks from the Apron Museum, I tried to visit the Old Courthouse Museum, but it was also closed.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It didn’t look like I was going to have much luck finding museums open today.  That was okay, since my plan was to visit friends later today, and wanted to spend as much time as possible with them.  So, now I continued east on US-72 for another 30 minutes, across the border into Alabama, to visit the Rattlesnake Saloon Restaurant where I was hoping to have lunch.  I had visited this ‘unique’ restaurant on another Road Trip, and wanted to enjoy that unusual dining experience again.  However, they wouldn’t open for another hour, so I just took a photo and headed for my next museum.

 Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was another 15 miles from the Rattlesnake Saloon to where I wanted to visit the Helen Keller Birthplace, located in Tuscumbia, AL but here again they were closed.  Well, I’m batting 1000 today finding anyplace to visit!  Next, while I was in Tuscumbia, I tried to visit the Tuscumbia Railroad Depot Museum, but guess what?  You guessed it.  They were closed.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was only about 10 miles east on US-72 and then north on US-43, across the Tennessee River, where I wanted to visit the William C. Handy Museum located in Florence, AL but they were closed.  This is really becoming a habit today.  While in Florence, next I tried the Indian Mound Museum, but it was also closed.  This was too much.  I’ve never had a 100% museum failure day on any of my Road Trips before.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

I chucked the ‘Museum’ idea for today and got back on US-72 heading east and then north on SR-99 for about 45 minutes to visit my friends Terry and Mary, who live out in the boonies near Lester, AL.  I had worked with Terry on the Apollo Manned Lunar Landing program, and our families had been church members at the same church back in the 1960s.  Our children were friends and had grown up together, so I try to visit them every chance I get.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

We had a great visit, talking about our families (children), their families (grandchildren), friends, and my road trip adventures.  Then we headed to Monrovia for a delicious meal at one of Terry’s favorite BBQ restaurants, Jim ‘N Nike’s BBQ Restaurant.  I had their Baby Back Rib Plate with baked beans and cold slaw.  Yummm!  For dessert, I had a slice of their ‘To-Die-For’ cornbread with butter and honey.  My tummy was about to bust by the time I finished all of that, and I still had enough left over, in a dogy-bag, for another meal tomorrow.

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;baby+back+rib+plate

Back at the house, we reminisced about ‘The Good Old Days’ until we couldn’t think of anything else to talk about.  I said my goodbye, and headed to the motel, a good hour southeast, in Guntersville, Al for the night.  By the time I got to the motel, put my things in the room, and recorded my ‘LACK OF’ museum visitations today, I was ready to relax and watch some TV.  But as usual, there wasn’t anything to hold my attention, so I just went to bed and enjoyed another good night’s sleep.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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How Great and Wonderful is Yahweh

1 Jan

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Psalm 107:31

So lift your hands and thank God for his miracles of mercy for those he loves!

Let’s exalt him on high and lift our praises in public;

Let all the people and the leaders of the nation know.

How great and wonderful is Yahweh, our God!

Some relaxing music for the new year.

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Christmas is Coming-Part 5

31 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Well, Christmas is behind us, but the decorations are still up.  Fred likes to leave them up until January 6, or The Three Kings Day.  I don’t mind – it’s only one month each year, and we like the decorations.

Back to our living room/dining room…early on in our marriage, when we were poor, and I didn’t know how to decorate very well (not sure I do even now!), I went for “simple,” and would just lay or drape gold garlands across some of the furniture – like I’ve done here with our teak-wood sideboard:

and other places around the house, as will be shown in other pictures.

There is a “runner” on the sideboard above – we purchased that from a vendor in Rothenberg, Germany, on our Viking River Cruise in 2015.  She had a lovely little shop along the main street, and I liked this one.  We remember that shop and owner every Christmas when we put it out.

The next thing to see is our teak-wood dining room table.  I purchased the runners through the mail when we were living in Heidelberg, Germany in the early 1980’s.  They have held up nicely, and I use them every Christmas.  The pinecone wreath I purchased while we were living in Wiesbaden, and have used it ever since.  I really enjoy it.

This is how the room(s) look from the kitchen doorway:

In the short hallway between the living room/dining room and the kitchen is a short wall, where I hang a Disney Advent Calendar (regular calendar the rest of the year).

On the opposite wall, I hang these Christmas stockings (regularly baskets and greenery).

And now into the kitchen/family room/den area.

There is a short wall between the kitchen and the living room, where I hang this Santa figurine (usually German bells).

Opposite that wall, I have what I call a “green bakers rack.”   As you can see, I’ve added some gold garlands to each of the shelves.  The candle in the middle of the top shelf we purchased in Wiesbaden.  It has a topper that holds a wick that comes off and allows you to place a candle inside that can burn.

The middle shelf holds a figurine of the gate to Heidelberg, Germany.  Our daughter, Karen gave that to us many years ago, and we love it, since we lived in Heidelberg for three years.  There is a small electric bulb inside that I have kept lit all those years – and it has never burned out!

The lowest shelf holds a Lennox cathedral, given to us by my best friend quite a few years ago.  It also has a small electric bulb in it, but I only burn it during the evening hours.  The “angels” I purchased some time ago, and are “Hope” “Faith” and “Love.”

~~~~~~~~~~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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2023 Road Trip-Part 15

27 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites                                                    

Day 15 – July 29: 

 After Breakfast this morning, I packed up my things and headed east out of Little Rock on I-40 for 30 minutes to visit the Lonoke County Museum in Lonoke, AR but they were closed.  So, I continued east on I-40 for another 45 minutes to visit the Central Delta Railroad Museum located in Brinkley, AR.  This museum is housed in the restored 1912 Union Railroad Depot and displays antique railroad artifacts and memorabilia related to the influence of the railroad on the Monroe County area over the years, dating from the early 1800s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

Continuing east on I-40 for another 25 miles, I visited the St. Francis County Museum located in Forest City, AR.  This museum has recently been moved into the Historic 1906 Rush-Gates house and displays artifacts from Dr. J. O. Rush, such as his medical clinic, a Native American room, including many pre-historic items from Dr. Rush’s collection, a parlor room, and a ’Hall of Schools’ room depicting the evolution of the St. Francis County education system over the years.  Other display rooms include a genealogy room and a railroad room.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

Now it was another 45-minute drive east on I-40, across the famous Mississippi River (the border), to visit the Metal Museum located adjacent to De Soto Park in Memphis, TN.  I had visited Memphis on another road trip, but most of the museums I had visited on that trip revolved around Elvis Presley and the Country Music Industry.  I found that the Metal Museum is very unusual and is dedicated to the art of ornamental metal design.  The museum displays a wide range of metal artwork ranging from jewelry to weathervanes, swords, unique BBQ devices, and many others.  The museum offers visitors an opportunity to watch a blacksmith at work forging metal artwork of all types.  His creative ability is simply amazing!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

It was just a few blocks drive from the Metal Museum to where I visited the Edge Motor Museum located in downtown Memphis.  This museum displays a variety of some 25+ sport and muscle cars dating from a 1913 Ford T Runabout, that tell the story of the American Sport Car from the prospective of their historical and cultural significance.  

The cars come from different sources, and the selection is rotated from time to time as other cars become available for display.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

Over a couple of streets from the Edge Motor Museum I visited the Fire Museum of Memphis.  This museum is situated in the restored 1910 Fire House #1 and displays fire engines, firefighting equipment, and memorabilia dating from the late 1800s.  A unique ‘Fire Simulation Room’ demonstrates how residential fires can start and how the local fire departments fight and control those fires.  Interactive firefighting stations are available for the education of persons of all ages.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

My plan was to visit the PT Boats Museum located in Germantown on my way out of Memphis, but they were closed.  Bummer!  I had been looking forward to that museum as I love the WWII version of ‘David vs. Goliath’ with the small plywood PT Boat up against the giant Japanese Battleship.  Oh well, maybe next time I’m in the area.  So, now it was southeast on US-72 another 10 miles to visit the Morton Museum of Collierville History located in Collierville, TN.  This small museum displays antique artifacts and memorabilia related to the Bellevue Female College that operated in Collierville from 1872–1904 and the many lives that this educational institution touched over the years.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

On my way out of Collierville, I stopped to take a photo of the Battle of Collierville historical marker.  The marker describes one of the bloodiest Civil War Battles, for control of Collierville’s Union Supply Base, to take place in Shelby County during that war. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

Continuing east on US-72 for about an hour, I crossed the border into Mississippi and wanted to tour the Cocoa Cola Bottling plant located in Corinth, MS but there were no tours today.   So, not to be discouraged, I drove over to visit the Historic Corinth Depot (also known as the Corinth Crossroads Museum) there in Corinth.  This museum is housed in the third railroad depot to be built on this site (1st -1857, 2nd -1912 & 3rd-1960), and displays antique railroad artifacts and many Civil War memorabilia related to the fight for control of this strategic railroad crossroad during historic that war.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites 

It was almost time to head for the motel for the evening, there in Corinth, so I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address.  But on the way I spotted the local Cracker Barrel and stopped for a plate of their Crusted Fried Pork Chop with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and one of their famous biscuits with butter and honey for dessert.  Yummmm!  I can’t eat all that food at one sitting.  That means there was plenty left over for another delicious meal tomorrow evening.

Photo Credit: 

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/pork+chops+greenbean+cass arole+potatos+gravy  

By the time I got to the motel, there in Corinth, I was ready to relax and I recorded today’s activities.  No TV tonight, as I was tired and ready for a good night’s sleep.  So, ZZZZ….. 

—–To Be Continued—– 

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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Merry Christmas

25 Dec

Bill, DiVoran, Janet, Judy, and Onisha

Isaiah 9:6

This child is our King. He is our wonderful counsellor when we are hurting or perplexed, He is truly our mighty God who fights for us and He is our everlasting, loving Father. He is not only the Prince of Peace, he is our peace. We hope that He is yours as well.

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Christmas is Coming-Part 4

24 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

After we had lived in Kissimmee for 3½ years, we decided we wanted to move closer to where we worked.  So we hunted around, and finally found a house in a development called Hunter’s Creek.  It’s a nice area, lots of little sub-divisions.  Ours is Chalfont.  We have enjoyed our house and the Chalfont neighborhood for nearly 25 years now.

In any case, I’ve had more fun with the house decorations in this house than any other where we’ve lived. Let’s start with the outside:

Since this picture was taken, we’ve had to add a tree (Robelinni – palm tree family) to the right side of the flower bed.

That’s about all the outside, so we’ll go inside.  I suppose the first thing to catch the eye is the tree we have up.  It’s artificial (Fred really dislikes cleaning up the pine needles from a live tree), and pre-lit.  No more fussing with tangled lights!  

And next to that would be the piano.

We purchased the Disney plates at Disney one time or another.   I haven’t added to those plates – two is enough.  The two Disney figurines – one I purchased and one is Lennox, given to us by my best friend.  The little “store” is a Norman Rockwall figurine, part of a “village” – but I only wanted the store.  There is a light inside, as well.

Do you see a lot of “snow” among the figurines?  Many years ago, we were at Bill and DiVoran’s house, and DiVoran had decorated, using fiber-fill as snow.  I thought it was a great idea, and copied it for myself.  Thanks, DiVoran.  You are an inspiration.

On an end table next to the piano is this little nativity:  

There is a bit of a story behind these figurines.  My mother came to Germany to visit us one year, but made some side trips on her own.  I’m not totally sure whether she picked this up in Spain or Portugal, but she picked them out, just for us.  I think of her every Christmas when I put them out.

On the other side of the piano, in a corner, is this marble pedestal with this Disney ball hanging on it.  It is a very heavy ornament, and this holder is perfect for display.  It’s one of my favorite Disney Christmas ornaments – vintage Mickey and Minnie.

I did forget to mention that, just inside the front door, is a narrow wall where I like to hang this piece of Christmas artwork.  We purchased it in Virginia – the artist was local.  Nothing special about it, except that we liked it  – and still do.

If you will turn around, you will see a sofa table against the wall.  More “snow” and lots of decorations.  Some Precious Moments, some wood ornaments given to us.  The most recent addition was last year’s Christmas when our daughter and her family gave us the German Christmas wooden pyramid.  I’ve not burned the candles yet, but it makes a lovely decoration.

Since the living room and dining room is just one big room, the decorations go on from there.  I actually copied this decorations on the chandelier from a pastor’s wife many years ago.  I have thoroughly enjoyed doing it each year.

~~~~~~~~~~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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Good News in the Midst of Fear and Loneliness

23 Dec

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged 12/23/23

Night after night while the smelly sheep slept, the worn-out shepherds watched over them. But this night something bizarre happened, frightening really—an angel showed up. The shepherds must have jumped up and wiped their eyes, making sure they weren’t seeing things as they shook with fear, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10-11).

All the people? That’s us. That good news is for us and the do not be afraid is a message for us today as well.

Jesus is the Good News

Good news:  evil may trample with force, but God has the victory.

Good news:  the valleys we walk through have an end.

Good news:  loneliness has hope as the companion.

Good news:  when relationships end in heartache, Jesus prepares a new beginning.

Good news:  because when devastating diagnosis leaves us numb, His healing has already begun.

Good news: because when fear and anxiety barge in, He’s wiping them out.

Good news: when depression strikes, His Word brings the sunshine back.

Good news: no matter the darkness, His light will shine through.

Good news: when things look hopeless, He’s working on something great.

Jesus, the Christ was born.

But His birth is just the beginning. He died so our punishment would die, too. But then He rose again, so we can join Him in the forever glory…and that’s super Good News!

I pray all of you, whom I love dearly, will enjoy a Christmas rich with the joy no one can take away, the peace that won’t end, and the hope that never wanes. Merry Christmas!

Bonus article on today’s topic.

Janet

Celebrate with me! My new release, Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy won the 2023 Memoir of the Year Golden Scroll Award. Your copy waits for you HERE.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. You can use this CONTACT FORM to leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group. Or simply reply to this email.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE. You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

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2023 Road Trip-Part 14

20 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 14 – July 28:

After Breakfast this morning, I headed south on US-65 for about ½-hour to visit the Lost Valley Fish Hatchery located just north of Warsaw, MO.  This fish hatchery is part of a huge 969-acre state conservation project where a large variety of warm-water fish species are bred and raised to stock fish in the many Missouri rivers and lakes.  It was early, and no one was around to give me a tour of the facility or tell me about how it all worked, so I took this photo and was on my way to the next place of interest on my list for today. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was about an hour’s drive south on US-65 to where I found the Wommack Mill, also known as the Boegel & Hine Flower Mill, in Fair Grove, MO just north of Springfield.  This original 1883 sawmill was converted into a flower mill in 1926 with the addition of the two concrete storage silos and other structures.  The Fair Grove Historical Society is now in the process of a multi-year restoration of the mill to an operating flower mill using most of the original mill equipment, including the original buhr stones used by the Wommack family.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed south out of Fair Grove on US-65 for about 20 miles to visit the Route 66 Car Museum located in Springfield, MO.  This museum displays an amazing collection of some 75+ beautifully restored vintage cars and trucks dating from as early as 1907 (Reo Runabout).  My favorite was their fire engine red 1936 Cord 810 Sportsman.  They also have a Batmobile used in the 1960s Batman series.  I never get tired of looking at vintage cars and trucks.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

While I was in Springfield, I wanted to visit the Pedalers Bicycle Museum just a few blocks from the car museum, but the traffic was terrible, and I couldn’t find a parking place anywhere around the square.  So, I just headed south, out of Springfield on US-65 about 45 miles toward Branson, MO.  I was not particularly interested in most of the famous attractions in Branson but did want to see what they had done for the Titanic attraction.  DiVoran and I had seen the traveling Titanic Artifact Exhibition in Orlando several years ago, and I wanted see Barnson’s version.  I was impressed with the half-ship replica of the Titanic but didn’t want to fight the crowds to see the artifacts again, so I took this photo and went on my way to the next museum.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After I weaved my way out of the traffic jam around the Titanic attraction, I headed south out of Branson for 30 miles on US-65, across the border into Arkansas, to visit the Boone County Historical Museum in Harrison, AR but it was closed.  Continuing southeast another 40 miles on US-65 I visited the Buffalo River Historic Jail Museum located in Marshall, AR.  This museum is housed in the original old restored 1902 Searcy County Jail and invites visitors to experience the turn-of-the-century jail conditions for themselves with antique jail artifacts, photos, and memorabilia.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed southeast again, for another 30 minutes on US-65, to Clinton, AR where US-65 turned south, and I stopped for a bathroom break.  Then it was another 40 miles south to visit the Faulkner County Courthouse in Conway, AR.  The first courthouse was  built on this site in 1870, in the railroad town, then known as Conway Station, and had the distinction of being the first courthouse in Faulkner County, AR.  The original building was replaced by the present building in 1936 and serves the city of Conway and the surrounding Faulkner County area.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Heading south out of Conway, it was only about a 30-minute drive south on I-40 to visit the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum located in the Riverfront Park area, adjacent to the Arkansas River, in North Littlerock, AR.  I had visited this museum once on another Road Trip, and this museum is usually the home of the USS Razorback (SS-394) Submarine and the USS Hoga (YT-146) Tugboat.  Today I didn’t see either one of these boats tied up to the dock, and assumed that they had been taken somewhere for a  maritime event or for maintenance.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was getting late by now, so I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address for the motel there in North Little Rock, and she took me right to it with no trouble.  After I got settled into my motel room, I heated up my leftover BBQ spareribs and sweet potato fries from Bandana’s BBQ Restaurant last night and enjoyed that delicious meal again.  I found a good movie on TV that I had seen before and watched that until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and went to bed.

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/man+sleeping+in+front+of+tv

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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Melodies of Praise

18 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Psalm 93

Melodies of praise will fill the air as every musical instrument

Joined with every heart overflows

With worship.

No wonder I’m so glad; I can’t keep it in 

Lord, Lord, I’m shouting with glee

What mighty miracles and your power at work, to name a few 

Depths of purpose and layers of meaning

Saturate everything you do.

Such amazing mysteries are found within every miracle.

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

 

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Christmas is Coming-Part 3

17 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wil

While we were at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Fred had received orders to be assigned to Heidelberg, West Germany.  We were so very excited by this assignment – getting to live in Germany again, and getting our girls to know Europe.  An amazing prospect!  So when the time came, Fred graduated from the school there in Kansas, and we made our way to Germany via Albuquerque, New Mexico (visiting my family), and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (visiting Fred’s family).  

I don’t have any pictures of any decorations in our apartment in Heidelberg for the first Christmas we were there.  However, here are a few from 1981 and 1982.

\\

Unfortunately, our three-year tour was up, and we returned Stateside, to begin a new portion of our life in Virginia.

We purchased a house in a small community, Seaford, Virginia, just eight miles south of Yorktown, which is part of the Colonial Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg.  Here’s a picture of our house:

And since we’re talking Christmas and winter and SNOW…

Oh yeah…we had SNOW!

Here are a few of the decorations that I did in that house for Christmas:

After both our girls married, Fred and I decided it was time to look for our “forever” place, and we weren’t sure it was Virginia.  While Fred’s parents were in San Antonio, Texas (and we LOVED that city), they would soon be moving to Washington state, and we knew we didn’t want to live in the northwest.  My parents were both gone, so Albuquerque was not really in the running.

All of Fred’s siblings were “scattered” so to speak, but my brother, Bill and his wonderful wife, DiVoran, were in Florida – a state where both Fred and I had enjoyed living so many years ago.  So we began looking to find a house in the Orlando area – which we did….kinda.  We found a house in Kissimmee (kah-SIM-ee) that we thought would be our “forever” house, and moved there just before Thanksgiving of 1995.

Well, you know, there just is NOT snow in Florida – not very often anyway.  And thank goodness for that!

This is the only picture I have of Christmas decorations in that house:   I know we had a tree up and all, but not much else.

~~~~~~~~~~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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