WIESBADEN, WEST GERMANY

16 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

                                                     

After my husband had completed his meteorology training for the U.S. Air Force, he was assigned to an AF Weather unit in Wiesbaden, West Germany.  We were quiteexcited about the prospect of living in that country.

 I was seven months pregnant with our first child at the time we were due to depart.  There was just a short window of time that I would be able to travel/fly that far.  If I didn’t make that window, then I would have to remain state-side until after my six-weeks postpartum exam before I could join him in Germany.

Part of the problem was that my passport had not arrived yet!  So, in addition to the time we were to spend with my family in New Mexico (Fred’s family was visiting there to see his brother graduate from the University), we had to schedule a stop in DC to pick up the passport.  And it was HOT in DC in June!  We flew from there to Philadelphia for an overnight with Fred’s relatives.  Expecting to have a nice, cool, stay – we discovered they lived in a row house – without air conditioning!  We nearly melted!

However, all worked out and we flew out to Germany the next day.  We found a second-story apartment on the “economy” (military talk for non-military housing).  We had two bedrooms, and even a balcony!  The German owners lived downstairs.

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The house was on Albrecht Druer Strasse. If that name is unfamiliar to you, just think of the “praying hands” sketch you’ve seen.  Albrecht Druer was the artist.

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The area where we lived was quite nice.  Just down the street was a lovely park, where the two of us used to walk.  And after Karen’s birth, we walked there again, with her in the buggy.  She loved the outdoors – and the Germans we passed oohhed and aahhed over her.  There was also a church nearby that chimed the hour.

Fred’s dad retired on August 31 that year, and his parents flew over the next day to visit with us.  Our daughter made her appearance the very next day!  And how nice it was to have the grandparents right at hand to take care of us!

Our first Christmas in Germany was lovely.  Fred brought home a table-top tree, and he purchased some German ornaments, that we still have – all these 50+years later!  They aren’t fancy, but they bring back so many memories of such a wonderful time in our lives, every year as we place them on our tree.

 

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…one of the saddest days the world has seen for a long time…

15 Dec

Sharing the words of a friend. I think he speaks the words the hearts of the world are feeling.

Seumas Gallacher

TO THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF THOSE TAKEN AT SANDY HOOK

If I could give my soul to you
To replace the ones you’ve lost,
If I could for just one moment

Become the Holy Ghost
I’d swiftly bring them back for you
And step into their place
But we know that that just cannot be,
Instead I wish you Grace
Mere words are not enough to fill
The pain that you must bear,
So please accept from me, from us
Our heartfelt love and prayer.
R.I.P
from Seumas Gallacher, Abu Dhabi

December 15th, 2012

This is one of the saddest days I’ve known for a long time. Please spare a thought or prayer for those so terribly affected  by this horrific killing.

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Our Trip Across America- Part 10

12 Dec

A Slice of Life

   Bill Lites

                            Bill

The next major attraction we visited was the Great Salt Lake.  As we neared Salt Lake City, Utah we discovered the city is skirted by some of the most formidable looking mountains we had ever seen.  We swam (or I should say floated) in the super salty water of the lake, bought a package of freeze-dried brine shrimp, and took pictures of the famous Mormon temple.  That night at the campground, we were surprised to be entertained with, of all things, an outdoor movie, and even popcorn.

12

The next day we headed Southeast, through the Southern Utah and into Western Colorado mountains.   After an overnight stay in Grand Junction, we headed East, on US-50, which runs along the Arkansas River.  This was familiar territory for DiVoran as she and her parents had made many trips along this route.  This leg of the trip took us through Montrose, Gunnison and Salida to Canon City, Colorado to visit some of DiVoran’s relatives. This was where she spent a lot of her growing up years with her grandmother and her grandfather who had worked as a guard at what was originally the Colorado State Territorial Prison.

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It became a Colorado State Prison in 1876 and operated as such until it was closed in 1988. At that time, it was converted into a very interesting museum, showing conditions at the prison during those early days.

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An aunt and three cousins and their families were still living there. We had some great visits with them, and enjoyed a wonderful walk along the Arkansas River that runs through town.

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Canon City is well-known for the America’s highest suspension bridge, which spans the Royal Gorge.  Amazingly, we discovered the total cost of building the bridge in 1929 was $60,000 and only took 5 months to complete.

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The railroad that runs alongside the Arkansas River, at the bottom of the gorge, was originally used by the Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) Railroad in the 1870s & 1880s as the transcontinental bridge between Denver, Colorado  and Salt Lake City, Utah.  Use of the Royal Gorge portion of the track system was ended in 1997.  Then a couple of years later it was purchased by a private corporation and reopened by the Royal Gorge Route Railroad to provide daily scenic excursion trips from Canon City to Parkdale and return.  On one of our many trips back to Canon City, DiVoran and I took that “Scenic Excursion Trip” and it was an outstandingly beautiful experience.  We can highly recommend it.

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Another less known attraction in Canon City is the Skyline Drive, located on the western edge of the city.  This is a 3-mile long road that runs, one way, along the top of a 800 ft. high ridge overlooking the city.  Skyline Drive was a prison project started in 1903, and was built entirely by hand by the prisoners.  The road has been improved over the years, and offers a glorious view of the city below.

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—-To Be Continued—-

 

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Living Like a Princess

10 Dec

 My Take

DiVoran Lites

DiVoran Lites

I’m God’s totally spoiled little princess and he doesn’t mind me asking anything, he knows how abysmally ignorant I am, he likes me that way. He likes me to be as dependent as I possibly can be. To me Christian maturity is complete dependency. That’s nothing like human maturity.

You know something else that I think is cool? He doesn’t like to do anything by Himself, and he enjoys simple fun. One day I walked into Hobby Lobby and out of the blue I thought, okay, Lord what shall we look at first? I felt his pleasure and anticipation of doing something fun together. It blew me away and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

He created us because he was lonely. He can’t get enough of us no matter how puzzled and slow-witted, compared with Him, we may be.

Also, He is open to my experimenting with all kinds of ideas and thoughts so he can expand me as He wishes. Our ways are not His ways and our thoughts are not his thoughts. I’m ecstatic about learning to listen and think as He thinks instead of how I have always thought and been taught. It’s so freeing

Isaiah 55:8-9

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Fiesta Dresses

9 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills  

Judy

Growing up in New Mexico was a great experience.  Of course, we moved there when I was only four years old, so I didn’t know any different.  The Indian/Mexican culture was just something that was normal to me.

 When I was old enough to learn how to sew, my Grandmother and Mother began teaching me the sewing machine by having me sew row-upon-row-upon-row of trim on yards and yards of fabric.  It was all straight stitching, but some rows were metallic trim, some were rick-rack, some needed only a single stitch to hold it down, others required stitching on the top and bottom edges of the trim/braid.  Very boring.  But it gave me a sense of what sewing was all about.

All those yards and yards of fabric would eventually be made into a Fiesta Dress, or Squaw Dress, as some called it.  Three tiers, each one “longer” than the one above it.  Those dresses could be made from just about fabric and color combination.  I remember a royal blue fabric with nothing but copper trim – one of my favorites.  I remember a winter dress made from blue corduroy – no trim needed.  I remember one made from fabric that looked like bandana design – no trim needed on that one, either.  I remember one that was made in light cotton – white – with red and red-and-white trim.  It was great – until I washed it the first time – and the red ran like crazy!!  So my Aunt Jessie took the dress (blouse and skirt) and dyed them beige.  For some reason, the red didn’t show where it had run, and really looked rather classy with the red trim.  Another favorite of mine.  Oh, so many dresses.

And the skirts were not left “pouffy” like they might be today – they were hand-pleated after being soaked in starch!  And to keep the pleats in, we rolled the skirt into itself and stuffed it into a nylon stocking.  Jessie’s dogs LOVED to get at those to fight with them!

Dogs fighting

But those dresses were considered in good taste no matter where they were worn.  They could be worn to a very casual setting…..they could be worn to work….they could be worn to a fancy dinner setting – all worked equally well.

I’ve never seen them worn outside of New Mexico, however.  So when I took them with us to Texas, they were not the “in style” to wear.  I still have them, but can’t seem to find the right place to wear them now – even if I could fit in them anymore!

But they were just right for New Mexico.

Blue skirt

red skirt

                    

                    

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A Christmas Appointment

6 Dec

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

In 2010, we spent our first Christmas in our home in the North Carolina Mountains. We had owned the home for a couple of years but were still working and hadn’t had the opportunity to get to know our neighbors. I was excited but also anxious about leaving our life-long Florida friends as well as our church. This is an email I sent to my friends.

December 17, 2010

Yesterday was an icy day up here in the North Carolina Mountains, but by mid morning, the ice gave way to rain and washed away the snow and ice. We had received a call on Tuesday inviting us to a neighborhood Christmas Party being held Thursday night. Reluctantly we decided to attend. You know Mike and I don’t tend to be party people especially with strangers.

Parking at mountain homes is not the easiest task. The driveways tend to be long and narrow often having ditches on each side. Mike wanted to park the truck facing out so we could put in our appearance and make a quick exit. Not an easy feat under the circumstatnces but it seemed Mike managed just fine or so I thought. I opened my door and gingerly stepped down from the truck only to find something pushing against my leg.

 “Uh Oh” I muttered.

 “What’s wrong? Mike asked tensely, thinking I had managed to injure myself getting out of the truck. Well Ha! The problem this time wasn’t ME being klutzy.

 “You just ran over one of these people’s shrubs.” Did I mention this was a beautifully landscaped driveway? In our quest for a quick get away parking place, we failed to notice the three-foot shrubs.

 “Oh man” Mike mumbled, getting back into the truck. I stood behind to guide. Him. As he pulled away from the shrub, there was an ominous screeching of the shrub running along the bottom edge of the truck. I walked over and checked out the damage.

  “The shrub seems to be fine,” I told Mike. “Hope the truck is ok.”

As we walked up the drive, I was thinking, well one strike against this evening being a success.

  The door was opened by Pat, the smiling, white haired owner. We told her our names and she just beamed.

 “I’m so glad you could make it she said then turned to a group sitting in the formal dining room and called, “hey everyone, this is Mike and Onisha and I am so glad they came.” She proceeded to introduce us to the three couples at the table, then led us to the kitchen to put out the dish I had brought and help us get loaded up on finger foods.

 For me, trying to decide whom to sit with at a party of strangers is traumatic. I mean, how do you know where to sit? Pat took care of that by announcing to the group in the dining room, “these seats are saved for Mike and Onisha” God truly knows our fears and literally holds our hands.

  We were chatting with the other three couples, beginning to relax when Pat announced that everyone should come sit in the living room so that the group could introduce themselves again and tell a little about themselves. Mike and I moved our chairs into the living room, looking forward to getting to know these people but nervous about our turn to share. It’s not like we had exciting lives.

 The first couple told how they came to live in Franklin, and then Sue opened her heart, telling how she had strayed from fellowship with God before they moved into their home. One day she was out and drove past a church. God spoke to her heart and right then and told her to visit that church when they were settled in their home. It was a wonderful testimony.

 Then the next couple spoke telling how God had blessed them and drew them to this community, and then the next one, and on until each had spoken. They all had a leading from the Lord to settle here. I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

 Then it was our turn. I wish I could say that we said something spiritual and wise, but I was so blown away, I could just get out a short bio. Inside, our hearts were praising God for his goodness and amazing provision.

 Pat’s husband finished the group telling how God had worked in their lives and then he suggested we end in prayer and asked Opal if she would mind standing in the middle of the circle. Opal had recently lost her husband and was soon leaving for the winter. As we joined hands to pray, it was all I could do to not start shouting. Opal wasn’t sitting in a chair and we didn’t have our hands on her but it was the same spirit of our Sunday School class in Florida when one of us  “got the chair.”

 As the prayer ended, Mike and I looked at each other and grinned.

“That was awesome’ we said to each other. As we stood talking to one of the couples, my eyes were tearing. Not only had God brought us to a new place he brought us to a new group of friends who love the Lord.

 We started the evening looking for a quick exit. How many times have we missed God’s Divine Appointments, as my friend Wanda would say, because we are looking for a way out, instead of a way in?

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Our Trip Across America – Part 9

5 Dec

A Slice of Life

   Bill Lites

Bill

 

As we headed East for the beginning of our return trip we decided to camp at the famous Donner Pass camping area along the Truckee River at over 7000 ft altitude.  It had been pretty hot on the drive from Fort Bragg, so we didn’t even think about the altitude being a factor.  We cooked supper and set around a campfire enjoying the beautiful scenery.  It started cooling off as we began cleaning up the supper dishes.   We kept thinking, “Hey, it’s mid-July, how cold can it get?”  Well, let me tell you, when the sun went down, it got COLD.  We ended up running our little electric heater full blast all night and sleeping in several layers of clothes and we were still cold.

Sign

   

I don’t know how cold it got that night, but the next morning a half glass of water next to my bed was frozen solid.  You would have thought that experience would have caused me to research our campsites a little better the next time, but of course, it didn’t, because back then we were young and indestructible.

 

Statue

Our trip East took us across the high desert to our next stop in Lovelock, Nevada, near the Ute Indian Reservation, where DiVoran was born.  We toured the small town and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the city park.  As we were leaving Lovelock, we passed a group of people riding turn-of-the- century big-wheel bicycles.  What a sight that was.

 

Mts

 

Then it was on East through Winnemucca to Elko, Nevada where we experienced our firs family style Basque dinner (including French fries?)at one of the local boarding houses.

 

boardinghouse

We later learned that Elko was the site for one of the annual “Cowboy Poetry Gatherings” and was honored on the Johnny Carson Show.  We recorded the show where Johnny was impressed, as we were, with some very unusual Cowboy poetry.

cowboys 1cowboy 2

 

 

 

This inspired DiVoran to write a poem of her own, and paint a picture to illustrate it.  The poem was about an experience that took place later in Colorado and goes something like this:

 

Bridget’s Mustang

  By DiVoran Lites

Horse trader come down the draw

In a boil of red-powder dust.

I saw he had three stallions,

And own that one, I must.

“I’ll take the paint;” I say,

“He looks like he’s got soul.

The mare’s in the corral.

Next year we’ll have a foal”.

“You keep an eye on him.” the trader says.

“He’s mustang through and through,

a wild one from the range.”

Foal next year? Maybe two.

“You’ve got fine boys and pups,” he said.

The trader wasn’t done.

You need to jaw around these parts.

It’s all that makes life fun.

“My little `un,” says I, “he’s four.”

My boys are twins—them two

I can’t keep clean clothes on their backs,

Nor none will wear a shoe.

“The pups? Well, one’s part wolf,” I said

“You see those pale, cold eyes?

He has to play the alpha.

Now that ain’t no surprise.”

“You ever want another horse,

I’ll bring one out this way.

Now, watch him close, don’t leave him

For at least a night and day.”

The pups dance all around,

The boys run to and fro,

the horses mill in the corral,

And oh, the dust does blow.

painting

 

—–To Be Continued—–

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All Filled Up Again

4 Dec

This isn’t really a blog post, more like a thought. When my son was small he, like most children ,would think of the multitude of reasons he didn’t need to go to sleep. I would tell him “mommy is all out of patience tonight but it will be filled up in the morning.” Last night I was so tired and discouraged. But this morning, just like the patience with my son, I am filled up again.

Psalm 59:16

The Message (MSG)

16-17 And me? I’m singing your prowess,
    shouting at cockcrow your largesse,
For you’ve been a safe place for me,
    a good place to hide.
Strong God, I’m watching you do it,
    I can always count on you—
    God, my dependable love.

Let’s All Be Kings Together!

3 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

DiVoran Lites

Last Monday, our painting group met a younger woman, Denise, who used to paint with us, at her friends’ Chinese restaurant for lunch. “The Asian House,” is near the gym where she teaches Tai Chi. She is Chinese, too, and we delight in that.

The owner’s wife and the waitresses all wore red. Our friend, Denise wore a red tee-shirt with roses and blings on it. They hugged each other and spoke in Chinese and posed together in a colorful bouquet of red and black for a photograph. The owner’s wife brought out long boxes for each of us which contained Chinese calendars with illustrations of animals in a ring. We opened one of them  and began talking and laughing like women all over the world who are taking a break together at a quilting bee or at the village well.

The animals, in Chinese legend, stand for the years people were born and represent various personality characteristics. We joked about our birth years and the youngest waitress looked them up. Were we born in the year of snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, boar, pig, rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, or dragon? What did it say about our personalities? Who should we have married?

I’m sure every culture has its own ways of categorizing people. In America we have horoscopes, psychological tests, and color quizzes. The Christian world has temperament discussions, and giftings. Our society puts people into categories such as homeless, blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, dummies, and nerds.

My year of birth when they finally found it, not on the calendar, but on the place mat, turned out to the year of the tiger. My husband was born in the same year so he’s a tiger too. In America, the lion is considered the king of beasts, but in China, the tiger is king. Actually my husband and I are quite different from each other. He is an engineer, and I am a writer and artist, but we compliment each other and it feels empowering to think of ourselves as kings.

When I finished writing this, I opened the mail. There was a card from a pastor we always loved. After his signature, he had Romans 5:17b. I looked it up. Here’s what it said: “…all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life because of this one man, Jesus.” So how about it, would you like to be a king as well? You don’t have to be born in a certain year, all you need do is to receive the gift. Let’s all be kings together.

Chinese Calendar

 

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OBERAMMERGAU – PART 2

2 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Judy

 

In addition to our wonderful experience at The Passion Play 1970 in Oberammergau, Germany, we had other times to visit that lovely town.  On some of our trips around Germany, we visited the town and introduced our daughters to it.

Someone told us about a Master Woodcarver in Oberammergau, and insisted that we visit his house/workshop.  Fred was chosen to attend a NATO school in Oberammergau.  So we hired a single friend to stay with the girls, and I went with Fred to the school.  Again, we stayed in a B&B, and I was able to explore the town while he was in classes at the school.

English: The welcome sign to NATO school in Ob...

English: The welcome sign to NATO school in Oberammergau, Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I explored, I found the house of the Master Woodcarver.  His wife seemed pleased to have me invite myself to their house, and took me to his workshop, where he was working on one of his creations.  To say I was entralled would be an understatement, for sure.  He could carry on a complete conversation and continue to carve at the same time – without missing a beat!

They showed me samples of his work – different sizes and different themes.  They told me that the tourist shops in town had offered him exorbitant commissions, if he would just allow them to sell his craft/product in their stores.  He rejected them all.  The only time he allowed his product to be in their stores what when he was carving a very large (sometimes life-size) piece, and needed their large machine to work a particular piece.  Their bargaining chip was – “you can use our equipment, but we get to sell (blank) number of your works in the store.”

I was in love.  I purchased two pieces of his art,and have enjoyed them all these years since

Carving 1

carving 2

.  In later years, when my Mother came for a visit, we took her to Oberammergau, and to the carver’s house.  She purchased another one – a “happy” monk with a bier stein in his hand.  They told us that, the larger the size of the monk, the “happier” he appeared!  I was given that piece when she passed away

monk

We had dinner in the NATO Club several evenings while on that trip.  While looking around the shop within the Club, I found a wood carving of an eagle – one of my favorite creatures.  And guess who the artisan was!!  That’s right – my favorite Master Woodcarver!  It is now hanging on my wall!

eagle

When my best friend came to visit from Panama City, Florida, we took her to Oberammergau, and – of course! – to the woodcarvers house.  The lady of the house told us that he had been commissioned to do two lfe-sized pieces for a Catholic Church in Panama City!  The next time I visited her, we went to that church to see the figurines.  They were magnificent!

So many items we were able to purchase while in Europe, to remind us of our times there, and the places we visited.  But these wood carvings are some of our most favorite pieces and memories.

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