Five pitfalls to avoid when looking for happiness.

14 Aug

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Dear Friends,

The pursuit of happiness can be a trap. While being happy certainly feels good, happiness in itself can be fleeting. Finding Joy-the deep and abiding-is what we should really focus on.

Today I share a post from 2016, a post to remind you (and me) that joy is what we should be seeking. The joy that can only be found in the Lord.

Janet

Five pitfalls to avoid when looking for happiness.

Reblogged August 14, 2021

August 13, 2021

“I know the guy is not the right one for her,” my friend said some years back. “But as long as she’s happy.”

Her daughter married him and shortly after, it ended in a painful and bitter divorce.

Is wishing happiness what we want for our kids?

Happiness is often confused with joy. Happiness can turn to sadness. And looking for it leaves us disappointed.

Here are five pitfalls to avoid when looking for happiness:

  1. Looking for it in relationships. Happiness cannot be found in another person, for they’re looking for their own path to happiness.
  2. Longing to be happy by pleasing others rather than pleasing God first.
  3. Expecting circumstances to make us happy, for they change as quickly as the weather.
  4. Waiting for someone to change before we feel happy.
  5. Expecting that happiness will last and bring fulfillment.

Joy is what we need.

Happiness is fleeting, often elusive and deceptive. Joy is what the soul longs for. Peace is what our heart needs. Wisdom is what brings the greatest rewards. And contentment is what ushers the richness of life.

That richness is found in complete joy, the kind that’s already in us when we believe:

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:9-11)

His joy can’t be taken away by circumstances, stages of life, unexpected turns or even tragic events. When happiness wanes, His joy in us remains vibrant

Let’s Pray

Father, I admit I have spent too much time seeking momentary happiness, instead of seeking You. For when I find You, then my joy will be complete. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What will you do with your newfound joy?

Janet

______________________________________

Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE.

CLICK HERE for a one-minute inspirational video.

Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE.

Please share: Feel free to share Janet’s posts with your friends.

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

Girl’s Day Fun

13 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

My husband and I share our birthday month, August and exactly two weeks apart. Our daughter in Florida plans to visit between our birthdays to celebrate both. Husband’s day was on Tuesday and our daughter arrived from Florida on Wednesday. Not even close to half way between, but who cares? She is here and we are happy

Wednesday was a long day for my husband, what with the trip to the airport, a late lunch, some shopping and then an hour and a half drive home. After a long day, he needs a full day to recuperate, so I planned a fun girl’s day adventure, locally of course.

Someone recently asked in the what’s happening in Franklin Facebook group, where to find a good bakery. I was surprised at the number of bakeries in this small town. I decided our girl’s adventure would be a spin off of the well known pub crawl. We would do a bakery craw

Armed with the phone GPS I typed in the first bakery address, Cinnamon Hill Pastries and Gelato. We wouldn’t have found it without the GPS. I am pretty sure the previous building tenant was a tattoo parlor and I would have driven right past it. Actually Rebekah would have driven past, as I was navigating. Once inside there was no sign of its possible tattoo history with it’s gleaming wood floors and large, bright windows. The owner had a large assortment of homemade gelato and a small assortment of European pastries. We decided to share an Italian pastry with a long name. The owner suggested simply calling it a seashell pastry due to its shape. The outer texture was similar to an italian bread loaf yet flaky like a croissant. Inside was infused with orange flavor and ricotta. It was delicious. For our gelato, we chose hazelnut. I haven’t been a fan of hazelnut, it always seems to taste blah. But this hazelnut was good

Our next stop was Brooklyn Bagels, a recommendation from a friend who heard about our adventure. She spoke so highly of it, we had to try it. Situated on a corner in Franklin’s downtown, it is a good location for those looking for a quick treat or meal. I was impressed with their menu which included sandwich bagels and even a pizza bagel! The owners are friendly and definitely from New York. Their goal is to give their customers good service with wait times under 5 minutes. Rebekah chose an Asiago bagel to enjoy for breakfast Friday.

A customer in Cinnamon Hill recommended Bend Willow Bake Shop for its breads. It should have been s straight shot down from Brooklyn Bagels and it was, we simply didn’t see it. After passing it, GPS rerouted and suggested we turn the wrong way on a one way street. With two failed attempts we decided to move on to La Toluca, a Mexican bakery that had rave comments on Facebook for quality and price. We did make a quick stop at the library used book store so Rebekah could dash in to search for books by two of her current favorite authors. That girl reads so many different genres I can’t keep up with her favorites.

La Toluca did not disappoint. As soon as we entered we inhaled the tantalizing aroma of fresh baking. I admired the lighted display cases with their overwhelming assortment of pastries. After a lot of oohing we decided on a pineapple pastry and planned to stop at a local park to eat it but plans change.

Since we would be approaching Bend Willow Bake Shop from a different direction, we decided to give the GPS one more chance. We found the bakery but not without some difficulty. The bakery is in a lovely, well landscaped. two story house. Everything color coordinated including the sign. Tasteful blending is admirable but blending in so perfectly a business is unrecognized, not so much.

This bakery is all about the ambiance. A wide front porch invites one to sit a while. Inside is trendy with conversation friendly seating and the baked goods tastefully displayed.The assortment of baked items was limited, but it was getting on to mid afternoon, so definitely might have been a contributing factor. We chose an interesting pastry, peach hazelnut, that seemed to have a biscuit type bottom and a course muffin type top.

Standing behind the house is a wooden gazebo and we decided to eat our pastries there, rather than driving to the park. The pineapple pastry from La Toluca was by far the better of the two with a crunchy and flaky outside and an inside muffin texture that was light and fluffy. The peach hazelnut biscuit didn’t have much flavor.Definitely no pop. This may be due to the burnt bottom. The burnt biscuit flavor wasn’t distasteful to me as I enjoy the depth of flavor the burn adds but in this case it obscured any other flavor. La Toluca also impressed with its pricing. Our pastry there cost $1.25 and the one at Bend Willow cost $3.50.

Although rain was predicted, we enjoyed partly cloudy skies with a few rumbly clouds. What a fun way to spend an afternoon. Maybe next time she visits we could do an ice cream crawl.

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2021 Mid-Eastern Road Trip Part 1

11 Aug

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Preface:  Because I love to travel, and because the Covid-19 scare has restricted much of the travel within our nation for the last eighteen months, I was determined to get at least one two-week road trip under my belt in 2021.  The main motivation for this road trip was that, even though I had visited the entire eastern seaboard in the past, I had not visited much of the northeastern portions of the U.S.  Since the planned route would take me as far north as Lake Ontario, I needed to plan the road trip before it began getting cold in that area.  With all this in mind, I loaded up my van and set out to see as much of the stated region as I could in the time available.

Photo credit: Bill Lites

Day 1 – 7/12/2021

This morning I headed north on I-95 toward my first objective, the Daytona 500 Museum and Motorsports Hall of Fame, located in Daytona Beach, FL.  I had tried to visit this museum once before, but the museum was closed for remodeling.  I was hoping for better luck this time.  The museum’s exhibits focus mainly on the NASCAR and motorcycle racing histories at Daytona Beach, from its beginning in 1936, to the present. 

Photo credit: Bill Lites

As I headed north on I-95 I was looking forward to visiting the Classic Car Museum located in St. Augustine, FL.  This museum displays some 80 beautifully restored vintage cars dating from 1895 to the 1980s.  

Photo Credit: https://www./ classic-car-museum-st-augustine 

I by-passed Jacksonville, FL as I continued north on I-95, since I would visit the Jacksonville museums at the end of this road trip.  I had also visited the St. Mary’s Submarine Museum on a previous road trip, so headed for the Mary Ross Park, located in Brunswick, GA.  This Park is a tribute to the 99 ‘Liberty Ships’ that were built, as a part of the war effort, by the Brunswick Shipyards during WWII.  

Photo Credit: tripadvisor.com/Mary_Ross_Waterfront_Park-Brunswick, Ga

I diverted a few miles northwest on US-17 to stop at the Geechee Kunda Culture Museum in Riceboro, GA but they were closed.  We have always been interested in the history of the Geechee islanders and their influence on the early Georgian culture.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was only another 5 miles north on US-17 to where I visited the Midway Museum located in Midway, GA.  This museum is housed in a replica of an 18th century ‘Coastal Cottage’ and displays exhibits and materials dating from that era.  The Midway Historic District also includes the Midway Church which was built in 1792 to replace the original Midway Church built in 1736.


Photo Credit: mapquest.com/us/georgia/midway-museum-303794678

Heading northeast another 30 miles I visited the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum located in Savannah, GA.  This museum is housed in the William Scarbrough house (President of the Savannah Steamship Company) and exhibits model ships, paintings, and maritime antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was just a few blocks to the Georgia State Railroad Museum there in Savannah, located in the Tricentennial Park area and is a part of the historic Central of Georgia Railway complex which was constructed in 1853.   This museum includes parts of the Central of Georgia Railway, Savannah Shops, Roundhouse, and Terminal Facilities.  The museum displays restored steam locomotives and passenger cars from the 19th and 20thcenturies, as well as steam locomotive train rides.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

My next stop was to visit the Old Fort Jackson located on the banks of the Savannah River, just one mile east of historic downtown Savannah.  The fort was built between 1808-1812 to protect Savannah from attack by sea.  The fully restored fort offers daily cannon firings (which I missed) performed by Confederate reenactors, and also houses the Fort Jackson Maritime Museum.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After this productive day of travel, I treated myself to a Steamed Shrimp Dinner at Fiddler’s Crab House & Oyster Bar, located on River Street in historic downtown Savannah, overlooking the Savannah River.  Yummm!

Photo Credit: savannah-ga/mip/fiddlers-crab-house-2867404

 

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 63 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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Letters from Mother 11

9 Aug

My Take

DiVoran Lites

September 1, 1983

Photo credit Pixabay

Dear ones,

We’re at Mary and Jerry’s. Dad has gone hunting, and I’ve written one letter to Ivan Dab for his birthday. We had a good trip, with no problems. Thank you for writing us such a nice long letter. DiVoran it is so nicely written and so interesting. I’m a bit late with writing this time due to traveling.

We were so worried when the storm Barry came so close to you, and we kept track of it as it moved on by. 

Photo credit Pixabay

Billy’s clothes sound nice, and he sounds alive and well. Guess Renie’s back in school now, and things are getting all settled to a routine. Bet you’ll be thankful for some cool weather when it comes.

Mary’s house seems big, and she seems to be more organized this time. I’m anxious to get on home to warm weather.

Hope you and Bill have a lovely anniversary as usual. 

We Love you,

Mother and Dad

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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Random Memories of Germany-Trips to Italy Part 2

8 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

In 1970, Fred and I were able to take in the Oberammergau Passion Play (please see my previous posts – Oberammergau – November 25, 2012, Wiesbaden – Part 3 – February 7, 2021, and Wiesbaden – Part 4 – Italy)   According to my pictures, we did not go to Pompeii on that trip.  However, we did take a bus trip from Heidelberg in 1982 to Italy with our girls, and we did make it to Pompeii then.  Here are some pictures from that time in Pompeii.  Mt. Vesuvius is quite present in some of the pictures.

Karen and Janet, ruins of Pompeii, with Mt. Vesuvius in the background

Pompeii – ruins of the Forum

More ruins of Pompeii

And more ruins of Pompeii

And, of course, we spent time in Rome.  WOW!!  What a place!  I believe we were told that a lot of Rome had been covered over with centuries of dirt, and was not discovered until someone began digging for a foundation for a new building.  What to their surprise did they find….RUINS!  That stopped the building, and the excavation began.

Seems like I remember we didn’t take the car on our trip in 1968, so we got around Rome with either a bus or train in the city.  I remember a bus tour that took us to the Roman Forum ruins.

The Roman Forum

But I remember just walking around the city, as well.  Perhaps it was an on-and-off tour.  In any case, I remember when we found the Trevi Fountain, we were a bit disappointed that it was literally surrounded by buildings!  In order for Fred to get this picture, he had to stand in a shop doorway across the street in order to try to get the entire fountain in – and even that wasn’t too successful!  Remember the old movie, Three Coins in a Fountain in 1954?  I fell in love with that movie, and so insisted that we find that fountain!

The Trevi Fountain – from a store’s doorway across the street

While in Rome, we found the obelisk by St. Mary Major Church,

The Obelisk by St. Mary Major Church

we saw the Pantheon, 

we saw St. Paul Outside the Wall church, 

St. Paul Outside the Wall

we saw St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, 

and we saw the Victor Emmanuel Monument, that we were told the Roman’s call “The Wedding Cake” which amused us.

Victor Emmanuel Monument

When we made our Thanksgiving bus trip to Italy in 1982 with our girls, we covered Rome in more detail than Fred and I had done earlier.  We not only took in St. Peter’s Square, but we actually sat in on an “audience” with the Pope.  The Roman people loved him so much – I remember so many of them standing and shouting “Papa!!” just trying to get his attention.  That is nearly impossible, as there were thousands in attendance in the room.  We were waaayyy back , and this is the best picture we could get of that event.

Our “audience” with the Pope

Here’s a picture of the Swiss Guards that guard St. Peter’s and the Pope.

We also joined a group that toured the Vatican – the parts we were allowed to see.  We saw some gardens, and some of the inside.

The Vatican Gardens

This sign was before we went inside, and unfortunately, I don’t remember what it was of – whether it was some ceilings or something else of importance to the Vatican.  And, I don’t speak or read Italian, so am not sure just what it tells.

~~~~~~~~~~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. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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I Love to Travel Part 2

4 Aug

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

So now, this is an example of how I plan one of my road trips.   I select a specific Aviation Museum (the target museum), from the Guide Book to visit.  I preferably like it to be in an area of the country where I haven’t been before.  Using the guide book, I research the other Aviation Museums in the states surrounding the target museum.  Then I use Wikipedia (“Museums in Colorado”) to find all the different types of museums in the target state and the states surrounding the target state, that interest me.  I locate the museums, using MapQuest, to establish a route, in those states, and that becomes my itinerary.  I find a major city, nearest my route, with the best airline rates, and my itinerary starts there.  I usually fly Southwest Airlines because I can fly free with my Reward Miles with them.

Photo: https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/08/19/southwest-airlines-says-it-wont-take-coronavirus-g/

My direction of travel does not depend on moving clockwise or counterclockwise, as long as the big two-week itinerary circle brings me back to the same airport.  That way I can pick-up and return my rental car at the same location without any additional drop-off charges.  The rental car costs, gas, food, and the museum admissions are usually my only our-of-pocket expenses I have (unless there are tour fees or special tickets. etc.) for one of these two-week trips.  I have my own Accident Insurance, but I’m not always sure if my Auto Insurance will cover everything on the rental car, so I usually purchase Travel Insurance that covers anything that could happen to me or the rental car during the trip.

Photo: https://aloharents.com/

I figure a day’s travel miles (as close as possible) where my itinerary will place me at a location where I can get good motel rates (larger cities generally have more motels to choose from, and their rates are usually lower).  I make advanced motel reservations (usually free with credit card points), so I don’t have to do that on the road.  All of this planning can sometimes take me weeks to arrange, but once it’s all arranged, and I have conformations for everything, I’m ready to go.  

Photo: https://www.qualityinnsarasotafl.com/

I like to print out a copy of all my conformation notices for airline, rental car, and motels.  Then I Google each museum and make a copy of the description of it, which includes name, address, phone number and days & hours of operation.  I arrange the museum sheets in the order I have decided on for my itinerary, so I will have them at hand in the car as I go.  That way, all I have to do is plug-in the address on my Garmin (Greta), and off I go.  This also gives me a record of everything I might need in case Greta or I get lost, or any other type of problem I might run into.  Sometimes Greta, will take me to the wrong address, or not be able to locate the address.  If that happens, I can refer to the information sheet, for the place I’m heading, and call to ask for directions.  Those sorts of things have happened more than once on my trips in the past.

Photo: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/garmin-drive-52-5-gps-black

At the end of each day’s travels, while relaxing at the motel, I record the hi-lights of the day’s activities on my cell phone and email it to my computer at home.  When I get home I use the emails, and the internet, to thoroughly research each museum for any special or historical data I can find.  It’s amazing how much more interesting my blogs can become with that expanded information.  I arrange the museum’s information in sequence, for that day, and that becomes a short blog (500-700 words).  Then I post one blog per week on the “Old Things R New” website.  This allows others to enjoy my trips (vicariously) if they like that sort of thing, and maybe learn a little something new at the same time.  Writing up these blogs also allows me to re-live the fun memories of the trip again.

Image: https://www.kissclipart.com/computer-working-png-clipart-computer-web-browser-4tl976/

I hope you have enjoyed this quick look at the reason “I Love to Travel” and how I go about choosing, researching, arranging, and reporting a two-week “Bucket List” road trip.  These trips are so relaxing, enjoyable and freeing for me.  I can really recommend travel.  Just getting away from the every-day mundane things of life, and hitting the road to somewhere.  It doesn’t have to be a BIG trip.  Just get out and go.

  We have a big country out there, and there is a large variety of very interesting and beautiful places and things to see.  So enjoy it.  If you are ever interested in some of the places and things I’ve encountered on my past trips, you can find my travel blogs at www.oldthingsrnew.com.  Enter the Title & Part # (if any) of the blog you would like to read in the search box, at the top of the opening screen.  Press “Search” and that should take you to the blog you are looking for (by Bill Lites).  I wish each and every one of you Happy Traveling and enjoyable reading.

Image: https://www.pinclipart.com/pindetail/ibJbmim_ltv-driver-jobs-in-pakistansrc-https-cartoons-driving/

—–The End—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 63 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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Ita Entered the Glory of Heaven

3 Aug

The Old Things R New family are sad to learn of the passing of the mother of fellow blogger, Janet Perez Eckles. Her father passed on a few years ago. Her parents story of saving up to come to America is not only inspirational, it is creative as well. They lived their lives full of the joy of the Lord. Below is Janet’s post on Facebook.

My Mom, Lucy, whom we all called “Ita” just entered the glory of heaven filled with a peace that only the Lord could have provided.

Covid attacked her body, but Christ brought the victory. At 92, she was radiant with health, no meds, no ailments. Yet, she often mentioned the glory of heaven that awaits those of us who know Christ Jesus.

She frequently would express her anticipation of living in that eternal glory. She did so with her unique, contagious joy.

Her heart saddened each time she heard of a friend who suffered with Alzheimer’s, or dementia, or cancer, chronic pain or unable to walk on their own. Deep down she wanted to avoid such a life of disease. God indeed honored her by transitioning her from a healthy, beautiful body to a glorious, even more perfectly healthy body to live for eternity. She left those who knew and love her the legacy of joy which characterized her so beautifully.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, please send donations in her memory to her most beloved church:

Greene way Church

3400 Hunters Creek Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32837

As you may know, Janet is blind and finds reading blog posts challenging. If you would like to leave a comforting message, I will pass it on to her.

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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Paul Revere’s Helper

3 Aug

The Storyteller Almanac

The latest greatest episode in my ongoing podcast series, “The Storyteller Almanac“ is now live and available online. The title of this one is, “Paul Revere’s Helper.” It’s a true story about the famous ride of Paul Revere. But it talks about a helper Paul had that night back in Colonial Days you might not have ever been taught in your school days. Presented in the Paul Harvey, “Rest Of The Story Format,” ya’ gotta stick with me until the end of this short story to fully get the impact and surprise ending.

Click HERE to listen

The podcasts can be found on any of the major podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. You can also go directly to my podcast home page at www.StotytellerAlmanac.com 

Also on my homepage is a donation button if you feel so inlcined to make a contribution to help keep the podcast up and running. Additionally, please follow or subscribe to the podcast on any of the aforementioned podcast platforms so you won’t miss any future episodes.

Thanks for droppin’ by neighbor! Mike – The Storyteller” 

I’ve been ‘clickin’ the shutter since I was about 16. I morphed into video production when I went to work for The Walt Disney Company many years ago. Currently, I still work for Disney. But my real passion and path is utilizing my photography and multimedia skill sets for the greater good. Translated, anything or anybody that deserves recognition, appreciation or documenting for future history, I’m all over it. Too many important things just slip away in a fast moving, fast paced world / society. ‘If ya’ wanna know where you’re going, ya’ gotta know where ya’ come from’ (Sir Lawrence Olivier – The Jazz Singer 1980). 

If you feel so inclined, I’d sure appreciate you subscribing to Storyteller Almanac on any of the major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and more. Really helps me grow the po

To contact me for any reason, please click or copy & paste: 

MikeThomasImagery@gmail.com

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Letters from Mother 10

2 Aug

My Take

DiVoran Lites

August 10, 1983

Dear Ones,

Well, I finally settled down to write, but I suspect it will be a quicky. Judy arrived on Friday, and we’ve been having a good time doing all the things we did last summer. I sat on my rock at the beach today and took a picture of the big tree and roots I mentioned last week.

Judy, Smithy, and Waunita went to Victoria yesterday, it was warm and sunny, and they had a good time.

Photo credit Pixabay

 Ivan and I kept the place running. I did laundry at Waunitas and then studied my notes and some other books about painting. I am trying to learn about glazing and scumbling by tomorrow. I was supposed to learn it last week, but I got behind when I tried to free-hand draw the fishing shacks and didn’t catch up. So the picture of Paris in the rain looks like Paris in the rain, but I’m not sure I like it, and I feel quite distressed. Most of the other students were quick enough to do it. Maybe they know some things I don’t. Anyway, tomorrow is painting day. 

Photo credit Pixabay

Smithy sold his big old caterpillar for 15,00 or 17,00. He won’t be using it for the campground anymore. I guess he has dug up and moved all the dirt he wanted to move.

Pauline and her husband J. Y. arrived yesterday as they do every summer. They’ll be here for two months. J.Y. and another man took out two fishing boats, so we’ll have fresh fish for dinner when they get back. 

Photo credit Pixabay

I loved hearing about the peacocks and everything else at Deleon Springs State Park. I remembered that a lizard dropped from a palm tree onto my head, but I also remember swimming in the spring and thinking about Ponce de Leon telling people this water would make us live forever. I know I felt very healthy after swimming at the spring. Bet I would be even warmer in July than November. 

Photo credit Pixabay

I’d love to have lunch with you and your friend when we come again.  Has she found a car she wants yet? That seems like a job for a man. In our family, it has always been for men to decide about cars.

Thank you for your compliment about writing. You are just saying that, so I’ll become all flowery of speech and continue to “go for it” language-wise. But it is fun and goes along with observations for painting. 

Yes, I think I’ve read Daddy Longlegs. Perhaps there was a movie by that name. Anyhow it sounds familiar and good.  I remember The Egg and I from the old books too.

Dad brought in the last of the crab. Come on over for supper.

Adios again,

Love, Mother

It’s getting cooler; time to close the door and take a nap, may need the heater on or the electric blanket to sleep on. 

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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Random Memories of Germany-Trips to Italy Part 1

1 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

I must start this particular series of stories with a disclaimer:  we absolutely LOVED living in Germany – both times!  Perhaps it’s because we both have Germany in our ancestry, or perhaps we just like living in Europe.  But Germany holds a special place in our hearts.  I know Germany’s history in the World Wars is awful, but I believe that was the fault of the political people in power – not the German people as a whole.  We found them to be gracious and lovely.

And so, on to this series.  In this particular series, I would like to describe the trips we made to Italy.  Living in Germany allowed us to travel to many other spots in Europe without too much difficulty.  I had never been to Italy, but Fred lived with his family in several places in Italy following World War 2.  Please see Fred’s previous posts: (all are titled Fred Remembers…) September 9, 2018, September 16, 2018, September 23, 2018, and October 21, 2018, for Fred’s remembrances of living in Italy.

We were stationed in Wiesbaden, West Germany from June 1967 through June 1970.  Our first trip to Italy was in October 1968.  We had some good friends in our church in Wiesbaden, and were able to leave Karen with them, while we traveled.  We didn’t think we would be able to enjoy our traveling with a new baby – or a new baby would enjoy being carted around every here and there.  So Fred and I set off on our journey.

As I look back on the pictures we took in 1968 and 1970 and then at the ones we took with our girls during Thanksgiving 1982, the differences we saw were amazing!  I don’t remember exactly the order we visited in our 1968 trip, but I know we spent at least one full day at Pompeii.  Fascinating!

But Fred had read up on the Vesuvius eruption, and so wanted to see Ercolano (Herculaneum).  I believe it was actually closer to the eruption itself, and was covered with more lava than ash, as Pompeii was.  The remaining colors on the walls are more brilliant and more well preserved than even that of Pompeii.  Amazing!  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Ercolano.

Ercolano – Judy standing in a courtyard

We spent a bit of time in Amalfi – a beautiful coastal town in Italy.

Amalfi

Cathedral in Amalfi

We saw the “smallest fishing village in Italy” along our bus tour.  (Don’t ask me where – I have totally forgotten that!)

The smallest fishing village in Ital

We spent several days in Naples, staying at a B&B there.  We were fascinated with the Solfotaro, still bubbling with hot mud, with its connection still to Vesuvius – all those miles away. Fred reminded me that it is similar to Yellowstone National Park, and its volcanic activity (Old Faithful).  As with Yellowstone, there is a fence to keep the spectators away from the bubbling lava.

The Bay of Naples is gorgeous.  

Solfotaro in Naples – it smells of sulfur

The bay of Naples at evening time

All pictures are by Fred Wills

~~~~~~~~~~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. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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