Tag Archives: #amblogging

My Colonial States Trip~Part 17

11 Mar

A Slice of Life
 Bill Lites

My friends from Boston and New York had advised me not to use the George Washington Bridge if I could help it, but that’s the way “Greta” took me on my way back to the west to visit the Aviation Hall of Fame in Teterboro, NJ. So, it was across the Throgs Neck Bridge, thru the Bronx, over the Hudson River on the G.W. Bridge to the museum. As it turned out, it must have been my lucky day for that crossing, because that trip was pretty much of a breeze and I made it to the museum in good time. This museum, located at the Teterboro Airport, displays historic aircraft and spacecraft equipment, artifacts and photographs along with a model aircraft collection, honoring the many New Jersey men and women who have helped make the aviation industry what it is today. There is a room filled with medallions honoring the over 160 inductees to date.

I woke up to rain the next morning. Up until now the weather had been perfect and I had just assumed it would be the same for the whole trip. Silly me. What was I thinking? Well, it rained that entire day as I sloshed my way toward Connecticut. I figured “Greta” would have routed me back across the G.W. Bridge and up I-95 to Bridgeport, CT before turning north. But I wasn’t ready to try my luck getting across the G.W. Bridge again, especially during the morning rush-hour traffic in the rain. So, I decided to take the northern route, using the Garden State Parkway, and then crossing the Hudson River at the Tappenzee Bridge. Well, wouldn’t you know, I missed the exit for the bridge. I stopped at a service center and asked how to get back to the bridge exit and the guy said, “Just take the next exit and do a “U” turn.” Right! It was 20 miles to the next exit and it ended up taking me 30 minutes and another 30 miles back to the bridge exit (all this in the pouring down rain).

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I finally made it to the right exit, across the Tappenzee Bridge, then thru Danbury and Hartford, CT to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT. That ended up taking 1-½ hours longer than I had planned. What a waste of time that was! The museum displays over 60 beautifully restored aircraft and related artifacts/equipment in three hangers. As I followed a group into the B-29 hanger, I overheard someone say that the small group was honoring their 95 year old uncle who had been a navigator in B-29s during WWII. The elderly gentleman was overwhelmed by the occasion and the size of the aircraft. I heard him say, “I don’t remember it being so big!” What a nice thing for a family to do for their uncle. While I was in the area, I had planned to visit the American Museum of Aviation in Stafford Springs, CT but I discovered that visiting the museum was by appointment only. I was behind schedule anyway, so I just headed south to my next stop, at the New London Customhouse in New London, CT which is operated by the New England Maritime Association. This turned out to be a very small museum, so I didn’t spend much time there.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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Inaugural Patrick D. Smith Award for Literary Excellence

9 Mar

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Beck and Ned Keller Award

Patrick D. Smith was one of my favorite authors. When I was a younger writer, I read his books and went to hear him speak. The first time he described lush Florida as it was when he came here as a boy I was hooked on his powers of observation and description.

I enjoyed the movie they made of his book, “Angel City,” which was about migrant workers in Florida. Patrick Smith actually lived as a migrant worker in a camp and risked his life to document the cruelty and rough conditions there.

“Patrick D. Smith’s sixth book was the best-selling, A Land Remembered. This novel depicts “three generations of the Maclveys, a Florida family who battles the hardships of the frontier to rise from a dirt-poor Cracker life to the wealth and standing of real estate tycoons.”*The last generation in the book realizes that the family has over-used the land and makes plans to rectify their mistakes. It has also been made into a movie. (Amazon blurb)

“Patrick Smith is a 1999 inductee into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, which is the highest and most prestigious cultural honor that can be bestowed upon an individual by the state of Florida. Smith is the author of seven novels and has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize. His lifetime work was nominated for the 1985 Nobel Prize for Literature.”

Patrick D Smith

Rebekah Lyn’s book, , is a perfect continuation of . It moves into the next stage of Florida’s history with the story of a young man whose family members are ordered to leave their home on North Merritt Island because the country needs the land for a center from which to launch rockets into space.http://patricksmithonline.com/patricksmith.html

Rebekah Lyn’s book, Jessie, is a perfect continuation of A Land Remembered. It moves into the next stage of Florida’s history with the story of a young man whose family members are ordered to leave their home on North Merritt Island because the country needs the land for a center from which to launch rockets into space.

Most of the people we know here in Brevard County have been, or are currently, involved with the Space Program. It has been our town’s main industry since the late fifties, and Rebekah Lyn got first hand accounts from many of them. Her research is impeccable as are her characterizations.

In my opinion, there is no better way to learn history than from enjoyable, readable fiction.

A Land Remembered is now a two volume text book with study guide and I’d love to see the same thing happen to Jessie. Not long before Patrick Smith died, members of The Brevard County Library Foundation visited him and presented the idea of the award. He was pleased and gave the group his permission to create the award in his honor. The foundation’s president felt the award’s creation memorialized the passing of a much-loved Florida author, yet reaches out to recognize and encourage a new generation of writers.

Five of the seven judges attended the awards ceremony. All were college professors and several were Ph.Ds. When asked how tough it was to select a winner, they agreed there was no question, Jessie was it!

When asked about the award, Rebekah Lyn said having the chance to talk to the judges and hear what they enjoyed most was exciting. They only received the first 30 pages of the book, and they all said they wanted to read more. I was happy to let them know the whole book is available and that a follow-up is in the works. One of the judges complimented me on how relatable and loveable the characters were, another commented on how each of the brothers had a distinctive voice and obvious role to play in the family, and a third judge enjoyed how well I captured the wildness of the Merritt Island landscape.

The award ceremony was planned to have been an outdoor evening event on the lawn by the Indian River. Stormy weather  pushed the event inside, but it didn’t damper our joy. Along with myself, Rebekah was accompanied by her parents, and close friends Jennifer and Pam Gheen.

 

A Land Remembered

A Land Remembered

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Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren Forrest~Part 2

8 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

 

As I began my story about my grandchildren last time, I told you that our oldest daughter and her husband gave us our first grandchild – a boy, Forrest.1

 

Last time, I forgot to add this picture. It’s one of my favorite pictures of him and his dad.

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Karen has often said that she was just a “vessel” for her children. They both take after their dad’s side of the family. And you can really see it in this picture.

 

There was a bit of competition between us and the other grandparents. Forrest is the oldest grandchild on both sides. As a matter of fact, the other grandparents (grandpa especially) tried to get Forrest to call us “Aunt Judy” and “Uncle Fred.” So we had to correct him every time we saw him.

In mid-1990’s, Fred and I moved to Florida. Brian brought his family down that first Christmas, and of course we went to Disney. Later, the other grandpa stated that HE had wanted to be the one to introduce Disney to Forrest, but then we “went to Florida and bought the place up!” One up for the Wills side!

When he was learning his “ABC’s” we would say a word association with whatever letter he spoke. He did fine until he got to “G” – and I would say “Granny.” He would just look at me and grin – but wouldn’t say Granny. Took him quite a few years to call me that. Never did figure out what the hang-up was.

Our family has always been heavily involved with whatever church we found ourselves members of. Karen was brought up in this environment. Her husband, Brian was the son of a pastor, so he was, as well. So it was no surprise to see that family heavily involved in their church. When they moved to the Chicago area, they found a large church that they loved. Lots of good Bible study and classes for the children.

About 10+ years ago, that church decided the Lord wanted them to branch out and plant another body of believers. They began meeting – and still do – in a local high school. Karen and Brian felt the Lord leading them to be part of that new body of believers, and volunteered to help establish it. But because it was a small grouping, Forrest and Katie still attended the original church for their youth functions.

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Forrest and Katie have both been on mission trips, sponsored by this church. Forrest went on several mission trips, including one to South Africa. He loved it all.

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He is a delightful young man. When he graduated from Wheaton College, he had some choices to make about employment. But his heart was in a Christian program called Alpha (alphausa.org). It is an evangelistic program that was started in England, but has outreach in our country and others.

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There is an office near where Forrest and Alyssa live, and he accepted a job with them. They are pleased to have him, and he is delighted to be working for the company. He loves the Lord greatly.

As I said last time, we are so very proud of Forrest, and thank God for his presence in our lives. God gets all the glory for this young man.

 

 

 

 

 

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Live in the Sunshine

6 Mar

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

 

Life does present its problems,

Skies are not always blue-

But when you turn your eyes to the Savior,

He will always see you through.

 

In times of suffering we must make sanctified

choices to walk in the light;

We have to mind our attitude by minding our thoughts

and trust God to make it right.

 

Keep the sunshine in your mind.

Our thoughts control our emotions.

Problems seem to solve themselves

when you take time for morning devotions.

 

Footnote:

Sunshine on your face.

The psalmist said, “They looked to Him

and were radiant.” Psalm 34:5

 

Beach sunlight image

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Going Around the Mountain with Turkeys and Eagles

5 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

Yesterday my husband and I were discussing Netanyahu’s speech to Congress the previous day. The leader of Israel was asking for support against a nuclear Iran. Meanwhile Iran is in talks with the United States and other countries promising peace. My husband pointed out how similar this seemed to the 1940s when Japan was talking peace while planning for war. He voiced his concern of how history repeats its self and we never seem to learn.

This brought to mind, our former pastor, Peter Lord, who taught me lesson of the mountain. God loves us so much, He will allow us to repeat our mistakes and keep going around the mountain until we learn what He is trying to teach us. Is it painful? You bet but I am grateful he is patient and doesn’t give up on me.

History repeating itself, over and over seems to fall into Pastor Lord’s going around the mountain lesson. Time after time, mankind has the chance to make good choices and time after time we have not. I wonder what the world will choose this time turkeys or Eagles.

 

 

Turkeys and Eagles

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My Colonial States Trip~Part 16

4 Mar

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill Lites

Bill Lites

 

I saw the Dolly Todd (Madison) house, Edgar Allen Poe’s house, the Fireman’s Hall Museum, the Pine Street Presbyterian Church and the Mechanic’s National Bank. I had trouble finding the Seaport Museum, home of the USS Olympia, and when I did find it they wanted $15.00 to park and $10.00 admission, and this was another case of not feeling like I would have enough time to see the museum and the ship to justify the cost.

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So, I headed back across the Delaware River to Camden, NJ to try to see the USS New Jersey before they closed, but didn’t make it. So, I just went on back to Gloucester City, where I had another fabulous rib dinner at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant before going back to the motel for the night.

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The next day I passed up visiting the Simeone Auto museum and the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, as I saw so many things in Philadelphia that I ran out of time, and had to push on toward that day’s list of places to visit.

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First on the list was the Air Victory Museum in Lumberton, NJ which was closed that day. When I was researching the drive from Lumberton to my next stop in Garden City, NY I was pleased to see that “Google Maps” routed me south, around New York City, on I-278 to miss the city traffic. So now, after inputting the Cradle of Aviation Museum address into “Greta”, I sat back to enjoy the ride. The first indication that something was not quite right was when I was directed to enter the Lincoln Tunnel. The next thing I knew I was stopped at a light at the corner of East 42nd Street and Madison Avenue.

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What in the world was going on? “Greta” had done it to me again! All I could do at this point was follow her directions, as I had no idea how to get to Garden City by myself. She took me thru the Queens Midtown Tunnel onto the Long Island Expressway (I think) and somehow delivered me to the correct museum address in Garden City. Needless to say, it took a lot longer than I had planned to get there. When I finally pulled up in front of the Cradle of Aviation Museum, I was expecting to be thrilled with lots of beautifully restored aircraft in that magnificent facility. What greeted me, as I entered the front door was a huge mess of canvas tarps on the floor, with tables, buckets, and women everywhere, making preparations for a local flower show, of all things. As it turned out, the museum had a surprisingly small number of aircraft for the size of their facility. I guess the main reason for that was their emphasis is on education rather than strictly on aviation. In one area, on the ground floor, I came across the Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center. What a surprise that was!

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Next I continued about 15 miles east on Long Island to the American Airpower Museum located in Farmingdale, NY which is about the size of our Valiant Air Command Museum in Titusville, Florida. Most of their WWII aircraft housed in their large hanger are in flying condition, while their later era (more modern) planes, make up an impressive static display collection outside.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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And the Lord Said: Remember

2 Mar

My TAKE

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

My Dear Daughter, Good morning! Welcome to another happy day with all the serendipities you love each day.

The cowboys named this foal, Summer Surprise because they didn’t know she was coming.

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Don’t let the enemy of your soul send you any lies or doubts. He tries always, pitifully, to throw you off by getting you onto the negativity track. If you fall for it, he’ll do worse. In reality, he had no real power, no strength. Resist him and he will flee.

Instead, remember me, remember my word, remember my love for you, remember the songs I’ve given you to sing, remember to thank me for deeds done and for promises kept. Remember to thank me for who I am, gentle, gracious and loving.

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Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren

1 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

JUDY

 

FORREST

 

Okay, I hear the groans already. But I’m proud of my grandchildren and would love to 1share some of their antics with you.

We actually have two sets of grandchildren – one set from each of our daughters. And they each completed the circle with a boy and girl.

Our oldest daughter and her husband gave us our first grandchild – a boy, Forrest. They had originally thought to name him Ian Sean, but then realized that his name would, essentially, be “John (Scot) John (Irish)” and thought that wouldn’t do. So they named him Forrest.

Two weeks after his birth, the doctors discovered why he had been losing so much weight. The flap that opens between the esophagus and the stomach was closed over! He was, essentially, starving to death. So, at the tender age of two weeks, he had surgery to correct that problem. He’s not had any problems with it, since that time.

We’ve seen Forrest do some interesting things with his name: “4est” is just one of them. That was on the back of his t-shirt. I’ve seen “Forrest” with the top of the “F” curved over the remainder of his name.

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When he was quite little – even before he could read – he was playing a computer game, quite correctly, and having a great time with it.

Karen tells us that when he was in elementary school, he once told her that he was the smartest kid in the class, except for “Johnny.” When she asked why not Johnny, Forrest said, “Because I haven’t told him yet.”

This picture shows him to be a bit of a monkey – climbing everywhere.

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He was always interested in dinosaurs. He pretty much drew stick figures – like most small children – until it came to dinosaurs. Here is what he drew when he was just seven years old! Amazing!

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He was always a lot of fun to be around.

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He was, and still is, rather fussy about his hands being clean. Once when they were with us, he found a “candy” in our pantry and asked if he could have it. I told him he was welcome to have anything we had – but that particular candy had a gooey marshmallow center. He didn’t eat it. One Easter time we sent them some of those Cadbury “eggs” – you know, the ones with the gooey, runny centers. Karen told us that after he had bitten into it – and found some of that center on his hands, said. “What is THAT???!!!” and flung his hands to rid himself of that offending stuff. Fastidious.

 

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When Karen and Brian celebrated their 20th anniversary by going to Europe to re-visit where they met and fell in love, they left Forrest (16 years old) and his sister with us for the week. We took them to Disney, of course. While at EPCOT, Forrest kept asking us if we were tired, and assured us that they would be happy to go home, rest, and come back later. I finally stopped him and asked, “Forrest – did your dad tell you that Grandpa and I were old and probably got tired easily?” When he sheepishly said yes, I assured him that we do Disney all the time and exercised regularly, and we were NOT tired! We spent all day that the park.

When Forrest was 16, a 16-year-old friend of his drew this picture of him. She complained, “did you really have to wear a plaid shirt that day?” But she titled it, “Only God Can Finish the Picture.” It’s beautiful. And she really captured his essence.

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After high school, he went to Wheaton College for study. While there, he met a lovely young lady and fell in love with her. They married on July 12, 2013, and we were fortunate to be there for the event.

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They are having a wonderful time together, and we are blest to have her in this family.

We are so very proud of Forrest, and thank God for his presence in our lives.

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Life Is But A Minute

27 Feb

From my Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

 

When asked, “What is the greatest surprise

you have found about life?” Your response

will be, “The brevity of it”

 

I have lived to a ripe old age, but my

emotions are not ruled by a calendar page.

I am moved to tears by poignant moments in time.

I weep when others weep.

Laugh when others laugh.-

without reason or rhyme.

 

Yes, life is but a minute.

but eternity is in it…

Keep looking up, dear friend.

Christ is waiting at the cross for you.

His dearest desire is to communicate with you.

Life on earth is not the end.

 

John 9:4

“I must work the work of Him who sent me

while it is day. The night cometh when no

man can work.

 

Cross at sunset

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My Colonial States Trip~Part 15

25 Feb

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill Small Red Plane

 

Then I checked out Carpenter’s Hall where in 1774 the 1st Continental Congress met in response to the “Intolerable Acts” the British Parliament had imposed on the colonies, as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They ended up voting to support a trade embargo against England, one of the first unified acts of defiance against the King of England.

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Then there was the tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution which was a very moving monument that honors the thousands of soldiers, of George Washington’s Army, who died during the American Revolutionary War, fighting for our freedom.

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I left my glasses in the Ben Franklin Post Office (luckily they were there when I went back for them) where they hand stamped a letter I mailed. Most of us know of Ben Franklin from our history books as the guy who, in 1750, flew a kite in a thunderstorm proving that lightning was electricity. But, Franklin was a man of many talents; he was a prolific author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. He was the first United States ambassador to France (1778-1785), and the 6th president of Pennsylvania (1785-1788).

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I had never heard of the Eastern State Penitentiary where, in mid-1800s, it set the standard for penal reform with its castle-like Gothic architecture and its founders’ Quaker-inspired belief that solitary confinement could reform criminals.  Eastern State’s radial floor plan (known as the hub and spoke plan) and system of solitary confinement was the model for hundreds of later prisons worldwide.

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The next day, while I was trying to take in as many of the interesting things in Philadelphia as I could, I decided to take a quick self-guided tour of the current U.S. Mint there in Philadelphia.   It turns out that the first U.S. Mint (better known as “Ye Olde Mint”) was authorized by the “Coinage Act” of 1792 and was built that same year.  The Mint Act (as it was called) also instituted a decimal system based on a dollar unit; specified weights, metallic composition and fineness; and required that each United States coin be impressed with the word “Liberty.”  It was fascinating to see how our U.S. coins are produced, most of the process now being automated.

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I checked out the City Tavern which was the site of many early business transactions, patriot gatherings, and musical performances and has been restored to look as it did in the 1700s. Today one can sample ale recipes by George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. I didn’t stop and partake of any of those, as I was on a mission to see as many of the places as I could before the close of the day.

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Down the street was the Philadelphia Merchant’s Exchange, built between 1832 and 1834, and was originally a gathering place where merchants met to barter or sell their cargoes and merchandise. From Exchange the ships could be seen approaching from up or down the Delaware River.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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