Tag Archives: Christianity

Our Trip to Italy-Part 1

6 Mar

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill

 It was the Winter of 1999, and our friend Marsha was in the middle of an 18-month TDY assignment with Disney in Porte Marghera, Italy as part of the group supporting constructionof their second Disney cruise ship, the “Wonder.”  Marsha was a longtime writing friend of DiVoran’s who had worked for Disney on their first Disney cruise ship, the “Magic” and was very familiar with the surrounding Italian area.

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She asked DiVoran and I if we would like to come visit her, as she had plenty of room for the both of us, in the rented apartment she was living in at the time.  She also mentioned that she could take some time off, if we came, and escort us around central Italy to see some of the many interesting and historical sites that area of the country had to offer.  Since I had accrued enough Sky miles with Delta Air Lines to get free round-trip flights for both of us, we thought, “This could be an opportunity of a lifetime!”  It didn’t take much arm-twisting to get us to agree to go, and we started making reservations.  The next thing we knew, were on our way.2

 Our first stop was in Milan.  After a one-hour bus ride from the airport to the Metro station, we took a 30-minute underground train ride to the town center, where we had lunch at the Autogrill.  Once we found our small quaint Hotel Speronari, we had a nap and our first laugh of the trip.  DiVoran spotted the “In case of fire” instructions on the back of our hotel room door; it read “Remain in a quiet and calm mood, walk on your fours, and protect your nose and mouth with a damp handkerchief.” What a hoot!  But then, how silly that would sound if I tried to say that in Italian?  After a cup of tea, we were ready to venture out to see some of the sights of the city.

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Our hotel was just one block off the city square, which was surrounded with elegant shops, filled with beautiful jewelry, furs, and luxurious fabrics.  Every third woman was wearing some type of fur coat.  We had never seen so many fur coats in our lives.  The Duomo (cathedral) in Milan’s, city square was a must see, and we were properly impressed.  It is the third largest Duomo  in Europe and took 500 years to build.  It is beautifully decorated inside with 52 Sequoia columns, each 150 feet tall, and as many as 2000 carved statues gracing the outside.

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A Japanese couple, who had just been married, were in the process of having their pictures taken in the Piazza Duomo among all the pigeons and tourists.  What a sight that was.  After that, we got directions on how to get to the Castello Sforzesco, which was built in the 15th century and houses Michelangelo’s unfinished Rondanini Pieta.

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 Back in the city square, we strolled the streets looking at the many fresh fruit and vegetable stands.  Then we came across a candy store where their fruits looked so real we couldn’t believe it, and sure enough, they weren’t, they were Marzipan.  What a surprise!  Of course, DiVoran had to have some, and boy were they good.  They were so unusual that we brought some home and kept them in our freezer for years.

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    —–To be Continued—–

 

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Down Home Down Town

4 Mar

My Take

DiVoran Lites

jungle divoran

After World War II, when I was seven years old and my brother was almost four our parents bought a restaurant in a small town in Colorado that had only three hundred residents. I don’t know whether that included the ranchers and their families who came to town on Saturday night or not.

In this small town, called, Westcliffe, If I wasn’t at school, or outside playing, I was almost always doing dishes or waiting tables at the restaurant or going around to the neighbors—except our neighbors happened to be the other merchants on our two block stretch of Main Street.

The Luthi family and the Quicks owned restaurants, too. The Luthi’s also owned the one hotel in town. There was no competition that I ever knew of, just pleasant cooperation. I baby sat for the Quicks from when I was about ten years old and played, and went to Sunday school with the Luthi girls.

When I was out and about, I visited Mr. Cope at the drugstore, Miss Lily, at the post office or my friend’s mother Marie Erp at Canda’s grocery. She always played ragtime piano at the community dances. I liked to pop into the tiny library across the street from our restaurant. The librarian agreed that fairy tales were the best reading you could get.

Yesterday I got a taste of that kind of wandering downtown in my present hometown, which has more people in it, but about the same amount of old downtown. Once it was in danger of dying completely, but as Onisha and I walked from shop to shop to ask if we could leave posters about Rebekah Lyn’s and my book signing we realized that the downtown is coming back to life, and you know who’s responsible? Mainly it’s the food emporiums, the artists, the historians, and the boutiques.

I’ve lived here forty-six years and Onisha is native Floridian. The really wonderful and fun thing was that in almost every business someone recognized either her or me. At the historical museum a friend I hadn’t seen for a year met us at the door and in a little while when I looked around for Onisha she was in another room talking with her husband’s aunt. What warmth, what excitement, what love! It was a quiet, middle of the week, day, so no one was too busy to talk, in fact most of them seemed to relish the company.

It was so much fun in fact, it kind of showed me that in my heart I was a down town girl. Too bad it has taken me so long to figure that out, but now I’ve signed up to go down there for book signings and to paint in the garden of the Pritchard house which has been beautifully restored. Maybe Onisha and I will wander the streets together again some day just like my best friend and I did in childhood. Whether we do or not it was a lovely day and we’re very glad to see our town coming back in such a wonderful way.

Psalm 13:6

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Westcliffe, Colorado

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Titusville, Fl

 

 

 

 

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I DON’T SPEAK PORTUGESE!

3 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

JUDY

One of the funniest things – and most irritating – about growing up in New Mexico, is that a whole LOT of the U.S. population doesn’t even know New Mexico is one of our great 50!  So much so, that the New Mexico Magazine has published a book of anecdotes people have shared.  It, as well as a full-page article in the magazine, is entitled One Of Our 50 Is Missing.  I have laughed – and growled – over some of the things people have encountered in this vein.

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I never thought to have one of those experiences myself, but sure enough – it happened to me!

Some years ago, after we returned stateside from Germany, we were living in the small town of Seaford, Virginia.  It is a lovely little place, just eight miles away from Yorktown, which is part of the Historical Triangle in Virginia.  That triangle encompasses Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Jamestown.

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There happened to be a Baptist Church in Seaford, and after “visiting around” the other churches in the Hampton Roads area, we decided Seaford Baptist Church was where God wanted us, so we joined the church.

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Within the first year, our church hosted a youth group from Tennessee.  Seems like the man who had served Seaford Baptist Church as a volunteer youth pastor was a military person, and had been reassigned to a military base in Tennessee shortly before we arrived on the scene.  And he volunteered as youth pastor for the little church they joined there.  He brought his youth group to Seaford, and we provided the beds and food for the youth.  Since our house contained four bedrooms and three full baths, we signed up for two girls.  One of our bedrooms and bathrooms was downstairs, which made it nice for company to have their own bedroom and bathroom.  So our assigned girls stayed there.  Turns out, they were both named Kim.

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The week went by quite quickly, and we enjoyed their company a lot.  The night before they were to depart for Tennessee, we were all gathered in the kitchen, just sharing and talking.  One of the girls stated that she didn’t think she would go on the youth trip the following year.  Why not, I asked?  Well, Max wants to take us to New Mexico, and I don’t want to go.  Why not, I asked again?  Well, I DON’T SPEAK PORTUGUESE!  WHAT???……Portuguese?  Well, they speak some foreign language out there, and I just don’t want to go!

Yep…….one of our 50 is missing!

Now, I may not – at that time – have been able to tell you exactly WHERE Tennessee was located on a map (I can now), but I most certainly knew that Tennessee is one of our 50 states!  Makes me wonder what the geography teachers in Tennessee are teaching!

 

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1 Corinthians 10:26

 

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A Trip to the Dentist

2 Mar

We are so pleased to welcome back Patricia Franklin- Onisha

A Few Thoughts

Patricia Franklin

Today was the day for a much needed trip to the dentist to take care of a cavity that needed to be filled.  The dentist swabs the area, waits a few seconds, then reaches in and I feel a little pin prick.  Was that her needle? That was easy. While I’m waiting for the anesthetic to kick in, I reminisce about trips to the dentist in the olden days.
My Grandpa had a penny tree down in the basement of his store and when we kids went to visit him there, he always had a few pennies for us in his pocket.  What could you buy with a penny?  Not much… I could not buy my favorite paper dolls or a comic book… but could always afford to buy penny candy. So we would wander on up the street to the candy store and spend our pennies on candy or bubble gum.  We did love sweets and got our fair share every chance we got. Well, apparently these were not too good for the teeth, so eventually we would end up with a toothache and a trip to the dentist.
The dentist came to town one day a month to take care of everyone’s needs. If he had a full schedule, he did not have too much time in between patients.  So I would sit down in his big old chair and he would tower above me and talk to me face to face while I watched him get his gigantic needle ready (no little numbing swabs to ease the pain in those days). He took that big old needle and jabbed it inside my jaw… then maybe ask me a couple of questions or tell a couple of jokes while he got out his drill. Then he would immediately start drilling…. all the time asking questions.  I’m sitting there clutching the chair arms for dear life and wondering how I’m supposed to answer him with the drill rattling my head and the pain searing through my whole body. About the time he was done with the tooth, my mouth would begin tingling and the anesthetic would kick in.  I never knew that the procedure was not supposed to hurt.  I figured the numb mouth was to keep it from hurting for the rest of the day.
Today’s trip to the dentist…..    A piece of cake.  Whoops, maybe I better not go there.

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Comestibles

1 Mar

  My Take

DiVoran Lites

jungle divoran

 

 

Why do I love coffee?

Why do I love tea?

Why do I eat chocolate?

Anything wrong with me?

It’s not a form of Spirit

It’s not a thing to fear

But I like eggs and oranges

And most awfully don’t like beer.

Psalm 23: 5 He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies

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Plans Are Just Plans

28 Feb

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

I learned last year that my plans are not always God’s plans and for 2013 I am offering up my plans and timetables to God. It is already getting interesting trying to schedule our lives in two places.

For Christmas my husband made me a wonderful cold frame for starting seeds and the warm Florida weather has me eager to get started on our summer garden in North Carolina.  Our plan was to start our plants in the cold frame six weeks before planting time. Now it seems that isn’t going to work out and that’s ok. Plans are just plans. I don’t want to miss out on a single blessing by insisting on living life my way.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

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We love Florida Springs Part 2

27 Feb

 A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill

The Florida natural springs are some of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever experienced.  Floating down a quiet, cool, spring run on an inner tube in the middle of a hot and humid Florida day is one of the best stress relievers I can think of.  You can leave all your worries and cares back at the job and just lay there and drink in nature in all its glory.

 

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If it gets too hot for you, all you have to do is drop over the side into the water and cool off.  We found that snorkeling was another great way to explore the natural beauty of the springs.  A person can float along with the current and be surrounded with some of the most beautiful underwater scenes of plant life and fish.  Snorkeling also allows you to explore the spring “Boil” at the source of most of the springs.

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By far our favorite Florida spring is Ponce de Leon Springs located about 10 miles North of Deland, Florida.  This spring is rumored to have been visited and used by ancestors of the Seminole Indians as long as 6000 years ago.  In the early 1500’s history tells us that the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon went searching for what the local Indians called their “magical spring waters” and he called the “Fountain of Youth.”

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In the early 1800’s, after the U.S. purchased Florida from Spain, central Florida was settled by sugar cane and citrus growers.  It was during this period that a sugar mill was built at the spring for grinding sugar cane.  The original sugar mill was destroyed and restored at least two times during the late 1800s and now houses the famous Old Sugar Mill Restaurant.

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Designed around the rustic mill equipment, you sit at a table with a griddle in the middle, and cook your own meal.  There are eggs, bacon and sausage of course, but the specialty of the house are the pitchers of stone ground 5-grain and unbleached white batter for you to cook your pancakes.   You can spruce up your pancakes with a variety of items including blueberries, pecans, peanut butter and even chocolate chips.  Top that off with some local maple syrup, honey or molasses and you have a breakfast fit for a king.  There is also French toast and several homemade breads available.

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When we first started camping at Ponce de Leon springs, it was privately owned, very primitive and had many beautiful campsites.  It was less crowded and more restful than most of the larger springs and soon became our favorite weekend retreat.  We usually tried to keep our tent camper as open as possible to enjoy the cool spring surroundings.  The screen windows were at both ends of our pullout bed, so our heads were as close to the out-of-doors as we could get and still keep the insects out.  On one occasion, in the middle of the night, I was awakened from a deep sleep by what sounded like heavy breathing.  I couldn’t imagine what in the world could be making that kind of sound.  When I raised up on my elbow to look through the screen window, I almost had a heart attack.  Right there, not an inch away from my nose, was a very large horse sniffing me through the screen!   I almost jumped clear out of the bed!  “Whoa!  Where did you come from?”  I said.  Then, with heart pounding, and as calmly as I could manage, I told the horse to take it easy, and go find another place to sleep, as all the beds in our camper were taken.

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Now for those of you who don’t like to get wet, Silver Springs near Ocala, Florida is the largest of the 33 Florida natural springs, gushing 500 Million gallons of clear fresh spring water per day. They feature great glass bottom boat cruises, botanical gardens, wildlife exhibits as well as many other activities.

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Try a Florida springs Day Park or camping sometime–I think you’ll like it.

—–The End—–

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The Way

25 Feb

My Take

DiVoran Lites

jungle divoranThe Way

I know, somehow, there is a way

To follow Jesus every day

It’s not in rules or man-made laws

It’s not in loyalty to cause

It’s not in toil to prove myself

It’s not in sitting on the shelf

The Truth

What is it then, this fruit of love?

How can I touch the one above?

The Life

He’s not up there, far away,

But here inside me every day,

To open inner eyes that see

The Life that lives and reigns in me.

Galatians 5 and 6

 

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THE NEXT ASSIGNMENT

24 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

                                                     

Fred and I have an “inside joke” between us.  I’m sure most couples have one, as well.  You know – that “special” song that reminds you of…………  Puts you right back in that place where …………… happened.

When Fred went in the Air Force, we were somewhat eager to find what and where our first assignment would be.  Fred had been offered one of three possible career choices:  Missile Launch Officer, Munitions Officer, or Meteorologist.  Even though he had the “Marksman” distinction with a weapon, he really wasn’t into weapons that much, so Munitions Officer didn’t really appeal to him.  And “Missile Launch Officer”????  Well, not too much interest there, either.  So that left Meteorologist.  And since his undergraduate minor degree was in physics, that one made more sense to him.  So he signed on for that one.

 

The Air Force sent us to San Jose, California for Fred’s concentrated year of study in meteorology.  While there, his orders came through for his first assignment – Wiesbaden, West Germany!  Boy! were we excited! Toward the end of those three years in Wiesbaden, the AF asked him to give them a list of three possible AF Bases where he might like to be stationed.

So we began discussing this new situation.  First on our list was Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, of course. After all, it is in Albuquerque, our home town.  Kirtland AFB was a “flying” base – lots of airplanes with pilots who needed weather info before they flew.  We really wanted to get back to New Mexico.  I’m not sure I remember the other two “choices” he gave them.  But, in our pessimistic mind-set, we asked each other – “since we put in for New Mexico, do you suppose they’ll send us to Maine??”

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Fred comes home one day, a few months before we are to return stateside, and asks – “Do you remember that joke?   You know, the one – ‘since we put in for New Mexico, do you suppose they’ll send us to Maine??’   Well, they did.”And I actually thought he was joking.  Then I realized that – the joke was on us!  We were headed to northern Maine – only three miles from the Canadian border!

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So that has been our “inside joke” through the years – “do you suppose if we put in for New Mexico, they’ll send us to Maine again?”

We continued to ask for New Mexico (we were never able to be stationed there), and the AF continued to assign us somewhere else.  I’m not sure we ever were stationed where we asked to go.  Seems that God had other plans for us.  We were always able to find a good church and made long and loving friends everywhere we were assigned.  And with the exception of the northern Maine assignment, we enjoyed all the places we were sent.  We even went back to Germany for another three year tour.

But we still laugh about our “inside joke.”

 

 

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We love Florida Springs

20 Feb

A Slice of Life
Bill Lites

BillAfter we moved to Titusville for my job in the mid 1965, some close friends introduced us to the wonderful life of camping at the many natural springs located down the center of the Florida peninsula. This became one of our favorite adventures; selecting and exploring a new spring as often as we could. In fact, one year, instead of taking my regular two-week vacation all at one time, I would take a vacation day Monday or Friday, and we would make it a three day camping trip to a Florida spring we hadn’t been to before.

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Our first camping trip with our friends was to Alexander Springs where we discovered that millions of gallons of beautiful clear cool spring water gushing out of the ground from an underground aquifer every day. What a wonderful place to rest and relax while staying cool on a hot Florida summer day.

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That overnight stay was made in a two-man pup tent, you know, the ones with no floor and only a tie string to keep the door flap closed. Well, it didn’t take long to find out the mosquitoe netting we put over our sleeping bags wouldn’t do the trick.

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As I remember, our next outing was to Rock Springs, near Apopka, Florida. At the time it was a day park, but floating or walking down the spring run was great fun as we searched for shark’s teeth (of all things) on the bottom. On one occasion, one of DiVoran’s contact lenses popped out of her eye into the clear water of the run. Luckily, the contact lense was light green and I could see it being carried down the run before me as I grabbed for it. Finally after chasing it for nearly 100 yards, I caught it. We would take a watermelon with us and let the water cool it until we were ready to eat it.

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Another of our favorite Florida springs was Juniper Springs located in the Ocala National Forest. It was famous for its 7-mile canoe run, and what a beautiful experience that was. By this time we had upgraded from tents to a small tent camper, which made overnight camping much more enjoyable, keeping us up off the ground.

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Then there was Blue Springs near Deland, Florida where the Manatees migrate in the Winter. Because the water temperature is a constant 72 degrees, surprisingly, the spring water is sometimes much warmer, during the Winter season, than the river water they usually inhabit.

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Further north, just North of Gainesville, Florida is Ichetucknee Springs State Park I believe it was there, as we canoed down that crystalline spring, that we thought about pulling over to the bank for lunch. As the canoe glided toward an overhanging tree branch, I saw a snake sunning itself on that very branch we would pass under, and started back paddling like a motor boat. We didn’t bother it, and thank goodness, it didn’t fall in the boat or bother us.

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—–To Be Continued—–

 

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