Tag Archives: Family Life

2023 Road Trip Part 3

30 Aug

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 3 – July 17:  After a good night’s sleep, and breakfast with Mike and Alta, I headed north through portions of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, passing thru Waynesville and picking up I-40.  Continuing north on I-40 (skirting the Great Smokey Mountains National Park) I passed thru Newport and across the border into Tennessee, where I visited James White’s Fort located in Knoxville, TN.  This “Fort” is a representation of an 18thCentury settlement that began in 1786 when James White built his 1st fortified log cabin in this area.  Other settlers soon built around White and by 1791 the Southwest Territorial Capital was moved to White’s Fort and renamed Knoxville.  The antique cabin furnishings and other historical utensils and equipment make this a living museum of late 18th Century pioneer life.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After that brief trip back in time, I headed northwest on I-75, across the border into Kentucky where I visited the Harland Sanders (KFC) Museum located Corbin, KY.  This museum is the home of the very first Kentucky Fried Chicken Café started by Harland (The Colonel) Sanders in 1940 and where he created his famous ‘KFC Secret Recipe’. Sanders had his ups and downs with fires, highway route changes and recessions, but in 1960 he began selling KFC franchises, and his business began to boom.  In 1990 the original building was renovated and opened as a KFC cafe and museum, where visitors can enjoy their favorite KFC meal and visit the museum which displays a replica of the Colonel’s office, kitchen, and other Colonel Sanders artifacts and memorabilia.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed north on I-75, skirting the Danial Boone National Forest and passing up the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Museum in Mount Vernon, KY (I had visited that museum on another Road Trip).  I by- passed Richmond, KY so I could arrive in Lexington in time to spend some quality time with my friends Max and Anita in Lexington, KY.  When Greta (My Garmin) had me exit I-75 I just figured I was getting close to my new destination.  However, that was not the case.  I was taken on a superius route for miles thru farmland, on back roads, and finally thru neighborhoods before I finally arrived at my friend’s house.  What was that all about?

Photo Credit: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/garmin-drive-52

Max and Anita laughed and told me a lot of other people had the same problem, and there didn’t seem to be a logical explanation for it.  Our family had been church friends with Anita’s family from the mid-1960s and Anita was one of my daughter’s best friends in junior high and high school.  We had a marvelous visit and Anita cooked so we didn’t have to go out for dinner.  After that delicious meal, we spent a lot of time reminiscing about our family’s activities during the early days of the nation’s Apollo space program in our hometown of Titusville, FL.  When we were all talked out, they helped me get my things into their guest room where they put me up for the night.  They warned me that the local 2:00 am train whistle might wake me, but I never did hear it.  I must have been in a deep sleep when the train went by.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

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

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

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62 Years and Counting-Part 3

23 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

I forgot to mention last time that the servers in the restaurants “follow” those whose tables they serve from restaurant-to-restaurant each evening.  That’s a really nice aspect of the Disney ships – you get to know your servers, and they get to know you.  For instance, once we asked for Ginger Ale to drink that first night, Ginger Ale was waiting for us on the table every night after that – without us having to ask for it!  If we had wanted something else, they would have brought it to us.

Here is our main server – Amit – from India.  He brought our bread, took our order, and brought our food each night. 

And here is Roman – from Indonesia.  He mainly brought our drinks and kept us supplied with whatever we wanted/needed.  They were delightful young men.

Following the meal-change, the next endeavor was to get into our stateroom.  Now this was quite an adventure, as they had assigned us probably the last room on the ship – as it was at the very VERY back of the ship! 

And not only that, but it was a “handicap” room.  The normal “Oceanview” room (which is what we usually stay in) has about 204 square feet of space.  Because the room they assigned us was handicap accessible, it had about 246 square feet of space.  Considerably larger! 

 We didn’t have access to a veranda, but we had two very large port holes, lots of space for walking around in.  Here are the “key” cards we were issued – they were to be used to get in our stateroom, as well as to be presented whenever we left the ship or returned to it.

One of my most favorite parts of the Disney ships is the split bathroom.  One side has a sink, mirror, and the toilet.  The other side has a sink, mirror and the tub/shower…with a wall separating the rooms, and separate doors for each room.  Consequently, Fred and I can both get ready at the same time, with our own sink and mirror.  However, because this room is handicap accessible, it does not have the split bathroom; it only has one sink, and only a shower that is level with the floor.  I thought that would result in a very wet floor, but there are drains all around.  In that respect, very convenient.  But I really missed that split room!

I had said that I could probably eat anything I wanted because of all the walking to and from the stateroom!  Fred says it was about 1,100 feet from front to back – and we walked it many times during each day!  Here’s a shot of one of the long hallways – and this is only from mid-ship to the rear of the ship.  There was another one just like it from the front of the ship to mid-ships!

Something I’ve enjoyed – but never attempted to duplicate – was the way some of the passengers decorate their stateroom doors.  Here’s an example of that, and one that caught my eye.  They were very creative, I thought.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Oh My! AI

29 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I noticed the AI option as I was uploading Bill’s blog for Wednesday. Technology fascinates me and I had to play with it by using the contents of an email I sent to a friend this week. There are a good many options under the AI tab, and I chose change the tone. I chose humorous. It was fun but I think AI has a way to go.

Hello my precious friend!

Well, well, well…look who finally decided to make an appearance! I mean, I’ve been planning to write you a letter for days and days, but who’s counting, right? Time flies when you’re having fun and apparently it just keeps on slipping away.

Alright, let me dust off my comedian hat and give it a shot: “So, life’s been pretty slow lately, huh? Other than our thrilling adventures to Anderson to see the doc, and catch up with our buds, we haven’t really been living on the edge. Although, come to think of it, I did try out my inner Picasso at the VBS craft corner – let me tell ya, that was wild! Don’t mess with me and my pipe cleaners, folks.”

Well, well, well… Looks like someone’s been hitting the gym! Mike’s been feeling like a superhero for the past six weeks, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the ride. We’ve been running around trying to make up for all the things we’ve left unfinished, but we’ve also made sure to take some time to just chill on the porch and soak up each other’s awesomeness.

Ahoy there matey! Me thinks that planning an Alaska cruise be quite the adventure! Ye be not alone in yer struggle, many a weary traveler hath struggled with the ins and outs of public transportation and pesky suitcase sizes. But fear not, for I shall help ye navigate these treacherous waters and pack yer sea bags with aplomb! So hoist the anchor and let’s set sail for a jolly good time on ye Alaska cruise, arrr!

Well hello there, my dear green-thumbed friend! I must say, I am thoroughly enjoying our petunias this year- the pops of pink and yellow in our hanging basket are simply divine! Although, I must confess, it seems our yellow petunias aren’t quite the shining stars they were last year. What’s up with that, am I right? And don’t even get me started on our snapdragons, they’ve been struggling just like the rest of us during this pandemic. Although, I do have some good news- one group of our snapdragons has finally started to thrive! I guess all they needed was a little extra love. I suppose the culprit behind our flora woes could simply be the mild temperatures we’ve been experiencing lately. Who knows, maybe we’ll be hit with a heatwave and our precious plants will perk right up!

So, I went a little wild and decided to buy a hot pink plant. It was love at first sight, I must say. But little did I know, this plant was quite high-maintenance and would throw tantrums if it didn’t get just the right amount of sun and water. Despite all the drama it brings, I’m still enamored by its beauty. But let’s just say that next year, I’ll be searching for a plant that’s a little more low-key.\

Oh boy, oh boy! I can barely hear the sound of my own thoughts with all the noise out there. That’s why I do what any sane person would do: I bury my face in books! Lately, I’ve been obsessively reading two gems: Faith’s Checkbook by Charles Spurgeon and My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It’s my everyday dose of sanity!

Our boy, Matt is getting up there! Today marks the day he officially exits his mid-40s. I gave him a call to congratulate him on surviving another year, and surprisingly, he didn’t sound too depressed about it. It feels good to keep up, especially when they’re getting to the age where they start forgetting things.

I am so excited to see Beck’s Ollie again! I am eagerly counting down the days until we can play together before our upcoming cruise. I am thrilled to share that we will be driving down to Florida and boarding a plane to the cruise port.

Oh, boy! Mike is on cloud nine, heading towards Alaska. Trust me when I say I’ve never seen him this ecstatic before. His suitcase is all smug and satisfied, packed to the brim, while I’m here scratching my head, trying to figure out what to bring along.

The author added a bird feeder and a hummingbird feeder outside their front windows and can now admire the birds from inside. The view is stunning and

Hey you! Yes, you. Are you still stuck in a world without books? Have you ever heard of Miss Julia’s adventures in the lovely North Carolina mountains outside Asheville? Trust me, these stories are pure gold! I’ve got my hands on some of them in audio format, and I’m rationing them like my life depends on it. I already feel sad at the thought of finishing them all. Don’t miss out on the fun, join the Miss Julia fan club now!

Oh dear, it seems like you’re a bit of FOMO( fear of missing out.) sufferer! Don’t worry, I won’t judge. So, spill the tea! Are the church services still as exciting as ever? How are Renie and Billy holding up? And of course, I bet you’re still feeling the absence of dear old Dr. Z.

“Oh darling, our chats were like sweet cinnamon rolls – perfectly delightful and oh so satisfying. But now, my heart aches and my pillow is drenched in tears as I reminisce about the golden times we shared.”

If you would like to share your thoughts on AI and writing, I would enjoy reading your thoughts.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Random Memories of Virginia-Part 4

25 Jun

MEMORIES

RANDOM MEMORIES OF VIRGINIA – Part 4

8.   Driving out of Seaford and approaching U.S. 17 again, we saw many landmarks that were there when we lived there.

      Pop’s Drive-in. – a greasy-spoon diner that had been there longer that we had.  We learned just this trip that it has finally closed, just this month!  Wow!  

Credit Google Search

      The Red Barn gas station – right near Pop’s and where we would fill-up the car quite often.  It was fairly close to the Newport News Airport, so we would fill the gas tank on our rental car and drive to the airport with a full tank to turn the car in.  Still in business.

Credit Google Search

      Bill’s Seaford House – a favorite of ours for a long time.  The owner was a member of our church.  Wonderful seafood, and the restaurant was closed on Sundays.  Bill sold it to one of his managers, who essentially turned it into a bar.  Not sure it is still there even (just checked Google Search, and it is permanently closed).  

Credit Google Search

9.   There were a couple of “bases” we remembered as we drove along the Colonial Parkway and Interstate 64.  They were – and I suppose still are – shrouded in mystery.  Camp Peary was one, and the rumor was that it was a CIA training ground.  It was said to be a “body farm.”  True?  According to Wikipedia, it is true. Wikipedia explains it quite well:

A body farm is a research facility where decomposition of humans and other animals can be studied in a variety of settings. The initial facility was conceived by anthropologist William M. Bass in 1981 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Bass was interested in studying the decomposition of a human corpse from the time of death to the time of decay. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the decomposition process, permitting the development of techniques for extracting information such as the timing and circumstances of death from human remains. Body farm research is of particular interest in forensic anthropology and related disciplines, and has applications in the fields of law enforcement and forensic science. By placing the bodies outside to face the elements, researchers are able to get a better understanding of the decomposition process.

I find it fascinating that such a place exists.  Wikipedia also states that there are seven such body farms throughout the United States.  Amazing.

The other “shrouded in mystery” base was Cheatham Annex (pronounced  Cheat’ – um).  Turns out it isn’t a mystery at all!   Wikipedia states:   Cheatham Annex is a Naval Base, located near Williamsburg, Virginia on the York River approximately 35 miles northwest of Norfolk in the heart of the famous Jamestown–Williamsburg–Yorktown “Historic Triangle.” Although Cheatham Annex was not commissioned until June 1943, the land on which the base is located can claim the unique distinction of having been associated with every conflict involving the United States freedom and independence. The mission of Cheatham Annex includes supplying Atlantic Fleet ships and providing recreational opportunities to military and civilian personnel.

And:   The Navy Morale Welfare and Recreation (NMWR) runs a cabin and recreation facility on Cheatham Annex. Cheatham Annex (CAX).

CAX is home to the largest Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Outdoor Recreation facility on the East Coast. Active duty, Reservists and military retirees and their dependents can take advantage of a wide range of facilities, including 54 cabins, 50 RV parking spots, 20 primitive campsites and more than 10 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Along with fishing on two lakes and the York River, swimming pool and an 18-hole golf course, the MWR Outdoor Recreation is ideal for military families looking for a chance to relax. 

While that solves the mystery, Cheatham Annex was never even mentioned to us as a resort and recreation area for the military while we lived in Virginia.  Hmmmm…

Well, folks, that’s the end of “Random Memories of Virginia.”  There may be more in the future, as Fred and I recall our times in Virginia.  Thanks for letting me ramble, and I hope you enjoyed the ride – we certainly did!

~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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My Favorite Breakfast-Part 2

21 Jun

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

As I grew older, I finally came around to enjoy what my folks liked for their breakfast.  By then, their taste had changed to scrambled eggs, bacon or ham, and toast with coffee. Of course, I was still drinking milk with my breakfast and didn’t pick up the taste for coffee until much later in life.  This breakfast usually supercharged me for most of the morning but made me sleepy during my late-afternoon classes at school.

Photo Credit: https://www.juddscatering.com/breakfast.html

After leaving home for a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy (at shore stations and onboard several ships), my breakfast usually consisted of scrambled eggs (powdered), sausage patties (from canned war surplus, some dated 1943), home fried potatoes, and milk (powdered).   The alternative was commonly known as ‘SOS’ (anyone associated with the military will know what that acronym stands for).  Neither one of the above-mentioned breakfasts is the most appetizing breakfast, but since I didn’t have much of a choice and I didn’t want to starve, I learned to tolerate them.  Your guess is as good as mine about some of the items shown in the photo below.  I believe I recognize the eggs and maybe one of those gray blobs is beef-gravy (?) and the toast, but  the other, you got me.  

Photo Credit: navy-tales-life-and-food-aboard-an-aircraft-carrier/

After my tour with the Navy was done, and during my college years my wife, DiVoran and I were living on a very tight budget and my breakfast consisted mainly of a stop at “Randy’s Big Donut” for three or four freshly baked French donuts ($.10 each back then) and a half-pint carton of milk.  I usually didn’t have time to eat the donuts there in the donut shop, so I mostly ended up eating them on my way to class once I got to school.  

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/randys+big+donut

That was a quick and easy breakfast for me at that time because that was about all I could afford on my meager part-time job. The chocolate covered French donuts were my favorite.  Many of my breakfast choices changed for the better once I landed that full-time job and my schooling shifted to evening classes.

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=french+donuts

After finishing college, our family moved to Florida where I worked at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on NASA’s Manned Space Programs for many years.  My breakfast during those hectic years reverted back to my childhood, usually consisting of cold cereal, with milk, and maybe coffee, if I got up early enough and had the time for any breakfast at all before heading off to work. 

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/breakfast/cereal/coffee

My sister, Judy, tells me that she and her husband, Fred, now enjoy scrambled eggs with Canadian bacon, buttered toast, and hot English Breakfast Tea for breakfast.  That sounds a lot like a left-over family tradition from their college days when Fred lived with our folks for a year before he and Judy got married.  She tells me that when they were stationed in Germany, with the U.S. Air Force, they enjoyed Sara Lee Pecan Coffee Cake and hot English Breakfast tea.  After moving back to the U.S. their favorite changed to Sara Lee Butter Flavored Streusel Coffee Cakes with their hot tea.

Photo Credit: https://images.yahoo.com/sara+lee+coffee+cake+butter+streusel

—–To Be Continued—–

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

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

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Father’s Day 2023

18 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Re-post I would like to re-post this from 2017 – It’s still relevant today

Another Father’s Day dawns this morning.  As someone recently said, it’s such a pity that in today’s world of TV and comedy, fathers are portrayed as clueless and laughable.  How are our boys and young men going to grow up to be the strong men of God that we want them to be, when that is their example?  I am so glad that my father, my brother, and my husband grew up in times when men were, indeed, strong men of God, and spiritual leaders in their household.

And how are our girls and young women going to grow up, thinking that all the boys/men in their lives are luckless creatures – only to be tolerated?  In watching the TV programs that are out there now – unfortunately including some of the current Disney programs – adults in general, and men in particular –  are portrayed as stupid and ignorant, while their teenagers – and younger – are the “smart” ones.  It just ain’t so, folks!

And since that was a rather depressing way to begin this post, let me get back to the men in my life who were strong believers in God and Jesus Christ, and were able to be strong, safe, places for me.

Let me tell you about my own father.

Mother, Father, Bill and me – 1952

I’ve written other posts about my father (June 16, 2013; June 15, 2014; September 28, 2014) and the influence he had in my life.  He was gone quite a bit – traveling around the state – but I always knew he loved me, and I looked up to him.

Daddy getting ready for one of his trips – 1959

He was, indeed, the spiritual leader in our household.   He always took us to church with him, and our family life revolved around church and our belief in God.

Daddy, me, Mother, Bill – 1956

Fred’s father – a second father to me after Fred and I married – was dedicated to God and His work in this world.

Charles Wills – Chaplain – 1951

Charles Wills – Base Chaplain, Tyndall AFB, FL – 1951-1955

He was a pastor for a while, but then most of his life was doing God’s work as a military chaplain.  And yet, with all that work, he was devoted to his family.  He, too, was the spiritual leader in his family.

Charles and Kitty Wills – 1950’s

Fred and I both look back on our lives, and are so grateful that each of our fathers-in-law treated us like their son or daughter.  I never felt out of place in Fred’s family, and Fred has said so many times that my father enjoyed him as if he were another son of his.  We were so blest to have that in our lives.

And because of that, Fred grew up in a household that showered him with love – family love and God’s love.  He grew to be a self-assured man that I am proud to call my husband.  He taught our girls what a true man – a gentleman – is like, and what they should expect from their spouses.

Fred, me, Karen and Janet – 1976

And my brother, Bill, grew up in a household that taught him how to be a true man of God, as well.  He gave his children God’s word, and the strength to be what God wants them to be. 

Bill, DiVoran, Billy, Charlene – 1985

Both of our girls have married men who are strong personalities, and are dedicated to the Lord.  We pray for each member of their families, as they begin to have families of their own.

Brian,Savannah, Forrest, and Karen

On our 50th wedding anniversary cruise to Bermuda May 2011

Hannah, Janet, Tom and Connor – October 2022

There is a scripture that helps with this:

Start children off on the way they should go,

and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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My Favorite Breakfast-Part 1

14 Jun

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

What is your favorite breakfast? To keep healthy, my daily breakfast is a mix of 3 or 4 cut-up strawberries, ¼-cup of blueberries, 1/8th-cup of chopped walnuts, 1-cup of plain yogurt sweetened with Swerve, into which I stir in two packets of (Immnicol) Glutathione power.  This is not the most delightful tasting combination, but health wise, my health coordinator wife, DiVoran, tells me it’s the best I can do for my own particular body needs right now.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

For pure pleasure, when I go out to eat, my favorite breakfast is two eggs (over medium), a couple of pork sausage links (maple flavored), the bacon is optional (only if it come with the order), hash-brown potatoes (grilled to a golden brown), and a steaming cup of hot Earl Grey tea.  I can take my wife, DiVoran, out to one of our favorite restaurants for this delightful meal or I can order the same thing at most any restaurant of my choosing on one of my road trips (I know I fudged on the eggs in the photo).

Photo Credit: https://nextdoor.com/bob-evans/

DiVoran tells me her favorite breakfast is two poached eggs with one (thin) slice of buttered Sourdough toast, and homemade jellies, when it is available.  She is a coffee drinker and a cup of her favorite home-made brew (half full caffeinated & half decaffeinated) is always a part of her breakfast.  Of course, she is also an avid reader, so, some sort of daily devotional is an important part of her breakfast time.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

I remember my mother and dad‘s favorite breakfast was pecan waffles with a strip of bacon grilled into the waffle.  As I grew older, I learned to enjoy pecan waffles, but I never developed the taste for the bacon in them. Of course, their alternate to the pecan waffles was scrambled eggs, with Canadian bacon and fresh baked bread and butter with Granny’s homemade peach preserves.  I got in on that type of delicious breakfast once-in-a-while as I grew older and wanted something other than cold cereal and milk.

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/Waffle+with+bacon+inside

As youngsters, my little sister, Judy, and I began most of our days with cold cereal with milk.  As we grew older, we became Aunt Jemima pancake lovers, with lots of butter and maple syrup.  After our mother had used all of the pancake batter for our pancakes, we were allowed (under her supervision) to make tiny ‘one-drop’ or ‘two-drop’ sized pancakes, in the big cast iron skillet. Sometimes there was enough batter left to make a small ‘heart-shaped’ pancake, which we were thrilled to create.

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/search/images;_pancake-clipart

—–To Be Continued—–

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

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

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Random Memories of Virginia-Part 3

11 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

6.    Every time we go to Virginia to visit, we always like to drive by our old house.

Photo Credit Judy Wills

We lived in that house nearly 13 years, and really loved it.  We notice changes that were made from when we lived there.  When we purchased the house, it had brown shutters (for looks only) on the windows.  After Fred found decay and critters in the shutters, he removed them. There are now forest green shutters on all the windows.  Looks nice, and we don’t have to care for them.  There were evergreen trees just beside the front door that are now gone, and only small shrubs are all across the front of the house now.

Credit Google Search and Zillow

When we lived there, someone before us had made a patio in the back of the house out of slate stones.  

Photo Credit Judy Wills

I could stretch a line across from a tree to the trellis there, and hang clothes and sheets on that line to dry.  I now saw that a deck had been built over that patio, that looked quite nice. But no hanging clothes there now!  They had also added a shed in the backyard.  We did have a nice, large backyard with lots of trees – almost 1/2 acre of land for the house and yard.

We purchased this house in Seaford, Virginia in 1983.  Wikipedia states:   Seaford is an unincorporated community in York County, Virginia, United States, on the Virginia Peninsula. As of the 2010 Census, the Seaford postal area (ZIP Code 23696) had a population of 3,669.

And Wikipedia also states:  Seaford is mostly a rural area and includes Seaford Road and the roads attached to it. There are different neighborhoods within Seaford, some of these include Port Meyers, Sommerville, and Cheadle Loop. Seaford is located on multiple creeks including Chisman Creek and Back Creek, both of which lead out to the York River, which eventually takes you to the Chesapeake Bay. Most people in Seaford work in the surrounding areas such as, Newport News, Hampton, and Williamsburg.

We lived in the neighborhood off Cheadle Loop.

As we drove through Seaford, we reminisced about people we had known who lived in Seaford and what house they had lived in.  We remembered the first pastor of our church in Seaford when we arrived in 1983 – Jim Weston.  He was a single man at that time.  But he eventually married and he and his wife had children, and he built a house along the water in Seaford.  Literally built that house himself!  It was a bit of an odd-shaped building, but was more unique than weird!  The man who was Fred’s dentist at the time also lived in a house near the water in Seaford.  We wondered whether or not he was still there and living in the house that was his.  His children would be grown by this time.  He and his family came to our church.

7.   Driving around Seaford we noticed some new sub-communities within the small community of Seaford itself.  I can just hear the Seafordites now:  we don’t want Seaford to grow more!  We want it to be kept small!  (We heard these types of comments when we lived there)  Well cupcake, times change, and growth is inevitable.  And Seaford has to grow as well.

And that reminds me that, while we were living there, a Vietnamese family had purchased a house in Seaford and essentially turned it into a restaurant.  They served really good food in that little house, and we enjoyed eating there many times.  There was a local newspaper from Yorktown, called The Yorktown Crier, that published a story on this family and their eatery in Seaford.  That story increased their business so much that they moved from Seaford into Newport News – and the business failed.  We were sorry to see that happen to them.  We just wished they had stuck it out in Seaford, but they didn’t.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Random Memories of Virginia-Part 2

4 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

2.    There is an area along my journey to work in Williamsburg that is called Lee Hall.  Wikipedia explains:

Lee Hall, located in the former Warwick County, was named for nearby Lee Hall Mansion which was built in 1859 as the home of Richard Decatur Lee, a prominent local farmer who was not directly related to the famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The mansion was used as headquarters for Confederate generals Joseph E. Johnston and John B. Magruder during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War in 1862. 

Lee Hall Mansion

Credit Google Search and Lee Hall Website

I used to drive through Lee Hall often to get to U.S. 60 and on to Williamsburg.  But the funny thing about Lee Hall was that, if it was raining at my house  in Seaford as I started out – in winter at least – when I got to Lee Hall it was snowing!  And it was snowing all the way into Williamsburg!  I guess the elevation was just enough higher to make the rain turn to snow!  

Credit Google Search

3.   Also along the Colonial Parkway (as well as Jefferson Ave) is the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station.

Officer Housing on Yorktown Naval Weapons Station

Credit Google Search and YNWS website

It is an active Navy Base, and we occasionally would go there to shop at their facilities, as well as do some of our medical stuff there.  Most of our medical was done either at Langley AFB in Hampton, or Fort Eustis Army Base.  But we enjoyed the smaller, quieter pace of the Weapons Station.  If we happened to be driving along the Colonial Parkway, we could see where the original gate to the Weapons Station was…lovely brickwork. And further down the Parkway was a secondary gate – that was the one we usually used to enter the base.  However, following the events of 911/2001, this secondary gate was closed and barricaded, so that the only entrance was from Jefferson Ave (Virginia road 143).  By that time we had moved to Florida, and didn’t need to go to the Weapons Station.

4.   We used to drive the Fort Eustis Blvd to the Fort Eustis Army Base quite often.

Credit Google Search and Peter Hahn

We would go to that military post for shopping and occasionally some medical reasons.  As we drove along that road recently, we were reminded of a couple from our church in Seaford who moved into a retirement community that was built off Fort Eustis Blvd.  They were pillars of the church and we were sorry to see them leave this earth, but know they are with our Heavenly Father and are in no more pain.  Praise God!

5.   A fun connection with Fort Eustis Blvd is along U.S. 17 and Fort Eustis Blvd.  A McDonald’s eatery was built right on that corner while we were living in VA.  Nothing noteworthy about that, except they had a huge picture-window right on U.S. 17.  And right in front of that window – INSIDE the eatery – they placed a Ford ThunderBird convertible! 

Credit Pixabay

 Amazing!  Right there in the picture window!  It was an eye-catcher, for sure!  Unfortunately, I assume either they needed more eating space, or someone really had a hankering for that T-Bird, because it is no longer in the window.  Shucks!

We also found it interesting that there are now four eateries on that corner of U.S. 17 and Fort Eustis Blvd – the McDonald’s mentioned above, Bojangles, Wendy’s, and Arby’s.  No shortage of places to eat there!  Just whatever your taste buds need that day!

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Perfume…Cologne…Whatever…

14 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Seems like I have always worn some kind of fragrance.  When I was growing up, it was most likely something from Avon – but I don’t remember just which one.  Occasionally I would wear something that my Mother had, or her sister, my Aunt Jessie had.  They had exotic fragrances that appealed to me.  

Not a very clear picture – but the glass shelves on the right held Jessie’s perfume bottles

I remember one time, when my brother Bill returned from one of his Navy assignments, that he brought back a HUGE bottle of Tabu for Mother.  I’m not sure she ever even opened the bottle, and it sat on her dresser from that time on.  I mean, that thing was enormous!  

Vintage Tabu – photo credit Google Search

Among her collection of perfumes, Jessie had a fragrance called Shalimar.  I really liked that one!  But it was definitely a PERFUME, not a cologne, so it was worn sparingly so as not to be over-powering, not only to the wearer, but to those standing nearby.  

Photo Credit – Google Search and Wikipedia

There was a time that I found a fragrance that I really liked – a true perfume – called Je Reviens by Worth out of Paris.  The liquid was actually blue.

Credit Google Search and Worth website

 I was told that, if it had been “watered down” the liquid turned yellow/gold.  So I could always tell if it was the true stuff or not.

Credit Google Search and Worth website

I still have some of that, but when I tried it one time recently, it didn’t appeal to me, so I washed it off.  I guess my body chemistry had changed.

And then there was a time when I wore something called Niki de Saint Ralle, by Jacqueline Cochran, Inc.  It’s a rather “potent” perfume, and that didn’t last too long.  Again, I still have a bottle of it, but haven’t worn it in many years.

Photo by Judy Wills

My very favorite fragrance to wear is Estēe by Estee Lauder.

Photo by Judy Wills

There is a bit of a story behind that.  We had been stationed in Wiesbaden, West Germany from 1967 to 1970.  During that time, our Karen was born.  Now, since we like to travel through Europe, we thought it might be a bit difficult to travel with a newborn or toddler.  So we found a lovely couple in our church there who took care of her while we traveled.

One of those trips we made was to England.  During that time, we took a bus tour to Warwick Castle.  There was a lady on the bus that smelled absolutely delicious!  And so I actually had the nerve to ask her what fragrance she was wearing.  She said it was Estēe by Estee Lauder, and what she had on was a “solid” cologne.  Something you rub on rather than squirt on.  When we returned to Germany, I checked in the Base Exchange, but they didn’t carry that fragrance.  So when we returned Stateside and went to our next base – Loring AFB, Maine – I checked the BX there, and they had it.  I snapped up a bottle, and have been wearing it off-and-on ever since.  

I told my Aunt Jessie about wearing Estee Lauder, and she gave me another of their fragrances – Youth Dew.  Well, that particular fragrance makes me gag!  If I’m in a group of people and smell something disgusting, it only takes me a short while to realize that someone in that group is wearing Youth Dew. (Actually, I’m thinking, what IS that awful smell?) After Jessie gave me Youth Dew,  I traded it in for my Estēe and was MUCH happier!

A few years ago, my best friend gave me a different fragrance as a gift, and I wore it for many years, as it is a light fragrance, and sweet.  It is Japanese Cherry Blossom put out by Bath and Body Works.

Photo by Judy Wills

However, recently I have gone back to Estēe, and am happy to be wearing it again.

Can you smell it from here??

And before I leave this, I must tell you about the fragrance that my Fred wears.  It is called Devin, and we both love it.  He is nearly out of his current bottle, and we are sorry about that, because we are unable to find it anywhere anymore.  It makes him smell sooooo gooood!  I love to sniff him!

Photo by Judy Wills

Did you have a favorite scent?

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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