Tag Archives: Family Life

Recovery-Part 3

12 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Another “first” person we met was Daniel, one of the two Social Services people at Solaris.  He and Melissa were the two there, and I found out that Melissa was actually Fred’s Case Manager, rather than Daniel.  However, both were extremely helpful in any and all areas of our stay there in any situation.  Melissa was the one who arranged for the wheelchair and other helpful medical equipment from Medicare for us.  At the first meeting about Fred and all the therapists there, Daniel was the one who conducted the meeting.  We were also able to phone conference with our two daughters, which was good.  They both had questions to ask the staff.

There was one other meeting about Fred, shortly before he was discharged, and Daniel was unavailable to monitor, so Cindy stepped in.  I’m not sure I ever knew her title, but she was part of the office staff, with an office in that part of the building.  She is also a nurse – she wore the blue scrubs.  She also was the one who kept the bird feeders filled.  More on that later.  Delightful lady.

I often spoke with another staff/office person, La Tonjua, who is a delight.  She’s the Admissions Director for this particular facility.  She is one of the most elegant women I have ever met, and yet is friendly with any and all who are there.  She has befriended Fred and me, and stops to talk whenever were are walking the halls.  I believe her husband is retired military (that make a good connection with us) as well as a former police officer. She is a joy to know.

There were several people who served as receptionists at this facility, but Adam is the one who stands out in my mind.  He is always gracious, greets me every morning by name, and directs me to the right person to talk to in the office setting.  There are two other young ladies who sit in that chair, but Adam stands out

I simply MUST insert a funny happening here.  Some of my readers know us personally, and know that when Fred sneezes….it’s a freight train!!  Well, one day, when we were taking him “out” of the facility, we were in the lobby – and Fred sneezed!  And that sneeze reverberated around that lobby for a few seconds. One of the ladies was on reception duty that day, and I asked her if she had “jumped” at that sound…and she had!  I told her not to worry – it was just Fred sneezing.  As it turned out, when we returned from the outing, again in the lobby…Fred sneezed again!  I looked at the receptionist (same lady) and we grinned at each other.  Daniel’s office door was open, so I stuck my head in and asked if he was okay.  He had his hand to his heart and said, “what was that??!!”  Again…just Fred sneezing.  He told us later in the day that EVERYone in the staff offices heard the sneeze and jumped!  Fred had made his mark!  I still get a giggle every time I think about it!

~~~~~~~~~~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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Recovery-Part 2

5 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Fred was in the hospital for nearly a week, then transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for two weeks.  I was quite pleased with the care he received in both facilities, and a little leery of moving him to another facility, but it was necessary.  Fortunately, he is in a facility (actually a nursing home with an excellent reputation for their therapies) that has done wonders with his therapies, all three – physical (PT), occupational (OT), and speech therapy.  He has made such great progress, especially compared to where he was at the rehabilitation hospital that I am amazed.  He is walking – with help.  He has more motion and control over his right arm and hand, and his cognitive function is improving daily.


But believe it or not, the main purpose of this posting is not to talk about Fred’s strokes and recovery – amazing as that is, but to talk about some of the people we encountered at this facility.

Two of the first people we met were the nurses on duty that day, one of which was Fred’s nurse.  She is a lovely lady from Germany, which drew us instantly, since we lived in Germany for six years…and her name is Karin, as is our oldest daughter, but her name is spelled Karen.  The other nurse is Christina.  When I asked Christina if I could use her name in this blog, she said, “but I wasn’t his nurse.”  I told her that it didn’t matter – I had watched her, and knew what a dedicated nurse she was, and how she treated her patients/residents.  She just grinned at me.  There are other nurses as shifts change, and we are impressed with them all.  They bring him his medications in either pudding or usually apple sauce.  He snagged his arm once on something in the lobby and the nurse patched him up quickly.  I am most impressed with the nursing staff.

Okay…I have to stop here and tell you that when you see the people (usually women) working in this facility (except for the office staff), you will see them in different colored scrubs.  Here is a photo of what I mean.

Each color represents what job they have/do.  The Blue scrubs indicate the nurses (RN/LPN).  The Purple scrubs indicate the CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistant).  Pink scrubs indicate the housekeeping and laundry. Aqua indicates therapists.  Black scrubs indicate dietary/food service.  There is also a navy scrub that indicates maintenance and environmental services, but I’ve never seen them in that color – just t-shirts with the facility logo on it.

I have been most impressed with all these ladies…they are amazing.  And they have treated Fred with the utmost respect and care.  

We have become friendly with many of the residents and staff.  They talk with us, they laugh with us, and they care for us.  Many have expressed regrets that we are leaving – we have become part of their lives, and they ours.

~~~~~~~~~~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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The Cruise of a Lifetime-Coming Home

21 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

Because our flight from Budapest was at 6:30 a.m., we had to get up about 2:15 a.m. to get ready, pack, and get on the shuttle bus by 3:30 a.m.  We had showered the night before, so all we had to do was shave (Fred), put on makeup (Judy), finish packing, and off we went.  There were 14 of us from the ship that were going to make that flight.

It was a 30-minute drive from the ship to the airport.  And when we got there, it was a “hurry up and wait” situation.  We waited 30 minutes for the counter personnel to arrive and begin taking customers.  We were first in line, thank goodness.  Even though we had our bags with us, she convinced us to check the larger bags, as the plane from Budapest to Amsterdam was “small.”  The flight took off pretty much on time, and it was a two hour flight to Amsterdam.  They did feed us breakfast, but it was nothing like we had before – a sandwich with either deli-thin slices of chicken, or cheese, with mayonnaise on it.  Well, Fred doesn’t eat mayo in ANY form! But we were able to get him some slices of cheese and chicken that wasn’t too “polluted” from the mayo.

We had a fairly long layover in Amsterdam, which was good.  Schiphol Airport is really big, and we had to go quite a ways to find our gate.  Fred said it looked like the lady in Budapest had checked our bags all the way to Orlando, but he wasn’t sure.  So when we had the attendant in Amsterdam check, sure enough, they were checked through.  However, she said we had to pick them up in Atlanta and go through Customs there.

The flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta was nearly nine hours long.  The fortunate thing about it was that we were on an Airbus, and were in the two-seat side, rather than the four-seat middle.  I always enjoy flying with just Fred, rather than three of us across.  They fed us lunch – we both had tortellini, salad, cheese and crackers.  A few hours later they had wrap sandwiches for us – Fred had a “meatball” and I had a veggie wrap.  Surprisingly tasty.  And of course, there was always the pretzels and peanuts.

We finally arrived in Atlanta – really nice to realize we were back on US soil!  We picked up our bags and headed through Customs and Immigration.  Not a bad thing, and we got through fairly easily.  We were glad to have that done in Atlanta, rather than having to do it in Orlando, when we were super tired.

The flight to Orlando was just barely over one hour.  As we like to say, they hardly got up when they had to start down again!  They did have time to hand out pretzels and soft drinks, but they were hurrying through it.

Richard Lynch picked us up and headed toward home.  When we discovered they had not had dinner yet – and our tummys were growling – we agreed to meet at Panera for a light supper.  Pam and Piper were waiting for us.  We were able to tell them a little bit about our trip, but were so very ready to get home.

We unloaded our suitcases quickly, as I HAD to do a load of undies, since all we had needed to be washed before the next day.  So with all that done, we were able to get to bed by about 10:00 p.m.  We figured that we had been in the air about 13 hours, and had been awake about 25 hours – with only cat-naps on the airplane!  We were truly and fully exhausted!   We didn’t even set the clock to wake us up on Saturday – just decided to sleep our fill.

It was wonderful to be home and sleeping in our own bed.

But we are so very grateful and thankful that we had the wonderful experience of the Viking River Cruise Grand Tour.  A cruise of a lifetime!

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

Budapest, Hungary
Bratislava, Slovakia 

 

Vienna, Austria 

 

Passau, Germany 

 

Regensburg, Germany 
Nuremburg, Germany 

 

Bamberg, Germany 

 

Rothenburg, Germany 

 

Rhein River, Germany 

 

Kinderdijk, Holland 

 

The Gefjon – our long ship 

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The Cruise of a Lifetime-Part 14

14 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

Since we had sailed overnight to Budapest, and had an early shore excursion, we were up by 5:30 a.m.  We had breakfast at 7:00 a.m. with Richard, Judy, Lucy, Roy and Jill, Joyce, Rick and Mary.

By 8:30 a.m. we left on the shore excursion for Budapest.  Some “Fast Facts about Hungary” from the ship’s info sheet:

Home to over a million people, Budapest spans both sides of the Danube River – historic Buda on the east bank and cosmopolitan Pest (pronounced “Pesht”) on the west.  Brimming with history, culture and attractions, Budapest is full of baroque, neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture, and plenty to do.  Museums, shopping and restaurants are the places to be.

The bus took us around the town, then stopped at the square where we went on to the castle.

Funicular

Back to the ship by bus, we had lunch, then to our new room on the Lif, for a nap.

At 2:15 p.m., we had a “Budapest by Boat” tour, with our Program Director, Carl West giving the commentary.  

Carl West – Program Director 

We went by the Parliament Building, which is the most famous picture shown in the Viking advertisements – red-topped building.  Really beautiful.

We were back on the ship by 3:30 p.m., where we rested/napped and read some – quiet time for us.

We had our final/farewell dinner at 7:00 p.m. with Richard, Judy and Lucy.  While it was a fun time, we had our last hugs and “wish we lived closer to you” from each of us.  While I know it was a very concentrated two weeks with them, we all feel we forged a deep and lasting friendship, that will only continue when we all get to heaven.

Since tomorrow would be a REALLY early day (we asked for a 2:15 a.m. wake-up call, with a 3:30 a.m. bus departure time into Budapest), we showered that night, and were in bed by 8:30 p.m.

The Whale 

According to Google search:  That’s the “Bálna / Whale” (formerly called CET building) a modern shopping, cultural, and entertainment centre, as well as a tourist attraction on par with Paris’s Eiffel Tower, or the Covent Garden in London – at least that’s what the city leaders want it to be.

According to Google search:  The Shoes on the Danube is a memorial to the Budapest Jews who were shot by Arrow Cross militiamen between 1944 and 1945. The victims were lined up and shot into the Danube River. They had to take their shoes off, since shoes were valuable belongings at the time.

The memorial was created by Gyula Pauer, Hungarian sculptor, and his friend Can Togay in 2005. It contains 60 pairs of iron shoes, forming a row along the Danube. Each pair of shoes was modeled after an original 1940’s pair. 

~~~~~~~~~~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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The Cruise of a Lifetime-Part 13

7 Sep

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Since we had to change ships today, Fred and I were up at 5:30 a.m. to shower and dress and finished packing.  At 7:00 a.m. we had breakfast with Richard, Judy and Lucy.  At 7:45 we completed our packing and put our bags out in the hallway as instructed. 

At 8:15 a.m. we reported to our assigned bus to leave the ship and go to Bratislava, Slovakia.

According to the ship’s info on Bratislava:   The emergence of Slovak national consciousness dates to about the 1700s.  The written language appeared before the 18th century, and near the end of that century a national movement began to encourage a Slovak identity and the development of Slovak Romanticism with a focus on popular folk traditions.  At the end of World War 1,Slovak identity was fully formed, and in 1919 Slovakia joined with Czechia to form a union of two western Slavic nations: Czecho-Slovakia.  But its independence was greatly limited by its strong economic, military and political dependence on Germany.

It was then conquered by the Soviets, who wanted to create a pro-Soviet and Communist Czechoslovakia.  This lasted until the fall of Communism during the Velvet Revolution of 1989.  In 1993, the Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully in what is called the Velvet Divorce.  The Czech Republic became a democratic state.  Slovakia became an independent nation. 

We arrived at the Bratislava Castle by 10:00.

It was quite windy day but not too cold.  While we didn’t go inside the castle, the outside was interesting. Because I knew the history of SPQR, I found this interesting. 

According to Google and Ancient Rome for Kids:

The letters SPQR stood for Senatus Populus Que Romanusa – the Senate and the People of Rome.  After defeating Tarquin, the last Roman king, the people started a new type of government, a republic.  A republic is a type of government whereby people elect officials to represent them in government.

As a publicity campaign, and as propaganda, the new senate had the letters SPQR chiseled, branded or stamped on everything that they controlled.  Public buildings, new coins, and even park benches got the letters SPQR added to them.

The people of Rome were proud of their new government, and were reminded every time that they saw SPQR that they were a part of the Roman Republic, and no longer ruled by a king.

At 10:30 we left for Old Town with a walking tour.  We saw many fascinating sights.  Here are some:

This little guy is called Cumil (pronounced as Chumil).   As the story goes, Cumil was a mischievous person who while working, used to emerge from under the manhole to look beneath the ladies’ skirts! (Tripadvisor)

Statue of Bratislava Cavalier Schoner Naci

Napolean – one of the few places to sit

We were given two hours of free time, to look around Bratislava on our own,  which is really too long.  We found no place to sit – no public benches. We finally went into a bakery and had a hot chocolate and a chestnut pastry.  We met and shared a table with Iris and April, sisters from Calgary, Canada (Richard called them “the sisters”), who were also on our cruise.  We complained to Carl West (who is from Bratislava, as is Billie, our concierge), that there were no public benches where we could sit and rest our feet.  He just laughed.  We think it is the city’s plan so visitors have to go into a shop to eat or drink in order to sit and rest.

At 1:00 p.m. we had lunch in the Austrian Trend hotel – it was a very good meal and the entire upper level was set up as a restaurant for our entire ship’s compliment. 

At 2:30 p.m. we were back on the bus for our trip Budapest, Hungary.  All the buses stopped for a restroom break at 3:45. The bus trip to Budapest normally takes only three hours, but took us four hours instead.  We were finally on board the Lif at 6:15 p.m.

At 7:00 p.m. we had dinner with Richard, Judy and Lucy.  Richard told us their tour guide, while going through Transylvania, told a story about “wampires… and the bus erupted with laughter. 

We were in bed by 10:00 p.m.  It had been a long day.

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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The 15-Second Rule That Changed My Life: How to Let Go of Guilt and Live Free in God’s Grace.

31 Aug

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged from Janet Perez Eckels

Let me tell you what happened the other evening.

People are often surprised when I mention that I cook. Yes, I’m blind—and yes, blind people do cook. In fact, we do it quite economically. When no one else is home, there’s no need to turn on the lights. Imagine the electricity we save!

Last night, while my sweet husband was telling me about his day, I was peeling some carrots. In my hurry, I placed one too close to the edge of the counter, and sure enough, it rolled onto the floor.

Without hesitation, he jumped up and said, “I’ll get it.”

As he handed it to me, he added, “Here. Got it before 15 seconds.”

“Fifteen seconds?” I asked.

“Yep. If you pick something up within 15 seconds, no harm done. Learned that as a kid.”

I smiled. But then I paused. The more I thought about that quirky little rule, the more profound it became.

A Deeper Application

Sure, the floor is still the floor—whether something’s there for one second or fifteen, it still needs cleaning. But there was a lesson buried in that moment.

I started wondering… What if I applied that 15-second rule to my inner life?

How often do we let something negative fall into our spirit and just leave it there? How long does it sit before we even realize the damage it’s doing?

I’m talking about guilt.

Anybody know what I mean?

When Guilt Lingers Too Long

That sneaky emotion creeps in when you’re most vulnerable. Guilt slithers through your thoughts like a snake—slow and quiet—but poisonous all the same.

It shows up in moments of discouragement. And then it speaks:

“If you hadn’t done that, this wouldn’t be happening.”

“What were you thinking?”

“You’re not doing enough.”

For me, it’s thoughts like: “You should spend more time reading God’s Word, encouraging others, creating more leads, writing more…”

That guilt starts stacking up like clutter in a room, and before you know it, it’s stealing your peace and silencing your confidence.

But not anymore.

I’m Applying the 15-Second Rule

I made a decision: guilt doesn’t get to linger.

If something falls into my heart that doesn’t belong there—regret, shame, self-doubt—I have fifteen seconds to pick it up and toss it out before it spreads discouragement and sadness.

Why? Because guilt trips cost. 

And the currency is joy, peace, and a clear mind to serve God.

Here’s the Truth: God Already Forgave You

If you’re like me and you’ve got a list of past failures, here’s what you do:

  • Ask for forgiveness.
  • Believe—truly believe—that God forgives a repentant heart.
  • And then… move on.

If you’re dealing with something right now that’s making you feel guilty, address it. Correct it. Then move forward. Not because you’re perfect, but because He is.

Dr. Charles Stanley once wrote in his devotional: “Remember we are forgiven. If we confess our sins, He forgives. First John 1:9 promises us the process is that simple… The Enemy stimulates false guilt… Make a declaration: ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, I reject these feelings of guilt. They have absolutely no scriptural basis. They are false, and I refuse to acknowledge them.’”

The moment you do, the weight lifts. The lies lose their power. And your heart begins to breathe again.

Jesus Came to Give Us Freedom

He said it Himself: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:9-10)

Life to the full. Not half-empty with guilt. Not dimmed by shame. Not heavy with regret.

That’s the promise—and the freedom—we get when we walk through His gate. A fresh start. A clean heart. Like a morning breeze, reassurance fills the soul.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank you for the freedom we find in You—liberated from destructive emotions and replaced by the peace and reassurance You give me—a beautiful gift wrapped in Your love.

What guilt are you still holding onto that God has already forgiven—and what would your life look like if you let it go… in the next fifteen seconds?

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

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Peaches!

29 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Peaches are my favorite fruit. Always has been and probably always will be.

“This year’s peach crop in the South is exceptionally delicious. We’re fortunate to enjoy freshly picked peaches at their peak ripeness. However, peaches destined for shipping must be harvested before they fully ripen to ensure they arrive in good condition.

Ripe peaches are fragile. We have learned to wrap them in bubble wrap if we are taking them to Florida. Our daughter was visiting last week and took some home to her neighbors. She received a text this week from the neighbor saying she had one for lunch. It was the best peach she had ever eaten.

I made three batches of peach ice cream and still have a 2 quart batch in the freezer. We try to eat low carb and clean ingredients so we/I make our ice cream. I have two of the freezer bowl machines. I bought this one several years ago and it works great.

Photo Credit Amazon

The machine capacity is a little larger than a quart. After a few years I decided I would like a larger capacity machine. On the other hand, I didn’t want to give up kitchen space for a second ice cream maker.

Ninja has an ice cream maker, the Creami. I looked at it several times but it simply didn’t appeal to me.

Someone on social media mentioned the Kitchen Aid mixer offered a mixer bowl attachment with a two quart capacity.

Photo Credit Kitchen Aid

For a few weeks I argued back and forth with myself. The tipping point was that aside from the ice cream paddle, there would be no parts to store.

I have had some blips learning to use it. As I was making my first batch, I didn’t seat the paddle correctly. As the ice cream thickened the paddle slipped out of place. The machine began flinging ice cream over the side. I wish I had taken a picture.

Overall I am very satisfied with the attachment.

In anticipation of our daughter’s visit, I made a batch of peach ice cream in each machine. I am mulling the idea of making a vanilla or chocolate base and dividing it between the machines. By adding different mix-ins I would have two different flavors.

I haven’t limited my peach enjoyment to ice cream. I made a peach coffee cake, peach bars and no bake peach cheese cakes. (My daughter made the cheese cakes.)

I found most of my low carb recipes at All Day I Dream About Food

Grok AI is my source for different flavors of low carb ice cream.

Peaches are going away but apples are coming!

Mutsu is my favorite apple. Do you have a favorite?

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’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2025 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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August Bazaar Adventure: Shopping and Memories

7 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

August has kicked July to the curb. In a way, i am glad that August is here. Our daughter will be coming for a visit soon and we are looking forward to it. I’m also looking forward to spoiling our granddog, Ollie.

Each year one of our local Methodist churches holds an enormous rummage sale. Except they call it a Bazaar. Whatever the name, it is a huge event held at the fairgrounds. It takes them a week to set up in the covered buildings.

This is a two day event, Friday and Saturday. My husband and I got an early start for us, we were there by 11:00 am. Thankfully, handicap parking was provided along with volunteers pointing out empty spaces. Otherwise we would have needed to park a fairly long way from the event and my husband wouldn’t have been able to handle to walk.

Once inside the buildings, my husband headed toward “man” things and I went straight to my favorite area, the kitchen and dining wares. I must give them kudos on their organizing skills. Every section has volunteers and a check out station.

I sorted through a collection of sharp knives. In the past, I have found my favorite brand of kitchen knife, Rada. I was in luck and found one and it was only 25 cents. Next I moved to the table with plastic items. At previous bazaars I have picked up pieces of Tupperware in great condition. I did find a very nice orange round canister but it was $8.00 and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t think what I would use it for. But then, I spied this interesting green container. I examined it and discovered it was a Tupperware piece I had never seen. I had to have it. It cost me a whole dollar. I haven’t found a use for it, but I am sure I will. If you know what it is, let me know!

My husband joined me in kitchen ware. A few days previous he mentioned he was looking for a small stainless bowl to use in his shop. I told him the bazaar was sure to have one. In fact he found two for the grand sum of $3.00.

He also found an item in the electronics he was considering purchasing. He was hesitant because the volunteers had told us that Saturday everything would be half off. I urged him to buy now as it wasn’t expensive and it was something needed.

Speaking about the half price sale on Saturday, I had found two ice cream makers, each marked $35.00. I didn’t need one, but it would be nice to have a spare. My husband and I decided to return for the Saturday half off. There was an item in electronics he was interested in and I would get an ice cream maker.

We didn’t linger among the other areas. The facility is not air conditioned. The heat plus the wall to wall people was a bit much for us, but it was good to see the excellent turnout. The proceeds are used to fund missions

We were later arriving at the bazaar on Saturday, not realizing the sale ended at 1:00 pm. We arrived around noon. Which was a bad thing but also a good one. So much had been sold! The volunteers were closing out their areas. The item my husband was hoping to buy was gone and the ice cream freezers were sold. But…the round orange Tupperware canister from the previous day was still there. When I picked it up to look it over, the volunteer said I could have it for 25 cents. Sold!

At home, I left the canister out for several days while my mind pondered its use. Then I remembered my aunt Geroleen. She keeps her coffee filters in a specially designed container that has a small tool with a rubbery end. No trying to separate the filters, the tool does it.

I remembered that I have a bar eraser. I cut a small amount of the eraser off and stuck a sturdy toothpick into it. It worked like a charm. Then it didn’t. The eraser I used was a white one and it crumbled. I’ll try a regular eraser next.

As I put the container into the cabinet with the canister I keep coffee grounds, I smiled as I realized the two canisters were meant to be together. Just like in the 70s. Did any of you own these pieces?

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’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2025 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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The Cruise of a Lifetime-Part 9

3 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

Saturday was a sailing morning, so we slept in a bit, and went to breakfast at 8:15a.m.  We had our breakfast with Richard, Judy and Lucy. 

Lucy and Judy 
Richard and Art, our server 

We are now on the Danube River. We went through the last two locks on our journey during breakfast. These are the first locks that lower the water level rather than raising us up a level.  Most interesting process to watch.

We spent time with the Richard, Judy and Lucy until lunch, which we shared with them.  They are such fun people to be with.  Still reminiscing about Albuquerque.

Carl West had informed the passengers that we would be able to purchase a flash drive with all the pictures he had taken on this trip.  Fred purchased one for us.  I had taken quite a few pictures, but thought that the ones Carl had taken would just add to our experience and memories.  NOTE: Carl West followed each day’s excursions, and was snapping pictures all the time – usually of the groups and what we were seeing.

We docked at Regensburg at 1:30 p.m.

At 2:00 we began a walking tour of Regensburg.  Regensburg is the oldest city on the Danube, and one of Bavaria’s most beautiful, best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.  The Roman Gates of 179 AD are still standing.  It was a very cold and very windy day, so we were back on the ship by 3:45.  As Fred’s Mother, Kitty Wills once said when we were with her and Charlie in Edinburgh, Scotland, “I’m just about as cold and wet as I care to be!”  So we returned to the ship.

There is an area in Regensburg that has brass plaques in the bricks with people’s names and dates on it. They were murdered by the Nazis during World War 2.  Their relatives never wanted them to be forgotten, so this was their way of memorializing them.

Occasionally the Danube overflows its banks, and the river water floods the city.  Here are a few markers with dates – about 15′ to 20′ above the river’s normal level:  February 1893 and June 2013.

Oskar Schindler (of Schindler’s List fame) lived in Regensburg from 1945-1950 in the Goliath House.

Notice Goliath’s left arm around the window frame 

He immigrated to Argentina in 1950.  He died in 1974, and at his request, is buried in Jerusalem.

A point of interest:  Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013) grew up in Regensburg.  He was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. 

We stayed on the ship the remainder of the afternoon, since the weather was not too good.  We had a short nap, and just rested.

At 6:45p.m. we were in the lounge where Carl West gave us all the information on the ship transfer the next day.

We had dinner with Jane and Steve (Colorado) and another couple. 

By 9:00 we were back in the room to pack is much as we could of our clothes for the transfer the next day. Because we would have to get up early the next morning, we took our showers before we went to bed. 

Some interesting pictures in Regensburg:

Greenpeace was making a statement  
A Christmas store 

A Christmas store

It’s beginning to look like Christmas

This beautiful wood-inlay table in a shop window 
Notice the horse-drawn carriage on top of the sign 
Cathedral artistry 

~~~~~~~~~~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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The Cruise of a Lifetime-Part 8 Continues

27 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblogged

Nuremberg is considered to be Bavaria’s second-largest city.  It attracts tourists with its varied history, medieval Aldstadt (Old Town) and grand castle.  It is surrounded by massive walls, and boasts an abundance of 15th and 16th century art and architecture.

Courtesy Google 

A bit of history about the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal:  It is a little over 100 miles in length, and was started by Charlemagne in 793.  While this original canal was abandoned, a second attempt was made by the Bavarian king Ludwig 1, beginning in 1846, and included 100 locks.  With the advent of railroads, this water route was also abandoned.  It wasn’t until the late 1950’s, after World War 2, that planning began again.  The current canal took over 30 years to complete (1960-1992).

On our tour, we passed a beautiful cemetery where, among others, Albrecht Dürer and his wife are buried. 

Courtesy Wikipedia 

 Albrecht Dürer was an artist from Nuremberg (1471-1528).  While he is known for all types of painting, etc. and is considered Germany’s renowned Renaissance draughtsman, he is known to Fred and me as the artist of the “Praying Hands.”

Courtesy Wikipedia 

 We lived on Albrecht Dürer Strasse when we lived in Wiesbaden, and became quite familiar with his story behind his “Praying Hands” painting.  His residence and workplace is now a “museum,” and some special exhibits include a painting and printing shop, where various techniques are demonstrated.  Unfortunately, we were unable to stop and look.

Albrecht Dűrer house – Courtesy Wikipedia 

Sandra Bullock, the American movie star, had lived in Nuremberg for quite a while, and speaks fluent German.  Her father was a U.S. Army employee, and her mother produced German operas.  She lived in Nuremberg until she was 12 years old, when they moved to the United States.  Years later, when she visited Nuremberg, she gave an interview.  At the end of it she called her niece by name and said, “it is way past your bed time.  Be a good girl and go to bed.”  Sandra’s grandmother still lives in Nuremberg.  

By 1:30 we were back on the bus, going to the ship for lunch in the lounge.  At 2:45 we took the bus back into town and walked around and took pictures.  We saw a cathedral,

Courtesy Wikipedia 

an open-air market,

 and the beginnings of a Christmas Market. 

Beautiful city.

We were back on the bus by 3:45 and back on the ship.  We noticed a cute decal on the back fender of the bus:  a flying carpet.

We sailed for Regensburg about 6:00 p.m.

We had supper at 7:15.  Our table mates were Denise and John from Half Moon Bay, California, Barbara and a friend from Massachusetts.  Carl told us that we would have to change ships, because the river did not have enough water in it to support the ship with all its passengers.  We had been alerted prior to the cruise that we might have to change ships because of the recent drought.  Although we had hoped we wouldn’t have to change ships, it looked like we would be doing it, anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~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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