Tag Archives: Family Life

The Classic

13 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

I’ve mentioned before how my brother was always fascinated with model airplanes. How he would build them, fly them, fix them up and fly them again. He was really good with his hands.

Another thing he liked to do – as I remember – was to work on car engines. I remember a time, after we began to become friends instead of just picking-at-each-other siblings, that he bought an OLD car and brought it home to work on. I believe he totally removed the engine and other parts and re-worked them. I’m proud to say that I helped him with that a bit – I actually HELPED him! When it was back together, he painted that car a gorgeous turquoise.

When Fred and I met, he was a sophomore at the University of New Mexico (UNM). He lived on campus and so didn’t need a vehicle. He also didn’t have his driver’s license. So if we went anywhere, I was the driver.

It didn’t take him long to remedy that situation – at least in that he obtained his driver’s license. However, he still didn’t have a car. He either walked or took the bus. Albuquerque had a good public transportation system.

Long about Springtime of 1960, he purchased his first car – a 1957 Chevrolet Belaire V8. He paid a grand total of $1,100 for it. It was a soft green, four-door, bench seats, automatic transmission.  It was a beauty! It didn’t have air conditioning, but in Albuquerque’s climate, we didn’t need it. He was so proud of that car.

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In 1960, we, and my parents, drove in that car to Englewood, California for Christmas with my brother Bill, and his wife, DiVoran. We discovered that Bill was working on another car. Fred helped him put the engine back together and everything back in place. We had a grand time with them there. We took in Disneyland

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and Knotts Berry Farm.

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Great memories. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner at Bill and DiVoran’s little house, along withher parents.

 
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On New Year’s Eve, we drove to Pasadena, to spend some time with Fred’s Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Bob. One of Fred’s cousins and his friends, took two picnic benches and some bedrolls, and set them up on the sidewalk at the starting point for the 1961 Rose Parade, scheduled for the following day. They slept on the benches to keep our spots. After the parade, we went back to their house and had a lovely lunch, then we headed out, back to Albuquerque.

That next summer – June 20, 1961 – 53 years ago – we loaded up that car and, following our wedding – headed to Fort Worth, Texas, where Fred was to study at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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While it was a smooth ride, we really wished for an air conditioned car! Texas climate is NOT the same as New Mexico!!

We drove that un-air-conditioned car for several years before trading it in on another, newer vehicle. As we look back on those times, Fred continues to say that he wishes he had kept that car. It is now considered a CLASSIC. Of course, we were dirt poor at the time, and couldn’t possibly keep that car and have another one. And we couldn’t possibly know that, that particular car would turn into a CLASSIC.

But it’s fun to look back and remember those times.

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Love’s Concentric Circles

10 Jul

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

It seems my circle of love is not becoming smaller but concentric. A side benefit of having eleven aunts and uncles is a whole bunch of cousins. It doesn’t stop there as those cousins have children, creating even more cousins.

This week we were blessed to have a visit from my cousin, Susan and her children who live in Georgia. Her three children combined with our two grandchildren created some awesome and chaotic “cousins time” On the first day of their visit the children from teens to tweens had a blast at our local entertainment complex, “The Factory”.

The Factory

 

The second day we loaded up two cars with picnic supplies, chairs and towels and visited a local swimming hole, Sliding Rock in the Pisgah National Forest.

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Susan is the granddaughter of one of my favorite aunts during my childhood. Her grandmother Della, her husband and boys spent a lot of time with my family as I was growing up. We were a musical family and would “make music” when the families got together. Della sang a beautiful high soprano while my mother a strong Alto. Together with their boys and my brothers we had music voices covered all the way down to deep bass. Dad and mom also played the guitar. Oh the sweet hymns they sang. There was one they sang, that I still sing in my heart when I am feeling down, Come Unto Me.

My aunt Della died of a brain tumor when she was forty-seven. I was heartbroken but she left a legacy of love. I still miss her almost fifty years later.

 

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My Western Trip~Part 10

9 Jul

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill

 

Heading for the Point Loma Peninsula, I checked out the Cabrillo National Monument, which commemorates the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in the San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. After that beautiful drive, I visited the famous San Diego Maritime Museum, Seaport Village, the Seafood Grotto, the Tribute to Bob Hope wartime tours, and the WWII V.J. Day Monument. The tribute to Bob Hope was unique, in that it consisted of a group of bronze figures representing all the U.S. Military Services, gathered around Bob, while he told many of his funniest jokes (via recordings) to anyone who was listening.

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And then, there was the gigantic WW V.J. Day Monument, depicting the famous 1945 Time Square celebration picture of a sailor kissing a dental technician. Many, along with me, had always thought she was a nurse, because of her white uniform, but the base plaque said she was not a nurse, but a dental technician. I finished the day with a wonderful visit with our high school friends Jim and Charlene, while we ate dinner at the Brigantide Seafood Restaurant.

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The next morning I headed east to visit the Pacific Southwest Railroad Museums in La Mesa and Campo, Ca. Unfortunately, they were both closed, so I just kept heading east toward Yuma, AZ where I planned to visit the Yuma Territorial Prison. Now there was a place you would never have wanted to be incarcerated, as a criminal, in the late 1800s. Amazingly, even though most inmates were sentenced to do time at the Territorial Prison for violent crimes, some were sent there for things such as polygamy, forgery and violations of the Neutrality Act. While in Yuma, I also visited the U.S. Quartermaster Depot which was used by the U.S. Army to store and distribute supplies for military posts in the territories of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas from 1864 to 1883.

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Next, it was on East for another 240 miles of desert, thru Gila Bend and a lot more desert, to Tucson, AZ where I was looking forward to visiting the Pima Air & Space Museum and AMARG (Better known as the Bone yard). The next day was Friday, and I was up bright and early so I could be first in line for tickets to both the Museum and the Bone Yard, since they only gave Bone Yard tours M-F. What a great time I had there! The Museum itself encompasses four large hangers of beautifully restored aircraft, and 30+ acres of static display aircraft outdoors. The Bone Yard consists of over 300 acres, where literally thousands of discontinued U.S. Military aircraft are stored, reclaimed or restored to flying condition when needed.   Luckily, the Museum provides bus tours of both the Museum grounds and the Bone Yard, so people like me can see most all there is to see in about 4-6 hours. It really boggled my mind to see acres and acres of airplanes stored like that, all in one place!

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—–To Be Continued—–

 

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Diet Journal Entry~2

7 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

 

DiVoran and her mom

Mom-Dora, Me-DiVoran probably at my highest weight, several years ago.

 

Day Four

I can’t believe we’re starting day four on our diet. That means we only have two weeks and three days left, and then three weeks on maintenance when we have more food choices and won’t be limited as far as calories go. If we follow the rules adequately, we will keep it off for a good long time, who knows, maybe forever.

The diet has been in existence for over fifty year after Dr. Simeon researched and experimented with it on his willing patients for over fifteen years.* I think it was the diet Bill and Judy’s mom went on many years ago, only she had to go the a doctor’s office and get hormone shots. Nowadays we don’t use the real hormone, we use a homeopathic, which the body perceives in exactly the same way. Agnes was thrilled with the results, and we were thrilled for her. She never went back up to her original weight.

The rules are detailed because while the hcg triggers the body to let go of the fat, the chemical make-up of various foods either aid or hinder the loss. The website we use has counselors online to help.

We spent half an hour after lunch yesterday hashing out the directions, our experiences with the diet, and our needs (or wants). Both of us are first-born, perfectionist, control freaks so we have many discussions over almost everything. Certain words such as sorry, say, again, I blipped, and let me see if I understand what you’re saying, are vital to the discussions. The cats don’t like it if we raise our voices.

We appreciate every bite we get, except at this point we still can’t stand the Stevia we have on hand. We’ve had it since the first diet about five years ago, though, so we’re thinking of getting a new package, hoping it has improved and will be better when it’s fresher.

This morning the scale put on a light show of flashing numbers ending with an ERROR message. Yesterday, my first day, I’d lost two-and-a-half pounds. Bill has lost four. The scale is working fine now, maybe it had to change its mind from continually showing gain, to showing loss.

By this time, you may be thinking that we’re rich and fussy about food. Are you thinking of the poor, the homeless, and the people dying in countries where their governments deliberately starve them to death? I need to pray about all that again, will you join me?

Dear Lord, only your omniscience can know how deeply grateful we are to have so many varieties of food and drink to choose from. We thank you that we can buy what we need and what we want. We don’t have the power or the resources to supply jobs, farms, and sustenance for everyone in the whole world, and as you say in your word we will always have the poor with us. However we do ask you to show us where and when to share, and to give us the wisdom, the power, and the love to obey you. All we do know to do is to trust you with all our hearts, to thank you, and to help us not to depend on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The way I wrote part one it sounded as if MAINTENANCE consisted of no oils at all. That’s a false impression. It’s the diet that lets you have no oils. Maintenance give you all the fats you’d want: dairy, cheese, cooking oil, butter, etc. The way I’m understanding it, our bodies are supposed to run on the fats they break down. What gets us into trouble is combining them with starch or sugar or both. After three weeks on maintenance, the directions explain, you may start back with carbs, but carefully.

For more information here is a handy link to a PDF

http://www.yourhcg.com/poundsandinches.pdf

 

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An Amazing Surprise~Part 2

29 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

JUDY

A few years after we arrived in Virginia, as Christmas was approaching, the wives of the officers were invited to help make up cookie bags for the enlisted personnel who were stationed at that Air Force Base, but would be alone and working over the holiday – unable to go to their respective homes.  We were asked to bake about six dozen cookies (or more), and then bring them to a certain place on a certain day, and a bunch of women would make an assortment and bag them up.  That was something I enjoyed doing, so I set to work.

When the appointed day and time arrived, I went to the assigned place.  As we were working (I didn’t know anyone else there – we were just a bunch of wives working together), one of the women looked at me and said, “Judy, are you by chance from Albuquerque?”  A bit startled, I told her yes.  And then she proceeded to ask if I had gone to Highland High School in Albuquerque.  Again I said yes.

 

 

Then I asked her what her name was.  When she told me her maiden name, I literally had a jaw-dropping moment!  This woman had not only grown up in Albuquerque, but she had lived just across the street from our elementary school.  And, as I recall, I had been in her house.  I had actually known her at some point in my life.  She was two years ahead of me in school.

SURPRISE!!  Amazing!!

After we finished up, I ran home and dug out my old high school year books, and then my brothers year books (he had entrusted me with his books – he had graduated three years before me).  And there she was.

My questions were:   after all these years and worlds apart, HOW did she recognize me?  And how, after all these years, did we wind up stationed at the same AF base?  Fred was in the Weather Wing there, and her husband was commander of one of the flying units, so we had no other connection together.  But it was fun while it lasted.

 

I do SO enjoy these kinds of happenings!!

 

 

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Circle of Love

26 Jun

Thrive

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

When we left Florida last week, we traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina to celebrate the 80th birthday of my uncle, the youngest brother of my mother. My mother came from a family of twelve children and these aunts and uncles have been a blessing to me as well as to my children. I never doubted their love.

My mother and her ten other brothers and sisters have all passed on now, each one dearly missed. I’m not a poet but I wrote the poem below many years ago as my precious aunts and uncles began slipping away.

 

My circle of love grows smaller

As one by one, they fall,

The molders of my life

The molders of my soul.

 

Once so strong and sure

They led me from child to middle age,

Now they are shrunken, unsure or gone.

 

Still, memories of them-

Their laughter, scoldings and love

Echo in my heart.

 

Looking at those remaining,

My heart is heavy with dread,

They are so fragile, even frail.

I want to cling to them.

 

Yet, they loved me and released me

Allowing me to live my life,

So must I release them to live

A new life with God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Florida Whirlwind.

19 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

It has been a busy three weeks in Florida, kind of a whirlwind. It’s so much fun to re-connect with some of the best friends one could ever be blessed with, leisurely chats on the porch or lunch at the Cracker Barrel and dinner at the local pizza ristorante. Precious times.

Then there is all the work that was accomplished. Rebekah and I work well together through iChat and Dropbox, but sometimes, it is just better to be in the same place. July 16,17 and 18 Rebekah will be on a virtual book tour, her words traveling around the country and maybe even the globe, as she prepares to launch her new release Jessie. Even though she hired a tour company, a lot of blog posts and interviews had to be written and perfected. She still has a few more to write, but I believe we are over the hump. Thankfully, our friend Pam joined our  team and pulled together a great media kit for the tour.

Along with the work was a lot of fun. Elaine Wessinger  opened her home to host one of Rebekah’s Tea with the Author events.  The table theme was an elegant Victorian tea and conversation and laughter flowed easily.

Tea Table at Elaines

The following weekend was the Titusville Sea Turtle Festival and I wish you could have been there. Rebekah had a table displaying her books as well as DiVoran Lites novels. Pam Gheen and DiVoran, wearing an adorable sun hat, visited the various vendors chatting them up. Rebekah dubbed them her “streetmosphere”.streetmosphere-feature

Since the festival targeted children, Rebekah’s father built a spinning prize wheel to attract people to her table. While I helped the children, Pam talked about the books and loaded the parents up with rack cards, book marks and paper bags to hold it all. Of course the bags had Rebekah Lyn Books logo on them, working on that brand angle. Then a thunder-storm rolled in and like a  knock off  purse seller running from the law, the festival cleared out.

As much fun as this has been, Florida is getting too hot and it is time to head for the hills. Before we get there though, we will make a visit to eastern North Carolina to visit with family plus Mike wants to check on the progress of the Cabella’s sporting goods store being built near my aunt’s home.

Rebekah’s new release Jessie will be releasing July 20, 2014 which is the forty-fifth anniversary of the first moon landing. She is offering a pre-release price of $1.99, Regular price is $4.99

 

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Behold How Good and Pleasant

9 Jun

My Take

DiVoran Lites

On my way home from my walk I met one of the neighbors, Chuck, who had helped another neighbor remove the tree that fell on our house during Hurricane Charlie. Chuck was walking very slowly

Author, Poet and Artistallowing his ancient dog to saunter and sniff all he wanted. We spoke as we passed. When I got to the curve in the trail where I leave it, I stopped to make a note of something. There I heard a forlorn meowing from the bushes. It had to be a lost domestic cat. It was. Chuck’s cat big male tiger kitty.

“Your cat is here.” I yelled. He started back and I went back on the trail to meet him. He wasn’t going anywhere and I was on my way home so we turned around and sauntered back toward the neighborhood. The cat came out and twined around Chuck’s ankles.

“He follows us out here, but he doesn’t like to go too far.” Chuck said. We started slowly making our way back into the neighborhood. I told him I’d been walking past his house since his kids were small. The first time I ever saw them they had run out of the house with no clothes on—just little kids being free and happy. Chuck now had all the time in the world to talk to me. His major kid rearing days were about over. They’re off to college next year. He and his wife have been excellent parents. I’ve heard swimming parties from behind their privacy fence, I’ve seen the family coming home from camping, and watched as boy scouts gathered for projects.

When we got to Chuck’s house right off the trail. I said goodbye and Chuck took his dog over to greet a weenie dog they knew and his master.

I felt so blessed to walk with him, pet the cat, greet the dog, and hear about the kids. How wonderful to have watched a family rear good, happy kids who will become ordinary fine Americans and hopefully rear theirs kids the same. How great that this young man, who probably is quite busy during the week, had all the time in the world for an old dog, an old lady, and a cat who clearly adores him.

Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in one neighborhood where people get along and kids can grow up in safety and in love. Paraphrase of Psalm 133.1

 

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Another Serendipity

8 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

We’ve had so many “serendipity” times happen in our lives. I’m convinced that they are God’s way of giving us some unexpected joy in our lives. So while I call them serendipity, I really know better.

This one happened some time ago, while we were living in Virginia. There was a Taco Bell where Fred and I liked to eat, about five minutes from our house. We stopped there often. One time, during the summer, we stopped, and noticed that the doors were standing open. Uh-oh – that’s not a good sign! Sure enough, the AC was off. There were no other customers in the store, so we had the place to ourselves.

The manager actually waited on us himself. He had on a long-sleeved white shirt, tie, and his sleeves were rolled up – but rolled under, rather than up. I commented on the AC and on how his sleeves were rolled the way our son-in-law rolled his. Then I asked why he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in that heat. He said that he wanted to look professional, and that was his work “uniform.” The conversation went on a while, then he asked us for our order. He then “fiddled” with the register a bit, and when he gave me the total – it was at least $1.00 less than usual. When I questioned him about it, he just grinned at me, so I said, “should I just take it and run with it?” and he nodded yes.

Every other time we were in that Taco Bell, if he was at the register, the total would be less. We never asked for nor demanded that we get a discount, but only when he was working, did we get the discount. We always waved, smiled, or spoke to him.

Neat story, however, that’s not the end of it. Some years later – after we had moved to Florida – we were back in Virginia visiting. We had flown into the airport in Norfolk that time, and we were driving back to Norfolk for our return trip. We took a wrong exit and were fussing at each other about how to get back to the right place. We saw a Taco Bell up ahead, and decided to stop for lunch.

I ordered, then took the drink cups over to fill at the machine. When I was done, Fred said, “look who’s here.” I looked up and saw this same man bringing our food on the tray to the counter, with a confused look on his face, as if to say “where have I seen this order before?” (My order was rather unique) Then he looked up and saw us and grinned from ear to ear. Seems he had gotten a lateral transfer and was now working in Norfolk. It was actually a promotion for him, as it was much closer to where he lived, so he saved in time and gas money. We spoke for a short time and renewed acquaintances.

Just think……….if we hadn’t taken the wrong exit, we would never have known that he had transferred and where he was then working.

Just a little thing, but it filled us with joy. It’s been a fun remembrance for us.

 

 

 

 

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Big Savings at the Discount Club

2 Jun

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

Author, Poet and ArtistYesterday I went to a discount club for some cat litter. My alternative health provider said they had good, natural litter there. When I walked into the vast, cold warehouse-type store, which was loaded with luxuries any housewife would admire, I was told I could buy something without having a membership.

We’d had memberships in such clubs for years. It was supposed to be more economical. When we remodeled our garage into a workroom, we lined the walls with cupboards so we’d have room to store the large packages you usually get at those places. We never went into one, even just to look, without dropping a few Cs. And oh, it was all so economical.

A big buggy rolled across the parking lot toward my car, so after I had parked I grabbed it and pushed it into the store. When I got to the pet aisle, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to get down a box of litter. They were slightly above my head and weighed twenty-five pounds. So I waved at a big, strong-looking associate. But before I could catch his eye, I realized that unless I could convince him to go home with me, I’d have to wrestle the box into the trunk of the car and somehow get it into the house. I decided to think it though, and make other arrangements. So there I was with my buggy and half an hour before I had to be at my daughter’s work place to go to lunch. It was enough time to walk a mile, the weather was growing warmer outside and by afternoon would be hot, so I started up and down the aisles.

Was I tempted by anything as walked at a moderate pace through the store? Oh, yes. But the only thing I paused long enough to pick up and think about was a book. However I had just discarded eight books in a row that I’d bought used, because I didn’t like them. It would be foolish to pay $9.99, and find myself once again giving up on the book. I laid it down and continued on my way.

Why was I not tempted to buy anything else? I think it was because Bill and I have made some progress in simplifying our daily life. We know what we like to eat and what’s good for us. Two people don’t consume much. Everything costs so much, but thank God, we can get what we need. And I’d already filled up all my cupboards with art supplies.

I’ve been trying for decades (with not much success) to follow the wonderful precepts in Quaker, Richard J. Foster’s book, Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World. The book shows how living more simply not only allows us to enjoy less stress and more leisure, but also contributes to the health of our bodies and souls.

While I was walking around the store, I passed a woman with eight children accompanying her. I figured they were all hers because their sizes ranged from a couple of teen-aged girls walking beside her, to a toddler in the cart. The three small boys bringing up the rear, were, of course, having a good time of their own. I admire a woman who can handle that many children all at once. It was apparent that the discount club was a good place for her to shop, because her family would always need a great deal of food and other things.

When it was time to leave, the buggy was still empty, but I had something to take away. I had gained an exercise time and recognized once again how blessed our country is to have stores of plenty. Also I had a new self-respect for not lingering long enough to find a temptation I couldn’t resist. I rolled the buggy up to the man who stood checking tickets against purchases and asked where I should put it. He was a bit confused, so I just parked it next to an empty behind him.

Even though life still seems complicated and full of decisions and choices, I may be making progress toward simplicity after all. Is this something you desire as well?

 

 

 

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