SUNDAY MEMORIES
Judy Wills
Funny thing – I had never even heard the word “pizza” until I was in high school (1950’s)!
Credit Google Search and Pixabay
I remember a girl in my chorus class flopping down on a chair and saying that she couldn’t move because she was so full of pizza! Pizza? What in the world is THAT? Turns out there was a great little pizza eatery on Central Avenue (main street of Albuquerque, U.S. Route 66) called Casa Luna, that made the best pizza I think I’ve ever had. After that recommendation from my fellow student, a bunch of us would go there often – and I fell in love with pizza! Unfortunately, that place is now a carpet shop!
After Fred and I met, his parents would occasionally come to town, and they would take us to the Officer’s Club on Kirtland AFB.
Credit Google Search and Kirtland AFB website Credit Google Search
A new experience for me, but one we’ve repeated on most of the bases where we’ve lived, since Fred was commissioned as an officer himself. (More on that later)
Another place where we liked to eat (but it was only introduced to us after Fred and I moved away) was called Bella Vista, and it was about 20 miles into the Sandia Mountains East of Albuquerque itself.
Credit Google Search
Great fried fish – all you could eat! Unfortunately, after the owners turned it over to their children, the kids turned it into a sports bar – and it is no longer in existence.
When I was still a teenager – fresh out of high school and a year of college, I went to work for Civil Service located downtown Albuquerque.
Credit Google Search – Simms Building – where I worked
I discovered a “hole-in-the-wall” little eatery just around the corner from my office building. I would go there for lunch frequently, and occasionally after work for a burger before heading home. It wasn’t a big place at all. It had counter space for about eight stools, and about five two-top tables. The counter faced the grill, which was quite large – as big as a dinner table. The burgers were delicious, and I found that adding the home-made chili to the burger made it mouth-watering! I was in there one day after work, and was watching the owner/cook making the chili. He had it spread all over that grill and was working it. I asked why he made so much, and he told me that one time some people from Boston had come in and had some of his chili and loved it so much that they commissioned him to make them X-number of quarts of the stuff to ship to them to Boston each month! WOW! He also told me that several people wondered why he didn’t expand his space. But he told them (and me) that it was just exactly the size and amount of business he wanted to handle. I admired him for that. He knew what he wanted, and didn’t need more. I don’t remember the name of the place, and have no idea whether or not he is still in business. It was a great little eatery, and is still in my memory.
~~~~~~~~~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.
Old Things R New 