The Past @ primodonna.blog-city.com

Temporary Quarters

Donna — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

We stayed in the German hotel until July 16. Thank goodness that part of the time the kids and I were able to visit with my good friend from Fort Hood, Karlynn, and her family, who were stationed near Idar Oberstein, about 80 miles away. We traveled there and back by German train.

Then we were assigned temporary quarters (apartment) on Drake-Edwards Kaserne. Bill worked on Drake-Edwards, so it was nice to live there. Our temporary quarters were on the fourth floor. The buildings that families lived in were built during World War II for German soldiers and their families. They had maids who lived in the very top floors, like we did. I’m glad that we didn’t have to take care of other people’s apartments! Since our apartment was on the top floor, some of the rooms had slanted ceilings because we were right under the roof. You may not know the name Drake Edwards, but if you are an Elvis Presley fan, you may have seen the entrance in one of his movies. In “G.I. Blues” you can see the front gate with the famous horse statue standing on its hind quarters. Below is a not-very-good photo.

We tried to get permanent quarters or a permanent apartment there because we had nice neighbors and had started going to the chapel. However, we were assigned to Hugel Housing Area in another part of Frankfurt.

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I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

Kasernes

Donna — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

I need to explain a bit about the American military installations in Frankfurt, Germany. It wasn’t like most installations that have all the military units and support services such as the commissary (grocery store), post exchange (department store), and hospital within the gates of the fort. In Frankfurt, the commissary and post exchange were in one area of Frankfurt, the hospital was somewhere else, the housing areas were scattered throughout the city, and the military units were in several places. According to my Internet search, there were around 41 installations throughout Frankfurt. These also included the golf course, police station, motor pools, gas station, airfield, railroad station, and rifle range.

American military units weren’t on forts; they were on kasernes. “Kaserne” is a German word meaning “barracks.” It is where American forces are stationed. Go HERE if you want a better explanation.

So we should have taken our car with us because things were spread out so much. And as it turned out, we were assigned a permanent apartment in a housing area in another part of Frankfurt separate from where Bill worked, where the grocery store was, and just about everything else.

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Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
Psalm 125:1

The First Couple of Weeks

Donna — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:57:00 GMT

The trip to Frankfurt was uneventful. It was the first couple of weeks after we arrived that were a bit of a problem. When a family moves to a new place, a person from the new unit is assigned as a sponsor. The sponsor welcomes the newly assigned soldier and family, helps them get acquainted with the new place, and generally helps out as needed. Our sponsor didn’t do his job. He found us a small room in a German hotel and let us fend for ourselves.

I don't have any trouble remembering that first day, Thursday, June 28, 1979. We checked into the Nord Hotel, and then Bill left the kids and me at the hotel to go sign into his unit. It took him a long time, and we were really hungry by the time he returned. We didn’t have any snacks with us, and we didn’t have any German money yet. When Bill returned, we all walked over to a military snack bar to eat. It was about the only military place open. We ordered yucky-tasting hamburgers.

That German hotel had a lot to be desired. The toilet was down the hall, and the bathtub (not a shower) was one floor up. The toilet tissue was rough, so one of the first things we bought at the commissary (grocery store) was American toilet tissue. There was a bed for Bill and me and a couch with an uncomfortable hide-a-bed for the kids. The room could have used a good dusting and vacuuming.

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The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 46:7

Go to Your Room!

Donna — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

After our household goods had been shipped, our suitcases were packed, and our good-byes said to our friends, we headed out of town. I told the kids that the back seat of the car was temporarily their bedrooms. If I said to them, “Go to your rooms,” they didn’t need to worry because they were already there!

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Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
Psalm 17:8

On The Move Again

Donna — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:12:00 GMT

I don’t remember much about our getting ready to move to Germany. I know it was the usual sorting through the house and deciding what to take with us; what to put in storage; what to put in hold baggage (send ahead to use before our household goods came, like towels, sheets, pots, and pans); and what to give or throw away.

We were fortunate in that we were able to go to Germany the same time as Bill. Many times, the family remains in the States while the soldier goes on ahead to the new place and gets on a waiting list for a house (or apartment) on post or finds a place off post. The Army told us that there enough available places so that we could accompany him. As it turns out, we had a bit of a wait. But that is another story.

We didn't take our car, a silver Ford Fairmont, with us. My parents took it and took over the payments. We wanted see if we could get along in the big city of Frankfurt without a car, at least in the beginning. We also wanted to save money.

The most painful part was saying good bye to friends we had known for six years and to family we knew we wouldn’t see for three.

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You number my wanderings;
put my tears into Your bottle;
are they not in Your book?
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:8, 11

Orders for West Germany

Donna — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:25:00 GMT

Bill had always wanted to be stationed in Hawaii. While we were stationed at Fort Hood, he volunteered to be assigned there. Almost everyone wants to be stationed in Hawaii, so we weren't able to move there from Fort Hood. He was disappointed; I don't remember that it bothered me. When we received orders to go back to West Germany, I told Bill that I hoped we would be stationed in the German state of Bavaria, like in the city of Munich, Nuremberg, or Heidelberg. I almost cried when we later found out that we would be going to Frankfurt, which is more to the north. But I soon got over that when I found out all there was to do in Frankfurt and the surrounding area. Besides, Bavaria wasn't that far away since West Germany was about the size of Oregon.

We talked to people and found out about Frankfurt. We talked to Amy and Lee about moving and the adventures that we would have. We always looked at the positive things in the new places we moved to. Life is too short to wish you didn't have to move and hate where you are.

So after seven years in Texas, we were on the move again.

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

The End of That Part

Donna — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:19:00 GMT

I don't know if you have figured in out, but in telling you the story of my life, I break it down into places that I have lived. It is easier that way. I think I've told you just about everything about my life when I lived near or on Fort Hood, Texas, from 1973 through half of 1979. I'm sure that I've forgotten a few things. I'll tell you later if I think of something. I need to take a different strategy when I come to the part in my life when I lived in the Fort Hood area the second time. It spanned 17 years. In some ways, those years seem to blur all together. But like Scarlette O'Hara, I'll worry about that later.

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For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39

How Boring

Donna — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:18:00 GMT

When my daughter Amy was in kindergarden or the first grade, she liked to wear t-shirts that had words or pictures or both on them. She said that blouses didn't say anything!

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Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 100:3

A Great Church in Lawton

Donna — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:00:00 GMT

I just found out that a fellow blogger's son is going to be stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I'm jumping ahead in the story of my life, but we were stationed at Fort Sill from 1982 to 1986. The mention of Fort Sill made me want to tell you about how we joined a church in Lawton, the town next to Fort Sill.

We had just finished our assignment in Frantfurt, Germany, and were on our way to Fort Sill. My husband and I left the kids with my parents in Arkansas and drove to Fort Sill to find a place to live. It didn't take us long to find at house with three bedrooms and a fenced-in backyard that was close to an elementary school. On Friday, we went to a local furniture store to look for a much-needed couch. The saleslady who greeted us was very nice. While looking at couches, we told her that we were new in town and would be looking for a church. She invited us to come to her church--Westminster Presbyterian. Her husband was the interim paster there. And we were Presbyterian too!

When we walked into the sanctuary two days later, there was the nice saleslady (named Bea) watching for us. She had saved a place for us. We ended up joining the church!

Now jump even further ahead to our time in Hawaii. We joined a small Presbyterian church in Mililani. There was a class for people who were thinking about joining the church, which was lead by the pastor. For the first four classes, he asked what he called "Quaker Questions." He didn't know why they were called that, maybe because both the words started with a Q. Anyway, here are the questions (and there are no wrong answers):

1. What was the first house that you remember living in like?
2. How was it heated?
3. As a child, who did you go to for warmth?
4. When did you first realize that God loves you?

My answer to the fourth question was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where during our first week there, we meet a woman who invited us to her church. You see, before we even arrived at Fort Sill, I had been asking God to help us quickly find a good, loving church for our family to attend. When he answered my prayer during the first week, I knew that God loved me!

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To Him be the glory both
now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18b

Spiessbraten . . . Not Speisbraten

Donna — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:00:00 GMT

In February of last year, I posted about a German restaurant that we went to when we were stationed in Germany in the early 1970s. I have gotten a lot of comments, mostly from people loving that same restaurant and wanting the recipe to the only thing that they served--spiessbraten. Here is that entry. One of the people who commented pointed out that the spelling of spiessbraten was wrong. No wonder I couldn't ever find anything on the Internet! So I did a little research and have already found two recipes. I bet if I checked further, I would find more.

Here is one by Larry.

And another by Susie.

If you are brave enough and have the time, you could try it. Be sure to invite me over!

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I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
Proverbs 8:17

Square Dancing

Donna — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:06:00 GMT

For about a year, Bill and I belonged to a square dancing club. It was a lot of fun. I bought a brown-and-white checkered skirt with a white top. I made a second skirt from a yellow sheet. I made good use of that sheet. I also made a pillowcase for Amy and a caftan for me. I had silver shoes. When our club decided that they wanted to compete rather than just dance with other clubs, we dropped out. With Bill's pay and two children, we just couldn't afford it. We have good memories of dancing and laughing with our friends.

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And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:10

A Big Monthly Allowance

Donna — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:03:00 GMT

When Bill and I were first married, he jokingly told me that since I was a private first class, my monthly allowance was $2 to spend anyway that I wanted. One day, he promoted me to corporal and raised my allowance a whole dollar! Whenever I bought anything that cost more than $3, he would say something like, "Hey, that's more than your allowance." He still does the same thing. Back then, I laughed and immediately ignored him. Thirty-seven years later, I still do the same thing.

Note: I'm upset that I didn't get a promotion in all these years. And I don't even want to think about the amount of my pay during the two years that I've been retired.

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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all men liberally and without reproach,
and it will be given to him.
James 1:5

Working Hard And Having Fun at the Same Time

Donna — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:44:00 GMT

In the first grade, Amy was a Brownie. In fact, she was a Girl Scout for 12 years. During her senior year in high school, she earned her Gold Award, the highest in Girl Scouts. I'm very proud of her for doing something for so long. She worked hard at being a Scout, and I know that she had some very good times. When we lived in Hawaii, I think she had a great time going to a Girl Scout camp every summer above Sunset Beach. She not only attended the camp, she helped lead it. I'm sure this post will make her think about all her years as a Girl Scout and all the fun she had. I bet she'll even make a comment.

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You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
Joel 2:26

She Pulled Her Own Tooth

Donna — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:13:00 GMT

I wrote the following in my diary on June 12, 1978:

Amy lost her first tooth today. A bottom one. It has been loose since yesterday. It really became loose when she was eating lunch. I said, “Let me pull it.” She said no and pulled it herself. Didn’t cry.

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The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalms 34:18

Best Friend

Donna — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:01:00 GMT

It was at Fort Hood that I had what I call my first "best friend" as an adult. We met at the weekly craft get-together at church. You know how when you meet someone new that you like, you say something like, "Let's get together sometime"? That's what Karlynn said to me. I said, "Okay, you want to do something tomorrow?" She told me later that she liked it that I wanted to set a specific date, not say that we'd get together, and then it never happens. So our friendship began!

Our kids were about the same age and got along well. We did all sorts of things together. Karlynn and her children would come to my house; we'd go to hers. We talked about crafts, decorating our houses, raising kids, and anything else we could think of. When Bill and I went out for the evening, she would watch the kids; and we'd do the same for her and her husband.

I was fast at getting things done; she was a bit slower. We started calling ourselves the rabbit and the turtle. She even collected things in the shape of turtles. Not real ones! That's when I started my rabbit collection--not real ones. We worked on the monthly church newsletter together. After her husband received orders for Germany and they moved away, I worked on the newsletter without her. It was not near as much fun.

But all was not lost. About a year later, we were stationed close to them. The kids and I went to stay with Karlynn and her family for about a week while we waiting to get an apartment on post. The German hotel we were staying in was so small. Later, Karlynn and her family visited with us at our place.

In 1993, I went to Washington, D.C. to attend a high school reunion. I told you ages ago about graduating from high school in Itazuke, Japan. Well, we can't all go back to Japan for reunions, so every couple of years there is an all-school reunion somewhere in the United States. They've had them in places like Las Vegas; Arizona; Dallas; Houston; Florida; and Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Anyway, to continue the story--on my way back from my high school reunion, I stopped in Kentucky where she lived. We spent about three days continuing our conversations and friendship. Below is a photo taken during my visit in 1993.

Karlynn was the first of the three best friends I've had. I'm very fortunate to have had them all. Now I hope I can find a fourth one here at our new place.

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A man's heart plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

Huhhh?

Donna — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:44:00 GMT

What's that noise at 3:30 in the morning? Is it thunder or Bill snoring? Maybe the sky is snoring or there's thunder in the house. Oh, who cares. I'm going back to sleep.

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The LORD is my rock and
my fortress and my deliverer.
Psalm 18:2

A Fun Time

Donna — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:35:00 GMT

For three or four years, Bill played on a church softball league. Our church team would play other church teams from around town. He played left field and batted clean up. They won most of the time. Whenever he got up to bat, many times I would shout, "Get a homerun!" Sometimes he did. He should listen to his wife more often!

The whole family went to the games. It was a good social time for all of us. I talked to the other wives while sitting on the bleachers, and Amy and Lee played with the other kids under them.

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The LORD is my helper,
I will not be afraid.
Hebrews 13:6

She's a Natural Woman, I mean, Naturalized Woman

Donna — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Although Amy was born on what is considered American soil in West Germany (on a U.S. military installation), we decided to get her naturalized. She had a birth certificate from the Department of State, but nothing from the Department of Immigration and Naturalization. (According to my search on the Internet, the department was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.) We wanted to have all the doors open for Amy when she became an adult. We knew if she went into certain careers that she would have to show proof of naturalization. We didn’t want anything to slow her down or stand in her way. When she was around five years old, we had her photo taken, filled out the paperwork, and drove to Austin to swear allegiance to the United States. She has never needed that paperwork, but we were ready.

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Ask and it shall be given to you;
seek and ye shall find;
knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7

Dressing Up

Donna — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Amy and Lee had so much fun playing while wearing different things. Here are a few examples.

Below is Amy, at almost three, wearing a hat that her dad wore in Viet Nam and riding the fastest horse in Texas.

I don't know what Lee is wearing, but he sure is having a great time. That's Amy and Bill looking at him. They aren't enjoying themselves like that 20-month-old boy.

I bet you can't tell who are wearing paper bags in the photo below. Okay, I'll give you a hint. The one on the left is an almost 5-year-old girl and the one on the right is a
four-year-old boy.

Below are those same kids a year and a half later wearing my old bathrobes.

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This is what real love is:
It is not our love for God;
it is God’s love for us in sending his Son
to be the way to take away our sins.
1 John 4:10

Fourth Birthday

Donna — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:45:00 GMT

Our son still talks about his fourth birthday party. To be exact, he talks about the cake. I made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting in a 9-by-13 pan decorated with little cowboy figures. Lee remembers having so much fun playing with the figures at the party and for a long time afterwards. As you can tell by the photo below, everyone else at the party enjoyed them too. That's Lee on the right and his older sister on the left.

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Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
Luke 2:10