IMMIGRANTY DAUGHTER 69

There comes a time when what seemed so important is not as important now in this time of my life.

I was reflecting back in time when Carl and I were rushing to get to his new job and having to do this or that before we could leave. Our lives were centered on his job and new place to live and as I compare this to my life now my life is at a standstill. I am thinking how grateful I am that my life did slow down.

One day Carl wanted to go to Law School and after seeing the schedule my DIL keeps I am so glad he did not. She came in so exhausted last evening and told me she was headed to bed. Her dog Chili was so glad to see her that I am sure she had to give him some attention. Some times animals are more demanding than children.

Carl planned a trip for us to go to Orlando, Florida to see the Holy Land Experience that is a replica of the buildings in Jerusalem that were up in the time of Christ.

This is a theme park you walk around and go in different buildings and see The Holy of Holies. The Tabernacle and the Temple. This followed the Bible and was done by the Zions Hope Ministry that we had contributed to many times. We were there in the first week of the opening of the park.

As I was watching one of our news channel I saw that a storm with high wind velocity ripped thru that part of Florida. I tried to see on the TV just what was the extent of the damage but could not tell. If you are planning any vacation believe me Orlando is worth going to see. It seems our weather can not be predictable so take all kinds of clothing.

After we spent a few days  in Orlando we tried to go to the East Coast to see if we could find a cousin I had on my fathers’ side of my family. Her husband was a Commander in the U.S. Navy. We never did connect with them so we went on just site seeing Florida.  We also had another ministry we supported called Pioneers which supported Christians in foreign countries. We got a tour of their facilities and could have a position of being a working volunteer on the premises. But we had decided long ago that Florida for us is not a choice place to live. I am so sorry we did not get there with our children.

My older sister complained about she never got to travel and see things I was privileged to see. But I told her staying in one place she has a house paid for and that is a plus in life. I couldn’t help it if she married a man who never cared to see or do anything different. I mentioned before that we lived in seventeen different homes that we never really owned. The bank did and we always had to sell them to get our down payment out for the next place.

There was not any place we lived that we did not like. I will say this Carl liked the coastal waters the best. There came a time in our life when our country faced shortages of many different kinds. Carl then became interested in survival . He had and read all kinds of books on food storage and shelf life. You do know that the food for storage is a nitrogen packed. Howard Ruff wrote many of the leading books.

We purchased special packed food by the case and had one room just for this. We had milk, flour, oats, wheat and different kinds of beans. We purchased a special grinder that worked both on electricity and a handle to fit if electricity was out. We had purchased enough food to family and others. Their storage life was twenty five years plus.

After carting this food around many years it seemed as though the crisis pasted. When we were in charge of the food pantry in Indiana we started to open the boxes of oatmeal and milk to pass on to large families in need of food. They had to be large families because these were packed in large number 10 cans. It made us pleased to contribute the food to those in need.

I sort of see a trend today that is creeping in that we import so much from other countries that very little is made in the good ole U.S.A. I for one look to see where the item is made and if it isn’t from our country I do without. Our country is facing a crisis that people want the government to support them and they not work to help themselves. Boy I am glad my dad who came from Greece to the free world isn’t alive to see all the free loaders.

Immigration has no rules they want in and want to bring in their own language and not learn a thing about the U.S.A.

Until next time, I am, Immigrant Daughter.

Immigrant Daughter 60

It seems like a long time since I am getting back to my story of my life. But time has a way of getting away from me so I will just give you special incidents that I remember.

A few weeks ago in the Parade Magazine from the newspaper there was a beautiful picture on the cover of Hoover Dam that is 75 years old and the new bridge that was open to get across the Colorado River making it quicker to get on your way. I understand from the article that you can still get across the dam on the old road (which is on top of the dam) going East  only.  All traffic will be using the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial bridge.  This new bridge was built in part for national security reasons, as the Hoover Dam is considered our most vulnerable landmark.

When Carl and I first came across the Hoover Dam  it was still new and we took the tour going down to see the inside and how the turbines worked. It was magnificent to see. The picture shows at the bottom of the dam where they allowed the tourist to view this large structure and it looks mighty small on the outside. The thing I do remember was the elevator took some time to get down to the tourist section closer to the water. I remember the water was green.

Here are some pictures of the bridge.  Each span was built by casting each piece by piece in mid-air.  106 sections in all. 

This new bridge span gives me goose bumps just looking at it. It looks like it is all open but is is not. The road lanes are all inside away from the side of the bridge making it impossible to see anything from your car while driving.

Our children were small when we crossed over years ago so I am sure they couldn’t remember even seeing it. Our country has such a beauty that the Lord made, that it is impossible to describe with mere words.

We have seen a good bit of it in our lifetime and I would encourage you to expose your children to it if you can. The Grand  Canyon is another place Carl and I saw together. I have fond memories of the places we have actually seen together and I will say this there is no place like home no matter where you live.

I would like to admit I do like the four seasons. It is a good feeling f rom going through spring, summer, fall and winter, each one has its high and low spots.

Now that I lived this long and still kicking, I can appreciate how Carl loved being at sea away from all the distractions on the ground. He never could make up his mind just where he wanted to live. Each part of the country held different distractions. I just knew where he was I wanted to be and I had no preference. That is why it is so hard for me to live without him, but I know I must because the good Lord isn’t ready for me yet.

One day Carl said I want you to lean how to shoot and took me to the skeet shooting range. We sat through the short program to learn this isn’t a toy and how to be careful. The first time I didn’t do well but after a few times it was a good feeling to say “pull” and aim and shoot.  I hit more than I missed.

Growing up my dad always had a revolver in the house. We knew where he kept it and were allowed to handle it. As far as I knew there were not any bullets around. So when Carl wanted me to learn how the shoot I was not afraid to handle a gun. Carl always had a rifle in the house. When he became seriously ill with Alzheimer's I had to actually hide the rifle from him because he imagined people coming to get him. I have great respect for firearms.

When we lived in Muncie we lived on a dead end street that was on the bottom of a U, giving us two streets  in to our house in this small development of about 90 homes. We lived a happy life there and had many friends in Muncie. We lived there 13 years. We purchased a blue high back couch and chair that we didn’t own very long because there was couple with one child in our congregation where we attended church that was going through a tough time. They came to our home for Bible study and prayer and before I knew it the Lord instructed us to give them our lovely couch and chair because they needed it.

After checking into their situation it seems they had purchased one of the government homes  that needed lots of fixing up because that is all they can afford consequently they lived out of boxes and make shift furniture. He had a low paying job that required him to have two jobs. They had one son who was on fire for the Lord. Everyone he would met he would ask them :Do you know JESUS? and would proceed to tell them who he was. We were blessed by giving them our furniture. The Lord is so good.

Until next time, I am Immigrant Daughter.

IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER 54

I would like to tell you of our trip to Colorado Springs in the 1990’s. I was reminded of this by a phone call from my daughter this evening. I mentioned before we traveled quite a bit. Carl wanted to just travel all the time in fact he was like the person in Willie Nelson’s song “On The Road Again”. I held him back because I wanted roots somewhere. We did agree that when we got back East we would find a place.

The main reason I did not want to travel was in the early years of being a diabetic the equipment was syringes made of  glass and had to be sterilized. That made traveling a hardship for me. To travel anywhere overnight I had to have clean syringes and insulin on hand. Motels were not equipped to handle people with special needs like they are now. So I hated to travel. You should see me now. They have improved insulin and made disposable syringes with needles attached. It is as different as night and day and I ready do go on a moments notice.

Getting back to Colorado Springs where my daughter called me from she remember me telling her of our trip and about the different things to see. The Lord sculptured the rocks like no other place. Pikes Peak is in Colorado Springs It is 12,000 feet high and the first women to climb the peak was Julia Archibald Homes on foot. My girls took the tram up and back. Pioneers they are not.

There is so much to see as a tourist. The  United State Air Force Academy plus the Olympic Complex that gives a panoramic view of the entire area is there. The Dare  Bridge at Royal George is breathtaking to see even at a distance. My mined cannot comprehend how they completed building that expanse. When we went to Colorado Springs it was for  seminar for learning how to live with diabetics that was held at the conference center called Glen Erie Castle there that is owned by the Navigators a Christian based organization that owns it. They rent rooms out to tourists and people attending the conferences. The the picture of the Castle graced the cover of their monthly magazine for many years.

The Valley Of The Gods is open for tours. If you like the outdoors it is a must place to visit. There are many places you can take your car for a short distance. Camera buffs have  helped Kodak improve their business.

The most popular place to visit for people with children is Focus On The Family, a radio ministry started by Dr. Dobson who counseled families with their children. His most famous book is The Strong Willed Child and I think every family has at least one. Dr. Dobson spoke in down to earth English all mothers could understand.   I know I needed the help raising my three.

We decided if we were going to be on the road we needed to get a vehicle that was more comfortable and  could cut some of our expenses. Carl traded up to a large paneled van with large windows on both sides. It had two front passenger doors and on the passenger side it also had a double door making it easy to pack and live out of. It was a navy blue Vanguard. We put on many miles of pleasure driving it. We definitely were “van” people.

We could just drive until we were tired and stop rest areas, parks or truck stops and set up the Coleman stove , chairs and table and eat. Years before I had purchased a steeled framed masonite   top table for picnicking that carried like a suitcase. When it opened flat like a suitcase the legs had to unfolded down from the benc h seat so that when it was turned upright you had a table top with a bench on either side that had legs. I had never seen any like the one  we had. I purchased it at an Navy Exchange store but can’t remember where. We used this table many many years.

When we traveled we sang old songs like Pack Up Your Old Kit Bag, You are my Sunshine, Clementine, Good Night Irene, Smile Awhile  and Carl’s favorite was Deep In The Heart of Texas. The Kids always joined in and had some ditties of their own they sang. When we drove through Texas you really can see the array of stars at night. It is breathtaking to see such clear skies, Carl and I both came from coastal places that were always cloudy and misty and very seldom saw clear skies.

Backing up a little in my story before the van trek. I needed to tell you car buying was always designated to Carl who would keep me abreast of his decision. When we were in El Centro, California and were making plans to come back East Carl knew we needed something better than we had to drive. He traded our little car for a blue Roadmaster Buick that had more bells and whistles on it than we had ever seen.  This picture looks like it except for color.  Ours was blue.  It was huge compared to the little Ford we traded in. The back seat was so large and plush and comfortable. We didn’t hear the usual bickering like stay on your own side and mom he’s touching me for a dew days. We did hear it’s my turn to sit up front.

We kept a blanket in the car for stops so we could spread out on the grass and let the kids run around for exercise. This helped a great deal because they knew we would stop. The closer we got to the East Coast we had to fight rain because that rob us of letting the kids outside. Traveling with the kids was challenging for us but we made out because of Carl’s easy disposition while driving. I would said the hardest thing about traveling with kids were the bathroom stops making them realize if you didn’t go now you had a long wait. They learned quickly because when Carl stopped and said bathroom break they ran because we did stop many times just for exercise.

I have enjoyed sharing another part of our life with you. Thank you for stopping to read my story,  This is a good place to say until next time I am, Immigrant Daughter

IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER #17

Our time was growing short in California and we did do a lot trips gear for the kids but there was one trip we did for just for us. We visited the wonderful wineries in California. They had tours and wine tasting with cheese and crackers. I think Inglenook Winery was C favorite. We use to save the labels from the bottles in a scrap book and C got to be quiet a coinsure and when some of the officers were having dinner parties they would consult C what kind of wine to serve with their meal. I don’t want to imply that we were winos it is just that C was fascinated with growing grapes. Now me as a Greek girl I was more interested in the leaves. The Greeks have a dish called Dolmathes. They are grapes leaves stuffed with ground lamb, rice, onions, olive oil, mint and lemon. The ones my parents made are definitely tastier than some I’ve been served in restaurants. You can also purchase them in very large super markets. They do not use meat of any kind in them.

I am so glad C had a good appetite because he would eat whatever I put on the table. Oh, yes there was only one thing he didn’t like and that was okra no matter how it was cooked. He loved the avgolemono soup the best. Our kids ate well also they have a few more dislikes than their dad. Peas happen to be one of them. At one meal our youngest stuffed her pockets with the peas on her plate and asked to be excused to go to the bathroom thinking we didn’t see what she was doing so she could flush them down the toilet. I am sure most of you could match some of these stories.

When we traveled we had our cereal for breakfast with juice and toast and lunch was usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then for supper we usually let them have whatever they wanted. They knew ahead if time they needed to eat the first two meals well to be able to choose what they wanted from the menu at supper.

Our five year tour of duty in California was about over and I was preparing for our trip to the next duty station. C had enrolled in another school that was called “lighter than air school”. It was switching from airplanes to blimps and the school was in Lakehurst, New Jersey instructing them how to land and tying them down so they wouldn’t blow away in a strong wind. We were excited when he was chosen because Lakehurst was only an hour or so from dads’ house.

The cereal boxes use to have toys and games in them and I started to save them. I also bought Golden Books and small toys that could be wrapped. The dime store had little toys like cars, ball and jacks, crayons and comic books that really were comic books. I took the time to wrap each one and put them in a bag and then let the kids pick a prize each day. It worked out well. They had something to look forward getting in the car. Kids could care less about scenery.

We started our trip and C was planning how far we could drive a day before the kids would be unbearable. He planned that we would stop at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico for a good part of a day. Well when we started the kids we unruly, fighting with each other wouldn’t eat their breakfast and wouldn’t keep their hands to themselves. C had enough and said, “If you kids don’t settle down and behave we are not stopping at Carlsbad Caverns”. Well they didn’t stop and neither did we. I saw this cartoon in the comics this past week and cut it out because this is exactly how they behaved. I had a good laugh and had to include it because I know my kids will remember when.

Some many years had past and I saw an article in the paper about Carlsbad Caverns. Our kids were grown and I made a copy of it and sent it to them so they could see what they missed. I did get comments from them and now that they have their ownchildren they understand fully. Kids will be kids no matter whose they are.

My second child loved fried chicken and every night for her meal she chose fried chicken. The one place we stopped the waitress said child’ portion and she piped up a said no I want a big piece. The waitress said “Honey that’s a half of chicken” and looked at us thinking we would say yes a child’ portion. C spoke up and said she would eat it. Well the waitress could not believe she ate the whole thing by herself.

When we reached Texas we stopped in the panhandle and that night for supper our son copied his father and had a steak. The waiters were always surprised at how much our kids ate leaving very little or none most of the time. We had lots of good memories of our trip coming back to New Jersey. My dad was so glad to see us as were my sisters and brothers.



Lakehurst added a phase of our life that was memorable. Until next time, I am Immigrant Daughter.