Musicbox and other Mom Memories

I am starting a new project. I will take a photo of certain items in our house that could be considered "heirlooms" or things to keep and pass on to your children.  I want them to go to people who will value them and save them and pass them on and not just DI them. Let me know if you are one that would treasure these things.

This attached photo is of a little music box that we bought in Germany or Switzerland when Shane was not quite 2 years old and Scott 16, I think. We also bought two beer steins, one for us and one for my parents (we now have both). I will send a photo of them. Other things from that trip or his first trip were 2 cute little dresses for Wendy and Jeni. A German comic book you kids took for "show and tell" at school, and a fun puzzle box with square blocks that created several different puzzles, using different sides of the blocks (all of these things have been lost or given away and I have no clue where they are---too bad. It would be nice to still have them.

The elephant tusk was purchased--I think on his first Germany trip. So I will take photos of the tusk and the 2 beer steins, which would also go with this little story, so you will know their history. I did write a journal of my time there, if I can ever come across it again.

Dad had been sent to Germany on two trips of 2-3 weeks duration for his job--installing his work product and teaching them to use it at the University of Freiberg/Freiburg? I think the 2nd trip was in the Spring of 1978. My parents came to stay at our house with our 5 children--the only time they ever tended all of our kids. 2 men from Dad's work were headed over there also and I flew to Zurich, Switzerland with them.  Then they took a train, while I flew from Zurich to Basel (which is actually in 3 different countries--France, Germany, and Switzerland).  Dad met me there and we took a train to Freiberg. There were two different Freibergs, one in East Germany/Communist and one in West Germany where we went.

While Dad was at work there each day, I would walk around the little village and shop and hope the people were honest when I handed them the money, not knowing what the money was worth. I remember one little sorbet shop where they were delighted to show off their English skills. Dad knew enough German to get us by at restaurants, etc. when he was with me--since German is similar to Dutch.

I remember walking by a little park where little toddlers and young children were playing and speaking their German. I automatically thought "wow, those smart little kids speaking German!:-)

I remember the little clothing shops, when they closed for the evening, would spread some garments on the floor, etc. for "window shoppers" to walk by and see. I had forgotten that until years ago I came across my journal of the trip. It taught me the value of writing things down and not trusting your memory. Now if I could just find it--plus my letters I used to type from our 9 years in Richland. They would be of such value. I remember finding one letter, years later, that I wrote when Pres. Kennedy was assassinated 2-3 weeks before Scottie was born.

I bought this little music box as a gift for my parents, and chose one that played the theme from Dr. Zivago "Somewhere my Love," which was one of my favorite songs. I see my mother wrote Z.N., her initials, on the bottom of it.

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For some reason our flight home was a day later than planned. I was to be home to take Scott to the doctor to have his ingrown toenail surgery to fix all 4 corners of his two big toes. But since we were delayed, my dad took Scott for his appointment.

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A little funny thing my mom told me: My mom baked homemade bread while I was gone. When she took the hot bread out of the oven, Scott told her that I always put butter on the top of the hot bread to taste better and to soften the crust and make it shiny. My mom told him that wasn't really necessary. Then she turned around and there was Scott, putting butter on top of the loaves!

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I started out just going to write a brief description of the music box------------and look what happened! Chris, maybe you could add all this to dropbox, under the year 1978, in the Histories Project. If not, I will try to have Dad do it (but it is hard to make that happen)---he is the one that I finally got to set up the Histories project. I've been after him for months to add the weekly letters you kids write (they will be of great value years from now as a history of your lives). But it is hard to get him to help me with all of my projects, so if you save them yourself and put them there, it would be great.:-) All of these projects count as your family history commandment and will bring you great promised blessings!

EMAIL ANSWERS ......................

From Jen: I think I remember the music box. I definitely have a memory of the theme from Dr. Zivago! I wonder if that is where it is from ... I absolutely remember my little dress from Germany! I loved it! It's in many pictures, including my school picture (3rd grade?). I also loved that cube puzzle, so much so that I found one similar to buy as an adult. We have it around somewhere (my newer purchase, not the original). I remember the elephant tusk sitting on top of the piano, so intricately carved. A little non-politically correct in today's world ...




From Wendy: Fun memories and cool music box! Mom, the Germany dresses are at our house-- you must have given them to me years ago. I don't think I have the aprons though, I am not sure what happened to those. I will check though. Janelle wore one of the dresses for Mother's Day Tea the year she was in Sound of Music. Here is a picture then and now! I also have the red sparkly dresses we wore for baton lessons and have pictures of my kids wearing them.I think I remember trying to get Grandma to give us Cheetos during that trip by saying how healthy there were (they have cheese in them!) 








From Chris: I remember when you left to Germany, and returned, and the dresses and the Blue T shirt in the pic. But I don't remember any day to day happenings with Grandma and Grandpa during the week. I think Scott has an emotional attachment to the beer steins. If you ask Scott if he knows German... he does, but it's only "Das Beer" and "Der Wine".


From Scott: Nein, Nein on the stein.


We'll get to a Germany post at some point. 

Until then, check out the pictures in Dropbox. Germany 1978.

Off to the Arches (including McDonalds!)

 

This masterpiece is attributed to both Derek and Shane. Apparently, back in 1993, when Derek was only 11 years old, he snapped a  photograph of the sun shining through this archway. A little later, Shane (17 at the time) painted the image. Oil on canvas. You can see his signature there in the bottom corner.  After a little digging, we found some more information about this trip to the Arches. Here's what Dad/Lamar wrote in his journal ...

2 Sept. 1993 (Thursday) Our trip to Moab. Mom and Derek and I stopped in Provo to see Chris & Sandy, and to deliver pears and other items to them. We had a nice visit, and then headed South again. We stopped at Price at the KFC for a nice chicken buffet lunch, and then headed South again. We checked into the Bowen Motel, where we had reservations. We went for a nice swim to cool us off, and then we headed out to see Dead Horse Point State Park. It was quite breathtaking, and Marge was very nervous about the big drop offs, and how close we were getting to the edge. We headed back about dusk, and saw a beautiful deer on the way home. We got back to Moab and went out to a late dinner at JB's Shane didn't come down with us because he figured he couldn't miss two days of school. He'll be coming down Friday after school with Wendy and Rick.

3 Sept. 1993 (Friday) Derek and I got up fairly early and headed out to the Arches, and hiked up to see Delicate Arch. It was a lovely morning, and there were lots of hikers. The arches were all very pretty. The trail to Delicate was just one and a half miles one way, but quite a bit was uphill. We got there and took lots of pictures. I had been there when I was a boy scout. We stayed up at the arch for a while, and then hiked around and back down below the arch to get more pictures with a different view. We headed back to join Margie, and we all went out to breakfast about 12:30. We returned to the motel for a swim, and were joined there by Jenny and Grayson. They were staying the night at his grandparent's home just outside Moab.  The five of us then went back to the arches for more sightseeing. We hiked up the trail to Landscape Arch, and saw several other arches as well. We headed back at dusk, and got back to Moab, where Marge and Derek and I went out to eat at the local McDonalds. Rick and Wendy and Shane were due to join us, and finally called about 9:30, saying they were stranded on the outskirts of the city. Wendy's car had just stopped running. I headed out to pick up the transients and get them all back to our motel. We made more trips out and about trying to figure out the problem and who might help us, but all the stations were closing up shop for the night - and for the next few days. Our motel had three double beds, but Shane and Derek opted to sleep in their sleeping bags on the floor rather than share a bed with anyone. 

 Jen in Moab

...up next ... off to Lake Powell!

I wonder where all those other arches pictures are!

California Dreaming

June of 1980 the Westra Family went on a family vacation to California to visit the Griffiths.

Wendy (age 12) wrote this poem to describe the trip~

Our Trip:

We drove to California in our car – we drove very long, we drove very far.

We drove past houses cities and cars. It seemed like we were going clear to Mars!

We drove past churches and hotels. We stopped in Nevada at Scott’s Motel. 

The weather here was very cool, so we were glad for an indoor pool.

Then on and on our trip we did go – until we finally arrived in Sacramento.

We got there on the thirtieth of May, to enjoy ten days of fun and play.

We went to a park called Fairy Tale Town, where there were slides and castles and a king with a crown.

We had a picnic and played all around, and went on a ride that went round and round.

The next day was Sunday and we went to church meetings. We were sure glad to have a nice greeting. 

On Monday we went to San Francisco, and do you know what we rode on, do you know?

We went on a trolley car and boy was it fun! Then we ate lunch and sat in the sun.

We saw a museum full of neat things – fishes and snakes and Indian rings.

We went to the beach and saw lots of waves, and we found lots of seashells to keep and to save.

Today is June second, it is no longer May, but boy it sure was a really fun day! 

On Tuesday we went to the park and the zoo. We fed all the animals and the little squirrels too! 

On Wednesday we played games such as tennis and bowling, where the ball went flying and the ball went rolling.

Scott was not necessarily being a teenager and stepping out of the photo. 

This picture was damaged in the scan and cut off. 

Thursday we went to Marriott – with our things all ready and our things all set. 

We rode the Demon and the Tidal Wave – and we even got little booklets to save.

We rode on Willard’s Whizzer and that’s not it, we rode on others and just couldn’t quit. 

I thought the Demon was the best, I thought it was more fun than the rest.

But the other rides were a total blast too, and there was always lots of fun stuff you could do.

We also watched a show about Bugs Bunny, you know, and one called “To Fly,” another great show.

Today was SO fun – riding rides in the sun! 

On Friday we went and water skied. Uncle Arnold had the boat and the things we would need.

I’d never done it before, I didn’t know how, but I did it! And boy was it fun – wow! 

We ate there on the island, there in the sun – and we played in the water and had loads of fun!

Saturday we went to a restaurant and ate – we even got seconds on a new plate!

But what I liked best was the vanilla ice cream – topped with toppings and nuts, see what I mean?

Sunday we got ready to go back home. Oh! I felt like I was going to moan!

But I missed my house, so I was kind of glad – I missed my friends, so I wasn’t too mad.

And again we drove past houses and hotels, and we stopped again at “Scott’s Motel.”

Then we drove again and arrived back home, and I will always remember our trip by this little poem!

By Wendy Westra (age 12)

Jenny wrote in her journal too ... not quite as much ;)

A few more photos and adventures from the trip ...

California Summer 1969

Back in 1969 ...  Dad/Lamar's CSC job needed some employees to develop software at the main computer science corporation headquarters in El Segundo. So from July 19 - September 25, 1969, Mom and Dad had a Los Angeles summer.

• The Flight: The company split up the families heading out onto different planes ... "just in case" something happened (if there was a crash, they didn't want to lose everyone). Not a comforting thought for Mom/Margie on her first flight! Mom recalls Scottie  being very excited, and saying, "When are we going to blast-off?"
• The House: It was hard to find somewhere to rent for only three months. They spent a week in a hotel while they tried to find a place. Mom had a cousin (Diana Brady Coleman) who lived nearby and there was a house close to her for rent. Mom was so disappointed when someone got to it first.  Here's more memories ...

From Dad: 5951 INTERCEPTOR, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90045. We lived in this home while we were on a temporary assignment in Los Angeles, working at the main Computer Science Corporation building in El Segundo, 2 miles away.  We rented a small house and moved in on 25 July. The house had two small bedrooms, and a garage. It was located almost in the middle of the Los Angeles International Airport. It was quite noisy when certain runways were being used. At first, Scott would run outside excitedly every time a plane flew close over the house, but soon we became oblivious to the noise. Most of the area was bought out by the airport for demolition, but we rented from one of the hold-outs, We rented for $225 per month, paid for by CSC, plus rental furniture. We took the bare minimum of clothes and household items, so housekeeping didn’t take up much time, even with 3 little kids.

From Mom: We finally found this old house on the L.A. airport property, that was going to be razed to make more runway. At first the noise was so loud every time a plane took off because we were so close. Scott (age 5 1/2) loved it and would run outside to see the airplane. Dad said he could identify all the types of airplanes. After awhile, we didn't even notice the sound. The coat closet in the house, we never opened. It stunk so bad if we did---like something dead in there! With minimal belongings, there was not much to do as far as housework. So it was very boring and hard for me to just tend 3 preshoolers all day with no friends or much in the way of toys while Dad worked. I read every Agatha Christie book there was in the library closest to our place, but it was even hard to read and watch the kids closely at the same time. The ward was really excited to have us--then when they found we were only there for 3 months, they didn't go out of their way much to get acquainted or invite us over or anything.

Visiting Mom's cousins in Cali ... summer 1969

Karen and Lisa Coleman, daughters of Mom's cousin Diana Brady Coleman 

Diana was Mom's same age. Daughter of Bertha Howell and Lloyd Brady

But, while in California, might as well take advantage of area attractions! There was a trip to Knott's Berry Farm (pictures below). Then the family flew to Sacramento for a side trip in late August, then a trip to Disneyland (pictures at top). Wendy was just 18 months, so the folks left her with Mom's cousin. Chris had just turned three ... if they'd gone before his birthday he would have been free. There was also mention in the Dropbox memories/calendar of a trip to Universal Studios, but no pictures ... pictures of Knottsberry but no mention of it on the calendar. Maybe it replaced the planned Universal Studios trip?

Then it was back home to Washington and the house on Saint Street, September 26, 1969. 

Scott was a little late starting kindergarten at Spaulding Elementary.