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.
