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My First Trip to Aunt Frieda

A little synopsis about Ilona, the youngest daughter of Lizzi and August. Born early, three months early, weighing only 2½ pounds. She is the story teller. Survived, grew from this tiny infant into a young woman, graduated from University with a degree in International Law and Commerce. Worked for US Headquarters for Gen. Eisenhower in Frankfurt/Germany after WWII, met, fell in love and married an American and came to the United States, after she received her entry permit and joined her husband, Halvor LeGrand Cole and resided in Seattle/Washington.

It was a beautiful early summer day, mid June 1928. Our mama decided to show off her youngest to her sister, who lives in Calau near Cotbus, south of Berlin. Mama, along with our Mrs. Kramer, her younger sister, Marga, my older sister, Friedl, who was at that time three years old. The three ladies with their little ones were taking the train from Darmstadt to Berlin and changing train to continue to Calau where Frieda, her husband Christopher and their son, Lukas lived. Our papa and brother, Wolfgang would join all of us the last few days of our stay and we all would take a train home together.

After a long train ride we arrived in Berlin and looked for our train to Cotbus. Getting comfortable in first class we were on our way, this time it will take only two hours.

Arriving in Calau, a beautiful carriage awaited us, pulled by two magnificent horses. Franz, Christopher’s driver greeted us and took care of the luggage, me and Friedl and helped the three ladies get comfortable.

A beautiful scenery appeared as we entered this cool and idyllic forest, passing by a wonderful lake with a waterfall at the far end. Wild geese frolicking in the clean, cool water and as we came to a clearing, large fields of beautiful red poppies moving with the breeze, as far as one could see. The eastern part of Germany has the most beautiful landscape and is so different from the industrial part, the west of Germany.

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Christopher, Frieda and little Lukas awaited us with open arms by the gate of their estate. As the suitcases were brought in, we were shown to our rooms. Sunny and light, beautifully furnished with double beds and big dressers. A round table with flowers, two chairs right by the window for morning coffee. Mama with Friedl will have the bed. I, being still very little had the bottom drawer in that beautiful dresser lined with several pink blankets a nice pink pillow and a stuffed, white little lamb. Our Mrs. Kramer with her sister had their own room. We will stay about ten days. For our mama, Frieda, Marga and Mrs. Kramer ten wonderful days full of love and conversation, excellent food, a lot of fun cooking

together. Christopher is a breeder of a great breed of horses which my papa, when he arrives will love to see and maybe go riding with Christopher.

The Estate is a marvelous place for the adults to explore, especially this beautiful house. It has a large entry, a foyer, with two-story high ceiling, adjacent is the great room with a Venetian chandelier coming down, built-in rosewood bookshelves all around the room with leaded glass doors, inside many old leather books. Across, by a large stained-glass window a rosewood, round dining room table and beautiful, high back chairs. An idyllic view out the window, up a lush, grassy hill with a lot of wild flowers were the white buildings, stables, holding Christopher’s horses.

The days, full of adventures, laughter and love fleeted fast and our papa with Wolfgang arrived. They were busy visiting the horses, enjoying this wonderful place and the experience of riding into the countryside with a basket of food and drink prepared by Frieda. The four ladies wanted to have a day visit to Cotbus to have a nice lunch and shopping. Papa and Christopher would stay behind to care for the little ones.

It was a wonderful outing, just the four ladies and they made the most of their time.

All in all it was a wonderful experience for every one and especially for me. I tried on a drawer to sleep in and felt very secure and cuddly in it. Always something new to learn, looking forward to what’s to come when I get older and a little bigger.

Private Halvor LeGrand Cole, a young American soldier.

Sonthofen 1939

This Fall is my brother’s graduation from the Academy in Sonthofen, Germany with the rank of Lieutenant, a first rate education and skills in flying Gliders. The celebration will include an Air Show. It will show young pilots’ skills in flying and demonstrating their readiness for the final step, to fly a Fighter Me-109 or Stuka. Training ground would be the war in Spain.

It was decided that our Mrs. Kramer, my sister Friedl and I, Ilona take the train to the Alpine Mountains, to Sonthofen and my father and mother will join us by the weekend. The hotel we are staying in is a most beautiful place, like a fairy tale castle. It sits right in the mountains. To get to it from the town is by cable car to the top, a magnificent view directly from heaven over the snow covered peaks. During the day, blue and white clouds encircle us, where as in the village below the sun was shining bright and it was a wonderful, warm September day.

The large air field was decorated with flowers, with banners, the colors of this Academy. Chairs circled the viewing area.

Our Mrs. Kramer, Friedl and I came down by cable car around nine in the morning after we had a wonderful breakfast in the hotel dining room. Beautiful flower arrangements with little banners, the colors of the academy on every table, white starched linens on the tables and smiling servers ready for us. We had ordered waffles with warm honey

and blue berries and on the side thinly sliced Canadian bacon. It was alright with our Mrs. Kramer that I would give Friedl the bacon, she loved.

We picked up our parents at the train station at noon and had plenty time to explore the town together, some shopping and going to a nice Bistro for lunch, before the air show started.

We got seated and received a menu, showing the names of the young pilots, as they were performing. It was exciting, thrilling and I was almost envious of these young men with their acrobatic skills, demonstrating what they had learned over the last four years. The air flow was perfect, the weather was a beautiful fall day. Some of their performance was daring and at times the spectators held their breaths.

During our dinner, all of us around the table, our brother, Wolfgang proudly told us, that he passed all the tests and his future is going to be with the air force after his training in a Me109 Messerschmitt fighter. It was NOT what his dream was, he wanted to become a Commercial Pilot for Luft Hansa Air Line and “See the World”

Well, he said, he will start with the Me109 or the Stuka and hopefully live to become this Commercial Pilot some day. The conversation was lively and the dinner was superb. Mama had ordered before we came, Goose with ALL the trimmings, the wine and the desserts: “individual ramekins with souffle” fresh from the oven and on the side, Melba sauce, fresh raspberry sauce. For the adults French press coffee and a cognac in heated glasses.

The next day we all joined a pre-arranged tour through the buildings and beautiful grounds of the Academy. It became an ever lasting memory.

But this was not the last time this beautiful Academy popped up in my life only to be something entirely different: “It was the year 1950, a troopship entered Bremer Hafen, the most northern tip of Germany. The troopship was an American ship with occupation troops on board. The young soldiers debarked and transferred to a train, bound for billeting in the Alpine Mountains, a beautiful facility for “Orientation” called Sonthofen. They stayed there to learn about occupation, German language, German people, their customs etc. After this, they shipped to their designated Companies, Units and Stations throughout Western occupied Germany and one of these young soldiers was a Private Halvor LeGrand Cole, my future husband and beloved partner for sixty four years. He talked often about Sonthofen, the breathtaking setting, the beautiful brick buildings, the inside, especially the dining room with a large window overlooking the snow covered peaks. Sonthofen again became my ever lasting memory.

Easter 1932 in Germany

A beautiful, sunny weekend! We were able, on this Easter holiday, to put our snow boots away. Spring is finally here. We were dressed beautifully and ready to join the rest of the family to go to the Chapel at the Castle in the City. Today is “Good Friday” and I am looking forward to hear the beautiful Messiah.

On our way home we stopped at Espenschied Patisserie to pick up our dessert a “Herren Torte” (a Gentleman’s Cake) my papa’s favorite cake from the assortment Espenschied Patisserie creates.

For today’s dessert, my mama did not want the 12inch cake, but 14 individual little cakes, four layers of genoise cake separated with the coffee créme and one swan on top out of Pâté à choux dough, again filled with coffee créme. On a beautiful silver tray, decorated with a circle of big orchid blossoms, Mrs. Nietsche, presented these gorgeous desserts. YUM.

Tonight, we will have our great Easter dinner with all the family: Papa, Mama, Katja with husband, Frieda with husband, Lillie with husband, Mrs. Kramer and Mrs. Nietsche and us little people, Wolfgang my brother, Friedl my sister and I, Ilona. The kitchen is the place where you need to check if you follow the delicious, fragrant smells moving through the house. Both ovens were in use: A large rack of lamb, French boned, and a sauce made with Plum Brandy. The plums were caramelized, and so were the apple slices and sweet onions, thinly sliced, all caramelized, a wonderful side dish. Little potatoe balls with spiced croutons in the dough.

The adults started with warm and hearty greetings and Mrs. Nietsche passed the champagne glasses around. “We, the little people, only needed to be seen, not heard.”

After every one was seated, Mrs. Nietsche brought the food in and started to serve. My papa opened up and served the wine. There were plenty of comments, about the great food, lively conversation and laughter and after several hours, came the time for dessert. Beautiful plates with the round individual cakes and an orchid blossom on the rim, a lovely sight. Aromatic coffee and a heated snifter with brandy and for us hot chocolate. The happy conversations continued and after another hour, it was bed time for us little people. Mama came with us to spend some treasured time with us, before she tucked us in our beds. She brought a beautiful, white, fluffy bunny for my sister and one for me.

She held my bunny in her hand, had her hand cupped – holding some chocolate eggs in it, not noticable to me. Guided with her cupped hand the bunny hopped across the floor and dropping the eggs. I was delighted about this. After our mama kissed us and had left, I of course would not go to sleep until I tried this maneuver with my bunny, like mama did.

NO eggs of course appeared – “bad bunny” even “please” did not work.

Very disappointed, I was not going back to bed until I explored this a little further. I got a pair of scissors from a drawer, sat down and held the bunny on my lap and cut it open. Oh my, all there was, was straw, a royal mess!

I got scared and started to cry and my beloved sister Friedl was consoling me. Out of desperation all I could think of was calling: “Mrs. Nietsche, help please!”

The World of the Gentleman of Music

Holland, Tulip Festival and James Last

James Last, 1929 to 2015, a well known Jazz Band Leader in his early years. A composer of popular music, owns his concert orchestra and mostly traveled throughout Germany and Europe. He performed during early summer of 1979 in Holland during the tulip festival in the town of Utrecht, at the Tivoli Vredenburg. His music was very popular and loved, his style of conducting his immense orchestra, was something to enjoy. The music was catching and one would love to sing along. The orchestra was fascinating and the individual selections up-beat. This concert was set-up also to produce an album. My Hal already decided to look for this album, when we get home.

The concert lasted more than four hours and the selections too many to remember all, but I recall some: Mon Amour from Romance, Comment ça va, Paloma Blanca, all beautiful music, beautiful rhythm. The orchestra and James Last changed their attire quite often during their performance, from  black tuxes to white, to yellow suits, colorful shirts. Different colors up on stage, different mood in music.

Georg and my Hal talked about going to hear the concert as soon as we arrived at their home. Georg mentioned that it would be great, if we could make a detour first to the Mosel Valley, exploring wineries, the delicious young Rieslings, of course with great food. Then drive through to Holland, take in this special concert and then come through some of the Rhine River valley, and home. This sounded wonderful, we all four loved this idea.

We had a toast to this happy plan with a glass of Georg’s fine champagne and a slice of Friedl’s apple kuchen. A great beginning to our two week vacation.

Our first stop, a little Hamlet by the Mosel River for two nights, a lot of sightseeing, wineries, restaurants and wine tasting. Georg made a slight change to the sequence of our original plan.

The drive from the Mosel to the Rhine was beautiful, a sunny and warm day, spectacular scenery and the occupants in the car were very happy.

After two days in the little town, Ruedesheim, again exploring  wineries, wine tasting and terrific food, we packed the car and headed for Holland. Beautiful country side, gorgeous weather, quaint houses along the canals. The outdoor concert started early afternoon and lasted about four hours. It was stimulating, beautiful and the music lasted in our hearts and minds still the next day as we started our journey home. But not before we had tasted the great food, and of course great wine. Not the whites from this region, it had to be a red to compliment our food. Germany, Holland and the area around here produce the finest whites, a Riesling especially, but no reds. It was a French wine from the Burgundy region, not far from here.

When the plates arrived, they looked like a piece of art. In the center of large plates, little golden, crisp potato pancakes, overlapping. Next sliced thin, tenderloin roast, nice and brown on the outside with a perfect reduction sauce, pan de-glazed with a fine Burgundy, and golden, fragrant chanterelle mushrooms with a little clarified herb butter over them. The dinner and the wine were wonderful, like the atmosphere around the table. We enjoyed about two hours in this cozy place, when we realized we have a drive ahead of us and we should be on our way. We were sad to leave.

On the drive home, it was pretty quiet in the car. Every one had their own thoughts and no one wanted to disturb it. There was so much to remember, so much to relive and so much emotion from this beautiful concert. 

My Sister Friedl’s Wedding Day

It was March the 2^nd 1945 and it was my beloved sister Friedl’s 20^th Birthday and also her and Horst’s wedding day. It was to be at the Paulus Cathedral, the only church restored, partially, to be used for sermons and weddings after the total destruction of our beautiful city September 11^th 1944. This church could only be used in good weather, since it was just outer walls, no ceiling, no windows and only cleaned of rubble partially, chairs lined up, where pews once were. 

Today is this very special day. My father is home to see his daughter Friedl and his very good friend Horst joining in marriage. After the beautiful ceremony the couple walked out of the Cathedral under an arc of swords to their limo to begin a lifetime together, hopefully with this cruel war ending soon. 

We all gathered at our parents’ beautiful home, decorated with white lilac, great catered dinner and mama made a traditional “Bowle” for drinks, consisting of sliced peaches soaked in Cognac over night. A large crystal bowl, filled with champagne, the peaches added. Served in open, flat glasses before dinner. 

Our mama engaged a group of musicians who would provide the music after dinner for dancing. The musicians were set-up in the foyer, where the grand piano was and the dance floor spilling over, into the dining and living rooms. Every one seemed to have a great time and had, for a fleeting moment forgotten about the war, thinking of their future, hoping that peace would come very soon. 

I, Ilona, Friedl’s younger sister, 17 years old, not getting married, not having a gentleman friend, just wishing to dance. I had tasted, sampled quite a few peaches, therefore I was very happy and had the courage to get up on the large, round onycs-topped table in the center of the foyer, and started to dance – I could tell that the group were playing a Tango – my favorite. Dressed in a Burgundy velvet dress, long sleeves with pearl buttons up to the elbow, fitted and long, low-cut back, very striking. I had changed into my dance shoes. My hair, in a French braid, down one side. Ready to dance. The dancing couples stopped, watched and applauded. As I was getting applaus from the guests, my mama entered and saw me. She came close to the table, looked up at me and with a smile said: “come down sweetheart it is time for you to go to bed.” 

I realized I had over-done it just a bit, stepped down, gave my mama a kiss, went upstairs and to bed. The music and laughter lasted until I fell a sleep. 

The music was interrupted by a courier, a young officer with urgent orders for Horst and his four companions to return to the Western front for one more offensive against the approaching allied forces at the border of Holland. A departure of four guests and the groom stopped the festivities. My beloved sister Friedl came into our room, crying. I tried to console her, but did not know what to say, so I held her close and let her cry. 

My sister woke up as daylight was approaching and we both went downstairs. Our mama, Mrs. Kramer with her younger sister Marga and Mrs. Nietsche were sitting in the dining room with a cup of coffee, with tired faces and tears still staining their cheeks. The guests all had left and our father was waiting for his driver to take him to the train to get back to Berlin. 

For how long we were wondering? We knew, that Germany could not hold off the advance of the allied forces much longer – but how long? 

Would my dearest sister hear from Horst, her bridegroom soon? 

Such a sad and tragic ending to a most beautiful wedding. 

As it turned out, the ugly and cruel war was over in May, but NO news from Horst. A visit of two officers at our home gave Friedl the grim and devastating news. None of the officers made it to their unit, that meant, they were caught by artillery approaching the front and none of them made it. My beloved sister, a beautiful bride and on the same day became a widow. 

Vienna 1999: Johann Strauss Gala Concert

My husband, Hal and I, Ilona had plans to fly to Germany in mid May to celebrate my birthday. My beloved sister, Friedl and her husband, Georg had purchased tickets for my Birthday to a Johann Strauss Gala Concert in Vienna. It will be an exciting evening, guest conductor Zubin Mehta outdoors at the Helden Platz “Heroes Plaza”. Guest performers José Carreras, tenor and Andrea Rost, soprano. On both sides of this large building were two TV screens so the spectators in the far back on this vast grassy area were able to see the orchestra and performance on the outdoor stage. This extensive, half round building has high above large statues of horses and riders, very stunning and majestic. 

One can see art and enormous, beautiful buildings and spectacular statues throughout Vienna, an old and most beautiful city in Austria. 

Old, elegant Cafe’s and restaurants like the well known Cafe Sacher in the Sacher Hotel. 

Another special place to secure tickets for is the Hofburg, the home and the arena for the World famous Lippizaner horses, the beautiful, white stallions. 

This evening’s performance will bring waltzes, polkas and marches, like during their televised New Years concerts every year we always watched and did not tire of. Not the music. Not the orchestra. 

The first piece of the orchestra was, Wiener Blut (Vienna blood) followed by Die Fledermaus (the bat). Then came in a great tempo a Csardas, the type of dance. The beautiful Loreley song, from a beautiful saga by the Rhine River about a maiden, calling out to her lover as ships past. A catching polka followed about a Nachtigal (nightingale) and love, sung in duet by José Carreras and Andrea Rost, beautiful and touching. 

The concert finished, like always, with a catchy march, The Radetsky March. Just to name a few pieces for this outstanding and exciting evening at the Heroe’s Plaza in Vienna. A feast for the heart and soul, an evening not ever to forget. 

We spent a night at the Sacher Hotel, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner; a beautiful prime rib with a dark, shiny sauce made with a fine Bordeaux wine in it, green asparagus and little potato balls, served right by our table with a fine, matured Bordeaux and for dessert we had the famous “Sacher Torte”. We had a good night’s rest and the following day we did some sight seeing in a carriage with beautiful horses throughout Vienna, the city and some beautiful parks, before we went on the bullet train back to Germany. We all four had a wonderful two-week visit together, with our favorite food, especially Friedl’s desserts, good conversation and lots of love. 

A great birthday gift, a warm and loving visit in this beginning of summer 1999. To be thankful, grateful and happy to my beloved Friedl and husband Georg. Never to forget. 

 

December 24^th in the United States of America

Referred to as Christmas Eve. When I was growing up, until 1954 when I came here, we in Germany referred to it as “Heilige Nacht”. The reason and the most important part of Christmas, “Holy Night”, the Birthday of our Jesus Christ.

For eight years now I tried very hard to come through this night, not even talking about being somewhat happy and not just sitting in my little apartment crying and longing for my beloved husband, Hal of 64 happy years, who died after a long illness right after Christmas eight years ago.

If the question is: “are you getting over it, is it getting easier”? NO, I am not getting over this pain, nor does it get easier.

So this year I thought about it for a while and decided to share my pain with others here who lost someone or they need to share their celebration with me. We made plans to get together here in our community room between 6:00PM and 7:00PM. I baked some savory, little goodies, had baked a cake, my Hal’s favorite cake, out of Vincent Price “A Treasury of Recipes”. The cake coming out of the oven, still hot, gets a syrup of Orange juice, sugar and Grand Marnier poured over it.

YUM!

Yelena, a good friend of ours here on the first floor will bring the Champagne and we were ready to celebrate “Holy Night”. I had wrapped all the little gifts, attached Christmas cards for every one that might come and join us.

We all gathered, enjoyed the food and the cake with the Champagne. The conversation was lively, the happy faces of Yelena, Glenda, Brett, Bonnie, John, Glenn and myself showed how much this was needed and I myself did not once look for a clock, not important to see how slowly or how fast it moved.

Why did I not think of this before?

I have been here eight years now and suffered loneliness, pain and longing every one of these beautiful “Holy Nights”. I found a solution for changing my ways. Friends!

It is all about friends, and having them is the secret to overcome the sadness, loneliness and that lost feeling we all get, after loosing our loved ones. I am positive that the reason and purpose of my 98 years on this Earth is due to all the friends I gathered, while on this Earth, otherwise how could I have managed to gather that many years?

Friends are the reason.

The follow-up for this special night came today on Christmas Day. I had a visit from a dear, dear friend, Dorothy with her niece, who is a Sister and came to visit Dorothy for Christmas. Dorothy had been quite ill and still did not have her strength back, but this visit from her lovely niece perked her up and she seems so happy having her stay a while. She is a wonderful lady with a wonderful sense of humor, she could make all the problems, we humans seem to gather go away, just by her presence. I really cherished today’s visit and I am not only happy, I am so grateful!

Friends, always the answer.

 My Lovely Friend for 45 years and More 

The year was 1980, my Hal finally had gotten his long awaited transfer back to his beloved Seattle. We had found a beautiful Condo on the east side of Seattle in the outskirts of Bellevue, Cougar Mountain, all in trees Townhomes. It had everything we had wanted. 

My Hal, while visiting his Ophthalmologist Dr. Milam had found me a job and after my interview with their manager, I knew I would like this job: I would again be working with numbers, accounting, the kind of work I like. The first few days, sitting in a corner in the hallway by a desk writing on a spreadsheet the numbers from the fee slips patients would give me on their way out and tallying them up at night. I also could observe the doctors going by and their assistants coming through with patients, going to different rooms. Some would give me a glance or a smile. 

I noticed one special assistant, as I found out in a few days, that she was the assistant of Dr. Reavelle, a lady named Karin. 

I liked her the minute I saw her. She was quiet, dignified and reminded me of my beloved sister Friedl. She wore a mid-leg length, two piece knitted dress in light brown, she had black hair, a nice figure and carried herself like my Friedl. I would love to meet her, talk with her and get to know her in time. 

Time went on and I got my wish. 

I met Karin – we met, talked and made eye contact when she would come out of her corner. We had nice conversations when she was between patients or on a break. I had such interest in Karin that I told my husband Hal about her. As we became acquainted, I looked forward to see Karin on the days she worked for Dr. Reavelle. 

It developed into a wonderful friendship while I was working there over the years. We would get together outside our workplace, enjoy shopping, style shows, lunches or a glass of bubbly together at the newly built Hyatt Hotel. All the wonderful things one does with a loving friend or sister. But since Karin was thirty years younger than I, it was more like a wonderful daughter. We spent hours together, laughing, talking, shopping in Seattle and never got tired spending quality time together. 

After 14 years I retired, the first time, but we stayed friends. It was then a great friendship between Karin, her wonderful husband Karl, me and my Hal. We had many memories together. I went back to work at the Eye Clinic some more years after my beloved Friedl died. Karin, my dearest friend had asked me. It helped me tremendously to manage my grief. Finally I retired and settled into that life, but our friendship continued, we got to be a happy circle of four great friends. Dinners at either homes, dinners out, maybe an evening at a concert or at the Rep. Theater in Seattle or an evening visiting together. 

Now, in my final years having lost my Hal eight years ago, feeling sad and lonely at times, Karin is always there in thought and often in person and with Karl. 

I am writing short stories for a website, another dear friend who had invited me to do this to keep my days filled with something meaningful and enjoyable for me. When the stories appear I can always count on Karin to write something nice or something complementing into the comment column. Karin is a lot of times the only one. 

Karin and Karl live now a three hour drive away from me, but they do come and visit me most times when they drive across the mountain passes to visit their family members or their friends.  

A 45 year friendship! A long and loving time in my life, which started with a glimpse of a lady in a brown knit dress, reminding me of my beloved Friedl. How Karin has enriched my life and still does. Soon, we can say, we have had this loving bond 46 wonderful years! 

Thank you from the heart my dearest Karin and Karl! You have enriched my life in so many ways. 

Germany 1938 Christmas

I, Ilona, was eleven years old, my sister, Friedl was thirteen years old and my brother, Wolfgang was seventeen years old. As it turned out, it was our last Christmas all together since my brother came home from School in Sonthofen, located south in the Alpine Mountains. A big University where he also learned to fly Gliders.

At that time, we were not aware that our lives would dramatically change with our new leadership of Adolf Hitler.

This will be a wonderful Advent season, since we had quite a bit of snow already. What we looked forward to was that our Mrs. Kramer had her younger sister, Marga, coming to visit her for the Christmas Holidays.

She was a lovely lady, just like our Mrs. Kramer. She will be here until December 27^th when she takes the train home to Baden Baden in the Black Forest.

Mama and Mrs. Kramer had wonderful plans made for the Christmas days, December 24^th, 25^th and 26^th. Of course my father agreed with their plan.

Today, the work in our kitchen was going full speed, since we are having our Christmas dinner, also we are celebrating Marga’s arrival. She is coming by train and our papa will take Mrs. Kramer to pick up her sister to come here. Our mama, Friedl and I will pick up a Herren Torte at Mr. Espenschied’s Patisserie. This glorious confection will be the centerpiece on our Christmas dessert table. It is four layers of Genois cake, in between layers of coffee crème and on the top all around the outer edge, little swans of Pâte à choux dough, filled with coffee crème. 

It is stunning to look at and delicious to eat. The dinner will be Goose, crispy outside, well done and moist inside with a very delicious paté filling. A wonderful flavored sauce, white asparagus and a casserole of potatoe/apples à gratin on the side. Our papa will bring from his wine cellar the appropriate wine. Every body is looking forward and hungry for this great dinner tonight.

Tomorrow morning we will be packing up the cars, ours and Mrs. Kramer’s with the Christmas gifts, enough warm clothing , boots, skis for papa, Marga and my brother. Our destination is in the Taunus Mountains, a most beautiful ski resort, a wonderful Hotel, we will stay in for December24, 25^th and 26^th. My papa, Wolfgang and Marga will go skiing, while mama, Mrs. Kramer, Friedl and I will be spoiled in the Hotel Spa and after, we will sit by a big fireplace with music in the back ground and being served “Gluehwein.” (A heated wine with orange slices, cloves and cinnamon sticks.) Friedl and I will enjoy hot chocolate of course. YUM.

The snow coming down outside as it is getting dark. Wonderful conversation, laughter and love. Later, in the evening we will all enjoy the Christmas Concert of the Messiah in the Cathedral down in the city. A glorious Christmas, good food for stomach, soul and senses, and family with lots of love. A Christmas we all will remember for many years to come.

Good and kind that we can not anticipate what Christmas 1939 has in store for our family.

Advent Season and Heilige Nacht (Holy Night)

Right after Thanks Giving here in the United States, Europe starts the  season of Advent and preparations for Christmas festivities go on full swing. Goodies for the Advent Sundays are making their appearance and with that the good smells coming from the kitchen and for afternoon tea time wonders appear along with beautiful wreath decorated and with four big candles in the center of the dining and kitchen tables. Each Sunday one candle is lit. There are four Sundays during Advent. The front door also gets beautiful decorations and of course the large foyer is beautifully dressed in Christmas attire. A gorgeous Chinese vessel holds three white Poinsettias decorating the Grand Piano and the center table holding a Lalique vessel with white French tulips and some evergreens.

Growing up with these activities and holiday transformations we enjoyed very much because of what followed in just a few weeks: Heilige Nacht (Holy Night), Jesus’ Birthday when the beautiful tall Noble Fir will appear to be decorated and beautify the living room.

The main attraction for my brother, Wolfgang, my sister, Friedl and me was always our “grocery store” while we were growing up. It had a counter, behind was shelving with little drawers. It was always freshly painted and filled with eatable things, food made from Marzipan. Miniature loaves of bread, miniature Broetchen (little rolls). On the counter was a scale and little paper bags to pack up what our friends had chosen. One of us would stand behind the counter to serve our friends, our customers. Hopeful we have learned over time, not to eat all of what we had in little paper bags at once or our tummies would feel bad. But one forgets by next Christmas and repeat it again. The rule that followed, we could not eat any of it, until we had our supper.

The fun part of it was really not the eating, it was the friends who would love to pick the marzipan confections to take home and share. Christmas eve our mama, our father, Mrs. Kramer and Mrs. Nietsche would be our customers in our little store. The big surprise was for us, they paid!