Christmas Time in Germany Christmas time starts with the four Sundays prior to Christmas day, called Advent. On most tables in the dining rooms or even kitchen tables, beautifully decorated Advent wreaths go center stage. There are four candles on that wreath and each Sunday one additional candle gets lighted and by Christmas eve all …
Author Archives: Administrator
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 160
The Classic Carolers My beloved husband Hal was searching for some unusual Christmas decorations for his library. We had seen at Molback’s Nursery’s gift shop these wonderful Victorian Carolers, dressed in garments from the 1800s, beautiful, handmade and nostalgic. We were going to put together several adults and children, to have a large group of …
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 159
Finding my Way Back: A Follow-up Story to “I Lost my Way” I wrote a little story about how I lost my way during my very difficult times long ago, when I was young, a war raging and had terrifying effects on lives. Trying now to find my way back after I did not believe …
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 158
My Most Interesting and Adventurous Job My husband, Hal, and I, Ilona returned from a seven week visit to Germany and as I entered my favorite Drug Store in Bellevue, where we resided, the nurse behind the counter waved at me and asked me to talk with her if I had the time. She told …
Story 157and a half–Addendum to Story 157
An Addendum to Story 157 “One Good Thing Leads to Another” Eine Kleine Berg Kapelle (A little Mountain Chapel) This is a little addendum, a story to tell my readers this special reason for this special and beautiful mountain chapel, by Julius Boehm’s home in Issaquah, Washington. My Hal’s good friend Julius Boehm’s reason of …
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Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 157
One Good Thing Leads to Another After arriving in the United States in 1954 and getting acquainted with some of my Hal’s friends, like Fred and Marylou, two dear friends since high school, I was pleasantly surprised to get to meet some more. Fred was one of my Hal’s best friends and buddy’s and he …
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 156
A Party for Hal and Ilona This was the year 1954 and a big “going away” party was planned by my friends. I was leaving my home in Germany as soon as my visa and entry permit would be granted. My Hal had to leave already, which was a law, after marrying a German National. …
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 155
November 14th A Very Special Day Frankfurt/Germany November 14th,1953 was the happiest day of my life. But not for long, after a ten-day honeymoon I had to say goodbye again to my beloved Hal, my new husband. His time in the Armed Forces was up and he was being shipped out from Bremer Haven, going …
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 154
One of Those Many Callouts It was the year 1963 and my husband, Hal, working for AT&T was transferred from Seattle, Washington to a brand-new facility, a Radio Communications center built in North Bend, at the base of the Cascade Mountains. The original crew of six technicians were a close-knit group and the callouts for …
Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 153
The Little Apple Tree After my husband, Hal and I (Ilona) retired, we decided to leave the city life behind and move to a quieter place with less rain to the eastside of the Cascade Mountain Range to a small town by a beautiful lake called Chelan. After a long search and process, we found …