We stayed in Langen about eighteen months then moved to Gateway Gardens on the base. The building was made up of six apartments with a stairwell in the middle. On the lower level was another apartment. Ours was on the first floor and quite nice with three bedrooms. I remember going to this huge warehouse and picking out furniture for it. And, how about the television that only had German programs? We watched Bonanza with all of the characters speaking Deutsch. The Browns lived on the second floor during our years there and we enjoyed their friendship. Above us at one time, a family of four boys roller-skated across their bare floors and became a nuisance. But we all survived and later on, they got transferred. At Gateway Gardens, Bill started kindergarten and was a reluctant student. It took him an hour to walk three blocks as he would stop to play, get dirty and come back home with some excuse why he couldn't go that day.
The Air Force had its rules too; one being that we couldn't wear mini-skirts to the commissary or other base facilities, another: "no stretch pants" - the kind with the strap under your foot. I guess they thought we would incite a riot among the single airmen. If you were caught, they would give your husband some kind of reprimand that went into his record.
At G.G., I learned to play pinochle. Eight of us would get together on Monday nights at each others' house. I made many friends there as Wells moved on base along with the Alexanders. We had a lot of house parties or gatherings. Our children were all around the same age. Another family who still lived "on the economy" were the Shavers - Carolyn, Willie and their four girls. They lived on a second floor apartment in a village about thirty minutes from the base. We would all go out there and attend the fests in the village which were held quite often and proved to be a lot of fun esp. with the Oompah bands. Another time, the guys helped Willie move a piano up to their floor. They finally accomplished this with the help of a case of beer.
Carolyn, Edna Brown and I were all Girl Scout leaders and took part in many events going on in Germany. Carolyn and I attended a big conference in Garmisch for four days. C. had been learning German but was very limited. However, we muddled along. She used to say that the only thing she could remember was "are you going to wash your clothes on Monday or Tuesday?" And that didn't get us very far.
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Ah- Gateway Gardens- I remember it well! I got my pair of jumping shoes there and had the best time, boinging around the front yard. Beverly Brown and I would walk her dogs every day, and when we got Pepper, I finally had my own dog to walk once again. Leaving Louie and Nibbles behind in the states had been horrendous for me. We all loved the get togethers with the Wells' and Shavers' too. David used to sing "California Dreamin'" and I was in love for the first time. However, I do seem to remember when we first met them that Jane said she would "take Curt," and I could "have David." Since their ages matched ours, it worked out just fine, and I think I ended up with the better deal anyway!! haha. Come to think of it, I also had to "take Ringo" of the Beatles because Jane had George, Cindy Shaver had Paul, and someone else had John...but I grew to love Ringo, too. I was soooo easily persuaded...:)
LOL that is so funny, Kath. I guess I was pretty bossy. Didn't tell you that I saw Beverley Brown in Ocean City and she wasted no time telling me how mean I was to the two of you. She said she was scared of me and glad she didn't have an older sister. Wow. I have no memory of being THAT mean. I found myself apologizing over and over. :) Even though I "took" Curt and you "had" David, neither of those relationships went anywhere. I remember wanting to go to the Teen Club with all the cool kids and not being allowed, therefore relegated to the nerd group. My really big crush was Walter Lawrence but we were just "buddies" and he liked my friend Lys instead. But I did have good friends there, Lys, Cindy, Kathy (can't remember her maiden name now but she had the "older" parents), and some others. We had lots of fun hanging out with the Wells' and Shavers and listening to lots of rock and roll music.
Didn't David play guitar for awhile? I remember him playing "Oh Mona" again and again. I recall eating out at a gashaus with Wells and Shavers. You all ate at one table and the adults at another. We saw this German couple gesturing and talking and they finally told us that they were trying to figure out which kids belonged to what parents.
Yeah, David played the guitar. Hey, Jane, it's ok. I learned a lot from you, and I don't really think of you as having been "bossy." I always admired you because you seemed so self-assured, and I was scared of my own shadow. Still do (admire you, that is)- no longer such a scaredy cat, though- thank God. I think everyone had a crush on Walter Lawrence! I had a boy this year in class named Walter, and he reminded me of WL- how funny is that? And he was definitely one of the cool kids. I guess with a name like Walter, ya gotta be cool.
I hope you are keeping/copying these memories. Your kids will certainly like reading about them
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