TOO MANY TEXTS
The Reporter was complaining that one of his FRIENDS was sending him "too
many texts" and that he "hated it" to get all those texts.
He said that because of that "he would text that friend less and
less".
HOW SAD THE WORLD HAS BECOME
Then the phone was discovered, and everybody was so exited that “they now could phone families and friends who lived distances away”
26 August 2021
HARDSHIPS
When the population
was made aware of a Covid-19 pandemic last year in February 2020 many people
panicked.
The last year have
been difficult for everybody in many different ways. Loss of jobs, poverty, and
inability to be with friends and family members.
Many people have gone
through many hardships because of the pandemic and millions have died.
We have also had a
covid-death in our family.
In March 2020 as I was
walking into Walmart, a medium sized truck parked outside, and a couple was
frantically loading the truck with toilet paper as if somebody would steal it
from them.
They were not the only
ones hoarding toilet paper. Within the
next couple of days there was no toilet paper to be bought in neither Walmart nor
any other grocery store.
I made me think of my childhood.
we did not have any toilet paper problems, because in our family we did have
any “regular” toilet paper nor a toilet that could flush. My Dad would rib up
newspapers for us to use and that was it.
EXPECTATIONS OF material
needs.
Today we seem to be so dependent on materialistic things.
When me and my two sisters Inge Lise and Birgit were raised, we were not
used to getting “things”
Nor were we having “choices” of foods from a menu. In the morning it was
oatmeal porridge in the winter and raw oats with milk in the summer. No
Cinnamon toast nor Fruit loops.
Sometimes as a treat my Mom would make what we called YMER. It looked a
bit like Yogurt. She would place the whole milk outside in the sun and it would
“set”. She would then fry roasted dark
rye bread to spread on top.
If it was special days, she would bake Danish Cinnamon Buns. Under the war
fruits were scarce. I was eight years old before I tasted a banana.
TRANSPORTATION
We had no car. Only bicycles and those we could not drive if there was snow
in winter, so we had to walk.
In my first five grades I walked 2.5 mile to school and 2.5 mile back
home.
Sometimes in the winter we would have frost bites in our toes and the
remedy was that we had to pee on our feet to make the frost bites go away.
NO HEAT IN THE WHOLE HOUSE IN THE WINTER
We had a wood stove for cooking food in the kitchen and a stand-up wood
heater in the living room – but no heat in the bedrooms.
Every night through the winter, my Dad would heat up five red bricks in our
kitchen “wood stove”. Then he would wrap them in newspaper and then in towels
and place them in our beds to keep our feet warm.
We slept with warm homemade pajamas and hats on under the goose feather
downs.
READY TO LEAVE AT ANY TIME
Under the 2nd world War when the Germans took over our
country, nobody was allowed out at night when it turned dark because we had to
pull the BLACK shades which was required so no light would show out from homes.
Every evening my Dad would check our “bug-out” bags that he had made.
They were ready in case we suddenly had to leave if the Germans came to get us.”
There they were 5 pack sacks and polished shoes standing in the hallway for
five years.
One thing I have never been able to figure out though “why my Dad always
polished our shoes.
Every night my Dad would listen to the BBC, and we were happy when Vera
Lynn would sing “We’ll Meet Again” – Don’t know where, Don’t know when.
Instead of being so critical of the medical professionals we need to let the
pandemic help us to care more for people instead of making politics out of it.
We need better appreciation for our lives and not let the pandemic
divide families and friends.
Vibeke Lindhardt
24 July 2021
WONDERS FROM HEAVEN. Ch.2
1985 when I Lived in Vernon, B.C., I was struggling financially, trying to support myself and my 18-year-old son Harly.
My husband of 28 years had left the family for “a younger size 9” and moved to Hawaii.
Harly and I lived just from month to month. There was no money for extras like
clothes, fun and recreation. Life was pretty depressing.
So, I was therefore really surprised when I received an invitation from my girlfriend Gisela Fromm – who at that time lived in Prince Rupert, BC to take trip with her to Tokyo for a week. All paid for.
She phoned me one day and said: You only have to pay the trip to Vancouver! What are you talking about. I said ••• I am not going to Vancouver. I can't afford it."
"NO, she said, you are going to Japan!"
She kept talking in riddles. so I told her that if I could not afford Vancouver, how in the world would I be able to afford Japan.
Well, finally she told me that she won a trip to Japan, through Super Value, for two people and she was inviting me to go with her, because her husband Helmuth Fromm did not want to go with her.
I was in shock. It was only two months before we had to leave.
But as the time went on my excitement was mixed with worries because no matter how much I tried; I could not save up for spending money for the trip.
I finally phoned Gisela and told her I did not know if I would be able to go. She said she wanted me to go, and that she would pay for the food and the transportation, and since the ticket was including accommodations at Hotel Prince in Tokyo, she assured me that I would be o.k.
I did not feel good about taxing my friend, but since her husband refused to go with her and she kept pushing me, I decided not to spend any money and just enjoy the trip and the two free tours to the country via the bullet train, which were also included in the ticket, and we decided that we could always go to McDonald's to eat.
It was the day before. I was leaving from Vernon. I was packed and ready to go. My visa was in order. My $20.00 was in my wallet.
I went for a walk early in the morning. When I came back there was a small white envelope in my mail box. I thought it was rather early for the mailman to be there but did not pay much attention to that.
I opened the letter and out fell a small plastic card on the floor with a 'picture of Christ with his arms open in a welcome posture, " and a writing by that said:
"How much do you love me?" I asked Jesus, and Jesus said I "This much •
Then he spread his arms and died for me."
Inside the envelope was $300.00, but not the name of the giver.
I was shocked, and astonished. I felt grateful, thankful, and totally startled.
I had a wonderful trip.
I never did find out who gave me the money, but I still remember with gratitude in my heart, that special moment when I received the mystery gift.
Vibeke Lindhardt
2019
WONDERS FROM HEAVEN Chapter 1.
My Mom – Else Margrethe Gunhild Emmely Madsen
(nee Rasmussen
I believe that sometimes we have experiences that is
“hard to explain” without admitting to ourselves that there is a higher power
that is beyond our understanding.
Over the years I have had a few of those and have been
encouraged by some of my family members to share them.
I have therefore decided to call all of them
Experiences from WONDERS FROM HEAVEN.
They will not necessarily be in DATE order
This will be my first story:
Keld and I immigrated from Copenhagen to Canada
leaving November 25th, first sailing with “Batory” to Quebec and
then three days on train to Edmonton, Alberta where our friends Dick and
Arvella picked us up.
After living in Lethbridge for 6 months we moved to
Kinnaird (now amalgamated with Castlegar) July 1967.
We were extremely poor. We looked for bottles to sell
for our food. We could not afford to buy real milk for our baby Harly.
Nevertheless, in 1968 we bought a music store
“Columbia Music” in Trail, BC – on 100% credit – from an old Italien – Isadore
Lazzari – who apparently trusted us, because we did not own a dime.
We managed, but it was really tough, but with Keld’s
trade as aa piano tuner we were able to make a living but had to watch every
penny.
After a couple of years, we moved the store to a more
trafficked area on the same street. The store was bigger and with a full
basement, so we had room for pianos and then we started to offer guitar
lessons. Nevertheless, we were still struggling.
There was one month when we were short of $20 to pay
our rent that month. When the day came,
we were worried that we would take in enough money to pay the rent by end of
the day. Well, unexplainable to this day, there was $20 laying by our entrance
door when we came to the store.
Can you explain that?
But that was not the only thing happening. In early February 1970 I felt I needed to go
and visit my Mom. I spoke to Keld about it and we both agreed that the money
was just not there, especially since I would to bring our now three year old
little Harly.
Linda, who by then was 13 years old, would stay behind
and help Keld in the store after work.
She was actually quite capable of taking care of the store for a couple
of hours when Keld had to tune a piano.
So we tried to put it out of our minds about me going
to Denmark, but it kept coming in to my brain so Keld and I tried to find out
“how we could do it, and I went to the travel bureau to book a trip for Harly
and I. We decided on June 10th.
I would not have to pay for Harly, but she asked me if
he was traveling on my passport?
Well, I had never thought about that at that time. I
still had a Danish passport but Harly was born in Calgary and needed a Canadian
passport.
The lady at the travel bureau told me it normally
would take 3-6 months to get a passport.
At that time, you would have to apply for a passport through the travel
agency.
I asked her if she could “speed it up”. She said she would try, and we did get the
passport for Harly, after three weeks, so I asked her if she then could change
my flight time so I could travel to Copenhagen earlier than the 10th
of June. She tried really hard, but was not able to get any seats for us before
7th of June. I thought that
was useless to pay extra for having the flight moved three days ahead, but Keld
and I decided to do it anyway. So Harly and I flew to Copenhagen on Friday June
7th.
I thought I would surprise my Mom and did not tell her
we were coming, before I arrived in Copenhagen. I phoned her from Kastrup
airport and she was so surprised – and happy - when I told her that Harly and I
would be at her place in Hillerød within a couple of hours.
My Mom lived in a very small -one room – apartment (no
bedroom), but my Mom’s motto – which I adopted later in life – was always “If
there is room in your heart, then there is room in your house”. We never thought about “if we had room” when
people announced that they would be coming to visit you. We “made room”, even
if it meant that guests were sleeping – happily – on the floor.
Nevertheless, my Mom gave me and Harly her bed to
sleep in and she slept on her little couch where the “arm-seats” could be
pulled down to a bed. It worked out.
I asked my Mom, if my very good friends Lizzie and
Pall Nolsø could come for dinner Sunday afternoon and she was more than
delighted to make a dinner for us, so they arrived, and we had a wonderful
dinner. (My Mom was an awesome cook –
who by the way inspired me to love cooking).
After the dinner I wanted to walk Lizzie and Pall (we
called him Pot) down to the road. My Mom
lived on 2nd floor (which was called 1st floor in
Denmark) and the first floor was called “Stuen”. Lizzie, Pall and I were
standing on the street and waved to my Mom, who had opened the window to wave
to us.
I said goodbye to Lizzie and Pall and went upstairs.
As I opened the door I kept talking to my Mom – who
had already made her bed – on the couch and was laying there. I am sure she was
worn out from the day. Us Danes we visit
for hours when we get together.
I could not understand why she did not answer me when
I spoke to her and I asked her “Mom, why are you not answering”?
Still no answer, so I walked over to her couch and
noticed that her eyes were rolling in her head.
I totally freaked out.
Harly was sitting on the bed in his Pajama.
I ran in to the neighbor. (It was an apartment
building where there were three apartments on each floor) Well, I was lucky
that the young couple were home. They called the ambulance and took Harly,
while my Mom was rushed to the hospital.
I totally freaking out.
They rushed her into emergency and closed the door on
me and told me to wait in the waiting room.
I waited 10 minutes when the doctor came and told me
“that my Mom had passed away from a stroke”.
I totally broke down.
She was only 62 years old. Why?
Then I started to feel guilt. I asked the Doctor if it was my fault by
surprising her with me coming from Canada.
He reassured me that it was not, but unfortunately, I blamed myself –
for years – for my Mom’s death, and even today 2019 I am still wondering if I
caused my Mom’s death, but…….
If I have to look at it from a different perspective -
was it then “A Wonder From Heaven”?
Why did I suddenly in February feel that strong of
“Urgency” and that I needed to go home?
I had not been home in Denmark since Keld and I left 1966.
Why did I feel I had to move my trip three days ahead
from June 10th to the 7th?
At that time my oldest sister Inge Lise lived in same
town as my Mom, and Birgit lived in Copenhagen and still I came 6000 miles away
and was the last person with my Mom? Why?
Inge Lise was shocked when I phoned her from the
hospital and told her that Mom had passed away, and so was Birgit. We were all
wondering “Why would I be the last one to be with Mom”?
As I look back now, I believe it was one of those “WONDERS
FROM HEAVEN” and one of the experiences that has strengthened my testimony
“that there is God” who looks after us.
All we have to do is to leave our lives in his hands.
Vibeke Lindhardt
My Mom – Else Margrethe Gunhild Emmely Madsen
(nee Rasmussen
I believe that sometimes we have experiences that is
“hard to explain” without admitting to ourselves that there is a higher power
that is beyond our understanding.
Over the years I have had a few of those and have been
encouraged by some of my family members to share them.
I have therefore decided to call all of them
Experiences from WONDERS FROM HEAVEN.
They will not necessarily be in DATE order
This will be my first story:
Keld and I immigrated from Copenhagen to Canada
leaving November 25th, first sailing with “Batory” to Quebec and
then three days on train to Edmonton, Alberta where our friends Dick and
Arvella picked us up.
After living in Lethbridge for 6 months we moved to
Kinnaird (now amalgamated with Castlegar) July 1967.
We were extremely poor. We looked for bottles to sell
for our food. We could not afford to buy real milk for our baby Harly.
Nevertheless, in 1968 we bought a music store
“Columbia Music” in Trail, BC – on 100% credit – from an old Italien – Isadore
Lazzari – who apparently trusted us, because we did not own a dime.
We managed, but it was really tough, but with Keld’s
trade as aa piano tuner we were able to make a living but had to watch every
penny.
After a couple of years, we moved the store to a more
trafficked area on the same street. The store was bigger and with a full
basement, so we had room for pianos and then we started to offer guitar
lessons. Nevertheless, we were still struggling.
There was one month when we were short of $20 to pay
our rent that month. When the day came,
we were worried that we would take in enough money to pay the rent by end of
the day. Well, unexplainable to this day, there was $20 laying by our entrance
door when we came to the store.
Can you explain that?
But that was not the only thing happening. In early February 1970 I felt I needed to go
and visit my Mom. I spoke to Keld about it and we both agreed that the money
was just not there, especially since I would to bring our now three year old
little Harly.
Linda, who by then was 13 years old, would stay behind
and help Keld in the store after work.
She was actually quite capable of taking care of the store for a couple
of hours when Keld had to tune a piano.
So we tried to put it out of our minds about me going
to Denmark, but it kept coming in to my brain so Keld and I tried to find out
“how we could do it, and I went to the travel bureau to book a trip for Harly
and I. We decided on June 10th.
I would not have to pay for Harly, but she asked me if
he was traveling on my passport?
Well, I had never thought about that at that time. I
still had a Danish passport but Harly was born in Calgary and needed a Canadian
passport.
The lady at the travel bureau told me it normally
would take 3-6 months to get a passport.
At that time, you would have to apply for a passport through the travel
agency.
I asked her if she could “speed it up”. She said she would try, and we did get the
passport for Harly, after three weeks, so I asked her if she then could change
my flight time so I could travel to Copenhagen earlier than the 10th
of June. She tried really hard, but was not able to get any seats for us before
7th of June. I thought that
was useless to pay extra for having the flight moved three days ahead, but Keld
and I decided to do it anyway. So Harly and I flew to Copenhagen on Friday June
7th.
I thought I would surprise my Mom and did not tell her
we were coming, before I arrived in Copenhagen. I phoned her from Kastrup
airport and she was so surprised – and happy - when I told her that Harly and I
would be at her place in Hillerød within a couple of hours.
My Mom lived in a very small -one room – apartment (no
bedroom), but my Mom’s motto – which I adopted later in life – was always “If
there is room in your heart, then there is room in your house”. We never thought about “if we had room” when
people announced that they would be coming to visit you. We “made room”, even
if it meant that guests were sleeping – happily – on the floor.
Nevertheless, my Mom gave me and Harly her bed to
sleep in and she slept on her little couch where the “arm-seats” could be
pulled down to a bed. It worked out.
I asked my Mom, if my very good friends Lizzie and
Pall Nolsø could come for dinner Sunday afternoon and she was more than
delighted to make a dinner for us, so they arrived, and we had a wonderful
dinner. (My Mom was an awesome cook –
who by the way inspired me to love cooking).
After the dinner I wanted to walk Lizzie and Pall (we
called him Pot) down to the road. My Mom
lived on 2nd floor (which was called 1st floor in
Denmark) and the first floor was called “Stuen”. Lizzie, Pall and I were
standing on the street and waved to my Mom, who had opened the window to wave
to us.
I said goodbye to Lizzie and Pall and went upstairs.
As I opened the door I kept talking to my Mom – who
had already made her bed – on the couch and was laying there. I am sure she was
worn out from the day. Us Danes we visit
for hours when we get together.
I could not understand why she did not answer me when
I spoke to her and I asked her “Mom, why are you not answering”?
Still no answer, so I walked over to her couch and
noticed that her eyes were rolling in her head.
I totally freaked out.
Harly was sitting on the bed in his Pajama.
I ran in to the neighbor. (It was an apartment
building where there were three apartments on each floor) Well, I was lucky
that the young couple were home. They called the ambulance and took Harly,
while my Mom was rushed to the hospital.
I totally freaking out.
They rushed her into emergency and closed the door on
me and told me to wait in the waiting room.
I waited 10 minutes when the doctor came and told me
“that my Mom had passed away from a stroke”.
I totally broke down.
She was only 62 years old. Why?
Then I started to feel guilt. I asked the Doctor if it was my fault by
surprising her with me coming from Canada.
He reassured me that it was not, but unfortunately, I blamed myself –
for years – for my Mom’s death, and even today 2019 I am still wondering if I
caused my Mom’s death, but…….
If I have to look at it from a different perspective -
was it then “A Wonder From Heaven”?
Why did I suddenly in February feel that strong of
“Urgency” and that I needed to go home?
I had not been home in Denmark since Keld and I left 1966.
Why did I feel I had to move my trip three days ahead
from June 10th to the 7th?
At that time my oldest sister Inge Lise lived in same
town as my Mom, and Birgit lived in Copenhagen and still I came 6000 miles away
and was the last person with my Mom? Why?
Inge Lise was shocked when I phoned her from the
hospital and told her that Mom had passed away, and so was Birgit. We were all
wondering “Why would I be the last one to be with Mom”?
As I look back now, I believe it was one of those “WONDERS
FROM HEAVEN” and one of the experiences that has strengthened my testimony
“that there is God” who looks after us.
All we have to do is to leave our lives in his hands.
Vibeke Lindhardt
THE SIEGE ON THE UNTED STATES CAPITAL
HILL
86 people have
been arrested – so far for the Capitol Hill Siege. Five people have died incl.
a Capital Hill Officer.
I am very sad
and extremely baffled by all of those (incl. some of my very close family and friends)
who still believe Donald Trump has done nothing wrong- in spite of all the
proofs of damage done, not only as President the last four year, but most of
his life.
I am just
praying and hoping that justice will take place and that those who were so
fooled and blinded by his charisma and organized conspiracy theories “many of
them presented to him by other” incl. some of them working right in the Congress
and the Senate - will change their minds when all the truths will be revealed -
and they will, because the truth always comes out in the end.
Joe Biden has
a long history of being an honorable and trustworthy man. He now has a very heavy
burden passed on to him, but I believe that with the help of many of the good
people and trustworthy people he has chosen for his cabinet, he will be up to
the job and restore democracy in United States.
It will not be
easy, but it will be worth it. The whole world is watching.
Vibeke
10 January 2021
2020-2021 COVID 19 PANDEMIC
My son Harly Neumann’s’ brother-in-law “Vie Lieu” –
age 44 – passed away on 27 December 2020 from the Corona Virus.
