MyEuropeanTouch and My Life In War Torn Germany - Part 2

Here's is part 2 of Monika's childhood story...

Here is part two of my early childhood. We lived for quite some time in Berlin (East) until the Allied gave up the sectors with the exception of Russia. Now before that happened my parent made the decision to move to Kiel on the Baltic Sea where my Dad’s family was. 

Again, we found 2 rooms and kitchen, or what you could call a former kitchen in the wreckage of the after War, barely inhabitable, but others did not have it any different. So my very talented and creative parents made the best of it. 

Newspaper in front of the cracked Window glass and blankets in addition at Winter time. It was an old building in a former affluent neighborhood but had nothing to show for it now. The left side of the apartment home was livable and Mom and Dad started scrunching some furniture from the rubble and ruins around us, Dad fixed them as best as he could. Mom went to look for 

dishes and silverware in the rubble that were usable and I remember eating my food from plates with a Haken Kreuz on them.

Discarded Soldiers Canteens were our soup bowls and Dad hammered the Soldiers helmets as flat as he could at the top so Mom could use them as pots. WE had a big pot belly stove in the former kitchen and heated with wood from the rubble around us. Dad heated up a brick for everyone of us to take to bed under the covers for warmth.

We were in Kiel and escaped before the Russian closed the borders and refused to get out like the French, American’s and Brits did.

So that was good. During World War II, Kiel’s importance grew. The town was where Germany’s deadly “Wolf Pack” of submarines was born, and the city became a major U-boat base and production center. The U-boat menace made Kiel a high-priority target for Allied bombers.

By the end of the war, the town had been pummeled so many times—there were almost 100 heavy raids on Kiel between 1940 and 1944—that 80 percent of the town’s buildings were destroyed and 167,000 people were homeless.was also bombed to shreds as this was the city containing the largest U-boat Ships building yard for Hitler's Regime.

Can you imagine?  Your whole world being changed in an instant.  Could you survive?

Be blessed,

Debbi

Our summer school field trip - Ft. Dobbs

One of the pluses to homeschooling your child, is you can have class anytime and anywhere.   This past Friday, our local living history group had a summer camp at Ft. Dobbs in Statesville, NC.  It wasn't as big as the school day they have in the fall, but we enjoyed it.  Hannah brought a friend, and because she's at the age that parents embarrass her (especially me), they took off by themselves.  Which left me with little B and Owen.  In the following pictures, you won't see B because as a foster child, per the HIPPA laws, I am not "suppose" to post his information.  But he's been our son for almost 6 years, it's hard to take a family picture without him in it. lol.  So let me share with you our fun day...

(warning...this post is photo filled)

The first station was the toys and games.  Here a young woman was trying to teach Owen how to play "gracies."  That's here you throw a hoop with 2 sticks and then try to catch it.  It's harder than you think!

Here are the boys trying to roll hoops down the hill.  The grass was too high, and the hoops didn't roll well, but the boys had fun trying

Owen loves music, and he enjoyed this man playing a tin whistle.  After the man explained to the boys all about the tin whistle and the songs of that day, he played a few songs.  When he was done, Owen asked if he knew how to play the Angry Bird song...that poor man was confused.  It was too funny.

Then on to the cooking show...here is one of the few times Hannah met up with us.  But don't worry, Ft. Dobbs is not that big, so she was never very far away.  And her friend was 15 and watching out for her.

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Owen wasn't quite sure about the Cherokee Indian.  He asked the man what was wrong with his face, then he couldn't take his eyes off the mans nose ring.  I did get him to stand next to the Indian for this picture, but Owen wasn't going to get too close.

Owen liked this old wooden wheelbarrow, but he wasn't too crazy about getting his hands dirty for this photo op...that's my boy. lol.

These photos aren't the best because I forgot my good camera and had to rely on my cell phone.

There is a nice hiking trail behind the field, and the boys wanted to explore.  Owen had on his new sneakers, and we broke them in well. :0)

They wanted to follow these steps, but they looked a little too unexplored for my comfort.

After the hike it was time to go back to the fort.  I was surprised that Owen stood and talked to this soldier about his gun.  Owen is my country boy and loves to play with his toy rifle.  I know, totally politically incorrect, but a child who is taught about guns and gun safety...is safe.

He didn't even cover his ears when the flintlock was fired.

This last station was where Owen learned to march...and he did a pretty good job too.

After we left the fort, it was on to Lakewook Park and a pizza lunch.  You can't beat a $5 pizza from Little Ceasers.  And of course, we had to walk the trails there too.

Owen had a great time hiking...but boy, is Gramma out of shape!  And sandals were the wrong fashion foot wear for the day.  But we enjoyed checking out the trees, and moss, and bugs, and ducks.

It didn't take Owen long to fall asleep that night.  That's our new kitten Patches, and my baby PeeWee.  Owen is very good with all the animals at Grammas house.  And that pillow next to him?

Well, that one's mine, and this was one night I skipped the 11 o'clock news.

How was your weekend?  Did you spend it with someone you love?

Be blessed,

Debbi