Winston

This is another writing assignment from the writing class I took with Lauren.  It is about our dog Winston.  Winston has since passed away, but it brought back memories, so I thought I would share it.

Our Dog Winston

Our dog can leap higher than the railing and put his paws on your chest.

Our dog can bark so loud that he can wake the whole neighborhood at 2 a.m.

Our dog is chocolate, with a hint of honey in the summer and a little bit of white cream.

Our dog likes to run like the wind when it is cool, but will hide like a rabbit from the burning sun.

Our dog likes home cooking better than family.  He prefers steaks and spaghetti with meatballs.

Our dog has more hair than a bear, and likes to leave a trail of it when in the house. 


Winston

Winston

14 Feb 1990 to 09 Jan 2004.

I come from…

I took a writing class with my daughter a few years ago.  I just found one of the assignments in a stack of papers.  It struck me that it still holds true today.  So I thought I would share it.

I come from….

I come from a field that is sometimes plowed, sometimes planted, and sometimes hay.

I come from stacks of books filled with story upon story, fact upon fact.

I come from a list of schedules, all strung together to make things happen during the day.

I come from a house, next to a house, that is next to others, but to me it is home.

I come from three kids who define my evenings and weekends.

I come from my friend, who starts and ends each day with me and who warms me with her laugh and smile.

Foods for New Year’s Day

Are there special foods your family eats on New Year’s Day?  Each year my family covers the bases by eating several foods thought to bring good luck in the New Year.

First is Black Eyed Peas and Corn Bread. I was told growing up the more Black Eyed Peas you eat on New Year’s Day, the more money that will come your way in the New Year.

Next, from my German and Polish side, Sauerkraut and Pork or Pork Sausage was thought to bring good luck in the New Year. Cabbage could also be served instead of the Sauerkraut. My dad also ate Pickled Herring or sardines, but I could never get into that one.

And living in Texas, we add a few more. On the menu will also be Tamales and Chili. Both are thought to bring good luck in the New Year.

What food traditions does your family follow on New Year’s Day?

Gutten Tag Herr Voigt!

Ernst Voigt
Ernst Voigt

Every time I went over to see my Grandma and Grandpa Voigt (that is pronounced “Foeht”, not “Voit”), Grandpa greeted me with a resounding “Gutten Tog Hair Foeht. Vie gayts?” in German. Unusually he was sitting on the porch smoking his pipe and watching the humming birds at the two feeders he kept full. Of course the answer was always “Gayt gut” as I walked up the stairs to the porch (rather loudly, since Grandpa was a little hard of hearing.) It took me a while to fully understand why he got such a kick out of it.

On the o­ne hand, I think he enjoyed trying to speak German to his grandson. I was the first generation to not speak German in the home since the family arrived in Texas in 1844. To learn it, I took German in High School — getting some of the lowest grades of my high school years. I would listen to my Grandma and Grandpa talk to Daddy and try to understand what was being said. Most of the time I could generally figure it out given the number of English words that crept into the Texas-German dialect in New Braunfels. But I never really got a hold of it. Even after the classes in High School, they talked just fast enough that I was always a few seconds behind in the mental translation.

But I think Grandpa also got a kick out of the “Hair Foaht” because he could call me that. Daddy was his o­nly surviving son. So besides Daddy and Grandpa’s brother Ervin, I was the o­nly other family member he could call “Hair Foeht”. This is not to say he did not care for his other 17 grandsons (and 3 granddaughters) — I know he did. I just happened to be the o­ne that carried o­n the family name. Now as a father and as many other fathers and grandfathers know, that can at times be special.

And to be honest, I got a kick out of it too.

NOTE: Those that know German will recognize the “”Gutten Tog Hair Foeht. Vie gayts?” as really “Guten Tag Herr Voigt. Wie Gehts?” in German. This is the equivalent of “Good Day Mr. Voigt. How is it going?” in English. “Gayt gut” is really “Geht Gut” in German, which is short for “Es geht Gut”. This is the same as “It goes well” in English. This dialogue is a very standard German exchange of greetings.