The Second World War in Europe

Somewhere, in almost everyone's family tree, there is someone who fought in WWII. For me, it was my great-grandpa. We called him "Grandpa Boom" which was easier to say that "Busboom," which was his surname. I always loved the old man - he used to give my brother and I Wherther's caramel hard candies.

When I was born, I was named for his wife, Rose, my great-grandma who died when my mom was 14. But being the "history buff" of my family, I am ever grateful that wonderful lady saved his letters home from the war.

One of my favorites happens to be his account of V-E day in Paris. He paints quite the picture.

Some time before, he put in for a pass and made a few trips to Paris to visit friends and people he knew stationed there. He sent some of those pictures home to my great-grandma Rose and their son, Don (Butch). He didn't take any that I know of on V-E day, but a description tops a picture any day!

9 Mar 45

Dearest Honey + Butch

            Well here I am again back from Paris and still able to get around. I really hit the right day to be there – (V-E day -) and plenty of things were happening. I’ll bet I walked 10 or 12 miles around that town trying to see everything in a short time. There was plenty of celebrating all night long. I didn’t get to bed till two in the morning and there were still enough people out to make it look like a Sat. afternoon at home. I don’t know how late they stayed up, but things were pretty quiet when I got up at seven this morning. It take long for the tho, by ten o’clock the streets were crowded again with a lot of people who didn’t seem to know where they were going.

            Last night there was a street dance on almost every other block. It seemed good to see all the street lights on again, and I think they had every light they could find in Paris lit last night. That plus all the G.I.s that were lit (to the gills) really made for a big time.

            Oh yes, honey you remember Rev. Fleischer who use to be in Ventura. He’s the fellow that went fishing with Geo and I. He’s a Maj. and the head chaplain over all these replacement pools around here. His offices are in Paris so I went in to see him this morning. He is the first person I have seen since being in the army that I knew back when? He said if anything ever came up and I needed a little help to let him know. No he can’t get me a discharge so get that idea out of your head for a little longer now. It shouldn’t be too long tho I hope.

            He also told me that Geo had been to Paris shortly before Easter, but it had one of those queer tricks of fate that he had to be out of town the week Geo was down. Maybe we’ll all get together again one of these days At Home.

            Well honey you should gather from this that I had a pretty good time. I hope I’ll be able to make that trip again one of these days.

            The big clock on the church just struck ten and as I didn’t get much sleep last night I’d better roll in toot [sp?] sweet. So till next time all my Love and Best Wishes.

Love, Art

So that's my current project actually... typing up all of his letters and stringing them together in order with all the pictures he sent home and received. It just gets me all fluttery inside to think that this is REAL history and from my relatives' perspective. 

I love it when history gets personal.

Emily

Crafty

Sometimes I can be a little more than a writer. Sometimes I'm a seamstress and make fun things like this and post them to pinterest...

(EB is  my initials)

or I like to paint... at those moments, I do things like this...

I suppose I'm a jack of all trades. I suppose the point is to have fun thought, isn't it? If you aren't having fun, then what are you doing with the life God has given you? We all have things we love doing, and I think God likes to use those pleasures for his glory.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Emily

Life is Full

Life is always changing, isn't it? Like the tide, it never stops flowing, and always keeps moving, changing and shifting like shadows. You can't grab hold of it and tie it down to keep it still for a moment. Pray, wish and dream, but nothing ever changes. There's nothing to be done. Life is full of changes.

Lying awake at night, sometimes I get that sinking feeling in my heart that something good is about to come to an end. I can never quite get the feeling to go away. So instead I stare at the ceiling and wish with all my heart for time to stand still for a moment so that I can hold on.

Sometimes something good is often followed by something equally wonderful. It's moments like those where your heart is most fragile - torn between two worlds, both so good and yet they cannot coexist. To have one, you must let go of the other. I often like to remind myself that I can come back to the place where I left off, but that's not so true. Life, after all, is constantly changing. so in the end, my heart still shatters into a million pieces and tears well up in my eyes as I fight to let time keep moving, to let those good things slip through my fingers and grab hold of the next good thing with both hands holding tight.

So good night. It's night for me as I'm writing this, anyways. When you read it, this moment will have passed, just like all the others. But maybe that's why I love writing so much. It immortalizes time and forces it to stand still and flip back and skip ahead. I love books in that way.

Growing Seeds

-->

Here they stand, washed and clean

wearing white

Shining keen.

On the lawn, in the yard,

bold faced front,

smiles large.

And if you ask, you’ll hear them say:

Jesus, only way.

As infant babes, they made a stand,

all rejoiced,

all was grand.

In that way, they grew to know

a man, a savior,

and the world, a show.

So him they claimed as right and true,

but if you knew…

In their hearts they doubt the promise -

whitewashed tombs

like the psalmist.

If they sin, their worries sway.

Will he forgive?

Or send away?

Does one trespass weight the more

and blacken hearts to the core?

So deep within they hold the bones

to front a mask,

to shield the moans.

This in mind, they pray and plead

others see

only potent, godly deed.

And so go on, empty, broken sepulcher

living what they wish they were.

Spiting words to say and deeds to do,

still they stumble,

faults they eschew .

To their knees they come,

Savior and Lord,

But have faults won?

Heart so willing for His gain,

but flesh so weak, causing pain.

How can it be that perfect God

Should love a man?

Making fine a packed dirt clod

I glory in that this love, this creed

Depends not on perfection

But a growing seed.

Persisting on, watered, starved

Into the ground, it’s slowly carved.

And as it carves a hard won place

To the sun,

It lifts its face.

And even when the drought does come

The roots still cling

Though watered only some

The tenuous grasp is enough to hold

And reap the treasure of life worth gold. 

Emily Bergstrom

5/3/2013

Looking Back...

Well, the conference is over and I'm utterly exhausted. But it was all worth it! I'm very glad that I was able to go this year and only God can receive credit for everything coming together for me. He is an awesome God and knows exactly what we need.

There were a lot of amazing workshops and I'm rather sorry that I missed some of them. But the ones I did go to were hosted by fantastic people such as Mona Hodgson, Ramona Richards, Steve Laube, and Karen Ball. They had great things to say about the publishing process, writing well, and techniques for telling a good story. Good stuff!

But all of that feels kind of flat in light of Saturday. I sent in two manuscripts this year (well, technically the same manuscript twice). One to Mona and the other to an agent. Mona is one of the sweetest people on earth and her stories are equally sweet. I really do recommend looking her up on amazon, google books or christianbook.com. Mona gave me a lot of great feedback on my story, all of which I hope to implement over the next few days. But even in its current state, I got some very encouraging feedback from the agent I sent Aura Lea to.

I met with her on Saturday... hence why Saturday was such a good day for me.

Saturday morning, after lunch, I was able to retrieve my manuscript from the hospitality center at Mt. Hermon. Both of my envelopes were there - so of course my heart when off beat after that. When you send a manuscript in for editorial review, you either receive a "yes" or a "no." So I was rather afraid to open that manila envelope! But of course, I did...

I sat down on the bench over near Newton Hall and took a deep breath. There was a blue slip of paper at the front of my manuscript which had my answer. On that slip was a check mark and a meeting time. The agent liked my writing!

Nothing could contain my excitement after that. So of course, I skipped about for a while and then sat down to do some editing (but I didn't really get anything done). My meeting was at 5:30. There were several hours of anxiety for me to sit through.

Thankfully, those hours did pass. at 5:20, I packed up my stuff and went to wait in hospitality for the agent to arrive. When the agent came through the doors, I got a smile and together we went out to sit on a planter outside the coffee house.

I assume many other authors sent in manuscript submissions to this particular agent, so it took some memory jogging for the agent to differentiate mine from the others. After that, I was asked to talk a little bit about my story and writing style, as well as my history. One question however, made me pause. Aura Lea has never been read through by anyone. So while my writing style is noteworthy, my ability to craft a decent plot is untested.

The agent really wanted someone to read it all the way through. But, once I could get that accomplished, I can send in a proposal. (a proposal is a good thing to be asked for in the publishing world!)

I talked more with that agent throughout the rest of the conference. They even knew of a freelance editor who would be available to read Aura Lea for me. So, all that said, I am walking away from the conference very encouraged and excited about what is to come. I keep trusting God that he has the best for me and that he knows exactly what he's doing. I just have to wait and see.

Emily

Packing

Everything comes together starting tomorrow. I've got some laundry in the dryer right now. After that's done I'll start tossing things into my suitcase. Lots to get done before I leave for the writers' conference tomorrow morning, bright and early. Have to be there before 12!

Oh! But it's gonna be lots of fun. After the past two years, I can't help but anticipate seeing their smiling faces. I've met several, wonderful, writer friends at this conference. And thank goodness William Jessup U is on spring break. I get to bring along another friend with me to experience the joy of the Mt. Hermon conference.

That's my week. After tuesday, I go home to my family. Lots of great stuff in store for me. I'll keep you posted.

Emily

Allison

 A year wished away is forever gone

A day wasted on worry can never be undone

An hour spent fussing over nonsense cannot be regained

A moment spent in silence is of more use than another spent spewing useless talk

A second of hesitation could save you a lifetime of regret

Have I thought my intentions through?

Will I regret them in some later year?

My heart pangs violently with anticipation. 

My future is before me, 

My past is behind.

The person I will become depends on me alone. 

Are the choices I have made wise?

Dear LORD, I pray that they are so!