Treasured Memories Unfold

This book is about my dad, a unique individual, who had his own “BACK WOODS" way of doing things. He played like a KID but had the heart of a LION. Even though we had some dysfunctional issues under our roof, I can look back now and have a good laugh. I’m very proud of everything he accomplished, against odds, no-one else would have taken. He was ONE OF A KIND! I hope you enjoy reading about him and how he succeeded in raising all us kids.

Book 1 of the Precious Memories' series, entitled "Little White Farmhouse in Iowa", is the first of three books about the childhood of Katherine Kroontje (Vastenhout), a farm girl of Iowa and, later, Minnesota. Book 1 describes farm life in Iowa during the depression years of the 1930s, before such luxuries as indoor plumbing, electric lights, and telephones -- while beds were still made from corn husks, and clothes sewn from feed sacks. It begins with Katherine's birth exactly at midnight of June 3, 1930, during an horrific summer thunderstorm, and ends with the "Blizzard of the Century", the Armistice Day's Blizzard of 1940. (We've had people tell us they didn't believe everything in there until they checked it out for themselves!!) Book 2, "Little Yellow Farmhouse in Iowa", continues these Iowan farm childhood stories with Katherine's years in a second little farmhouse, colored yellow, with a focus on the World War II years and fascinating details of Uncle Bill Tilstra's involvement in the Japanese front of that war. It begins with the traumatic move to the second house and ends with the exciting move to a third house in Minnesota, one with electricity! Book 3, Strangers in Minnesota, about the last four years of Katherine's years at home, not only chronicles the loneliness of a move to another state, but becomes her romance, as well, while leading us into a third Amerian era, that of the Korean War.

At a time when racism pervaded American society, a young African-American girl from Hyde Park, NY, developed a close relationship with the wife of one of the most powerful world leaders of her time. While Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered by many as a first lady of our country, a compelling humanitarian, and a champion for women’s rights, she extended the same down-to-earth warmth, kindness, and hospitality to Shirley, as she did royalty, dignitaries and other neighbors. One of the few books documenting an African-American youth’s experiences with the First Lady, “Hot Dogs for the Queen” is a collection of Shirley Jackson’s treasured childhood memories of her family relationship with “Mrs. Eleanor.”

If you are a fan of historical classics in the likes of Pearl Harbor, Titanic, The Grapes of Wrath and Gone With the Wind, you will want to add A Quest for Treasured Memories to your shelf of classic reading. It is strewn with a father's golden memories of adventures, romance, struggles and accomplishments, experienced as he grew from a boy to a young man during the era of The Great Depression. All of this interlaced with the ever present help of his loving wife and unwavering effort of his daughter to bring these stories to life. Journey with the daughter through these captivating moments, while she moves closer toward the goal of completion amongst her busy work schedule and receives inspiration through the accomplishments of her own children.

Precious Moments/Treasured Memories is a book of poetry that I was divinely inspired by God to write. The poems were birth out of me as I faced various challenges in life. These poems are not just mere words thrown into a book, they are words that I pray will bring life into your dead situations. As you read them, my desire is that the breath of God would breathe on you and that they will minister to your every need, whether it is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. May these poems give you hope and bring you into a place with God that you ́ve never experienced before.

The Winds of Change Reg O "Brien is an American hero wounded in Vietnam. He returns to the US where he finds true love with Navy Captain Sadie Morgan, his doctor at Walter Reed Hospital. His story follows homeland battles against organized crime and terrorists that attempts to corrupt US forces and private industry. His victories lead him to the US Senate and the inner circle of power with the Whitehouse as its hub. After he returns home, he decides to attend the Naval War College when he recuperates from his wounds. He took standard courses in the first few semesters and then specialized in Warfare Analysis and Research. Trained to develop strategic concepts to advise the Chief of Naval Operations, the advanced courses led him to a position in Naval Intelligence. He fights corruption in the military and on the streets of America. His success leads him to an advisory position with the CIA and the FBI where he helps fight the flow of drugs into the United States. In so doing, he assists in the take down of Mafia kingpins and the Terrorist, who are using drug money to advance their cause.Please read random paragraphs from The Winds of Change.Once he started his student days at the Naval War College, his workload was extremely heavy, but it was what he wanted to do. He took courses in Warfare Analysis and Research, International Law, Naval Intelligence, and Maritime Strategy. Before he knew it, the first year flashed by with only one major interruption to his training and that was orders to report to Washington. Reg attended a function at the White House; the President of the United States presented him with the Medal of Honor, and at the same time, promoted him to Lieutenant Commander. It was a proud moment for the entire O "Brien family. Chuck and Lynda came up from Florida for the presentation and someone new to the family also attended as Reg "s guest.The Guantanamo Sting turned out to be the biggest take down of not only the Catroni family from New York City, but seventeen Navy officers located in the US, Guantanamo Bay, and several bases in Europe. Most of the Navy officers ended up doing time at Leavenworth, the military prison. Elias "s fears proved to have a solid foundation when two NCIS officers were included in the disgraced group of corrupt officers. To top it off, it was icing on the cake, when the investigation proved that the poppies for the heroin came from Iran. The profits funneled to terrorist "s organizations that had been involved in hijacking American planes and attacks on innocent American civilians visiting Europe. Hundreds of Americans had died in hijackings and literally millions of American youth had suffered the horrendous pain of drug addiction.The CIA became involved in the Guantanamo Sting because of the terrorist connections. Several heroin labs in Iran exploded mysteriously. A definite outbreak of deathly food poisoning in the terrorist training camps in both Iran and Libya also took place. Persons unknown depleted the secret bank accounts in Switzerland of those terrorist organizations. The Swiss bankers cooperated and the CIA handed over compromising pictures of the Bankers and their mistresses in return.I did my duty in Vietnam, because I had sworn an oath to serve and protect my country. It would have been easier to play the saxophone in a military band, where the worst damage I could have done is hit a wrong note at an officer "s dance or got a split lip if a drunk banged into me while I was playing the sax. On the other hand, I could have joined the National Guard, became a pilot, and then simply walked away from my obligations, when the going looked like it was going to get tough. Yes, I could have, if my family had the connections, and I had the desire to cleanse my records.