Growing up before and after WWII was both difficult and crazy. Down Memory Lane reveals both the good and bad. Living in Germany listening to air raids almost every day was not the greatest way to spend my childhood. My home town was bombed, a plane crashed in front of my house and the Dachau concentration camp nearby are all part of my history. Living in poverty, Mother, the heart of the family, taught us children how God provides in our daily lives. Every summer we gleaned leftover wheat while barefoot in the fields. In a good season, we ended up with 100 lbs. of flour. Soft drinks being nonexistent, we made our own natural juices, including spruce needle juice, elderberry and rhubarb juice. We picked mushrooms in the fields for a good meal and different berries for deserts and jellies. We were poor but thought we lived in a mansion. Life was hard for all, but we were still happy. We had our daily chores, no allowance, and schoolwork had to be done well. There was no indoor plumbing, toilet tissue was constructed from newspapers, catalogs, and fresh picked grass. Just don't mix it with stinging nettles. Throughout my childhood my family experienced many happy times. Our mother was a trickster, but she showed the goose who had preeminence. Our first encounter with black people was very frightening to say the least, but American soldiers were treated with just as much respect as we had for anyone else. Mother was loved very much, and the celebration of her birthday and Mother's Day were the greatest times each year. This book will take you through many adventures and will prove to be enjoyment for all. Discover some of the events that changed my life forever that are etched in my mind, especially the importance of love, protection and humility.
About the Author: Born and raised in southern Bavaria, Germany, Mrs. Swaringen grew up in Germany during and after World War II.She received most of her education in Germany and graduated in 11 years. Married in 1959, and moving to the United States the same year, she became a citizen of the United States in 1963. Throughout the years, Mrs. Swaringen raised her two children and took care of her family during her husband's military career. She also traveled extensively in the United States and abroad.Her main hobbies are crafts, traveling, cooking and writing.She is also the author of a German cookbook called, "German Home Cooking," and a Poetry book called, "A Collection of Poetry, For every Season and Reason," presently available at www.authorhouse.com, Barnes & Noble and www.Amazon.com