Johanna A. Garretson
San Dimas, California
Johanna A. GarretsonSan Dimas, California |
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Born: 01-14-1917, Java, Indonesia (former Dutch territory) from Dutch parents. Schooling: Dutch education, equal to Junior College; assistant Librarian (Java) after World War II worked as a Secretary for Royal Dutch Airforce in The Hague. Married: 1954 to John D. Garretson, American. Mobil Oil Comp. Employee Foreign Service. We worked and lived in Colombia (S.Am.) and in Libya (N. Africa). Husband retired in 1969; we settled in Escondido, CA. I took oil painting classes.We worked and owned our plant nursery. Widowed in '76; volunteered in local hospital for 15 years. Moved to San Dimas in 1992. Wrote poetry since '94. Love nature. |
Sabratha (located in Libya, North Africa)When I saw a desert for the very first time;It was in 1965 in Africa, I would not have given it a dime!!! The reason, I saw it from way up high, from the air! In a plane from my seat, it looked only bare!!! Just rocks, sand-dunes and endless waddies, or dry riverbeds, the Arabic name for these. My husband, John and I still were intrigued by this Sahara!!! "I never saw so much of absolutely nothing, Johanna" He used to say, flying in the Oil Companies DC-3, Coming home from the coastal town of Ras Lanuf to Tripoli. So, on his week off, we decided to get ready to explore this new country, away from the beautiful seashore. We learned about "Sabratha", an old Roman resort-city. Of course, it was now in ruins, what really was a pity! However, what we found there, took completely our breath way!!! From the huge Amphitheatre, marble baths to the green columns anyway!!! The majestic columns of the Forum, many were still standing! Their sheer size, the surrounding...the silence...we felt the Roman Empires ending! A huge marble head, of ZEUS laying on its side in the sand; His magnificent body still erect, proved this once was Roman land!!! |
Our MoonWhen the moon rises up into our skyspreading her soft light from way up high making trees, homes, fields and waters glow with magical pastels from blue to yellow. This wonderful shine of our full moon shows us, for a while, the silvery high and lows of mountains and valleys of the earth changing everything like into a new birth lifting up our wounded souls as to forget our worries or things we really do regret. For that evening we feel truly bathed into a forgiving light, that is not laced with animosity or ways for the next play planned maybe for the coming day. Standing outside, looking at our moon somehow, it gave me rest, in the middle of June. I can sit there, watch it and look It even inspires, me, wanting to write a book. about this old World, its people, its past Alas, for little old me, it's too complicated and too fast! |