How much can one person procrastinate?

I am supposed to be preparing my 2 presentations for the eCW Expo.  Instead I have gone on Facebook for a while.  I have watched the Boston Red Sox baseball team lose to Toronto Bluejays.  Now I have decided to write a post for my blog.  Why not?  I know what I am going to do for the Expo.

It is another rainy and cold day in Massachusetts.  I am watching from inside my home the raindrops falling outside the front bay window.  The overcast skies are begin to lighten.  The weather should be nicer as the work week starts.  

Well it is nightfall and I have watched the movie "Grudge Match" with Sylvester Stallone.  I am not a fan of Sylvester Stallone.  I have NEVER seen any of the "Rocky" movies.  You can say this is not on my "Bucket List".  I did not asleep for the first few minutes of the movie, but it got better.  It had a good morale in the movie.  

Now I am watching the end of the "The Deathly Hollows: Part 2".  The end battle of Good vs Evil.  We all know Good wins.  I only started to read the Harry Potter series because my daughter at the age of 6 was reading book 1.  Yes - 6 years old.  A very thick book for a little person.  I needed to know what the series was all about.  I would not have read the series if it was not for Erika.  As the new books were released we (Manny, Erika, Max and I) would be at the midnight release at a book store.  We were at the 12 midnight showing of the last 3 movies.   At this end of this movie makes me sad because the story has ended.  All is well, but memories Manny made with Erika and Max by going to the midnight releases and movies will always be with all of us.

Tomorrow for only the second time in 23 years of marriage, Manny is traveling on business.  I have traveled for business many times throughout our marriage.  I tried to limit the times when Erika and Max were smaller. I hated mot being with them when they were younger.  I don't like not having them around me now they are adults.  As a parent I know Manny and I instilled our morals and beliefs.  We can only prayer they will continue on the path of set for them.  The decision they make will be good.  Like my parents are still in my head when I have to make decisions I hope Manny and I will be in their heads all the time.  

Back to Manny traveling this week.   He is going to Dallas, Texas on business.  He will be a resort north of Dallas.  He does not have to share a room.  I will be home.  Max will be here as well.  The last time Manny spent a night away from home Max was 5 years old.  He slept with his shoes on just in case.  You just don't realize what make a child safe.  Sleeping with shoes on is not a big deal.  He used to set noisy toys on the floor of his bedroom just in case.  It is funny now.  

When I was traveling to Mumbai, India, I had 2 large suitcase at 100 lbs/46 kg total and a smaller carry on that weighed at least 30 lbs.  He is traveling for 1 week with a small suitcase.  How can a man travel with so little?  He can buy anything is did not bring with him once he gets to his final destination.

The other side has his pants/jeans and a few shirts.  This is it!  

I still have not started my 2 presentations.  I will have to begin now.  Take Care!!!!!

Let there be Peaceful thoughts

I woke up this rainy and cool Saturday morning.  It was very quiet in the house.  Manny went to Zumba and Max was still sleeping.  This is the first day I woke up peacefully. I have allowed the stress around me infuse me.  This is not good.  Stress stops me from performing at my peak.  I need to stop and breath.  I want to thank one person who made me stop and think.  Noor is an amazing young man. He works in Mumbai and has a peaceful aura.

Noor is a young man who has great love of his family especially his Grandmother.  For the month I was in Mumbai I never saw Noor stressed.  He is so confident.  He sits back and works.  There are many demands on him in his position at work.  He loves movies.  He knows movies and Oscars.  He has introduced me to so many movies I would not have watched without his recommendations.  The latest movie he wants me to watch is "Ride Along".
It is not out on DVD yet, so it will have to wait.

Back to Saturday and peace.

I started by driving to a second-hand or consignment shop.  I love going to this shop in North Grafton.  I have found some great items.  Today I found books for Jackson and Jada.  I also found notebook and sticky notes. I love the sticky notes.  I have them all over my desk at work.  I found "Life is Good" sticky note pads.  I had to get this and daisy sticky notes.  I have tried to stop buying them, but when I found unique sticky notes I have to get them.

The next place was Starbuck's for my Venti Iced Coffee black.  I needed my delicious iced coffee.  It is so refreshing.  Between April 1st and September 30th I get iced coffee.  The remaining times it is hot coffee. This is a rule in my life to keep order.  I appreciate the iced coffee more when the 1st of April comes.  The coolness of the bitter taste of coffee is so amazing.  I take my time drinking the coffee.  Also, I need the caffeine. It is sad to know I am addicted to caffeine.  Next Lent I may have to abstain from coffee.  I worry about the people around me for the first three days.  It will be tough, but it will be rewarding.

I mailed a box for my friends in Mumbai.  It has gone to Ashish.  I hope it makes it through customs quickly. There are no really addresses in India.  In the address it word "Near" is in it.  The postcards I have sent have always made it to his home.  It is interesting how the mail gets to a place with no specific home address.  I hope it will be there in 10 to 14 days.  I will check with Ashish in a week.

All of this was so peaceful.  I was doing what I wanted to do with no worries.

I had scheduled a massage with hot stones this afternoon.  I was so relaxed after the hour of massage.  The calming music and trickling water from the fish tank was great.  Patricia was amazing.  She made me feel so calm.  The peacefulness of the room and person was exactly what I needed.  My muscles were so tense, then pure relaxation.  I came home and started a fire in the fireplace.  It was so cozy.  It was so warm. The fire dancing across the logs.  The heat from fire added to be relaxation.  It was still raining outside with the coolness.

Now it is time to sleep to be awake for Mass tomorrow morning.

Let there be peaceful thoughts in my dreams.  I will prayer for this while sleeping.

Easter time is here

Tonight as I was sitting at St. Luke's Catholic Church waiting for Holy Saturday Mass I closed my eyes and just sat in the silence.  I had the time to listen to the silence of the church before the crowds came.

I became aware of the beauty with my eyes closed.  The fragrance of fresh flowers around the altar.  There were hydrangeas were so beautiful.  The lilies and pansies were placed around the altar.  There were forsythia branches around the tabernacle.  There was a deep purple clothes wrapped around the flowers in front of the altar.  The simple beautiful was amazing.

The lights in the church were low with only one light over the ambo (where the Readings are read) was lit.  The priests, altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers and the 3 candidates who decided to join the Catholic Church.  The new Easter candle was lit and carried into the Church.  All of the congregation had candles and the entire church as aglow with the light of the new Easter candle.  The church was dark and in came the light of Easter.  I love this part of Mass.  The readings are from the Old Testament.  The music brings you to the time before Jesus.  The candles are the symbol of the light to come.  The Church is waiting for the light to come into the world.

The readings were finished and as we began to sing the Gloria the lights of the Church were turned on. This is so beautiful.  The hidden jewel of the Church and congregation had the light shining on them.  The Gloria is being sung by all.  The Mass was wonderful.

A young woman decided to come fully into the Catholic Church.  She was baptized with the Holy Water in the Baptismal Font.  This young woman is a person with special needs.  Watching her making this choice and her Godmother and parents stood with her.  She was making the choice.

I was brought into the Catholic Faith at birth.  I had to go to CCD (Sunday school - on Wednesday nights) because my parents made me.  I was baptized as an infant, my 1st confession and 1st Communion were completed in my 2nd grade.  I made my Confirmation in 7th grade.  I went through the motions for the Sacraments of the Catholic Church without realizing the importance of them.  I have always gone to Church, but I was going through the motions.  My children have been brought up in the faith.
It took until 4 years ago to finally realize the importance of my faith.  The beauty of the faith.

Back to the young woman choosing to come into the Catholic Church on her own. There were 2 other people making their 1st Communion with the young woman.  All of them made their Confirmation.  The joy in all of their faces.  They made the choice as adults to come and join the Catholic Church.

This was the last Holy Saturday Mass our children were part of.  Since Erika was in 3rd grade she was an altar server for the Holy Saturday Masses.  Max came to be an altar server at Holy Week services in 4th grade.  Manny and I had a child part of the Holy Weeks Masses and Good Friday services for 13 years.  Max is a Senior and will be heading to Iowa State University in the Fall.  With both of our children Manny and I were complimented.  The pride and joy I feel with these compliments.  Max is wonderful with the younger altar servers.  He looks so reverent at the Altar.  I have great joy for all the years my children have volunteered at St. Luke's as altar servers and extraordinary ministers.  I have great sadness because this is the last time he will be volunteering at St. Luke's for a while.

The pride and joy of a parent.  I feel only deep love for my children.

Easter comes in the Spring because it is a new beginning.  Easter is a time to bringing in the Light of Christ. Spring is the time of rebirth.  The two are linked together.

Happy Easter everyone!

Eggs to color to make Easter Eggs

It is Holy Thursday.  In 3 days Easter Sunday will be here.  I love Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday Masses at St. Luke's Catholic Church.  Good Friday service is very powerful.  It brings me to tears thinking about the Virgin Mary watching her son, Jesus, being beaten and killed.  How would a mother feel watching her child being hurt?  I am so protective of my children even though they are 21 and 18.  A parent never wants to see their child hurt at any time.  Going through the Stations of the Cross and feeling the pain Mary felt brings tears to my eyes.  I will be going to Stations of the Cross tomorrow on Good Friday.  Walking the steps Jesus took.

Easter is a time to color Easter eggs.  This is so exciting.  When I was a little girl my mom would hard boil eggs and my brothers and sister would have to wait to have the eggs cool down.  When you are a child this took hours and hours.  In reality it took a few minutes.  My mom did not want us to get hurt.  There would be newspaper all over the kitchen table to protect it from the mess the 4 of us were about to make.

My Mom had the Paas Coloring Dye kit with the wax crayon and the color disks.  All we needed were cups/mugs, white vinegar and water.  The liquid was measured and the color disks were added to the individual cups.  Now we had to wait again.  Why wait does it take so long?  All we wanted to do is color the eggs.

Are we ready to color the eggs to make them Easter eggs?  My Mom would give us eggs to be placed in the dye.  Tim and I would keep the egg in the liquid to have the color go through the shell.  It was so cool.  My little sister, Patty, and little brother, Mike, Tim and I would draw on the eggs before placing them in the liquid.  We could not see what we were drawing or writing.  Once the egg came out of the dye, the part that had the wax crayon on it was be clear.  It was AMAZING!  Remember we were under 10 years old, so it was AMAZING.

My Mom had a wire rack and the back of the Paas box there were perforated holes to pop up and it became a egg drying rack.  Once the eggs were dried, they were placed in the Easter basket for breakfast on Easter morning.  They went into the refrigerator.

Patty and I always had a new Easter dress.  When we were young my Mom and Dad would be matching dresses.  I am 3 years older than her.  My Mom would make us sleep with curlers in our hair.  She wanted us to have curly and bouncy hair.  I remember the pain of sleeping with curler. They were spongy but the plastic clasp was painful.  Tim and Mike had suits with a tie.  We look GOOD!  When we lived in Omaha, Nebraska we would be at my grandparent's farm for Easter.  We would go to St. Isadore's Catholic Church in Columbus, Nebraska for Mass.  When we moved to Overland Park, Kansas, Easter was spent at home.

The Easter bunny would hide a basket full of candy and goodies for each of us around the house.  It was so exciting to go on the hunt.  If we found another's basket, we would leave it there.  We were allowed to eat candy after Mass.  

As a child Easter was so much fun.  The Easter bunny was wonderful.  We had so much fun.

As an adult, I realize the beauty of the next 3 days.  The sacrifice that Jesus gave to send us the LIGHT.  

Happy Easter to all.

23 years later

Today is my 23rd wedding anniversary.  I cannot believe 23 years ago today I married Manny.  I fall in love with him before I met him.  It was my first morning on the US Army base at Natick Labs.  I saw him in Class A uniform and at that point I knew he was my true love.

The next weekend the 2 of us went into Boston to spend the day.  He gave me the grand tour and bought me a bouquet of flowers from a vendor in front of the Old North Church.  I was so happy.  He was a wonderful person.  He was so carefree and loved adventure.  I was more cautious and apprehensive.  I did not want to get involved in a relationship in the military.  What if either of us were transferred to another base?  What if it did not work out?  So many "What ifs".  Well after that day in Boston we were always together.

I had told me sister, Patty, when I finished Basic Training I was not going to get involved with anyone while I was in the US Army.  Of course that went out the window the second day at Natick Labs.  I was shocked.  I was introduced to Manny by others as "Oreo".  For 1 week I did not know his first name.  I knew his last name and nickname.  I never thought to ask his first name.  Remember I was not going to get involved with anyone.  Even though I knew he was the person for me, I WAS NOT GOING TO GET INTO A RELATIONSHIP.  Thank goodness I did not follow my thoughts.  I followed my heart.  Now 23 years later 2 wonderful children I love him even more.

After 3 years of dating, we finally decided on a wedding date.  I wanted to be married in April.  This was a good month.  I love Spring.  Manny's parent lived in the Philippines at the time, so it was easier to get a military "hop".  Manny's father is retired US Navy serviceman, so he can fly for free if there is room on military planes.  In 1989, Manny, his sister, Genez, and I flew to US Clark Air Force base in Philippines using military hops from Washington, DC to Travis Air Force Base in Northern California.  We were there for 2 days and flew from Oakland, CA to Juneau, Alaska to Okinawa, Japan to Clark Air Force Base.  We rented a car and drove to Obando, Philippines, to surprise their family.

Back to the wedding...

My wedding dress was $99.  It was the dress I wanted.  It was perfect for me.  I made my veil with a lot of help from Lola Franchitto.  Mike and Lola Franchitto were amazing friends.  We became friends when we went through square dance lessons at the Square Riggers Square Dance club in 1987.  We became friends.  We were always dancing - every weekend.  They flew to Columbus, Nebraska for our wedding.  Lola and I made my wedding bouquets, the bridesmaids bouquets and all the other flowers.  She helped me with my veil as well.  I did not want to spend a lot of money on the wedding.  We had to fly to Columbus, Nebraska for the wedding.  There was no honeymoon planned.  We spent a week in Hawaii flying back from the Philippines in 1989.  The men in the wedding worn Barongs.  These are shirts worn by the men for special occasions in the Philippines.

After 16 months of preparation, Manny and I were in Columbus, Nebraska, waiting for the day to finally come.  To get the marriage license we had to go to the Platte County Clerk's office.  Manny was born in Agana, Guam.  It took 3 tries for the Clerk's office to get the paperwork correct.  This was a time with typewriters not computers.  His name was spelled wrong. His place of birth was spelled wrong.  It took more than 30 minutes for the paperwork to be correct.  My information was easy.  My family is lives in Platte County.  Polish names are nothing new.  Our wedding announcement appeared in the Columbus Telegram the next day.

On Friday afternoon, family and friends met the St. Anthony's Church Hall to decorate.  Everyone kept asking us what we wanted.  We kept telling them do what they felt.  We wanted to have everyone involved to have a say in the decorations.  The colors were peach and mauve (dark pink).  The tables were set up and the decorations were ready.  Manny and I had to leave during the time to meet with the photographer for final preparations.  He was in Monroe, Nebraska.  This was the next town west of Columbus.  That went well.  We returned to the hall and it was beautiful!  Everyone did a great job.  We saw all hard work.  The personalities of each person were intertwined into the hall.

We were going to have the bridal party and families meet at my Grandma's home for the rehearsal dinner.  The rehearsal was first.  My friend, Fr. Joe Pijanowski, was flying in from Massachusetts to marry us.  His plane was delayed because of thunderstorms in route.  So, the pastor of St. Anthony's Church ran through the rehearsal.  I was so nervous.  I felt nothing was right.  We went through it twice with the maid of honor, my sister - Patty, the best man - Lee (Manny's best fried from the Army), my cousins Debbie Scarborough, Kathy DiStefano, my little brother, Mike and my cousin, Chuck Petrmichl.  My parents were there as well.  It was so hectic.  I did not feel comfortable. The priest said we will do well and do not worry.

As we worked out of the church the skies were GREEN.  Yes - Green!!!!  There was a tornado warning.  Manny's father, Manny, Lee and I went to KFC to pick up the food for the rehearsal dinner.  The winds were picking up.  The rain was coming and the skies were turning green and orange.  I know what this means.  There is a tornado forming nearby.  We got back to my Grandma's house and all of went downstairs with the food.  We had a great time.  Everyone was relaxed eating, talking and laughing.  After the food my Dad taught Manny and others how to Polka Dance since there was a Polka Band for the reception.  We had a great time. Manny picked it up immediately.

The tornado came about a block or 2 away from the house.  The hail was large.  The rain  and the thunderstorm was at its peak. We had a great time in the basement with all our family and friends.

The next morning I had my hair appointment.  The rain was still coming down and there was fog.  What could I do?  Nothing!!  My Grandma told me that rain in the morning means that money will be tight at the beginning of the marriage and if the sun came out later on the wedding day - the money situation will change for the positive later on in the marriage.  That is what exactly happened.  Grandma's know everything.

The wedding went off without a hitch.  My priest, Fr. Pijanowski's, plane did not landed until 1am in Saturday.  My Aunt Kathy went to Omaha to pick him up and drive him to St. Anthony's.  We met for a few minutes before the wedding to discuss the itinerary.  We wrote down what was going to happen, but did not write down "The Kiss".  So, Patty and Lee went and lit the 2 candles on either side of the altar.  Debbie and Mike pinned the lace veil on Manny and I and Kathy and Chuck wrapped the gold coin chain made by Manny's Uncle Ope (in the Philippines) to unite us as 1.  Once this was done, Manny handed my a basket made of gold with gold coins.  This is all Filipino traditional wedding.  It was wonderful.  When the veil and chain were removed, Manny and I took the flames from the 2 candles and lit the single candle on the altar.  My Mom and I bought the candle and did not realize it was Pina Colada scented candle.  We were laughing about this as we were kneeling.  The wedding was finished the paperwork was signed by my Grandma and Manny's Godfather, Leander, and Lee and Patty.  The kiss was not done and we walked up the aisle.

The wedding was finished.  We were finally married after 4 years.  It was the greatest feeling.  Our lives were no longer 2 separate souls.  We were united.  For better or worse.  For richer or poorer.  For happy and sad.  We have had challenges during our 23 years together, but our love always saw us through!  We know we are not perfect.  Our marriage is not perfect.  Our love continues to grow.  We were blessed with 2 beautiful children - Erika and Max!

Love and patients are the staples.  We knew we are not perfect. We stand by each other.  We support we other.  We love each other.

Today as we drove to Mass it was raining.  By the time we were heading to Framingham to watch Captain American movie the rain stopped.  Once the movie ended, the sun was out and the day ended just like it did 23 years ago.

I love my husband more today!  

Krupa Family Gatherings and roller coasters

  It was a nice Spring day in Westborough, Massachusetts.  Tonight there is rain coming into the area.  This is fine as long as it stops.

I have been thinking about my very first roller coaster ride.  The Krupa Family Picnic at Peony Park in Omaha, Nebraska was an annual picnic.  My mom is the youngest of 9 children.  All of the sisters, brothers, wives, husbands and children would come together for the day.  Coming together to be spend a day with all my mom's relatives always brings a smile.

There was an amusement park at the picnic grounds.  My brother, Tim, and cousins - Kathy Krupa, Cheryl and Lynn Barber and Lori Mitera and others would get money from our parents and favorite aunts and uncles and buy tickets for the rides.  I remember the tickets cost twenty-five cents for each one.  The rides were so many tickets.  We would run around to search for tickets all over the grounds.  We had so much fun.  We would go back to our families to get food or money for more tickets. Tim and I would have a great time with Kathy.  We would run all over the place.  In the 1970s parents did not worry about their children being kidnapped.  We had great adventures together.

One of the picnics, my Uncle Ray Krupa, Kathy Krupa (his daughter), my brother, Tim, and I had the most exciting adventure.  Tim and I had not been on a roller coaster.  My parents would not even think about going on one.  Tim, Kathy and I were walking around looking for tickets.  We wanted to go on the new roller coaster but each rider needed 4 tickets.  One dollar was a lot of money.  We saved our allowances to buy extra tickets.  My Uncle Ray was in the amusement park and asked if we wanted to go on the roller coaster.  I remember the excitement of an adult ride and being 8 years old.    I still remember the thrill of the clinking of the chains pulling our cart up the steep hill to propel our cart down the first hill at a high rate of speed.  The clink clink clink...The heart pounding wondering what will happen at the top.  Looking out to see Omaha from a different view.  Then ... swoosh!  Down we go at a high rate of speed for the times.  The cart clanking and we began going up the next hill and making the turns of the roller coaster.  There were no seat belts but there was a bar to hold us in.  We kept moving.  Before we knew it the ride was done!  Oh my goodness.  What a wonderful time.  The minute or 2 it took was the best.  My first roller coaster ride.



Peony Park does exist any longer.  The memories of the Krupa Family gatherings will always be with me.  The great times I had with my cousins.  The freedom children had at that time.  Today this would not be allowed to have 7, 8, and 9 year old children running around with no supervision.

Happy!

This weekend started with me sleeping from 12 midnight until 12 noon on Saturday.  I was shocked!  I never sleep best 9am on the weekends.  I needed that sleep since I had very little for the past 2 weeks.  It has been rough at work, but like all things everything comes in cycles.  Life is a cycle.  There are good and bad, exciting and boring, happy and sad and times you feel completely alone and times when you feel the support of others.

Last night Manny and I went to the Marian High School Gala Casino Night!  We had a great time.  I won $7000 "fake" playing Craps.  It was so much fun.  There was a silent auction and active auction. All the money went to the school.  Erika and Max have benefited from this great school.  I would not change the high school they attended.  We have watched them grow from teenagers to young adults to mature adults.  Choices we made were right on point.

My outlook on life changed the on year I was attend Bishop Miege Catholic High School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.  The prior year in 9th grade at Hillcrest Junior High School in Overland Park, Kansas.  I had done poorly in all my classes but Science and Math.  I did not care about much and my view of the world was not positive.  My parents were watching this and I feel horrible I put them through this.  My grades were horrible.
My brother, Tim, attended Bishop Miege's in his 9th grade year, but I did not want to go there.  I stayed at Hillcrest for that year.  I final broke down at went to Bishop Miege High School in my 10th grade.

My life changed for the positive.  I had new environment and new friends.  My grades went from extremely poor to As and Bs.  I found Math and Science very easy, but these were always be easiest classes.  My degree is Biology/Chemistry.  Mr. Closkey was my Geometry teacher.  I hated Geometry, but I will never forget what ASSUMEs mean.  I felt part of a family at this school.  It was the exact change I needed.  My life was going nowhere.  I was so happy.  Another teacher was Mrs. Gray.  She taught English.  It was my easy A.

The change in schools had attributed to a change in my life.  I started to view the world with a positive view.  I had wasted so many years always finding the negative in my world.  I did not want to be happy.  Just one small change and caring people all around me waiting for me.  My Aunt Carolyn came up to me one day when I was missing my Grandparents and said "Why are you always looking at the negative?"  This statement shook me.

I have told Erika and Max this when they were starting to not see the positives around them.  I told them that I spent too many years not seeing the beauty around me.  Also, look for the good in your surroundings.  I feel my children are happy.  I am happy.

There are times is start falling into the same trap of my youth, but I have great people around me.

I am happy.  I hope my positive attitudes helps others be happy.

Started with the farm and stumbled into Aunt Rita

My parents are at my Grandma's home in Columbus, Nebraska.  My Grandma's health has been failing since she was diagnosed with Shingles in February.  My Grandma is 95 years old.  She is a very strong woman.  She is a daughter of a farmer and wife of a farmer.  She has lived in town (Columbus, Nebraska) since 1981 (I believe).  Prior to the move to town, my grandparents had a farm.  It was the most amazing farm.  The childhood memories swim in my head.  There are so many wonderful times.  I was fortunate to be the 2nd grandchild and the eldest granddaughter.  My younger cousins did not get experience farm life and our grandparents at a younger age.

Every summer my sister and I would spend 2 weeks on the farm with my grandparents and my aunts (Kathy and Rita).  My Dad has 4 younger sisters.  Edna, Carolyn, Kathy and Rita.  Kathy and Rita are 7 and 8 years older than me.  I had many wonderful times with Rita especially.  We would share a bed when I slept over.  I never played with dolls unless it was with my Aunt Rita.  We would wake up early and my Aunt Rita had a box of dolls under the bed upstairs.  We would take them out and play dolls.  She had paper dolls as well.  It was so much fun.

What are paper dolls?  The dolls were not as thick as cardboard but not as thin as regular paper.  You would cut out the paper doll.  The clothes would be cut out with the tabs to fold over the paper doll.  This is how the paper doll was dressed.  It was a 2D world.  We had to use our imagination.  It was so much fun.  I bought Erika (my daughter) paper dolls when she was young.




I remember the original "Pick Up Sticks" game.  In a cardboard tube with a metal lid there were thin wooden sticks with sharp points on either ends.  The purpose of the game was to pick up more sticks without moving the other sticks then your opponent.  Today this would be considered a dangerous toy, but in the 1960s and 1970s it was fun.

The pile below was the game.  You had to pick up the sticks without moving any other sticks.  It was a simple game.


Aunt Rita and I would play cards and laugh all the time.  I have the best memories.

Aunt Kathy and Aunt Rita would bring me fishing at the pond in the pasture on the farm.  I remember trying to catch a shark in a fresh water pond in the middle of Nebraska.  There were catfish in the pond.  The cattle would drink from the pond.  We would sit by the pond and fish.  I had so much fun.

Thank you for wonderful memories Aunt Rita!

My Uncle Ed and Aunt Doris

As I was leaving Adoration and Benediction at St. Luke's Church yesterday, I began thinking about my Uncle Ed and Aunt Doris.  My Uncle Ed passed in 1994, but my Aunt Doris (his wife) is living in Omaha, Nebraska.  I have wonderful memories of them.

My mom is the youngest of 9 children.  Uncle Ed was the eldest son.  He gave my mother away at her wedding since her father was deceased.  My Uncle Ed was the Godfather to my older brother, Tim.

Uncle Ed was a wonderful man.  He always had a smile on his face.  Really - his face was always smiling.  It is the Polish blood.  He was a veteran of World War II stationed in Italy.  I began thinking about my Uncle Ed because on March 26, 2013 we had to put our dog, Dolly, down after 16 wonderful years with us.  My Uncle Ed was a man who took all stray animals into his home.  He loved all animals.

My Uncle Ed and Aunt Doris lived in an old house built in the early 1900's in South Omaha, Nebraska.  Interstate 480 became their view, but before the interstate there were houses and store fronts.  The house was a long (very long) white house.  We parked on the street and climbed the 10 to 20 steps up to the front porch. It was so much fun for all the nieces and nephews (my cousins), because there was a metal bar to grasp walking up and down the steps.  We (the cousins) would start at the top and grab on the metal bar and slide down to the bottom and hit the sidewalk.  It was so much fun.

Once we walked into My Uncle Ed's home we were met by at least one dog if not more.  My Uncle Ed loved all animals and would rescue animals from homeowners and shelters.  There were 2 black Labradors (Lulu and I can't remember the other one).  They were terrified of everyone.  They would run to the back bedroom closet and hide.  Arnold was a St. Bernard.  He was skin and bones when Uncle Ed rescued him from the neighbors. Arnold was an amazing large dog.  The fur was everywhere.  He loved everyone.  I would sit on the couch and Arnold would lay down on my feet.  I could not move.  He would come up and lick me.  I remember getting a glass for water and Arnold's fur was in it.  Ugh!  But I loved him.  There was 2 more dogs.  Yes a total of 4 to 5 dogs and at least 2 to 3 cats.  This was normal.  New dogs and cats would come and go from the house.  Arnold was given to a family who had a lot of land for him.  It was not fair to him to be so confined.

Uncle Ed was a veteran of World War II in Italy.  He told me stories about the stray dogs.  Every night the soldiers were instructed to shot and kill the dogs.  The reason was the enemy would know where the US soldiers were if not done.  My Uncle Ed could not kill the dogs.  He would pay other soldiers with cigarettes and Hershey chocolate bars.  He told me he would have tears in his eyes when he heard the shots.

My Uncle Ed was a wonderful man.  I died in 1994 of leukemia.  Erika met him before he passed away.

My Aunt Doris is a wonderful woman.  She was always laughing and loud.  I take after the loud part.  She was always giving anything in their home.  I remember I found an elephant plant stand.  I told her that it was beautiful.  She told me to take it home.  I was reluctant, but I did.  My brothers and sister would comment on something in their home and she would give it to them.  She knew we would take care of the items.

I have taken this to heart.  My coworkers will come to my desk and comment on items on my desk.  There are very few items I would not give away.  (A few elephants which have great meaning.)  If the item would give someone else pleasure, I want to give it to the person.

My Uncle Ed and Aunt Doris will always have a wonderful place in my heart.