Things That Bring Me Joy

                                                               Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



God speed thee, 
pretty bird; may thy small nest,
With little ones all in good time be blest.
I love thee much;
For well thou managest that life of thine,
Well I!—O ask not what I do with mine!
Would I were such!
—Jane Welch Carlyle.

The photo above is courtesy of my friend Cindy Alvarado from her hometown trip to Ecuador.

If you have been following my blog, you will know that I love writing, doing YouTube videos, my Crocheting Ministry and my Chronic Illness Group. I love all these things and I derive so much pleasure from it. I wish I could do this on a permanent basis full time. As much as I gain so much joy from this, there are certain aspects from each venture that can bring frustration. Things that can stress me out and take the joy out of it.

My writing: Joy, joy.
Time for writing: Not so much joy.
I get lost in my writing and it has become a therapeutic way for me to dissect my innermost emotions. It has also been quite a disappointing year for my blog. I haven't been able to devote much time to it and I believe my muse has left me. Writer's block became something real and frightening at the same time. What if clarity never happens?  What if the blog has run it's course? Maybe it's served it's purpose and it's time has come to an end. Just because I enjoy something that doesn't mean it won't end. Take for instance the time I taught Sunday School. I love it, but that part ended after six years. It was time to move on to something else. I hope this isn't the case here.

YouTube Channel: Making videos bring me joy.
The management side: Brings me too much stress that dissipates the joy.
YouTube is probably the hardest thing I have ever done. All of the other above mentioned came easy to me. Almost as if it was meant to be. Not so with making vlogs. The overall running of the channel is so stressful. One has to build a subscriber list using basically marketing skills. One visits other channels, joins in on the community, does live shows with others. It is a continual struggle to get the subscribers, the views, the camera angles, the lighting etc. The list goes on. One can easily lose oneself in the analytics of it all.

The Crocheting Ministry: Crocheting provides me with tons of joy.
The participants: I want to pull out all my hair, no joy at all.
I have had many people be part of this Ministry. All types of people who have come and gone over these past six years. Please do not get me wrong here. I love them all dearly, but I cannot keep them happy. I just cannot. This right here has given me the most joy and the most aggravation of all. Very bittersweet. That is all I want to say on that matter.

So you see, there is a flip side to things. It's not always a skip to the loo kind of experience. Even things that can bring us so much joy, can also be very irritating. Does one outweigh the other? Yes, I think so. We just have to make sure that the joy side always wins. We also need to remind ourselves why we began the journey into these things in the first place. What were we trying to accomplish here? This is very important and that should be our main focus.

Have a blessed day everyone.

The Secrets Within

                                                                Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                 everyday is a journey




What does your anxiety do?
 It does not empty to-morrow, brother, 
of its sorrow; but ah! it empties to-day of its strength. 
It does not make you escape the evil;
 it makes you unfit to cope with it if it comes.
—Ian Maclaren

The photo above is courtesy of my friend Cindy Alvarado from her trip back home to Ecuador.

As a young woman, I had several friends of mine excitedly share all the intimate secrets from their love affairs or their own heartfelt desires. That's what young girls do, you know. We share. Yet, even as a youngster, I was never able to open up in such a vulnerable way with any girlfriend.

As I became older, I would break that rule once or twice and bare my soul with someone that I considered a dear friend. Unfortunately, such confessions have come back to haunt me as I quickly learned that a friend is a good friend until they become your enemy. Once the friendship is lost, all the secrets come spilling out. All with one purpose in mind . . . to hurt  and damage you.

Experiences such as the one mentioned above have sort of changed how I express myself with friends and even family. I have learned valuable lessons from living life. Secrets are damaging

 to the soul. So is voicing them aloud. One has to be extremely careful in whom we confide. When someone is hurting, they want to also inflict pain onto others, because misery loves company. No one's secrets are safe with mankind.

This is why, if I have any kind of regrets, it's the ones where I thought I could share these secrets with others. People who I thought I could trust. I was mistaken, many times. We are such fallen people, such sin filled people that we don't know how to be good on a regular basis. When we hurt, others must hurt, too. When we are crying, others must cry. When we are rejoicing, we cannot understand why people are so gloomy. Being righteous is terribly difficult for us mere humans.

Nowadays, I keep certain things to myself. I tell people what I want them to know. Nothing more, nothing less. If I have any secrets to share, there is just One that I am willing to tell. The Lord is the only one I tell my secrets, my deepest desires to, because you see, His intentions toward me have always been pure.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Responsibility Is Proportionate To Opportunity

                                                                  Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                  everyday is a journey.




If the soft hand of winning Pleasure leads
By living waters, and through flowery meads,
Where all is smiling, tranquil, and serene,
Oh! teach me to elude each latent snare,
And whisper to my sliding heart, "Beware!"
With caution let me hear the Syren's voice,
And doubtful, with a trembling heart rejoice.
If friendless in a vale of tears I stray,
Where briars wound, and thorns perplex my way,
Still let my steady soul thy goodness see,
And, with a strong confidence, lay hold on Thee.
—Anna Letitia Barbauld.

I think I have mentioned at some point that one of my managers loves to post an encouraging quote on the board for everyone. It has become a weekly or at times, a daily thing. The title is his current quote of the week. I could not stop thinking about this quote. No, there is something wrong with it, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Why is it bothering me so much? To make sure that I am not misconstruing the definition, I decided to look it up. I was correct in my assumption of the word. So again, why is it bothering me so much to warrant a constant thought process on the matter.

I think we are fed the same concept as we are growing up or going through school. We are taught that if we do a good job, put in the hours, be a team leader or come in on time every single work day, that all our efforts will be appreciated and rewarded. This is what we are taught, right? All of that equals to us being responsible adults.

The truth of the matter is that it's not always the case. Like I said, we are taught one thing and then we graduate into the real world of work life. We are thrown in with high expectations of making good money, gaining promotions and recognitions. We actually believe that responsibility is proportionate to opportunity. All of our good work will be recognized with opportunities opening up right before our eyes. We go for it. Then we realize that it isn't how we were led to believe.

In the real world nepotism not only exists, but thrives. People with less experience than you get the position or the raise. Yes, the opportunities are there, but we don't always get a chance to experience them. We don't always win. Sometimes we just lose, no matter how hard we worked for it. So I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that quote completely.

Okay, so why get so upset about it. You know why, because I have seen it in my own life, my children's life. It's there in all of our lives and whereas it is encouraging to be fed that concept, it is not the truth. It is correct for us to grow up responsible and be taught how to be hard workers. It's also correct to tell the truth that the real world is not always fair and at times, all your hard work will mean nothing. People who do less than you will sometimes reap your benefits.

Life is not a black or white existence. There is gray, blue and green mixed in between. We don't live in a perfect world with perfect guidelines for the perfect life. Life is hard, harder than we let on as we raise our children. We try to encourage and prepare them for the world, the real world. Then we have to prepare ourselves to catch them as they reel back from the blunt force of it.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Am I Doing Enough

                                                                 Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                 everyday is a journey.




As God leads me, will I go,--
    Nor choose my way;
  Let Him choose the joy or woe
    Of every day:
  They cannot hurt my soul,
  Because in His control:
  I leave to Him the whole,--
    His children may.
L. GEDICKE.

It is nothing new to us that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We have seen the little pink ribbon logo almost everywhere. It is safe to say that everyone has become aware of breast cancer. Still, I support all cancer research and if there is some way that I can help, I am all in. When the yearly breast cancer walk registry was sent out from our HR, I quickly signed up. Not a problem, especially since it was close by and I was free that Saturday. So I walked.

The day itself was lovely, not as cold as it usually can be at this time. The Sun came out as we walked through one of the loveliest neighborhoods. Some residents sat on their doorsteps with coffee in hand, waving us on. Others beeped their horns as they passed. It was a very nice morning to spend with fellow co-workers, all of us decked out in our pink finest.

I came home wondering why I haven't seen anything for ovarian cancer or lung or colon? It doesn't even matter what type of cancer we insert there, breast cancer will always overshadow the rest. I am not being bitter here at all, so please do not be on the offensive. There are many cancer patients out there dying or suffering. No one is exempt from the claws of this monster we call cancer. I am not making light of one over the other. I am simply stating that every single cancer patient out there deserves for their cancer to be known. We all deserve to march in our walks for research. So why are we not hearing about them?

I am astounded and a bit perplexed why my hospital has not sent me or had flyers in the clinic on the various cancer walks available. I say this, because there are walks, but where are they? When are they? Who organizes them? I see my team in the hospital cancer clinic.  I see the cancer ribbons representing all the cancers, but that is the extent of it. I'm sent e-mails about my visit and would I like to take a survey. I am sent e-mails on trials that are out there and would I be interested in signing up, but absolutely nothing about fundraising events or walks. Nothing!

 So I have been thinking about this ever since. I have been asking myself, am I doing enough? I don't want to become a person that sits and complains about all the things they don't care for. I want to be a person who actually does something about it. I feel almost guilty for not doing this a long time ago. Do you know why I think Breast Cancer became so well known? Well, I believe someone took a step forward and decided to educate themselves along with others. So let's do that. Let us take a step forward and ask ourselves, am I doing enough? Be the one that walks or fundraises for a friend or sister or father who has skin cancer or lung cancer or any other type. There is enough awareness for breast cancer. Awareness needs to be in the forefront for all the rest of the cancers.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Apple Picking Ways

                                                Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey


Thrice blest will all our blessings be,
  When we can look through them to Thee;
  When each glad heart its tribute pays
  Of love and gratitude and praise.
JANE COTTERILL.

I love Wisconsin. I could definitely live there surrounded by the small town Americana lifestyle. This time of the year, the leaves haven't quite turned yet, now more of a yellow than anything else. The day itself proved to be quite overcast with threatening rain showers. At least, that's what the forecast read a few days prior. It didn't matter to us, we were planning on making the day count no matter what the weather.

For a minute there I thought we might just make it through the day without the rain. Just as we headed out to the orchard, the heaven's opened up with such a heavy downpour! I had to smile to myself. For the past two years, my brother has been inviting me to go apple picking with him citing how much fun it would be. We have yet to succeed. Just another reason for me to keep coming back!

The time always goes by quickly when we are preoccupied with each other or other things. That's exactly what happened during our visit. It just flew by so fast! The next thing we knew it was over, the sky darkening with the evening hour. The ride home was a bit rough. I was tired from working all week and not getting enough sleep. It didn't help that it poured heavily all the way home. My joints were creaking and creaking! I couldn't wait to get home!

By the time I arrived back in my own place, the day was pretty much over. The building was super quiet and so was the apartment. Everyone was settled in for the night. A howling night outside as the storm raged on into the early morning. The day quickly turned into just a memory to hold dear for future reminisces. Inside the pantry sat on a shelf today's harvest of fresh maple syrup, new potatoes and orchard apples. Even though we didn't pick them ourselves, it still tasted delicious.

Have a blessed day everyone

Blessed To Be Alone

                                                                                Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                            everyday is a journey.



Lonesomeness is part of the cost of power.
mmediate the responsibility, 
the less can a man delegate his tasks
 or escape his own mistakes.
—Shailer Mathews

Sometimes being alone is a blessing. I dislike tension of any kind and whenever disharmony happens, I'll be the first to disappear. I find that people like drama and they like to argue so they can be proven right. I pick my fights. I don't just lash out at every Tom, Dick and Harry. One can't fight every battle in life. Be choosy, folks. Be choosy.

Lately, it seems the atmosphere has been pretty thick, especially at work. People have been high strung and easily offended without much effort. I don't become entangled in any of these messes even when I am asked to take a side. The side I choose is my own, I CHOOSE TO BE alone.

The way I am now is pretty different from my youth. When I was young, I was a regular Norma Rae, fighting everyone's cause. It didn't take much to set me off. A petite bull, that was me. Nowadays, I want peace at all cost. I believe that all that stress, tension and anger had a lot to do with my disease. It cannot be good for anyone to be so volatile inside. Living the life of serenity is a lot more appealing to me now.

So all these arguments among my fellow co-workers and even my neighbors are not for me. I retreat into my lonely shell until all of this blows over. It will blow over, because that is life. It's all a Season in our lives with the ripples of time going in and out. Some of them are good and some are bad. It's just a Season we have to live through the best way we can. If it's worth a fight, I will FIGHT. If not, I will go into my lonely shell until it blows over.

People tend to feed off others. If the atmosphere is positive, they become positive. The same applies for negativity. I have plenty of that without anyone else's help, thank you. Let's try to live a life that God intended for us. A peaceful and loving one.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Counting Your Chickens Before They Hatch

                                                                Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                 everyday is a journey.




Thou layest Thy hand on the fluttering heart,
    And sayest, "Be still!"
  The silence and shadow are only a part
    Of Thy sweet will;
  Thy presence is with me, and where Thou art
    I fear no ill.
F. R. HAVERGAL.

About a week ago, we received notifications at work that we would have to shutdown the facility for about four days to transfer to a new IT Communications Program. The IT Team has been working on this for several months (most of the year) and finally were ready to implement the change.

Not much time was given to us and people were pretty upset. Majority of them do not have anymore vacation time to use for these four days. That would leave them with only one option, being off without pay. For anyone who has a family to take care of, that can be a huge financial loss. Now overtime was available, but many people were not choosing that route until this announcement was made. Suddenly, everyone was staying ten hours in the hope of preparing for those four days.

We adapted to the change that was coming, stayed extra hours and in a way, looked forward to those four days off. I definitely planned on staying in and trying to play catch up, but in a leisurely way, with all my projects. Others booked a trip elsewhere or made plans with their families.

We came in today to yet another notification. They were cancelling the four day shutdown until further notice. They were not ready to implement the necessary changes to our computer system. Sorry for the inconvenience. A mere five days before the event, they cancel it. Again, people were upset. We adapted. We made necessary arrangements. We looked on the bright side. Now we have to do it all over again another time.

This is a perfect example of counting our chickens before they are hatched. Contrary to what the general public think, people do adapt to situations. They may grumble. They may be upset, but they get over it quickly. That's what we did here. We daydreamed about the dinners we would have with our families. We daydreamed about relaxing and crafting to our hearts content. We just plain daydreamed. 

I am shrugging off the entire incident as nothing we can do about it and planning on moving on with it. Yet, there is that little bit inside of me that is a bit bitter. Maybe not bitter, but disappointed. I really enjoy all I do after work. I cannot stress to you how much my soul needs it. To others, it may seem like all this extra work, but not me. To me, it's pleasure. In should have known better than to get excited, because my work has always done things like this at the last minute. Yet, I believed them and counted my chickens. 

Like I said, we do adjust pretty quickly no matter what people say. I will too. Maybe an opportunity may arise for such a time as what we lost. Who knows? 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Ministry Minimalism

                                                               Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                everyday is a journey.



The righteousness he marks in Thee
    His will to right doth win;
  Delighting in Thy purity,
    He deeply drinks it in.
T. H. GILL

What is minimalism?

Minimalism is defined as a focus on the simplest way.

What does it mean to be a minimalist?

It is believed that being a minimalist means you are making decisions based on what you need instead of what you want. The material world does not appeal to you.

Now that we have explained what minimalism means to us, how do we incorporate that way into the Ministry? Well, we have to remember what our main objective has always been when we began this Ministry. The goal was to provide the various charitable organizations with the skills of our hands a finished usable item. We could always make sweaters, dresses and all sorts of knitted clothes, but what is the real need out there? What do the people need the most? What does a homeless person need at that moment? They need a mat to sleep on, a blanket to cover them and a hat to keep them warm.

Every time, I check out a new charity, the first thing I do is check their wish list. Every organization has one. If you are uncertain what to donate, just click on that portion of the website. They will provide you with their biggest need. The basics consist of hats, scarves and blankets (baby and adult). There are some that will take other things such as homeless mats, shawls, wheelchair bags or twiddle muffs.

Just keep in mind, that every item you donate should be washed in an unscented detergent. Many people wash their items in conditioner to soften the yarn. Please read all the ingredients first to make sure there is nothing in them that someone may have a reaction. Try to remember that many people out there have allergies and/or have health issues. We want to make sure the item is clean and free of anything like animal hair if you have a pet or smoke free if you smoke. The same thing applies to the type of yarn you are using. We want to avoid 100% wool for two reasons: one, not many people know how to take care of wool. Two, many people are allergic to it. Another thing to keep in mind is the type of stitching used. If you are crocheting to a prenatal unit, make sure all your stitches are tightly together with no gaps. Hospitals do not like to use these type of baby blankets due to the high risk of baby's parts such as hands getting caught in them. Don't worry if you have donated some, they will send them to another unit.

When I go shopping for yarn for the Ministry, my main objective is to get the most for my buck. That may sometimes involve choosing basic colors, because they are cheaper. The more exotic the yarn or color, the more it costs. When you are on a budget and want that yarn to stretch as much as possible, you go for the deals.

 I have learned a lot these past six years and the basics really never change. You change the name, the logo, but you can't change the main objective. The mission statement represents who you are as a Ministry and what you want to achieve. What is the reason for your Ministry? What are you trying to accomplish? Remember that goal and it will always steer you right.

Have a blessed day everyone.

A New Schedule Format

                                                                 Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                  everyday is a journey




Lord, we have wandered forth through doubt and sorrow,
    And Thou hast made each step an onward one;
  And we will ever trust each unknown morrow,--
    Thou wilt sustain us till its work is done.
S. JOHNSON.

I have been noticing that there seems to be some difficulties in relation to my blog versus vlog posts. Since I am posting both on all my social media accounts, I think people are confusing the two. They both look similar in appearance as well as the subject matter. There are certain issues that I address on both, but in a different manner. For one thing, I believe I am more descriptive in my writing, so I probably write more on certain subjects than say in the videos.

Currently, I have been posting my YouTube videos on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This has been working out very well for me so we will keep this schedule. The blog itself has been a daily basis kind of thing. Well, until recently. This year, I have been experiencing a severe case of writer's block. I can't even claim to have written daily. This is why I have been thinking of posting my blogs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

So starting this Monday, the schedule will be as follows:

YouTube Vlogs:

                            Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

My Blogs:

                  Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

This way, if some of you don't care for either one of them, you can watch the one you do like or both if you choose. I hope this will be a lot easier to follow and even easier to maintain. Thank you so much for being both loyal and patient as we adapt to new changes.

Have a blessed day everyone

My Most Cherished Memory Pt.4

                                                              Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                               everyday is a journey.

I've many a cross to take up now,
    And many left behind;
  But present troubles move me not,
    Nor shake my quiet mind.
  And what may be to-morrow's cross
    I never seek to find;
  My Father says, "Leave that to me,
    And keep a quiet mind."
ANON

The photo above is courtesy of my friend Cindy Alvarado taken on her trip back to her homeland of Ecuador.

My Uncle John inherited the farm. I have never had a desire to visit the farm again. I was afraid deep down inside that it would erase the memory of my grandparents and my time with them. I knew that it would never be the same if I ever returned back there again. I didn't want to be disappointed.

Memories such as these are precious to us, because of what they meant to us at the time. For a small child whose parents had such a tumultuous relationship, it was a pleasure to be surrounded by a relaxed atmosphere with a couple who were good to one another. Plus, I lacked a father/daughter relationship. Something that I gained with my grandpa. He filled those shoes and I saw what I could have with my own father, but didn't. 

Grandparents play a vital role in our lives. When they pass away, we feel it in many ways. They probably think that no one will remember them down the generations. How untrue. I think of my own grandparents all the time. I see them reflected in my own children, my nieces and nephews. It is there in the resemblance, the mannerisms and the values. I look at my brothers and see each one has a little bit of grandpa in him. Forgotten? I don't think so.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

My Most Cherished Memory Pt.3

                                                              Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                               everyday is a journey.

Wherever He may guide me,
    No want shall turn me back;
  My Shepherd is beside me,
    And nothing can I lack.
  His wisdom ever waketh,
    His sight is never dim,--
  He knows the way He taketh,
    And I will walk with Him.
A. L. WARING.

The photo above is courtesy of my friend Cindy Alvarado from a trip back to her homeland of Ecuador.

Sunday was a very important day. We would have meat for dinner, because usually grandpa would kill a chicken, a rabbit or go down to the cellar to pull out a slab of beef or pork from the previous years harvest of the cow or pig. Of course, grandma and I would go to Church. Grandpa didn't go, something about the priest having a child with his housekeeper. I didn't quite understand it then, but I do now. Grandpa called him a hypocrite. In the evening we would watch a "special" on television usually a movie of sorts. Bedtime usually occurred after 9 p.m., no one could stay up past that.

Did I want to come back home? Absolutely not! I loved my time spent with them and I loved the farm. I loved everything about it. I was exposed to things that I have never seen before. When you cracked an egg open it was orange or red inside! The eggs here in the U.S. were just plain yellow. Everything tasted better to me, except the milk. I just couldn't drink it straight from the cow. It was warm and sweet. I fed the horses right out of my hand. My grandpa would go to the barn and carry on a pitchfork a huge stack of hay right over his head! The barn was away from the farm and stables in case of fire. They caught on fire quite frequently.

Did I want to go back home? Absolutely not! I loved everything about the trip, the farm and definitely loved village life. To this day, I love homesteading, watching old movies from the war time era back in England like Grantchester or Miss Marple series. I want to garden, to can goods and I want to live in the Country. When I came back to the States, I remember my drive from the airport with my parents. I kept speaking in Polish, unable to form words in the English language. I kept stuttering as if I have never spoken English before. I couldn't remember the words. It took me awhile to get back into the same routine I held before the trip. The memories never faded.

School started and life slowly went back to normal. Winter came and so did February. My grandpa passed away at the age of 62. We did not hear of his passing for over a week, because it was a Communist country and any calls made had to be requested and ordered. The day that he actually died, we were laughing and goofing around. We had no idea of what was happening back in Poland. When our mom received the news, she felt so bad for spending that day he died in laughter. Like it was a shameful thing to do. Now that I am older, I don't feel that guilt, because we should be rejoicing at the passing of our loved ones. They are with Jesus. Praise the Lord for that! When I pass away, I want everyone to sing and dance in celebration!

Even though I was still a child, I made a vow back then upon hearing of my grandpa's passing. I told everyone that if I ever had a son, I would name him Joseph after my grandpa. That's exactly what I did on November 12, 1984 when I gave birth to my first child, Joseph Michael the 2nd. So you see, so many good things came from that memory, from that experience. That's why to me, this will always be my most cherished memory of all.

To be continued tomorrow.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

My Most Cherished Memory Pt.2

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                             everyday is a journey

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
Helps more than the thing which it gets.
For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of great nor small,
But just in the doing and doing
As we would be done by is all.

—Alice Gary.

The picture above is courtesy my friend Cindy Alvarado from her trip back home to Ecuador. 

I didn't understand a lot of things back then. For instance, bus service. Why were all the people pushing and shoving to get on the bus? Maybe, because the bus came every two hours or longer! If you missed the bus, you were stuck waiting or walking home. My grandma hitchhiked when it happened to us a few times. I was shocked beyond words. Grandma hitchhiking? Unheard of here in the States! One might get murdered. Not there, it was very common. Just give the driver a few coins and they were very happy to drop you off along their route.

My grandma cooked the old fashioned way. She was up around 4 a.m. churning butter every single day. She would take the butter and place it in a mold like they do for jello. The butter would look so pretty shaped in a cute design. For breakfast, we would have fresh bread or rolls with eggs and homemade cheese. We drank hot cocoa or Polish tea served in a tall glass with a slice of lemon. It was very delicious. Lunch was called dinner and was served around 1 p.m. It was the largest meal of the day. There was soup every single day, followed by the main dish like pierogi or sauerkraut. On Sunday, it would be special, because we would have meat. Evening meals usually were called suppers. They consisted of light sandwiches or salads.

I loved the farm and all the animals on it. Every morning after grandma milked the cows, I would lead them out to pasture. Honestly, these cows knew exactly where to go and were more leading me than I them. Then I would feed all the chickens, ducks and geese. It wasn't like what I see on Homestead Farms on YouTube today. All the birds were running around all over the farm and at night, they all shared a pen. There was no separation of ducks, chickens or geese. They all lived together, babies and all. If they survived, they survived. If they got trampled, well then they got trampled. That was farm life. Even the cows, I swear my grandma milked them in the morning and in the evening. Maybe I got it all wrong, but that's how I remember it.

The dogs lived outside in the "doghouse" and the cat lived in the barn. They didn't come inside the house at all. They weren't domesticated like that. They each had a job to do. The dog was fed scraps from the table and the cat feasted on the mice in the barn and stable. He would receive a bowl of warm milk from the cow in the morning and evening.

I remember many things about my trip, but the ones that do stick out involve my grandparents. My grandpa sat at the head of the table . . . always. That was his chair and no one else sat there. In the table drawer, he had chocolates that he kept for when his grandchildren came for a visit. After supper, he would lay out on the couch with one hand behind his head, feet crossed at the ankles. Grandma was no different. You could set your watch by her schedule every day. Somehow, she was able to take care of the house, the farm and her family without skipping a beat. She was 60 when I was there and she had no problem jumping over a ditch with a canister of milk on her back.

To be continued tomorrow.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

My Most Cherished Memory

                                                                     Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                     everyday is a journey.






O Lord, how happy should we be  
If we could cast our care on Thee,  
If we from self could rest;  
And feel at heart that One above,  
In perfect wisdom, perfect love,  
Is working for the best.
J. ANSTICE.

I tell people all the time that I am an immigrant. You see, I wasn't born in this Country. I was born in Poland and came here as a small child of seven over 47 years ago. Of all the memories I have made on this Earth, there is one that I hold dear to my heart. I believe this memory has shaped who I am today and wish to become in the future.

When I was about 14, my parents decided to send me back to my grandparents in Poland for the Summer. When I say Summer, I think it was a little over a month, maybe six weeks. I had the best time ever that Summer, living on the farm with grandma and grandpa.

Not many people nowadays even know what a communist country looks like, but back in the late 70's it was still a common thing. Many of our European countries were still not free. Even though it was the 70's the state of Poland was pretty much behind several decades just like any other Communist country. Very few people had cars, most of them rode their bicycles. On farms, it was still horse and buggy days. When I think of that Summer, my first memory is hearing the horses hooves on the cobbled stone street outside my bedroom window.

Since it was Communist, whenever I went into town with either one of my grandparents, I saw the Military stationed there. I looked totally out of place with my dress so they regularly would approach me to check my passport. I had to carry it around with me everywhere, especially in the towns and cities. To this day, I never want to go to any country that has issues with terrorism or wars or military of any kind. In fact, I prefer to stay in the United States.

My grandparents took me to town quite often, but honestly, I was perfectly happy staying on the farm. They thought that I might be bored so they kept me pretty busy sightseeing every Saturday.  It was grandpa's job to take me on these tours of Poland. We would hop onto a tour bus and traipse all over the country visiting museums, castles, salt mines and even the zoo.

Once every so often, grandma would go into town to the marketplace. The marketplace was nothing grand just fellow farmers that would bring their harvests to sell and make some money. I remember remarking on how small all the vegetables and fruits were compared to American stores. Well, I didn't understand how communism worked. The government took all the good harvests for themselves and the people had the leftovers.

To be continued tomorrow!

Have a blessed day everyone.