On Being Jalowiec

When I met my husband, I never knew or heard of so many things- things he gladly shared with me!

Like Herkimer, the small valley town in Central New York where he grew up. I had heard of Herkimer Diamonds, though I never knew they were so close to here, and that they were so called because of the town!

I never knew many Polish names use as few vowels as possible. We have had the necessity of going to a few funerals and cemeteries over the years, and we are always amazed at the names. There was one that had 5 consonants in a row, and only one vowel for the entire 8 letter name! We really should have written it down! Think about the Wheel of Fortune that would make... no extra vowel purchases needed!

I now know the name I carry on my drivers license means "juniper". A tree mentioned in the Bible from the time of Job and Elijah. Also, there is a mountain in Poland bearing the same name. Jalowiec Mountain

I have learned of Wigelia. It is a meal eaten on Christmas Eve that has so much tradition steeped in it, one has a hard time keeping up. I only know it has taken me about 15 of the 20 years I have been going to acclimate to the foods. So much dried fruit and carbohydrates, and not a piece of meat to be found! Now I actually look forward to some of the dishes. Others, not so much!

I have experienced a different culture, class and potential cholesterol shock.

I have also experienced deep family love, commitment, and pride in ones heritage.

My father-in-law is a wise and industrious
man. He was in WWII, one of the vets that still walk the soil of this proud land. He instilled in my husband a deep sense of faith and a strong work ethic. There are many things I love about this man, and his Cupie Doll curl on the top of his head is only the beginning!

His wife, my mother-in-law, is a strong and talented woman. She ran her own business for over 50 years, and even after she wanted to retire, continued to work into her 70's. She always finds ways to make even a simple occasion full of memory and excitement. Her sense of style is evident even now as she struggles to breathe because of her failing health. While she does little of what she once could, I pray my children still learn from her. She is from a class of women that are graduating far too few these days!

Why all the nostalgia? I realize with every ring of the phone, we are waiting for "the news". Both are in poor health, and we are feeling the pressure of possible regrets. We should have spent more time, sent more cards, called more often. Mostly, we are very uncertain of their eternal state. Both have listened to the Gospel, both have had our children ask them very point blank questions. Neither have said anything that would lead us to believe they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. All we can do is pray. God knows their need, He knows what their obstacle is. We pray with faith that He will crumble the veneer and rock that years of religion have built around their hearts. We pray their pride will fall away as they face their mortality and realize there is little left between them and the day they will meet their Creator.

Would you pray with us? There is no greater purpose to this life than to bring Glory to God by praying "home" another soul to praise Him eternally!

Its October First!!

I love fall and all of the colors, smells, activities... the list is endless! A great friend of mine shares this love of fall with me, and it spoiled her joyous living in Florida for 10 years... because she missed fall! (She lives in Maryland now!! Happy Fall!)

Well, I realize the Fall Equinox already has passed. But for me I don't feel fall-ish until October. Maybe I live in a constant state of "Oh please... not yet", for while I love fall, I still enjoy very much my summer... and it is waning! But, nevertheless, October comes with all of its golden and russet splendor!

October 1st also marks two very memorable events in my family.

First- October 1st, 1988, my niece Sabrina was born. A beautiful baby girl, 8 pounds, gobs of black hair, and an undetected Diaphragmatic Hernia. She had a collapsed right lung, her heart was on the right of her chest, and her left lung had only developed to be the size of a nickel. When she was 5 hours old, the doctors performed emergency surgery and really thought she was not going to make it. They gave her a 5% chance of survival, simply because she had lived through the operation, but figured it was only a matter of hours.

28 days later, my sister brought her home! It was a long road of meds, broviacs, shaving her hair off in patches for IV lines, :( but God was so gracious and even the doctors acknowledged it was only His miracle of giving her life! Today, she is 19 years old! A beautiful girl, with a generous heart, and a passionate love for the same God that spared her life. She is attending Word of Life Bible Institute, and planning a life of dedication to the Lord in whatever capacity He calls her to.

Happy Birthday Beans!

The other event on October 1st, was the death of my grandfather. It is hard to believe that 12 years have already gone by since that day. While he lived in California all of my life, he moved here to NY 1 1/2 years before he died. It was interesting to get to know this man. He had so many stories to tell, and even more crazy phrases for things. He lived a life full with service to our Country, joy in the little things, and a distinguished air that only Southern Gentlemen really possess! He always wore a hat... that is after he got rid of the hideous toupee!

I remember one story of him primping in the morning. He was a fastidious man, and always made sure he was dressed to the nines. He grabbed The Silver Hair Spray to make "the hair" shine, after which he used the Arrid Extra Dry under arm antiperspirant... only to discover too late he had mixed them up. He met the day with hair that wouldn't sweat, and silver arm pits.
I believe it was shortly after that he accepted his baldness!

While I never really knew him in the sense that I had intertwined my life with his, I still miss what could have been. I never really had a "grandfather" in the cozy, generous, unconditional sort of way. He was a bit of an enigma. He had already lived his entire life when I began to know him. We, his grandchildren, were people he had pictures of in his wallet. Had he left in the ones that came with the wallet when he purchased it, he may have never really known the difference. Except we were much better looking, and had written "To Popo, love..." on the back. I still loved him. It may have been more an idea that I loved, but at least I have a picture of him in my mind... even if I don't have "To Jan" written on the back!

October first... life ending, and life beautifully storing up for the Spring...

So Happy Fall! Enjoy all of the beauty, cinnamon smelling pies, and cool, crisp evening walks! I know I will!