Family Picnic

My husband has a wonderful Godmother. I'm sure she was the factual part of Cinderella. She doesn't turn into a pumpkin, that I know of, but maybe that's because the prince never comes home before midnight and she just got tired of waiting up. Anyway, the lady organizes a family picnic, which she graciously invites us to. She has many Godchildren and her own children and their families join in, a few friends and cousins and we need to book space in a park. When I came onto the scene, some thirty years ago, it sounded to me like a great idea, and since Andy's family doesn't see much of each other through the year I thought that would be a great way to #1. get the rest of outfield manned, and #2. see everyone before you have to buy them gifts at Christmas. Well my sister and her family and my best friend came, but none of Andy's family was interested. I was not successful in getting Andy's family to come, but my godchildren and their parents and even grandmother were there.I love the format too, bring your own main dish, and salad and dessert to share. We've tasted some very different dishes. Hermina makes a wicked popcorn* and Jenny, the Godmother makes the traditional "Pierog". As in many countries different parts of the country make different dishes that are their staple. I don't know where the pierog belongs, Jenny is second generation and I guess you make what your mother makes. Anyway, the pierog is "buckwheat cooked then combined with pressed cottage cheese and other stuff and rolled in a pastry and baked. It's loaded with butter and fats and very good. My mother's interpretation for buckweat was one that we ate as a side dish much like rice. There is food galore at these picnics. We are unable to attend todays picnic and I'll miss catching up on how everyone's kids have grown, and tasting all the delicious dishes. I think Jenny has great stamina for continuously arranging these affairs and even plans for rain. In the photo you see Jenny with her grandson (who is now probably at University) and Daniel(who at that time never sat and ate) in the distant background trying to get his frisbee out of a tree. I remember the year prior to this, when there was quite a running brook by our spot and Daniel was in it, he had some much mud in between his toes ... Anyway organize a family picnic, no mess in your house, cook just what you like, and enjoy...
*look for the recipe in my family and friends cookbook (handbound)

Let's go to the EX

Let's go to the Ex. When we were growing up in Hamilton, on the last day of school we would get these coupons for the Ex. We never went. My mother always thought that was silly and you would have to spend a lot more than that entry fee, which she was not willing to spend. So when I moved closer to Toronto, I went to the Ex. Andy use to be the Police on duty there some years. One year I went to the Ex and discovered these fabulous flowers (fake) and just needed them. So Alice and I went, with Andy, leaving my mother with Daniel. Well, Andy got distracted at the beer tent and left us, poured rain. We waited for him for what seemed a very long time. By the time we got back my poor baby was hysterically crying, never having been left without his mom. Well I proposed today to that same baby that we go to the EX on Monday, like we normally do, and got a very ugh answer. Well doesn't that just take the cake. I didn't get to "Bat Night" this year either. Another annual event. I'm starting to feel very left out. I must do something about that. We always judge the end of summer by the beginning of the Ex. Well it's almost gone and what have we enjoyed. Well I got to spend several days with a good friend in our favorite place. I've read many books, I've painted all summer, another first. I've hardly gotten a water bill this year. (not much watering happening). It's been a busy summer. Oh well we can start to shop for Christmas I suppose.

I want to "share"

When my kids were little I forbid them to use the word "share". Am I as nuts as you think? Quite possibly. I spent a couple of weeks with my niece and nephew and my boys during summer vacation, while my sister and her husband were on a cruise. Most of the two weeks are a blur... but All I can remember is them all of "them" complaining about each other that " so and so won't share" I got so sick of hearing this, it seemed to be the only words they knew, I forbid my kids to ever say "share" again. They were clever enough, I thought to use a thesaurus and find another word. Why is it that we expect our children to share their toys with others? We, as adults don't. When my brother kept trying to get his kids to share, I challenged him with the idea he share his car with me. NEVER HAPPENED. So sharing sucks. Why am I bringing this up you ask? Well once again, I was at my mother's. I don't know if you all know that my mother and I were once a sewing duo/trio/quartet. She more than I/Us. I was her partner in crime for only three years. When my dad died she decided she wanted to work outside the home, and dumped me ( much like she does now). However, she had been sewing for forty years. She has acquired a number of wonderful little tidbits. Filling a room 20 X 40 feet. Much of these treasures are finding their way to my tiny little home. I just can't part with some of these items. When Leslie showed us her wedding dress a few weeks ago, I thought, "I have that pattern "and the search began. Today I emptied one filing cabinet of patterns, (only six more to go) some I have to keep, and some I recycled. Then I found the mother load. Lace from many a wedding dress. I've been reading Carmi again, and boy do I feel good, she had all those Iris carts with lace. I only have a bit left. I would really love to "share" some of these adventures in sewing with someone but I'm not sure who would be interested. My mother use to tell us old time stories when we sewed late at night just to keep Barb and me awake. My boys always loved to hear about the people she would talk about, and the literal translation always made you laugh hysterically. Like "Johnny Scar" I'm sure he's been in at least one creative writing piece. And HE'LL BE BACK! Photo of my mom and one of the sharing kids, in a Polish Folk costume my mom made for her.

I know it's not Mother's Day...

I know it's not Mother's Day but... by now most of my readers know that my mother is an elderly lady, WITH ATTITUDE, who relies on care from her family and outside help as well. It sort of came to light for me yesterday on my trek on the Go Bus, that the job of Mother is quite a life sentence. I spoke to my sister, who is now a grandmother, and we discussed her granddaughters integration into day care. How her daughter, the NEW MOM is taking it all. It has got to be the most difficult thing in the world to watch your baby cry when you leave her in the care of others. That's the right hand of the situation. What about the left? We (my sister and I) are also talking about leaving our Mother in the care of others, and her crying, when we leave her. We rely on our mothers for so much. As babes you know the care your children needed. Mine are MEN (or so they say) and yet when I come home from where ever, they still wait for dinner, or laundry or "cleanup after me..."not because they are not independent, but because that's always been my place for them. That part sucks. But I'm not sure being replaced by PIZZA PIZZA is any better. I know when it's the first day of school, or the first day of daycare or the first day of residence in a seniors home there are tears and guilt. I know it's the cycle of life, but sometimes wouldn't you just like to stop the cycle. I know I would like to leave my mom's house each time not feeling guilty, like there must be more that I could do to make her life more comfortable. I just don't know what! And while I say I'm doing everything I can, I'm never sure I am. Just as my niece will feel each time she leaves her baby at day care, she will never stop questioning it. Welcome to motherhood. She will forever wonder if she's doing the right thing. I'm still doing it. Even while I pack him up to go away to school. He's a man and I'm still thinking "Am I doing the right thing by letting him leave, What if?" It takes an awful lot of ADVIL to get through it. I know I've used enough to kill several elephants, but that's life. Motherhood is not for the faint at heart, and a role that requires serious consideration and commitment.

So I wonder if my mother feels that way, when she sees me leave, does she feel like a mom still? Has the dementia relieved her of that obligation? Maybe that's Gods way of saying it's quitting time, for her as a MOM.

My friend Leslie's mom passed away last weekend. Leslie is a caring daughter, a great mom and wife, and a good friend. I'm sure she is relieved that her mom is no longer in pain, I'm sure she is sad, and I'm sure there are feeling yet to come forward. I feel inadequately equipped to help her grieve. And guilty every time I complain about my mom. And at the end of the day all I can say is I'm so sorry for her loss.

I know it's not Mother's Day but it should be, everyday should be.

A MOTHER is she
who can take the place of all others.
But, whose place no one else can take.

Robert Browning

Photo, my mom and the baby

Cutting edge ...

I've been painting again. Well this last spring I convinced our painting ladies to paint a saw. This particular design is and ESA. I've needed to adapt it. Every time I look at it I feel like it should be the orient express (on my list to do). I've had some difficulty doing research on how it actually looks. So I'll be using my imagination. Watch out for your saws, I'm on a roll. Did you know I had great difficulty finding a saw like tho old fashioned ones you see here. It seems people use other kinds, or maybe they just don't cut anything.

Happy Birthday

This cutie is my niece Jennifer, Lee. Jennifer has a birthday today. I remember when Jennifer was born and my parents were discussing her name. It's not exactly Polish, and they were trying hard to make it that. They made it work. Jennifer was the first grandchild for my parents. She was a active child, a figure skater, and a brownie. She is now a very creative writer, and independent career woman. She loves animals and gives them all a good home. Hope you're having a wonderful Birthday and have a great year as well.

Sign of the time?

As we end the summer, we are getting back to school. And like the song says "it's the most wonderful time of the year". Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, I love being around them, I even liked, no maybe not like, tolerated going to all those wacky animal days with lizards and snakes, now it's cars and strange movies they are into. But come Labour day my life NEEDS to get back to routine. I can list the things I intended to do during the summer and didn't get done because... But then again I'm much older than those lizard days and they are men now. Or so the law tells me. One of my two is going out on his own this year. I was very upset with the news at the beginning, but by now I'm packing him up. My friend Leslie said mother nature has a way of getting you ready for this day, and she was right. I wish I was a student today. I know judging by the homework that my son does I sure could have been an engineer. I don't remember ever going to a pub night. My budget was so tight, my school load so great that I don't remember sleeping first year. By third year I had run low on funds and had to get a second part-time job and still did everything else. Did I mention that my parents expected me home every weekend to help out. But my son needs to schedule school into the social calendar. I really think he should just be a professional date. He is cute, and polite and much like his dad likes to party. The other one is scheduling his availability for work around the fall line up on TV. So... So forgive me if I seem wild this morning, but it is almost the most wonderful time of the year and I can't help but feel a little jovial.

Well August to date has been another month of celebrations. On August 9th and 11th we celebrated the 25th birthdays of Joanne, and Christopher Makarewicz. On the 13th Our Dave turned 19. And Today is the 5th anniversary of Michelle and Mike. When we think back to the wedding days, well. We dealt with the blackout on Thurs. the night of rehearsal, still no lights on Fri. when we tried to get things going at the hall for the reception, but fortunately on Sat. we only had a down pour for a few minutes. We managed to get hair done with generators, dinner by candle light if necessary and everything went great. Janice was right, she dealt with unforseen things on her wedding day now her life will be perfect and it pretty much is. Happy Anniversary you two.

A labour of love

A few weeks ago my niece celebrated her 30th birthday. I've been working hard on a piece of art that I hope she will enjoy. She's a tea drinker. I thought and thought and thought some more of something wonderful that I could give her that will let her know that I love her every time she looks at it. I don't really care if she doesn't have it on display in her home, because quite possibly it will not match her decor. I know that perhaps she would have liked it to be a bit more contemporary but then it would not have my style or signature reflected. So here is a work in progress. I hope it looks great when I'm finished and I hope that I'll be able to put some sentiment on the inside that will give her a smile when she reads it. It's not ready to gift yet, but soon.

So why am I posting so prematurely. Well I need some help in choosing teas to put into it, and of course I'd like a "tea" sentiment to print on the inside. Any ideas?

Seven days of lilies makes one week...

This is the most delicate of the day lilies I have. It's soft and pink. I believe the name is "many happy returns". I hope so...

Saturday's Lily

This lily is so tall I had to stand on a stool to dead head it. I think I'll be moving it to cover some of the taller car parts. As you see it's smack in the middle of my " White garden".

Friday's Lily

When we were growing up, on Pottruff Rd. my parents had a huge garden, with fruit trees to boot. We had apple trees. We were so sick of picking apples, bushels and bushels of apples. My mother made apple soup, apple cake, apple jam, you name it we had apples in it. Well those trees are long gone and I must say I could sure go for a bowl of apple soup. I do make the apple cake often enough, I don't do the jam. So when I spotted this lily in the garden center "apple blossom" I decided I didn't have room for an apple tree this will have to do. I think it is a lovely substitute for the orchard and a whole lot less work. No soup for you today.

Thursday's lily

I planted this lily at the edge of my pond, in amongst the iris's. I don't mind the green part of the Iris after it's bloom, it make the pond look quite natural, so I thought adding a little colour later in the season would be nice. This too was to be a yellow lily. It's really quite burgandy.

A fond memory...

A rose

In memory of Janina Chrapala June 17, 1927 - August 06, 2006

Tuesdays lily

Today's lily is the Stella D'or. I had to buy this lily because my middle name is Stella. It's a purply burgandy one, a little shorter than the bright orange of yesterday. It too is in my "white garden". The little tag on it read "bright yellow" (so I planted it next to my orange one). If you read Leslie Moran's blog on July 30, she did a bit about what's in a name, and I at some point talked about what flower would I be if I were one. Stella D'or is o.k. with me. I have such difficulty choosing plants. I want them all. I thought I would do a white garden so at the end of the day I could sit outside with my book light and read by the soothing riple of the pond. I read somewhere it was called a midnight garden, perfect timing for me as that's usually when I get to sit down. Well ... I can't do that with orange and burgandy flowers, but I do enjoy them during the day. I've now settled on some white birch twigs, (which I hope I can coax my ivy to cling to) with some mini lights. It sure makes those lilies stand out.

A lily a day...

I often read Carmi's blog and she has been talking about her wildflower garden. It looks like a meadow to me. I'm so glad it wasn't disappointing this year, she was going to mow it down. I on the other hand am growing car parts. Last year I planted vines around them so that my neighbor (who's garden is absolutely meticulously maintained) would be at peace with my mess. Well the clematis chose to go around the car doors, the ivy is doing beautifully at my neighbors house and thus I feature car parts and a few day lilies which have grown beautifully. It's time to split them up. I think Misia would enjoy these in her backyard. They are bright orange, with a rusty throat, double bloom, spread rapidly. It's a friendship flower, my ivy went next door and this moved over from my neighbors house. I quite like it. I'm not an orange person, but my son certainly is. This part of my garden was intended to be all white, well I do have a white hydrangea, and a white hibiscus,and a white iris, but everything else decided to be something else, so ... they are all enhancing some lovely rare red car parts. I hope you will not mind my featuring a different day Lilly each day they are so lovely that I feel they could be sent out with sentiments. Happy gardening.