Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Reflections of 2005
I am sitting here reflecting back on this year. It has had it good and bad points just like every other year. With the beginning of the new year I see things are a changing already....
This year my daughter turned 5 and is starting kindergarten in the fall of 2006. My niece got her driver's permit, lord help all of those who drive the streets of Minneapolis. I turned 41, started taking anti anxiety medication after having the worst summer of my life and now I feel the best ever. My finances are a big mess but hopefully I can get that turned around in 2006 by winning the lottery!!!
Our country is one big mess. It is being run by people who don't give a damn about the public, education, and those who truly need help. They lie so easily and don't think twice about it. How can anyone live with themselves? They are out to make their pockets richer at the expense of everyone else. We are in a war that was started on a lie. People are dying daily for what??? Oil perhaps......
Next year at this time, I hope and pray that the election cycle coming up will see a change in Washington and make the powers that be answer the lies that they have told.
Happy New Year everyone..........
This year my daughter turned 5 and is starting kindergarten in the fall of 2006. My niece got her driver's permit, lord help all of those who drive the streets of Minneapolis. I turned 41, started taking anti anxiety medication after having the worst summer of my life and now I feel the best ever. My finances are a big mess but hopefully I can get that turned around in 2006 by winning the lottery!!!
Our country is one big mess. It is being run by people who don't give a damn about the public, education, and those who truly need help. They lie so easily and don't think twice about it. How can anyone live with themselves? They are out to make their pockets richer at the expense of everyone else. We are in a war that was started on a lie. People are dying daily for what??? Oil perhaps......
Next year at this time, I hope and pray that the election cycle coming up will see a change in Washington and make the powers that be answer the lies that they have told.
Happy New Year everyone..........
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Adoption it is wonderful!!!
This is an article I was interviewed for, it ran in the paper in August of this year. The day was actually my fourth anniversary with Kiran.... The comment that amazed me most was when a friend asked if I rubbed her skin won't she be lighter. Hell, I told him, I would love to look like that child.....
I hope you all enjoy....
Sense & SensitivityAdoptive parents love talking about their kids. But they're sometimes stunned, or stung, by questions they're asked.
Here's some guidance for the curious.
Sense & Sensitivity
By Bill Dawson
Star Tribune Staff Writer
Adoptive parents of foreign-born kids get these questions all the time;
"Is she your real daughter?"
"How will you teach him English?"
"How much did she cost?"
Kris Huson of Children's Home Society & Family Services in St. Paul calls these "the grocery store questions." Though usually well-intended, they can make an adoptive parent cringe.
Or laugh. "Does she cry in Korean?" is one of the bizarre questions asked of Kim Brown, adoptive mother of a 2-year-old daughter.
"I always thought babies cried in a universal language," says Brown, who lives in Crow's Landing, Calif.
My wife, Ila, and I, who adopted a baby girl named Sonali from India, are constantly amused at what people say.
Ila, who is of Indian descent, had a co-worker tell her, "It's so amazing you were able to get such a beautiful child from such a poor country."
Hmm.
Mary of Apple Valley got a similar jolt after she decided to adopt a child from Calcutta. Her aunt asked, "Oh, are you going to India to adopt because they're so smart in math?"
Kristin Vonnegut's mother asked, "Are you going to become Buddhist?" after Vonnegut decided to adopt from India.
"Which is funny," says Vonnegut of Avon, Minnesota.,"because most Indians aren't Buddhist."
Vonnegut's father-in-law wondered why she wasn't adopting from Mexico, where "they're so much more docile."
Speak to me
Ila and I also have discovered that curiosity around language abounds when you adopt a child, even a non-speaking infant.
"Is she learning English?" is a popular question. Mary, a teacher, was surprised to hear this from a colleague.
"My school is half ELL (English Language Learners), so, excuse me?" says Mary. She adopted Kiran, now 4, when the child was 8 months old.
Kristi Jenkins of Marion, Ill., will soon be united with a 20-month-old boy from Mumbai, formerly Bombay. She's also mom to two stepchildren and one biological child. Her stock answer for those who wonder how she'll be able to communicate with her newest child?
"I tell them, we didn't understand our biological daughter when she spoke to us in English at 20 months," Jenkins says.
Harsher words
Not all comments are so amusing.
Before her baby joined her, Mary was asked if her little girl would be "dots or feathers." Mary was baffled until the questioner explained that dots meant dots on the forehead -India-born -and feathers meant feathers in the hair - American Indian.
She's also heard, "Thank God she's here and growing up a Christian," and, from an elderly man in Hoyt Lakes, Minn.: "If you rub her skin, will that make her lighter?"
Others stand out:
"Does that dot on his forehead scratch off?"
"I couldn't bring a person like that into my home."
"Aren't you afraid people will think he's Middle Eastern?"
The last came from a co-worker who said, "People will think he's a terrorist," prompting Jenkins to ask, "How can a 20-month-old be a terrorist?"
Jenkins blames some of this on where she lives in Illinois. "I think I'm kind of in redneck land here, and I think there still is a lot of racism."
But similar comments are heard in Minnesota, which has the nation's highest rate of foreign adoptions per capita.
Ask Becky Steeber, who works at Children's Home Society and is an adoptive mother of three. A physician tending to one of Steeber's adopted boys, who has spina bifida, asked, "Do they the adoption agency have any healthy white kids?"
"One of most appalling comments I ever got," Steeber says.
What's worse, Mary said, is that often, "they'll ask these questions right in front of the child. It really amazes me how people can be so unsmart. I really want to say stupid."
Brown sees this as a growing challenge now that her daughter is getting old enough to understand what is being said about her.
"I have to think how Natalie is going to think about these questions," says Brown. "I don't want her saying, `Are you my real mother?' `Do you love me as much as your other kids?'-"
Cautious questions
So what is the right thing to ask? First, know that adoptive parents aren't hypersensitive souls who parse every statement, looking for something offensive. We love talking about our kids. And we understand that most people aren't trying to be insensitive; they just don't know how, or sometimes what, to ask.
Still, when addressing an adoptive parent, you might want to rethink the following questions:
"How much did he cost?"
What you probably mean is, "How much did the adoption process cost?" That varies, with much of the cost going to administrative fees. "It's not just paying someone off and taking a child across the world," Brown says. Some parents find this an intrusive
question, others are happy to answer, but none of us likes to think of our kids as having price tags on their foreheads.
"What happened to her real mom?"
We know you mean "birth" or "biological" mom, but it's still a sore semantic subject. Adoptive parents are real parents and some can get really touchy about this. Try to use the b-words, birth or biological, and we'll try to understand when you forget.
"Why did you adopt overseas when there are so many children here?"
Multiple reasons. One is the domestic adoption laws that give U.S. birth mothers time to change their mind and reclaim the child. Bonding with a child, and then losing him or her to the birth mother, is heartbreaking, especially for couples who adopt because of infertility. This seldom happens with foreign adoptions.
"Why was he put up for adoption?"
A fair question, but don't be offended if we decline to answer. Many parents consider the details private, and want the child, when he or she is old enough to understand, to know this information
before others do.
"Do you get to go to an orphanage and pick one out?"
No, it's not like choosing a puppy at a kennel. Usually, the prospective parents submit a preference for a boy or girl, a range of ages, and whether they'd be willing to take on a "special needs" child, which is usually a youngster with a disability or health concern. The agency or service eventually sends them the picture and profile of a possible "match," which parents can accept or refuse. If they refuse, they'll get another match, until they finally find the right child for them.
"Isn't she lucky, being raised by loving parents in the U.S.?"
Sure, but it works both ways. Adoptive parents feel immensely lucky and blessed themselves. Even non-religious couples often feel that Providence has stepped in and given them the perfect child.
.
Bill Dawson is at wdawson@startribune.com.
Family Services Crisis Nursery Early Childhood Education Sitemap
©2005 Children's Home Society & Family Services
I hope you all enjoy....
Sense & SensitivityAdoptive parents love talking about their kids. But they're sometimes stunned, or stung, by questions they're asked.
Here's some guidance for the curious.
Sense & Sensitivity
By Bill Dawson
Star Tribune Staff Writer
Adoptive parents of foreign-born kids get these questions all the time;
"Is she your real daughter?"
"How will you teach him English?"
"How much did she cost?"
Kris Huson of Children's Home Society & Family Services in St. Paul calls these "the grocery store questions." Though usually well-intended, they can make an adoptive parent cringe.
Or laugh. "Does she cry in Korean?" is one of the bizarre questions asked of Kim Brown, adoptive mother of a 2-year-old daughter.
"I always thought babies cried in a universal language," says Brown, who lives in Crow's Landing, Calif.
My wife, Ila, and I, who adopted a baby girl named Sonali from India, are constantly amused at what people say.
Ila, who is of Indian descent, had a co-worker tell her, "It's so amazing you were able to get such a beautiful child from such a poor country."
Hmm.
Mary of Apple Valley got a similar jolt after she decided to adopt a child from Calcutta. Her aunt asked, "Oh, are you going to India to adopt because they're so smart in math?"
Kristin Vonnegut's mother asked, "Are you going to become Buddhist?" after Vonnegut decided to adopt from India.
"Which is funny," says Vonnegut of Avon, Minnesota.,"because most Indians aren't Buddhist."
Vonnegut's father-in-law wondered why she wasn't adopting from Mexico, where "they're so much more docile."
Speak to me
Ila and I also have discovered that curiosity around language abounds when you adopt a child, even a non-speaking infant.
"Is she learning English?" is a popular question. Mary, a teacher, was surprised to hear this from a colleague.
"My school is half ELL (English Language Learners), so, excuse me?" says Mary. She adopted Kiran, now 4, when the child was 8 months old.
Kristi Jenkins of Marion, Ill., will soon be united with a 20-month-old boy from Mumbai, formerly Bombay. She's also mom to two stepchildren and one biological child. Her stock answer for those who wonder how she'll be able to communicate with her newest child?
"I tell them, we didn't understand our biological daughter when she spoke to us in English at 20 months," Jenkins says.
Harsher words
Not all comments are so amusing.
Before her baby joined her, Mary was asked if her little girl would be "dots or feathers." Mary was baffled until the questioner explained that dots meant dots on the forehead -India-born -and feathers meant feathers in the hair - American Indian.
She's also heard, "Thank God she's here and growing up a Christian," and, from an elderly man in Hoyt Lakes, Minn.: "If you rub her skin, will that make her lighter?"
Others stand out:
"Does that dot on his forehead scratch off?"
"I couldn't bring a person like that into my home."
"Aren't you afraid people will think he's Middle Eastern?"
The last came from a co-worker who said, "People will think he's a terrorist," prompting Jenkins to ask, "How can a 20-month-old be a terrorist?"
Jenkins blames some of this on where she lives in Illinois. "I think I'm kind of in redneck land here, and I think there still is a lot of racism."
But similar comments are heard in Minnesota, which has the nation's highest rate of foreign adoptions per capita.
Ask Becky Steeber, who works at Children's Home Society and is an adoptive mother of three. A physician tending to one of Steeber's adopted boys, who has spina bifida, asked, "Do they the adoption agency have any healthy white kids?"
"One of most appalling comments I ever got," Steeber says.
What's worse, Mary said, is that often, "they'll ask these questions right in front of the child. It really amazes me how people can be so unsmart. I really want to say stupid."
Brown sees this as a growing challenge now that her daughter is getting old enough to understand what is being said about her.
"I have to think how Natalie is going to think about these questions," says Brown. "I don't want her saying, `Are you my real mother?' `Do you love me as much as your other kids?'-"
Cautious questions
So what is the right thing to ask? First, know that adoptive parents aren't hypersensitive souls who parse every statement, looking for something offensive. We love talking about our kids. And we understand that most people aren't trying to be insensitive; they just don't know how, or sometimes what, to ask.
Still, when addressing an adoptive parent, you might want to rethink the following questions:
"How much did he cost?"
What you probably mean is, "How much did the adoption process cost?" That varies, with much of the cost going to administrative fees. "It's not just paying someone off and taking a child across the world," Brown says. Some parents find this an intrusive
question, others are happy to answer, but none of us likes to think of our kids as having price tags on their foreheads.
"What happened to her real mom?"
We know you mean "birth" or "biological" mom, but it's still a sore semantic subject. Adoptive parents are real parents and some can get really touchy about this. Try to use the b-words, birth or biological, and we'll try to understand when you forget.
"Why did you adopt overseas when there are so many children here?"
Multiple reasons. One is the domestic adoption laws that give U.S. birth mothers time to change their mind and reclaim the child. Bonding with a child, and then losing him or her to the birth mother, is heartbreaking, especially for couples who adopt because of infertility. This seldom happens with foreign adoptions.
"Why was he put up for adoption?"
A fair question, but don't be offended if we decline to answer. Many parents consider the details private, and want the child, when he or she is old enough to understand, to know this information
before others do.
"Do you get to go to an orphanage and pick one out?"
No, it's not like choosing a puppy at a kennel. Usually, the prospective parents submit a preference for a boy or girl, a range of ages, and whether they'd be willing to take on a "special needs" child, which is usually a youngster with a disability or health concern. The agency or service eventually sends them the picture and profile of a possible "match," which parents can accept or refuse. If they refuse, they'll get another match, until they finally find the right child for them.
"Isn't she lucky, being raised by loving parents in the U.S.?"
Sure, but it works both ways. Adoptive parents feel immensely lucky and blessed themselves. Even non-religious couples often feel that Providence has stepped in and given them the perfect child.
.
Bill Dawson is at wdawson@startribune.com.
Family Services Crisis Nursery Early Childhood Education Sitemap
©2005 Children's Home Society & Family Services
Sunday, December 25, 2005
CHristmas morning....
These are my three favorite photos of the day. They were taken this morning when Kiran discovered what Santa brought her. The first photo is of the gifts... Yes, Santa should really only bring one gift to our house but this year he brought two. The first is the first season of Full House, I am already sick of it, and four books in the Junie B series which I love and so does Kiran. She also opened an adoption bracelet that her mommy got for her. She told me it was the most important bracelet she had!!!!
We had a great day, first over to my brother's to open presents with them. Kiran, amazingly, found money to buy her mommy some new prefume. I was also amazed at that my brothers family got my a Gift Certificate to the MN Children's Theater. I can bring Kiran to at least two plays in the next year. I am so excited.....
Then it was off to my aunt and uncles for an early dinner. Always fun to go over there. I love them so much and in the last 13 years my aunt as made sure I am never alone for any holiday. Then back to my brothers for some wine, playing a few games, and watching that classic basketball movie Space Jam.
I hope everyone spent today the way that they wanted to..... I love my family but happy to be home........
Merry Christmas everyone!!!!
Mary
Thursday, December 22, 2005
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I just wanted to stop in and tell everyone that I hope they have a wonderful holiday season. It has been fun getting to know my cyber bloggers....
It seems that Santa struck again. This time it was a friend from California, who stayed at my house last year. I met her through adoption and the interent also. Last night, there was a package sitting in front of our door addressed to Kiran. Inside it was full of goodies for my baby. Let's see an ornament of a San Fransico street car, a t-shirt, a beautiful tea set from Chinatown, and some other things. WOW!! We are so lucky to have so many terrific friends.
It seems my Christmas wishes are the same as last year, world peace, a new president, and maybe a daddy for Kiran. Sure hope something happens in 2006 to move us toward all three of these goals. Kiran, on the other hand, has asked for a game, a Full House video, and Junie B Jones books. Not to bad for this Santa.
Have a great weekend!!!!
Love to all,
Mary
It seems that Santa struck again. This time it was a friend from California, who stayed at my house last year. I met her through adoption and the interent also. Last night, there was a package sitting in front of our door addressed to Kiran. Inside it was full of goodies for my baby. Let's see an ornament of a San Fransico street car, a t-shirt, a beautiful tea set from Chinatown, and some other things. WOW!! We are so lucky to have so many terrific friends.
It seems my Christmas wishes are the same as last year, world peace, a new president, and maybe a daddy for Kiran. Sure hope something happens in 2006 to move us toward all three of these goals. Kiran, on the other hand, has asked for a game, a Full House video, and Junie B Jones books. Not to bad for this Santa.
Have a great weekend!!!!
Love to all,
Mary
Monday, December 19, 2005
Christmas Program
Here is Kiran on the way to her preschool Christmas program. After a little coaxing she finally decided it would be ok to actually go to school and perform. I took the day off to be Kiran's mom. It was so much fun. They sang 6 songs and were so adorable. The top picture is a little dark but one of my favorites. FYI, that is an advent wreath on top of their heads.
As you can see, the class is somewhat, how do it say it, Euro American.... Kiran and I had an interesting conversation last week that I didn't think anything about until this morning. It went like this..."Mommy, do you know that I am the only one in my class with brown skin."
"Yes, sweetie, I thought you might be. Does that bother you?"
"No, mommy, I am the lucky one because it is such a beautiful color."
"You are right about that pumpkin."
No big deal, then a mother asked me where Kiran was from and I told her India. She then went on to say that her son asked if any brown people were Americans or born in America. I almost fell over that some 5 year old would not realize that there are brown people in Minnesota born and raised. He asked that because Kiran had told him that she was American even though she was born somewhere else and he didn't believe her. I just hope that she stood her ground and didn't give in......
The presents are wrapped, the cards are mailed, and it is time to just sit back and enjoy the birth of Christ. Kiran wants to have birthday cake for baby Jesus on Christmas day.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Adoption, India and the Internet
This is one of my favorite photo of our little family. This was taken at Indian Culture camp in St Paul. It is the one time of the year that everyone's families look very similar. All parents have been of European descent and our kids are from India. We have made many friends and learned many things about the Kiran's homeland. When most people think of India and until I adopted Kiran, I did too, is that it is poor, overcrowded, and abandoned children running everywhere. What I have learned is it is a beautiful country with much to offer the world.Yesterday afternoon, when Kiran and I arrived home it seems Santa stopped by. There was a package sitting by the front door from Roma. Inside was cake, chocolate, cookies, and other candies from a dear friend. Then, my Secret Santa gift arrived in the mail from a yahoo group that I am on. Last night, the curiosity was killing both Kiran and I so we decided to open the gifts. One of the gifts was the most beautiful picture book of India . The other two gifts were a beautiful Indian Barbie and the a very eloquent ornament for our tree. I sat for 30 minutes looking at the pages with tears streaming down my face. What a precious gift to have given to my family!! Inger, girl, you are the best!!!!!
If not for adoption, India, and the internet, I would not have found so many terrific people to be a part of our lives.
Love you all.....
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Enough said
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Ramblings.....
This is what happens when you leave a five year old in the bathroom by herself. She becomes a rock star looking like she is 15. It scares me that she can look so old at a young age. The kid is actually great at doing make-up, nails, all the other girlie stuff. This mom doesn't have a clue how she got this way, the lord knows, the only time I wear make up is on a date.......
Well, the second date is tomorrow evening. I am excited to see him again. It seems like it has been forever but really less then a week. He has called me at least twice a day since Saturday.
School is driving me crazy..... The kids are so hyper by the end of the day. Why we are going to school until December 23 is beyond even my imagination. I am a little sad though, the principal that I have had many battles with over the last 9 years, but have come to respect is out through 2005 and maybe longer. Kevin and I have had a rocky relationship, me being the union steward and sticking to the contract and he hasn't liked that on occasion. I am also one who speaks her mind especially when I think it is best for kids. He is battling something, arthitisis but I afraid that he has been HIV positive for some time. He has never truly come out of the closet with the staff but it is common knowledge that his partner died of aids some 12 years ago. It is so sad..... In the meantime we have an intern principal who is feeling the power and trying to change things in the middle of the year. .....
I hope everyone is having a great week....
Sunday, December 11, 2005
THE DATE!!
For the first time in I bet 6 years, I had an official date last evening. I am on cloud nine.
On Friday, after school, I had some friends take me shopping and help me pick out the right outfit. They did a great job... I wore a pair of size 12 jeans, for the first time in 10 years, a brown shirt with lace that was low cut and a new pair of black boots. I looked in the mirror after I was ready and even thought to myself "DAMN, I DO LOOK GOOD."
We met around 8:15 and spent a couple of hours chatting at the bar, having him tell how wonderful I was, how good I looked, and then I started asking the tough questions. Question #1-Who did you vote for in the presidential election last time? His response was let's not talk politics. I don't want to talk I just need to know if I am staying or not. He looked at me and said, I am black, a school teacher, who does a lot of work in the community, who do you think? That was the right answer.........
Question #2-How long have been divorced? Over three years... Good answer...
Question #3-Have you had an relationships after your divorce? Yes, 2. Another good answer....
We talked there for 2 hours and then he came over to my house where we chatted on and off for over 3 more.
He is kind, sings in his church choir, a teacher who coaches my favorite sport basketball, makes me laugh, and damn I hope this is not to good to be true....I think I am falling heads over heels.....
On Friday, after school, I had some friends take me shopping and help me pick out the right outfit. They did a great job... I wore a pair of size 12 jeans, for the first time in 10 years, a brown shirt with lace that was low cut and a new pair of black boots. I looked in the mirror after I was ready and even thought to myself "DAMN, I DO LOOK GOOD."
We met around 8:15 and spent a couple of hours chatting at the bar, having him tell how wonderful I was, how good I looked, and then I started asking the tough questions. Question #1-Who did you vote for in the presidential election last time? His response was let's not talk politics. I don't want to talk I just need to know if I am staying or not. He looked at me and said, I am black, a school teacher, who does a lot of work in the community, who do you think? That was the right answer.........
Question #2-How long have been divorced? Over three years... Good answer...
Question #3-Have you had an relationships after your divorce? Yes, 2. Another good answer....
We talked there for 2 hours and then he came over to my house where we chatted on and off for over 3 more.
He is kind, sings in his church choir, a teacher who coaches my favorite sport basketball, makes me laugh, and damn I hope this is not to good to be true....I think I am falling heads over heels.....
The happiest day of my life....
August 10, 2001, was the day my girl came home and was placed in my arms. She looks at the photos and asks, "Why are you so sad mommy?" I tell her those are tears of the happiest woman alive on that day. Have a great day everyone.
PS.. I think the date was a huge success....
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Dating again
I am so scared and nervous at this concept I cannot put it into words. When I decided to adopt, I put the entire thought of dating again on the back burner. For the first few years Kiran was home my entire priority was making sure she was happy and bonding with me. I have always been very good about taking time for myself but never thinking about searching for a partner.
Before Kiran came into my life, the dating scene was such a turn off for me that I still didn't do it much. If I did, I always seemed to the person calling and making the contact.
Last Friday night, while out celebrating a friend's birthday party, I met a man who is handsome, educated, and we have so much in common. He has called me everyday except for last night, but phoned me first thing this morning to say hi. We are actually going on a date this Saturday. I am scared to death, don't have clue how to act, and don't have a damn thing to wear.....
Did I mention that in the Minneapolis area, there are over a million people and I met one that I already know his mother. During our conversation this morning it turns out I worked with her for 5 years at a different building.
Everything about this situation is just so strange.....
Before Kiran came into my life, the dating scene was such a turn off for me that I still didn't do it much. If I did, I always seemed to the person calling and making the contact.
Last Friday night, while out celebrating a friend's birthday party, I met a man who is handsome, educated, and we have so much in common. He has called me everyday except for last night, but phoned me first thing this morning to say hi. We are actually going on a date this Saturday. I am scared to death, don't have clue how to act, and don't have a damn thing to wear.....
Did I mention that in the Minneapolis area, there are over a million people and I met one that I already know his mother. During our conversation this morning it turns out I worked with her for 5 years at a different building.
Everything about this situation is just so strange.....
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Meet Frank and Vida-Photo Sunday
They were the first generation of my family born in the United States. They were both born to Slovenian immigrants. Each came from a family 12 children. My grandpa was the first in his family to graduate high school. My grandma was dropped off at the convent at the young age of 18 but was so homesick after one day her dad had to come and pick her up. My grandma was the oldest female child in her family. Her mother, Helena, had a difficult life with an alcoholic husband who abused her. She passed away at a young age and my grandma basically raised her siblings. She and my grandfather were married at the age of 22. They raised 6 children, the oldest being my mom.Frank passed away 11 years ago. My grandpa was the kindest, gentle, and non judging human being that I have ever met. When we would spend the night at their house Grandpa would take us into the kitchen sit us down on the counter and we would have peanut butter crackers, he would have a beer and a shot a brandy. To listen to him play the harmonica was treat and every Sunday we would visit and listen to polka music with him. He was an outdoors man who loved to fish, go camping in the Boundary Waters, play in his garden and read dirty novels. Ok, I thought they were dirty when I was 13 but in reality they were pretty tame. He did give me his set of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series that I still treasure today. He worked in the iron ore mines in Northern MN.
Vida is still living her 4 bedroom, two story house that grandpa built. She will be 93 years old next week. She is a spunky, full of life lady who makes enough money to buy Christmas presents for her 4 remaining children, 12 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren by making the best potica this side of Slovenia. When you arrive at her home for a visit, it will take all of five minutes for there to many bake goodies on the table to eat. She is also the first one to comment if you have lost or gained weight.... She was harder around the edges then Grandpa. She was the one who saved every nickel and was in charge of the household. In the last couple of years she has started telling us her stories of childrenhood and growing up. It is such a delight to sit down and visit with her. She has lost so many in her lifetime that she prayers every day that she will not wake in the morning. We are so lucky to still have her in our life.
Their faith, values, and work ethic are the basis that I try to live my life by. They don't get any better then Frank and Vida...
