Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Family, Holidays & Night Crawlers

I couldn't journal on Easter when I got home after reading that Pam had passed away. It also feels odd now even posting so soon, but I think this would also be best to do & she wouldn't want us not to.

Ok, I'll go slowly...

Well that is me in the picture outside my maternal grandparents house. Look at those cars! HA! You know my mom still has that Easter Basket! HA! Ahhhh! I was headed to bless baskets I'm sure! You know I can still tell you who use to live in those houses & sometime I'll have to tell you about the lady who has a burger place around the corner...she is still there!!!!I have no idea how old she is.

On Holy Thursday we'd go to dinner, sometimes I think mass & then you would go to visit 7 churches to see the decorations and say prayers. Now where my folks grew up (they only lived a few blocks from each other) there are churches every couple of blocks so many would walk it. Some churches just had lovely flower displays but others would have a whole last supper table display etc. Friday was coloring Easter Eggs, making cakes etc. Saturday we blessed baskets and beg our mom to eat some of the Easter Candy.  We couldn't eat the blessed stuff until Easter & man was that hard as a kid....ok it is still hard to do! HA! As I got older we blessed baskets at a church where are favorite priest was pastor. He was a young priest when my folks were young. He knew my grandparents generation & so we've known him a long time. He'd come to our family parties, married I don't know how many of us. As he would get to my family, he would take pleasure drowning us with the holy water & announcing to the whole church that we really needed it! UGH! :-) Last year he past away before Easter. Actually he was burried on my birthday & it was extremely difficult for me. I can't believe it has been a year now. I miss you Uncle Richie!

Now I guess I should explain how Easter use to be. When I was a kid Easter brunch was rotated to a different relative's house each year. Christmas Eve was always at our house since it was my dad's birthday but Easter was different. We would have...hmmm let me count...about 40+ people. That is including kids & then later as we got older it grew higher with spouses & their kids. With each year though of course some passed away & in laws for those who got married reduced it as well. We would have our traditional Polish brunch. Now when my folks were young it may have included other items (Christmas too) but what I remember is home made bread, cold chopped up Fresh & Smoked Polish Sausage, Ham and Eggs. We would haveBoszcz (soup made with sausage water & sour salt...definitely an aquired taste!) 
where you could put the sausage, ham & egg in it. I was looking on the internet now to find a recipe & the one they have are with beets & we never had that. It was a white one. I'll have to ask mom! Then in the evening a hot ham with the trimmings. All the kids would get into their Easter baskets and if the weather was good get grass stains all over their new Easter clothes! HA!

Now with each year our big extended family has slowly moved away, in laws came in the picture etc so it has not been very big. This year my folks remained in AZ it turned out I went to my sisters & one of my brothers came. The other? I have no clue! He was invited & called many times! His loss. Seems so odd since I remember (& LOVED!) the big family parties we use to have. I went to dinner, mass & 7 churches with my cousins up north. It was really fun. I was kinda sad since I have been going since college with my folks & they would not be here this year but it was different but really fun. My uncle is a hoot! I journaled about this earlier! Well we had the sausage, ham & eggs for brunch & then warm ham dinner but didn't get to make the soup...well considering it is just my dad & I left who really like it, I figured I can make it some other time. My sis gave us a chocolate bunny! :-) Mine now looks like the cartoon...he can't hear! HA! We actually watched the last Harry Potter in the afternoon! Just not the same! My nieces were with their mom this year so I still have to give them their baskets.

Ok, I suppose you are wondering about that 3rd item in my title! HA! The Night Crawlers...well you see we had pretty bad storms Easter Sunday & so when I was leaving my brother was helping me out with all my bags. The last trip down I went with to leave & he forwarned me about all the worms out. Now let me just say first, I don't hate worms. I feed my turtles superworms, I LOVE fishing & I do put my own worms on my hooks, but I don't particular care for stepping on them & making them squish, especially with fancy tongs sandles. Lovely white ones with a great gold medallion on the top my foot! :-) Well I didn't even see them or say anything to my brother as it was dark already. He just right away says, watch out for the worms. I'm like "worms?"  He then tells me "left", "right" etc as we are walking along the sidwalk. Isn't that sweet. Even one time said "Just a stick" I was laughing so hard. Reminds me of Twister, "'Left...Right...Cow..." HA! He is a sweetie at times! Especially on Thursday...I called him 3 times...went on "explorations" :-) Had to find out how to still end up where I wanted to be. I was up north by to see the doc & shop a bit before my tour of the churches. He is a human map! A few weeks ago he even said to me he & my nieces would take care of me if I came up by him with my headache! I tell ya! We are going to the Depeche Mode Concert together next month. I got him hooked. Took him once when I was in college. I had a friend in college who introduced me to them. Ahhh the 80s music! HA! So no worm was actually harmed on Easter! :-) HA! Would have been a great time to collect them though & go fishing! Remember that scene in Grumpier Old Men? That is the kinda fishing I would like! HA!

Oh speaking of going to the doctor...apparently I have a sinus infection so major antibiotics now. Yep, eating yogurt! Good thing is it may get rid of the headaches I've been having. Two of these HUGE horse pills twice a day. Man! That may have been the problem this time last year. They said the year before I was actually treated for one so maybe with all the funerals I had last year I didn't realize & didn't go in. I don't have a fever or a lot of obvious symptoms but fluid in my right ear again & other symptoms she could see. We only have 3 weeks before finals week so I'm very happy to catch this before it gets worse.

Ok, well that was my more subdued & quiet Easter this year. It was still nice but maybe next year my nieces will at least been in. Holidays are just so much more fun through the eyes of children aren't they. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that picture !!! I can also name names in my old neighborhood. But today, in my own neighborhood, I barely know anyone. That's sad.

Hugs,
Ellen

Anonymous said...

your childhood sounded very much like my childhood, HUGE family parties! Those were some of the best memories a grown kid could have....it was very important to my sister and myself that our children should be raised with lots of family around, so the get togthers at the lake every summer spring, summer and fall weekend is giving my kids a good sense of family ties. Did you and your sister have matching easter outfits too, just in different colors??? lol

Anonymous said...

I hope you get to feeling better soon and that was a really cute picture.  Have a good Thursday Friday and weekend.  Take care.

Phil

Anonymous said...

Dear Deborah
Wo I lvoe haringa bout allof your memories! Sounds enchanting! hugs
and I love yur picture
nat

Anonymous said...

The thing with Pam got to me to...hugs...so you put your own worms on the hooks you ain't no sissy...LOl...hope that you get to feeling better...i think I have an ear infection in both ears..one was hurting now both are...it started right after I too some sinus medicince...My eye swelled up as well so looks as if I might be headed to the doctor myself....glad that you decided to start posting...TerryAnn.