Jo's Personal Blog at Blogger.com

Friday

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Hobbies & Collections

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations. - See more at: http://joannfitz.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/the-book-of-me-written-by-you-topic-1.html#sthash.2TuO2bVu.dpuf

The prompt for the week is:

Childhood Hobbies & Collections

The Brief:

Did you share a "passion" with a family member or friend?
Tell us about it - How, why, where
Do you still have any old hobbies - the ones that have been with you since childhood?
Do you still have those childhood collections?

I had many hobbies and collections growing up. Both of which has stayed with me in some respect throughout my life up until now. Sometimes there was a break from doing them, but I've always gone back to what I like and love to do.

Hobbies
I had many of these growing up. This was always a challenge because we never had any extra money really laying around, so you had to be creative and think a bit out of the box.

TV - I loved my television. From Soaps (Ryan's Hope - how many remember that one!) to the "newest" TV shows (like Buck Rogers, Mork & Mindy) to sports (Got to love the Yankees!) I just loved it. I was always entertained and later intrigued by how they could tell stories from different angles and make them seem soo real and believable. During summer, the Yankees were the one think I looked forward to watching no matter what.

Dogs and Puppies - I've always loved pets. Over the years we've had many different types of dogs, many stray cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and many gold fish that never seemed to last long. However, it was a common theme to always have some type of pet running around. The only time I hadn't had a pet was when we moved during my senior year of high school until I moved out and got married (about 5-6 years) and that was only due to where we lived wouldn't allow us to have pets. In fact, when we moved into the apartment, we had to give the 2 pekinese dogs we had up which was really sad. Since I married, we had dogs once we moved into our own house.

My library card from elementary school and a reading award

Reading - Reading I've done since I could string sentences together. In fact, I used to help out at the library in elementary school. Most kids wanted to go outside and run around and,I wanted, and usually asked, to go to the library. You know its a sad day when in 5th grade my homeroom was across the hall from the library and I was excited about it because it wasn't very far to the library. Everyone else was complaining because of the stairs. In fact, once I read just about every book at the elementary school, I took up going to the local library and checking books out from there. I went there almost every day after school just to sit and read.

The local public library where I grew up

Throughout the years, I've read many types of stories - from Planet of the Apes (now that's one think and heavy book!) to romances and sci fi. In fact, during the early part of the 2000's, I used to do book
reviews for Harlequin Mills & Boon here in Australia. It was great because I got to read books before the hit the shelves and was able to give great feedback on them. It helped the hip pocket because by this time I was buying my books.

In fact, in the past 10 or so years, I've been tossing up if I should try and write my own book, but for now its just that - a passing thought.

Running - When I was in elementary school, I lived at the edge of town and would walk to school. One day I took up jogging and then followed that up by running. It was great and I loved to do it because it cleaned out the head and actually made me relax. First, I started to help out more with family and then I hurt my back and it hurt to run, so I stopped. However, this brought me to my next hobby - Bike Riding.

One of my results of running growing up

Bike Riding - I took this up more once I realized it didn't hurt my back as much as running did. I did have a bike but if I had to choose I'd choose running over using a bike. However, that was taken from me, so I rode my bike. In fact, it was great because I liked it and I could get over to help out with family (as we now lived in town but they lived out of town - around in farm fields back then) and I could take my bike (a ten speed) and ride it over to help out.

Swimming - I learned how to swim by going to the local pond and watching others and then going to the library and reading about it. Then by the time summer came, I knew how to swim and I wouldn't feel left out of being able to do what the other kids my age did. It worked and it didn't cost anything which was even better.

Collections

Baseball Cards - When I got to the 4th grade, one of the teachers shared with us baseball cards. I never knew about them and they intrigued me with all the information that was contained on them. Once that happened, I started to save some but as this cost money we just didn't have, I had to be careful on what I could afford to buy. Because of this, my collection never got big but I do still have some of these cards. They are in our our garage some place.

Stamp collection - Stamps didn't cost too much, but I would get books out of the library and read all about them. Because of this I did collect some and I just went around asking people to save the stamps. After awhile I realized those stamps didn't actually contain much money in saving, so I stopped. However, during my teens when I started to work, I did join a stamp collection group at the US Postal Service. I still have these today and my husband complains because they are so odd shaped they are hard to put in the book cases.

Some of my stamp collection

My 14K gold Elvis stamp from my dozen or so 14k stamps

As I grew up, I developed more hobbies like picture taking, baking, cooking and driving - just to name a few!

Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - First Present or Gift

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

The prompt for the week is:

First Present or Gift

The Brief:

Can you remember it?
Who bought it for you?
Do you still have it?
Pictures or a description
Other special gifts?

I've talked a bit about what I remember about some of my presents when I was small in my posting about Toys and Games growing up a few posts ago.

This time, however, its about my first presents and gifts. One of my first presents was what we affectionately call "my baby" (see picture below). This was given to my mother and I when I was born and it had flowers coming out of it. I don't know who gave it to me as a gift. As you can see, I still have it, although it has seen better days with all the cracks and breaks. Over the years its been glued, taped and tried to use silly putty trying to keep it together. Since moving into our current home, nearly 14 years ago, its sat on the shelf in the back room with other things that mean a lot to us. This is one of the few things I have of my childhood and cherish it dearly.

My "baby" from one of the first presents I ever got

Up until the time I was making plans to move from the US to Australia in 1996-1997, I had a baby book as well. My mother handed it to me and I put it with other important papers. In late 1996, I visited Australia to see what it was like, what it would be like living here, and other related things. We were about 95% sure I would be the one moving, but I wanted to make sure I could live here. There's nothing like experiencing where you'd be living in. During that trip, I brought over my baby book which my eldest sister, Theresa, filled out mostly for me. However, I hadn't gone through it due to not having the time. My mother handed it to me right before I got on the plane for the visit. I brought it along because I figured I'd leave it here in Australia, so that way nothing would happen to it.

One of the few pictures of me growing up

Little did I know, that someone would come into my soon to be father in law's house, walk into my fiancee's room and start a fire. This fire would claim my baby book and most of my childhood photos. This devastated me because little of my childhood that I knew about was in that book and was just - gone.

1997 a write up in the local newspaper about the fire

However, I had to pull up my grown up pants and move on to what was important - my fiancee, things like shelter, food, and clothing. Then approximately 2 weeks later, we married.

My husband and I on our wedding day in 1997.

Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.

Monday

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Who Do You Miss?

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

The prompt for the week is:

Who Do You Miss?

The Brief:

Whether that is people who live elsewhere and that we will not see over the festive season
People that have passed away.
Who do you miss?
Why do you miss them?
Them as an individual
Something specific to them

This is a very interesting question to me. I live in a country where I have no direct relatives and I wish some of the people that have passed. Depending on what I'm doing and feeling is who I miss. Because I have such a wide break down, I'm going to break it down into 2 sections - Those who have Passed and Those who don't live Near.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~Those who have Passed ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My Grandmother

My grandmother (on my father's side) Genowefa (nee Wojtkowska) Schmitz or Jean Schmitz. I always remember her especially around Christmas as I remember past Christmas' and visiting with her at my father's. She was one of the major reasons why I went to my father's parties. I always remember her on Christmas Eve (some years its around this time) by baking her Polish bow ties as we called them.

What we call Bow Ties

I remember one year, she asked me what I wanted for Christmas and, besides spending time with her, it was the Polish cookies. When I make these, its like a tiny celebration of the times we spent together and what we did. If only I could have one more Christmas....

My last Christmas card from my grandmother

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My uncle, John Schmitz. He was such a kind man who always had time for everyone. He was taken way too soon from us. Sometimes I just want to sit and talk to him and see what sense he would make out of today's world and what's going on in it. He was one of those who would know if you just needed company without words or a hug.

My Uncle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My grandmother (on my mother's side) and the person who I was named after (besides my mother) Janet (nee Jagodzinsk) Gauquie. I think of her around Thanksgiving as that was the only holiday I ever spent with her when I was between the ages of 6-9. I always wished we knew which hospital she was in (as she would be moved around without them telling us), wished we pushed more to be with her more somehow, and let her know no one forgot about her - we all loved her but due to the hospital, we couldn't spent or see her as much as would have liked.

The hospital, which my grandfather on my mother's side checked her into, would frequently move my grandmother around. Even after we notified them (many times) and made sure they amended her records which we viewed, about my mother being her next of kin, having all of the details for when she passed, etc, we were never notified. We only found out by accident my grandmother was 15 minutes away from us the last few times we saw her. However, within weeks of us visiting a few times, she was moved and all the staff could tell us was she was transferred.

It was only upon starting to do genealogy of the family, I found out she had passed and only lived 15 minutes away from where I grew up.

This being said, I'm not sure how long it will take me, but I want an explanation from the staff and State of New York. I want her medical records to show what exactly was done and what exactly she was committed for. I swear, if those records read "emotional issues" I'm going to give them emotional!

Personally, I think they were under direction from my grandfather (somehow even after he passed) to never let her family with her. I think she probably tried to stand up for herself and as my grandfather couldn't "control his wife" the only he could think to do was to have her committed. After awhile I believe they took away her spirit but not her life. Its all very sad, but I want to her to be treated, in death, with a bit more dignity than what she was treated when she was alive.

That being said, the one Thanksgiving we had with her as a family, I think she loved as I sat there watching her eyes, and STILL remember a tiny bit of spark coming into them even though they had her medicated up to her eyeballs. I think she was fighting as hard as she could to come out and be with us, but just couldn't fight the drugs enough.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Our first baby, Jamie Sweetpea. The baby IS with us all the time; however between the 17 November and New Year's is the hardest part. Each year we formally remember the 2 babies we've lost by putting a remembrance ornament on the tree. In between Christmases, we put the ornaments on our bookshelves with other important mementos. Further, the end of June, when Jamie, would have been born is another time where I sit and reflect. We do have a statue outside which is an angel for Jamie as well.

Its hard to believe that as of this year, Jamie would have been 10 years old. Another person gone too soon for my liking.

A gift from when we lost Jamie

Our remembrance ornaments

The heartbeat of Jamie Sweatpea

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I could go on and on about who I miss that has passed, but I've picked the top people who come to my mind at the moment.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~Those don't live Near ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I actually try and make time to call over and talk to all the major people, that are family, each year. The last 2 years I haven't made it, but I do try. Last year was because we went away over Christmas. This year it was because I was busy trying to go away just after Christmas. I did make it through about 1/2 the list and about 1/2 of them I left messages for.

I would love for those who I generally speak to on or around Christmas day, I would like to visit. This year I would love to sit down and talk to my father (as my mother won't talk to me about this) about more of the family history. As usual, when I spoke to my father the 2 times (I called him once and he called me) we had really good conversations about it. I asked what I thought was a simple question and found out much more than expected about my great grandfather, grandmother and grandfather. I loved it and it explained so much.

My nieces and their children I would love to be around. Christmas is for children and they all have them now. Its a magical time of the year when the kids' faces light right up.

If I believed in miracles, and was granted one, I would have everyone - past and present - together for Christmas and get along - no fights, calling names, or any other nastiness. I would love to see what those have passed would take of the youth today. Then the adults in the group, it would be great to see them all together and catching up with everyone's lives. The downside of this, is that this miracle - I don't believe - will ever be realized.

Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.

Thursday

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Toys and Games

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

The prompt for the week is:

Toys and Games

The Brief:

Can you remember your first toy, or game?
Do you still have it?
Who did you play with?
Did you play board games?
Have you inherited any of your family games and toys?
Share some pictures if you would like to!

When I was growing up, I had 3 favourite things before I reached the age of 5. These are:

a picture of a sad looking beagle on my wall of my bedroom
a plastic black and white Mickey Mouse Club House (early 1970s)
and a red metal tricycle

The first 2 I had until my mother left my father when I was about the age of 4 1/2. As we left most of our stuff behind, I never saw these things again. About 2 years ago, I did go searching for the plastic Mickey Mouse Club House but was never able to find it. I did find something like it (which someone had gotten me to replace the one that went "missing". This looked like below.

The red metal tricycle was there after my mother left my father as I remember riding it when I did go over to my father's to visit. My father kept putting new things on it like paint and wheels. However, once he considered me too big for it, it too disappeared and I never saw it again.

This is what the tricycle looked like minus the bell and plastic tassels.

How sad is it the things I used to have as favourites are all gone from my life.

Other mentionable items are:

The plastic Hawaiian Punch or Kool Aid cups we got for free (once you saved up the barcodes from the packages and sent them in). I loved these... each day it was great to see which ones I would get to use. Below are the different ones in the collection. Again, one my mother left my father, these all disappeared never to be seen again.

The wooden toboggan which my brother used growing up which then got passed down to me. My nieces and I used to use it together (as there was just me and its not very fun for just one person) and we used to be able to get us all down the hill at once. This was given to me when I was older (between the ages of 7-11). I know I used it until we all couldn't fit on it any longer. I'm not sure what happened to it either.

It looked a bit like this one but the cord that runs down the sides was blue and red.

Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.

Wednesday

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Special People including past family members

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

The prompt for the week is:

Special People including past family members

The Brief:

If you had to hold a dinner party and could invite a maximum of 12 special people who would you invite?

You can include family in this – the special people could be famous or historical people - family from the past you have never met or people that you know or knew

What meals would you serve and why.

Perhaps include the recipe or a photo if you decided to actually cook the items

The video is http://youtu.be/P8hzm6vq5Tg

This post has taken me awhile to do because I needed to think carefully just how I was going to handle this one. My family isn't a Brady Bunch type of family. Its more along the lines of a European Handball type of thing - everyone's in and if you get hit with the ball then your out (of that person's life). Even with the grandfather's, whom I never met, it was more along the lines of play along with me or else your out from what I understand.

Because of these things above, it was more how in the world am I going to have any dinner with family members without World War 3 breaking out. Then I thought that I want to do this in a different way - my small groups. That way things can be asked and said without all hell breaking loose.

Group 1:
My grandmother's and great grandmother's.

I would sit them all down and have a traditional Polish meal the way I know how to cook it - Stuffed peppers and cabbage, Pierogi's in many different types and styles. Along with many of the types of desserts as well.

I would love to sit down and talk about the different dishes (and possibly make them with them along with others), learn some Polish, learn about what their lives were like when they lived in Poland and what they went through. I'd ask them all about their relatives and where they lived when they were there. I know basics but to listen to the describe what they did and where they lived from their perspective would be fantastic.

My grandmother on my father's side - Jean

My great Aunt Honey

I would hope that my grandmother's would sit down together and talk about how to be strong. I'd love to ask my grandmother (with whom I get my middle name from) on my mother's side what happened before she got sent into the mental institution, what it was like and where she is buried. The times I met her she was so high on drugs I couldn't get to know her because there was nothing there but a shell. I would like to know how I could get her medical records and where she's buried to give some dignity back where she really had none when she died as they (her husband and all the medical people), I feel, took all of that away from her. I want to try and give some of that back to her. Also, I'd like to find out more about her life and what it was like, as I know basics of this as well.

My mother and I in 2011

Later in the day, I'd love for my mother to meet up with her mother, and my nieces and their children, meet up with all of these great women. I think this would mend many fences that have fallen down
through communication loss over the years. I would take so many photos of each and everyone as I have none of my great grandparents or my grandmother on my mother's side. Although I do have a picture of her sister, whom my mother called Aunt Honey, which looks very much like her.

Group 2:
My grandfather and great grandfather on my father's side.

Now this would be a very interesting meeting as I would only have things like potato chips and other quick to eat type of foods. There would be alcohol (as I don't think my grandfather would appear without it).

My grandfather on my father's side

The talk would be to introduce myself to each of them as I never knew them. I'd ask them about themselves and talk about what I've heard about and researched for each. From what my father said about my great grandfather is that he was a hard worker and he loved his wife and children very much. I think I would great along with him. However, his son and my grandfather, I think we'd have a few choice things to say to him. I would love to ask some pointed questions and ask him why he was the way he was - an alcoholic, had many other ladies on the side, and liked to gamble. I think his father would probably give him a good talking to as well. Later, I'd have my father and uncle come in as I'd love to see the dynamics of these relationships as well.

Group 3:
My grandfather and great grandfather on my mother's side.

Now this would be a very interesting meeting as I would only have things like potato chips and other quick to eat type of foods, like I would with my other grandfather and great grandfather. There would be alcohol (as I don't think my grandfather would appear without it).

The talk would be to introduce myself to each of them as I never knew them. I'd ask them about themselves and talk about what I've heard about and researched for each. From what my mother said about her father was the same as my father's - an alcoholic, other women, and loved to gamble. I've been able to do some research and found my great grandfather did a lot for the community and church from what I've been able to research. That being said, back then, there was much mental and physical abuse that was hidden and I'm not sure if this was an issue. I'd want to talk to him about things and see where things rested.

For both of my grandfather's, I think there would be much arguing and name calling along with some other outdated ideas. Well this will NOT fly with me and I'd put them in place. I'd make it know about how I feel about what happened and how they are and discuss what I think what happened with my grandmother's, which I'm not at all impressed by.

Group 4:
My grandmother on my father's side and my sister Jean.

My sister Jean

My grandmother Jean

This would be a small group of 3 people boy would it be lively. The only person I've never known my sister Jean to actually accept their ways would be my grandmother Jean, for whom my sister was named after. I would give my grandmother the run down of what she's been up to and why most of the family won't talk to her. I want to see if she can have some kind of influence over her to stop being like she is and get her to clean up her act. However, I think its probably a lost cause but I can hope.

As you can see, I would use these group chats as a way to clear up misunderstandings, understand the people and hopefully draw the family closer. That being said, I know miracles sometimes happen but keep in mind that sometimes they don't.

Tuesday

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

From myself and my family to yours

Happy Holidays

&

Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year!

Thursday

"The Book of Me, Written by You" - Iconic and Famous Figures Dinner

This is a journey of finding yourself and how your loved ones see you in their eyes. Further, this can be online and carried forward to share, if you wish, to future generations.

The prompt for the week is:

Iconic and Famous Figures Dinner

The Brief:

If you had to hold a dinner party and could invite a maximum of 12 special people who would you invite?
You can NOT include family in this – the special people could be famous or historical people.
What meals would you serve and why.
Perhaps include the recipe or a photo if you decided to actually cook the items!
Please look at the video for this week as it explains about week 14 too!

The video is http://youtu.be/P8hzm6vq5Tg

Check back next week for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series. - See more at: http://joannfitz.blogspot.com.au/#sthash.LXywwwLd.dpuf

I have to admit, I've been putting both prompts for dinner's off. The next one, on who would I have to dinner with family and friends (alive and dead), took me awhile to come around to, and I do have some thoughts on that one. However, this one? I don't have a clue what to do about it.

At first I thought, maybe people who influenced me? Nope, I have to say only family and friends (and in some cases people who were NOT friends or family) have done that. Then I thought about people important to where I grew up (New York USA) and where I now live (Australia). Yes, there are some influential people in either country, but honestly, it doesn't really interest me.

Then I started to think - what else can I do for the prompt? I thought if I could have a few sit downs with Famous & Iconic people who made decisions that affected others it might be interesting. So here are a few people I'd sit down with (along with a interpreter!) and the reasons why I chose them.

Bolesław II The Generous

Bolesław II the Generous - When I first read about Bolesław's father, I thought that he was great because as a Duke of Poland, he reunited and gave people what they deserved - if you worked for it, you were rewarded. Upon reading more into the history, I found Bolesław. He was given a stable country people liked him and thought of him as a capable ruler. He gave the country many
monasteries and churches. Further, he also was one of the first to produce their own coinage or currency and this helped bring in money into the royals pockets. Because of this the economic and cultural development of the country flourished and was able to become sustainable in its own right. However, when he declared himself King of Poland, this upset many people. Remember Bolesław's father stayed a Duke of Poland because he knew once he declared himself a King, it would result in uprisings. Bolesław didn't seem to care and declared himself a King and the Polish nobles and others revolted and ended up having the King overthrown (to say the least).

I would loved to have a talk with him about why he decided to make himself a King, didn't he know why his father never took up being a King? Once the unrest started going towards revolt, what motivated him to keep going while the people were getting more upset, why didn't he listen? If he could have changed things, what he would have changed in how he did things. Would he have given up the Kingship and go back to a Duke or would he have stayed?

Josef Pilsudski - I have mixed feelings about this person. He was Poland chief of state in 1918, but wanted reestablishment of Poland’s independence which had been lost. He became leader of the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) and traveled to gain

Josef Pilsudski looking over the Polish Army

some assistance with gaining back independence. Once revolutionary movement began, he returned to Russian Poland (as Russia had a majority of the land that was Poland when it was split up into 3 partitions) to help with the movement. He was highly instrumental in putting together a Polish Army. In 1916, they declared Poland an independent country which the other countries did not like and they set out to attack these armies. He refused to comply with the other countries to stand down and they arrested him in 1917. In 1918, West Germany collapsed and Pilsudski returned to Warsaw and became a hero and head and chief of Poland's Army.

I loved that he was a fighter and came from basically nothing. I can understand him wanting his country free again instead of split into 3 other countries. I'd love to ask him if it was worth all the fighting? Or would he have waited until the Polish Army was more set up and functional before setting out and declaring Poland an independent country. Would he have changed anything? Would there have been any kind of self defense taught? I would have talked about what the men that served in the Army would haven like and what the conditions were. This is due to a Great Uncle of mine serving in the Polish Army.

Princess Diana - Everyone knows Princess Diana's story or about it. Her struggles and only wanting to do right for her family, children, and anyone she could help. She started off as a shy teacher and became quite good at public speaking.

I loved that she had the courage to meet any challenges that were thrown at her. She did what was right and her way no matter what anyone else thought once she had enough of "doing the right thing" as she was probably instructed to do. I would love to sit down with her and chat about how she found the courage to do what was right and her way faced with the pressures she would have gotten from the crown. How she could pick herself back up once she was down and pressed on. What tips should would give all of us for doing the same?

Danny Thomas - Most people know that he was an comedian and actor. I was fortunate enough to actually talk to Danny Thomas when he was alive. Growing up, I did many charity things for babies and children. Many of these charity bike rides, walks and runs were for St. Judes. I was about 7 or 8 when I first got into doing these things. I just knew I was helping sick kids have a chance at getting better. Then I stopped for awhile doing this due to spending time with family. Anyhow, when my
sister, Theresa, decided to do something for charity, I suggested St. Judes as I had done things before with them. I told her to write to the company and ask them for support in advertising materials (bags, t-shirts were big things back in the 1980's). She did write to them and in return, Danny called her. I picked up the phone and passed it along to her. To say the phone call didn't go well is an understatement - in polite terms she told him that she didn't think it was him and hung up. I asked what was going on and she told me that someone pranked her and said it was Danny Thomas. I told it was probably him as he runs that charity. She didn't know this and when the phone rang again, she was very sorry over and over again to him. We did ended up getting the advertising materials and using them and donating the money to the hospital.

I would love to ask Danny if he ever would change what he did? I know he said that he would always open a shrine to St Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes.I know of this saint and is one of the ones I look up to as well. What other saints does he look up to? Why did he choose St. Jude Thaddeus to pray to that one night? What else does he wish he could have done? What tips would he give?

Patrick Swayze - Again most people would know that he was a singer, dancer and actor. He had made some mistakes and admitted to it and got help over the years. However, he was always faithful to his mother and wife from what I understand. When the chips were down, he backed out of the spotlight and kept what was most precious close - his family. When most people would have either given up or died from horrible pancreatic cancer, he stayed and fought like no tomorrow. However, it wasn't to be and he was taken from us.

I would love to sit there and talk to him about how he was able to back away from the spotlight. Also, ask and compare notes on how he and his wife, Lisa, were able to keep their marriage alive and survive not having children which is much like us. I think it would be interesting to compare notes and see what we did the same and what we did differently.

Besides, he was always a good looking man - who wouldn't want to sit and look at him all night?

The Dinner

Pierogi

After sitting and talking to each person, I'd bring them together in the dining room and would serve a mixture of foods. This is due to the different influences. It would be like a Thanksgiving but would be more traditionally Polish. Some things would include: flatbread, forest berries, nuts and wild cabbage, beets, turnip, carrots, peas and cauliflower. Pickled cucumber or Pickles, oranges, lemons, olives, figs, tomatoes, pierogi, kielbasa, stuffed cabbage (Gołąbki) & peppers, steak (Karkówka) and chicken (Kurczak pieczony po wiejsku). For drinks: Vodka, milk, buttermilk and various herb infusions, tea, and coffee.

Faworki (we also call them Bow Ties in our family)

honey,

Desert would be more of chocolate, Pączki and Bow Ties (or Faworki).

Discussion

This would include why we help who we help or fight for. What gives or gave us the strength to be as strong as we were/are. I would ask about religion as before I wrote this, I didn't know everyone (except for 1) had some kind of tie to the Roman Catholic Church. Some were the rulers or fighters, and others celebrated a Roman Catholic Saint. There's only one, Patrick, which I could find no connection to any church, which is interesting.

I would love to find out why each of us considers family or important and our love of them. Did they help with their strength when they needed it? How did they influence the decisions they made?

I think it would be a very interesting dinner and discussion overall.

Check back for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series.

Check back next week for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series. - See more at: http://joannfitz.blogspot.com.au/#sthash.2yfPO9gS.dpuf

Check back next week for the continuation of "The Book of me, Written by You" series. - See more at: http://joannfitz.blogspot.com.au/#sthash.LXywwwLd.dpuf

The video is http://youtu.be/P8hzm6vq5Tg

The video is http://youtu.be/P8hzm6vq5T

The video is http://youtu.be/P8hzm6vq5Tg