Lukasz and sister Aga-our Polish cousins

These are our cousins Lukasz, from Wroclaw, Poland and his sister Aga from Legnica. They are great- grandchildren of dad's brother Stefan. Remember Lukasz, Kassie....."Help me Polish Tutor!"! He has grown alot since I saw him in 1997. After 13 years... he tells me his favorite beer is "Staropramen" from Prague, best Polish beer is unpasteurized Piast from Wroclaw, and best vodka is Debowa( Oak Vodka). I write as I drink my Canadian beer. His favorite food dish is "pierogi po rusku", which we have discussed this week. Are they Polish, Ukrainian or Russian? We have decided they are Polish but in Poland, potatoes, cheese and onion are referred to as "pierogi ruskie". His favorite vacation place, which he likes to visit often is in a mountainous region in Poland called "Samotnia in Karkonosze". It is a Polish mountain range with a refuge on top of a mountain with it's own lake. Can you imagine? A lake on top of a mountain. Check out the "galeria" on http://www.samotnia/ .com

These are pictures he took in a place he vacationed this summer in southeren Poland called Slawa, with his girlfriend Becky. That's right I said "Becky". Lukasz...my nephew's girlfriend is also Becky. My conversation about pierogi made me crave some so I went and cooked some for supper. So here you have it...homemade Canadian pierogi right from the Pierogi capital of Alberta.

Kanadyjski pierogi ruskie z Edmonton..Kuchni Hani

Agnieszka and Lukasz 1997

Samotnia Karkonosze

Slawa

Baba's Dill Pickle Soup

For all the dill lovers. This is my dill soup and pita veggie sandwich with fresh garden toamtoes, grated carrots, fresh onion, lettuce, cucumber and mayonnaise.

8 cups water

3 heaping teaspoons chicken broth mix(or veggie mix)

1 medium onion diced

1 garlic clove

2 carrots diced

4 large potatoes(older)

1 cup celery diced

5 pickles diced

2/3 cup pickle juice

2 tbps. butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. flour

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp. dill chopped

Melt butter and saute onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add water and broth mix. potatoes, carrots, celery, pickles, pickle juice, salt and pepper. Simmer about 30 minutes. I use the potato masher and just break up veggies in the pot a bit when cooked. You can blend it if you want but I like my veggies a bit chunky. Blend the flour with sour cream and add to broth slowly and simmer until thickened. Adjust seasoning and sprinkle dill. Delicious and better on the 3rd day. Good with sliced Wydnowski's sausage dropped in soup when reheating. Love this with rye bread and butter.

Those were the days.......

Gone are the days when the daughter-in-law came and helped Baba make her dills. Now it's like " Where are our Dills? Only 6 jars? I thought we were getting 20?

You better go and get some more cukes.

Even Jake is in the pickle jar now.

Jurassic Forest

Labor day was a beautiful weekend contrary to all weather reporters. Jurassic Park at Gibbons was the place to be with everybody else and their million kids and grandparents scrambling to see the dinosaurs. So glad we went early. Two sides of the park to view and a nice homemade picnic lunch in between the two walks was a nice day spent outdoors. Gourmet ham bunwiches and new dills were a Sunday dinner. Jacob and I waited for him to get a ride on a dinosaur with a questionaire filled out with three questions. They were bogus, questions like " What is the name of the dinosaur skeleton in the concession booth? ( Who cares ...we were there to see dinosaurs in the outdoors not in the concession where you purchase items). Well we answered these with bogus answers and then stood in line for a ride. When it came time to ride....Nope...you gotta hand your questionaire to the guy in the red shirt and he will give you a numbered ticket. Oh for God's sake!!! So we find the guy in the red shirt, give him the questionaire. Nope...no ticket....can't ride...the answers are all wrong!!! Is this crap or what???? So Jake missed the ride.....cuz' we were all a bunch of dummos. I tried to teach Jacob to whistle a blade of grass and make noises like the dinosaurs, so now I'm a "Babasaurass". There is no intimidation after 60. Great day!
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September 1st 1939 Nazi Germany invades Poland

On September 1st, 71 years ago, Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
This was a new beginning for my parents who lived in Poland
This was also a new beginning for the world as this invasion started World War II.

Why Do I Care about Poland??

September 1st 35 Years Ago Today

Thirty five years ago today I started my first day in business as a shop owner. Gone are the days of hot pink shag carpet right up to the ceiling, pscychedelic wallpaper and 12 hot pink hair dryers. Also gone are the days when we would work all day, close the shop and party till midnite. Leaving an empty bottle of Crown Royal and 10 ahstrays with dirty cigarette butts to empty in the morning. Then start again the next day with one bastardly hangover. Gone are many good operators, many good clients, 3 landlords and their leases, and three moves to new buildings.

A client asked me the other day " After 35 years, where's the money?" That is my question as well " Show me the money."

Babcia's Old House

Imagine...mix a little paint thinner too close to the furnace...and poof....EXPLOSION!!!!....big renovation....looks like a different house.

Cousin Slawek Vacationing in Mielno, Poland

Cousins from Legnica, Slawek and family on vacation in Mielno, Poland a popular northern town which is beach front on the Baltic Sea.

Slawek is Marian's son( or dads brother Stefan's grandson). Wife Asia and sons Piotr and
Michal and youngest of seven, Karolinka.

Slawek i Asia

.....juz 27 lat razem.......

Happy 27th Anniversary, August, 1983

Friggin' Wind

There used to be a beautiful clematis growing here.....not anymore...thanks to the wind last night.

Call the Doctor

Who has the most booboos, Cameron or Teddy Bear?

Baba Barbara and Graham Emile

Cousin Jarek in Italy

Our cousin Jarek has had the wonderful opportunity to live in beautiful Italy for the past few years near Naples. This fall he is looking forward to moving back to his Poland. These are some pictures from his holiday this summer in Sicily. His parents, Genia and Staszek in are in the Royal Garden of Caserta. Staszek was the son of dad's brother Staszek. Jarek is Staszek ( junior)'s son. The ocean view is over Naples with Vesuvio.

Hello my little brother.....you're finally here.

Come on my Baby