Hurray! I'm Back!

[gardenmoma]

Greetings to all my friends here at the Polish Culture Forum!

Jaga remembered that I am an "All Souls Day baby" which was enough to remind me to get over here and rekindle friendships. I have missed you all...but here is a little update on what's been happening.

We moved into our new "place" - life-long care community in southwest VA - on Monday. We are still unpacking and getting settled. We plan to return to western MA in April for the late spring and summer months. My motto these days is "Man (Woman) plans; God laughs!"

Bill (my husband) slowly becomes weaker in body - but not mind or spirit - which is why we are here. He falls more often from the weakness in his legs and needs help getting up which I am too short to be able to provide. In no way is he ready to be part of an assisted living community, so I am his full-time companion and helper.

We are near three of our five grandchildren which makes him (and me) very happy. They really love their grandpa, and grandma makes great cookies and "nalesniki"!

I am still doing the Squidoo site "Polish Culture: Beyond Pierogi and Cabbage" but it is not as dynamic as I would like. I also put up another Squidoo site: Poland in Photographs" which I have neglected. Links from these two sites lead some visitors to Jaga's two sites.

I did go to Poland again this summer with the Polish Center group from Chicopee, MA. We had a wonderful time! I have some very nice photos and many good memories for articles for my websites and ultimately on Jaga's Polish Culture Site.

However, we now have high-speed Internet access here in VA so I will become active once again in the Polish Forum. The dial-up access in our MA town was becoming intolerable. I had to use high-speed access at the library or local cafe to post articles on my garden / landscaping sites. As soon as I get these two sites more up-to-date I can begin working on all things Polish once again.

Best wishes to you all...I look forward to getting caught up with Forum news...

Georgene / AKA Gardenmoma

[kaima]

Welcome back, GM! It will be nice to see your byline again & hear what is going on. I'll be headed over to Slovakia again for another Christmas on the Polish border. One of these visits I am going to make it across the border, first to visit Krakow & then to bicycle around some of the back country roads.

It sounds as if your move is just in time to take advantage of the warmer climate in Virginia (VA). In Alaska I am starting a movement for a bunch of us single baby boomers, so that those of us who start getting alzheimers will band together in teams, and when one has a lucid spell he/she will buy a few tickets to fly to a west coast / Bering Sea Coast village in the winter. Then a 'team' can fly out and take a one way hike out onto the sea ice like the Old Eskimo. It seems like a good and dignified way to go. Our main problem now seems to be the warming of the Arctic and the lack of sea ice in the winter! SO much for old ways.

Well, we can only slow the progress of time and make what adaptations we can; I am happy you can be near the grandchildren. I see a bit of the pleasure they bring when I share the grandchildren from my brother and sister.

Welcome back!

Kai

[rdywenur]

Hi GM...so glad to see you back. We missed you. Sorry to hear about Mr. GM falling alot. So did my mom till she had her knees replaced. Now she doesn't fall only her knees still hurt. Arthritis.
So now you get the best of both worlds. VA for warmer weather and MA for the great summers.

Chris

[scatts]

Great to hear from you again GM!

[suzanne]

GM,

Nice to see you again; I'm glad you stopped by to say hi! Hope you've been settling in well at your new home and am glad to hear you are getting more of a chance to be with your grandkids. Any Polish or Polish-American groups, etc. in your part of VA?


Take care and all the best,
Suzanne