Christmas Quiz

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? both!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? right after Thanksgiving
4 . When do you take the tree down? Sometime just before Easter
5. Do you like eggnog? Love it!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Itsy, Bitsy,Teeny, Weeny, Betsy Wetsy Doll
7. Hardest person to buy for? Can't think of anyone
8. Easiest person to buy for? myself
9.Do you have a nativity scene? yes 2 of them
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The pink bunny pajama suit daddy got me
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street, I like so many of them!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually after Thanksgiving
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Unfortunately everything!
16. Lights on the tree? always clear mini lights
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night - Always reminds me of my Mom & Dad and reminds me of my childhood
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? floral
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Used to open gifts on Christmas Eve which was a tradition when I was a child which was the German tradition. But when I married Ward and I would let the children open their Chritmas Pajamas.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Commercialism.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Love them all. I'm pretty traditional: red, green, forest green, gold, silver.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Prime rib
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Spend time with family and friends
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Natalie, Adrianne, Meredith, Lisa, Mom, Gwen, Kristin
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? Don't know
28. Favorite thing about Christmas? Love decorating, baking, Christmas music, cold weather, happy people.

"Christmas is Here"

Everyone is always welcome in our home!

Just wanted to share with you some our Holiday decorations. I love this Holiday. Christmas. I love what it stands for the Birth of our Savior. I love what the colors mean and the spirit of everthing. If I could I would leave everything up all year round. Have a Very Merry Christmas to all of you and may you find love, joy and peace. Love, Grandma and Grandpa.

"Happy Thanksgiving"

Grandpa and Me with the Duffy Children and spouses! Love you all!

Josh, Cliff, Dad, Me, Lunetta, Merideth

Pre dinner munchies! Always delis!

Cannot resist this darling dog!

First of all I want to thank Cindy for putting a new Christmas background on my blog. Thank you honey. We where up and the Duffy cabin for Thanksgiving and we had a blast. Besides the being sick it was a fun being in Utah and with the Duffy's. Here are some pictures dad and I would like to share with everyone.

Wonderful Being Home

It has been a very busy day again but wonderful to be home. Went to the hand specialist early this morning and he said that I didn't have to come back unless my hands were in a lot of pain, and then he would do the surgery because my joints are just plain worn out. But I am positive that they will be fine.

It was nice to go to work for the last 4 weeks and be in the business world again but there is no place like puttering around your home and getting things done there. I need to start going through things to give to Desert Industries so I will have more room in the house and garage. Lots of Relief Society things that I need to give away but something keeps telling me to hang on to them.

We are hoping that the election goes in a very positive way tomorrow Nov. 4, 2008 for everyone, the way that Heavenly Father would want it to be so that we can all live righteously and in peace with one another and that the economy will teach us all in the U. S. to be more prudent in living within our means. I can remember when I was a little girl that there was not that much to eat and my mother would take half milk and half water with a little salt, bring it to a boil, and then take a bowl of flour put a little water in the flour to make little clumps and drop them in the milk and water mix and cook it for a minute or two and it would become kind of creamy. She would put a ladle of it in a bowl and we would put a little sugar on it and that was our dinner. We called it Clunker Soup. I think it meant little dumpling soup. But that is how bad the economy was back then, specially during the War. But we didn't go to bed hungry. It was warm and filling. We don't know how fortunate we have it here in United States.

I love America and am so blessed that my parents came to this country because of their belief in the gospel and to make a better life for themselves. Thank you Mom and Dad wherever you are in heaven, I love you.

Fall is in the air and it is beautiful, just a little bit cooler but oh so nice.

Had a pleasant surprise this afternoon as our nephew, Frank Penny came by to see us. He is Ward's sister Ann's son and he was here in Arizona meeting with some judges on a case he is working on. He is a lawyer. He is such a sweet man just as sweet as he was when he was a little boy. Still has that angelic look about him.

Saw pictures of Natalie and Roberts apartment. So beautifully done just like the other girls in the family. They all have a special talent in making things nice.

Pears and Peaches

Look at Dad's photographic composition!

Ok everyone, here are the peaches that Dad and I canned. Dad did awesome helping slice the peaches. Don't they look "Blue Ribbon"? Utah pears and peaches bottled in Pheoenix.!

Busy Busy Days at Work

What a mind boggling last 3 days it has been. My head has a headache. So much to learn about all the new computer programs Sonus has. I probably will have it down pretty good when the old PCC returns from having surgery. I forgot how tired I used to get when I worked before but I even get more tired now as I am older.

If some of you are wondering what I do at Sonus, it is an Audiology company or office that gives hearing tests and fits people with hearing aids. I am always amazed at how many people and little children have difficulty hearing. We also have miscellaneous items to help them hear the ringing of the telephone and TV. My heart is always touched by the little ones and the very elderly that have a hearing problem.

I love being home and doing what I want to do even staying in my nightgown until 1:00 PM doing little catch up things around the house. It is very fun you know.

Finished canning pears when I came home from work. I hope that my granddaughers and granddaughters-in-laws carry on the tradition of canning for your families.. My heart swells with love when I see my family enjoy the fruits, jams, taco sauce, and pies that we can and freeze for the coming winter months.

Well Auntie is here helping fix my blog because I lost this blog last night. So all of you have a nice weekend and I love you everyone of you.

Canning Season

The time has arrived to can fruits and make Taco Sauce. Dad I made Taco Sauce a couple of weeks ago and this week we are doing peaches and pears. Made 15 peach pies which are so easy. Just take a short time to put it all together, mad 7 pints of peach jam and 14 quarts of peaches. Tomorrow we will do the pears as I was just to tired when I came home from hand therapy. Had to wear the Cortison patches for 4 hours today. Daddy has been a real trouper as he has sliced every peach and took the jars, washed them I filled them etc. and he put them in the canner and took them out, and lined all the pie pans with foil and saran wrap etc. I never had so much help and it went really fast.



Tomorrow afternoon, Thursday and Friday I will need to go to Sonus to get updated on their new computer program before I work for the next 2 weeks for them. It will nice to see all the old patients from the Osborn office again.



Have a good evening everyone.

EXCITING SATURDAY MORNING

This has been a very exciting morning. Dad was going to get his pants pressed and he turned on the key to start the car and "THE CAR BLEW UP"!!!! parts and oil were all over, smoke coming up under the hood etc. The tow truck just came to pick it up to take it to the Toyota dealer. It has been exactly 10 years ago this month that we bought that car. It has been a really good car. We drove it yesterday and it was perfect. No noise no anything. This was just a shock. We love that little car it has been good to us. We are still stunned as to what just happened.

What a day. Hope the rest of the day will be good.

Dad's Doctors Appointment Today

We went to Dr. Fishman's office today to futher look into dad's kidney condition and he has scheduled dad for an appointment at John C. Lincoln Hospital this coming Monday for a "Lasic Renal Scan". From what the Dr. showed us today there is some kind of blockage in the left kidney in front of the opening of the tube that passes the urine to the bladder, your kidneys are like a filter that cleanses the blood so that you system does not get toxic. Apparently his kidneys are not doing what they are supposed to do. They will inject some kind of dye and go up through the tube to see what that is or if it is really a blockage or some kind of growth etc. We will be relieved to find out what this is.

Other than that little adventure today it has been a rather nice day. Very dark and cloudy South East of us with rain etc. and we sure would like to experience some of that weather over this way. There was thunder and lighting last night but again it was South East and South West of us. We could hear the thunder.

Monsoon weather in Arizona is so exciting to see all the lighting, hear the thunder, feel,see and hear the rain.

Tonight is Natalie's shower at the Steel home. Have a lovely evening Nat'.

It is rather warm at this moment like 103 degrees so I am going to get some dessert of pineapple and orange sherbet with vanilla ice cream, diced bananas and strawberries all mixed up together. So refreshingly cool, sweet and delicious. This was the dessert that I served last night when we had Arlene and Ronda Reading for dinner. Dear, dear friends from Torrance. We have know each other for 50 plus years. Our kids grew up together, birthday parties, swim parties, eating meals together etc. What a fun evening we had reminiscing about old times.

Larry Bird in the Torrance Stake Presidency said they are planning a 50 year reuion next year. How fun that will be to see all your old friends.

Off to get me and dad some dessert.

A Beautiful Day In Arizona

Today is so nice and cool as it was 110 on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Plus we have had some rain and a little thunder. It rained very hard yesterday in Mesa when Ward and I were at the Church Cannery and on the way home. It is so nice to know that we have food items that the church provides us to purchase to keep the Prophets commandments to be prepared food wise, financally wise and Spiritual.

Lisa called me early this morning and asked me if I wanted to go with her to Mesa to pick up the bridesmaids skirts. What a beautiful Wedding Dress and Bridesmaid dress store. We were just amazed how beautiful every dress was. Here we are hundreds of miles away from the wedding party and Lisa and I go to pick up what the brides needs for her bridesmaids. What fun we had this morning. We called Cindy a couple of times while we in the store because they did not have the skirts under Cindy Duffy's name and everyone was a little confused. While we were standing at the counter, Donna called and everything got straightened out. The sales girls and us just had a good laugh. On the way home we stopped in Tempe and we got our special hot dog at the Weinerschnitzel. We savored every bite. My favorite one is just chili with onions. So so delicious. We thought of you Cindy when we ate them.

Ward and I canned our rice today. It is the short grain rice which is like sticky rice. It reminded me of my childhood and of the rice my mother used to cook with milk and then put butter and cinnamon on it. It tasted pretty good. Those were hard times in my life as it was during World War II and food was rationed and that was a staple in our home and that rice served all of us well. Ward was telling me that in there home they lived on a 100 lbs of pinto beans that they brought from Prairie City, Oregon to California and that is what they shared and ate with his maternal grandparents, aunts and uncles in Sierra Madre, California during the war.

I need to write about my father, But will do it hopefully a little later today.

My Mother

My Mothers Name is Wilhelmina (Minnie) Giesewski Abramowski Brown. She was born in Selbongen, East Prussia Germany in May of 1912. Everybody knew her as Minnie, but her family called her Mienku. She had a twin sister, named Anna, who only lived for 4 days as my grandmother was severely sick with tuberculosis. My grandmother died when my mother was only 4 years old and her father died when she was 14 of a massive heart attack. She told me that they ran outside in the snow to get it to put it on his chest but when they got back in the house he was dead. My grandfather Giesewski was a highway engineer. He was a very wealthy man. My mother was born with TB and had been sick most of her growing up years until she was seventeen. She had been in and out of sanitariums during those years and family members were fighting over who would be taking care of her when she was little because they wanted my grandfather's money. Finally my grandfather's sister Wilhelmina Piotrowski said "enough!", that she would be in charge and take care of my mother. And she did. She taught my mother everything she knew about housekeeping, laundry, cooking. My mother even tied her sheets, pillow cases and towels in ribbons, she ironed everything even underwear.

My mother came to America in 1930 through the Pananma Canal and landed in San Pedro California. Her sister Amelia (Aunt Molly) and her husband Uncle Fred Dellenbach sponsored her to come to America.
She was 18 years old.

A special quality about my mother is that she was a hard worker, she was never idle. She loved working in her yard and won several awards for having the most beautiful landscaped yard when we lived in Westchester, which is a suburb of Los Angeles. She also did a lot of hand work, crocheting, embroidery as she would watch television and even before we had television. She loved to can fruit, chicken etc. She taught me many great and wonderful things even when she was so sick in bed as I was growing up. Her hands were busy even up until the time she passed away. One of my mother's traditions that is still being carried on by my daughter, Cindy, and my niece, Jennifer, and by myself, are her crocheted potholders and her Streusel Kuchen.

One of the things she would tell us children when we would fight or have an argument, was to love one another and that the day would come when we would cry for each other because we would not live close together and we would miss each other and we would want to take away the hurt if one of us was sick or having a problem. Another phrase she would always say was "ach du meine gita!" which means "oh my gosh!" in English, and "If you would be so kind... "

She always wore a dress, nylons, shoes and an apron, and always had a hankey or kleenex in her apron pocket. I guess to wipe away our running noses. She loved fashion and was very clean on herself, but we did not have a lot of money as we were living in a time of the 2nd world war. She knew how to save and make a dollar stretch. She was a good wife and mother always striving to do the right thing for her family. We have a very different taste in shoes and I never liked her choice of shoes even in her later life.

A Little About me

I was born in January on a very cold and wintery day in South Gate California. The water pipes froze in the Los Angeles area at that time. I born premature and only weighed 4 lbs. They put mason jars filled with warm water in my bassinet to keep me warm. I was born into a very loving and happy family. My parents were immegrants from Germany. They both came here because of their love of the Gospel and THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAY SAINTS.
At the time of my birth I had an older brother Rodney, who was 2 years old at that time. I had sleep apnea for almost 3 months and my dad would hold me all night when he came home from work because he was always afraid that I would not breath.

We lived in a spanish style house and I remember we had a wooden booth in our kitchen that was really high in the back and a wood table in the center which I can still see in my mind. It was painted a light green. This booth always seemed so cozy.

I especially remember that on Saturday's we would always go down to Brooklyn Avenue where the Jewish markets were and my parents would buy fresh herring and bring it home and my dad would pickle it and we would have pickled herring and boiled new potatoe with butter that night. And Saturdays where always the days we got ready for Sunday. Hair was washed and curled, shoes were polished everyone had a bath etc. My mom would roll are hair in these metal curlers and then we would ave to sit by the open oven door to dry our hair a little before we went to bed. My sister Rita and I really did not like sleeping on those curlers, they hurt you head a little but when we finally fell asleep we didn't notice them anymore. You just had to get your head comfortable on the pillow.

New Look

How do you like my new look. Cindy has been on the phone with me helping me learn how to do different things on my blog. I love it and I love her. I love this picture because of the winding paths and the colors of the flowers the purples, white, and the pinks. It reminds me of our curved driveway in Torrance with our big pots of Impatiens lining the driveway. We also had them on our patio in the backyard. They were always so beautiful plus the smell of our gardenia bush by the back door.

Compassionate Service

I am Compassionate Service Leader in our Ward and today has been one of those days of service for one of the sister's in our Ward. You are always happy and have such a peace within yourself when you are in the service of others. We brought Maribeth home with us after her procedure as she was still groggy and dizzy from the anethsia so we let her sleep and when she woke up for a short time I fixed her a chocolate shake and a piece of toast and then she went back to sleep. During the time she slept I worked on my day planner as I have neglected it for a couple of months and needed to put in my activities, appointments, birthdays etc. Later in the afternoon Ward went and picked up Makean from school and Lisa came over with a hamburger and fries for Makean's after school snack, what a sweetheart she is. Maribeths husband James, came later and we had dinner which was chili, crackers, bread, cheese and a tossed green salad and some homemade freezer Marionberry Jam. It was soooo good. That is the jam was goooood! Hope I can get some more Marionberries this year to make some more jam.

Everyone has gone home now and I am going to clean up the kitchen and get ready for bed.

Busy Morning With Maribeth Lee

It has been some very tense days the last 2 weeks as we have been with Maribeth in emergency and taking her to several doctors to see why she has so much pain in her stomach.

We picked her up at 9:00am this morning and took her to Dr. Wells for and Endoscopy. Everything is okay in her stomach but she has to have her gallbaldder removed. It is very sick. So here we go again. She will meet with the surgeons next week and they will decide when to do the surgery. We brought her home with us as there is no one home at her house and she is still groggy from the anthesia. Ward will pick up her son from school later this afternoon and bring him here for dinner.

Saturday daddy finally fixed my kitchen drawer that had been broken for about 3 weeks and it works wonderfully. I am so happy. He did such a great job! Thanks dad.

Got an e-mail form Timmy and he is doing great at BYU. He has a girlfriend named Sarah and she is half Indian and half white. She is from New Mexico. He spent time with his dad on his birthday and said he really enjoyed that time with him. Greg is in Alaska now taking care of all his projects there.

Ward just came in from trimming the tree in front of the house as the braches are getting really heavy with leaves and we don't want them to break when the monsoon winds come as the winds are very strong.

It is such a beautiful day. Just the right temperature and a little breeze. I do miss the wind that we always had when we lived in Torrance. It was always so refreshing and cool.

Conference was wonderful as usual and President Monson and President Ucthdorf both know my family on Mamu Minnie's side and Daddo Kurt's side. Some of the member's in Mamu's family are written in President Monson's journals about his associations with them and other German Saints when he would go to Germany. Loved President Hollands talk. He made it very clear to everyone, members and non-members who were listening to conference about what we believe.

President Monson is such a wonderful man. I remember being with him and President Hinckly in the Los Angeles Temple when I escorted them in the elevator up to the assembly room when they came to talk to all the temple workers during a Christmas devotional. They made you feel so special, such kindness and love for everyone. Ward was Presidnet Monson's sister's hometeacher for several years in Torrance California. She was not active and Ward asked President Monson what can we could do for her and he said, just love her. Such a love that he had for his sister.

We also saw Wayne VanTassell in the choir. He still looks great even with his gray hair and more filled out, as we all do as we get older. Cindy, be sure and tell him hello for me and dad when you e-mail him.

Kristin has been very sick with that virus that we all have had. She went to Urgent Care yesterday and she has an ear infection, sinus infection and cough. This virus is really bad this year and the antibiotics don't seem to clear is up very fast. I wonder if this came over from Asia.

I have made almost 100 hats for the Humanitarium Center. They are so pretty and some are so cute that I almost want to keep them all but know that there are those in very cold countries that can use them.

It Works!

Mom--I got it to work. So you're up and going again. Call me and I'll walk you through it!

Love, C

A very Warm Friday

It has been several days since I have written anything on my blog. It is very warm today 85 degrees. Have stayed inside for most of the day and have been making orange juice with the oranges Bob and Gwen brought us on Sunday. Gwen suggested that I put the juice in ice cube trays and freeze it and use in juices during the summer. What a great idea. The juice is so sweet and refreshing.

Went out and did some watering and pulled some weeds here and there in the backyard. So much to do out there. Need to find am easier way to take care of things. But it so nice to see all the blossoms and new green leaves budding on all the plants.

Have my big Easter Bunny sitting in my flower pot with pink and white flowers by the front door and my Bunny Trail sign in the flower pot by the front pillar, yellow and blue Hydrangeas flower pots along the walkway. Very Eastery!

I received a call today from my good friend Norma Carpenter as she moved to Denton, Texas in January and when she went to church she met some of the Missionaries that Tim was over when he was Zone Leader. They told her that they really like Tim and was surprised that she knew his grandmother.

Got the pictures made for Roberta and mailed them off to her today. She should get them either Monday or Tuesday of next week.
Daddy had fun trying to make copies but he was on a time limit as he had HP assignments to take care of and he thought he didn't do a real great job. But he did his best.

HAPPY EASTER AND LOVE TO ALL OUR FAMILIES

Today's News

Here it is Saturday already, and so much to do before Sunday. Did not get back to blogging yesterday as I had to take care of a sick family in our Ward. Lisa made a tortilla chicken casserole and I made the beans, spanish rice, and brownies for dessert. Ward and I took the dinner over to the Lee family as Lisa did not know where they lived, they are such a sweet family.


Went through all my negatives and found the ones of grama and grampa Ward, Their 50th Wedding Anniverary picture, the music store picture and some other pictures that Roberta will love to have of her Dad. We will take them to Costco to have them developed on Monday.


Ward did the laundry while I went grocery shopping. Boy are groceries ever getting expensive! I think I will start shopping at FOOD for LESS or at the DOLLAR STORE, and start grinding wheat to make bread like I used to do in Torrance. Also the price of gas is absolutely out of control. Guess these are some of the signs that are to come in the last days where everything is out of control not only prices but style of dress, immorality, wickedness of men, the weather changes etc.


Went to Costco to get my Thai Mangosteen, a good cancer fighting drink. It has been a great help for me. Then went to Lisa's for dinner as she was having the Missionaries for dinner and Craig was not going to be home at that time and she could not have the Missionaries there unless someone else was with her in her home as those are Missionary rules. The dinner was excellent as always. She had roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic, barbequed pork tenderloin and chicken, tossed green salad and cherry pie for dessert. The weather has been just beautiful today but we are supposed to get rain tonight and tomorrow but there are no clouds and no sign of rain as yet. Aunti Tia called this morning about 8:30 and said the weather in Wrightwood was just as beautiful and then she called me about 1:30 in the afternoon and said , you won't believe this, it is snowing and very very cold. So you just never know how fast the weather can change.



Lisa picked up Kristin at the airport last night as she had been in Ohio for the Company she works for "Discover Card" and then Clint came and picked her up at Lisa's house. Good cousins.



Part one of my childhood in Germany. It started in March of 1939, that is when Germany was starting World War ll. My father "Kurt" his Uncle in Germany wrote him a letter asking him to come to Germany and take over his meat business. My father was not real sure if he wanted to go, so he talked it over with my mother "Minnie" and they decided that my mother should go with us 3 children, my brother Rodney age 5, my sister Rita age 9 months, and myself Sigrid age 2 1/2 to see if that is what she wanted to do. To live in Germany and if she did, and could find a place for them to live they would go back. My mother was only 27 years old at the time. So we sailed to Germany on not a very large ship. I believe we arrived in Denmark first I'm not quite sure. When we arrived in Koenigsburg, East Prussia, Germany which is now, owned by Russia. We went to stay with my father parents, Mina and Emil Abramowski in their apartment. We were their for a couple of weeks when my grandmother told my mother that she had to take us children and herself to her own village and her people as she did not have enough ration stamps to feed us. So my mother got passage on the train for the 4 of us to Selbognen, which is in the country and was also in East Prussia, Germany which now, is owned now by Poland. We were their for sometime when my mother received a telegram from my grandmother Mina telling her that she had to come back to Koenigsburg and be there by 2:00 PM on Tuesday as the police and the Nazi's wanted to question her about being in Germany. They thought that my mother was a spy and that us children were not her's and that she was not married to my father who was in America. They questioned her for several days tearing the lining out her coat and other things. While she was gone, the Mormon Missionaries, Elder Karl Gertsch and Elder Jason Nordgren would walk by my mother and take us children by the hand and whistle the song "Do What Is Right". They would watch for my mother when she would start to return to my grandparents and then they would walk by her and they would whistle the song again and they would give us children back to her. They could not talked to her as the Missionaries through out Germany were being watched. They also used their ration stamps to feed us children.


It is getting late and I am a little tired to I will finish this hopefully tomorrow.

Friday

Cindy called me this morning and read me the story about Uncle Horst and Tanta Helga about being in Germany during the 2nd World War. I started telling her about when I was a little girl and that I was in Germany when the war was just starting and she told me that I need to write about that time in my life. I will continue this story a little later on in the day.

Hi I'm Starting My Blog

Good morning everyone. Cindy is on the phone with me getting me started on my blog. Wish me luck that I will be able to start keeping a journal.