Kotku and Duży

The past few weeks, I've been taking a class in Polish. I've been learning important things like the proper way to spell "Daj Mi Buzi," some common place vocabulary and the occasional Polish obscenity. Ok, that last part I haven't learned from class, but from a classmate whose husband is from Poland.

I bring the vocabulary home and teach it to Mike. Then we try to incorporate it into our every day conversations in what I can only call "Polglish." Mike sings along with Kid Rock and says, "I put your obraz away..." We talk about going to the książka store. Even the cats have new nicknames!

Kotku (a Polish endearment meaning 'little cat')

and Duży (which is simply an adjective which means 'big.')

Being called Duży is somewhat confusing for Furio, though, as he confuses Duży (doozhee) with "Suey!", which is his treat call. As a result, there have been a few times where I call him Duży and he runs hellbent for leather towards the kitchen.

I've also learned that the Polish tend to use unusual terms of endearment, like Robaczku, which means "little bug." I've settled on the more mainstream 'słodyczko' (sweetness) for Mikey.

What a Good Lookin' Kid!!!

Scenes from a Memorial Party

I didn't take many pictures at the actual memorial party for my mom, but as the evening wore on, some of us who had stayed later headed to the beach as the sun set and I brought my camera along. Shoes were removed, rocks were skipped across the water's surface and splashing was encouraged. It was great fun and I think that my mom would have approved.

Vitka and Me.

Matthew

Amy

Lisa

Amy and Mike

Caleb

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
"Here she comes!"