LAS VEGAS - DAY 2 - AFTERNOON

 So, we went into the store, looked around and bought a book, a calendar and a small poster. Then they asked us to go back outside and stay in line. We waited about 15 minutes and were asked to come in and have our book signed - by no other than:  Criss Angel, Mindfreak!!!!

Michael and Kathrina are both great fans of his shows and sometimes I have a look too. So there we are - people in front of us are sitting down on his knee and have their pictures taken by a security guard with the fan's camera.

Now it is our turn and just didn't see myself trying to sit in his lap!!! So we asked if he could stand up instead and we both got into the picture with Criss. It was very exciting to meet him and he was very pleasant to chat with for a few moments.

According to Michael this was a "bonus surprise" for the day. It was a great experience.

By this time I was ready to hang up my shoes and drop my behind on the bed and try to get some sleepy time. So we did just that. We had a great long snooze and rested up for the rest of the day, which was not over by a long shot.

So we got ourselves presentable again and took off for our special dinner. We had a great time and after dinner we took on the "one armed bandits" and enjoyed ourselves for a couple of hours. I have to mention that we cannot play any machines that are next to each other. Neither one of us wins. So he took off one way and I went the other way and said we will meet later by the Diner for a snack and a drink before turning in.

All in all, this day was a very memorable one for me. We celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary and also Michael's birthday, which was the next day. I had planned nothing special for the next day because we really did all the exciting things today. So we just ate, slept, gambled a little, ate, slept and watched other people. Really - watching others gamble is fascinating - the way they behave when they are winning and the frustration when they are losing. Both Michael and I are pretty good at reading people - and this time was well spent.

The next day we were returning to the area of the hotel where we registered and discovered a large motorcycle encased in a "glass" type box. Then we realized that it was Criss Angel's special one of a kind bike. I took some pictures with and without flash and with Michael in front of it. Because of the lighting in the lobby some of the pictures are better than others.

The trip to Las Vegas was a trip down memory lane. I was there in 1986 and visited most of the old casinos of that time. Very few of them are still in existance. Great big new hotels were built since then, but I think I liked the "old" Vegas better. I was told by several employees and taxi drivers that the best time to visit Vegas when the prices are cheapest is at the time of the US Thanksgiving in November, or at Christmas time. Most people stay close to family then and they need to fill the rooms in the hotels so they give fantastic prices for your stay.

So if you are planning to go, try to do it when it is cheaper. We had a great deal on our flight and hotel and were very happy with our service. We also decided that we will not be returning soon, we had our fun. If we need to some gambling, we have a nice casino here in town, or we want to have a weekend away from home, we will visit Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. Maybe twice a year. It is closer and we have friends to visit there anyway.

I might write some more about our trip, but right now I can't remember anything else. I apologize for the long wait between my postings, but I've been busy and life gets in the way.
Hugs,
Gisele/Nanabear

LAS VEGAS - DAY 2

I had arranged for a special gift for our wedding anniversary on the 5th of December. I woke him up at 5:00 a.m. and told him to get ready for an adventure. He thought I was crazy getting up at that time in the morning since we went to bed quite late the night before.

Finally we made it to the front door of Circus Circus where a long black limo was waiting for us. The driver said he had other pick-ups and to just relax. It was fun sitting in the back and look at the city that really never goes to sleep. Michael was asking questions all the time and I didn't give him a straight answer. Finally we arrived at the airport and then he saw the helicopters. Then I told him that we are going to take a trip into the bottom of the Grand Canyon and take pictures. He was really surprised and then whispered in my ear: "you are totally out of your mind but thank you, this might be fun". So I hugged him and said you are welcome and we got into the helicopter.

It was a 45 minute ride from Vegas to the spot where we landed. I took pictures on the way and we circled around the Hoover Dam, which was fantastic from the air. We had earphones on and there was ongoing comment from the pilot about what we were seeing. Fabulous scenery and the most fun stuff we saw were tiny little cows and wild horses running down below. Such a view!

Once we landed and stepped out of the helicopter we had a chance to walk down a little into the depth of the Canyon. You can have a look at some of the pictures where both Michael and I are pictured with the Colorado river below us. Any more steps further down would have caused us to slide right into the bottom of the Canyon. It was a scary but great feeling to be there.

The weather did not cooperate. I was frozen!!! I had a cotton top and a light grey hoody and the wind was blowing and the temperatures were soooo cold!! No sun. Just wind. After the pictures we had a special "snack" provided by the pilot which included a small bottle of champagne! So, we toasted each other and had a couple of sips while pictures were taken. There were several other helicopters on this "pad" and the visitors all cheered when they found out that it was our 45th Wedding Anniversary. It was wonderful - but soooo cooold!

The return flight to Vegas seemed shorter but just as fabulous. We circled over the "strip" and I took some pictures of all the other hotels. I thought it was better in the daytime rather than night because then you can only see a lot of flashing lights - this way we saw the buildings and their different shapes and decorations. After we landed, the limousine took us back to our hotel for a well deserved "hot" lunch.

To have a look at the pictures from our trip, please visit them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanabear/sets/72157622852922611/

After our meal we were headed back to our room to freshen up and had to slow down because there were a lot of people standing around this particular shop. So we asked questions and we decided that we cannot pass up this opportunity and went inside.

And the rest of the story is coming up......
Hugs,
Gisele/Nanabear

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

We have decided to celebrate our 45th Wedding Anniversary and Michael's birthday in a special way - so it was a good time to visit Las Vegas! I arranged for several "goodies" to do while there and I will post separately on each event we attended. All I know that 4 days and 3 nights are more than enough to see what you want to see and to make sure you lose all your money..... lol

We had a great deal on flight+hotel we couldn't miss. While there we saw more cowboys and kids all over the place: the 2009 National Rodeo Finals were in town. Boy, are they a loud bunch! The outfits they wore were so neat - I loved the different types of cowboy hats and boots. I saw one little girl, about 5-6 years old all dressed up in pink with tons of rhinestones on her costume, hat and boots - all pink!!! She looked absolutely adorable. They passed us too fast for me to take a picture of her.

I purchased tickets to a show called: The Price is Right. It is a stage show - similar to the one televised with great prizes, told to "come on down" and participate in different games. After each game finished, 5 people's names were called and they were issued a player's card with $10.00 in food coupon and $10.00 in slot tokens. Michael's name was called. He was so happy!!! So was I that it was him - after all it was his birthday.

Before the show we had our picture taken before the "big wheel" and that was great!

We arrived around noon on Friday and the show was Friday night. What a way to start a vacation! We travelled back to our hotel, Circus Circus from Bally's where the show was. Had a quick bite to eat and did a little gambling but were so tired - we fell into bed.

But there was no rest for the - weary travellers. I asked for a wake-up call for 5 a.m. because we had other great things to do early Saturday morning. It was painful to get up that early but we had to be at the front entrance to ......

You'll have to read my next post.
Hugs,
Gisele/Nanabear

It's been a long, long time...

I haven't posted for a long, long time. What can I say life gets in the way.

To get up to date I'll talk about most recent events. The most important one is my grandson's graduation from Grade 8. What a milestone for this family! We have not seen each other since last summer and boy! has he changed - for the better. He got taller, smarter and better looking than ever.

Dillon graduated with Honours, received a scholarship to a great high school, received several trophies and awards during the Graduation Luncheon. We were so proud of him - especially me - I was ready to burst! Right now he is attending, what he called: summer camp. He was invited to study at a Georgia university for 3 weeks taking several courses. He did the same thing last summer at another university in North Carolina.

As I said before - he is smart, good looking and a gentleman. What else could a NANA ask for! Maybe some great hugs while visiting - which was in ample supply while we were in Florida during the last part of May. Wish we were living closer to each other for more frequent visits - but "no can do". Once we win the lotto - then we will make sure that part of the year we will live closer to them. Oh, well, one can dream and if you do it hard enough and long enough - it just might happen. Oh, please, let it happen soon.

I have posted some photos in my Flickr album I took while visiting family and friends. All in all it was a terrific time we spent together. And now I'm looking forward to planning our next visit. I have no idea when that will be but it can't be soon enough for me.

Special Hugs to all,
Gisele/Nanbear

The Fall of 2008

It is that time of the year again when the trees change their colours and show us that it is time to get ready for winter. I love the sunny cold weather but hate the slushy snow on the ground. So we still have a few weeks before that happens.

A couple of weeks ago Michael and I set out for drive to see the fall colours and just "drive around". Because I drove, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. It took us over an hour, about 140 km north of here. I heard a lot about this place through the years but never visited. Passed it by this summer going north, but missed the turn-off so we did not stop.

Apparently it is a famous hamburger "joint" that is "must visit" on everyone's list. So we went and had some burgers. The set up is different - the service is excellent - and the burgers are very good.

Webbers Hamburgers are just north of Orillia, Ontario, right on the highway and next to a park. The whole area is filled with old railroad cars which are used as "dining rooms" and some are used as washrooms. There are a lot of picnic benches around for enjoying your meal if you don't want to sit in an old railroad car.

After we completed our meal with a little ice cream, we started driving again, looking for "fall colours". Since I was driving again I decided to get lost-on purpose. I chose all kinds of smaller roads going west then thinking of turning south after the sun has dipped.

Found some wonderful areas with lots of colour changes and took some pictures. I stopped right on the road (there were no cars anywhere!) and took some pictures. Others I took just leaning out the window. We both went oooohhh, aahhhh and look at that - so beautiful. I put a couple of pictures here, but you can see them all at my flickr album.

All in all it was a very enjoyable afternoon. Michael took over driving home but he took the quick way - on the big highway. While he drove, I had a little snooze..... it felt really good. Fresh air will do that to you. I hope you all had a chance to have a look at the wonders of fall - who knows how many more there will be for you to enjoy.

Teddy Hugs,

Gisele / Nanabear.

Mother's Day...

Greetings,

Today was Mother's Day. Just like a birthday, it only comes once a year. I think we should celebrate Mothers at least once a month. Not for the flowers, cards and "goodies" we might get - but for remembering that Mothers are very precious people. You only have one and once she is gone you miss her until the day you die.

It does not matter whether you are a mother, grandmother, mother-in-law they are all special in their own way. Remembering them is a duty of every child - even if you are having problems in your relationships. If nothing else, a short telephone call just to say: Happy Mother's Day! How are you? I'm fine and then you are done. But those few words make a difference to any Mother.

These are my special roses for Mother's Day. I haven't seen this type in years!!! They are peachy on the outside and when they open up the petals are red and they curl outward.

They are absolutely the most beautiful roses I have received in a long time. This time there are 24 of them - 2 dozen!!! I can hardly wait for them to open up and when they do, I'll take more pictures to show them off.
Of all things, Michael put a picture of me next to the flowers - my how young I was. That was one of the first pictures of me after I arrived in Canada, more years ago than I care to remember.

Everyone telephoned and wished a happy day and what else would a Mother want? To hear from the children and to know that they remembered. I hope that their children will never forget how special Mothers are.

I hope you all had a day to remember your own Mom, or heard from your children and of course, you might even had the chance to get a few hugs here and there. Hugs are the best - always.

Until next time,

Lots of hugs,

Gisele / Nanabear

Where does time go....

Greetings,

I have to apologize for not writing sooner. Things have happened and I wanted to put them here - but other things came along and by that time it was too late to try and catch up. This time, I have to put a few words down so that I'll remember to keep up with my life.

March 2008 was a strange month. It was the first anniversary of my Brother Tibor's passing. I miss him terribly, but I see him every day on my computer screen. I keep my pictures as my screen saver and he pops up now and then to remind me that he is still with me although in spirit only.

April 2008 was another very busy month. With preparing taxes, dealing with "stuff" and having another birthday. The children all remembered to either send a card, telephone or just come by and give me lots of hugs. Michael surprised me with a pretty bouquet of roses. We usually give one rose per year but buying 60+ roses are a little extreme!!! So, one red rose equals 10 years, 1 pink rose equals 5 years and one white rose equals 1 year. Very pretty roses indeed. We all went out to dinner and had a great time. Music, good food,great company. It was a very Happy Birthday, indeed.

Time is still moving too fast these days and trying to catch up is a real effort. One of these days..... I'll catch up and then I can relax, ...NOT!

Until next time,

Special hugs,

Gisele / Nanabear

Remembering 2007

2007 has been a year full of surprises. Had some wonderful times with family and friends but also had to say good bye to some friends and family members. All in all, it has been a good year.

The children seemed to mature and grow this year more than at other times. Very proud of their accomplishments. We all have changed, for the better, I hope, and we will continue on this road.

Michael and I reached another milestone - being married for 43 years this December. Wow, I never thought in the beginning that we would last this long! We had some good years, some not so good, but all in all - we managed. I hope that the new year will bring more fun times to be spent together and time to enjoy the company of our family - especially the younger ones.

I'm very grateful for all I have and looking forward to the New Year of 2008 with lots of surprises and fun.

Even though it is a little late, I would like to wish all my family and friends a Happy Holiday and the very best wishes for the New Year.

I usually don't make New Year's Resolutions, but this time I have to promise myself and you, to keep this Notebook updated more often. Being busy is no excuse so I promise to update at least once a month but more if I can.

Hope you all will have a fabulous New Year and all your wishes and resolutions will be received and achieved.

So, until next time,

Teddy Hugs,

Nanabear

What a way to go.....

In our travels last weekend we stopped to eat at a restaurant.

Across the street was a sign wishing (I think) an employee a "Happy Birthday".

What caught my eye was the last line in the sign.
What a way to go........

Make sure that you always have a camera ready - you never know where you will find something interesting.

Until next time,
Hugs,
Nanabear.

Down memory lane...

There are times when you hear a word or see a picture of something and your mind takes off down memory lane..... Helping a friend move her daughter into new university digs brought back memories of over 40 years ago.

A year after we were married we moved to Sudbury with our brand new daughter, brand new house, brand new job - into our very first home that we owned together. What a project that was - had to paint everything, sand the floors everywhere, give it a new colour and then wax it - for days! I was doing as much as I could while Michael was working. It took us about 3 weeks to get everything in order.

So 2 days before Christmas, 1965, we came back to Hamilton to spend the Holidays with family. We picked up our leftover stuff in storage, my mother and our 1 month old daughter. Packed the car up and headed north to our new home. We lived in that house close to 2 years then change in work made us sell the house and move back to Toronto. All I can say that those 2 years were the best and worst we experienced. The memories are there and also looking at old pictures sometimes makes me cry.

O.K. - to the present. Last Sunday, we packed up the van with the girl's stuff she needed in residence, her mother, daughter Kathrina and the 2 of us. I personnally have not been back to Sudbury since we moved south. Through the years Michael travelled that way because of work, but we never really thought about moving back up there. So when we got there and unpacked the "stuff" we left them to sort things through and we took off to have a look at the old house.

The city has changed so much. New roads, new stores all kinds of new things. We were looking for old landmarks but most of them have disappeared and/or changed. All of a sudden we are parked in front of the house. I take a deep breath and looked at it. It has been painted, new windows put in and a carport built on the side. Pretty trees are now on the front but the front steps are still the same as they were years ago.

I got out of the car and headed up the driveway where I found the owner unloading his pickup truck. I introduced myself and told him that we used to live here a lifetime ago and just came to see the house again. He only owned it for the past 4 years so didn't ask too many questions after that. He took us to the back yard which used to be nothing but sand dunes and no other homes anywhere near. Now it had some trees, a playground, fences all around. I figured children lived there even now. Then he asked if we would like to see the inside. I was so exited.... They made lots of changes by moving the stairs to the basement to another part of the house; opened up the 3rd bedroom that was Mother's, and made it into a family room and enlarged the kitchen. Looking down the hallway I saw that the "baby's" room was still occupied by children because of the bunk beds. I think I had tears in my eyes and we talked for a few minutes then said a very special "thank you" to the gentleman who made us feel so comfortable.

Once we were outside, I got my camera and took some pictures of the house. Kat took a picture of the 2 of us in front showing the number and front door. Times like these are rare and can be wonderful and very painful. I can't handle a rush like this often, but having done this trip was important and it helped to put a closure on our "old" lives in another city.

On the drive back to our home a lot of time was spent talking about the "old days" and how things have changed. I know I will not return again for another visit but having a look and let my mind wonder back to those days was very uplifting.

So, if you have a chance to "look back" somewhere in your past don't hesitate - just do it. It can be painful but at the same time everything is brought back to the present and into proper perspective - things are better now, and you can enjoy singing the song: "those were the days, my friend..."

Until next time,

Hugs,

Nanabear.

Crochet Meeting

Getting involved with a craft you love will take over most of your life. You plan your day according to how much time you will have to enjoy the things you want to do - leaving just enough time to do the things you "have" to do. That is the way I have tried to live, but it seems to me that there is less and less time for doing what I "want" and need more time to do what "has" to be done. So, when the opportunity arrives to do something special for yourself, you spare no money, time and travel to achieve it.

When the time comes you make plans and then when you get there - the time goes by too quickly and there is never enough time to get everything discussed, shared and laughed over.

During my recent visit to Florida, I had the opportunity for the second time in so many years, to visit with another crafter-crocheter, Julie T. She is one special woman. Amazingly organized. All the thread, yarn, patterns and other crafting items are all stored in see-through boxes and can be reached without looking through everything. You see what you want and you get it. It is a rare occurance that you meet someone like Julie T.

Being with her is always fun. She speaks my language - crochet - that is. One of my passions is crochet. So is hers. She received my daughter Kathrina and me with a cool peach-tea drink and lots of hugs. It was difficult not to interrupt each other's words and sometimes all three of us were speaking at the same time. Then the giggles. There are always giggles and big laughs. She presented me with a beautiful white crocheted pillow, just right for my loveseat. I have no picture of it now, because it was too big for my suitcase and had to leave it behind. My daughter will mail it to me soon so I can take pictures and put it up here later.

Going out to dinner, great conversation, more giggles and lots and lots of crochet talk. We could have spent 4 days without stopping and that would not have been enough time to talk about everything.

Whenever I travel to Florida, besides my family, she is one person I have to see. I'm already working on the plans for my next visit - no dates yet, but I know I will see her again within 12 months. That is a given.

She invited both of us to stay the night, but due to previous commitments we could not stay. Now that would have been fun. So, on the drive back I have decided that if she asks me again, I will take her up on the invitation and spend more time with her. So looking forward to seeing her again. And maybe next time around there will be more time to visit some other crocheters who live in the great State of Florida. We shall see.

Thanks a million, Julie T, for your friendship, hospitality and gifts. You are a terrific lady and I feel privileged to know you. Thanks again.

Until Next Time,

Best Wishes, Always,

Nanabear

DILLON'S BIG DAY

Grandson Dillon had a special day on May 12th, 2007. He received his First Communion on that day. The whole family gathered for a special celebration in church and later, at home. Lots of presents, food, and friends gathered to congratulate him.

Florida is a "hot" state and this day was no different - warm and humid. The pictures were taken in front of the house in full sunshine and no breeze. Right after all the pictures were taken: everyone changed into shorts and t-shirts before tackling the food and cake.

Dillon is a very special child - he is the only grandson in our family and because I had 3 daughters, I spoil him to the point where the parents say: Nana, that's enough already..... Well, for Grandparents it's never enough.

Nana and Grandpa are put on this earth to spoil the grandkids and then tell the parents to take them home - and deal with the consequences. I have been there, done that and now it's my turn to do all the things my mother did when my girls were small. Love them but take them home.

Time spent with my family is always too short, but worth every minute we were together. Because they live so far away, our visits are few and far between. I try to make the trip at least once a year - got to see how fast he is growing up and make sure he will remember his Grandparents in the future.

Congratulations, Dillon, and we hope to see you again, soon. God Bless.

Until Next Time,

Hugs all around,

Nana

MY BIRTHDAY...

My birthday is at the end of April, but did not have time to write about a wonderful day - actually week of celebrations.

While my friend Audice was out of town we looked after her 2 kittens. They are so sweet & cuddly. When she returned we discussed that it was her birthday 2 days before mine and she decided we should celebrate it together by going to a Japanese Restaurant. Her family together with Michael, Kathrina and I had a fantastic meal. Watching the chef prepare the food in front of us was amazing.

At the end of the meal they brought me a plate of 3 different ice creams, deep fried bananas and shaved coconut. It was such a pretty presentation - and because I was not driving, I ate all of it. Yum.....

My husband presented me with beautiful roses - 6 red ones for each 10 years and 5 white ones for each additional year. Yea, this was the big one so now I can officially say: "I just had a senior moment" ... and that statement is "legal" now.

Lots of birthday cards, wonderful wishes from family and friends made this birthday very special and I'll remember it always. Thank you, everyone.

Until Next Time,

Best Wishes, Always,

Nanabear.

APRIL IS FOR BIRTHDAYS...

April and Birthdays for me equals to celebrating with friends the special days of our lives. This year I had the opportunity to celebrate the friendship of two wonderful ladies.

Elizabeth has been a family friend for over 35 years. My children grew up considering her as a "grandmother" and they love to visit her because she is a super cook and enjoy her meals whenever they can.

She has a large round table in her breakfast nook with a pretty purple orchid. So my gift to her this year was a matching purple doily for that table. She made a big deal out of the fact that she does not want anything from us for her birthday. So we waited for over a week and presented her with the doily. She almost cried because she did not expect anything and she loves doilies, afghans and handmade gifts.

Audice is a wonderful young lady, pretty, funny and very smart. She also has a round table for her dining room and it was just screaming for a pretty doily. So I made one for her too. We bought her some beautiful roses and a card and she kept saying - you shouldn't have..... But I know she was happy we remembered.

I'm so glad to have friends I can share the joy of making and presenting them with my favourite craft - crocheting. I will continue to design and make gifts for my friends as long as I possibly can. I get such pleasure of making gifts for others knowing that they will enjoy using them, therefore, remembering who gave it to them. So until I come across more birthdays in the near future I'll keep making pretty crocheted goodies for those who appreciate them.

Until next time,

Best Wishes, Always,

Nanabear

MISS KATHRYN...

Say "HELLO" to Miss Kathryn......

She was born late in March, 2007, prematurely, being only 1800 grams to a loving family of Mom, Dad and big brother, Martin. She is now about 1 month old and growing just by looking at her.

She was so very tiny.... and I remembered from the notes of some of my crochet friends that tiny babies need warmth..... So, there I go with my hook and baby yarn and - voila! - a little hat was created. Right now, in this picture, the hat is getting too small so I just have to make a new one, a little larger.

When I saw her tiny feet I thought - they are too small for a baby booties, so - I made her a pair of "baby-jane" slippers. I'm so glad she still fits those.... but not for long. Time to make her regular size booties to keep her toes toasty warm.

All babies are a blessing and whomever is lucky enough to receive one is very lucky, indeed. I was blessed 3 times with 3 great daughters, and now a terrific grandson. I'm very grateful for all that comes my way. At this point in my life it is hard to remember that any of my babies were ever this small .... they grow up way too fast.

I will keep you posted with more pictures as she grows older and hopefully she will be wearing some of the goodies I'll crochet for her. With Kathryn's busy schedule it has taken me this long to try to have her pictures taken. When she is awake, I'm asleep, when she is sleeping - I'm always busy.

I'll keep trying to update as often as possible so check back now and then for her wonderful progress.

Welcome, Kathryn, to this world and God Bless.

Until next time,

Hugs,

Nanabear.

TIBOR SEREG

* July 5, 1928 *

+ March 14, 2007 +

My younger brother, Tibor,

has passed away peacefully,

with family by his bedside,

on March 14th, 2007

at 3:00 a.m.

in Hamilton, Ontario.

He will be missed by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends and family here and abroad. He will be buried on Monday, March 18th, next to his wife. Illness overtook his strength and now he is at peace.

Memories are flooding back where ever I look or speak of something and then the tears flow. I know it will get better later but right now it hurts too much.

I was a young child when we had to part and we have not seen each other for 10 years. Then we met again when I was a teenager and to me, he was an "old man" of 29 years!

For years pictures of him were taken with food and drink in front of him and we used to say that he knows how to celebrate. The best of times were spent with family celebrating his birthdays. On his 65th birthday his comment was: "I'll only celebrate birthdays every 5 years". The family ignored this and we always had a special party for him which he always enjoyed.

He belonged to several organizations and held top positions in all of them. The Boy Scouts of Canada, St. Stephen's Church, Hamilton; The International Order of Alhambra, A Catholic Mens' organization helping disabled children and adults; The Knights of Columbus, St. Patrick's Church, Hamilton, Ontario. He had a special gift to make friends in all walks of life and I know that most of those who knew him, will miss him.

As it now stands I have become the "Grand Puba" of this clan. It is up to me now to tell stories to the young ones about the "good ol' times" and hear them laugh at the antics of the "old people" and what they did to have fun. I'm looking forward to this new role because I have been the youngest in the family and never did get the last word. Now it's my turn and because of age, they will have to listen.

I miss my parents and both brothers, Kalman and Tibor, but I have a loving family of my own and together we will keep his memory alive for the next generation.

Tibke, I'll always love you and miss you.

Your baby sister,
Gisele / Nanabear

My Special Brother, Tibor

I had two older brothers but the older one passed away a few years ago. This brother is 14 years older than I am and we are very close. This picture was taken of Tibor and Kathrina at a family Christmas celebration in 2005.

My family has been very upset for the past few days. My brother, Tibor, was hospitalized with lung problems and after extensive examinations the doctors found all kinds of other problems. A few years ago the doctors removed part of his right lung and he fully recovered from that. Now the same lung developed a problem with water. First they drained his right lung, then through doing a series of scans and other tests they discovered that he has cancer in his liver. He has already began to have therapy. He did not want to stay in the hospital, so as I write this, he is being transferred back to his home, where he lives with his daughter (Dorothy) and her family.

I know that my crochet friends are praying for his recovery and it seems to work. He has become his old "ornery" self and it is the best thing he can do. He will pick a "fight" over nothing and if he finds someone to "argue" with him his spirit is soaring! He has been a difficult brother to love, but in view of everything, I really love him.

The family and I made plans that I will spend Wednesdays with him so that will relieve the pressure for them. He has lots of friends who are also "signing up" for different days to keep him company and amused. I do hope things will work out for the best for him and everyone else.

The best part of this situation is that my nephew, Michael, is coming from Florida for a visit this weekend and will spend lots of time with him. Also, my daughter, Erika, is also flying up for the weekend to visit the family and just "hang out" with Tibor for a few hours. This picture was taken of Michael, Erika and Dorothy (at the back) at the family re-union in November, 2005, celebrating the birthdays of all 3 of them!

All these visits from the kids will be a great surprise for him. He knows that Michael is coming, but has no idea that Erika is on her way too - just to be with him! I hope being with the kids will boost his spirits and help in his recovery.

I would like to say a special "thank you" to all of you who are praying for Tibor, because I truly believe and have absolute proof that prayer works.

Lots of hugs to all,
Until Next Time,
Nanabear.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHRINA!

February 5th is my Baby's Birthday!

Kathrina has been around a few years and for peace between us, I'll not give you the years. If you ask her she will probably tell you.

Her Dad and I took her out for a special dinner and presented her with roses, which she really liked. She loves kittens, and has shortened her name to "Kat" because of that. So, what better gift than: a pretty little calendar with lots of kitty pictures.....

She was born at 4:20 p.m. and after she moved out of our home, if she was not with us, I always get a telephone call from her at precisely 4:20 p.m. with the words: "Hi, I'm HERE!!! Thanks!"

I usually reply to that: yes, I know, I remember it very well, and "you are welcome". Then we giggle a little and go on our ways. But it takes me a few minutes to get back to what I was doing because I start to remember all the things she did, the way she looked, when she was just so small....

Remembering is sometimes very good for the soul. It puts some perspective on where you have been, what you have done and where you are now. So, after wiping the tears off my face, I go about my business, but with a slower pace.

It is always a joy and a surprise to hear from her at that particular time. None of my other 2 daughters remember to do this and I hope she will never forget to call ME on HER birthday!

Happy Birthday, Baby, I'll always love you.

Until Next Time,

Hugs,

Mom / Nanabear

Doing without...

When you are in a situation where you have no control - your life becomes a mess! For the past 3 days I have been calling, arguing, yelling and making a few people totally miserable - at my ISP's offices.

For whatever reason, my connection to the internet slowed down to - nothing! I tried to look at my e-mail and the page loaded slowly: saw part of it in 15 minutes!. So the first call went in and I talked with the person for about 45 minutes and did all she said I should do. Nothing happened. So I told her to help me upgrade the speed on my connection and maybe that would work. We did that and nothing new - slow as ever. She left a note on my file and said others would look at it. According to her, my neighbour's line was just fine. GRRRRRR. So I shut it off and went to crochet.

I even tried to log on in the middle of the night but it was the same. For some reason, yesterday, I was able to read some of the e-mail (170+) and delete most of it. I could not download it to my inbox - it was too slow.

So, today, I called again. I was ready to change ISP. With the help of another -techie- we went through all kinds of stuff - still no change. I spent about 1 and a half hours on the telephone with no results. I was sooooo upset. We made arrangements for a service man to come on Sunday to fix the problem. So I just turned everything off and went to cook. Cooking seems to relax me a little and being busy was the only thing that helped.

So, after I was done, turned the computer on again. Nothing. Then I got angry and pulled out all the wires from the tower, the router, the modem and changed the connections all over again. Turned the computer off and left the room and went to watch some TV.

At 4:30 p.m. I turned it back on because I had some work to do (without the internet) and just for the heck of it, I clicked on the Explorer.

WOW!!! - Everything just showed up very quickly and I was back online. Went to see my e-mail - and things just went from good to excellent! It took me no time at all to do my e-mails, look at all the links and get my e-mails to my inbox. I was so pleased. Relaxed. And very, very happy that I was on line again!!!

I just had to share this with you, because there is nothing worse (besides being very sick) than having to "do without" my internet connection.......

Until Next Time,
Hugs,
Nanabear

2006 CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

The past few days have been busy with family telephone calls, e-mails, cooking, shopping and trying to rest in between. Having spent Christmas Eve with our friend Ilona, then returning her back to the Retirement Home, Michael and I spent a very quiet evening enjoying Christmas Carols and Holiday-type movies.

Christmas day was spent with our daughter, Kathrina doing all the "christmasy stuff" that happens on this special day. Cooking too much food, eating more than you can hold and tearing wrapping off presents in a hurry to see what Santa brought you! After I took her home I took some pictures of her decorations for the Holidays.

Now that the BIG DAY has come and gone, I'm trying to adjust to relaxing and doing what I like to do best: crochet and play with my computer. Lots of other things I should be doing - but I "need" this time to unwind and relax and just "do nothing" for the day.

Receiving presents from friends are more precious than the ones family gives each other. Picking gifts for some people is not easy, but friends always know what you like and they take time in choosing just the right one. I collect teddy bears of all shapes and sizes. So this year - I got a wonderful "bride" bear that also sings: "Going to the Chapel of Love..." - what a sweet gift from a wonderful friend. Her daughter is just as sweet, she presented me with a "valentine" bear holding a small heart-shaped ring box. Thank you both for being my friend.

I have a lot more pictures to share with you, but you will have to visit my 2006 Christmas Album to see them.

I hope that each and every one of you had the opportunity to spend these special days with loved ones, if not in person, then in memory. It is sometimes difficult to see that some members of one's family are no longer with us, but then you see the faces of new babies coming into your family and there is time to rejoice and celebrate new life.

Until Next Time,

Hugs,

Nanabear.