Category - Stories

My father-in-law loved the “New Country”, as he often referred to America.  John and his future wife were taken by the Germans from his homeland of Ukraine during WWII to labor on a working farm that supplied the German army.  When the war ended, he married Katherine and then faced a choice that would define the rest of their lives.  Katherine, preferred to go back to the Old Country.  John was insistent that he did not want to return.  From that point, they struggled with either Australia or the USA.  The small city of Amsterdam, NY held some good advantages.  The carpet mills and clothing factories provided jobs.  Some of their friends and acquaintances from Germany...

Neighborhoods really are very unique.  We have lived in a few over the years and can attest to that fact.  When we first arrived in California, we moved to an apartment complex in a small town adjacent to the the Base where I was stationed.  Actually, the western gate on Rosamond Boulevard was almost visible from the parking lot in front of the apartments.  Some of our time spent in this location, you can read about elsewhere on the Blog under the title “Arachnophobia“, if you’ve trouble sleeping.  I’ve been told that my stories are better than Sominex. We had arrived in mid-October and proceeded to set up housekeeping in the tiny, furnished apartment.  We...

The planning for the Zelasko Family Christmas begins in July.  A Saturday in early December is selected.  Flights are scheduled, travel arrangements are made and we’ll all hope the weather cooperates.  Our daughter-in-law, Cindy, skillfully prepares hand-crafted invitations that the postman will deliver, soon after Halloween.  The excitement and reality set in right after Thanksgiving, when we begin to pull it all together. The tradition began for us on the first Christmas after returning home from our time in the Service.  Olga’s parents and other siblings had been gathering but the grandchildren were coming along fast and the group was growing.  The first floor of the...

If you have ever been to our house, you have been fed. My wife is a great cook. I’ve found we make a great team, especially when it comes to cooking. I’m not suggesting that I’m much of a cook’s assistant, but I do like to eat. Her Eastern European decent comes into play when company arrives, even if unannounced. It somehow would be impolite not to put on a full spread, complete with plenty of appetizers for twenty people, even if it’s only for a family of four. After everybody leaves, she often remarks, “What was I thinking? I made enough for the Ukrainian Army.” That’s a vague reference to large amounts of kielbasa and sauerkraut. For whatever reason, there usually seems...

There is something deep in the psyche of Americans and their love for camping and outdoor living. It all began in the 1840’s and 1850’s with many of the families trying to get out of the cities. The industrial revolution and the subsequent population growth were causing noise, air pollution and slums. Sanitation problems and declining health among the city-dwellers were fast becoming large scale issues. In less than half a decade, a new building boom would begin. The suburbs would be on the horizon. In spite of what you might be thinking, that’s a little before my time. When I arrived on the scene, suburbia was in full swing. Soon after WWII, the returning GIs needed jobs and...

It is on a lot of Christians’ collective minds today about what God might be doing during all of this. We might be questioning His purposes for the world, or specifically for Christians. We can speculate with a lot of things. Maybe it’s about our churches and so many who neglect attending services and fellowship (Hebrews 10:25). Some have suggested His wrath on the world for ignoring Him. It could be any number of reasons. Better for us to ask, “What does the Bible say?” This we do know because God says it: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. For His...