MAY 2021

 

Yes I am technically late for the first day of May but as you know, it is a busy month for us. We celebrated 37 years of marriage on the 3rd. On the 6th of May I honored my late brother-in-law Gary who would have had a birthday but celebrated it in heaven again. The 8th was Uncle Louie's birthday. He was such a gem. A good BoJon man and a Colorado history bluff like no other I have ever known. He was my mom's only brother to survive into old age having lost their younger brother Tony at age 17 in the gold mine cave in in Victor, Colorado February 1927 when my mom was just 13 and Uncle Louie was 18. He had come up for a break and heard their cried for help. He talked about his dad and brother Tony often during his own lifetime. My mother shared many wonderful memories of her dad and brother.  My grandfather had been raised with three sisters so he was well versed in how to treat a lady. My mother loved to tell me how he would turn on the radio on Saturday evenings and the girls, her older sister Mary, herself (Cecilia), Ann and Elsie would dance with him as well as their baby sister Josie. I loved hearing that memory from my mom.

This image is a google image and may be subject to copyright . I respect their right to copyright and only share this image and not as my own.  Someone recently asked, was there another name your parents might have given you and why? I suppose I was the luckier one of the two of us but my sister Mary, five years older than me, told me mom almost named her Agnes for her baby sister who passed away and I was nearly named for Frances mom's other sister who also passed away as a young child. We were grateful we were named for her older sister (Mary) and her younger sister (Ann) . My father had an older sibling, Mary and a younger one, Ann too. We were double named for each of their siblings.  They are  buried in the old Roselawn cemeterey and I don't know if there are any records exisiting anymore but their baby sister Rose is buried near my aunt Ann Petgovsek in her phamily's plot at Rselawn. My father purchased the headstone for baby Rose. Oh the stories I can tell and retell here. I am so very proud of my heritage as a sLOVEnian also known as a  BoJon. Rose is also the first name of my Tata Rose who passed away May 12, 1985 just one month  and one week after my father.

 

Baby Rose was born 6 November 1918 - 13 November 1918. The multiple losses my loved ones endured is beyond my comprehension. My father had a brother who was born in 1906 (Joseph) and passed away in 1909. His younger sibling Frank was born on 3 July 1915 and passed away in 1918. He passed away during the Flu Pandemic. Two parents and four children all survived. Three more girls were born after that including auntie Steffie who was born on the eve of the 1921 Pueblo Flood.  Our youngest daughter Hannah is born in 3 July as well. A quick side note. If you are not buried in the Italian section of the Roselawn cemeterey in Pueblo or sit on the board, the  rest of the graves are not kept up and graves are robbed of their floral displays their loved ones leave there. I think it is quite sad that you have to be in a certain "class" to receive any respect for your deceased loved ones. Pueblo had had a long history of the same people running the show for decades. It is absolutely demeaning to the hard working citizens who still reside there. Why these people are not removed from the offices they hold is stunning to me.  I belong to a social group of Pueblo born and raised citizens  and many of them  think exactly the way I do.  How sad, but my dad would always tell me, do not trouble yourself with the affairs of others. God sees all and He is watching every single move all these people as well as yourself make.  My father attended school through the 4th grade yet he was and always will be, the most intelligent man I ever knew.  He was bright and his handwriting was impeccable. What he did not understand he researched. I adored my father and I know he adored me too.  

Hannah is so crafty. She made this shadow box for Mother's Day for me. It represents the colors of our 1984 May 3 wedding. She also created this sign for me:

Words my mother said to me each and every time we spoke on the phone or in person. My mom had her own set of of "Momisms":

With a friend like her, you'll never need an enemy.

Always have your own car keys and cash. Don't let anyone think they can pay your way. 

Who told you life was easy? They lied to you. Life is hard, pray harder. If it gets harder, pray harder more!

Love God and be kind.

Never speak ill of the dead!

Wait til your father gets home!

Beautiful words for my mother who spent her 19th Mother's Day in the presence of God Himself. My mom was a corker. She was a wonderful sLOVEnian lady. She loved dancing her entire life and she taught me to always have strong role models. One of her favorite role models was Babe Didrikson Zaharias, an incredible female athlete who passed away too young. My mother loved everything about Babe! My mom had a cousin was a county judge in Teller County Colorado (Victor, Colorado). The Honorable Margaret Tekavee. She had a friend who was a pediatrician, during a time, when the worth of women was still not completely noted. She shared so many wonderful stories about her friend the doctor with me. She also had a dear sweet friend Minka. She came from the old country Yugoslavia, now known as sLOVEnia.  Minka was married to George the Mailman's brother Emil and she owned a little bakery on Northern Avenue next to Johnny Smith's Barber Shop and Veteran's Tavern, a neighborhood bar owned by another BoJon phamily the Zupancic. minka baked the most beautiful and tasty cakes. Being a December baby, my mom knew I disliked all the red and green and holiday cakes so one year Minka baked me an Easter bonnet cake. It was so beautiful and when I close my eyes I can see that lovely pastel colored cake in my memories.  She passed away quite young from cancer and my mom lost another wonderful and kind friend. The memories of her will be forever inside my heart. 

This is a google image Easter Bonnet cake. Minka's cake was white like wedding cake with that faint almond flavor and decorated in shades of pastel pink and lavender. I wish I had a photo of that beautiful cake. Many years later, when I worked for Mary Shomer in the Pueblo County Treasurer's office my co worker, Olga Butkovich, she married a swell BoJon fella.  She had Schuster's bakery on the Mesa Junction bake a beautiful two layer white cake with lemon filling and decorated with one of my favorite Springtime flowers, pansies. Those little yellow and purple pansies looked so realistic.  Oh the memories I have of birthday cakes from past years. I have a pinterest page called Phamily Cakes because we have so many wonderful cakes throughout the years. 

I will end with some humor. I will send it over to Sandee's for Aw...Mondays. Have a wonderful week and a beautiful evening. May goodness and kindness follow you everywhere you go. 

You know I am terribly ornery so I know this might offend those women's libbers. But my mom had her very own Prince Charming and I have mine. Love is...has followed my marriage since 1984 and the year before our marriage. I think Kim Casselli was a good luck charm too.