Facebook Rocks!

2011-04-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

The world of the internet is a truly fascinating one. Which is nothing new to most of you reading this. But I must tell you a story of this grandmother's latest adventures in the cyber-world:

I am a second-generation American. My grandfather immigrated from Germany in the late 1800s. He left behind a large family of brothers, sisters and cousins and came to join the American German community that I was eventually born into.

During World War 2 my family sent weekly packages to those German relatives who were being rationed the essentials of life. The packages contained such items as coffee, sugar, canned fruit/vegetables, stockings, hats, gloves, even smoked sausages from the local meat market. Even though I was very young, I remember explicitly the exact way the packages were to be wrapped: in plain brown paper, tied up with string, a knot at every corner, the address printed in indelible ink in the same space every time. This process went on for many years after the war.

In return we received German chocolates and toys on very special occasions such as Christmas. My sister and I were required to hand-write thank you notes for these very special gifts, and we learned, by Mother standing over us, who each relative was and how to write a thank you note in our very best German.

The years went by quickly, and although we had stopped sending food packages, we still sent gifts at Christmas, and received wonderful things in return. When I graduated from college and was married, my new husband and I borrowed money and traveled to Europe for several weeks. One of our priorities was to visit my numerous German relatives. We did, and were greeted like long-lost relatives and treated like royalty in each of their homes.

Thirteen years later, after my father and his sister had both passed away, we took my mother on the same trip, so she could at last finally meet the people she had so lovingly cared for during the war. It was such an honor to accompany her there, and even though they were her in-laws they welcomed her like the family she was, and we were treated to no end of special dinners and events in our honor.

Now, I have children and grandchildren of my own, and I am working on my family tree. The communication with the German relatives stopped with the passing of my mother many years ago. I never received the family tree from my father's side of the family, which jumps to Germany just two generations back. And everyone in the older generations has passed on, so the addresses I had are no longer current, and there was no one to help me link across the ocean. Was that the end?

Well, enter Facebook.

One day I searched by my maiden name, which is a very unusual, uncommon name. I found a young man in Germany with that last name. And, of all things, he resembled my father. I knew he had to be related. In my very best German (not a thank you note, so I was pretty lost) I wrote the note and asked if he might be related to the people of my father's generation. And clicked Send.

You've guessed the rest by now, dear Reader, I'm sure. He did in fact write back, and he is in fact, the grandson of my Dad's cousin, and could he send me his parent's email address? As you might imagine, this was quite exciting for me. I knew I had to respond.

Jan translating

My German being very rusty after all these years, I was wondering how to write an intelligent letter that would send the greetings and ask the questions in a way he could understand. I whined about this to my Facebook friends, several of whom grew up in the same community I did and know German about as well as I do, who offered assistance. But as luck would have it, a local friend was expecting a German guest within days. So, I wrote the note in English, took my friends to lunch, and asked Jan to translate. Which he was delighted to do.

I've sent the German note, and received a reply....with the email address and the information that Opa ( my dad's cousin) is healthy and feisty at 98, and there is a 5-page family tree that they will share with me. And I have a new Facebook friend!

I remember when I was a preschooler and my aunt was telling me the story of the relatives my Opa left behind, and of the ocean that separated us. My response was "Kennen wir nicht ein Brett darueber legen?" (can't we lay a board across?)

I think I've found that board. Bridging the ocean, shrinking the world, allowing me to regain contact with family, is the internet. Needless to say, I will stay in touch, and even if I never get to Germany again, I'll preserve the information for my kids, and grandsons.

Mom and Chicken Soup

2011-03-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Numerous years ago my nephew was in town working a convention. He'd lost his mother, my sister, to cancer, way too early. His time here was short and he was consumed with his job, so we were only able to have a brief minute together. Suddenly the winds began to howl here in Colorado as a cold front moved in, and he was from the warm east coast without so much as a jacket. He was shivering. After our short meeting I ran over to the nearest department store and bought a couple of sweaters that he could wear while he was here and on to the next convention location. I left them in a bag for him at the front desk of his hotel with a note that I signed "From your Other Mother".

Recently one of my Twitter buddies complained of too much travel, too little sleep, and a cold coming on. "You must eat some chicken soup!" I said as I replied "from your Other Mother." Then it occurred to me I didn't even know this person, if he would care to follow my advice, or if he even knew how to make a good chicken soup.

There are many very busy people out there just like these. They have too little time, or are too distracted and overwhelmed, or spend too much time on Twitter or Facebook to care about themselves or the others they love.

They need a virtual kick in the pants, or a hug, or an idea that will get them through the next battle. I hope they, and you, will let me help a little -- with snippets of ideas for living that you might not have thought of before. I've raised two children to successful adulthood and am now blessed with five grandsons that you might hear about from time to time. But mostly I'll call on my many years of experience as a mom for all kinds of solutions to life's little (and big) dilemmas.

I'm starting with the magical elixir for all things virus-related.

MOM'S CHICKEN SOUP

One whole chicken
Water
1 tbsp salt
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup rice
1 tsp herbs de provence
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. seasoned salt

Clean out the chicken and rinse under cold running water. Cut off any fatty areas. Place it in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (This will allow you to work on your computer for a while). Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Add the other ingredients to the pot along with 2-4 cups additional water, depending on how much soup you want to make. Bring to a simmer.

Remove all the meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and fat. Cut meat into bite-size pieces, and return it to the pot. Simmer an additional 30 min. until veggies and rice are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Serve immediately or keep warm until lunch or dinner. This soup keeps and reheats well and should help you through any cold.

May it warm your insides and your heart.

YourOtherMother

Facebook Rocks!

Mom and Chicken Soup