Christmas in Bridgewater, NJ in 1987

My parents' house contains lots of treasures and photos related to our family's history. Each time I visit, I try to find some more and add it to the blog. 

Most recently, I found a little pink photo album that contains photos from Christmas at my grandparents' house in 1987. My sister was 2 and I was about 11 or 12. It seems like ages ago.  It's interesting to see my grandparents' house again.

The photos are of my grandfather, Jules, on the loveseat rocking chair in front of the large book case. The book case had tons of interesting stuff inside of it and also some funny ceramic sculptures on it. There were jokes about the ceramic 

piece that my dad made with his Aunt. If you look carefully, you can see it, but I won't point it out. My grandpa was pretty sick at the time when this picture was taken. He passed away in 1989.

My grandma Elsie is perched on one of the kitchen chairs in front of the

 big television. Behind her you can see a religious painting, which I never noticed was religious until now. It was just always there and I never really looked at it before. The doors behind her lead to the giant dining room, where we shared many holiday meals and sunday dinners. 

She liked to wear red and is clad in one of her favorite festive christmas outfits. She is smiling a smile that I remember well. I think she thinks it's funny that I am taking her picture with my toy camera -- she probably wonders if there will even be a real photo or if there is film in it. 

After the portraits of my grandparents, there is a photo of the christmas tree. I loved to look at my grandma's tree because it had really old tin ornaments and other interesting decorations made by various generations of her nieces, nephews and grandchildren. She told us how they used to light their trees with real candles! 

The focal point of the tree was the nativity scene below. It is very famous because her sister, my Aunt Emma, made it herself. It is really really lovely and each year the youngest child would get to put the baby Jesus in the cradle on Christmas. I did it for many years and then passed along the duty to my little sister.

Dinners at my grandparents' house

On Sundays and for the big holidays, we went to my grandparents' house in Bridgewater, NJ.  On Sundays, we would have roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes and string beans with a salad. Sometimes, my grandmother added orange jello with madarin oranges. There would always be a good dessert. 

For holidays, we usually tried to follow the Slovak traditions or at least nod to them. Easter included various Slovak foods. Christmas was a bit more American. I always enjoyed the big meals at the long table at my grandparents' house.  I loved being with my extended family and being in a full house full of relatives. There's a warmth about it that I still feel when I am home for the holidays despite the fact that our family is getting smaller.

Here's a photo of one of the last dinners at my grandparents' house in Bridgewater:

The Andrews' House in Bridgewater, NJ

I have so many memories of my grandparents' house in Bridgewater, NJ.  Though my grandmother left it a decade ago, I can still remember where every piece of furniture was. I walk through the hallways in my dreams from time to time. The kitchen was the heart of the house remains the most vivid for me. I spent countless Sunday nights there, eating roast beef, green beans and mashed potatoes. Usually there would be chocolate eclairs and napoleons for dessert. 

The house is a ranch style, which means everything is on one floor. It had all the basic stuff -- kitchen, dining room, three bedrooms and one bathroom. It was the attic and the basement that both intrigued and scared me. I loved it when grandma would take me to the basement and let me ride my big wheel bicycle around in cycles while she hummed and cheered me on. Life was pretty simple then. 

The house itself was fun, but the outside was even better. The house was surrounded by what we cleverly called "The Woods." As a kid, I loved the woods and would do everything in my power to get my parents or grandparents to walk there. My grandmother would sometimes ask me if I wanted to walk up the mountain and I would always eagerly agree.

A few walks in the woods stand out in my memories. One fall, my grandma decided that we would make decorations out of leaves pressed between wax paper. We collected all different colored leaves outside. Then we arranged them on wax paper and ironed them in the basement. 

The more exciting walks in the woods were with my father or my cousins. They knew were all the cool stuff was. One of them took me to see an old tree house built years ago. It looked like it was an excellent place at one time -- it even had wall-to-wall carpeting in some garish red or orange. I longed to climb up there and walk around in the little house, but the floor was sinking. Even though I yearned to go inside, even I knew that it was impossible. 

Another time, my father and my uncle took me to the waterfall. He didn't tell me where we were going. It was a long walk up a steep hill on a rocky path. I remember being small and tired, but I really wanted to see what he wanted to show me. I remember being amazed that this waterfall wasn't too far from grandma's house. We walked back to the house as the sun was setting and I listened to my dad and my uncle trading stories about work and taking care of the house. 

PICTURED: My family in front of my grandparents' house around 1979. (Back Row: Aunt Kathryn, my mom, me, genevieve, grandma elsie; Front row: Uncle Jim, my dad, Mark, Grandpa Jules.

Introducing Katka's Parents

Katka sent me a couple of photos recently. It was so fun to see more pictures of the rest of our family in Budimir. The last post contains some of them. 

In this post, I'd like to introduce Katka's parents (above). Some of you have already met them. Just in case you forgot, her mom was a Biacovsky just like my grandma was. They are pictured in front of what looks like a castle or the ruins of one. 

Katka's dad and her sister published a book about the history of Budimir. Patty and Dave have it and are trying to translate it into English. I look forward to seeing the book!

More Biacovsky Descendents

I am learning more and more about our family in Budimir through Katka. She is really fun to correspond with. It's really fun to learn more about life in Slovakia and about the family. It's really amazing to think that my great-grandfather grew up in the same place where she is living now. 

There is so much history in her town. It's fascinating to see it now, especially after hearing all the stories my grandmother told me about it.Katka sent us some pictures of her grandmother Alzbeta and her grandmother's sister and brother. They are all descendents of the Biacovsky family. Her siblings are Katherine and Andrew.

Of course, my grandmother never saw it, but she learned about it through my great-grandfather's stories of his youth. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for him to leave Budimir and head for the U.S. not really knowing what it would be like or what was going to happen to him. I believe he started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where my grandma was born and then moved to New Jersey when my grandmother was little. They lived in two different houses there, but only briefly in the first house.

There was a little rock in front of the first house where they lived in New Jersey and it apparently marked a place where George Washington passed. As a little girl, my grandmother would show "Here's where Washington passed!" to the few cars that passed by at that time.  It's hard for me to imagine her as a little girl, but stories like that one help to paint a picture of her as a child.

The only connection I had until we were introduced to Katka and her family were the food my grandmother made at the holidays and for special occasions and a couple of stories of when her father went back to Slovakia to visit the family. My

grandmother talked of some very tall cousins, which is apparently why my dad is so tall. She also spoke of us being related to the "Town Crier." 

She told me that my great-grandfather was a very good gardener. I learned later that he took care of the gardens of a castle or some large building. At his house in NJ, he proudly tended to his gorgeous garden. He loved plants and trees.

Each bit of information that we find out brings me closer to better understanding where my family comes from. 

Ahoj Budimir!

Katka sent me a whole bunch of information via regular mail about our family in Budimir. When I got the letter, I was so excited! She promised to teach me a few Slovak phrases and send me some pictures. Written in excellent English, Katka filled me in on the lives of our relatives there.  It was so cool! 

I didn't completely understand our relationship to them so Patty explained it to me: "We are related to them by the grandmother Alzbeta who was [my great-] Grandpa Biacovsky's  brother,George's, daughter. So she was actually [my great-] Grandpa's niece and he probably saw her as a child. That is the main connection, but she also has two other living siblings as well. They also live in Budmir." 

Patty also told me about a book that Katka's father and sister wrote. It is all about the rich history of Budimir. Patty and Dave are trying to translate it from Slovak to English. It must be fascinating. Budimir is located near Kosice, one of the largest cities in Slovakia. I hope to see both places one day.

Dakujem, Katka!!

A Christmas Past

As a child, Christmas Eve was by far my favorite holiday. We spent it at my father's parents' house in NJ and spent Christmas Day at my parents' house with my grandparents.

Christmas Eve was always magical. It started at around 3 or 4 PM when we would arrive at my grandmparents' house with a trunk full of presents. We would walk in and Grandpa Jules would be getting the egg nog ready while my Aunt Kathryn and Grandma Elsie were busily preparing the food in the kitchen. With a flurry of Slovak, my grandma would give instructions to my grandpa. We'd some snacks before dinner - veggies and cheese and crackers and other tasty bits. 

Then, we would have a huge meal around a long table. There would be tons of food and conversation. I would be on the edge of my seat waiting for the adults to finish. Dinner seemed to take forever. Then, dessert and coffee. We usually ate the famous cake from Gaston Avenue bakery - hazelnut cake with hazelnut cream in between the layers and

 thin slices of dark chocolate all around the edges. It was heavenly.

Finally, we would head to the living room to open the gifts. Everyone had their own corner of the large living room. After my g

randfather passed away, I adopted his chair -- a dark brown recliner perfectly angled toward the television -- and my presents were all delivered to that spot. After the presents were opened, we would all head home.

We left the house through the basement and the garage saying our good byes. I rem

ember thinking of what Santa was goi

ng to bring me as I waited by the door to the garage, where my grandma hung some pictures that I made for her. 

On clear nights, the moon would fill the window of the backseat of the car and it felt like it was following us home. The ride was short -- only about 20 or 30 minutes -- but I would usually fall asleep.

While I was in college, my grandmother moved into my parents' house and sold her house as it was getting to be too much to take care of. From then on, either my parents or the Asheys host Christmas Eve.  It's still a fun event for everyone.

PICTURED: Grandma Elsie and Aunt Kathryn at my parents' house for Christmas 2002.