My Mom: Genevieve Golembiewski
By Bathgate
23 Aug, 2020
4 likes
A wedding photo taken in the late 1950's. She's just a great mom (except when she invited my teachers over for Sunday dinner - I was mortified! My teachers were Nuns from the local Parish. They would come to my house in full habit garments and we had to have church in my house before dinner. That definitely was not fun. The Nuns had a lot of liberties back then which were decreed by the Church (or by God we were told) That would never fly today, but we were taught well. Some call my mom a combination of June Cleaver and Joan Crawford. I plead the 5th. What happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas! We still get together at least once a week. She fell and broke her arm in January but I stayed with her the whole time. I just took her to have her cast cut off and it's like it never happened - a full recovery. She's still a great mom. :)
Comments on this photo
Thanks Sheila and thanks for reading. Hope all is well with you Sheila. Anymore travel plans?
23 Aug, 2020
Lovely pic, Paul! I also enjoyed the history behind it. Nuns! Gosh, it takes me back to secondary school. Saying that Sister Bernadette was a lovely one off. Taught me French and Italian. Loved her ciggies and a tipple. 😀
23 Aug, 2020
That's a sweet photo, B'gate. It's a special thing that you are close. And it's a role of parents to mortify their children at least once while they are growing up - a rite of passage!
23 Aug, 2020
Thanks Paul - I wish! Should have been having a holiday in Oz with the grandkids in September, but now all I can do is read them stories on Zoom 🙂.
23 Aug, 2020
Thanks Anget. That's very comforting to know. Looking back now, I realize it was a special time - helped me to grow as a person.
Thanks Kate I lost tract of how many times Sister Catherine would grab my ear and twist to get my attention. Made me a good listener - that's half the battle won right there- listening! Now that my ears aren't red anymore.
A holiday in Oz Sheila? What's that?
23 Aug, 2020
Sheila - this virus thing will pass soon. I hate wearing that mask but have no choice. I wear it as a social gesture and I'm required to by law. The mask can't actually stop a virus. The virus is so tiny, it can go right through the mask. It makes breathing awkward.
A phone call, a card in the mail, an email, zoom all help somewhat to stay connected with others. I spoke to my Aunt Rita today on the phone. She's got a farm in Tennessee, near Nashville. Just talking and sharing and 'catching up' was so uplifting. She's raising Cashmere Goats. I know it's different, but she enjoys farm life and makes a nice return on the Cashmere - it's used to make high end clothing sold at Saks 5th Avenue & Bergdorf Goodman - places I can't afford to shop, lol, mostly women's clothing. A cashmere sweater can go for $500.00 if it's well made. So she makes a nice return on the raw cashmere.
I don't think I'd want to go on video chat because I'm sweating like a dog with this crazy heat we have in NY. I still use my telephone. When this virus thing passes, maybe I'll head down to Tennessee and sample farm life for a week or two. It could be a nice retreat for me - to fetch my own eggs from the chicken coop. Rita thinks I'm going to milk her cows & goats. Ha! I'm not going anywhere near that part of the animals. I'll do anything else. lol. That phone call meant a lot to us both. OK Sheila stay well and safe. I'm looking forward to the cool autumn weather.
24 Aug, 2020
A lovely Mum Paul . she's lucky to have you taking care of her , and some more good memorises ..
My husbands late sister use to breed goats and show them at county shows not cashmere though , gosh did the old billy goats smell something awful ... :o(
24 Aug, 2020
Apologies Paul, just using the slang we use in England ... Oz for Australia - where the grandkids live. We Skype or Zoom to see and talk to them (haven't seen the family since last July!).
24 Aug, 2020
Darn Sheila! I started looking for the Yellow Brick Road. I've got to see the Wizard. lol! I know next to nothing about Australia. Thanks to you at least now I know something. I did live in Auckland, New Zealand for 1 glorious month.
24 Aug, 2020
Wow - great to hear you’ve been to NZ! Did you manage to explore the islands? I once drove round the South Island on my own ... it was a wonderful experience 🙂.
24 Aug, 2020
I was on the North Island - Auckland. I was there for work and didn't have much time to explore, but I enjoyed the people and the culture. This was right after that horrible earthquake in Christ Church.
Glad you enjoyed it Hywel - thank you
25 Aug, 2020
... and when we were last in Chistchurch, there were still sad signs of that huge earthquake. The residents can’t make up their minds whether to restore the badly damaged cathedral or re-build. 😟
26 Aug, 2020
If they have to ask the question, then rebuild they must.
27 Aug, 2020
You’re probably right Paul. It’s obviously tricky when dozens of residents can’t agree ...
27 Aug, 2020
I can see why some would want to save some of the buildings, the architecture is quite beautiful.
28 Aug, 2020
Sadly, not any more . . .
28 Aug, 2020
Great story Paul.
23 Aug, 2020