Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
"Mirror Mirror, on the wall"

Monday, August 29, 2011

"Yet to be named Grandma" chooses Anyu!


Alexis, My Anyu and Me!


Choosing the name that your grandchildren will call you is not easy and I really struggled with it for a long time. My children had 2 Nanas, but in my eyes, Great Grandma “Nana Fran” owned that moniker and I yearned for one which would be unique and distinctive.   I tried on lots of different names for size, Grandma, Cookie, Cee Cee, Mema, Bubbie, and none of them felt right.  Lewis thought that “*&@#&*” would be perfect since this is a term of endearment in our household, but I refused.  I loved the idea of being a Bubbie because I knew I didn’t fit the stereotypical image of  the old and withered, white haired Bubbie, but I never had a bubbie so it just didn’t feel authentic.   I thought that my name could be organic; something that would evolve so the kids began to refer to me as “yet to be named grandma”.  

Finally, when Olivia was about three months old, they had held an intervention with me.  “Its time” they told me.  “You have to decide”.  

All of my cousins and I called my grandmother Anyu.  Anyu means mother in Hungarian.  Could I be an “Anyu”?  I don’t speak a word of Hungarian so I didn’t know if I was worthy of the name.   Anyu?....... Anyu. ….. Anyu! …… Yes, Anyu! 

I adored my Anyu.  She was very short and very round with crystal blue eyes and an infectious giggle.  When I summon up her image in my minds eye, she is always laughing.  I was her first grandchild and she really loved me the best, but don’t tell that to her seven other grandchildren who probably all thought they were her favorite.  It was our secret.  Whenever I ran away from home, I would run to Anyu’s house and whether I was right or wrong, she always took me in and loved me. She always proudly referred to herself as “a very modern grandmother” and whenever I needed an advocate with my parents, she took up my cause.

Yes, Anyu.  I know that my Anyu would love this tribute.  It is authentic and meaningful and would be the link between my grandmother and this next generation.   I will wear the name with love and pride.   Olivia, Anyu loves you!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

If you aren’t angry; You aren’t paying attention!


I saw this bumper sticker and thought that “I for one", am very angry. 

When my girls were little and they couldn’t get along, I would threaten them that I was going to lock them in a room together until one of them came out dead, or they worked out their issues.

Many of us who have jobs to do, have had to cancel vacations or delay trips when problems arise or if work hasn’t been completed. Perhaps the Democrats and the Republicans would find a compromise and work out the biggest pervasive problem we have in this country today if they couldn’t leave until they finished their job.  I seems to me that the parties care more about the “win” than they do about what is best for the American people.

So here we are at a time of great crisis, and after passing a tiny piece of legislation concerning the debt ceiling, setting the real work aside for the future, congress packs their bags and goes on vacation.  Really?  Where are they when our triple A rating was downgraded?  Where are they while the market is plummeting?  

I have often fantasized about putting this stubborn, bi-partisan and adolescent congress in a room and telling them that they can’t come out until they get it done!