Slovak Camaradarie

While gallivanting through Slovakia in May, Marty and I stopped in the town of Zavar where we found my gr.grandfather's grave.  Once I returned home, I began searching for more information pertaining to my heritage.  I contacted a couple of people on facebook who looked like possible connections.  The one young man was definitely related and I was able to determine that his grandfather and my father are first cousins.  My other query led to a Mrena family living in Finland.  They had, indeed, emigrated from Slovakia, and this man's sister, Marcela,  was living only about an hour from my home.

My information was passed onto Marcela, and within no time I was speaking with this extremely entertaining woman, who is convinced that we are related.  It is certainly hard to resist her enthusiasm, particularly when she is excitedly speaking to me in her thick Slovak accent.  I promised her that we would get together, and tonight was the opportunity that she was waiting for.

We drove to her home where we were greeted with hugs and welcomed as if we were best friends.  Amy was along for this adventure, and believe me, she'd have quite a story to share with you regarding our visit. We heard family stories that had us howling.  Marcela's husband, Villo,  is from Denmark with Canadian citizenship.  The emigrated during the Communist regime, and although they were permitted to return to the country for visits, they were under extreme scrutiny by the Czechoslovakian authorities.  When Marcela's mother died, and she wanted to return to Slovakia, the authorities would not issue Villo a Visa for entrance into the country because his passport showed a photo with him sporting a beard that he had shaved off.  So, Marcela and Villo came up with the idea of using Marcela's hair to fashion a beard on Villo's face.  As she told the story, she mentioned that she was not sure what they should use to secure the hair.  They had considered superglue, but decided against it.  Then, honey came up as an option, but she thought that would be way too sticky.  They decided to use regular school glue to adhere the hair to his face.  She showed us a photo, and I must admit, it sure looked convincing to me!  Apparently the authorities thought as well, because they issued the visa to Villo, and while he was in the country, he was able to grow a real beard to satisfy them when it was time for them to leave.
It was heartwarming to hear these two people laugh about an incident that must have been quite traumatic for them at the time, since Marcela had been very close to her mother and had missed the opportunity to be with her when she died, due to the rules that the authorities had established.

Another entertaining moment was when we were issued into the dining room for dinner, and Marcela proceeded to crawl under the dining room table while we watched in wonder.  She came out with  a hammer in her hand.  Apparently, a hammer under the table on Christmas Eve assures good health throughout the year.  Who knew?

We enjoyed a delicious Slovak dinner of sliced potatoes with onions, pork tenderloin and roast tenderloin sandwiched in between.  Marcela and her husband were so welcoming, you'd have thought that they had known us for years!  So, are we related?  Marcela will tell you that the Mrena surname is extremely unusual and that there are only a few of us out in the world.  I can tell you that I have traced back the name to my gr.gr.grandfather, and so far, I can't see the tie between her family and mine.  So, if we are related, the relationship would be fairly distant.  But, if this woman is so excited thinking that we are blood relatives, why ruin her fun?  After all, she just may be correct in her assumption.  Only time will tell.

God Bless Us, Everyone!

Barbara with Katarina

What a wonderful day we had, despite the chilling cold. Marty and I bundled up early, and headed out on the metro to the Cathedral of St. Matthew, the apostle.  The church takes your breath away as soon as you enter the doors as it is filled with beautiful mosaic inlays throughout.  Right below the altar, there is an inscription in the marble in memory to President Kennedy, whose funeral mass was held here.  The choir was comprised of a large number of young men & women whom I suspect are music majors at the local colleges.  The melodies, accompanied by the huge church organ, sounded like angels from heaven.  We left Mass uplifted, and headed back on the metro to the Slovak Embassy.

After a walk up a long hill, in the freezing cold, we were warmly welcomed by Slovaks, and, with Marty wearing his pin, "Smile if you're Slovak", there was no lack of enthusiasm there.  We had a wonderful Slovak meal, and, of course, the appearance of Sv. Miklus, which was the purpose of the party.  In addition, we were entertained by a very talented Slovak musical group, who sang along with playing the accordian, bass, two violins and a symbal.  A great time was had by all.

Back on the metro, and we headed to Ford's Theater to see the production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story ".  We probably had the best seats in the house, in the center of the balcony, front row.  Who could ask for more?  The production was definitely the best that I have ever seen.  If you are in the area, and have the opportunity to see this show, I highly recommend it.  Of course, the basic plot is the one that we are all familiar with, but the poetic license that enhances the performance was definitely unique.  I was impressed with the choice of music stressing the real meaning of Christmas with the majority of the songs dealing with the birth of Christ.  It was certainly a fabulous performance and Tiny Tim said it best with that familiar phrase, "God Bless Us, Everyone!"

Wanderings in the Nation's Capital

We began our day at the House of Sweden in Georgetown, where we enjoyed a delectable lunch  as well as a taste of Swedish Glog, which offered quite a punch! We then headed off into the city  in search of the National Christmas Tree.  

We had read that it had been transported from Vermont, and we were eager to view the finished product standing near the White House.  We exited the Metro and began the hike down to the Visitor's center, where we were told that all the Visitor Centers had been cut by the federal government, but for one:  The White House Visitor Center. We hiked on over, only to find it closed for the day.  So, we decided to head off on our own, thinking that such a large tree would be easily found.

One of the obvious changes since our last visit to the capital, was the increase in barricades and road closures, particularly around the White House.  After pounding the pavement for several blocks, we finally managed to make our way nearly the whole way around the White House when we spotted a Menorah in the distanced.  Marty was sure that the tree would be nearby, and so we headed in that direction when I spotted what looked like a pretty sorry looking tree.  I honestly did not believe that what I was gazing upon was this infamous Vermont tree of which I had read.  But, Marty asked a security guard who confirmed, with a smile, that it was, indeed the tree, and that its official lighting ceremony is scheduled for Dec.9.  I'm hoping that it stays standing that long, because right now it looks like it wants to mimic the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

Although the tree was quite a disappointment, the rest of the evening was quite the opposite.  We headed to the beautifully decorated Willard Hotel where we listened to a beautiful choral group singing Christmas carols in the lobby.  Right next door was an absolutely wonderful French Restaurant where we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner.  After all of the walking that we did, we didn't even feel guilty enjoying dessert!
Be sure to check out the flickr photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/sets/72157625405513275/