Lori, We did not go anywhere close to Bielsko-Bial~a. Our trip this time started in Krakow and then we headed east to Przemys~l and then north sort of along the border up to Bial~ystok and then west again to Bydgoszcz and then north to Gdan~sk and then back to Warsaw which is where we catch the plane to Frankfurt for one night before finally heading home. Polish hotels, pensjonats and zajadz, sometimes have telephone books but if they do have them they are usually the business phone books. In Poland you can buy the "residential" phone books from the Telekomunikacja Office. I used to do this and then send them to PGSA but I haven't done that in a long time because of the airlines weight restrictions. We were able to visit all of our family and almost all of our friends. There just isn't enough time!!! On the whole the weather has been fine. While we were in Bukowsko (Sanok) it was rainy a few days but since then we've had a couple of days where shorts would have worked during the day. I think the weather will heat up quickly this year though. While we have been here we've seen the flowers pop open and the fruit trees flower. It's been really lovely to see the trees covered in white blossoms and to see red, yellow and purple tulips in gardens along with yellow and purple pansies. Many farm fields are covered in yellow flowers of rapeseed which is results in canola oil but in Europe is primarily used for animal feed. I will be in Germany and the U.S. on Mother's Day. However, once I get home neither of my kids will be there since they will still be in school. I am almost certain, however, that they will have arranged for flowers, candy and cards to be waiting for me. NOT! They're boys! Most of us were not taught Polish by our parents or grandparents but that doesn't mean it's too late. You can start building a vocabulary now! Label things in your house and practice. Rather than ignore web sites in Polish, look for words you know and see if you can make sense of the article or site. You'd be surprised also, of how many Polish words are similar to English. Debbie LJSLumpy@aol.com wrote: > Hi MY Polish Geni Debbie, > > It must be a thrill to be in our native land, I hope my dream of ever going > there will some day be a reality. My Polish family is the SZCZOTKA'S in > Milowka ul Jana Kozimierza, woj Bielsko - Biala, Poland, > > Do you see any SZCZOTKA'S any where in their city books or telephone books? > I do know my cousins still live in the home of my Grandfather ADAM SZCZOTKA'S > brother: JOSEF & ZOFIA Szczotka (do not know if cousins speak English) but > Josef & Zofia have both passed away. Must be away to a way to get your stash > home, hope your Polish kin will find the way for you...................LOL. > > > Are you going to spend Mother's Day there in Poland ? How has the weather > been there for you & did you get to make the rounds of all of your family. We > went to a Polish Festival 2 weeks ago at Our Lady Of Czestochowa Parish, > and the native dresses, music & polka's were a delight with so much gaity & > laughter, dancing and the sound of the Polish language. Too sad my parents felt > it not important for us to learn the language since they both spoke 5 > languages. > > DASVIDANIYA, > > Lori ; ) in Arizona formally from Washington, PA. > > > In a message dated 5/4/2008 5:58:19 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, > TpaGrits@tampabay.rr.com writes: > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: poland-roots-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:poland-roots-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Debbie Greenlee > Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 4:01 AM > To: poland-roots@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [POLAND] USA Naturalization Indexes Updated > > PD, > > We are already trying to figure out how to get two large bottles of > wo~dka, bottle of wine and a bottle of moonshine through customs. We > can't take any of it in our carry-on as we have done in previous > years! Oh, and those bottles are way over the U.S. limit of 1/2 liter > per person! :( > > Thanks for the ancestry.com update. > > Debbie > > > > > > > **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family > favorites at AOL Food. > (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) > ********************************* > Need to contact the list manager? Write to Marie at Poland-Roots-admin@rootsweb.com > ---------------------------------- > Discussion of Polish food, culture, and customs are welcome on the list as long as the discussion stays pertinent to the topic of this list: researching our Polish roots. > ---------------------------------- > Browse the list's archives here: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=poland-roots > Search the list's archives here: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?aop=1 > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to POLAND-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >