Munster House / Upiorny Domek

There is such a house in Waxahachie, Texas, where, due to its interior and exterior decorations, Halloween lasts all year long.

The house owners, Mr. and Mrs. McKee, studied plenty of photos and videos of The Munsters (a popular sitcom aired from 1964 to 1966) to redecorate their place and turn it into an exact copy of the mansion known from the TV series. They worked very hard not to miss any details of the Munsters settings. And they did recreate all of them - the staircase with a phone booth which looks like a coffin, the dining room with a copy of an 'electric chair', the living room with an organ and all four bedrooms of the Munsters family.

Since not all the rooms where shown in the series (e.g. bathrooms), some parts of the Waxahachie house probably still look quite usual.

I have neither seen the TV series nor the Texas Munsters Mansion (in real), but according to what is presented in the pictures (the address of the website included below), I am not sure I would want to live in such surroundings. It could be quite an interesting place to visit though.

Ckeck it out: The Munster Mansion, Waxahachie, Texas website.

Jest taki dom w miejscowości Waxahachie (Teksas), w którym ze względu na dekoracje wnętrz i zewnętrznej fasady domu, Halloween trwa cały rok.

Właściciele tego miejsca studiowali zdjęcia i nagrania video serialu komediowego The Munsters (emitowanego w latach 1964 -66), by przekształcić swój, całkiem zwyczajny wtedy dom, w kopię dworku filmowej rodziny. Państwo McKee pracowali ciężko, starając się nie pominąć żadnego szczegółu serialowych dekoracji. W rezultacie udało im się odtworzyć wszystkie pomieszczenia planu filmowego wraz z ich elementami: drewnianą klatkę schodową, przy której znajduje się budka telefoniczna w kształcie trumny, jadalnia z kopią 'krzesła elektrycznego', salon z organami (instrumentem) oraz wszystkie cztery sypialnie bohaterów serialu.

Ze względu na to, iż nie wszystkie pomieszczenia domu komediowej rodziny Munster pokazane były na planie telewizyjnym (w tym np. łazienki), część domu w Waxahachie najprawdopodobniej wygląda zupełnie zwyczajnie.

Nie widziałam serialu The Munsters, ani wspomnianego domu w Teksasie. Jednak po obejrzeniu zdjęć prezentowanych na stronie internetowej (patrz poniżej), nie jestem pewna czy chciałabym w takim domu mieszkać. Wizyta i zwiedzanie takiego miejsca to zupełnie co innego - mogłoby to być całkiem interesujące doświadczenie. 

Strona internetowa 'Munster Mansion' w Waxahachie: http://munstermansion.com/.

 

My Hand Painted T-shirts: Pattern # 9

This design is of my own idea - partly inspired by the traditional folk patterns of Kashubia. And it turned an old undershirt into an interesting piece of clothing.

The painting itself is quite time consuming. Due to the paints properties, I need to put the layers of paint gradually, so sometimes, it takes me even five days (not to mention the time of pre-washing, drying and ironing) to decorate a T-shirt.

You can read more about the paintings included on the T-shirt here.

Check out my other patterns - wall decor boards and T-shirts here.

 

My Texas Alphabet: M for Metroplex

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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The area we live in is called Metroplex or North Texas Metropolitan Area (officially established in 1972). It includes twelve Texas counties and numerous contiguous cities. The Metroplex covers approximately 9 square miles/ 24.000 km2 and it is the largest metropolitan complex in the South of the US - the economical and cultural center of North Texas. It is rather crowded - about seven million people live here.

Life in the Metroplex means frequent drives from one city to another. To a store, a ballpark, a theater a doctor's surgery or you name it place. Practically, it is as if all the cities of the complex were districts of one, very large metropolitan body.

Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington are the main cities of the Metroplex. The trio reminds me of the 'my' part of Poland - so-called Tricity (Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia), situated by the Baltic Sea. The Polish metropolitan complex is much smaller though, but it is also the cultural and economical center of Northern Poland.

Dallas

The very first single log cabin was built in the area by John Neely Bryan in 1841.

 

When the railroad was build there (1870s), Dallas started growing into a business and market center. Nowadays, the area of Dallas makes one fifth of the entire North Texas Metroplex.

Bridge over The Trinity River - Dallas

 Dallas architecture includes both older (19th century) and very modern constructions.

Former Dallas County Courthouse - built in 1892

Some buildings of the Dallas Skyline are over 700 feet/210 metres high

Our drive into Dallas Downtown 

 

Fort Worth

Established on the banks of the Trinity River by Brevet Major Ripley Arnold on June 16, 1849. Named after Gen. William Worth, Mexican War hero. At present, Fort Worth is the 16th largest US city (by population).

My favorite places in Fort Worth are the Botanic Gardens and the Old Stockyards.

I wrote more about Fort Worth in the following posts:

Fort Worth - Bass Hall & Sundance Square 

Fort Worth and Its Stockyards 

Fort Worth - Joe T. Garcia's

 

 Arlington

Situated on the Trinity River, between Dallas and Fort Worth. The first settlement, called Bird's Fort, (very pre-Arlington times) was set up in Caddo (Native American) tribal teritory. Later, in 1876, the town was established. Arlington is known for its sports and entartainment spots. Some of the most popular ones are Rangers (baseball) Ballpark, Dallas Cowboys (American football) Stadium and Six Flags Over Texas amusement ground.

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Pictures:

• Trinity River, Dallas, Texas - painting by Raphael Tuck & Sons [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Dallas: By Adrian Valenzuela (Flickr: skyline - st. patrick's day) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Other 'M' entries by Polish Ladies Abroad:

Gabi: M jak Malmo
Jagoda / Włoska mowa ciała
Justyna / M jak Mama


 
 

Mój Teksaski Alfabet: Ł jak Łubin

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

"Ł" is the letter which comes after "L" in the Polish alphabet. I am not skipping the letter though. Since the Polish alphabet is the alphabet of my native language (and my life is a Polish-Texan mix), I write my Texas Alphabet partly in Polish also. That is why posts connected with Polish letters are in Polish only.
As you can guess, in this post I write about the bluebonnet and other Texas symbols.

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Każdy stan USA ma swoje symbole, którymi sa przedstawiciele świata roślin i zwierząt, reprezentujące gatunki charakterystyczne dla danego rejonu tego kraju.
Łubin teksaski jest jednym z symboli roślinnych Teksasu (od 1901 r.).  Jest to trochę inna odmiana łubinu od tej, która jest najbardziej popularna w Polsce. Łubin teksaski jest znacznie niższy (wysokosć do około 60cm) i ma głównie kolor niebieski/ niebiesko biały (czasem z bordowymi lub różowymi akcentami).

Należy do tzw. 'samosiejek', kwitnie wiosną, w okresie od marca do maja. Wtedy też niebieskie dywany dekorują Teksas jak stan długi i szeroki.

Pozostałe symbole Teksasu

Świat roślin

Drzewo: pekan/ orzesznik jadalny - ma bardzo smaczne orzechy, które są trochę słodsze od orzechów włoskich i w porównaniu do tych ostatnich, mają łagodniejszy smak - nie szczypią w język. Orzechy pekanowca są bogatym źródłem witaminy E i przeciwutleniaczy. Stanowią główny składnik wielu tradycyjnych południowo-amerykańskich deserów.

 

Pekany to także moje ulubione orzechy. Jedną z moich specjalności jest placek pekanowy - tradycyjny deser przygotowywany na Dzień Dziękczynienia.

Świat zwierząt:

Ptak: przedrzeźniacz
Przyjęty za symbol stanowy w roku 1927. Ptaki te pięknie śpiewają, potrafią naśladować głosy innych zwierząt, w tym nawet szczekanie psa. W swoim repertuarze mają od 25 do 30 różnych dźwięków/ piosenek. W obronie gniazda i pskląt, przedrzeźniacz zaciekle atakuje także psy i koty.

Owad: motyl monarch / danaid wędrowny

Przyjęty za symbol stanowy w roku 1995. Od innych gatunków motyli różni się tym, że nie hibernuje w okresie zimowym. Zamiast tego, na przełomie lata i jesieni, migruje do Meksyku.

Ssaki:
Pancernik długoogonowy

Symbol stanowy od 1995. Daleki kuzyn leniwca i mrówkojada. Ta odmiana pancernika występuje tylko w Ameryce Północnej. Pancerników lepiej nie dotykać - mogą być nosicielami niebezpiecznych chorób.

Longhorn: Symbol Teksasu od 1995. Więcej o tym napisalam tutaj.

 Włókno i tkanina: bawełna

Pionierami hodowli bawełny w Teksasie byli hiszpańscy misjonarze. Jeden z oficjalnych symboli Teksasu od roku 1997.

Więcej symboli stanu Teksas znajdziesz na stronie State Symbols USA.


Zdjęcia:

Bluebonnets: stickywikit, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Niedojrzałe orzechy pekana: autor Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service [CC BY 3.0 us (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons.
Przedrzeźniacz północny: Ryan Hagerty [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 
Motyl monarch: Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pancernik: By http://www.birdphotos.com (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
Longhorn: autorzy Clinton & Charles Robertson from Del Rio, Texas & San Marcos, TX, USA (Texas Longhorn Steer) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
Bawełna: By Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons .

Inne wpisy na 'ł':

Dee / Łatwość życia
 

My Texas Alphabet: L for Longhorn

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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Longorn is a Texas State Animal or as you wish - one of the Symbols of Texas. It is a special breed of big and strong cattle which genetically originate from a hybrid of the Middle Eastern and Indian aurochs. The breed have quite distinctive, big, and long horns which can extend even up to seven feet/ about two metres (from one tip to the other).

The cattle were first brought to Texas by Spanish colonists. Some of the bulls and cows grown by them turned loose and, within two hundred years, turned into feral animals. Later, early Texas settlers mixed the wild cattle with the eastern type of cattle they had already had.
This is, more or less, a shortened story of the Longhorn.

I like the majestic look of the Longhorn. It seems quite special. Obviously, it is different than European cattle. Different but in a really interesting way.
All in all, the longer I live in Texas, the more I feel I belong here. And at the same time, the more such Texas symbols become 'my' symbols too.

'L' entries by bloggers of Polish ladies Abroad Club:

Karolina /  L... Laboratoire
Dee Dorota / L jak Los 
Gabi / L jak Lista
Jagoda / L jak Ludzie 
Justyna / L jak Londyn i Leyland

 
 

Blog Liebster Award 2015 - Nomination for 'Gone To Texas'

I am pleased to inform you that Karolina, blogger of C'est la vie!, has nominated my 'Gone To Texas (and myself) to Blog Liebster Award.
As you can probably guess/or know, the word 'liebster' comes from German and means (more or less) 'dearest', 'beloved' in English. If you do not know what it is all about, meaning the Liebster Award: bloggers nominate blogs which they find interesting, to find out more about the ones who create them. The nomination is a kind of virtual honor - first time ever my blog has been complimented in such a nice way. The happier I am to take part in the 'liebster game' and answer the questions asked by Karolina.


{1}What is your Chinese Zodiac sign? Do you agree with its description?
I am a Dragon. None of such descriptions is ever exactly true, considering an individual person. Who knows me personally, knows also that I am not talkative - just the opposite. I do not easily loose my temper either. However, I would call myself resourceful: I do have quite a lot of ideas which I put into effect, if I find them interesting enough to invest my time, effort and energy. On the other hand, aggression, gossips and plotting are not part of my nature at all.


{2} What is your favorite Polish word?

When I was a teenager, I found the sound of the word 'szklanka' (a glass) quite special. And it had nothing to do with the meaning of that word.  Nowadays, I do not know why I used to think it sounded different or unusual in a beautiful way. Some Polish words, including surnames and first names, are difficult to pronounce - if you are not a native Polish speaker. It may be found funny, but certainly, it is not a laughing matter to you - if you are a Pole who lives abroad and your surname is, for example, Brzęczyszczykiewicz (the name mentioned in a Polish comedy series made in 1969). By the way, if you are a non Polish speaker, how would you pronounce the particular surname?

{3} Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? If yes - how, if not - why?
When I lived in Poland, I did not celebrate it. Although, Valentine's Day has become popular in the country, yet it is not a Polish tradition at all. So I did not. Of course, it is celebrated in the US and Valentine cards are sent to the persons we like, including family members, aunts and grandpas. St. Valentine's Day gadgets appear in stores not long after Christmas, so there is enough time to get all what we need to honor our friends. The way we celebrate the day with my husband is quite a different matter. Our personal one. :)

{4} The most absurd thing you have ever heard from a friend or relative...
I cannot recall anything like that, not from a close friend or kin. However, there was a made up story, spread by local gossipers.  I was in my early twenties then. One day my mum talked to a neighbor - about everyday things. During the talk, mum said something about me (let's say that I/her daughter had just done some shopping and brought the groceries home). To mum's surprise, the neighbor replied: 'It is not true! Your daughter is studying in Poznan!' (to your knowledge: Poznan is a city situated 500 km/ about 311 miles from the place I lived in at that time). Mum came home and told me: 'You know what? Maybe you do knot know, but you are studying in Poznan'.
It was quite an awkward thing to learn - how could neighbors believe they knew better what I was doing? People can be very imaginative in a surprising way - I had never thought of studying in the city of Poznan. Besides, I still lived in my home city then. Close to my mum.

{5}What is your favorite scent/smell?
It would be easier to name the ones I do not like. The smell of oranges reminds me the Christmases of my childhood. It is one of the scents which I like. As for the perfume - in my opinion, the world of scent compositions is like a garden of beautiful flowers. All the flowers are magnificent, each of them in each own, beautiful way. That is why it is difficult to choose the one which is the best or the most interesting one. Why should I? I prefer enjoying them all (not at the same time of course). In a way, I admire persons who tend to wear the same perfume/toilet water all the time. Every day. My nose gets bored after a few days if I do it. That is why I use different scent compositions/kinds of perfume. I change them often, even every week. This week this perfume, next week a different one, and so on....

{6} The most awkward/inept gift you have ever been given is...
I appreciate each and every present I get. What matters to me is the thoughtfulness and the positive intention of  the giver, not only the gift itself.

{7} What school subject did you hate?
It was Astronomy - one of many obligatory subjects which we had to do at high school. Due to a very particular way, the astronomy teacher ran her classes, it was quite a dreadful experience to me and most of my classmates. Well, according to a Polish saying 'you either speak well of a late person, or you do not speak of them at all' (the teacher passed away some years ago). That is why I will not be more explicit on those classes. Anyway, astronomy could have been interesting, but it was not.

I was also not very keen on Chemistry. We had to know all the atomic numbers of the chemical elements by heart. Of course I knew the symbols of the elements, but I simply did not understand why we were not allowed to check the numbers when it was needed, and how the knowledge could be useful in any practical way (except solving chemical problems). So I did not learn it, and as a result of it, often got in trouble in Chemistry classes.

{8} Are you planning coming back to Poland? Why?
I consider such a possibility. Why not?

{9} When did you last do something for yourself?
Every day. Not long ago, I dreamed of getting enough sleep only. I was so busy with work projects that a day was too short to complete it all. Nowadays, I have time to relax and do my hobbies, including my little blogging. I also like taking care of our home. Whatever I do in it, I do for myself too.

Now, it is time for me to nominate other blogs to the Liebster Award. I invite the following bloggers to join the game:

• Paola of  http://www.myunsettlinglife.co.uk 
• Lisa Irene of  http://lisaireneserrano.com/ 
• Bieke of  https://lifestyletalks.wordpress.com
• Ana Lydia of  http://www.cabezadecoco.com

 My questions to you:

1. Tastes of your childhood.
2. Who was your idol when you were a teenager?
3. Can you remember anything special (do you have any memories) about your kindergarten/ early school classes?
4. Your favorite style - what do you like wearing every day?
5. What would you do if you could travel in time?
6. Three films worth watching (in your opinion).
7. Make up or no make up?
8. What would you do if you won the LOTTO?
9. Radio or TV?
10. What kind of music don't you like?

Good day to you!

My Texas Alphabet: K for Katydids

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., a member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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Katydids/bush crickets are long-horned grasshoppers. Some of them are quite big (up to 13 cm/5 inches). Thanks to their sound-producing organs they can make a lot of noise and 'play' their own kind of music. In the area where we lived previously, there was a little wood - home to many various bags, including katydids.

Roesel's bush cricket

There must have been thousands of them as they were very loud when they sang their songs. And it lasted days and nights, especially in the summer. I found their sounds really amazing - it was like a choir of singers who never got tired of singing. Since the katydids were so incredibly loud (at least according to me), sometimes all the noise made by the crickets seemed a bit disturbing. I had never heard anything like that before. European grasshoppers are good musicians too, but I never heard so many insects of that kind, playing their 'instruments' at the same time. Not that many as in that Texas little wood. You can hear them in the video recording (included below) which I made, impressed by their performance.


Everything is big in Texas, including bugs. I am not an insect fan (with one exception). Most often, the bigger they are, the more disgusting I find them. One day, not long after coming to Texas, I was sitting outside - near the crickets wood - and reading a book. Suddenly, a big buzzing bug came flying and, to my surprise, sat on my lips. Maybe the insect was attracted by the flowery pattern of my red-and-white shirt which I was wearing on that day, I do not know. It was so unexpected and so awful - luckily my mouth was closed then :). Anyway, I jumped up, whisked the bug away with my hand, and hid inside our place. I had no idea what kind of bug it was - I only noticed that it was big, brown and ugly. I got scared and felt strange - did not know whether it had stung me/ tried to sting or what. All in all, I was done with reading outside for quite a long time.

Southern Yellowjacket

When I saw a yellowjacket for the first time I was surprised too. It looked like a wasp, but at the same time, it more reminded me of an insect helicopter than of wasps which I had known from northern Europe. Yellowjackets are a few times bigger and they do not look nicer because of that...

Well, talking about insects, I need to mention that I do like butterflies. The monarch butterfly, which is the Texas State Insect, is absolutely beautiful. And, as I have heard, when it happens to sit on any part of your body, it is supposed to mean good luck. It is also much nicer than my 'ugly bug encounter'!

Pictures:
Bush cricket: By Charles J Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38312313;
Southern yellowjacket: By Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth! [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. 

'K' entries by bloggers of Polish Ladies Abroad Club:

Gabi / K for key words
Dee / K jak Kiełbasa 
Justa /  K jak Kirkcaldy
Jagoda / Kuchnia Kampanii

My Texas Alphabet: J for Jalapeño

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from 'The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., a member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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I did not know anything about jalapeños when I came to Texas. 

One day, a few weeks after my arrival, I thought I would cook a Texas casserole as I had found a recipe for it in one of my cookbooks. We had all the necessary ingredients at home, including jalapeños. I did not know what they were, though. They looked like a kind of rather strange, green bell peppers to me. Anyway, I followed the recipe - cut half of a small jalapeño into tiny pieces and made the dish. Everything seemed fine and looked really good. When we started eating our dinner, the casserole turned out to be so very hot (meaning spicy of course) that I could hardly swallow it. It was my first experience with the taste of the jalapeño. I had never tried it before. We did eat our dinner on that day, but we needed much more tea than we usually do.

That was how I learned that jalapeños are green chili peppers. I have used them doing the cooking many times since that day. Needless to say, now I am more careful meaning the amount of the green hot thing which I use to improve the taste of our meals. On the other hand, I have also learned that jalapeños, although they look mostly the same, are not equally hot. Some are actually quite mild considering their heat. That first time when I used the jalapeño, I was lucky to have one on the high side of the heat range. All in all, I am not very keen on this chili pepper (even though it contains vitamin A and C). If I happen to have too many of jalapeño pieces on my tostadas, I just remove the green part on my plate.

An interesting fact is that the jalapeño is the state pepper of Texas (since 1995).

Other 'J' entries by Polish Ladies Abroad: 

Gabi: J for Jonas 

Karolina: J... J'adore!

Dee Dorota: J jak Jeszcze Żyję!

Justyna: J jak Jury Summons

Anna Maria: J jak Ja

My hand Painted T-Shirts: Pattern: #8

This T-shirt design contains one of the little characters which I created myself. I called it 'a singer'.

I use brand new, cotton T-shirts. However, the painting process requires pre-washing the fabric. That is why I wash and iron each and every T-shirt before I start painting my patterns on them. The painting itself is quite time-consuming. Due to paints properties, I needed to put the layers of paint gradually, so it happened, it took me even five days (not to mention the time of pre-washing, drying and ironing) to decorate the T-shirt. I like it!

This shirt was less time consuming due to the less complicated design :)

Check out our other patterns - wall decor boards and T-shirts here.

 

My Hand Painted T-shirts: Pattern #7

This is another T-shirt painted by myself. The design contains one of the little characters which I created myself and a flowery folk motif.

I use brand new, cotton T-shirts. However, the painting process requires pre-washing the fabric. That is why I wash and iron each and every T-shirt before I start painting my patterns on them. The painting itself is quite time-consuming. The one presented in the picture was an easier one due to a simpler design.

You can read more about the paintings included on the T-shirt here.

 

 

Check out our other patterns - wall decor boards and T-shirts here.

 

Blog Liebster Award 2015 - Nominacja dla Gone To Texas :)

English version of this post will be published (hopefully) soon......

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Bardzo mi miło poinformować, że Karolina, prowadząca blog C'est la vie!, nominowała mój 'Gone To Texas' (i mnie) do wirtualnej nagrody zwanej Blog Liebster Award.

Jak się domyślacie wyraz 'liebster' pochodzi z języka niemieckiego i znaczy po polsku (mniej więcej) 'ukochany', 'najdroższy'. Dla tych, którzy nie orientują się, o co chodzi z ową nagrodą: blogerzy nominują innych blogerów, których blogi zainteresowały ich na tyle, że chcieliby dowiedzieć się trochę więcej o osobach je piszących. Nominacja ta jest swojego rodzaju wyróżnieniem - pierwszy raz moje blogowanie zostało zauważone i wyróżnione w ten miły sposób. Tym bardziej jest mi więc przyjemnie wziąć udział w owej liebsterowej akcji.

Pytania zadane przez Karolinę (i moje odpowiedzi):

{1} Jaki jest Twój znak według chińskiego horoskopu? Zgadzasz się z opisem?
Jestem smokiem. Opis pasuje do mnie w ogólnym tylko zarysie. Część zupełnie się nie zgadza. Kto mnie zna wie, że nie jestem gadatliwa. Raczej wprost przeciwnie. Nie jest też łatwo wyprowadzić mnie z równowagi. Mam za to wiele różnych pomysłów, które z zapałem realizuję - jesli cos mi się podoba na tyle, by poświęcać temu mój czas i energię. Natomiast ja i agresja to dwa, bardzo odległe bieguny. Prawdą zaś jest to, że plotkowanie i intrygi to zupełnie nie moja bajka.

{2} Jakie jest Twoje ulubione polskie słowo?
Kiedyś, gdy byłam w wieku nastoletnim, takim słowem była według mnie 'szklanka'. Wyłącznie ze względu na jego brzmienie, a nie znaczenie. Dzisiaj nie wiem, co w tym brzmieniu uważałam za bardzo szczególne. Nazwisko Brzęczyszczykiewicz jest zabawne, biorąc pod uwagę nagromadzone w nim typowo polskie dwuznaki/dźwięki, tylko w komedii filmowej. W realu, mieszkając poza granicami Polski, takie nazwisko byłoby personalnym koszmarem owego Brzęczyszczykiewicza.

{3} Obchodzisz Walentynki? Jeśli tak - w jaki sposób, jeśli nie - dlaczego?
Kiedyś nie obchodziłam. Walentynki to jedna z tradycji, która przyszła do Polski dosyć niedawno. W USA oczywiście  świętuje się Dzień św. Walentego - wysyła się kartki i wręcza drobne upominki wszystkim osobom miłym naszemu sercu - ciociom, babciom, braciom, siostrom, koleżankom i wszystkim tym, których po prostu lubimy. Zazwyczaj walentynkowe gadżety pojawiają się w sklepach krótko po Bożym Narodzeniu. Jest więc czas by zgromadzić zapas kartek i górę słodyczy. Sposób, w jaki obchodzimy ten dzień z moim mężem, to zupełnie inna sprawa - nasza prywatna. :)

{4} Najbardziej absurdalna rzecz, jaką kiedykolwiek usłyszałeś od bliskiej Ci osoby...
Nie przypominam sobie niczego takiego. Było za to coś innego. Dawno temu, jak miałam chyba ze dwadzieścia parę lat, moja mama rozmawiając z sąsiadką, wspomniała o mnie (nie pamiętam dokładnie co - może, że właśnie zrobiłam zakupy i przyniosłam je do domu). Na to sąsiadka, zaperzyła się i mówi: "Nieprawda, bo Ola studiuje w Poznaniu!". Mamę lekko zatkało - jak to, sąsiadka wie lepiej? Ludzie to mają wyobraźnię. Nikt nie wiedział skąd owa pani wzięła taką niedorzeczną informację - nigdy nawet do głowy mi nie przyszło, by cokolwiek studiować/mieszkać w Poznaniu.

{5} Jaki jest Twój ulubiony zapach?
Łatwiej byłoby mi powiedzieć jakiego zapachu nie lubię. Zapach pomarańczy kojarzy mi się nieodparcie ze świętami Bożego Narodzenia. Jest jednym z zapachów które lubię. Co do perfumów - świat kompozycji zapachowych jest dla mnie jak ogród pięknych kwiatów. Wszystkie wspaniałe, każdy piękny na swój indywidualny sposób. Każdy jedyny w swoim rodzaju. Dlatego trudno jest wybrać jeden naj. Wolę cieszyć się nimi wszystkimi. Podziwiam osoby, które używają latami ciągle ten sam zapach (perfum, wodę toaletową itp.). Mój nos po kilku dniach ma dosyć woni najwspanialszych nawet perfumów i domaga się zmiany bodźca zapachowego. Dlatego też używam różnych, ogólnie rzecz biorąc, kompozycji zapachowych. Zmieniam je często, nawet co tydzień. Raz ten zapach, raz inny.

{6} Najbardziej nieudany prezent jaki kiedykowliek dostałeś to...
Doceniam każdy dany mi prezent. Dla mnie liczy się intencja, z którą ktoś ten prezent mi kupił/ przygotował. Czasami podarunek może i był zaskakujący, ale nie to dla mnie ma znaczenie.

{7} Jakiego przedmiotu w szkole nie znosiłeś?
Wspominając czasy liceum, była to astronomia. Panicznie bałam się tych lekcji (jak i większość mojej klasy) ze względu na specyficzny sposób ich prowadzenia przez szanowną panią profesorkę. Biorąc pod uwagę fakt, że o osobach zmarłych (pani owa zmarła jakiś czas temu) mówi się dobrze albo wcale, nie będę wdawać się w szczegóły dotyczące wspomnianych lekcji astronomii.

Nie przepadałam również za chemią oraz za tym, że musieliśmy znać na pamięć liczby atomowe wszystkich pierwiastków. Nie bardzo wiedziałam, w czym znajomość owych liczb może być przydatna - poza rozwiązywaniem równań/zadań chemicznych. W związku z czym, nigdy tego sobie nie przyswoiłam, co było też przyczyną moich problemów na lekcjach chemii. Zawsze za to lubiłam języki obce i muzykę. Niestety muzyki w liceum nie mieliśmy.

{8} Planujesz powrót do Polski? Dlaczego?
Biorę taką mozliwość pod uwagę. Nie wyjechałam z Polski dlatego, że było mi tam źle z jakiegoś  powodu. Więc dlaczego nie?

{9} Kiedy ostatni raz zrobiłeś coś dla siebie?
Codziennie. Kiedyś marzyłam tylko o tym, by móc się wreszcie wyspać. Doba była za krótka. Obecnie mam czas na różne mniejsze i większe przyjemności, w tym hobby, do których należy m.in. moje małe blogowanie. Lubię też zajmować się domem. Cokolwiek w nim zrobię, robię to także dla siebie.

Dziękuję Karolino za włączenie mnie do zabawy. Mam nadzieję, że kwestia chemii (7) nie budzi twojego sprzeciwu :).

A oto moje pytania:

1. Smaki Twojego dzieciństwa?
2. Kto był Twoim idolem gdy miałaś nascie lat?
3. Czy masz jakies wspomnienia z przedszkola/ młodszych klas szkoły podstawowej?
4. Twój ulubiony strój - styl. Co lubisz nosić na co dzień?
5. Trzy filmy, które Twoim zdaniem warto zobaczyć.
6. Co zrobiłabyś gdybyś mogła podróżować w czasie?
7. Radio czy telewizja?
8. Co zdecydowało o Twoim obecnym miejscu zamieszkania?
9. Makijaż czy wersja nude?
10. Co zrobiłabyś gdybyś wygrała kumulację w lotto? 
11. Za jakim rodzajem muzyki nie przepadasz?

Do udziału w 'liebsterowym łańcuszku' zapraszam:

Anię: Zaczynam od Początku
Justynę: Justa poza granicami
Joannę: Limonka do rosołu
Maję: Travelling Rockhopper 
Violę: Storyland

My Texas Alphabet: I for Ice Cream

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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During the long, hot and humid Texas season cooling your body is a must. That is why iced soft drinks are basic coolers, drunk daily by everybody. Before coming to Texas, I did not like cold tea and never had it. Of course, the climate conditions were totally different in northern Poland. Cool temperatures and cold weather required drinking hot tea - to warm up and avoid catching a cold.
The Texas summer made me learn to like cold tea and a lot of ice in my glass of coke. It brings such relief and helps survive the heat.

Another heat survival aid is ice cream. The toasty weather gives a good excuse to have it more often.
When on the road, it is nice to stop at a McDonald's place and have their vanilla ice cream, which is plain but quite refreshing.

Still, the treat which I like best is an old-fashioned banana split made and sold at Braum's. Actually, it is my great Texas discovery - a dessert that is decadently delicious and enjoyable - real heaven to my taste buds. One serving of banana split is so big that I am not able to it all on my own. So I  always share it with my husband who very much enjoys the dessert too.

For those of you who do not know: an old-fashioned banana split (with everything on it) consists of:
a split of a banana covered with three big scoops of ice cream (one scoop would make three European size scoops): vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. The vanilla scoop is decorated with marshmallow topping, the strawberry ice cream is covered with strawberry sauce and the chocolate scoop is coated with chocolate topping. Then there are also two big scoops of whipped cream, two cherries, pieces of strawberries, and nuts (or almonds). Totally wonderful!

Braum's places are also in Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas

Talking about ice cream, I need to mention the brand which is my favorite one, considering the ice cream sold at grocery stores. It is Blue Bell, which was originally made in Brenham, Texas. Unfortunately, last year the ice cream was recalled (by its manufacturer) from all the stores, due to some serious bacteria problems and possible health risk connected with it.

I have tried quite a few Blue Bell flavors, but I like homemade vanilla and banana split best. Nevertheless, other ones (e.g. buttered pecan and mint) are tasty too. According to the information published on the Blue Bell website, the ice cream is to be back in the local stores on November 2. Hopefully, my favorite kinds of ice cream will be available again soon. I am going to update this post with a picture of a Blue Bell treat, as soon as it is possible.

More info:
Braum's website
Blue Bell Ice Cream website 

Update - December 2015

Blue Bells have already been back in stores!

Other 'I' posts by bloggers of the Polish ladies Abroad Club:  

Dee / I jak I 
Jagoda / Inspiracje Językowe
Gabi / I for Internet // I jak Internet
Justyna / I jak Iced Chocolate
Sylwia / I jak Ironia losu

Anna Maria / I jak inność

My Hand Painted T-shirts: Pattern #6

Here is another T-shirt painted by myself. I love painting on fabric. I use brand new, cotton T-shirts. However, the painting process requires pre-washing the fabric. That is why I wash and iron each and every T-shirt before I start painting my patterns on them. The painting itself is quite time-consuming. Due to paints properties, I need to put the layers of paint gradually, so it takes me even up to three days (not to mention the time of pre-washing, drying and ironing) to decorate a T-shirt.
I love the results though!

The pattern is a folk motif of Kashubia - region in Poland.

Check out our other patterns - wall decor boards and T-shirts here.

My Texas Alphabet: H for Heat

 The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., a member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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Summer starts in Texas in March. At least according to Polish summer temperature standards. Sometimes even 30C/ 86F happens before 'calendar' spring begins. This is what I like about Texas - winter is rather mild here and does not last so long as it does in Poland.
During my first spring in the state, I was quite surprised by the quick end of the cold season (and delighted as well). I was happy to see how quickly the trees in our neighborhood turned green and white. The latter one not because of the snow of course. It was a sign of spring: the trees were covered with fresh, delicate and beautiful blossom. It was so weird to know that at the very same time of the year, people in northern Europe still wear winter clothing. Really cold winds, low temperatures, and also snow are nothing unusual in March there. I had never liked the bitterly cold weather, so the happier I was enjoying the warm sunshine and watching nature waking up after the winter sleep again.

Spring - picture taken on March 12

Last spring we bought a pot of pelargonium to decorate our patio and to enjoy the red flowers while sitting outside. I took care of the plant as well as I could and it grew really beautifully. It was quite magnificent. It was - until the Texas summer began in May. Then, the heat came. Meaning not only much higher temperatures but also very high UV level (up to nine times higher than it happens to be in Poland). I tried to do my best to help the pelargonium survive the hot season. I watered it regularly and placed the plant in the shade (well, maybe I did it too late though). Anyway, despite my efforts, the  plant did not manage to resist the heat - it got totally yellow and dry.

Our pelargonium - in April

The summer heat is quite oppressive not only considering plants. The sunshine in the hottest part of the year is so burdensome and burning that while walking outside, I have a feeling as if it was pushing me to the ground. What is more, the summer Texas air is so hot and stuffy that even when a small breeze comes, it is as refreshing as the hairdryer air-blow. That is why, when it is so incredibly hot, most people prefer to stay inside (if possible of course), in air-conditioned rooms, as the outside activities are not very enjoyable then.

St. Patrick's Day Parade - March 16.

One of my Polish cousins has asked me why I do not sunbathe here. She loves laying in the sun and getting a suntan. I have never been a beach person as my skin is rather pale - I easily get sunburn even in the Polish UV level conditions. So, before going out in the (Texas) spring or summer I cover myself, including my head, cautiously. Another thing is, that I love wearing hats so the local sun gives me another reason to wear and enjoy them. Anyway, the cousin seemed not to understand that sun exposure in Texas is not the same as sunbathing in Poland. In my opinion, none of them is a healthy thing to do. Nevertheless, it seems if somebody has not experienced the strength of the southern sun finds it hard to understand how burning and dangerous such sunshine can be.

The heat season in Texas lasts till October. Then the temperatures lower a little bit and the weather becomes more enjoyable again - it is still nicely warm and sunny but not that terribly hot anymore.
I like it. Especially because October is the time of the year when it gets quite cold in Poland. Yesterday, when I talked to my mum, she mentioned that the heating at her place had already been on and she also started wearing warm jackets and boots. This is not my kind of weather and I am glad we can still wear shorts here.

Poland - October. We still wear shorts/summer clothes in Texas.

To sum up - I have decided to write about the summer heat because it is part of my life here. Moreover, the summers which I experienced in Poland were totally different, often cool, rainy and disappointing (meaning the lack of sunny weather). It is certainly not my intention to complain about anything (maybe except the pelargonium which got burned), but it would be great if we could spend the winters in Texas and enjoy the summers in Europe.

Other 'H' entries by bloggers, members of the Polish Ladies Abroad Club:

Jagoda / Włoski humor i energia
Anna / H jak Huragan
Gabi / H for Hamlet, Helsingborg and Helsingør // H jak Hamlet, Helsingborg i Helsingør
Justa / H jak Haarlem

 
 

 

September Photo Summary

• Symphony Orchestra Season Opening - reception & performance: wonderful music and fantastic musicians.
• My first ever visit at the State Fair of Texas.
• Great family meetings. :)

 

My Hand Painted T-shirt: Pattern #5

This is another T-shirt which I painted for my husband. And he likes wearing it!
The design contains one of the little characters which I created when I was sixteen and a flowery folk motif.
I use brand new, cotton T-shirts. However, the painting process requires pre-washing the fabric. That is why I wash and iron each and every T-shirt before I start painting my patterns on them. The painting itself is quite time-consuming. Due to paints properties, I needed to put the layers of paint gradually, so it took me even five days (not to mention the time of pre-washing, drying and ironing) to decorate the T-shirt.

You can read more about the paintings included on the T-shirt here.

Check out our other patterns - wall decor boards and T-shirts here.

 

My Texas Alphabet: G for Guacamole

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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Guacamole is a very popular side dish, made of mashed avocados, served in many Tex-Mex food restaurants.
I first tasted guacamole when I came to Texas. I tried it  -  and found it tasteless. Many people love it but, somehow, I do not fancy it at all. Since it is flavorless, according to myself, of course, there is no reason for me to have it again. Which is quite a good coincidence, considering that avocados (and guacamole) are high in calories.

Some time later, after my first guacamole experience, I also learned that most members of my Texan family are not fans of the side dish either. That is why when in a restaurant, we always skip guacamole. Most often, it is possible to order something else instead. Actually, it is quite convenient, as the price of the side is usually included in the price of a meal. So even if we do not eat guacamole, we would pay for it anyway.

'G' entries by other bloggers, memebrs of the Polish ladies Abroad Club:

Anna: G jak Góry
Jagoda: Gabinet luster
Gabi: G for Guests / G jak Goscie 
Dee: G jak Gorzki smak pracy z rodakami
Karolina: G... Gironde
Justyna: G jak Gustaw 
Kropka: G jak Great Fire 
Anna Maria: G jak gazety
Viola: G jak gotowanie 

 

My Texas Alphabet: F for Family

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England.
I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

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My Texas family are really nice and friendly guys. They have never made me feel bad in any way. Quite contrary. From the very beginning, even before I moved to Texas, I felt welcome and accepted. We meet fairly frequently and always have a good time together. I like the things we do and I am very pleased they seem to enjoy my company too. It all makes me feel part of the family, not an outsider. Yes, it is important to me indeed. It also makes me happy too. Especially that my Polish family, my mum, and my sister are so far away.

 

'F' alphabet entries by other bloggers, members of the Polish Ladies Abroad Club:

 Gabi: F jak Formalnosci (in Polish & English)

 Jagoda: Funkcje społeczne w szanującym się włoskim domu

Anna: F jak Frank

Karolina: F jak Français
Dee: F jak Falafel 
Anna Maria: F jak Fazy
Justyna: F jak Firth of Forth 
Viola: F jak Fikcja
Anna Maria: F jak Flamandzki
Joanna: F jak Femme de chambre i Fleuriste

Kropka: F jak Fast Food

Viola: F jak fikcja