HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Home for the holidays means different things to different people and to me the meaning has changed as I journey through this life time. When I was a child it meant going to Grandma and Grandpa Baumann’s home on Christmas Day with the anticipation of presents and having our traditional German dinner of Sauerbraten, potato dumplings and spiced apple slices. My most memorable one was Christmas 1966. I had graduated from boot camp at Great Lakes, IL. On Dec. 21 and would be home for two weeks before going to my first duty station for six months in Pensacola, Florida. I not only got to celebrate the holidays at home, but also got to see many of my friends that I felt I probably would not see for a couple of years.

Christmas 1967 was spent in Taipei, Taiwan, half way around the world at my first duty station, being very home sick, but the group I was with since June managed to make the holidays memorable with many work and house parties and lots of treats at work. I went home on a 30 day leave in September of 1968 and met the love of my life on a blind date and got engaged eleven days later. Christmas 1968 was spent in Yokosuka, Japan where my ship, the U.S.S. Oklahoma City was home ported. Some of the guys had their families there so I volunteered to take a couple of extra watches so they could enjoy the holiday with their families. I remember feeling very sorry for myself because I would not be able to spend Christmas with my fiancée. I ended up eating Christmas dinner by myself at the base restaurant between watches. I had spent almost a weeks pay on a very satisfying phone call home to my fiancée where we told each other we would be together for the next one and all of the rest after that and we have for the last 43 years.

I took leave in June of 1969, flew home, got married and my wife went back to Japan with me as a Navy wife for the last year and a half of my Navy commitment. Home for the holidays, Christmas 1969 is probably one of my most memorable. We pulled into port in Yokosuka, Japan on December 21, I knew I would be off on December 25 and couldn’t wait to celebrate our first Christmas as husband and wife, even though we were apart from family and friends. Lauralyn had waited until I got home so we could put up our first Christmas tree together. Her mom had sent us a two foot high bottle brush tree that we put on our chow table in the front window and decorated with lights, ornaments and of course tinsel. Relatives had sent us so many presents that I wasn’t sure how we were going to get every thing home. We also had received about 50 Christmas cards that we opened together before Christmas and tacked up to one of the walls. Still one of my favorite pictures because it showed how much our relatives and friends cared for us. Our first Christmas will always be one of my most memorable, just because we were together.

I got out of the Navy in September 1970 and we couldn’t wait to get home to family and friends and spend Christmas with all of them. Before Christmas we had to do Thanksgiving and both families wanted us with them on that day. We ended up doing the whole turkey dinner at noon at my parents home and then again at my in-laws. We knew we had to do something different for Christmas because it was way too much food and way to much relative time all in one day. Luckily my parents usually did Christmas on Christmas Eve and her parents preferred to have theirs on Christmas Day so it was going to work out fine. Daughter came along in 1971 and son in 1975 and that put a whole new spin on home for the holidays. We enjoyed being with relatives, but we also wanted some alone time with the kids in our own home. We started to learn how to balance our time between everyone that wanted us with them and we really did enjoy the holidays.

Then came a work transfer to Green Bay, Wisconsin and a four to five hour road trip home to Milwaukee in the middle of normally snowy winter, with the car packed to the top and two kids, are we there yet? After six years I got transferred back to Milwaukee and lived in historic Cedarburg for the next ten years. It made the holidays so much easier and more enjoyable because we didn’t have the stress of the winter road trips. We were indeed once again home for the holidays.

Then came my last work transfer to Madison, Wisconsin and we ended up buying a home in Waunakee, Wisconsin about a two hour ride from parents and friends. It was easier for us now because the children were gone, there were just the two of us to road trip and the ride was only two hours. Grand children began entering our life in 1998 and that once again changed our Christmas get together. Along with the addition of grandchildren, the next generation, came the loss of our mothers and my dad. The memory of my mother’s passing about a week before Christmas and my Dad’s on January 1, has changed the meaning of home for the holidays, but it has gotten better for me with time and with knowing how all the grandkids look forward to Christmas as I did as a child.

For a while I cooked breakfast brunch with the entire family at our daughter’s home the weekend before or after Christmas because everyone had work commitments and everyone wanted to be at their own home for Christmas Day and it started a new tradition. In recent years we have gone back to having Christmas at my father-in-laws home because it is getting harder for him to travel and we want to make sure he is included.

So what does it mean to be “Home For The Holidays?” To me it means memories of holidays past, getting together with friends and family, enjoying good food, even if it’s no longer sauerbraten, lively conversation, very energetic children and just simply being together. We should never take these times together for granted because they are creating memories for our future generations and I‘m hoping they will all be fond memories. Only time will tell how or where future Christmas’s will be celebrated, but I know we will some how find a way to get together and in our hearts we will be “Home For The Holidays.

REMEMBERING JUNE 1965

It’s Saturday June 23, 2012 and I’m sitting in our family room watching the June Sprints from Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. It brings back a lot of memories, even though it’s been 46 years since I’ve been there. I graduated from high school that June with friends that I had known since kindergarten.

I don’t remember who came up with the idea, but we decided to road trip to The Road America June Sprints, a sports car race, at Elkhart Lake, WI. At that time drinking beer at 18 was legal out side of Milwaukee County. We would be in Sheboygan county where it would be legal for us to drink beer. The first race was held there on June 23, 1950 for you trivia buffs. What could go wrong with a plan like this. One of our mothers even let us use their station wagon and camping equipment. Problem was that most of us had never camped outside our back yards. This caring mother even threw in a case of beer for the five of us to take along. Little did she know we already had a couple of cases of beer and a quart of liquor a piece stashed away in the car. If I remember correctly it was Tom, Jack, Ted, me and the other Tom or Geno. Sorry I can’t remember guys, but you know who you were and why I probably can’t remember.

We went there on Friday and found a camp site right on the lake a few miles from the track. Set up the tent, had some dinner, and drank moderately into the night probably telling lies about what we were going to do with our lives. The next morning came early and we wanted to get to the races. We all enjoyed the race and I for one was ready to buy a sports car. In our life times I think Jack owned a Austin Healy, I had an MGB and Ted had a corvette. I blame it on that weekend, although it was one of my favorite cars and I’d love to have it back now.

We went back to the camp ground after the races on Saturday and probably had a nice dinner over the camp fire. I say probably, because my memory gets a little foggy at this point. Three of the guys were going into town to check out the local girls and Jack and I volunteered to stay in camp and protect the liquid refreshments. You know how you sometimes make bad decisions in your life. This was probably one of my worst. Some where between the time the three left for town and returned, Jack and I almost finished a bottle of 151 proof Jamaican Rum. I don’t know why, but we thought they would be mad at us for drinking it all up so we took 7 Up and filled up the bottle thinking they wouldn’t notice the difference. I think our condition gave us away. Later that evening when they were walking us to keep us awake and probably alive, they explained that they found us sitting on the picnic table talking when they returned. That in itself would not have been so bad, but the picnic table was in the lake. Don’t know how it or we got there, but after that I should have learned that drinking too much never ends well. It took me a few more years to learn moderation and now I’m lucky to have a drink or two a week and never more than one if I’m driving.

　

It turned out to be the last time we were all together until I got married on June 28, 1969 and they were all part of my wedding party. No we did not do the June Sprints for a bachelor party because I arrived from Japan on leave just a couple of days before our wedding and that was probably a good thing. We got together a couple of years ago and reminisced about all those past memories, including our road trip to Road America. I’m happy to say I’m still in contact with these guys, although we don’t get together very often and hopefully we will all be together to celebrate our 50^th high school reunion in 2015. I’m thankful I still have friends that I have know for over 60 years. Thanks for the memories guys!

Pluralistically Ignorant

I have really not disconnected from writing, just gotten side tracked outside to the yard work and the vegetable garden. Re-fencing a 25 foot by 50 foot garden is taking a little more time than I had planned, but perhaps that's for another blog and another day.

I was looking at face book this morning and some one I know had only two words posted, "Pluralistically Ignorant". Yes I was curious and had to look it up. I won't go into the definition. You can look up the details if you care to.

My response is " I think therefore I am".
Wait, maybe it should be, I think therefore I may be ..... right, wrong or does it really matter.
I really don't have to think like everyone else because "that is the way I'm supposed to think."

It took me way too many years to figure out I really shouldn't be overly concerned with what others think because it is only an opinion they have of me or others. True friends know who I am and know what I'm about and accept me as I am, in many cases, anyway. I am opinionated, I let everyone know it and don't expect everyone or anyone to believe as I do. I've never been that convincing.

Life is just too short to get hung up on so many things that won't have any meaning tomorrow, next week or next month or even years from now. Each of us has to be responsible, but it's also OK to "lighten up" accept yourself as you are and enjoy what the day brings you.

It's too bad that it takes most of us so many years to learn that life is precious and way too short.

Enjoy Today because it truly is a gift. "Lighten Up!" Smile, Laugh, especially at yourself and do something silly and be thankful that you can.

Date Night

My wife and I have been trying to do a “date night” on the 28th of each month, or as close to that date as possible since we were married almost 43 years ago on June 28^th. It doesn't always happen and sometimes it turns out to be a $1 sundae at McDonalds. This month our date night will be tonight and I don't think it will go down in the record book as being one of my wife's favorites. It's called "The Sweetheart Dinner" and is at the Legion Post in the next town over to the east, just a 15 minute drive. It's supposed to be a thank you to the wives because we are gone so much of the time doing VFW things. Yes that includes sitting in the "Main Tap" with my Comrades discussing VFW business. We don't have our own VFW Post and some of their members are also members of our VFW Post so there is no charge for the hall.

If you are a veteran you will understand the invitation which is actually funny because it says sweethearts are not provided. I had to put in a request to get married when I was in service that had to be signed all the way up the chain of command. When I first gave it to my Chief ( my direct boss) he looked at me and said, "Son, if the Navy would have wanted you to have a wife they would have issued one to you with your sea bag." I don't think he thought I was too smart getting married at 22 and planning to bring my new wife back to Japan with me. 43 years later I'm glad I ignored his advice and married the girl that is still the love of my life. Here's the invitation. Read carefully and hope you see the humor in it. The last time we were out with a bunch of sailors in Japan they had 10 drinks lined up in front of Lauralyn because they all wanted to buy her a drink for always having them over to our house when I was in port. So she's been there, but I don't think this will be one of our best date nights. Got to love a woman that still puts up with the old Sailor. She claims it was the uniform that got her.

VETRANS OF FOREIGN WARS

OREGON-BROOKLYN-MCFARLAND POST 10272

SWEETHEARTS DINNER INVITATION

We would like to cordially invite you to this year’s “Sweetheart Dinner”. The dinner will be held in McFarland at the American Legion Post on 24 March 2012. Roll call will be at 18:00 hours, chow will be at 18:30 hours and taps will be at 22:00 hours. Uniform is casual civilian attire and a sweetheart will not be issued so please bring your own.

Mess hall (buffet style) will be serving tasty barbecued port, chopped port and chicken. Some seasoned red potatoes, green beans and corn for sides. In addition we will have coleslaw, pasta salad, dinner rolls and for desert a beautiful sheet cake. The mess will be catered by J.L. Richards.

The cost is $10 per individual. We will have door prizes, beer and wine. Entertainment will be the stories, tales and conversations between all of our comrades.

Something tells me Lauralyn will not count this as this months date night. What do you think?

Doofus With An Opinion

First of all I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to participate in the “We The People Wisconsin, Economy Project”. I knew there would be people that would challenge our opinions and I know there are people in the world that will say black because I say white. I would hope we are all mature enough to be respectful of each others opinions, even though they may be opposite of ours and that we can all agree to disagree and still be kind to each other. I have a friend in another state that I was in the Navy with 44 years ago who is as far politically right as I seem to be left and we continue to be best friends because we respect each other and each other’s opinions.

The day after our TV spot was on there were already people posting comments that could have hurt, but they didn’t because I had learned early on not to be afraid to express my opinion. Probably why I feel comfortable writing a blog, leaving my self open to criticism and critiquing. http://justconnectingwords.blogspot.com .

One person commenting on my statement, that “I was concerned about the future of Social Security,” referred to me as a “dufus.” First of all if you look up the word in the dictionary, the most correct spelling is “doofus,” although “dufus’ is acceptable. The noun is slang and the definition is as follows: a stupid, incompetent or foolish person. Maybe we should have added the fact that my wife has a teaching degree, and taught in various places over the last 40 years; I have one in Business Administration and worked for AT&T for 30 years and Park Bank for 10 after serving in the Navy for four years with four tours in Vietnam and a year and one half in Taipei, Taiwan; our daughter-in-law has a degree as a Medical Assistant and worked for the same medical group for 12 years and our son has a degree in Studio Engineering and worked for the same church, in that capacity, for 10 years. Guess none of us are either stupid or incompetent. We have taught your children, given you medical attention, provided your communications and helped you to worship at church.

Foolish? Maybe to put our selves and our situation, affected by this economy, out there for all to see, but we don’t think so. I think there are many families, much like ours, that feel frustrated by a government, Democratic, Republican and everything in between, that has not been helping us or showing much concern for us. If politicians would spend half as much time, energy and money on the concerns of all of us, instead of getting re-elected or pushing their individual or party’s agenda, we might just be in a better place than we are now.

To those that feel a need to criticize and call us names I will pray for you to have an open mind when you watch us on TV. Please read what we actually said without interjecting, “what you think we said or were thinking”. We do respect your right to say and write what ever you feel you have to in order to get your point across or to push your agenda. Please don’t ever assume you know what we were thinking, don’t add words to what we actually said and please don‘t take us out of context. That’s a very old and not so nice political trick. GOD BLESS and PEACE to ALL!

We The People Wisconsin Economic Project

A couple of months ago my wife, Lauralyn, read an article in the Wisconsin State Journal asking for a family to volunteer for “We The People Wisconsin Economic Project”. They were looking for a family willing to talk about how the present economy has affected them. I know my wife mentioned it to all of us in the house and I for one said sure because my wife never does things like this and I didn’t really expect her to follow through on it. After I found out that she really did send a letter I almost hoped that we would not be picked. To my surprise we did get picked and the TV affiliate in Madison chose us for monthly recorded interviews with me, Lauralyn, our son David and daughter-in-law Odessa. There will be another family from the Green Bay area and one from the LaCrosse area doing the same thing with another reporter. We will have one interview per month from now until November and perhaps a live discussion on TV before the election with all three families present.

I wasn’t sure if we were really an average family, but we sure were a family that had experienced many things from the economy over the last couple of years. As most of my readers already know we did the three generational family thing mostly out of love of family and wanting to do this rather than having to do this. We had talked about this for a couple of years and saw our son and daughter-in-law being able to help us with things around the house as we got older, keep an eye on our aging process and we thought we could give them a better living arrangement than they had. We also enjoyed the long weekends that we have spent with them at our house over the last seven years. Our two families seemed to mesh very well. We looked at this as being an opportunity to see more of our grandson as he grew up and enjoy the company of our kids.

I thought back to my first home. When I was born in 1947 my parents and I and my mother’s sister and her husband all lived in a Milwaukee bungalow that my Grandpa had built. As I researched multi generational families I found out that in the 1940’s about 32% of the population lived in multi generational homes and that in 2008 that figure was up to 49%. I have a feeling that it is even higher today as I talk with friends my age. They all agreed that this situation was in part due to the economy which is much different than it was when we were their ages.

Yesterday morning a political reporter interviewed us as their video photographer recorded the event as we sat around our kitchen table. The first interview turned out to be mainly questions about who we were and how we got to this point in our lives. I plan to keep the reporters name out of my blog, but I have to let you know that she and her camera man made us feel very comfortable in a situation that might have been very stressful. After the first interview I am glad that my wife answered the call for an average family and feel that there are people out there in Wisconsin and the world that are experiencing the same things that we are and are being affected by the economy in the same way that we are.



Our whole family agrees that the average person is not being heard and that this will help us with our frustrations that government is no longer concerned with what is best for all of the people they are working for, not just the ones in their particular party. Hopefully this experience will not only be beneficial for us, but also for all those that follow our story. I’ve always looked at my life as a journey and not a destination and consider this as just another part of that journey. Life continues to be good and will only get better.

Special thanks to Tom, an old friend, who encouraged us to go through with this.

My Last Name Is Cegec

I'm friending 22 people on facebook with the last name of Cegec to find out about my relatives.

James Michael Cegec - Klarich

230 Ash St.

Oregon, Wisconsin 53575

U.S.A.

608 - 347 - 7792


Klarichjm@yahoo.com

To anyone that can help me,

I am trying to find out information about my grandfather Jacob Cegec and his wife Theresa who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s. His father, or my great grandfather was Michael Cegec. I am 65 years old and my father is deceased and was never able to tell me much about my relatives. His father. Jacob Cegec was killed in Milwaukee WI. In 1920 in an industrial accident when my dad was only three years old. His mother remarried a man by the name of Klarich and then his mother died when he was 16 years old. My dad’s step father had my dad’s last name changed from Cegec to Klarich in 1934 and my dad didn’t know that he could change it back when he left his step father a year later when he was 17.

My dad had a brother and sister that also died when he was a child and teenager and I was told that his parents had left some of their children behind in the old country and that they never made it to America. I believe that they were from Zagreb Yugoslavia or Austria but have no documentation as to when Jacob and Theresa came to America, what ship they came on or even the correct spelling of my grandmothers last or maiden name. I am looking for anyone with the same last name of Cegec to help me find more information on my Grandparents immigration to the U.S., any aunts or uncles or cousins or other relatives that I might still have in eastern Europe.



Great Grandfather Michael Cegec

Grandfather Jacob Cegec 05/01/1889 - 07-06-1934

Grandmother Theresa Estrajher 01-06-1881 - 10-17-1936



Thank you for your help in advance, it is greatly appreciated.



James Michael Cegec - Klarich