Good afternoon. Started off at 41 degrees with overcast skies this morning, but the sun came up and new we're in the mid 50's.
IBKen - Hope your wife is improving.
Louis - Good photos as usual. Like the photo of the old place. Trick or treaters must have enjoyed it. I have been here for 42 years and have yet to see any kids stop by on Halloween.
Beady - Really like some of the old train ads you posted.
Chad - I like your collection of trains. Sure wish I had the time to ride on them when I visited the country. You brought up a sore subject for me.
Language and present day immigrants. My grand parents on both sides came over from Europe and like most immigrants who came through Ellis Island like mine did, the learned English and were proud of being able to learn the language and became citizens. When I was a cop in Florida, we had an officer who had parents come to the US from Cuba before Fidel took power. He also did not want his kids to speak Spanish when they had company and they got a good a## chewing if they did. They all spoke excellent English without any accent.
Johnny - Hood photos. I picked up my lumber yard close to 30 years ago. That kit has been around for a long time and has excellent detail for the time it was introduced.
Willie - I just can't say enough about the variety of buildings and businesses you have on your layout. You cease to amaze me.
Patrick - I am also Polish. Funny you should mention ethnic food. The reason I am checking in is because I've spent a bit of time in the kitchen today. After having to visit the vampire again for another blood draw this morning, I made another batch of perogies. Here are some of them. They are a pain in the but to make so when I do make them, I make quite a lot and freeze them. When I was living in Florida, I could get some and I did help both of my grand mothers make them when I was a kid. When I moved back to Montana the only way I could get any was to make them myself. After a couple of tries I got the recipe down. (it is not written, but in my head) Love them. Guess what's for dinner tonight. Think we'll have some keilbasa with them.
I did learn a lot of the language but not having used it for many years, rusty doesn't cover it. At one time I did speak 8 languages. Had 4 years of French in school and picked up Italian and Spanish (European) quite easily. From the Polish Ukrainian and Russian also came fairly easy. I was quite fortunate to be able to grasp languages easily. In the Navy we travels to 73 different countries and was able to get along quite well in many of them. I never missed the chance to enjoy the ethnic meals when I was over seas.
Louis mentioned food festivals. I attended three different electronic schools in Great Lakes, Illinois and loved going up to Milwaukee for their festivals.
Greg could probably chime in and tell me what the name was.
In Europe, it is quite common for people to speak multiple languages. One thing I always tried to do was to learn and use the language of the country I was in if at all possible instead of expecting people to speak or understand English.
Gotta get out of here and clean up the kitchen before the wife gets home.
Later