so in this blog entry i wanted to mention this great show i saw on TV the other day…  it was on channel 66 which here is the travel channel… and it is called passport to Europe… it was a visit to Monte Carlo… if i could i would go to Monaco and purchase a home there in a heart beat… some of my best memories form when i was 18-19 were when i was going to school in Cap D’ail….
 The people i was fortunate enough to meet were amazing… the scenery spectacular… and just an amazing experience…. i suggest it to anyone who want to learn a foreign language.. go emerce yourself in the county of choice… and if you want to learn French… wow…. no other place could compare….

The school (at the time i attended ( so that was)…. 1984-1985 )…. was up on this hill and there was this great staircase you could take to walk down right to the bakery… patissery…. the smell… of fresh croissants… and these cookies that were smothered with sugar and contained raspberry jam…. oh la la…. then this great restaurant… that had the best spaghetti cabana….. 

I can still remember the cobblestone streets where this one pub was located….where Thomas saved me form some old pervert trying to hit on me… HA!   the cafe right by the casino…. remarkable hot chocolate….  the stores… the restaurants.. just everything about the experience was so wonderful and great!!!

The walk to the beach… with its small hard stones… the breathtaking beauty of it all… 

 The Amazing people i got to meet… i will remember them and their kindness and friendship  my entire life… it was  such a wonderful blend… Thomas and Claes from  Sweden….  my roommate Luci from Germany… Beth the only other American girl who was just about my age…Fred also an American with  the cutest yet life threatening rides in his  scooter….  Heidi from  Denmark…..Rosie… from England… Philip… actually from France… think even from Cap Dail…..   and a ton of others…
 a girl Katy from Australia… her friend Deter…. and Otto…. and Luis and Manuel…. just such a mix of amazing and wonderful people and experiences….

One woman Petra… who actually taught me to knit… ( all the German woman and girls knew how to knit… so of course i thought I would have no problem learning…. HA!…. problem is that Petra left before my sweater was finished… this poor sweater…. or vest for the longest time…. well needless to say… i think i still have it somewhere deep in my closet HA!!!!

Another funny experience… i had my hair in what might have been a little bit longer than a shoulder length bob…. after lessons in french… i thought i had conquered the language barrier… and went into Monaco for a hair cut i would never forget….  did you know the verb for cut was different than that verb for trim…. Hummmm… well it is…. so i came back with a very stylish but very very short haircut.. easy maintenance…. well not exactly… if i had tried to get it to look like i did when i walked out of the salon… probably tons of maintenance… but it never looked as great as that… HA!   luckily i had made my friends who seemed to like me for who i was… and not for my hair! HA! ( side note.. its a good
thing that laughter has been a huge part of my entire  growing up
experience some days… you just know there is nothing left to do but
laugh… or cry… and I’ve done my share of both…HA! ) 

another great experience that i had almost forgotten until seeing this show… one particular road trip to St Tropez… HA! you wont believe this but what i remember most… is this cute little pair of plaid wool pants i got there…. yep… still have those as well…. speaking of road trips…. wish i could remember with Beth.. she was my road trip accomplice….   we rented a car for a month and each weekend we would go of on an adventure… we went to Spain … Barcelona…  to Switzerland.. and visited some of her friends….. to Italy.. Milan…. shopping of course in Milan…. HA! we even went to Rome where we met these soldiers… who exchanged money for us and took us out to eat….HA!  and where else…  gosh… everywhere…  we had a blast… at least I know i did….. and some of the the funniest stories happened  on all the adventures… and that is really what i need to call these trips… Thomas and Claes laughed at me… i had this little pocket sized travel journal… with a map… so we would pick out a destination.. i would guesstimate the distance… you know a thumb or finger so say.. an inch away…. couldn’t be that far right??????HA!!!!! needless to say… Barcelona… we dint have enough funds for lodging or for much food…. HA! i almost had my purse snatched… and gosh… so many other funny stories… nothing bad really happened though… guess some serious guardian angels were taking good care of us….HA!!!!

so much to write about such a wonderful experience…
Another funny experience… renting the car…. well more actually learning to drive the car… a stick shift… and learning or more accurately  relearning to drive and park the car on those wonderful  streets… up hills… so what is it like to parallel  park  you might ask??? tricky… very tricky… think i almost gave Thomas a slight heart attack….
See when we moved to the beach condo in 1984… no more boarding school and my mom got us ( meaning my sister and myself… a car.. we decided on something unique… this little Italian sports car… called a lancia… didn’t know anything about it the car… even if it was great car… you know most people choose a car based on so many variables…. had never bought a car before… so guess as girls.. we went on looks…. HA! and it was pretty cute… and unique… just hated  not being an individual… not that we wanted to stand out and be obnoxious… or anything… just wanted to have something unique…HA! and as i mentioned before my dad had always recommended European cars… but i think we should have gone with a BMW or Mercedes….. as i recall it had quite a few mechanical problems…. anyway…back to the memory….I  knew even less about  how to drive a stick shift… so my sister learned… and i didn’t really have a problem not driving that often…. eventually my friend Julie taught me to drive a stick shift…  wanting the independence and freedom to go where i wanted and to drive when i wanted… but learning to drive a stick in Monaco…  let me tell you…… whole different experience!

Really liked having the car at school in Europe…. so much fun…. hated giving it back after the rental was finished…. but even that turned out pretty nice… saw and spoke with Danny Divto at the Nice airport…. I am not much of a movie star hound…. i think of people as just people…. each with a unique life and unique story…. some are really nice and great … and some are really rotten no matter what they choose to do for a career in their life….  guess that is why it was really nice to have met and befriended Beth… she actually writes scripts… I  even once drove her from Vero to the keys where one on her scripts was being made into a movie…. by a German company i believe…. i promise i will get all the facts and insert hem into the blog when i get a chance!

Hey…. now that i think of it… it could have been great for Beth to have returned the car….  actually she should have probably been at the airport… would have been really  nice for her to meet and speak with Mr. Devito….  Beth if you were there and ever get to read this.. let me know if you got a chance to talk with him…. ….HA!

 
We even went to a Dire straights concert right on this soccer field….  If i remember correctly…. Philip or Fred were driving… and one of them almost hit Prince Albert with the car…  i remember  the music even though i really didn’t know the band all that well it was as always is wonderful to see a live concert… the weather was absolutely perfect… honestly was wonderful and most memorable experience… you just don’t get to repeat memories and experiences like that… i must say the entire adventure was amazing… but then there were quite a few experiences in my life that were amazing…
 

Gosh… hacker again… was writing  in my blog for about an hour… and guess what?… it automatically deleted itself.. while i was still writing …. no automatic save or anything … so you think i have hacker guy back who has pass codes and didn’t like when i was writing  about the slimy and scummy gerard… Brooklyn criminal… con artist? or what ?

OK if I can remember how i started the blog entry… It was about st jude… how this week and  is a very special week for the st. Jude novena… so here are the websites to check out the st. Jude novena… 

www.shrineofsaintjude.com  
www.shrineofstjude.claretians.org

So do you believe that prayers are answered? do you believe that God is this great and wonderful father who actually wants us to be happy? I do… I have been saying this novena for a huge financial miracle and for protection from all evil for one year and two months… so far it hasn’t been answered… but maybe this week right?  I could win the multi- million dollar lottery ticket and miracles can  happen.. all things are possible…

Gosh… i could  not only bless all the great and wonderful people who have been so great to me in my life time.. I could  not only be able to prosecute the people who have not been great to me in this life time … but just all the opportunities  that would be so wonderful… like the Harvard executive courses… or even  take the “the teach the teacher courses from Emily Post… I could make sure that my mother’s business would be financially able to grow into the business it should be and protect it from any hostile takeovers by some very unsavory and unethical people who are not interested in my mother’s legacy or her business but in their own ability to make money off of all her hard work and all my hard work….

Next I was able to write about how woman, sisters, nieces and even mothers  shouldn’t settle when it comes to dating..
to allow people into your lives… you should never settle  when it comes to the integrity of people… the values they possess.. the morals they exhibit… the honesty they portray in their lives…. these are not qualities of character that you should ever lower for your  standards  and in your your life… 

I allowed one horrible person in my life… in 2003 i met someone who  was nothing like anyone i would have normally let into my life.. this person i normally  would have never allowed to be anything more than a passing acquaintance..  he was not even close to my ideal  but i thought that it couldn’t hurt to lower my very strick standards … ( or at leat that is what i was told i had… this long laundry list of qulaities, and characteristics that i had decided would make the ideal gingerbread man… ) the normal ideal for me would have been tallish, blond hair and blue eyes…  clean cut preppy and as i had mentioned before would have been able to feel comfortable in many istuations… have many levels of depth to him.. be able to cnverse eith anyone about anything….and yes  fit into many different situations.. but defianately would feel comfortable  in nice settings and definately have manners…

So the biggest mistake of my life…. this guy was not tallish not blond…not good at all….  he was fat, had dark hair, was from Brooklyn NY …. you know those type of guys….obnoxious…. rude…. sloppy, had no manners and  wore sweatpants… worst part he actually believed he was a gift to all people…. oh shall i say arrogant…. yes sir… defiantly arrogant… UCK!! supposedly had his own construction company…. but who knows…could have been more lies…. but it  it definitely turned me off anyone who works in construction….  .don’t believe he was educated… i could probably go on and on about his horrible qualities… ( i never thought i could meet someone who was soooo not my type… or what i was looking for… but funny enough… he exactly embodied so many horrible traits… i guess it allowed me to not have to meet and date someone who may have just had one or two of his traits… right?… they were all bunched up in one awful package… UCK!

 I think it is important to be able to get to know  know people…. maybe  someone  who isn’t your ideal mate but could be a friend or  possibly a person who could be someone really wonderful…underneath right… so my mom had always told m to give people a chance… even Joel Osteen did that entire sermon on giving someone a chance .. but there comes a place and time when you shouldn’t give someone  a chance…   i didn’t judge on the  basis of how they look or how they were brought up  but my fatal mistake was that anyone who doesn’t have morals or values or ethics ….qualities that would allow them to live in society and not steal or lie or cheat anyone out of anything… now  those qualities are just  not acceptable no matter what package it comes in…. so in trying not to be snobby.. i went in the wrong direction and allowed someone into my life that should not have been ever allowed into anyone’s life based on the fact that he really had no redeaming human qualities that were admirable in any way shape or form….   

I thought that i wasn’t being  a snob.. wasn’t being discriminatory… i honestly thought …. what could it hurt?…. to just see what meeting and dating someone  like this would be like….someone who was nothing like you…   well i was wrong…

I suggest you tell anyone who will listen… DO not  allow anyone you dont feel comfortable  with into your life…  there is a reason that you don’t feel comfortable… that somewhere in your being..  you know  that they are not right…. you may feel that this person is lying.. or. is someone who you should just say.. “PASS”…  and don’t look back… but defiantly don’t give them any opportunity to lie their way into your life… when they ask you questions about how much money your business makes.. don’t tell them.. when they want to know where you live, where your family has property what your  family members do… don’t tell them… when they want  to know who your friends are… where your clients live… don’t tell them!!!  Don’t give them keys to your car or your house… don’t allow them into your lives at all…   

I had grown up with a great family who taught me to be honest.. not to lie.. and so i couldn’t recognize a con artist or someone who was horrible when i first met him… tragic error actually…  

the first clue… when my mother did a background check on him and he became extremely violent… definitely  sign of someone who is not only hiding something but is so vile and horrible you should stay very very far away…
next clue.. my sisters were appalled.. when they met him … he didn’t have any manners they were accustomed  to seeing in anyone we ever met… he tried  impressing  them with his stories  of money… but it was all attempts to brag…  and honestly they were probably all lies as well…

So,  Tell anyone  who  will listen… all the lies  …. confide in your friends and your family … they love you and  want  you to be happy.. they have the same morals and values… they brought you up to have certain expectations as far as education.. as far as a life style… as far as achieving  your hopes and dreams…. they honestly want your hopes and dreams to come true… any true friend does … only the selfish people who cant be happy for your good or great fortune  would not help you to achieve your dreams… 

 Gosh.. they probably helped you to create your hopes and dreams… i mean they were probably taking  about schools or colleges… when you were very young… they probably told you  they believed you would be great…. and what profession you might enjoy…  they may have told you when they liked your boyfriends.. and friends… and even  who they hoped you might date or marry… these are the true people in your life who will always be on your side in any conflict… who love you unconditionally and who want  you to have the greatest life possible!  They would never want you to settle and would defiantly never want you to be around anyone who is defiantly WRONG….

When you find out someone isn’t who they say they are..  tell everyone… if they hurt you tell everyone ….. if they lie to you….. steal from   you … tell the police.. tell everyone… do not keep quiet…    anyone who tells you to keep quiet … is not your friend … is not someone who has your best interest at heart…  

I was so naive and innocent i never questioned… i listened and obeyed… i followed instructions… i followed all the rules and did not break them and assumed that the rest of society did the same…
 
when i had my credit cards and driver’s license stolen ….(2005) Can you believe that  someone told me to just wait and they ( my credit cards and driver’s license)  would  turn up eventually…. what a stupid and horrible way to deal with a very criminal occurrence….  but you can read about his and other bad advice and the crimes/criminals that go along with the crimes that were not prosecuted… or punished… until now…at least until recently….) them  that were never in my other blog… and website… www.mysearchforjustice.com  the blog is www.blogmysearchforjustice.com 
Anyway… I have so much more to say on the matter… wish my blog post had been auto saved.. oh well maybe it will start doing what it is supposed to do …( the bog that is….) soon… luv mary jean ziska  

 Well, today started out as a great day…. beautiful weather… a James bond show to walk on the treadmill… … absolutely perfect until i read a bully email sent to me yesterday at 10:fifty something….   then a few more bully emails… then horrible phone conversations… and wham…. a horrible day… me in tears.. with my stomach all in knots… feeling just as horrible as when karne kahel would bully me or show up trespassing in my complex… and the thing of it is.. who ever keeps doing all of this does it on purpose.. they know exactly when and how to harm or bully or inflict pain on someone.. on me… could someone be that petty that they are
so jealous of me having a great family… or of being happy… or of
having great business ideas… or plans… they have to be so childish.. to steal a business….

I didn’t want to bring this  entire story into this blog.. especially since it is all about God being in control..in him being able to make great and wonderful experiences happen…   in him being able to find this perfect guy for me… the perfect guy for me with out all the drama… and with hardly any issues or problems since i really don’t want  to deal with any…

Get this…  some horrible human being tried firing me from my own business….  yesterday…  yep, sent me a bully email using my mother’s email address… when I called the police they said that an unlocked router can actually be accessed to send emails… so voila… her renters… now or from before… or her baby sitters… now or from before… who don’t want to share the jobs… or want things to change…  or even some disgruntled employees. from possibly from even a hotel… or even that girl from Ohio state who enjoys bulling other girls… 

using my mother’s email address… trying to cause conflict and damage between a family and a business.. some evil and vile people not taking responsibility for their own poor behavior and their horrid and pathetic excuse of human existence  but trying to blame it on  someone as innocent and wonderful as my mother…. my mother and my family absolutely love me… they would never in a million years ever harm me or torment me like these girls have done… i will say it now for the record.. these people  so guilty of inflicting emotional distress.. of harming a business and of trying to damage relationships…  i know i can never forgive them….

The show Mean Girls…   these girls are sooo much worse than that… they are criminal in their pursuit of harming others… their diabolical and methodical way of harming another human being .. of breaking them down to tears.. after anger.. with no remorse… the intentional  infliction of emotional distress…  like having a cell phone with a caller id that is backward from my mother… Gregory Marion… instead of Marion Gregory… the Gregory Marion caller id… horrid… … a rotten person on that phone line  not only a liar… but but the actual method of torture….this girl or boy will get me upset then tape phone messages so they can play them to people or back to myself…Seriously,  who hasn’t been upset after being bullied for hours.. for having mean and damaging and emails sent …. who wouldn’t be affected…
If anyone has any idea how to stop them please let me know…. I’ve contacted the police, an attorney… sent emails, phone calls… anything trying to let people know the damage these people have done… and are continuing to do… i wold love some assistance in stopping them… i even contacted a person who was a former FBI and worked as a private investigator…  

It’s horrible to meet and have to deal with human beings who really should be locked up and in jail… who lie and cheat and steal…  who pretend to be something they are not… not just identity theft… but something far more sinister…. something i never want to be a part of… sick people who play games with people’s lives… with out any remorse…

This guy who started all of this in 2003…Gerard Alher…. really horrible human being…( if you can call him human) .  I sure wouldn’t … ever call him anything close to human….

you know when you first start asking someone about themselves… trying to sauce out if they would be someone with similar values.. or morals.. or even likes or interests…  he actually had the nerve when i asked him if he did something he was proud of in his life… to say ….. yes……. I thought maybe he would say something like helping some children from St. Judes hospital … or giving money to a great charity… but no …..you won’t believe what his answer was…

He said when he and his “friends” were chasing some girl…  she wrecked her car and became a paraplegic… and even though he never slept with her he paid her bills… can you believe that??????? … the guy didn’t even blink or show any sign of remorse… or feelings for actually ruining another human beings life…. not one moment of caring or compassion about how this girl will never be able to live out her hopes and dreams… of how she will never be able to walk or maybe ever be able to even feed herself… or live any normal life… not like she had before meeting his destructive person…
one action that can’t be undone..  they had a choice …..to harm her or not… to harm her..  but instead of having morals or ethics or values… those selfish individuals.. decided to go ahead..  have some fun… use a person for their own benefit… who cares right?  who would notice right?…. and so made choices that  were responsible for the destruction of a girls life.. of a family… and not a single sign of remorse… he didn’t even mention he was sorry….that it affected his life and changed him into being a better human .. no… he was actually  proud of having paid the bills… remember the question… right?  this was was he was most proud of in his life…. of having accomplished..  his answer to being  good to another human being to making a positive difference in someone’s life…  of course after chasing  this girl causing an accident a girl and ruining her life…

( hummmm wonder if they bullied her before that  “on purpose accident” ….)  anyway taking about begin scared and frightened and horrified on a “date”… no lets not call it a date… please …. meeting him and his con artist group was actually the worst thing ever to happen to me in my life…

 I actually think that night he offered me one thousand dollars to give up the rights to my gingerbread man story… HA! no way.. my gingerbread man story will have a wonderful story book ending….    An absolutely wonderful guy… with amazing family and friends.. who will get to meet my amazing family and friends… hopefully I wont be a quadriplegic or dead or something by then…

 Did I mention he did mention his partner was killed and he had to be interrogated all day one day… … but them that was in  Brooklyn new york.. and he claimed his family was somehow connected to the Mafia… probably all lies.. but defiantly one person i wish i had never in my life ever met ever……  him and karen kahel… Ugg… two people i wish i had never met in my life…

Can you imagine these horrible  women who manipulate and  conscientiously  and calculatingly go about and intentionally harming people…. they must not have any idea idea of the consequence of their actions…right?

Can people really be that evil?

I  mean I hope that they have no idea of how much damage they cause…  and the thing that gets me to the core of my  being… is why…. why ??? for a business??? there was this family from the check republic who used to hire nannies from the Chek republic each year they would get a new nanny… each year one of the nanny’s would find a guy and get married.. don’t know if that was each and everyone of them but most of them… one of the nannies told me there was this guy who wanted to start a business like my mom’s still cant find out who it was…….

If anyone has any leads on who may be wanting to either steal or ruin my mom and my business.. please let me know….

 I know this one guy who i got a referral from the chek nannies…  named Johnathan… was supposed to do computer work for the family’s  company… he came over and was going help me with my computer.. wasn’t able to fix anything but was able to use this metal case attach it to my hard drive.. and i think got all my original files from my our business… ( my mom and mine)  business… scary right?… you let someone into your life expecting them to be these good and great help and they can borrow copies of your files…. which in turn can copy a business… which can  no only damage your  business… but it feels like a betrayal like insider trading… stealing  to copy a business…. or worse yet…
like that one horrible date… someone like that could damage your entire life….

The thing that is so funny.. is that  since my mom is an entrepreneur… and i had the extreme pleasure of seeing her create the amazing MET business…. I’ve been working  on business since I was 10-12 years old… while  growing up in Saudi Arabia.. we were creative in so many ways… we would bring in items like bubble yumm… ( remember that stuff?)  and sometimes give it away or sell it… or the  new and  music..  or crafts…. really when you have a mind for business when you see an opportunity its so much fun to try to fill the niche…

One attempt at a business with a friend started in her kitchen…   peanut brittle… we laughed so hard when we were making it … and we were so enthusiastic… made a sample plate to take to the teacher’s lounge… slight problem… we let everyone get so full of the samples… HA! but we took a concept… made the product and even marketed it…. not so bad at age 11 I think… I mean Warren Buffett bought his first stock at 14 right?

But what I was trying to get at.. why steal a business? Can some people who have no creativity.. no imagination.. no business sense and no morals to boot… actually have to go around and steal or ruin a business  are there so many people who can’t take a concept and through honest means create a business plan… take  the right steps to  market a product….and with the right connections  and financing… create a thriving business????…

What type of person would have to  be so stupid that they couldn’t think of something original… but would have to steal a business already in operation… not only shows such lack of moral character but had to be of such a low intelligence… right?    

So, as of tonight…. and the lies about me being fired from  my own business…  UNTRUE  and such a lie… whoever today was bulling and damaging my life…   the new profession i am supposed to change and do in my life is be a nurse….and not an assistant director of a babysitting business or of the etiquette school…. and whomever  will basically bully  me into being a nurse whether I want it or not… and in doing so will then go right ahead and steal the business i worked to help my mother maintain….  I actually had worked these past two  years without a pay check..  was even working toward helping it to become the million $ business… who knows… working within the hotel industry.. wouldn’t it be great to have made it into a franchise…

When I look back…  wonder if  that one ucky  guy Gerard started doing this sort of thing  when i had my faux painting business…  he did have Proline Contracting…..at the time…  UCK!!!!! It makes me shudder just to think of it…. if any one has any proof let me know!!!

My last bit of horror story for this evening… NEVER ALLOW bad people into your lives!!!!

SO ….  A NICE QUOTE TO END THIS MANIPULATED AND HORRIBLE EVENING….  I actually had this on my screen saver in 1999….

“IF ONE ADVANCES CONFIDENTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF HIS DREAMS AND ENDEAVORS TO LIVE THE LIFE WHICH HE HAS IMAGINED HE WILL MEET WITH A  SUCCESS UNEXPECTED IN COMMON HOURS” HENRY DAVID THOREAU

“Do you ever feel like a chess piece yourself in a game being played against your will”
“Do you”
“Constantly, I see then them leaning in and moving me around the board”
“Seize hold of my skirts and drag me from square to square”
“Then you had better master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can”

“I should find one ( husband) to play it with you not for you ”

Love this quote from the movie… “The young Victoria” it takes place while victoria and her “beau”  are playing chess…. interesting to feel like your life is not entirely you own….that the people who should have your best interests at heart…. have their own interests and quite selfish interests at that….

it plays to the  idea  of whom can you trust….  what is their true motivation….. and why on earth should  someone decide…. or for that matter…. be allowed to believe  that  people are to be toyed with…  that average or normal people are so nondescript that they are replaceable… that their lives are substitutable… that they are just pieces of a game…. and a game for whom?????

Say someone is the same height… possibly the same weight… and has the same hair color… does that give anyone the right  to dismiss their unique attributes?… their own desires for their own particular  future?….. their own goals or dreams?……. Don’t you believe that each individual has been put on this earth for a unique experience… that their lives have been a culmination of all their life experiences… and they are today….. at this very moment the person they are because of the experiences.. whether good or bad… they are who they are based in part by  the people they are surrounded with … and the advice they are given.. or even  the knowledge they are allowed to ascertain…. and the choices they were allowed to make….  yes i believe that each person has their own personality and their own way of handeling any given situation that is normally unique…  but honestly…. when you know better you do better…. ( think that  was even a quote from oprah HA)  but just because someone looks like someone else… they are still their own unique individual self… even twins are not always exacty alike…. right?

So the theory that any  one person is replaceable by another?… ludicrous….that any girl can be …. what?……. put into a “box” to be “used”….as a replacement part for any other girl with the same height or weight or hair color????? That one girl is no different than the other.. what if they even looked similar… or had a similar name….or could dress alike….   are people  so dispensable that  the very life they live doesn’t matter?….. that the very history they live doesn’t mater… that the very future they want doesn’t matter?

I mean really…… who would be so vile and arrogant  to believe themselves so superior to think that they had the right to  “move people like pieces on a chess game….” to be able to replace one girl for another…. one family for another…. one history for another…. one life for another….  egoistical doesn’t even begin to describe the type of personality besides some very criminal implications of identity theft… the ramifications for playing “GOD” are usually detrimental….

Absolutely Love this quote…. as kind of a hobby… i love to find great quotes…. like one i have pinned on my monitor…

“watch you thoughts they become words watch your words they become actions watch your actions they become habits watch your habits they become character … watch your character it becomes your destiny….” 

October 15th 2010  forward written by MaryJean Ziska for a  book to give to Marion Jean Ziska-Gregory  b-day June 12th 2009/

Dear Mom, to a woman with all the answers, all my love and all my admiration- your/talents and amazing personality has been an inspiration to me growing up- I’ve admired your grace, and your ability to make life and those around you happy and  so loved….
You gave your daughters the gift of yourself.. of enduring love and the grace you possess… the laughter you instill, the joy you bring to others,.. the adventure of a lifetime has been growing up and having a mother as wonderful as you… Happy birthday Luv,  Mary Jean Ziska  

Harvard blog entry: 
Question/comment:  What is your relationship with adversity?  What role has it played in becoming who you are- in forging your essential character and mindset?  How has it influenced your optimism, energy, opportunities, relationships health, performance capacity ad leaps of faith>? Can you think of any force that has been more profoundly formative?  

 my answer by mary jean Ziska:

 complete essay to follow… answer to last question… concerning formative force… more powerful than adversity..  love/ passion/ support/  more powerful than adversity… adversity tears down breaks apart destroys spirits/ dreams/ hopes.. love on the other hand.. 

Quote:  “Perfect love casts out all fears and opens the doors for endless possibilities”

luv mary jean ziska

The book “For my mother keepsake of thanks and memories of growing up”

Question:  The time i missed you most was….

Now…. Even though you have always been close to my heart I’ve missed your physical presence your daily updates, your laughter your sharing  your unconditional love and the way you made my life seem somehow important and made me feel so very well loved..

Somehow growing up you made me feel important, you helped me to feel validated, and needed but most importantly you always made me feel loved-even miles away in boarding school you sent your love and i just new you were there to be my hero and my champion no matter what … when traveling internationally your reminders kept me close to you in my heart – when love seemed to be absent from anyone i cared for you were always there .. so i never missed  you  before now… it was not having you here for my 43rd birthday that made me really miss you when you actually do pass away i will miss your presence always luv mary jean ziska
 

For my mother:  the page/question is …..

I liked to watch you(my mother) while you were …..  

Escorting people on tours and I was traveling with you.  It showed me what a strong, amazing woman you were.  It taught me that women could be successful and that all things were possible! 

You were able to not only command a room and make sure everything was done to your specifications but the opportunities that were presented to you were outstanding  to I remember going to tea with the Masai tribe… when no one else was invited, to go and see outstanding exhibits at the jewelry stores in India, special tours, and  special services….

The entire time you were able to make everything look so easy and effortless… when problems cropped up you created solutions and you made me believe that when there was a will there was a way and when you wanted something accomplished you always made it happen! 

I felt you could accomplish anything… I was so proud of you as “the boss” my mother and a woman.. somehow you balance and juggled everything and did it with style humor and grace.. yet you always accomplished your goals and achieved your dreams.. and always helped your three  daughters to do the same.. I love you for being exactly who you are/were…. no one can take your place.. and your as unique as every sunrise and sunset.. luv mary jean ziska

another question:  for my mother “My favorite way to spend time with you alone was…”

When we had our own trips/tours When we went to Mount Everest and neither  of my sisters  got to go  on that trip! I loved spending special moments/I remember being in India at Suffering Moses and seeing the painting on the paper mache  boxes the wood factory taking the shakara boat down these narrow rivers … the carpet factory… being with you while shopping  in Rome in Paris…. all over the world.. But especially when you seemed to take the time to care and spend special time with me.. I felt the whole world must have known how much you loved me.. I remember  sitting on the edge of your bed telling you of my daily adventures you seemed to have all the time and patience  in the world  to hear my “he said/ she said” play by play of what was going on who liked who and how I felt about it-
You picked out special trinkets from trips or even when you started my doll collection/ or stamp collection…or even when you made sure I had everything I could possibly need at boarding school… the care the time you spent and the love I felt and the gratitude I always told you ( even while with a strep throat on Mt Everest!HA!) I knew you made my life so very special and that i was valuable and loved and even lovable because you always not only told  us but showed us…

Evenings conversations over hot tea (with milk and honey)  even time spent at the make up counter.. or out to lunch or whenever you told me a special story of my childhood, of your childhood and shared your dreams.. All those moments I will always treasure… luv mary jean ziska   

To my mother ( Marion Jean Gregory): from Mary Jean Ziska
answer to the question:  one of the best and most formative experiences that happened to me was….

Mom, one of the best and most formative experiences that happened to me was the knowledge that i was really wanted, really valued and really loved.  Knowing the security of a mother and father team who made me feel loved, secure, and cherished helped me to grow into an adult who knew who to love people- to cherish them to value them and to show them my depth of affection for them …. I think  the quote is true about “how a child learns”

 Now onto some really positive topics… does anyone follow Forbes blogs?…. there  was a really great  article concerning posts by women… twitter or blogs cant remember… anyway…(I”ll check my files and insert the full info in a few)  a few caught my eye…one was called start up princess    o.k. better check my facts before i write anything else… but it was wonderful… and the most wonderful ideas such wonderful women sharing their  mentoring experience…  what a great and wonderful  collaborative group of women…. now these are wonderful human beings… instead of tearing people down.. they actually build up people and their businesses… they don’t think lack.. they think of the world be so bountiful and wonderful that they can share their knowledge can help to see other businesses grow… another great mentoring and wonderful opportunity i found…   is an organization Make mine a million dollar $
and of course i need to also give huge applause to my sorority… Kappa Alpha Theta… i really think sororities are such wonderful group of women who actually help each other.. actually want to see their members succeed… and want them to be happy isn’t that so nice compared to bullies and women or girls or even boys or men who make such vile choices of harming others….

I am not marketing any organization that i mention.. i honestly ( and I am honest… don’t lie or cheat or steal ) just found these groups or websites or  whatever i mention.. to be really nice.. informative… helpful and i really like and appreciate them… you may disagree… but then you may just agree as well!

Speaking of honesty… i had tried writing about these women who will lie to get a guy… I’m not exactly talking about the women who get pregnant on purpose to entrap a man.. but i”m sure that happens as well.. but just the ones who lie… you know…like in 27 dresses… when the younger sister becomes a vegetarian… or likes outdoor sports…. when in reality she doesn’t… you know those type of women… I’m sure anyone who has seen the move will hopefully recognize the type… so why cant these women just be who they are… if they don’t want to go hiking.. then find a guy who want s to fly them to France to go have hot chocolate  at cafe de Paris… right next to the Monte Carlo casino.. right? Is it that they think their aren’t enough great guys out there? or that they have to make themselves into someone else… that a guy won’t like them “just as they are””…… 
or guys… why put girls through a series of test to see if they survive…. don’t you think that life will hand you a series of tests that you can actually  conquer together.. isn’t that the point of being a couple…. yes of course….. i am thinking gingerbread man….