Memories….. tangible memories like photos and letters.. keepsakes…. and this blog entry is all about charms.. and charm bracelets….. how wonderful to look on these items  and know how thoughtful the gift…   not only the thought and preparation in giving such a special gift… but  the knowledge of the person who  gave it to you…  My mother collected these silver charms while we were young and traveling all over the place….  I wear the charm bracelet today …. it not only symbolizes and reminds me of the places /countries we were luckily enough to travel through but it reminds me of my mother’s thoughtfulness….
 
Countries on my bracelet:
Italy, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Austria, Egypt, India, Jordan, Africa, Spain, Holland, USA-Florida, and the keys-Florida, a big heart that says happy birthday and two charms that fell off… were England and Greece… other charms that i haven’t put on yet….

Charms i need to collect from countries i already have traveled and visited…. ( many….. )

there was a time a little while ago when everyone seemed to have charm bracelets… with other trinkets  attached… and charms that meant to each individual as much as my charm bracelet means to me…  I’m just really glad that my mom was….. and still is so unique and individual in her meaningful gifts…  one year when she came back from Saudi… at Christmas she actually gave us frankincense,  gold and myrrh (sp?)… like the wise-men…  another time for a friend of her’s Pete…  she gave him this preppy puzzle and them proceeded to give him all the items that  made up the puzzle….  pretty clever right?… another time…. we went on trips to celebrate birthdays or holidays….even once gave us sand from the rubalhahli(sp?)  ….  she was really great at  making holidays special and memorable and most times went to  great lengths … to make them  extra special…. all the time and effort  that went into all the holidays and gifts…. was and is still appreciated….  

I just think a charm bracelet  it is such a thoughtful and really  meaningful gift and memento.  I am so glad my mother gave me this gift… i hope someday if i ever get married and have children of my own… that i can pass along not only the charm bracelet idea… and travel experiences and a life full of memories when traveling to places together… but i hope she would appreciate it as much as i do now….  Thanks MOM!

So today… on the phone I had someone who kept trying to make me look bad and feel bad… about myself and my family…. I was also  told to “get over it”….   meaning anything that had to do with my other website and blog… blog.mysearchforjustice.com     ruined most of my day to be perfectly honest…. and here is a thought….

 ST JUDE…. not only the saint… or the prayer… but the hospital … for children….  

 What can I say… really do like business ideas…. guess my sister was always coming up with new inventions… some of them pretty clever… and i sometimes had the tendency to think of or think up…. some  type of business or businesses- like idea….

changing the philanthropy tv… just a bit… into a way to not only fund passions for businesses … but giving people the resources and finances for a year to help them be on the right path for success… including all the right ways to market.. to advertise.. to do a 5 year plan… and project with accuracy there success…. wouldn’t that be a real gift?…. helping to not only fund a person’s passion in business… but then allowing them to have mentors and resources for success…. then after they have fairly successful having them pass along the same gift to a new entrepreneur….

Next idea: 

*bbsitting franchise
*gift card
*etiquette school (aramco)
*harvard executive education classes….. (well maybe that idea is more for me HA! maybe it shuld have been on my bucket list pageHA!)

Has anyone seen the bucket list? the movie where two men who have cancer go an an adventure to accomplish everyting on a list… things yet to do in life beore you “kick the bucket”…. what an idea… right? list of events to accomplish… things yet to do… that i thought i might have wanted to do.. to learn.. to complete…  .  

So quick blog entry… maybe  will finish or write more about these quotes on friendship..

” No soul is desolate as long as there is a human being form whom  it can feel trust and reverence” George Elliott

“A friend is like a rainbow- they brighten your life when you’ve been through a storm “

“Chose your friends carefully you never know who is on your side… remember the truth shall prevail”.

“a person  is only complete when she has a true friend to understand her /to share all her passions /sorrows/to stand by her through out her life “
Jennifer L.

” No lapse of time or distance of place can lesson the friendship of those who are truly  persuaded of each others worth”

I hope everyone has at least one friend like these quotes…. you know true genuine friends… the kind who unconditionally love you and stick by you though bad boyfriends… through happy and joyous occasions and events…  real friends….. luv mary jean ziska

 also with this weather… wanted to mention my attempt at chili…. yes… last night i went out and got the ingredients to make chili…. now i don’t really know how to make it… the last time i made it i think was when my friend Patti and i went to Vail  Colorado while  my cousin was at my aunts condo….  i don’t even know where i got the recipe for that chili…. but needless to say my cousin …. poor guy… ate a bunch of it .. and needed beano….  he’s  a pretty cool guy so i don’t think this post will bother him…. HA!   so last night… tried remembering the recipe… and it didn’t turn out exactly the way i thought…

 i think i was craving the corn bread probably more than the chili… heartburn just doesn’t sit well with me… don’t really do spicy that well…  Tai food…. just found my new favorite dish… the green curry with chicken and extra veggies…YUMMMM but i  just order the mild…. actually in all types of food i order the mild….HA! probably should have tried making a nice french onion soup..I actually did make that once. also yummy…. or German cream of potato… but i had all this  tomato paste and sauce from when i had made spaghetti sauce …. and wanted to use some of it and….. voila…. There  would be some great homemade food  already prepared….  when it does get cold….. and stay cold!!!  Maybe it was the large bar of chocolate….. my mom’s idea she’s more of a sweet person…. i mean it seems like some of her dishes contain … ohhhh something to make them sweet…maybe that was so we would  all different types of food…..HA!

so also love french food… and german food…. and…. just all  GREAT FOOD!

 Gotta admit.. the food in Saudi… came from all over…. the lamb was Australian… remember fresh veggies… and  not a lot of junk foods…. no fast food to speak of… unless you were talking about the snack bar or the surf house… but even there… two types of candy… mars bars and droste bars…. HA! and don’t even get me started on the incident where i  trying to find a retainer when it is thrown out at the surf house… accidentally….. thrown out…. I didn’t eat there for ages after that!HA!

 I remember having a quota for captain crunch cereal…. so instead of eating anything like that for breakfast.. we saved it for desert Ha!… we ate mostly healthy… my dad was into exercise and healthy living my whole life…….. and for a while… sardines on salads…. were pretty common for his lunches… even for breakfasts Ha! neither of my parents smoked or really drank much so none of us kids  did either…  well especially in Saudi… it was a dry country….  have to admit that growing up in Saudi… from 7-14  full time  then of to boarding school… really was a great way to grow up.. for me anyway… . it was safe… no crime… and lots of amazing opportunities…

Opps… got off the subject again… cooking and baking in cold weather…. don’t you just love a home filled with all the great aromas of the holiday feasts…. yes… cant wait for all the holidays… to be here again… thanksgiving… then Christmas… I really hope this is going to be a great holiday season!! luv mary jean ziska

Up pretty early so thought I’d get a jump on writing a bit…. wanted to write about a wonderful idea… came from the wall street journal an article written  about Philanthropy TV  published in the wall street journal on Fri. April 13th 2007.  i was actually the philanthropy VP for my alumni sorority association for two years… and actually did some research on the gift giving in our sorority(kappa alpha theta)  around the holidays they would give gift certificates from various stores….

In my personal life i actually love giving gifts myself to see the joy of someone receiving something you actually thought and took the time to make sure it was the right gift for that person…. to be able to just show your appreciation for someone who was nice to you.. who took the time to do something nice for you… it’s great… i cant wait to be able to bless all the people who were nice to me… So many of them i have listed in my novena prayers… ( I mentioned before about the st Jude novena prayer)
 i get to pray for them to be blessed and protected each day… well it’s only  been one year two months… and soon it will be one year and three months… on November 12th actually… to have been saying  these set of prayers for specific intentions and petitions… and thanksgiving….

Last year (x-mas 2009) around the holiday’s i found these great little charms…  it was this silver box that is the size of a charm… and inside it contained 3 angels… guardian angels… some might say… but i found them at my church ( ST. John’s the evangelist church) gift shop… when i found them i thought they would be great to give to my sisters and my  mom and dad… so i bought 4 of them… then my cousin Tommy and his children were in town so i gave those away to his children… and went back to the church to get some more… needless to say… i kept giving them away… everytime i saw someone i wanted to bless with a little angel charm… i gave it away…. i bought all that they had to give to people who were special and nice to me.. to not only blessed me with their kindness but with their friendship….   when they ran out i found one store in MarcoIsland who carried them and bought all they had….  I couldn’t have possibly bought enough to give to everyone who was nice and sweet and generous to me…   people who protected me from harm and from all sorts of horrible experiences… real guardian angels… isn’t  that what guardian angels do?….  If i missed giving anyone a guardian angel box it probably wasn’t because i didn’t appreciate you or any of the nice things you did for me during 2009… it was just that i ran out  of them… and ran out of money to get them HA! … hopefully you received a card… or mention in a card….  or i was able to get in touch and wish you a happy holiday season… and if i missed even doing that… i deeply apologize…my thoughts of thanks and gratitude are forever in my heart for all the people who have taken the time to be nice to me..  … and you must know how much i appreciate you…. at least i  sincerely hope you do…. thank you from the bottom of my heart…   

The year before that( x-mas 2008) I was able to make…. you are going to love this … and probably not believe it….. but i was able to make these gingerbread men sugar cookies… iced with white vanilla icing…wrapped  this shrink wrapping I tried to make enough… and personalized them with as many people’s names as i could obtain!….. i  even used this special sealed plastic wrap… hopefully it kept them fresh….  I was fortunate enough to be able to make and  give them to all  those…..  or at least  to most of the people who blessed my life … and to give them…..  as a small thank you for all the niceness and wonderful, great and thoughtful moments throughout the year….   again if i missed giving them out… i deeply apologize… your thoughtfulness… your generosity and your kindness didn’t  go unnoticed.. and i hope i was able to thank you properly….

This year…. it just may be cards for everyone… and emails to those friends and family far away….unless…..

This year unless the  Mercedes sales… Know of anyone who wants to buy a 1990 gold Mercedes with a burgundy interior?… has a new transmission  from Germany as of 2009…. at a cost of $5000.00!  It has two new tires…  If you check www.vehix.com there is a picture…. the body is fine… never been in an accident….  it needs a new head gasket… in fact the head gasket ( whatever that is… ) is in the trunk… trust me not my decision….  actually do not  know whose decision it was to not put the part back where it belongs in the car… but when the tow truck got the car… ( and lost us as I was  driving behind it… by the time i got to my house… the car was deposited into my garage… and that was that… it hasn’t moved since ….  secretly…. last year when all this had happened i thought that my novena would have been answered and i could have traded in the car for a brand new Mercedes… my dad always loved European cars… and trusted German engineering… I mean it was a really great car in our family for a really  long time…. 

hey… maybe the trust in European engineering…  maybe that is  why my  younger sister at one point in time had a Porsche…  and the other sister got an Audi…. and my mom got a Volvo…..  But anyway… also loved the( i think it  is  lifetime service) service  with Mercedes…. right?  It is  just amazing….  when the battery died.. the service van came right to my condo….  the loaner vehicle whenever i needed  maintenance and repairs… just Great!!!!!!!!….  If i could I would get another one in a heart beat…. in fact i was keeping it on my list of items to repair ( this 1990…one) …  but as of now i really need to sell it.. so seriously… if anyone ever reads this… and wants or knows of anyone who wants to buy my car… just let me know!  oh i will give a finders fee when it sells….

 
Back to the article…. from the wall street journal…. Loved the article and the entire premise of the article on  philanthropy television……. television that actually makes a difference in people’s lives… the article mentions  a few television shows from England.      

 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