David

My father always said he believed a person should have his or her own name and identity. For generations the men in his family were named William or George. He was the first to be named David. After our neighbor in Delray bore several children, she ran out of names for boys. She named her last son David. Apparently we were her favorite neighbors.

I grew up and dated a David. I went to college and during open house at the dorms, three young men named David visited me in one evening! I dated more Davids. Up until about a year ago, my bishop in Utah was a David, and my bishop in Michigan where I have a summer home is a David !

My publisher's name is David Smith, I have a few more friends named David and I'm married to David Swejkoski. The last OB-Gyn to tend to me when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter was named David. He was out of town when I went into labor. The doctor who delivered my baby? You got it: David! If I'd had my son, his name would have been Thomas David.

I recently befriended an actor named David Scott Diaz and he was named after his father. I think I'll just call him, "Hollywood".

A Mother's Day Tribute

Saying "Goodbye," to my mother was very difficult for me. Although I knew she had lived a full life I felt her passing would leave a void in my world. I learned so much from her that I still recall today. These are lessons that I still use in my life: how to cook my own meals and eat out less to save money, to carefully balance a budget, to take care of myself and my children and husband, but most of all she showed me how to have compassion for others.

Many times I would visit widows with her. She would go to their houses and cheer them up. Yes, she had much to do at home, but she always had time for these elderly women, especially the ones who most recently lost their husbands.

She showed me the value of classic things in her interest for jewelry and antiques. She had her own business and sold collectables every weekend. Many times I was bored as she dragged me, her youngest child, along to garage sales but I eventually learned that better made items hold their value and mass produced objects are of lesser worth. She showed me that well cared for pieces are held in high esteem. It is the same for relationships and life. Take care of yourself, maintain your body and soul, never cheapen your character.

My mother's life wound down faster than the doctors expected. Once the diagnosis of cancer was announced, the physicians gave her six months. She only lasted six weeks. Every several days she lost another skill, first her balance, then her walking, but she had a sharp mind and a fragile wit until just before she lapsed into a coma.

I knew I had to let her go. She had a full life, one with adventures and compassion. She had suffered enough but how could I say, "Goodbye," now that she was at the end of her mortality?

I said, "Mom, when you're up in Heaven and you're thinking of me, send a dove." My sister joined us and sat on Mother's bed. She began to gently brush the hair of a dying woman.

Suddenly, our mother just let go. Our cousin, who was also the attending nurse, said, "She's gone."

It's been more than six years. I am watching my daughters grow, graduate from school and get married. I hope I can teach them all that my mother taught me.

Sometimes I hear a dove cooing or see one resting on our barn roof. I look up into the Heavens and say, "Hello, Mom," because I know, goodbyes aren't forever.

-Liesa Swejkoski

(Originally Written 2010)

Does a Bear Crap in the Forest?

From the warped mind of Liesa Swejkoski
(2009)

Philosopher: If no one is in the forest to hear it fart, does it really make noise?
Liberal: Use taxpayer money to buy it some toilet paper.
Republican: Looks like it's thriving. Get it off the endangered species list ASAP.
Libertarian: Let it crap where it wants and leave it alone.
Russian Communist: Shoot its family and capture it. Make it dance in circus !!!
Buddhist: Let it be.
Beatles: Let it be.
Theodore Roosevelt: Awe, he's cute !!! (Puts gun down, eats sandwich.)
Green Party: Do we count bears crapping in our greenhouse emissions study???
Housewife: Damn bear !!! That's another mess I have to clean up!
Peta: It is suffering! Man made it crap in the forest ! It is living there in fear for its safety!
Child: Bears go potty in the zoo.
Chicago Bears fan: Crapping in the forest? He's wasting time! Get a helmet on him!!!
Perez Hilton and TMZ: Can you get this on today's show?
Boy Scout: I did that too, when we were camping !
Jamie Lee Curtis: That bear ate my Activia Yogurt !!!
Facebook User #1: Think I'll add him as a friend !!!
Facebook User #2: Presses the like button.
Twitter User: Jst saw bear crp in woods
Bill Clinton: I never had relations with that... um hold on, are we talking about an animal?
Barak Obama: So, you ate a camper. Then you crapped. We can settle this over a beer.
Dog: Sniff, sniff!
Ted Nugent: There it was crapping, so I shot it and ate it.
Al Gore: Yes, they are crapping as they are perilously trapped on an ice-flow.
Sarah Palin: I can see polar bears crapping from my kitchen window !!!

Restaurant review for Mad Pita Express, Saint George, Utah

What can I say? This restaurant experience is like a rollercoaster for the tastebuds! If you want the exciting thrill of well blended flavors and ingredients, this is the place for you. The gyros are the best I've ever tasted and I haven't had any one flavor assault my senses yet. Everything is just perfect. The only drawback is there isn't enough lamb on the menu, which I for one would pay extra for.

Mad Pita Express
2376 East Red Cliffs Drive
Saint George, Utah

The Crazy Quilt

June 19th, I'll be celebrating 25 wonderful years with my husband.  Marriage is like a quilt and so many pieces and stitches are in that family quilt that if a part unravels, especially when there are children involved, it's hard to sew up the pieces, so think - THINK before you agree to marry and THINK before you get divorced and THINK before you jump into an affair.  Why is the fabric of our society unraveling?  Because we forget that we are all a part of this crazy quilt.  Put a real good stitch in there, people!  Quilts are a comfort.  Anything else is disposable, like a tissue and once used, just gets thrown away.

Something that I wrote a few years ago.

A Little Appalachian History


In the 1800s, most people in the hills were Baptist and some were Methodist. The culture was Scots-Irish. In the 1600s and 1700s Scotsmen owned the land in Ireland while the native Irish share-cropped. The Scots-Irish did not appreciate the English influencing their freedoms nor did they like the taxes imposed by England. They were against the oppressive Anglican (English) influence in the Irish and Scottish homelands. Some Scots-Irish emigrated to America and joined the newly organized religions when they moved to the mountains. "Missionaries" started churches and circuit preachers rode into several communities to preach every several weeks. (There was a shortage of preachers in some communities so these individuals would ride from town to town like salesmen.)

Sometimes, in the late 1800s until World War 2, when people lived in a community and wanted to worship God with the neighbors, they'd go to the community church building. (School was taught there during the week and town events took place on occasion.) Eventually in a generation or two, the citizens of those small towns became that religion by default and tradition.

 The Scots-Irish fight carried over here when the English wanted to impose their will on the immigrants. That is why we had an American Revolution in the 1700s. The New Americans said "Enough is enough!" Also most Scots-Irish had no hesitation marrying into the Cherokees and other neighboring tribes. It was the English, and their aristocracy that wanted to force out the Cherokee and the mixed bloods.

-Liesa Swejkoski

A Bit of History

Oh, those crazy 1970s!

Back in the wild and crazy early 70s, my cousin Douglas moved from Michigan to the LA area with his sister and brother. 

One evening, he attended a bizarre beach party.  He woke up in the pre-dawn twilight, face in the sand, only a pair of swim trunks covering his chilled body.  Feeling miserable and hung-over, Doug stumbled, bleary eyed into the bungalow he'd been renting.  Making his way to the toilet, things just didn't look right.  Doug realized, too late, that he'd walked into the wrong beach house. 

Looking up he saw Buddy Ebson (star of The Beverly Hillbillies sit-com) spreading something on toast in the kitchen.  Buddy, startled, gave him a look that meant business, grabbed a large knife and chased Doug out of the bungalow!  They both jumped out to the sand and even though my cousin had played football and was the typical meat-head jock, he had a dickens of a time trying to outrun old Buddy!  Doug screamed and apologized the whole time and finally got away. 

It's been forty years since that incident and I don't think anyone in the family will ever let him forget it.