The only tortoise shell in a litter of single colors Gracie selected me. Just seventeen years ago she entered our lives in San Diego. We tried to make sure our current cat, Sophie, (only 2 years her senior) would accept her when we moved into the new house. We hoped it would be neutral territory,…
The Three Chilly Saints of May
You might have noticed it was quite cold this past week in May just like last year. According to my husband it had to do with St. Pankrác, St. Servác and St. Bonifác. It seems that other Czech’s know about these three Saints that come in May, even though there isn’t a lot of information…
Advantages of travel during the coronavirus pandemic: Italy to Prague
When we left Prague two weeks ago the Coronavirus was just mostly in China. The flights to Prague from China were cancelled. At arrival in Italy a person was measuring forehead temperatures as we walked off the boarding ramp. Then the news started to change and Italy was starting to see death from the virus….
Suchej únor’ or ‘Dry February’ in Prague
I’ve known about these ‘dry’ months for a few years now as some of my friends have done them as a way to check in on their own alcohol consumption. Funny thing, I never did that in the past. I figured I couldn’t handle it. Even the shortest month of the year seemed too long….
Breaking up the Czech Grey
Although the winter in Prague has been very mild so far, I knew we would have to take a break from the short days and flat colorless atmosphere and go somewhere else. As a native Montanan, I can handle cold, but that’s only because it comes with some of the most beautiful blue clear skies…
Christmas Tree Culture
One of the many stories Michal told me about his childhood (which was hard for me to imagine) was how Czech’s didn’t put up the Christmas Tree (Stromeček) until the night before Christmas. He claimed everyone would hang the tree out on the balcony (or window if they didn’t have one) until it was Christmas…
St. Mikuláš in Montana
Last year I attempted to bring the tradition of St. Mikuláš to Montana as a way of integrating my two worlds. We had the costumes and the small goodies to give away all planned out. I wanted my family to know a little about my husband, Michal’s family traditions as they haven’t been able to…
Stolpersteine Ceremony
Last week I was privileged to attend a Stolpersteine Ceremony in the town of Olomouc in Czech Republic (3 hours from Prague). I was very honored to be invited to this important memorial by my friend, Jill Meron. Jill had only started researching her family in Czech Republic a little over a year ago and…
Finding Sobriety in Prague
Today is a very important day for me. It has been exactly a year since I accidentally posted a video meant for a private online recovery group as someone who suffers with anxiety and with that developed alcohol use disorder (to put it mildly). I was mortified when I realized my post did not go…
A Rose by any other name
A Rose by any other name is sweet, according to Shakespeare. But in my case I really am a Rose – a Rose Ann. I was named for my grandmother Rose and my grandmother Ann. Who knew that the cartoon ‘Underdog’ would influence what I would be called for the rest of my life which…
Thanksgiving was cancelled!!!
Of course, Czech’s don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s not even a day off this week. So some American Expats have the feast on Saturday. In all the years I’ve lived in Prague I’ve never cooked a turkey. For one, the oven is too small for the undertaking of a full bird. Secondly, Thanksgiving is to be…
All Souls Day
Today we went to pay our respects to Michal’s parents Bedřich and Olga and his dear beautiful cousin, Lucie Kolařova at the family plot in a little village outside of Prague called Čestlice. It reminded me of the article I wrote for “The Bridge” magazine comparing both the Czech and Montana traditions on All Souls…
Why walk like an Egyptian when you can swim?
Somehow I always feel like a bit of an outsider living in Prague, but I didn’t think I would be anything other than a tourist in Egypt. So when we checked into the hotel and the staff greeted us with ‘ahoj’ and ‘jak se maš’, it dawned on me that I was at a destination…
Decades of Twinning
I have a hard time claiming the success of being a single mom when in fact I really had a sister wife (in the best sense of the word) for about 5 years living in San Diego. Oprah really lost out on a great show when she didn’t respond to any of my letters about…
Plogging? Paching or Pooming is way more fun!
Combining as many fun activities as we can in one day!
Goodbye Sophie
Today I am full of sadness as I let Sophie go. She was an amazing black cat for the past 17 years even if she didn’t show her real personality to anyone but me. My little tiny neurotic thing. We adopted her in 2001 with her ‘brother’ (they claimed at the pet store) Patches. The…
And so the circus leaves again…..
Which also means that summer is coming to an end (sniff, sniff). We have always both enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, San Diego, Prague, and New York, but Letní Letná is unique. Of course, it is also super convenient to go there from our house. There are usually about 4 –…
August 21, 1968
Today I will be celebrating my sweet husband’s birthday. Over our years together we quite often had a big beer tasting and billiard party to celebrate his birthday. He never wanted people to bring gifts so he claimed the party was to remember the day the Russian’s invaded Czechoslovakia. It is not lost on me…
Yarn-bombing Prague: Making the cold streets a little warmer
This article was recently published on The Bridge an online magazine for International Women of Prague. Check it out! https://bridge.iwa-prague.com/prague-culture/
Masopust or Meat fasting
This past weekend was the beginning of Masopust in the Czech Republic and it is celebrated like in other countries which have carnival season. Parades, costumes, bands, and plenty of drinking to signify the beginning of the Lent. Ironically I’ve never seen anyone really give up meat or drink for this season. Normally we would…
Near misses lead to opportunities
Its true. I might have missed the opportunity if I hadn’t been hit by a car on January 1st. Michal & I were walking on the legal pedestrian crossing and watching the car coming towards us but realized quite late that the driver wasn’t slowing down a bit. He ended up slamming on his breaks…
Uggh…It has BL on it and its mine.
I walked by this handkerchief on our street sidewalk three days in a row and each time thought, maybe its mine, but I’m not going to pick it up. Yuk! But something told me today that it probably is mine and I faced my germaphobe fears and grabbed it by the edge and sure enough…
Photographer’s High
I never did get that ‘runner’s high’ everyone talks about, but its a whole different story when you are on a safari in South Africa and you get that photographer’s high. I have more than 1,500 photos for two weeks and I might possibly have the addiction. It was a very intense Czech tour. Not…
A life in motion
This just might be a collection of thoughts, stories, and photos as I try to make a home where ever I am at the time. All the while my heart lives in all the places I come from.
Throughout the last decade, Prague has settled into my heart along with the other places. And in that journey, I realize I am no longer in the honeymoon phase of being an expat, but accept and perhaps embrace the fact that I am slowly becoming an old Czech man…and it feels more normal.
From Polly to Pavla 