This is the second time in a raw we opted for a local vacation in Scotland. Even though we did not travel to faraway locations or exotic destinations, we discovered beautiful places and made friends with wonderful people we would probably not have had chance to get to know under normal circumstances. The visit to the Scottish Highlands was a magical, although wet at times, adventure which made a deep impression on us all. We experienced such warm welcome and friendly atmosphere that it was hard to leave. It did not really matter there wasn’t any monster to be seen in Loch Ness. Hearing the accounts of the monster sightings by almost everyone we met was as good as (if not better than) seeing the beast itself. There is no way the Loch Ness monster story was made up, no way! 😉

We have started summer 2021 with our usual climb/walk to the top of Tinto Hill. Good fun as always, great views, not too challenging even for Joseph. Perfect adventure on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Who could object? Well, apparently, there are some teenage boys who can easily object to the idea of a great hill-walk, and opt for an afternoon of XBox gaming instead. Would you believe it?

When asked, on his return from school today, about how everyone felt in the class after such a long break, Joseph said in his usual booming voice: “Some were nervous, some confused, and some happy!” That sounded a bit intriguing, so we asked if he was nervous. “No” was the resounding reply. “How many people were confused then?” we asked, to which he responded without hesitation: “Only me!”
He did seem rather happy though 🙂

Józek zapytany dziś po powrocie do domu, jak czuli się wszyscy w szkole po tak długiej przerwie, oznajmił swoim charakterystycznym grzmiącym głosem: „Niektórzy byli nieco poddenerwowani, niektórzy skołowani, a niektórzy szczęśliwi!”. Po tym nieco intrygującym stwierdzeniu zapytaliśmy, czy był zdenerwowany. „Nie!” zabrzmiała natychmiastowa riposta. Zapytaliśmy więc ile osób było skołowanych, na co odparł bez wahania: „Tylko ja!”.
Tak czy inaczej wyglądał na szczęśliwego 🙂

If you ever wondered what what you could give up for Lent, or how to best prepare for Easter, here are some imaginative ideas from our Joseph. It it did not take him long to come up with a brilliant plan for Lent, supported by rock-solid rationale and vivid illustrations. The pictures are useful in case you were wondering what the “Friday night funking” really was. I didn’t know either. Also, not to be overlooked, the “no shouting” resolution is very much appreciated by the whole family, even though it may take a while to apply in practice. 🙂

Jeżeli kiedykolwiek zastanawialiście się co warto sobie odmówić w Wielkim Poście, czy też jak się przygotować do Wielkiej Nocy, oto kilka ciekawych pomysłów naszego Józka. Nie zajęło mu dużo czasu opracowanie genialnego planu wielkopostnego, popartego solidnymi uzasadnieniem i żywymi ilustracjami. Ilustracja jest szczególnie przydatna na wypadek, gdybyś się zastanawiał, czym tak naprawdę jest „Friday night funkin” (ang. zabawa piątkowej nocy, czy też „gorączka piątkowej nocy”). Poza tym, nie wolno przeoczyć odważnego postanowienia „nie krzyczę”, które zostało docenione przez całą rodzinę, chociaż wdrożenie tego w praktyce może trochę potrwać. 🙂

With this happy family photo we are braving into 2021 with moderate optimism but full of hope. Optimism is moderate as the world seems to be going through a turbulent period, and it is unlikely that the all the problems will disappear overnight, but we are full of hope as we know that, at the end of the day, God is in control and will not abandon us in this “valley of tears”. As a family we must be grateful for the good health, prosperity and safety we have enjoyed in 2020. Despite all the restrictions and limitations to freedom we have experienced, we cannot really complain. We are all well fed and still relatively good looking, no? 🙂
We only hope that those who did suffer most during the past year will find some consolation and rapid improvement of their situation in the coming months.

Wishing you all the best for the New Year 2021!

Z pomocą tego wesołego rodzinnego zdjęcia, w nastroju umiarkowanego optymizmu, ale pełni nadziei, wchodzimy odważnie w Nowy Rok 2021. Optymizm jest umiarkowany, gdyż świat wydaje się przechodzić burzliwy okres i jest mało prawdopodobne, aby wszystkie problemy zniknęły z dnia na dzień, ale jesteśmy pełni nadziei, ponieważ wiemy, że cokolwiek by się nie wydarzyło, Bóg ma nad wszystkim kontrolę i nie pozostawi nas samych. Jako rodzina musimy być niezmiernie wdzięczni za zdrowie i bezpieczeństwo, którymi cieszyliśmy się w 2020 roku. Pomimo wszelkich ograniczeń wolności, jakich doświadczyliśmy, grzechem byłoby się uskarżać na los. Wszyscy jesteśmy dobrze odżywieni i nadal stosunkowo dobrze się prezentujący, nieprawdaż? 🙂
Mamy tylko nadzieję, że ci, którzy najbardziej ucierpieli w minionym roku, w najbliższych miesiącach znajdą pocieszenie i szybką poprawę swojej sytuacji.

Wszystkiego najlepszego w Nowym Roku 2021!

Santa’s Poem to baby Jesus
My dear precious Jesus, I did not mean to take your place,
I only bring toys and things and you bring love and grace.
People give me lists of wishes and hope that they came true;
But you hear prayers of the heart and promise your will to do.
Children try to be good and not to cry when I am coming to town;
But you love them unconditionally and that love will abound.
I leave only a bag of toys and temporary joy for a season;
But you leave a heart of love, full of purpose and reasons.
I have a lot of believers and what one might call fame;
But I never healed the blind or tried to help the lame.
I have rosy cheeks and a voice full of laughter;
But no nail—scarred hands or a promise of the hereafter.
You may find several of me in town or at a mall;
But there is only one omnipotent you, to answer a sinner’s call.
And so, my dear precious Jesus, I kneel here to pray;
To worship and adore you on this, your holy birthday.

Is this something that has been on Santa’s mind for many, many years, but never had enough time to write it down or shout it out from his sledge, being somewhat busy around Christmas? Well, at least I believe so. Maybe we should all give Santa a break sometimes to stop and think about what we truly need at this time?

Wishing you a wonderful Merry Christmas!
The Dyśko Family