Thinking About My BoJon Life

Thinking about my BoJon life...I feel good that so many people are thinking of their own phamilies and posting photos of them and telling stories of them. It all started with Mike Barnett. He started writing a blog, my sister Mary told me to check out his blog. As a result of it, I was able to visit with my cousin Audrey, before her passing last year. I got to reconnect with cousins I had not seen since I was a kid and it felt wonderful. Thank you so much to Mike and to my sister Mary for starting me on this track. I reconnected with Kay Samples Elliott our cousin who is going to visit Slovenia next month. I have learned so much from her research and also her encouragement. She always reminds me that our phamily history is like searching for a puzzle piece. Eventually it will all come together. I have had so much fun talking with cousin Juliane Cosimano Barden. It feels like we just picked up from where we left off. It has been an amazing journey.

Many years ago Noelle had a friend named Cindy who was a terrific artist. She drew this wonderful artistic picture of my mom. My daughter has the other copy which is mom, Noelle and Colton, my youngest grandson, This has been sitting in a folder in a safe place for a long while. I am going to get it into a frame and enjoy sharing it at my home. There is nothing like phamily to keep me smiling.

You know I am always searching   my boxes of photos. I hit into a huge box of framed photos today.When we bought our home in 2010 so many things sat in boxes. Well, I am reorganizing all our photos and let me tell you, there are not enough walls in this world to display all of them. But I can change them around and have these smiling faces looking at me. Noelle and Roger's kids- Christal with her first born daughter Jazlin. There is no way that pretty little baby turns 12 this year. Andrew is daddy to Jayden and Michael. I remember when he was learning to read, it seems like it was just yesterday. Then there is Colton.  He is so grown up, I am sure the years just slipped away while I was watching these kiddos be kids! Christal is mom to Alexis and Devin as well. She and her husband Alex have known each other for 19 years and counting. They were kids back then. I am so proud of my phamily.

My sister Mary Kocman Hoffert. She is holding Rebekah and Kate. Rebekah is 27 and Kate is nipping her heels. Kate is mom to two little ones, Ari and Zander. How is it these babies grew up so quickly? My niece Holly Hoffert Webb sent me this golden oldie. I am proud to have these photos of my those I love.

Holy smokes, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I had to be 12 and my nephews Gary and Charles are watching the camera while I hold their new brother Tony. I am not sure where Edward was off to. what memories. I hold them so close to my heart.

Kate graduated from nursing school. She was that tiny baby in the photo with her Nan and my Rebekah. No way can she be grown up! Her dad (Aaron) and mom (Karla) are so proud. Time keeps moving forward.

 Cousin Charlotte Mishmash-Taullie and my brother William Kocman with my grandma Cecilia Steblay. Graduation Day. Proud BoJon moments. We love showing off our loved ones.

My grandmother Cecilia's younger sister Mitzka with cousin Ivan and Anna and their children.This was taken in Yugoslavia now known as Slovenia. I think this is the only living photo of my grandmother's youngest sister that we have, I wish I had known her like my grandma and my Tata Rose. I have so many memories. They both had beautiful long hair and they would let me brush their hair for a long while. Then they would braid it and put it up into a bun.  I miss those days, simple pleasures that made me smile.

Think about your own people, your phamily, those you love. Do you feel this way? I think honestly, we all do.

I think this is a rare photo of all four of my siblings and both of my parents, all together. A real treasure for me. We were raised by people who loved each other, they loved their phamilies and they loved each others phamilies. I wish our generation were more like them. They never let go of the tie that bound them together.

This is a priceless photo. My grandmother Steblay at the clothesline. I know today people think they have to follow these silly covenant rules and live in these perfect neighborhoods. Not me, I live in an old school neighborhood, homes built from brick and mortar.  I have an old clothesline in my yard. It is not cool like this one grandma had and my sister still uses, but it works and there is nothing quite the scent of fresh linens taken off the clothesline. You can have your uppity neighbors with their rules and regulations. This BoJon bucks authority any time she can. I was born a rebel. I don't like being in the box, I think too many BoJons, like other people, put their heritage aside for things. I will never live in a perfect place. But if you come to visit me I will give you something to eat and to drink. My father use to say, if you can not afford to give someone even a drink of cold water and a little food, don't invite people to your home!

This is December 16 2012.  Chelsea (wearing green) came to visit us. She is my pretty niece from Oregon. She was visiting the rest of her phamily and she wanted to talk "Bojon" cooking. When you live in Denver, it is a mile high and that altitude has an attitude with baking traditional BoJon dishes! But we gave a few recipes a try and I sent Chelsea home with copies of a bunch of BoJon cook books! You gotta love a girl who will embrace her BoJon heritage. We can not let our values and pride and all the things our ancestors suffered through so we could carry on their traditions. Don't let those things die. I don't care if you married a Flamingo dancer from Spain or an M.I.T. graduate- if you are a BoJon defend your heritage and spread it around. We have to instill the same values our parents instilled in us. There are not enough Chelsea's in the world. My niece Karla is married to Aaron. His heritage is in Spain and I can tell you that boy can cook like a BoJon!  When you can have your spouse embrace your heritage you have a keeper! Do not let that guy or gal go!

Now I don't have a tatoo. I will probably never have a tatoo but I think if I had one this would be it. My nephew Brian has this tatoo done in honor of his grandfather Edward J Kocman Sr.  I think if you have tatoos you should honor someone you loved and lost. Brian did an excellent job of honoring his grandfather. I can tell you by that smile on dad's face, he L O V E D all the little ones! He loved his family (phamily). I know it for a fact, the man raised me! Uncle Louie once told me that his father had a pierced ear. I thought my grandpa must of been a bit of a rebel! I loved that Uncle told me that little story of his dad.

The family - that dear octopus from  whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to.   Dodie Smith

I will sign off here as usual but I would hope my parents would be proud that I am trying to preserve all that they worked so hard for and all that those before them worked so hard for. I need more photos of my Kocman phamily tree. Please come post some photos here. So in the words of all good BoJon's everywhere Lahko Noc til next time.