Most Precious Memories

The Most Precious Memory

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Louise Shine enjoying music and a picnic at the

Concert in the Garden at

The Holden Arboretum the summer of 2011

Mommy

2011-11-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

When I created this blog years ago, I had no idea how wonderful it would be to look back on my own posts and pictures of my beloved mother. I am sorry to post that my Mom or "Mommy" died on Wednesday, September 14, 2011. The tears continue to flow as I write these words.

First and most important, I want to publically thank the incredible health care teams at the Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hirsch Family Cancer Center, including Dr. Koc, who enabled Mommy to lead a quality life, to Dr. David M. Rosenberg of the new Ahuga Hospital who cared for us for the last 25 years, to Dr. David Roy Ferguson of Metro Health whose compassion for the aged is unsurpassed, to Dr. Melissa Reigle of the Cleveland Clinic, an incredible urologist, to Dr. Martin Wiseman, Mommy's wonderful cardiologist/electrophysiologist with whom she shared her "adventures of growing garlic", to Dr. Michael Binder of the Lake Hospital System Wound Care Clinic for his dedication and superb care, to the Cleveland Clinic Home Hospice team for being there at a moment's notice and to Dr. Larry Singerman, retinal specialist extraordinaire who saved Mommy from darkness -- blindness being Mommy's worst fear.

I have written personal letters to most of Mommy's physicians. By chance, she had seen most of them the week before she transitioned to another world. In the presence of my local sister, Margie, and me, as Brahms' Lullaby was playing, Mommy closed her eyes --- forever. Mommy was blessed and so were we, that she had less than 5 days of pain. Mommy had all her faculties at age 94 1/2 and chose her therapy.

Although Mommy had a craniotomy, two strokes and was in atrial fibrillation for years, Mommy had all her faculties and was of sound mind. Mommy enjoyed traveling with my husband, Jules, and I. Mommy chose our family vacations, the most recent to the spa at Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania, Falling Water (Mommy wanted to show Frank Lloyd Wright's creation to us) and the landing field where Flight 93 crashed during the horrors of 9/11.

Mommy's choice of driving to Bedford Pa, showing us Falling Water and going to the Flight 93 Memorial are etched in my mind as the places Mommy wanted to go when her choices were Hawaii, Las Vegas or anywhere in the world!

Mommy loved to be at "home" with my husband and I. To our surprise, Mommy asked to live with us three years ago, came for Thanksgiving and stayed! We felt blessed that she chose us.

How does one remember such a wonderful mother? I am writing to all of Mommy's physicians and am in process of writing a book about her. We started a fund at the CC Hillcrest Hirsch Family Cancer Center and Mommy will get her donation to Holden Arboretum in the form of the bench that Mommy wanted. Everyone that spent time with Mommy at Holden, knows that Mommy wanted a named bench!

What I realize since Mommy's death is that a mother knows each of her children. Not being a mother, I am amazed how Mommy predicted actions of her three daughters. Mommy had an amazing memory for details about the lives of each of her children and to my chagrin on occassion, never forgot anything that any of us did . . . ever!

If you are lucky to have an aged parent living with you, cherish each and every moment and most of all, respect their wishes before and after they leave, even if you do not understand at the time. Eventually, you will understand. I came to this understanding yesterday, when I received an unexpected phone call. Unexpected to me but something my mother predicted!

Cherish each and every moment you have with your parent, sit with them while they slowly eat, take the time to listen, pray with them, bake with them, make their favorite foods, memorize recipes, ask their grandchildren to call, have a family dinner, celebrate birthdays and don't forget to tuck them in each night. If you think your back hurts or your siblings tell you that their back hurts from sitting with Mommy, ask them to imagine how they might feel in their 90's. Mommy rarely complained but when she did, my local sister, Margie (nickname), and I knew that it was serious!

On Mommy's passing, Dr. David Roy Ferguson so kindly versed the irony "you were in her arms when you were born, and she in yours, on passing".

Some of my favorite pictures from past blog posts are below, thanks for following my most precious memories, send me yours to post herein!

Chemistry of Cooking

2011-04-04T20:42:00.001-07:00

Some knowledge of chemistry can help you cook. View the video "A Biochemist Explains The Chemistry Of Cooking" at Science Daily

Memory of Lilacs from the Garden

2011-01-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

Mom and Lilacs from my garden, 2010. The smell is incredible!

New Precious Memories

2011-01-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

After a difficult late summer and fall, herein is a most precious memory of

New Year's Eve 2011 for which I am most greatful!

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

Mommy's daughters are Cecile Belan, Maria Stewart and me, Rosa.

The guy in the red OSU sweatshirt is my husband, Jules, who helps me much with Mommy. Mommy states, he is one incredible "son" (son-in-law).

New Year's Eve memories from our house to yours! Have a happy & healthy New Year.

A picture is worth a thousand words!

2011-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Mom will be 94 years young in 2011. She loves having her upcoming age made in pretzels for New Year's Eve as her mother would bake them for her father each New Year's Eve. We have continued the tradition to make pretzels with yeast dough and try out a new recipe each new year!

The best memories are now!

2011-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Each day, if one digs deeply enough, one can find a "most precious memory".

Mom playing with her "precious" kitty while "sharing" a cup of coffee.

Painting as My Father Taught Me

2010-11-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Everytime I paint, I remember how my father taught my sister and I to paint. I just primed a cart he made of scrap wood and hope to finish painting it this week.

When I have turmoil in my life, painting helps me calm my mind. No matter the color, paint offers me a clean slate, a blank mind, a chance to rest or rethink issues.

My father and one sister paint as does my niece. It seems to be good therapy for members of our family. My father learned how to paint on the way from Germany to the U.S.A. on the troop carrier, the U.S. General William C. Langfitt, where the men painted the ship while the women were occupied taking car of their children. I will never for get the color of the ship.

Since I write for two coatings journals, APCJ: Asia Pacific Coatings Journal and PPCJ: Polymers Paint Colour Journal, painting has become more than a hobby to me. I understand why ships need painting and much about paint that I would love to share with my father were he alive today.

I have been painting since I was 9 years old, started writing about coatings in 2010 in response to the encouragement of Elit Rowland, editor of APCJ and with continued interest by Sue Tyler, Senior Editor, PPCJ.

I need to try what I write about and get ideas as to what is important as I experiment with paints or use ones recommended to me in the literature, patents, or coating clients.
I love conducting knowledge-based research in surface science, materials, biotechnology and hope my articles will quicken efforts in technology transfer, to help in creating the best products for humanity.

In addition to a fresh, clean or new look, painting offers me a method to clear my mind and relax. I recommend it highly for those whose hurried lifestyle gives them little time for mental relaxation.

Chicago's PedWay

2010-07-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

I love the Chicago PedWay as I could wheel my Mom to the beach of Lake Michigan from our hotel.

There was much activity on the PedWay and in the water, although I took time to get photos without people.

Mom enjoyed seeing the water, skyline, and the palm trees!

It would be wonderful if Cleveland, Ohio, would develop a similar path under or over the freeway to get closer to Lake Erie. Many that we met on the PedWay were tourists, especially from Toronto, Canada.

A Most Special Wedding

2010-07-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

The most important part of a wedding to me is the ceremony. The wedding in Chicago that we recently attended, co-officiated by clergy, was most wonderful. Many came together from countries around the globe to share in merged traditions creating one beautiful ceremony.

The wedding gave many who attended new hope for the future, allowed us to renew our vows with those we love, count our blessings, and remember those who we have lost who would have been most proud to participate.

We wish the bride and groom eternal happiness and heartfelt thanks for allowing us to share their joy.

The eyes and the smiles of the bride and groom tell it all.

Wedding in Chicago

2010-07-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

My husband, mother and I attended a most wonderful wedding in Chicago over the July 4th weekend, 2010. It was wonderful to share time with family and attend this most beautiful ceremony including a most handsome groom and a beautiful bride.

We are honored that Jared Bomberg and Marita (Starr) shared their wedding with us. We wish them a most healthy and happy future together.

My Mom of 93 years especially enjoyed seeing everyone. We hope to share pictures on this blog and Facebook. The wedding was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with family members.

Stay tuned for some incredible wedding pictures.

Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC

2010-06-22T01:51:00.000-07:00

How time flies!

My company, Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC will be three years old next month. It seems as if it was yesterday that I started my research company, a dream come true. I enjoy providing research and state-of-the-art analysis to clients worldwide.

I also began writing technical articles for two journals, APCJ: Asia Pacific Coatings Journal and PPCJ: Polymers Paint Colour Journal. Two articles have been published to date, one in each journal. I have several additional articles in press.

Writing is a wonderful way to convey state-of-the-art information to many scientists and engineers at once. I highly recommend it. In addition I want to plug my sister's writing course. It is important for those of us in the sciences to take a fun writing class to get us to write and organize the knowledge that we accumulate by our readings each day. My sister is Maria Shine Stewart and you can find her at most universities in Cleveland, Ohio, or email her at
mshine1956@yahoo.com

A special thanks to Elit Rowland, editor of APCJ, for her encouragement and to Sue Tyler, Senior Editor PPCJ for her continued support.

To my clients, thanks for your loyalty during these most challenging times. If you have a question and need research, state-of-the-art information, or want someone to work on an innovative idea --- "Keep Askin for Raskin"

Electric Lawn Mower

2010-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

My father used an electric lawn mower to cut a huge lawn. I decided to purchase one and I have to report that I love it. It is quiet, easy to turn on and off, I can mow anything and at any time.

I use a bright orange cable cord that matches the color of the lawn mower. My only question is why did I wait so long!

I did not buy the cordless as the battery weighs much and I do not want to have to do anything,
just mow the lawn and stop and start as many times as I might wish to.

I have mowed in tall grass in a muddy area of the yard and have had no problems with my electric mower.

I have been using an electric edger for years, now on to an electric car!

Picking Sour Cherries

2010-06-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

I picked two loads of cherries from the cherry tree we planted at my Mom's house in 2000. I made two pies this year and left a pie-load of cherries on the tree for the birds. Mom's yard also has an apple tree. I can not help but think of the wonderful times the next family will have in Mom's yard.

Mom loved the pies, still enjoys sitting in her yard, or visiting with her most wonderful neighbors, as do I.

The park-like, treed backyard is wonderful as is the back porch for lemonade.

My supply of sage for Thanksgiving dinner comes from Mom's sage bush each year in the perennial herb garden I created for her. The sage is a beautiful bush with purple flowers.

The holly in the front yard was planted by loving neighbors, the Mountain Laurel blooms full and light pink each spring followed by a huge and beautiful hydrangea.
The Rose of Sharon come in all colors and when few things are blooming in the heat of winter, they add much color and fun to the landscape.

Open House, Sunday March 21 at 1426 Belrose

2010-03-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Tom Savoca, my Mom's realtor (216-373-2828) is having an open house at 1426 Belrose Road in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, on Sunday, March 21, from 2:30-5:00 P.M. By coincidence this happens to be my wedding anniversary. Jules and I have been married for 42 years on the day of the open house.

We have over 40 years of memories in the house my parents purchased shortly after I was married. My father recognized the house as well-built. I have since found out that the builder constructed the house for his family. My father loved his gardening shed in back of the garage and his workbench in the basement. Two fireplaces warmed up the cold winters. We enjoy the cool breezes from the trees in the park-like backyard, the incredible neighbors who are lifelong friends, having lunch on the back porch, and Oakville Park that the entire neighborhood worked so hard to make happen.

You do not need to drive as all is within walking distance including the bus that goes downtown. Grocery stores, three or more banks, repair shops of all kinds, Church, Temple, Dairy Queen, Dunkin Donuts, restaurants from Chinese to Italian, the fantastic Mayfield Regional Library, etc.

I hope I get to pick the cherries for cherry pies this year but if not, the next owner will be in for a surprise and a treat. I need Mom's sage for Thanksgiving, the lovage for soups, and must see the Mountain Laurel bloom in the spring. Wonder if the new owners will let us come and visit? The first owners asked Mom if they might come in as the house was built by their builder, father. Mom visited the farm they moved to after living on Belrose.

The house at 1426 Belrose Road has been filled with love since the day it was lovingly finished for the builder's family in 1948, what a good year that was!

Although I live only three miles away in Highland Heights, I find myself shopping in Mayfield Heights most of the time and will forever drive down Belrose Road and check for 1426!

Cherry Tree at 1426 Belrose Road

2010-03-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

Mom's house at 1426 Belrose Road, Mayfield Heights, Ohio has many areas for the garden lover. Mom has a cherry tree that we planted years ago near the back of her 215 foot deep wooded lot that includes a variety of maple and pine trees.

Each spring we pick herbs from Mom's herb garden near her kitchen, including sage and lovage that seem to love our Cleveland winters! Lovage is similar to celery and is great in soups. I freeze Mom's sage each year and use it when I make bread stuffing. There is nothing like real herbs in comfort foods.

Mom loves her gardens as much as we do. I enjoy the Forsythia, Lilacs, Rose of Sharon, Rhododendrons, Holly with berries, and her gorgeous Mountain Laurel outside her bedroom window. We have live flowers for holidays and Mom gives pine cones to her neighbors creating arts and crafts. One neighbor gave Mom a beautiful wreath made from the natural materials found in Mom's yard.

I wonder what the secret is to growing large Hydrangeas? I bet it is Mom's green thumb and love of nature. She treats each plant with loving care, nursing the wild flowers like the violets, and the bushes planted through the years.

Last year I counted over 60 smiling daffodils in Mom's backyard.

Mom has a room in the back of her garage devoted to her tools and garden necessities. Before it was Mom's garden center, it was my father's man cave that continues to display his favorite pictures.

Thomas W. Savoca (Tom) listed Mom's house at 1426 Belrose for sale. Tom Savoca (phone 216-373-2828) took pictures of the interior of Mom's house. To view the interior pictures check the Russell Real Estate Services web site at http://www.russellrealty.com web site. Tom's email is tomsavoca@russellrealty.com

If you are looking for an expert, caring real estate agent, contact Thomas W. Savoca.

Selling a Family Home

2010-02-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

When elderly parents decide it is time to sell the home they lived in for 40 or more years, it is wonderful to have a sensitive, kind, and understanding realtor like Thomas W. Savoca, (phone 216-373-2828).

Tom Savoca is the realtor Mom listed with to sell her home at 1426 Belrose Road, Mayfield Heights, Ohio. We feel lucky that Tom is helping Mom with every aspect of the selling process. Tom is patient, an excellent communicator, and an expert realtor.

If you are buying or selling a home in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio, area, I would highly recommend Tom per his dedication to service.

New Blog called Voices of Strength

2010-02-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

There is a new blog in process called "Voices of Strength". It sounds most interesting. I look forward to seeing the design of the blog and reading upcoming posts.

No matter what our situation, we have more strength than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. Are we truly alone or do we share experiences with others?

Imagine how strong we would be if we combined our individual voices or shared our experiences to help others become stronger!

Friends

2010-01-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

A dear friend, who is a client of Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, and I decided to meet halfway between her home in Maryland and my home in Ohio. I wanted to catch up on her future research needs, continue to provide value-added benefits, and celebrate her milestone birthday.

We met at an incredible place, Bedford Springs, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Pennsylvania. I highly recommend Bedford Springs for a working retreat!

Our Precious

2009-12-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

My blogs include Information Specialist Secrets at http://preciousinformationspecialist.blogspot.com, Precious Cooking at http://preciouscooking.blogspot.com, and this blog, Precious Memories, a memorial to our kitty Precious who died on March 13, 2009.

I hooked my digital camera to my computer using a USB cable that my friend Judy Fox,
author of one of the most remarkable books I have read in recent years entitled,
Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out, suggested as the easiest way for me to review the pictures I have taken with my new camera to date.

Herein are a few pictures of our Precious calico kitty taken in 2009 before her death in March.

In the upper left Precious is doing "roll over" on my Mom's command and for my Mom's pleasure. On the upper right, Precious is being her inquisitive self and showing why her name of Precious Tiger Ramie Raskin Stewart fitted her quite well.

Precious' first name was "Ramie" for Rambunctuous but when our vet heard our small premie babby kitty purr, she told us "you have a Precious here, this kitty is a Precious and should be so named." Thus, Ramie became Precious Tiger Ramie!

ASM International

2009-11-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

I am proud to research metals, materials science, medicine, and the biological sciences to identify the state-of-the-art and potential for innovation for those who need my research and information services. As an independent researcher in materials science, ASM has much to offer. As I catch up on my readings, I remember my early trips to ASM headquarters and the building of their most famous dome. My grandfather, a member of ASM, then called the Society of Metals, was happy that this structure was near Cleveland and enjoyed taking family members, including me, to watch the building of the dome and the headquarters facilities.

Painting of our Precious by Sue Wall

2009-09-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

I am thankful that Sue Wall of NYC painted a picture of our Precious.

Now that Precious is gone, we treasure Sue's painting and appreciate Sue's dedication and expertise in art. Sue lovingly painted each hair of the calico colored fur of our young Precious who is a few weeks old in the picture below:

We followed our veterinarian's directions throughout Precious' young life and never imagined that we would lose Precious so soon.

Precious had a reaction to steroids while fighting a losing battle with an illness. Shortly after bringing her home after each injection (Precious had two) Precious cried out, laid on the floor, and vomited blood. It is an image that lingers and has haunted me for almost six months.

Precious is gone, only one blood stain remains in the carpeting, the other stains have all been lovingly removed. My 92 year young Mom sleeps with a toy that looked like our calico kitty. Mom calls the toy kitty, Precious. My husband calls the toy kitty Precious II. Our hearts ache for our Precious.

I continue to have tears for our Precious. We thought that being a house cat, she would outlive our Goldie Tiger who lived to be 14. It was not to be. Precious was only half the age of Goldie when Precious began vomiting blood and crying in pain.

Each member of our family is trying to overcome the loss of our treasured family member, our Precious. I tried visiting the many office cats that live at Nine Lives Clinic under the direction of Dr. Amy MacKay and met someone who has had more losses than mine. I can not attend the new restricted one hour session with the office cats but remember how Pepito and on occasion, Guido, would join me in the examination room with Precious. Pepito rolling over near my feet. An office kitty would always jump on Precious' carrier to greet Precious while we were sitting in the waiting room.

I made myself visit the office cats and try to once again be able to see someone carry a cat carrier without having a sorrowful reaction. I think the visits to the office helped me with this. Loss continues to be very difficult for me, however, when I think of the two Canadian geese that greeted us on coming home after we lost Precious, it seems to help.

Nature is all around us. We must nurture it, protect it, and take the time to enjoy nature's gifts.

My husband will visit the office cats, during the maximum permitted weekly one hour session to see if this helps him in his recovery. I believe he enjoyed seeing the cats.

My sorrow is perhaps deeper as I used Kangaroo care with Precious when she was smaller than my thumb and hairless. I remember giving her a ride on my computer mouse and setting my computer to meow when I turned it on and off.

Is there another kitty in our future? Perhaps a sick one that no one wants to care for, a newborn, or a rescue kitty?

We made many sacrifices in raising Precious as that meant our dearest nephew could no longer come to our home per cat allergies. Now that Precious is gone, our nephew is an upperclassman in high school and will be going off to college.

Our dear Precious was named Precious by Dr. Amy MacKay, Precious' veterinarian. In her short life, Precious lived up to the names given to her, Precious Tiger Ramie Raskin Stewart.

We have not yet been able to move Precious' bed from our bedroom. On September 13, 2009, it will be six months since we lost Precious. Dr. Amy MacKay suggested the Paws Awhile burial grounds and other options for Precious. We like to think of Precious chasing the wild turkeys near the nature preserve at Paws Awhile, where the staff is most considerate and understanding.

We pass Sue's beloved painting of our Precious everyday, find ourselves talking to the painting, and are very thankful that Sue Wall created the painting of our Precious seven years ago.

As I read this blog to my husband, we try to hold back our tears as we remember that Precious was an unexpected gift, and a treasure that returned to nature.

Support Group for Mommies of Kitty Angels

2009-08-31T01:06:00.000-07:00

Are you a current or former cat "mommy" whose beloved cats/kittens are now kitty angels?

We are starting a group to meet in the Highland Heights/Mayfield Heights area to do some good for other cats, help in obtaining needed equipment for local dedicated veterinarians, meet as new friends, share a difficult transition, compare notes, or just have someone to talk to about our cat angels over tea or coffee.

If interested in joining a group meeting in Highland Heights or via the web, email me at rosaraskin@hotmail.com.

As a former web master and "mommy" of a 7 1/2 year young calico angel who we found in our yard after being abandoned by her mother, I would love to have you join our group in person. If there is interest, I could also create a group on the web.

If there is enough interest, we could expand to include mommies of dog angels.

We Miss Our Precious Kitty

2009-04-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

It has been over one month and we continue to miss our Precious kitty very much. Here is a picture taken of her in 2005.

Precious loved to go under the light blue drapes to see out the family room window as she sat on the couch. As a house kitty, Precious was most curious about all goings on outdoors. Should a bird fly by, deer be in our yard, she was the first to know. On occasion Precious would start sniffing nonstop and then we knew she smelled a mouse. It seemed as if Precious could smell the outdoors through our double hung windows and thick walls!

We miss Precious more than we ever imagined. We felt most attached to her as found her in our yard at perhaps two days old and panicked when our newborn kitty only opened one eye after one week. However, the next day, Precious slowly opened her other eye.

We miss our little calico cat angel very much. Our house seems so very empty without our Precious, Tiger, Ramie. She was a most wonderful kitty and companion for my 92 year young mother.

Our Precious Joined Willa

2009-04-09T13:21:00.001-07:00

Our Precious kitty died on March 13, 2009, and joined Willa, the kitty of a member of one of my professional organizations that I never met but bonded with per our cats.

We miss our Precious very much. At just 7 1/2 years young she was a most important member of our family and companion to my mother of 92 years. Precious is the kitty I have written about often in this blog and as a very young kitten she would ride on my computer mouse while I completed my work on the computer.

We found Precious in our green bean patch as a newborn along with a twin that died almost immediately. It was late on a Sunday afternoon in the heat of August, with hawks flying above, and shortly before a drenching summer rain shower.

We had no idea that the small hairless living being that we found in our yard would become such a wonderful and beautiful calico cat. We feared keeping her because of severe allergies in our family but to our luck, no one was allergic to our Precious!

We thank Dr. Amy MacKay and her staff for helping us with Precious from day one and send our condolences to all who have lost pets.

Since I spent much time administering Reiki to Precious, I go to Dr. MacKay's office on Highland Road near Richmond Road in Richmond Heights, Ohio, to give Reiki to the office kitties that permanently reside in her clinic.

I will be writing more stories about Precious and add pictures to this blog. Precious full name is a very long one for such a small kitty, Precious Tiger Ramie Raskin Stewart.

Our Friend Willa

2009-02-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

On the same day that we learned the shocking news about Precious, another wonderful kitty named Willa passed away.

Although Willa lived in another state and we never met her, we feel the most special bond between Willa and our Precious. Willa being much older is perhaps looking after our Precious. When Precious passes away, we somehow hope that Willa will be there for her.

Willa was one year old in the picture below and much loved by Carolyn and Jocelyn.

It is very difficult to lose a member of one's family. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Carolyn and Jocelyn and know that we are not alone.

If we had a similar pose in a picture of Precious, the tails of Willa and Precious would appear identical. Willa also struggled with an illness successfully for many years. I hope that Precious has the same strength as Willa. If not, my heart is comforted knowing that Precious will never be alone, as she was as a newborn, on that hot summer day in August, 2001, when we found her exposed in our garden.

I know that both Willa and Precious were great companions, much loved, and capable of the most special communication with their human families.

What will our Precious Kitty Eat?

2009-02-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

On Monday, February 2, 2009, we learned via an ultrasound examination, that our Precious kitty, only 7 1/2 years young is terminally ill.

The biggest problem we have had to face besides taking her to our vet for fluids and medicines, is that Precious does not want to eat. We re-created the mixture that we once used with our aged cat, Goldie, before prescription diets were available.

We prepared the mixture for Precious. Precious ate the mixture that we call "tuna juice" for several days and appeared happy and playful during this time. The formula is simple using the water from one can of tuna and adding one can of baby food meat to the liquid. Mixing it by finger until it has a silky, smooth consistency, followed by microwaving the mixture for 3-4 seconds, and finger mixing it once again to insure it is slightly warm with no "hot spots" from microwaving.

The tuna water that Precious likes is Chicken of the Sea. The baby food that Precious likes is Gerber's, Stage 2, turkey. The label on the tuna says that it includes water and vegetable broth.

We tried everything our vet recommended and every food, cat or human, that we thought might appeal to our Precious. We continue to offer samples of food on plates in various rooms of the house and when possible, place the plate under Precious' nose.

Until these last two weeks, Precious never liked tuna or any fish. She loved her dry cat food, some turkey on occasion, and would sample almost anything we ate, once.

We found Precious in our yard exposed to the elements, with a hawk flying overhead when she was a few days old. We believe a drop of Karo Syrup may have helped to save her life as a newborn, until we could get her to a veterinarian for further directions.

Precious refuses all prescription diets, her regular foods, multiple brands and flavors of cat food. Precious runs away or to another room when she sees me with food, coming near her. If I leave a bowl of food in one room, she moves to another room. I force fed her as directed per her enlarged kidneys, but could not continue when I saw her ultrasound. I hated force feeding more than Precious did. Our vet believes the feeding may have helped Precious to eat once again.

Unfortunately, Precious stopped eating again today. However, Precious took two tastes of butter cream frosting that Adrienne (shanlera@optonline.net) recommended to me. The butter cream is made with real butter and powdered sugar. The consistency should be the same as that for frosting a cake.

On days that Precious does not want to eat, she spends more time with her fresh catnip plants.
She never responded to fresh or dried catnip in the past. My Mom has observed Precious placing her entire body over the catnip as if inhaling it, and on occasion chewing a leaf of fresh catnip.

I plan to prepare another food that was recommended to me called "Glop" in the next few days. There are several recipes for "Glop" on the internet. The general ingredients in Glop include Knox gelatin, some type of milk (canned cow, coconut, goat), Light Karo Syrup, real mayonnaise, plain yogurt (not lowfat) and another liquid such a water or pedialyte and sometimes egg yellow but no egg whites, and some recipes include baby food meats of chicken or turkey. I will try one of the recipes that do not include egg yellow but plan to include the baby food chicken or turkey.

Precious has never liked milk as an adult. As a young kitten she had KMR formula by eye dropper and later via bottle.

My Mom came over often to bottle feed Precious as seen in the picture below.

The picture was taken near Halloween. Precious' estimated birthday is August 23, 2001. We cared for her for seven days before she opened one eye and then later, the other eye.

We are taking one day at a time and enjoying each day with "Precious Tiger Ramie Raskin Stewart".

My Love of Cats

2009-02-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

One can tell by looking at the photograph on my web site at http://www.raskinfo.com that I love cats, any breed, color, size, or age. The cheeta picture was given to me by the wife of a physician. He took the picture while on Safari in Africa. His wife told me that he wanted me to have my favorite picture.

Can you count the number of cats in the cheeta family? There is one extra cub than your total count, almost hidden by his/her siblings. Can you see a bit of the cub's head?

The adult cheeta is strong, knowledgeable of her territory, and a very fast runner. I thought this was a wonderful representation of the work I love to do, timely research in the sciences, identifying promising innovative technologies, and business research.

My love of cats includes our dear Precious, a domestic, long-haired calico, who has always received the most loving and excellent care by our veterinarian, Dr. Amy MacKay and staff at the Nine Lives Cat Clinic in Richmond Heights, Ohio.

Metal Factory

2009-01-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

I am a Technical Information Specialist and Business Researcher interested in many fields including nanotechnology and the materials sciences. I wonder if my most precious memories of my father and his brother, my uncle, might be related to my work today?

One of my most precious memories is visiting my father in my uncle's metal factory. I was fascinated by the spraying, bending, forming of rough materials -- "sheet metal" (as my father would call it), resulting in what to me were the most shiny brass products. The smell of the factory was unique, stray kittens of all sizes and colors were most welcome, well cared for, and fun to play with.

When the factory was closed, on holidays or weekends, someone always went to the factory to feed and care for the kittens.

I have brass planters, watering cans, and one-of-a-kind items made in the factory as samples, so many years ago.

My uncle's interest in metals went beyond his factory. He would take us to visit the geodesic metal dome that was being built by the American Society of Metals. This was my first introduction to a professional association.

Beneath the highly engineered, spectacular dome one could find every "raw metal" or mineral one could imagine. Each mineral was neatly labeled and resting under an incredible structure. The geodesic dome is in an eastern suburb of Cleveland. It remains a wonderful place to visit whenever I find myself in the area.

I believe my interest in metals is from my visits to the metal factory and what is now called ASM, International, formerly the American Society of Metals. As immigrants, members of my family were most proud members of the former American Society of Metals. I will never forget how happy my uncle was when showing me the beginning of the world headquarters in Geauga County so many years ago. My mother enjoys the dome today as much as she did when it was being built.

I often heard my father discuss potential solutions, his father was a metallurgist, as were many of our ancestors. I saw rough products undergoing testing, items needing the tender care of the factory team.

My uncle would visit our house and proudly display his creative designs for potential metal products on our living room table. Some of the factory's creative designs still hang in local institutions. One of his creations, that I most admired, was a tree cut down to the stump having six branches growing from the stump. This metal piece became part of a memorial and was affixed outside and later placed within a local religious facility.

My research continues today via my own company. I am a devoted information specialist and researcher in what I would describe as the interdisciplinary field of the materials sciences. I am doing my best to carry on the long-time traditions and interests of my family.

I plan to continue to participate in product improvement and innovation by providing timely, quality research and information specialist services to those in the broad fields of the materials sciences.

Special Libraries Association's 23 Things to learn

2008-11-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Learning is an ongoing process in today's technological society. I am a lifelong student and sign up for classes at local colleges. I am also very excited in what professional organizations have to offer in regard to the chance to update's one's knowledge of Web 2.0, social networks, etc.

One professional organizations stands out in my mind in regard to offering unique opportunities to keep up with technology, the Special Library Association (SLA). A "special library" is one that specializes in a subject area or clientele. It may be public, private, or within a larger organization such as a company.

Lifetime learning offers many personal rewards. I always want to be innovative and on the leading edge of technology for myself, my peers, and my clients via my research company, Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC

Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out, authored by Judy Zionts Fox, RN, LSW, and Mia Roldan

2008-10-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Judy Zionts Fox and Mia Roldan on their book which has received and will receive many awards as best book for 2008. The award received to date is The National Best Books 2008 award in the category of Health: Death & Dying:

Winner:
Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speakout by Judy Zionts Fox, RN, LSW and Mia Roldan
New Horizon Press
978-0-88282-3331

Wow! I am so excited as the book is outstanding as a unique, sensitive, and useful work for the public and the professional. My mother, aged 91, feels the book is excellently written and handles a very difficult subject. The authors, Judy and Mia, did an incredibly wonderful job in writing this book.

I look forward to seeing Judy and Mia on T.V. , in book stores signing copies of the book, and on the radio.

If you have been touched by suicide, or have an interest in this most sensitive subject, Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out is a "must read."

Book Review: Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out by Judy Zionts Fox, RN, LSW, and Mia Roldan

2008-09-19T21:49:00.001-07:00

Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out, authored by Judy Zionts Fox, RN, LSW, and Mia Roldan, a special education teacher working on a degree in Social Work, is the culmination of an excellent retrospective and prospective research project undertaken by the authors over a period of 10 years.

This unique book has received outstanding reviews by this information specialist and other reviewers at the B&N web site and is also included on my web site at raskinfo.com

To document communications with children, who have survived the suicide of one or both parents, is a most special contribution to the subject of parental suicide, psychology, social work, education, nursing, criminal justice, and religious studies.

The authors are skilled at intertwining positive and negative memories of the participants in their study of a most complicated act, parental suicide. Fox and Roldan identify the on-going feelings surrounding the death of a parent and the community touched by suicide.

The personal interviews of 57 survivors of parental suicide include details of tremendous suffering. Most survivors cling to life, and attempt to begin the healing process in the aftermath of tragedy. Fox and Roldan include interviews with their own families in their inter-generational study of parental suicide.

In "Voices of Strength", survivors use their strong voices, in addition to those of Fox and Roldan, to speak out to humanity. The survivors describe the hills and valleys on the long road to recovery.

The survivors of parental suicide convey an intricate message of hope, healing, understanding, and strength on the long path to forgiveness.

"Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughter of Suicide Speak Out" includes the personal stories of participants and practical advice. I recommend this book as a "must read" for anyone touched by, or interested in the subject of suicide, or the subject of death in the family.

I envision that Fox and Roldan's work will proceed one step further and become an important publication in a collection of resources that will aid humanity in the compassionate understanding of loss and in the prevention of suicide.

Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears

2008-09-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

My first football game in Cleveland was a great adventure. It was a beautiful night in Cleveland and on entering the stadium I notice a windmill. I had seen them on a recent ride to Washington, D.C., but this was my first windmill in Ohio. I hope we have others as it fit so naturally near Lake Erie and the buildings that are the same white color as the windmill.

Our seats were wonderfully comfortable. We purchased pretzels and a Pepsi before going to our seats. We had prepared for rain but it missed our area. We noticed many small airplanes of all types leaving from the nearby Burke Lakefront Airport and concluded the phenomenon of so many interesting planes fling next to but not over the stadium must be related to the annual Cleveland, Ohio, air show.

The stadium seats are orange and grey, the orange being one of the colors of our Browns football team. The bathrooms were clean and much nicer than I expected at a busy football game with no lines, to my surprise.

Once inside the stadium, I quickly noticed all the technology related to advertisements and websites. Much has changed since attending games with my husband in the last 40 years.

I was pleased to see so many Ohio State University fans wearing their OSU shirts. As a life member of the OSU Alumni Association, I have many OSU shirts, but for the Cleveland Browns game I had purchased a new pair of brown slacks and a most comfortable Brown's shirt in the team color of burnt orange.

It was an evening game during the first week of school for many children but many children of all ages were in the stadium. The Daug Pound was most active as were the cheers from the fans in all of the varied type of seating.

On leaving the stadium we walked back to our car along the Lake Erie waterfront, past the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland has much potential with a most precious natural resources, Lake Erie.

Summer Olympics in Beijing, 2008

2008-08-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

The summer Olympics in Beijing were incredible. The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the events, were superb. I do not think there is a word that adequately describes the events we saw via television.

We wish they would replay the opening and closing ceremonies as they were outstanding and we would love to view them again.

I heard on a news report that the total, all inclusive cost of the Olympics in Beijing was 40 billion dollars.

The manpower was incredible as seen in the opening and closing ceremonies that reflected precision, timing, dedication, and as my mother mentioned, discipline. I heard that as many as one million volunteers may have been included in the proceedings of the summer games.

Three Days to Go to the Cleveland Browns Football Game

2008-08-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

I have three days to go to the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears football game.

To get ready for the game I purchased an orange-colored Cleveland Brown's shirt, made of a very soft 100% cotton weave, and a pair of brown pants. Thus, I match the team colors of orange and brown.

I hope to look like a brown's fan!

Walking in a New Park

2008-08-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

My nephew and I took a long walk in a new park, actually a golf course that has been converted to a large park. We saw an incredible number of birds and insects as we walked through the new park on a most beautiful August day.

My nephew noticed a hawk high in the sky and a Praying Mantis near the edge of our path. The Mantis blended in with the green and reddish grass and stood in the praying position completely still.

In addition to the reddish hawk, my nephew noticed many turkey vultures, heard the sounds of the Goldfinches in the pine forest and saw a young deer near the apple trees in the abandoned orchard.

Later we picked our own apples in a nearby orchard where I often pick my apples and grapes each year.

One can ask the owner of the orchard, almost any question about what he grows and sells.

This wonderful August day was also a birthday present for my nephew's mother, my sister,
who enjoyed the special moments with us and our 91 year young mother.

While my nephew and I took a quick walk, my sister and mother were swinging on a swing and
sitting in the shade under a tree after we all had lunch in the cafe of this wonderful park.

Eight Days until the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears

2008-08-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting article today at Forbes.com entitled the Special Report: The Business of College Football.

Unfortunately we did not get our football tickets in The Ohio State University Alumni lottery this year but we will enjoy the upcoming Cleveland Browns football game.

Only eight days to go until the game on August 28!

11 Days to Go to the Game

2008-08-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

It is now Sunday, and we have 11 days to go to the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears football game. I may try to bake a daugie bone today for my nephew and my husband who both are allergic to dairy and eggs.

If you would like to know more about me, check out my web site at
http://www.raskinfo.com

13 days to the Cleveland Browns football game

2008-08-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

It is now day 13 on the way to the Cleveland Browns football game.

I am noticing more orange and brown around me both at home and around our area.

Our weather has been perfect and I hope it stays so until the game of the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears on August 28, 2008.

14 Days to go until the Cleveland Browns Game

2008-08-14T18:52:00.001-07:00

We have 14 more days until the Cleveland Browns football game in Cleveland, Ohio. I am referring to the game of the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears on August 28.

I am thinking about baking cookies for our snacks before the game, cookies like the ones I saw years ago in the shape of bones for dogs.

Perhaps I can do brownies in the shape of bones for the "Dawg pond"? An alternative might be to bake bear claws, per the Chicago Bears?

Does anyone have a good, easy recipes to share for bear claws or "dawg" bones?

Count Down to the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears

2008-08-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

We have counted down to 15 days until the game at the Cleveland Browns Stadium.

I have checked out where Club Seats are located and am pleased they do not appear to be too high or too low in the stadium.

I started reading what I am or am not permitted to bring to the stadium for the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears football game. I have not yet checked what to wear or the weather forecast.

Any suggestions are most welcome.

This is my first football game in the Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2008 and I have only 15 more days until the game, the countdown continues.

Cleveland Browns Football Game

2008-08-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

I am starting the countdown for my first Cleveland Browns football game this year to be played in Cleveland on August 28, 2008. My husband received the tickets from his brother.

My countdown has started towards the evening game of the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears.

On the first day of my countdown, my husband wore his Cleveland Browns pants and my nephew happened to be wearing a Cleveland Browns tea shirt, when I dropped something off at my sister's house. On day one of my countdown, I have begun to notice that much of the wardrobe in our family is orange (my husband's favorite color) and brown. The array of orange and brown flows from his closet to our towels.

Our calico kitty has a Cleveland Browns' towel in her bed. Our calico kitty is a Browns fan and watches the team on T.V.

16 days to go to the Cleveland Browns vs the Chicago Bears in Cleveland, Ohio!

I hope to add something interesting to this blog both before and after the Browns Football game on Thursday, August 28.

My company's name is Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC, and my web site is http://www.raskinfo.com Although I am available, 24/7, I plan to take the day, August 28, off to prepare for the game and wear something in the appropriate orange and brown colors to show my team spirit.

It will be a holiday from my work answering research questions but please "Keep Askin for Raskin".

Who is Eating My Squash Plants?

2008-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

My 2008 garden is a mystery. I have never had any animal eat my squash plants but this year an animal is eating all of the leaves of my various kinds of squash. Some of the branches of my large tomato plants also to appear to have been eaten. My parsley, arugula, and cilantro have not been touched. My summer and winter squash plants are merely a few sticks in the ground. I always plant a summer squash and a winter squash, my most successful until this year was butternut squash.

No one is eating the cucumbers but their leaves are loaded with the "powdery wilt" as I call it. The plants are producing good little cucumbers the size of pickles but the leaves are totally white.

I planted Marigolds around my garden, that are doing terrific. My basil and rosemary are doing fine.

I have seen deer in our area and once in my yard, but my squash and tomato plants have never been disturbed.

It is a mystery as I have a small plastic fence around the garden. Could it be a large bunny standing on his hind legs to nibble squash plants as we have few of his favorites growing in our yard?

Luckily, the tomato plants are large and do have green tomatoes on them. I wonder if they will also disappear? My Marglobe, Hillbilly, and Mr. Stripey tomato, are heirlooms and all have green tomatoes on them. The hybrid, Sweet 100 cherry tomato, a favorite of my mother, is huge and is bearing many cherry tomatoes.

In any case, who is eating my squash plants?

A Dedication to my Garden of 2008

2008-06-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

It seems to be an incredible year for cherries in the Cleveland area. Our cherry trees, both sour and sweet, have never had so much fruit, the same appears to be true for the blueberries.

The winds seemed to have knocked down many of the small apricots and peaches on the trees but the smaller fruits do not seem to be bothered by the almost daily winds and rain showers.

The birds are eating the cherries on the trees as soon as a few of the cherries are ripe, therefore, I will place a net over my blueberries, tomorrow, assuming they have not yet been eaten by the birds. I love to share with our animals and did enjoy the cherry blossoms and seeing the cherry tree loaded with fruit to such a degree that branches clung and hugged each other.

The next day after viewing the cherry tree loaded with cherries, I brought my mother over to see my sweet cherry tree full of cherries. To my surprise, there was not a single cherry left on the tree. I quickly picked some of the cherries for my mother at my mother's house, before her cherries too would disappear. We plant trees in memory of family members and our collection of fruit trees has increased in the last ten years.

I finally finished planting the seeds and plants that I purchased at my local nursery for my 2008 garden. I also planted a small garden of tomato plants for my mother who loves to watch them grow and enjoys harvesting the tomatoes for her wonderful homemade tomato soup.

My mother planted her own arugula in her herb garden. Her arugula was ready to eat in early spring, long before I purchased my seeds. My mother used seeds she had from last year and all sprouted quickly. Within a few days after planting, my arugula seeds started sprouting. Over one week later, I began to see sprouts of parsley, cilantro and marigolds. I plant the marigolds around the garden and use them in baskets as they are known to repel unwanted pests.

In regard to tomato plants, I selected three heirloom varieties and one cherry tomato that is a hybrid. Whenever I find myself in a greenhouse with tomatoes or Easter Lilies, I think of my adviser at The Ohio State University in plant cell culture, Dr. William Rod Sharp.

The heirlooms that were available at the nurseries that I frequented very late in the season per the projects around our house include Mr. Stripey, Marglobe and Hillbilly. I wanted orange tomatoes and the striped types, including what I hope will be an orange stripe, were as close as I could get this year. I am noticing that the hybrid tomato seems to be growing faster than the heirlooms I selected.

I also planted bush cucumbers, summer squash, and one of my favorites to harvest in the late fall, butternut squash.

Incredibly, one of my white geranium plants survived the winter in my garage and was the first to bloom this spring. I hung baskets in the front of my home as we have much mulching and yard work to finish this year.

Luckily it has been raining almost every day and I don't have to do much watering of the hanging baskets of pink geraniums, light-yellow petunias, and marigolds. This is the first season that I have noticed light-yellow petunias and I had to purchase the basket that also included dark blue pansies that are continuing to bloom, to my surprise.

Much of the Spring has been above average in temperature and rainfall for our area, but the temperatures should be cooling down a bit this week. I need to trim overgrown bushes and mulch the flower beds and garden. I love the smell of pine bark mulch in the garage, the yard, or wherever it may be as it reminds me of getting out of the train in Freiburg, Germany, and smelling the heavenly pine smell of the Black Forest. It was another world when my family left the country of my birth and much family loss and suffering. Thus, smelling the wonderful aroma of pine brings back a mixture of memories to me both the most wonderful and the most horrible, unthinkable.

After 20 years, I finally updated the fence around my garden and it looks clean and fresh. I remember when I put tomato plants in the yard before our house was built to determine where they might grow. I was advised not to plant the garden near the deck or I would see the weeds whenever I want to use the deck. This was wonderful advice.

Each time I place a tomato plant in the soil or save seeds from one that I like that breeds true, I think of my father, how he taught me to plant a garden when I was in first grade and how the tomato played a role in his life and that of my relatives.

I am grateful to have a happy garden in a free country so unlike the camp I remember as a child.

I have the most beautiful peach roses, my mother's favorite color, that smell heavenly. The lilacs were also very abundant and beautiful this year.

I am blessed that my garden need not be a secret one. I dedicate my garden to all those in my family, and other families, that did not survive the horrors of war. My garden is also my legacy and a memory of a time when those who survived did not have the freedom to openly plant a garden as part of their daily life activities.

My company, Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC, recently released a News Release on "Turning Your Green to Gold" in reference to new eco-friendly technology. In the case of my personal garden, "turning green to gold" refers to vegetables one looks forward to after raising green plants from seed or small plants to a healthy, golden, fall harvest.

The Herons

2008-05-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

My mother, sister, and I love to see the blue or smaller green herons in our local park.

We had many herons nesting in our area before our houses were built. A protected wetlands area nearby, remains a home to "our herons". We see one blue heron so often, we consider him part of the our family. He is most obviously grayish blue in color, very slender, regal and tall. One can not miss the heron's thin yet sturdy legs. His wing span is incredible as he flies from one water resource to another.

The smaller heron that we most often see in the Greater Cleveland area is the Green Heron.

There is nothing quite like seeing a Great Blue Heron in flight, yet they can remain so still, standing in water for long periods of time. Lucky for us that they are often quiet as it allows us to watch and admire this incredible bird that seems to be from another time.

The herons that we see are true wading birds. We watch them fish using their very long and thin beak, like a knife spearing a fish. We often notice that the other birds get out of his way, when the Great Blue Heron approaches.

I associate natural wading areas in the Greater Cleveland area with herons. Whether in a Cleveland area Metropark or taking a walk near the Chagrin River, look for a stick in the water that begins to move a bit. No it is not the wind, but most probably one of our most interesting residents. Many people that leave our area miss our herons and another memory, the Canadian Geese, members of the natural wonderland of interesting birds.

In regard to Canadian Geese, they are nesting on small plots of land surrounding many of the natural wading areas inhabited by the herons.

One of my husband's former work associates retired to Florida and sent us a picture of what looked like a white heron knocking on his front door. The Florida herons are impressive relatives of our local northeastern Ohio herons.

However, the Florida resident walking to the front door in this picture appears to be an Egret, the hint is the black legs that one can easily see on this photograph.

Photograph courtesy of Jim Cronin of Florida.
Thanks Jim, for sending us this wonderful picture.

Have a Question? Ask us for a Solution.

2008-05-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

Have a science, business or other question?

Knowledge is the key that opens many doors.

Contact me, Rosa Raskin, via my email at rosa@raskinfo.com, call me at 440-461-4125, or check my web site at Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC.

As an information specialist with over 25 years of experience in many industrial and business sectors, and training in the sciences and business, I thrive on finding solutions.

I see the love of research in my mother at 91 years young, my role model, who looks up whatever she is interested in, asks her children to obtain a book from the library for her, and attended college at the age of 60 while working full time. She was a most devoted student and was asked by her university professors to tutor other students of all ages.

I turned my childhood hobby into a profession. At age 16, I was positive that I wanted to obtain degrees in the sciences, followed by library science, so that I would understand the questions being asked, and respond with the best information available.

My first job at age 16 was as a Page in Technical Services at the Coventry Public Library, a library within the Cleveland Heights-University Heights LibrarySystem. Technical Services is the team that often works behind the scenes in a library. What I learned was that to be in the information profession meant I would be dedicated to lifelong learning. Technology, databases and information resources are forever changing.

As a young child I enjoyed finding answers to questions in books. My father would ask us questions as a game and this increased our desire to find the best, timely answers. I quickly learned that knowledge is the key that opens many doors.

I answer questions in my daily work to help companies, associations, scientists, corporate managers, family and friends find solutions. When someone wakes up with a question, they call me to find the answer. I often am asked and have answered two interesting questions before breakfast on Sunday mornings.

I love to participate in innovative solutions, creation of needed new products, and identifying new clients for wonderful, existing products and services. I am experienced in the image enhancement of others. If you look great, I have done my job.

Many sectors are interested in green solutions to create a new product or revise methods used to manufacture a current product. The consumer is also interested in helping our environment in many ways. There is a growing and strong interest in gardening, growing heirloom plants, and using environmentally friendly products. The "go green" theme appeals to many on a global scale at this time, verify this on Google or check the shelves of your local grocery stores.

My interests match those of the consumer, the innovator, and are global in scope. To succeed, we need timely, accurate information and an expert to sift through the volumes of data to determine what is most useful. I am the sifter, research analyst, information specialist, informationist, the person that is experienced, trained, and ready to answer your questions. I present the solution to you in understandable terms and in your preferred format.

In a few days, I will attend an annual meeting of one of the professional organizations I belong to dedicated to the subject of patents. The changes and proposed rules in patent regulations affect the retrieval of needed information. A conference dedicated to the subject is one of the best ways to ensure one is familiar with local and international issues.

Without studying the subject in detail or attending seminars on the topic, how would one know that a particular country is no longer included in a patent database? I take many courses each month to keep up with changes, participate in related listserv networks of professionals, and attend as many diverse seminars as possible. My interests in information resources cover A through Z, from intellectual property to the marine sciences.

My most precious memory concerning intellectual property was in graduate school. My adviser, Dr. William Rod Sharp, asked me to put my name on a broom when we were cleaning the laboratory after a flood. Years later, I had the courage to ask Dr. Sharp why he insisted that I place my name on the broom. I actually put his name on the broom as I looked a bit like "Samantha" in a television show that we can still see via reruns called "Bewitched". I was often teased by my peers who were in awe of my knowledge-based and laboratory research skills and thought of it as a kind of magic. They watched my progress as a single pollen grain began to grow and turn into a plant tissue called callus, or the ultimate magic, a plantlet in a bottle of culture medium living in one of four refrigerators!

Dr. William Rod Sharp told me that he wanted me to learn about intellectual property. I had a natural interest in the subject and Dr. Rod Sharp's teaching method is one of my most precious memories. I try to keep the memory alive by writing to him as often as possible. Does Dr. Sharp realize that his broom started me on my journey as a patent searcher, researcher of prior art, or international patent law?

Have a question, want someone devoted to your research project, and provide customized value-added benefits?

Call Rosa S. Raskin & Associates, LLC, check our web site at http://www.raskinfo.com,
email me at rosa@raskinfo.com or call 440-461-4125. I will find the key to open your door to power, success, a wonderful future, and the world of information.

Thanks for reading my blog. I look forward to your questions.
Rosa

Interest in the chemical, physical and natural sciences.

2008-04-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

I recently created The Powder Coating Web Portal. When I mentioned it to one of my clients, I suddenly realized that my interest in coatings, metals, paints, polymers, and nature are from my early childhood. Details about the services I offer to individuals, trade associations and companies are included in my recent Press Release and at my web site at

http://www.raskinfo.com

Thinking back, my interest in metals and material sciences are from my father, my paternal grandfather and grandmother, and maternal grandfather. My love of flowers, green plants, and cooking can be traced to my maternal grandmother who always raised red geraniums, cooked wonderful foods and baked the best cookies in the world in her cozy kitchen. I remember her taking special care of her geraniums everyday. I see the green thumb in my mother, my grandmother's middle daughter.

Some of my earliest memories are walking with my aunt in the Black Forest. Next came a surreal stay in a Displaced Person's Camp where I longed for the freedom and privacy of the forest that I knew so well and loved so much.

My paternal grandfather, who died before I was born, insisted that his children, no matter what their chosen profession, learn the skill of metalworking. My grandfather created the stained glass windows in many of the churches and temples throughout Europe, Coats of Armour, and many other items made of metal. My father took us to a metal working factory as children where we would see brass planters and other brass items being made. We watched the Society of Metals build a structure and studied the mineral and metals in the area.

My father taught me how to paint the bricks on a house, as well as the exterior and interior of a house. He took me along when he purchased paint, invented a paint mixer and must be the reason I am interested in architectural coatings and product finishing.

It is most interesting how one's interests are linked to what one was exposed to as a young child. I love reading journal articles on polymers, liquid coatings, powder coatings and paints.

My father painted a three-story house without ever using a ladder. He set up a series of pulleys and long bamboo poles that he would move to paint every shingle of the house. He did the house in two colors, the upper color was a dark green and lower color was a beige. When my younger sister and I painted the bricks in a reddish tone, and the grout around each brick, the entire house looked as if it was newly built rather than being at least 60 or more years old at the time.

I seem to be interested in wallpaper and remember removing wallpaper from the attic rooms. I became to comfortable with the rooms in the attic that I overcame my fear of heights and retrieved items that landed on the roof by crawling out an attic window.

I wish I had watched my father more closely and diagrammed a schematic of his painting system for multiple story homes for those afraid of heights or those that feel insecure in climbing a ladder. He once imported items and the quality was far from perfect. I now understand the problems with the coatings on the metal items my father imported so long ago.

I try to help others find solutions to problems, provide research in anticipation of their needs, and brain storm and conduct in-depth research on innovative product development.

My paternal grandmother was most interested in sterile technique, and that was of interest to me in the field of microbiology and biotechnology, performing plant and animal cell culture. My father loved trees and gardening. I responded with an interest in heirloom plants.

My maternal grandfather managed a hotel, was a gourmet cook and a biologist at heart. The natural sciences, chemical, and physical sciences, along with business research, are important to me.

I would love to participate in the creation of the innovative, safe, and useful products for future generations as expressed in my web site at
http://www.raskinfo.com

Concerts

2008-04-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

One of the most memorable concerts is the one I recently attended at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The concerts included orchestras and vocal groups from high schools in the U.S. and Canada. Brush High School of Lyndhurst, Ohio, participated in this wonderful series under the direction of an incredible teacher, Mrs. Lydia Prontiv.

The students were most professional and the music was wonderful. My nephew, Andrew participated in the Brush orchestra and also in the Honors Orchestra.

After each incredible concert, I suggested to Andrew's mother, my sister, that we go to Cafe Mozart in NYC as her son, my nephew, had played Mozart.

I never expected to hear a concert such as I heard from this local high school that my nephew attends. Hillary Clinton had visited the school in her Ohio campaign and told the orchestra that they would have fun in NYC and so they did.

The memories are most precious to me. How I wish other members of my family could have attended this wonderful event. These kids love music. Their hard work and dedication was
noted by all who attended. I look forward to their next concert and hope to follow them wherever they play.

Looking for Spring - Mom in her Garden

2008-03-24T10:27:00.001-07:00

We still have snow on the garden and lawn. I am looking forward to Spring so that we can plant our gardens. I usually have two vegetable gardens, one at my house and one at my Mom's house about three miles from my home. I am looking forward to planting lots of heirloom tomato plants and flat parsley this year. We also grow squash but most other crops are eaten by our rabbits. We don't mind sharing but they rarely leave anything for us. Some squirrels take tomatoes.

This year we hope to plant many of the tangerine type heirloom tomatoes as they have the good cis-lycopene, that researchers say, is not the form of lycopene found in the red tomato varieties.
We love all types but have a special interest in heirloom tomatoes as they breed true, one can use the seed or much better, should a plantlet show itself in the garden next year, it would be just like one of the heirlooms we planted, and not an unknown offspring of a hybrid. We seem to have many tomatoes reseed themselves in our garden and when using hybrids, one never knows what a seedling might turn into. Since my Mom cares for every seedling that shows up from a tomato from the year before, we will switch to planting heirloom tomatoes that are homozygous and should breed true, the seedlings producing tomatoes like the parents. Of course the exception to this would be if some heirlooms would cross via bee pollination and then we would have an interesting phenomenon. Tomatoes most often self-pollinate.

Most Precious Birthday Morning

2008-03-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today is my Mom's 91st birthday and it is also Easter. It is hard to believe that she is 91 and receiving so many cards in snail mail and the web from friends near and far. She is enjoying a very special breakfast and is looking forward to a quiet day of visits from my youngest sister, Maria, perhaps a wonderful concert from her son, Andrew, and playing with our kitty, Precious. Our dear friend Gerd Schlinke of Freiburg, Germany, sent this picture of daffodils that we are enjoying much, as we still have high snow over our lawns and flower beds here in Cleveland, Ohio, this beautiful, sunny morning.

Thanks also to our friend Judy Fox for sending Mom a lovely card. Judy's new book appeared on Amazon for the first day yesterday entitled,

Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out .

Memorable Books

2008-03-19T20:14:00.001-07:00

This is one of the most memorable, colorful and interesting covers I have seen on a book of this nature. The book is authored by Carin L. Cunningham & Gerard A. Banez.

I have helped many authors through the years, but the book that stands out as most precious to me is Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders: Biopsychosocial Assessment and Treatment by Carin L. Cunningham & Gerard A. Banez. I learned much from this book that sits as comfortable on a general physician's book shelf as on my shelf at home.

This concise book, appropriate for families and medical professionals, is easy to understand and of great value to the fields of pediatrics, gastrointestinal disorders, and psychology. Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders: Biopsychosocial Assessment and Treatment, in my opinion, is appropriate for the general public, students, and medical professionals.

I was trained and worked in the sciences, yet until I read this book authored by Carin L. Cunningham & Gerard A. Banez, I had no idea that serotonin (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin) was manufactured in the human gut rather than exclusively in the human brain, as I had thought for years. Why did I not know this? What had I missed? What was I reading? This is just one small piece of data that I learned from reading this book that changed my understanding.

When I told my sister that serotonin was made in the human gastrointestinal system she said, of course it is. She is a Professor of English, a journalist, creative writer, and superb teacher. She had a premature child with severe gastrointestinal distress. I would have loved to purchase such a reasonable text for my sleep deprived sister and the rest of our very upset family to read 15 years ago when my nephew was born. To our surprise, my nephew turned out to have multiple food allergies. My sweet nephew, now 15 years old, continues to have 30 food allergies, is fine, and will be playing violin at Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts in NYC this Spring.

I did not know what I did not know, until I read and reread this wonderful book. I started wondering how others feel about the book and if they agree with me regarding the importance of this book to a home, public or medical library? I checked if it was included in databases and searched for reviews. Since the book is timeless, reviews and success stories continue to be published. If you have a story, enjoyed reading this book, or found it helpful in understanding the gastrointestinal system, please share your story with us and feel welcome to add to this Blog.

I have known the first author's name, Carin Cunningham, since I first saw it in 1987. I had not actually met her at the time, but knew that she read much and loves libraries.

In 2004, I finally met Dr. Carin Cunningham. She is a most dedicated, caring professional that devoted much time to write a book that would be appropriate for all of us to read to help us understand ourselves, and anyone with a gastrointestinal issue.

I would like to suggest that you obtain a copy of the book via purchase, suggest it to your librarian, try to borrow it from someone or read a chapter on line. Find out for yourself what you don't know and forward a review to a group you belong to, a newsletter to your organization, a local newspaper, your favorite book review source, to this blog, to Carin Cunningham via her email at Carin.Cunningham@case.edu or to me at rosaraskin@hotmail.com

Our kitty, Precious, before Mom's 89th Birthday Party

2008-03-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

Our kitty Precious was 4 years old at the time of my Mom's 89th birthday party and wanted to give Mom a birthday kiss in this picture, where my husband is holding Precious. Mom will be 91 years young on March 23, 2008. We wonder how Precious will behave at Mom's celebration at our house this year? Two days before Mom's birthday it will be our 40th wedding anniversary. This will mean lots of excitement for Precious.

This year Mom's birthday coincides with Easter. Mom has expressed a desire to spend several days with us and her dear Precious. This is wonderful for me as I own my own information business and answer questions from members of the public, professionals, corporations and trade associations. I welcome inquires and have my contact information on my business web site at http://www.raskinfo.com

Since my parents were entrepreneurs and had a business of their own for many years, my Mom is a great resource and has helped me more than once in finding a solution to a challenging project. She encourages me, inspires me, is meticulous in accounting, and blessed with a superb memory on which I often rely. I am the scientific and technical type, experienced in business research, and most appreciative of those with the entrepreneurial spirit and business sense.

My husband is strong in finance, accounting, general business and serves as a maufacturer's representative for plastic and steel strapping and related products and machinery.

Having a background from consumer products to polymers and engineered products, there are few questions that I am not interested in. I truly enjoy having my own business, helping others to increase their bottom line, and identify timely, innovative solutions to their needs.

I believe I have my mother's pioneer spirit but admire her courage. She became a displaced person on marrying my father. She subsequently entered a D.P. camp before being allowed to immigrate to the United States after World War II with two small daughters. She was a great help to my father who had nothing but a shirt on his back. It was her idea to start a business selling notions that developed into a successful fabric business in the city in which I was born, Karlsruhe, Germany. She not only excelled in sales but is talented in all aspects of running a business.

It is amazing how cats seem to know what hurts. Mom has arthritis in her hands and Precious licks them often. Precious's fur is thick, soft and feels like a fur blanket. She likes to keep us warm in the cold winters of Cleveland and loves to keep Mom company, as Mom enjoys playing with Precious. Mom loves to pet Precious and Precious responds with tricks to keep her grandmother's attention.

This may be hard for some to believe, as it was to me, but my Mom taught Precious to understand words when she took care of Precious as a young kitten while my husband I were on an extended trip.

Precious understands the lullaby my mother sings to her and both words and phrases including "fresh water", "treats", "turkey", "chicken", "no", "roll over", "go in your own bed" and one of our kitty's favorites "huggy, huggy". Precious hates going to the vet although we have a most understanding veterinarian. Precious hates to have her fur combed or brushed yet never complains about getting a shot. She does not want the vet or anyone to touch her long, thick fur with a comb. She is not happy about having her nails cuts but tolerates it, as we play a game called "one, two three". She truly hates her hairball medicine and I have tried many flavors.

Since she was raised by hand and was only a few days old when we found her exposed in our green bean patch on a hot August day, shortly before a major storm, it has been a challenge
raising a feral kitten. My Mom helped us from the beginning. Today, Precious weighs 9 1/2 pounds, mostly fur and muscle. She is very long compared to many cats. As a calico, she has the typical calico personality and we call her "miss personality" as she is much more emotional than the red tabby we had for years whose name was Goldie.

If anyone has suggestions or information about calico cats that they would like to share, we very much welcome your comments on this blog.

I have become so attached to Precious that the first time I left her to fly to Austin, Texas, to give my niece a wedding shower, I was like a new mother leaving her baby for the first time and my husband was a bit worried about the responsibility as newborns kittens do not urinate on their own.

To my surprise, on my return from my niece's wedding shower, Precious was totally bonded to my husband. He did an incredible job taking care of our Precious.

A Precious Story

2008-01-27T04:35:00.001-08:00

A Most Precious Memory: How did my parents encourage
their two young daughters to cross the Atlantic Ocean?

My parents told my younger sister, aged two years, and me, a preschooler aged 3 1/2 years, that we were going to the U.S.A. to visit my uncle's kittens. In order to do this we had to cross the Atlantic Ocean via a troop carrier.

As adults my middle sister and I are homes for stray kittens. Herein is a picture of our kitten, named "Precious" by our veterinarian. The full name of our kitty is Precious Tiger Ramie Raskin Stewart, a long name for such a little one.

I found her alone near our garden when I went to pick green beans for my mother on an August afternoon. The veterinarian said she was at the most, a few days old, and prepared me that she might not survive longer than a day or two, and that most kittens this young do not survive.

I fed her every 1 1/2 hours as the vet insisted and later went to feeding on demand. That was our summer of sleep deprivation. When I had to leave her with my husband to go on a trip to visit relatives in another city with my mother, I found it very difficult to leave our Precious. My husband was a bit uneasy having the total responsibility of taking care of the kitten but when I came home after only a few days, she had bonded strongly with my husband.

Precious is older in the picture above, than when we found her. Under the towel next to Precious is an I.V. bag that the vet had us warm in the microwave to keep Precious comfy. At this age Precious loved to shadow my nephew, who remarked "Precious is the little sister I always wanted". Therefore, little Andy and I named her Precious Tiger Ramie Raskin Stewart. A long name for such a small kitten.

Shortly thereafter my nephew called me on the phone and said "Auntie Rosa, Precious can not be my sister after all, (my heart started beating quickly as I thought I was about to hear my precious nephew growing up too quickly) as she is my cousin!" Thank goodness, I thought, he has not grown up too fast for me yet, still time to enjoy his childhood a bit longer.

Weeks before this picture was taken we had to feed our most precious kitten with an eyedropper as she was too small to take a bottle. She had to be kept very warm. It was a hot summer in our house as we were told to keep it at 90 F. Finding Precious was stressful but a most precious memory.

Precious is a wonderful kitty. She is now 6 1/2 and loves my family, but having been hand raised, she is not comfortable with strangers, gets jealous when we play with one of her toys, but is always ready for a hug, we call it huggy, huggy.

My dear mother taught Precious many words, something I never thought of. Precious understands the words water, fresh water, come, good Precious, rollover, treat, our names and that of my sisters and mother, and our favorite, huggy, huggy.

She responds when I ask her to go to her room, as some are afraid of her. I did not do a good job of teaching her to meow. Precious hisses instead of meowing. This is most embarrassing for us but we were not the perfect cat parents. We wonder who left her exposed in our yard on a hot summer day with a storm on the way. We have never figured out the mystery.

When I found her on a Sunday night I could find no one to take her or to give me advice as to what to do with a kitten that looks almost newborn.

Luckily, I went on the internet and found advice until I could get the kitten to a vet, whose practice specializes in cats, the next morning.

I owe many thanks to our most precious veterinarian, Dr. Amy MacKay, at the Nine Lives Cat Clinic in Richmond Heights, Ohio, who has helped us much through the past years raising a feral kitten. Dr. MacKay is extremely patient and sensitive to our special situation, as she has been, from the first visit to her office the morning after we found Precious.

Precious loves her family and is a wonderful watch cat for my 90 year young mother. When my mother comes over to visit, Precious watches over Mom and lets me know when Mom gets up in the middle of the night. She also stays in Mom's room when Mom visits us. Precious puts her paw out to tell us Mom is sleeping and please do not disturb her. When Mom gets up, Precious comes to me and lets me know.

One very cute story relating to Precious is that the little boy across the street was called "most precious" by his dear grandmother. Our little neighbor replied, "I am not Precious, I am a boy, Precious is the kitten that belongs to Jules and Rosa across the street".

Precious lets me know if anyone is at the door. Precious's mannerisms tell me if it is a relative, friend or stranger. Precious is a house cat from a feral background. It continues to be a precious, wonderful, most surprising, and rewarding experience raising Precious.

Most Precious Memory of the USS General W. C. Langfitt, (AP-151), a G.O. Squire-class Troop Carrier after WWII

2008-01-27T03:54:00.000-08:00

Photo of the USS General William C. Langfitt given to the U.S. based navsource.org web site by Gerhard Mueller-Debus.

Conversations with my Father:
a Holocaust Survivor

One of my most precious memories are the conversations I had with my father from preschool until I was married. My two sisters and I wrote papers about our father and will post them, as we retrieve them from storage from the attic of my mother's house. Luckily, we rarely disposed of our writings and documented what our father told us and in addition, have many memories to report.

How I wish my father were alive as I have so many questions to ask him. I believe I would be able to comfort him now having read and studied many of the original documents concerning the Holocaust, especially the fate of the 500 metal workers.

My grandfather insisted no matter what education or profession his children chose, they were to learn a skill. Since my grandfather worked with metals, all of his children learned this skill. This skill, along with luck and the talents of my father's brother, spared their lives. However, my father's first wife perished in the Holocaust and our older sister disappeared, most probably having perished with her mother.

My mother, my father's second wife, believes that learning a skill today is most important, in addition to a formal education and professional occupation. She devoted much of her life to help my father, in his second chance at life, as a survivor.

I asked my father how he was able to survive the horrors of everyday life in the Lodz Ghetto, Concentration Camps, Forced Labor Camps and Death March?
He answered "I wanted to survive to tell the world what happened, but after it was over I could not talk about it." He felt no one would believe what had happened. He told me he was to be shot on many occasions but was not.

I asked my father if he had read about Hitler before things got bad and if so why did he not leave the area?
My father told me that he and his wife, child, and mother-in-law had the opportunity to leave. His mother-in-law refused to leave when the truck to carry their belongings was at the door. His wife refused to leave her mother behind and my father could not leave his wife and daughter.

I asked my father what happened to his first daughter?
My father told me often that if someone comes to me someday and says she is my older sister, I must believe her. He never referred to her as my half-sister but only "my older sister". I yearned to know what my sister looked like but remained forever silent as feared seeing the tears in his eyes.

I asked him what happened to my older sister's mother?
His eyes teared up and I became silent.

I asked my father what happened to his youngest brother?
He replied that he did not know but his youngest brother was very tall and this was a misfortune at that time.

I asked my father if anyone ever came from the free world to see what was going on?
He responded yes, that the International Red Cross came but was fooled by the preparations made in anticipation of their visit.

I asked him how it was possible that they missed the horrors that were going on?
He said that preparations included creating false store fronts and use of currency to purchase products brought in to the Concentration Camp in preparation of the visit.
All the preparations in Theresienstadt were fake and those persons that were ill were removed from the site in anticipation of the visit.

I asked my father if he would take revenge on anyone?
He responded no, only one person if he had the chance.

I asked my father if he would change his religion?
He said no he would never change his religion, although he tolerates and believes we all have one G-d. We walked to Temple together on Saturday mornings. He often attended Temple services with my mother on Friday nights while I took care of my youngest sister.

As a four year old, hearing about the Holocaust from neighbors who I thought were trying to scare me, I asked my father did they really make lamp shades out of human skin?
He answered in the affirmative but did not elaborate.

I asked him did they take the gold out of people's teeth?
Once again he answered in the affirmative but did not elaborate. I asked no further questions as was afraid of seeing his eyes tearing up.

I asked my father why he was blind in one eye?
He replied it had been injured.

When he took the bus with me and the bus driver said my father did not pay but I had seen him pay the fare, I asked my father, why did you pay twice and not explain to the bus driver that you had paid? My father replied that there is always "a witness". (I learned as a young child that witnesses are not always accurate).

My father told us that one who saves a life saves a world.

I asked my father what I should do with whatever he tells me?
He said that a witness to a witness becomes a witness. I should tell the story to the children in our family and his future grandchildren so that they would remain true to their religion and never forget. He wanted the world to know so that it would never happen again to any human being.

I asked my father if he felt the world knew what was happening?
He said that he felt they knew some things but the extent of the Holocaust was hard for humanity to comprehend and it should never happen again.

I asked him if there was anyone he wanted to thank for helping him?
He said that after the war he searched for a baker that had helped much but could not locate the baker after the war. My father had promised himself that he would find the caring person that helped when help was still possible and critical to survival.

I asked my father how his extended family reacted towards one another?
He told me that they tried to cover up for my grandmother's blindness and that the family was close and tried to help not only each other, but others.
My uncle saved the children from age 10-15 years in the Lodz Ghetto as he mentioned that they would be able to do job skills that adults could not accomplish. Without this courageous act, the children in this age group would have perished.

I asked my father what happened to his family in Warsaw?
His father had become trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto. My father's youngest sister, her three young children and husband were transported from Warsaw and perished in Treblinka. His older sister was able to hide one of her children in a convent.

My father insisted that I never hurt a living creature and respect all life.
He suffered from nightmares, depression, what is now called PTSD and mourned the extended family he lost.

He taught me to swim at a young age, as swimming was important to him. He encouraged me but let me proceed at my own speed to dive from the hightest diving boards. He taught me to float like a "dead man" and I could do it for hours, as he could as I have my father's physical strength. He was an expert swimmer having swam in contests with Johnny Weismuller before WWII.

I asked my father what is the best antidote for worrying?
He told me the antidote for worrying or depresson was work!

I asked my father why he was upset with me about the insects I was preparing for my school insect collection?
He said I was not permitted to hurt the insects for my 7th grade biology insect collection.

I asked him why?
I realized that he worshipped all life and healed an injured Tulip tree. At age 60 years he had his first heart attack while tending his beloved Oak tree that was hundreds of years old.

He told me I was not permitted to suffocate any living creature or allow it to suffer. I later understood why.

I felt compelled to walk out of class when we had to kill the smallest creature.
I had tears in my eyes and could not kill a sea urchin.

I asked my father why the tomato was so important to him and why he encouraged me to plant a garden as a young child?
Small gardens helped many to survive and the tomato was important to my father.
He grew it somewhere where organic fertilizer was plentiful when food was scarce.

The tomato in cell culture was the subject of my Master's thesis but I did not know at the time why I selected the tomato until I was older. I remember feeling strongly that I wanted to work on the tomato and told this to Dr. William Rodney Sharp (William Rod Sharp, William R. Sharp) at The Ohio State University as a new graduate fellow in 1970.

My father was stunned to learn how much I had cried while trying to write my Master's thesis and asked me why as he was so proud of my work with the tomato?

I certainly must have been a memorable first graduate student to my adviser Dr. William Rodney Sharp, as I did not understand why my tears would not stop. My father had built two greenhouses for tomato plants in his backyard to help me with my research. My father died shortly after I left The Ohio State University. It was a great disappointment to my father that I did not continue improving the tomato or other food crops. My father had hoped I would accompany my adviser, Rod Sharp, to advance my research efforts for part of the year in Brazil.

My mother and relatives did not tell me until I was in my 50th decade that my father talked about my going to Brazil with Dr. William Rodney "Rod" Sharp to continue intensive studies on the tomato and other plants that could prevent starvation. A few seeds from one tomato would grow well in decaying grass and areas rich in organic matter. Whether my father had access to a hybrid tomato or one that breeds true (homozygous) is something I may never know for sure. I assume that my father's bred true and he told me the tomatoes were large.

The tomato represented survival for a time to our family and others that lived through the Shoah. It was my father's dream that I would create a tomato that would breed true and thrive in all climates including the desert.

Per his interests in green plants, I had no idea that my father had attended medical school as his mother had wanted, until he was stoned, injured and not permitted to continue in medical school.

I asked my father why I was not allowed to cry under any circumstances?
He told me he could not see tears or handle crying.

He always told my mother not to force us as children and we were not disciplined until we came to the U.S.A.

I asked my father if he could tell me more about my older sister?
He replied that she would look out a window and wait for him to come home each evening.

He told me that my older sister was very affectionate.

My father told me he wetted a blanket and climbed through a window or hole to bring it to my older sister to suck on for water.

I asked my father the age of my older sister when things got bad?
He told me she was five years old.

I asked my father if anyone in our family resisted?
He answered that they resisted as much as they could, surviving was one way to resist as well as being true to their faith. He mentioned that some went further. One first cousin tried to sabotage the fittings of casings for bullets that she was working on as a forced laborer.

My father told me that while looking for better conditions, his father was locked in the Warsaw Ghetto while his mother was in the Lodz Ghetto.

I asked my father who I was named after?
My father told me that I was named after his beloved mother and that as her namesake I should know what happened to her.

He told me that my grandmother, with a small group of women, founded a hospital.
My grandmother volunteered for many charitable organizations.
My father told me that she became a gourmet cook when the family lived in France and joined the French chefs in their kitchen to learn the art of French cooking as her husband loved it. My grandmother loved to read and read many works including classic works of Spinoza and others.

The Passover service and meal was so long that all the grandchildren slept together at my grandparent's house. All of her children and their families would join my grandmother and grandfather for a special Sabbath dinner each Friday night.
My father said she rarely sat down to eat a meal but tasted everything as she was cooking to insure that it was the most flavorful, nutritious and delicious.

I asked my father if he could tell me more about my grandmother, his beloved mother?
My grandmother wanted my father to become a doctor or a Rabbi as he was extremely intelligent. My father told me that my grandmother encouraged him much and although she had many children and often moved when pregnant or when her husband needed to work in another city, she organized the move, continued her volunteer activities and always had time for her large family of three boys and three girls. She had lost one baby girl, Hannah, in the 1917-1918 influenza epidemic while living in Karlsruhe, Germany.

I asked my father what happened to my grandmother?
In the Concentration Camp, Stutthof, my grandmother was blind, beaten, and died alone with no other family member with her. It was close to the holiday of Hanukah.
The members of the family remaining alive at the time of my grandmother's death were slave laborers in a factory in Dresden. The name of the cigarette factory that my father used was Zigarettenfabrik Jasmatzi. This is the factory where my cousin started smoking as a forced laborer making munitions for the western front. At this factory, my female, teenage, first cousin tried to sabatoge the work to make the parts not fit. Observing her as an excellent seamtress when much older, I understand that she knew how to put parts together and succeeded in her courageous goal. My grandmother was to go with the family to this factory but it was not to be. A line was placed through her name, she was crossed off the list of the living. Why? Did she know that her young grandsons had been sent back to Auschwitz from Stutthof on a transport? My father said that my first cousin and her mother were with my grandmother when she was taken from the family. I heard discussion that she was beaten after protesting when children were taken away? Did they mean her children, her grandchildren or both?

When I light the Hanukah candles, I think of my dear grandmother and her devotion to her family, religion and community.

I am lucky to have a treasure, a picture of my grandmother at the wedding of my aunt, her firstborn. My grandmother has always served as my role model.

I asked my father why he was born in Lodz as his parents were living in France at the time of his birth?
He told me that his mother always traveled to Lodz, Poland from wherever they were living so that her mother, my great, grandmother would be in charge of the birth. My great grandmother believed in sterile technique and used it in the delivery of her grandchildren.

I was trained in and used sterile technique in animal and plant cell culture. Dr. William Rodney Sharp taught me the technique when I was 22 years old at The Ohio State University.

My great grandmother would always have candy in her deep pockets for my father and told him that her grandmother had told her our family left Spain in 1492 during the Spanish Inquisition.

I asked my father if he knew what happened to my grandfather?
My father told me that my grandfather, his father, died in the Warsaw Ghetto shortly before the uprising.

My father also mentioned that my grandfather was orphaned at the age of 12 years, invented the commercial dishwasher, made the stained glass windows in the churches and temples throughout Europe and created Coats of Arms. He was a great inventor and metalurgist and taught this skill to all of his children. The ability to work with metals and metalworking machinery was the skill that ultimately increased chances for survival during the Holocaust.

I asked my father what happened to his sisters?

He told me that two sisters survived and that his beloved younger sister perished with her young husband and several children. I saw the tears in his eyes and remained silent.

The conversations with my father occurred before the Holocaust was discussed in public and before it appeared in textbooks.

I was born in southern Germany in what is now considered the northern most portion of the Black Forest. My introduction to botany and to ornithology was from my family but I had no idea as a young child that this information was related to survival.

I remember the displaced persons' camp (DP camp) in Northern Germany Vegesack, a city in the suburb of Bremen, that we lived in while waiting to immigrate to the United States. We were lucky to have a needed sponsor in the United States and were counted in a quota that was in effect for displaced persons wishing to come to the United States of America. I remember my mother mentioning the UNRRA.

My father was uncomfortable in Camp Vegesack and anxious for our name to appear on a list that he checked each day. I don't know how long he could have waited to leave the camp but having two small children motivated him to wait for our turn as we had a sponsor and were part of a quota signed by the President of the United States.

One day my father told my mother that our name was finally on the list to leave the DP camp and proceed eventually to the USS General William C. Langfitt troop carrier. The ship had belonged to the Navy, the army, and back to the Navy in the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS).

I was 3 1/2 years old and my younger sister was 2 years old. I remember details as if it were yesterday. The men were separated from the women and children on the three week stormy voyage. The men painted the ship on the passage from Germany to the U.S.A. We had safety drills where I put on a life saving jacket in case we had to go swimming in the ocean. I once saw a huge whale and insist to this day that I almost fell in the ocean but my parents always insisted this was not possible.

My father's oldest brother, the one that saved the children aged 10-15 years in the Lodz Ghetto from extermination, and my cousin's brother-in-law met us in New York City. We arrived on the General William C. Langfitt troop carrier, USS General W. C. Langfitt (AP-151) a General G. O. Squier-class transport ship for the U.S. Navy in World War II.

My parents arrived in the United States with my younger sister, two years old and me. I remember the camp, much of the trip and especially how excited my parents were on seeing the Statue of Liberty.

On a foggy morning of September 4, 1951, my father held me up high so that I could see her, the Statue of Liberty!

After departing the ship, I stood on the dock looking up at a very black ship, the part that was under the water, smelling coffee and spicy donuts. The Salvation Army offered us spicy donuts and coffee but we declined as we were still a bit sea sick.

The stressful voyage was not yet to end. Neither my younger sister or I could be convinced to eat properly on the voyage. The ship's dining staff tried to help to distract me and showed me the coast of Ireland via a portal window but I could not eat. I was vomiting along with my mother and many others on the ship.

Although I passed the entrance exams, my sister almost did not but in the last moment, she cleared the examinations and we did not have to return to Germany. My mother told me that her heart was racing and it was the most traumatic part of the journey for her. We had to take what seemed to me to be an endless number of x-rays, shots and physical examinations.

One evening in his basement shortly before he died my father gave me a painting of the city I was born in.

I asked him why he was giving me his beloved picture?
He responded that it was because I would always remember him giving me the picture of the city of my birth, Karlsruhe, Germany. He was correct. The picture of the pre-war city hangs in my dining room and often brings tears to my eyes.

When I saw the city as a child it was black and damaged. On visiting in 1972, the palace was no longer black but repaired and painted light yellow.

When I asked my father to tell us a story . . .
When we were ill and had to stay in bed, we waited impatiently until our father would come home from work as we knew he would tell us wonderful stories if we asked him. He would test our math ability with what he called "smartness" questions and loved to tell jokes. Having experienced the Holocaust it is a miracle that my father retained his sense of humor and love of telling jokes. From the age of 18 months, my youngest sister would sit on his lap and identify characters in the comic strips to our father, repeating what he had taught her. It is not a surprise to me that my youngest sister, Maria, is a creative writer, patient teacher, Professor of English and accomplished journalist.

My father died in 1974, and left a yard full of tomato plants and the two greenhouses that brought tears to my eyes. My father had been trained as were all his siblings, by his father, in metalurgy. My father invented machines to simplify tasks such as building his own paint mixer. Neighbors would marvel and come over to watch as he painted a 4 story house without using a ladder. He had invented a series of pullies that painted every inch of each shingle of the house. He taught my middle sister and I to paint each brick and the mortar around it.

Our father loved animals. We were a home for stray cats, kittens, turtles, and adopted several dogs. He took me to greenhouses, aquariums and felt at peace in or near bodies of water.

I continue to search for my older sister. Per Bad Arolsen, and the Museum at Stutthof, my sister was last documented on arrival from a transport from Auschwitz to Stutthof on September 3, 1944. She was nine years old at that time.

My older sister is not listed as being transported back to Auschwitz once again with her three male cousins of the same age, although my uncle believed she was on that transport to her death.

A book published in 2007 as a memoir, without references, states that my baby cousin (Isak) was separated from his siblings at Auschwitz and taken from his mother's arms to the Auschwitz nursery. Per the official documented records I received to date, this is not accurate. All three cousins were in Auschwitz for ten days, sent to Concentration Camp Stutthof and then sent back again on another transport to Auschwitz.

No one can prove that my sister was killed or shot at Stutthof as no one witnessed this and it is not documented in any records I have found to date. We do not know if my sister was on the transport back to Auschwitz with her three male first cousins. Neither her mother, or the mother of my three cousins are listed as returning back to Auschwitz from Stutthof. The fathers including my father and his two brothers, my father's sister and an older daughter, one brother's wife and three older cousins, the remainder of what once was a huge family, were transferred from Stutthof to the Flossenberg Labor Camp. Final destination was a former cigarette factory scheduled to make munitions in Dresden with the newly arrived converted metal machinery originally belonging to my grandfather for making stained glass windows and Coats of Arms in Lodz.

My uncle, the one that saved the children aged 10-15 years old in the Lodz Ghetto, thought that my older sister may have been transported from Stutthof, back to Auschwitz, with her three male first cousins.

My father believed his wife was gone but felt no closure concerning his first born daughter.
Although my father had three more daughters, he never forgot his blond and blue-eyed angelic child.

In memory of my father, for my mother who is 90 years young, and the children in our family, I continue the search for truth and my father's first born daughter, my older sister, who my mother considers one of her own.

There is no one to answer all of my questions or wipe my tears.

I dedicate these conversations with my father to my mother of 90 years, a Jew by choice that experienced my father's pain, and remains a witness to what my father and his family endured. My mother was close to and had many personal conversations with numerous survivors including my father, my uncle, my aunt and two first cousins that were in their midteens during the Shoah (Holocaust).

I want to acknowledge the detailed work of my nephew, Andrew, whose family tree inspired me to gather documentation from family members and official sources for a future book. I grew up with survivor families and friends and have a collection of official documents. Andrew's excellent research, use of current databases and thoughtful insights, taught me much I did not know. Andrew's work answered questions regarding the fate of members of our family and inspired me to document historical conversations with my father. Andrew gave me the courage to continue to document conversations with my mother, Andrew's maternal grandmother. Andrew started what my father, Andrew's grandfather, wanted to accomplish yet my father died many years before Andrew was born to my youngest sister. I feel the pride my father would have for Andrew's continued accomplishments.

My father wanted to write a book detailing the story of his experiences and the 500 laborers that journeyed from the close of the Lodz Ghetto, to Concentration Camp Auschwitz in cattle cars, continued after ten days in Auschwitz to Concentraion Camp Sutthof. Their journey continued to Flossenberg and the Slave Labor Factory in Dresden from which they had to proceed on the Death March, eventually arrived at Theresienstadt from where they were released. After release by the Russians, my father traveled to a hospital in Vienna, Austria and then west to the family's designated meeting place, Karlsruhe, Germany.

My mother's memoirs are documented and will be included in the true story about our family.

A recent memoir was written and published in 2007 by a resident in London that includes much about my family that I am sorry to say is in error. Our family was not contacted and the memoir leaves us with more questions than answers. It has caused much pain for our extended family and especially our mother.

In the Spring of 2007, my youngest sister and I visited the author in London, but unfortunately, the information included in the memoir is not documented. As my father said "there is always a witness" and I add that such a witness, may in fact be in error and cause much pain to the family of the survivor.

The London author and his family were shocked that we are members of the second generation and that our father and uncle survived. The author did not know that one of my father's sisters and her daughter were also part of the group of 500, survived the Holocaust and imigrated to Israel.

I had many conversations with my father and will include all original, official documents obtained from third parties to validate what my father, uncle and first cousin, all Holocaust survivors told me in our conversations through the years.

I challenge all that read undocumented memoirs to continue to search for the truth and seek references and documentaton from multiple sources. I am willing to share my challenging search for the truth with anyone needing help. I have documents from Stutthof, Bad Arolsen, Germany, Poland, Israel and am in communication with the Amercian Red Cross to seek information from the Polish Red Cross.

As an information professional, researcher, scientist and member of the second generation, I have been blessed with the skills to continue the search dedicated to finding the truth. Many in my community have encouraged me to continue Rosa's journey in the memory of those that perished and for the benefit of future generations. Some say the second generation may have scars, we attempt to use those scars for the betterment of humanity.

In awe of all you accomplished, with much love
and respect to you, my mother, a true witness.

Your daughter, Rosa

Blessings and many thanks to Rabbi Arturo L. Kalfus
for encouraging me in this project.

corresponding web site: http://www.raskinfo.com/lodz.html