Growing Up Catholic in a Small Texas Town:

Bez Práce Nejsou Kolaches (Without Work There Are No Kolaches)

When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, we didn’t celebrate our heritage like we do now. Being a Czech Catholic back then was just what we were. Having big family dinners, baking kolaches, and going to church was what we did. It was small-town life at its best. Little has changed, except that now we celebrate with our annual WestFest, Czech Reflections was published, and West has a West History Museum. I no longer live in the West, so it’s always a delight to run into folks who have Czech heritage or know about my hometown.

The other day, I spoke to a woman over the phone here in Washington who was registering people for a workshop at church. When she heard my last name, she asked if I was Czech. We started talking, and soon, the conversation turned to kolaches. She was attending the workshop, so I wanted to bring her a kolache recipe. I pulled out my Czech Reflections: Recipes, Memories, & History Purchase Here and realized there was so much more inside than recipes. It includes a history of the West, Czech customs, home remedies, and the Czech alphabet.

Did you know that goose grease mixed with sulfur made into a paste will quickly heal sores?

Did you know that boiling pecans and pouring the liquid over your head can help keep your scalp healthy? (Wait until the water cools.)

Did you know that former Dallas Cowboy Bob Lily helped promote the first WestFest by organizing a donkey baseball game?

Did you know that rubbing hog lard on an animal’s head will keep fleas and ticks off?

Did you know that if you fast on Christmas Eve, you will see a golden pig at night? (This might be worth doing.)

Did you know my mother, Marcella Kaska, organized beer service at the WestFest beer booths? (This was not in the book, but it is worth mentioning. Especially since my family got free beer tickets if we helped pour.)

Mom Instructing Us on How to Pour

Here are a few of my favorite Czech proverbs:

  • Happy thoughts are half your health.
  • Fooling around brings tears.
  • Enthusiasm itself halves the job.
  • A good friend is better than gold.
  • As one sprouts into the woods, so returns the echo.
  • Let live long who drink.
  • Without money, do not go to the dance.
  • Hidden things are never lost.
  • Measure twice, cook once.
  • Where a Czech housekeeper cooks, everything goes well.
  • The tongue is without bones, but it breaks bones.
  • If I’m not here, I’m away.
  • Whose bread you eat, sing a song.

Do you have a favorite Czech quote, proverb, or memory to share?