This week she devoted her column to her own heritage. Very corny, but I love Slovenia for a special reason. All four of my grandparents emigrated from there in the early part of the last century. I have grown up with Slovenian song, dance, and food in the homes of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmas. So, please excuse me if I tell you more than you want to know about this tough little country and its very proud, self-reliant people.
Many people mix up Slovakia and Slovenia.
They are quite separate and distinct. Not even close. Slovakia shares borders with Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. The Republic of Slovenia is a small nation, an area only slightly larger than New Jersey, sharing borders with Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary and Croatia to the east. For centuries, Slovenians had a history of domination and survival under one empire or another.