cheese with honey through the ear

That's what Trude said my doctor's report says.

Ever since coming here, I've had a certain terror of sometime needing to go to the doctor. This has been fueled by what I've seen when accompanying others to the doctor/visiting them in the hospital. Things I've seen: dogs and cats off the streets wandering the hallways of "nice" hospitals and clinics; patients slipping doctors money to ensure better treatment; catheters draining into used Coke bottles; poor lighting; general disrepair, questionable sanitation and lack of good equipment.

Weds, we left the bache to start a round of visits- the last before preps. That night, I had an 'incident'- really bad pain between my stomach and esophagus. Mrs Contact-lady where we were staying fed me warm tea and it subsided. (She also chatted away for about an hour while we waited for the thing to pass- and in the course of the visit informed me that it would be a lot easier for me to serve God if I were married...which I mention only because it's the first time I've heard that one and because I'm going to refer to it at the end.)

Thurs, more visits- really nice; but also another very frightening episode- pain so strong that it actually radiated out across my chest and made it hard to breathe. If I didn't have chronic stomach trouble, I probably would have panicked and thought I was having a heart attack. As it was, I was pretty scared. Called Sharon A, a nurse- they just happened to be visiting their doctor contact so she told me what to ask for at the pharmacy- and that calmed stuff down. Next am, I still have pain, esp when swallowing. We hit the road for more visits because I'm indecisive- what to do? T tracked down the # of a doctor up north whose wife and dau have been in touch for a few years and he has taken a personal interest in us. He's a big-shot in the area, which certainly doesn't hurt. His advice: the next city, get out and go see a dr there. I start a quiet panic but realize he's right. We get sent to Central Hospital, where they're all excited about having an Amer patient- I used to think we're no different than their reg patients, but I now know otherwise- I'm a wimp; they're not.

I get my own little 'Dobby-the-house-elf' to lead me around and she makes it her job to carry my 'medical records'- which are nothing more than half-sheets of paper with doctor scribbles on them. Doctor #1 actually makes me wait my turn- a good sign, in my mind- he's a good person. Dobby is a bit disappointed. Unfortunately, this means I have to stand outside the exam room and wait- which is a big room with 1 cot in the middle and about 6 or 8 chairs backed up to the walls with a stool in front of each. These are patient exam chairs- everyone is done in the same room by a team of doctors, the door's open and you can see and hear it all- which meant I got to watch some miserable pre-teen girl have something irrigated (sinuses, I reckon)- until I got smart (when I saw blood- that'll put me on the floor in no time flat) and quit watching. My turn comes- Dr #1 pokes and prods around my mouth and upper esophagus until he's satisfied that, indeed, the prob is further down- at one point he takes gauze and grabs my tongue, pulling it as hard as he could in order to see better. See, we used to do this to dogs at the vet clinic, after they'd been tranquilized, mind you- and just before we intubated them for surgery. He tells Dobby to take me to have either an x-ray or a scope done- whichever technician we can find- it's fairly "late" (2pm) and they've maybe gone home already- likely the xray doctor is who we'll find. So away we go. She nabs a doctor in the hallway (I've made up my mind that there will be no scope- I don't trust the hygiene and I want some sort of drug with mine; having sort of lived through DeAnn's upper GI procedure in Poland where they don't use anesthetic, I'm fairly certain they won't here either and I don't even want to think about that...) So, Dobby has caught me another Dr- in we go. He listens to my sad tale and reads the report from Dr #1, nods his head, hollers at his assistant to set up the machine. I get puzzled when they ask me where my towel is. Umm, I don't have one. For a full 2 min, it seems as though the whole thing will be abandoned for lack of a towel- they DO NOT HAVE a simple clean towel...not one. I remember that Trude and my backpack are in the waiting room and there's a towel in there- Dobby returns in a flash with my washcloth. Everything's happening really fast now- the assistant- who could be a linebacker for the Colts or the Pack...or both- has squirted something down my throat- which puzzles me- but here's Dobby with my wash cloth- I cuddle it- I'm just feeling really insecure by now- and they make me lie down on my side and tip my head up. I should have run. The next thing I see is Dr #2 with a long black snake looking thing and metal mouthpiece which I have to bite. Oh- and they made me put my washcloth under my mouth on the cot. Mind you, they've said nothing to me about what they're going to do, just tell me Do this, Do that...and being rather- rather what? I don't know- rather wimpy? Scared? Cowed? Whatever- I do it. And the next thing I know, I'm in the middle of an Upper GI scope procedure- and I'm truly panicking and flailing around. The Linebacker has me pinned down in such a way that I can't escape but I manage to move enough that they stop, spray more junk down my throat and go again- all of this was done in a very aggressive, very determined fashion and I'm in such a state that I can't do anything but make it worse. When it was finally over, they left and I sat on the cot with my knees under my chin, face in my hands sobbing and shaking and feeling like a complete fool and baby. I'd managed to throw up around the scope all over my washcloth and sweater. They gave me 2 min, then Linebacker said, Ok- you're fine, get up. So I did. And I had to collect my purse and washcloth and shoes and maneuver out of there and then pay the man and then follow Dobby back to the admitting room- T looks at me and I can tell I look bad by the look on her face. Dr #2 told me my esophagus was very inflamed about 20 cm down all the way to and into my upper stomach. I needed to go back to some other Dr who'd tell me what meds I needed. The admissions people had no idea who else I needed to see, no one could read Dr#2's writing; they instruct Dobby to take me back to Dr#1- who seems like an angel by now- maybe he can figure it out. After a hunt and a wait (during which I found a mirror and looked- interesting- the lower half of my face is totally broken out in what looks like hives- and in fact, it's only gotten marginally better- I said, must be either a reaction to the medicine or my total panic- T says, can't be the last or it'd always be that way- which brings a needed laugh)- here comes Dr #1- he takes me into the common Jr Dr office- and 3 of them try to figure out what the other Dr had written and to puzzle out what I should be taking as far as meds. They name one thing (Milk of Magnesia- which tastes really good to me just now- so I must have a problem- I hated that stuff as a kid) and then say Come back tomorrow for a barium xray and ultrasound and consultation. But in my mind, I'm thinking Nope, you've seen the last of me. They turn me over to Trude, we grab a cab and 20 min later are at the train station, T's bought tickets and is buying yogurt, bananas and whatever she can find. We flee. Literally. Phone Uncle D- who's been waiting to hear, by the way. So, in typical Uncle D fashion, he welcomes us to his city for as long as we need to stay. No asking Why didn't you see it through there? Just- come on up. I'm still sort of falling apart from time to time, so while T makes up our beds, she has me call everyone she can think of- all the cancelled plans people, Dima- where we'd made arrangements to stay should we miss the train, so that they won't worry anymore. And also Fred and Sally, since we'll be arriving at their apt at about 3.20 am. Well, hearing her Mom-voice (and then later F's Dad-voice) that undid me. Which brings me back to this: I don't need a husband to serve God- I just need some Moms and Dads- and that was promised and I have them- so I think I'm just fine, Thank You Very Much.

So- we've mostly calmed down again. I am well aware that part of my problem was definitely the fear I had going into it- but you know what? I seem to be hard-wired to panic...sometimes, it seems there's nothing I can do about it. Believe me, I would have preferred it otherwise- Be strong, take it like a real woman, blah blah blah...but that sort of seems out of reach for me. T said last night, Next time tell them you want that with Narcotics. (She meant to say "Narcoze"- which means anesthetic- but I think narcotics would certainly work.)

Called the big-shot doc up here this am- told him everything they'd said down south. I could hug him- he said: Unless you feel worse you don't need to see any more dr's; go get this med, take it for 10 days. What you have is no big deal, it'll pass and in 5 days' time you should be feeling a lot better. Shortly after that, Maria called- the weather's gorgeous, we're working outdoors- come spend the night with us please. So, here we are- at the grounds where the sun shines extra brightly and the kids are all home plus Tanya from down south, there's a kitten and fresh strawberries and life is great! T's recovering from taking care of me by running around barefoot outside taking pix and playing with the kitten.

Ps- not counting meds, the whole thing yest cost (ready? This is the only good thing about it): $18. Prices have sky-rocketed here the past year or so- but med care is still pretty cheap...and I can see why.

lupine

These are outside the girls' dorm where we were Thurs. They were beautiful when we were there.

Speaking of- Sveta is on her way Mon. She has some contact info. I'm sending her a pic of Maja if I can get to a digital copy. She's armed with a pic that has both me and her in it to prove that she isn't a scammer. :)

Cute kid

He was being a brat in the store but too cute not to smile at. At the cash register, he and his mom were right in front of me- he was fussing and his mom said, We'll give the nice auntie (me) our chocolate cookies. She wants them- which earned me a scowl from him. It was kind of fun to chat with him a bit then and tell him they were his but he should be good. He was all eyes and ears. Parenting is a 'It takes a village' think here, often. They'd locked their other stuff and his dump truck up in a locker which they got out as they left the store- he was ecstatic- and promptly ran off pushing it ahead of himself down the sidewalk.

On the way home I saw something I'd have liked to take a pic of but just couldn't. A woman with gray hair, bobbed and permed at the ends, no real eyebrows but painted-on ones, for sure- they started just above her nose, arched up and then swept out clear to the sides of her head...amazing. She was wearing a bridesmaid-type white dress with heels. As I drew even with her, I saw she had no teeth. She was mumbling to herself but looked exceedingly happy. She drifted off through the knee-high grass and weeds in a sort of dancey way. Now, I won't speculate just what was with her, but she was interesting. There was a group of kids that just stopped everything to watch her...I wanted to, but continued on to the apt.

Getting to know Dad

Tonight, I said to Trude: Do you know what might happen this year- soon- for the first time in 30 years? (She was busy with her own stuff at the time, I should mention.) Umm Nooo she says in what I can only describe as an "I-honestly-couldn't-care-less-right-now-either" voice. Well this year a horse might actually win the Triple Crown I say happily. Oh she says What usually wins it? This is where I realize that we're in uncharted waters here. But- Hey! I like to tell you stuff. I like to explain about the Kentucky Derby, The Belmont Stakes and The Preakness; I'd enjoy talking about 3 year old colts, about Big Brown, about Kentucky horse farms and horse baby sitters and on and on. It's a big business. It's breathtaking. I could happily chat for hours. I launch my talk-boat and look at T. And the look on her face is exactly the same one I used to give Dad when he'd get going on his latest favorite topic. An And-this-is- important-to-me-WHY? look. And I stopped. Reigned in my horses. Sighed. And thought Well it'll be just fairly cool if Big Brown pulls it off. I must be in trivia-chatter-spew mode today because we already had the Did-you-know-Kobe-Bryant-speaks-Italian? conversation today...which was big news to her.

Well, we're also talking about other stuff- important stuff. We're spending the night tonight with some acquaintances of acquaintances. First time to meet them. Interesting people.

Go Big Brown! (My dad knows who he is and who Eight Belles is; Dad knows Indy 500 trivia, too. I'm his daughter.)

laugh of the day

Last week when I was in Poland, we got to talking about funny stuff online and whatnot- I told TC I'd send her this link- and then promptly forgot. So, I'm just going to post it here. Likely a lot of you have seen it, but it's pretty cute. I'm a bit skeptical, though, that it's unscripted...they play their parts too well.

Also this one and this one came up. They've been around awhile, some have been blogged by other people; they're all funny.

Race Day!

Trude and I had a tail-gate party at the Vinnytsya train station in honor of the Indy 500. No alcohol, though. Just waiting for the train...and doing a bit of people-.watching.

End of the path

These are right by the entrance to the ''courtyard" of our apartment building.

Mario!

It's race day in IN!! I know- it's really Memorial Day. But it's race day, too! And this pic is for my little sis- Who is this, Gina? I guess I gave it away already. So, stay away from the West side of Indy today (Ps- I know where you can pitch a tent, skip mtg and go watch the race...or not- that is for Roger W who proly doesn't even read this).
Have a good day Everybody!

Hetmen, gladiators and massage

T & I just joined forces again. When she was on her way over here, she made some sort of statement about just having had half a course of back treatments and not wanting to mess up the good that had been done by hauling around my bags...which made no sense to me whatsoever. That could be because my back hurt right then and I sort of got stuck on the half-a-course-of-treatments bit and being consumed by jealousy. Maybe.
Well, enter Little T. Off we go to see Anya. Lesya's there. She's moaning about her back. I really need to go see Pan Taras, she says. (aside: Pan is the Western Ukr/Polish term of respect, sort of like Mr, for men.) I do a little digging and discover that Pan Taras lives 1 street over and does therapeutic massage. More chit chat. Anya calls the Pan...and next day, 10.30 and 11 am we have appts.
Let me just disillusion you right here and now about this massage business. You're proly imagining tea lights, soft music, muted colors and falling asleep while some magician vaguely, gently tickles your neck. HA! Pan Taras is short and squat with thick stubby (but mercifully callous-free) fingers. He religiously smokes a cigarette before each massage. He can break boards with his bare hands...piles of bricks...reinforced cement...rebar... He don't use martial arts tricks, neither. He does it all with his fingers. And he thinks my back is a pile of bricks. Yup. And he is taming that pile of bricks. He is all business.
So picture being stretched out on a cot with him gleefully, jubilantly mauling the skin and muscles of your already painful back and neck. He smells like a mixture of cig smoke and muscle cream. There's a talk show playing on the radio (my session was to the accompaniment of a host and politicians fighting- and an old grandma bawling them all out). Trude came out with her eyeballs knocking around in their sockets, tears streaming down her face and saying, Anya says he made Lesya's back bleed. (I'm thinking it's a fine time to be telling me all this now.) I'm pretty sure he was trying to move all my muscles and bones to some other spot of my back. It hurt the first day. The 2nd time I could just barely stay long enough for him to do his 30 min maul. It hurt to sit. It hurt to lay down. It hurt. T says It's like raw hamburger with a sunburn.
Then we left for the weekend...gingerly. We left gingerly. 2 hours after the massage. It really was amazing to wear a backpack, let me tell you.
Well, so far, neither of us has bruising. And, my back feels a lot better- like better than it has for days...weeks...a long time. Tomorrow, we go back for session 3. (Pan promised that session 2 was the worst, so this should get pretty much ok now, right?) Anyway, I think he does know what he's doing. Right now, I have to go make lunch. But first of all, I have to go get my back off the line where it's hanging out. Excuse me.

she's hiding in me

I just wish she'd get busy and clean. Fawkes is really getting bogged down.

the infamous tag

6 random things

-starfish officially freak me out- this is a relatively new development in my life. I never ever want to meet that bugger on the street. Never. chances are, I won't. whew.

-my room is a cosmic bank. I was wondering what the deal was. Now I know.

-I don't have hip waders. But if this rain doesn't stop soon I'm going to need some.

-Every time I think I have it rough, I find out that Sure enough, someone's got it worse. It has never been otherwise. I don't just mean these kids either. Just in general. I have an amazing life.

-There's a photographer on my Indiana photostream rss feed who calls himself 'nutterbutter'; every time every time I see one of his (her?) pix, I consider becoming a Nabisco spokesperson.

-All my electronic gadgets are named for characters from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Currently Fawkes, Pippin, Pigwidgeon and Tom Bombadil are the main e-players in my life.

Technically I'm supposed to tag 6 people to do this as well- but I'm just going to say that if you read it you're tagged. Ha. And if you don't have a blog and want to post your list in the comments, that's A-OK by me.

Guess where I am?!

I am back in Ukr. Uncle D left -it up to me whether or not to just try coming back as we have been the past 2 years, since I had no problem at the border when I left. And so I did. And so here I am! Even the officials don't quite know what their laws mean... It's no wonder we don't. So, for the next 3 months, I'm good. I'm sure I'll need something more official for next time... But at least I have time to get it taken care of.

And to all of you who sent greetings to Ian: he was sitting there grinning as I got them and passed them on. He's still smiling!

road repair and slippers

Coming back to the bache the other day, this is what I saw.
There have been major holes in the driveway area approaching the building... like cars all look like they're being driven by drunks as they veer left and right trying to avoid the holes. A common 'fix' is this- someone has ripped out tile- off of a wall? off of a floor? don't know, but the chunks of cement attached to the back of the pieces of tile are sizeable. They take this tile and break it up and fill in the holes... there you go. Smooth as silk... as a sea of glass... almost.

Then, zipping through the supermarket 2 seconds from Fred and Sally's, getting trip food, I screech to a halt on my way to the cash register... Look at these slippers! I just sort of fell in love with them (and I needed new ones- mine are tattered; although NOT shedding chunks of sole yet, *cough cough*); they had my size, my color... those are my feet in 'em! And, they're cool- the soles are cork- as Trude says- when you're feet want to stink, this great natural material won't pass the stink on... or something like that... in other words, they don't make your feet stink...

howdy

The trip over here to Poland Weds night was one of the least eventful ever. There was no fine for being in 90-day violation (that's complicated to explain- some have been hit with it, some not; why? because no 2 officials seem to be enforcing the law (that none of them understand to begin with) the same way; of course, we're not trying to be in violation-but when you can't figure out what the law even means- when your embassy can't figure it out- it's hard to know if you're in violation...anyway- upshot of the matter- I had no problem whatsoever. zip. zero. none. Yay)! The only thing that happened at all: it's about 1 am, I'm dozing all alone in my compartment, door is open because we're in the middle of Polish passport control; there's a guard with a contraband-sniffing dog roaming the hall. That dog zips right into my compartment and sniffs my face- had I moved, I'd have met a wet nose...this is a bit disconcerting- big German Shepherd and all business, after all- but his handler yanked him out of there so fast he proly still has whiplash.

Our wagon was at the very end of the train- this was the view out of the back window early Thurs am. note- I really love the look of early morning... I just wish it happened at say 10 am or something.

So, Tammy and I have had a pleasant 2 days. Had the study yest eve with Fergal and the boys (Suz and Beth are home for a reunion- hope to see them tomorrow.) En route to the study, I missed a great Kodak moment. A lady about my mom's age got off of the metro pushing... a lawnmower... uh-huh- that's right. I guess she had to get it home some way; somehow you just don't expect to see lawnmowers on the metro (Lindsay, this is for you- how are you, by the way?). After the study, Fergal and the boys, T and I went to TGIFriday's for supper! Yay!!!!

Tammy and I split some sort of turtle dessert...it was completely worth the calories... yessiree. Here's a blurred shot of T's (I cropped her out of it since I'd like to remain friends for a few more days; that is her hand though). Got some really great ones of F and the boys mastering their desserts...but here again- in the interest of friendships lasting, maybe I'll refrain. Tomorrow.... well, we'll try to get some shots tomorrow!

This am, we met Eleanor at the airport. (no shots of that either... friendship, My Dear, friendship.)

And, tomorrow? Tomorrow, we should be seeing this character... ha- let friendship endure in spite of pix, right? ;) (It's a decent pic, right? so, no biggie...)










Adios!

oops

Just realized I forgot the pic for the last post. Here it is... Read below for details.

By the way

The lady made it with about 2 min to spare. And in those 2 min, she stood with her back to the train, casually chatting. She's either completely cool or crazy.

Pic is of some unlucky person's car getting towed out of a No Parking Zone in downtown Lviv. Well, just the tow-truck is visible. On the front of the truck is the word "evacuator". I just love that the Ukrn word for tow-truck is evacuator! Would you like your car evacuated? Something bad is sure to happen to it if it stays there. Come on now... don't be scared. Trust me. It'll be much safer with the other cars in the impound lot...and happier.

Odds & ends

while I wait for my train.

Spent the afternoon of Mother's Day in the company of this mother- Anya's cat. I think this is the same cat that was once briefly adopted by the girls. Trude and somebody (don't remember who) noticed signs of a mouse in the bache. They borrowed A's cat. Kitska didn't really cooperate and was taken home again. Later, they realized the "mouse" was... a RAT. I'm just glad I wasn't there.

Train for Poland leaves in 35 mins. I'm outside in the sunshine on a bench right beside the tracks. A woman arrived about 15 min ago- all in a panic . Dumped her gargantuan suitcase on another bench and began to frantically root through it. (Here's a good place to note something about a lot of people here- they can have huge bags- or small- but they're often only half full. I don't know how they manage. Really, they should be fined for wasting space. No matter where I.:, go, no matter for how long- I always manage to fill every single nook and cranny of every single bag...remember the laundry I quick did after getting my big fat NO answer yesterday? It's in the corners of my computer case.) Anyway- the woman. She left her passport at home... and she's got a ticket for Warsaw, too. Oops. Big oops. She just peeled out of here with a taxi driver. She's going to be really REALLY lucky to make the train. I'm getting heartburn for her. Not to mention the shakes.

Speaking of shakes. Have you ever had coffee made by the amazing Sally, wife-of-Fred? I did. Today. Two big mugs. Come to think of it, maybe that's why I have the shakes. It's even better than coffee made by me- where better=stronger. Sure was good, though. The best part about it? I got to drink it while Sally sat across from me drinking hers! Yes- she and Fred are fine. And it was great to see them again. Thanks, F and S!

Ok- train should be here in about 5 min. *waves good-bye*

Waiting For Alex

In the park.

And now in the Vice-rektor's office. Yesterday I met the sweetest little old man here. His name is Bob. He's a Fullbright scholar. He's from Davenport, IA. Know anyone from there?
What's up now? I'm getting the run-around, that's what's up.

update (1 pm): The answer is NO! So there. Without an official organization backing me, I cannot be associated with their university. So- I'm doing laundry, seeing Anya once more and then on my way to Poland. There is one more option from there that we'll try; since my nerves are involved and since this blog is officially my therapist and pacifier- I'll be keeping you informed, likely! There are some pluses to this: I get to see Fred and Sally tomorrow (Yay!!! see it was looking like I wouldn't see them at all during the time they were here); I get to have some time with Tammy and Eleanor next door.

So Long, Farewell

Auf wiedersehen good-bye

(floaty music and pretty voices)

The time has come for Miss Lindsay to sprout wings once more and move on to the next thing in life. That's her- the one with the red hair, not the red t-shirt.

Happy Trails, Linds and Best Wishes. We'll miss you. xo

mental health break

The past 2 weeks have been fairly tense, for the most part, although there have been plenty of 'down' moments in that time. Things worked out just fine for the others- you already know that. Now, it's my turn... uff-da... and so, well, right now I need a mental health break- so I'm here (as in the blog) for a few minutes. I'm in Western Ukr working on my own papers- have run my (short) legs off several times tracking down people; Fri was a holiday (Victory Day) so nothing was open. Had hoped to go see Tanya for the weekend- but there were no return tickets- so stayed put. Nice to have a bit of time with A here in town- fish soup (remind me to tell you about that sometime) with her family yest afternoon. Today's when things sort of hopped- but as is so often the case here, the initial leap was great- with a totally unimpressive dead landing and no more forward motion. Saw the University people today (pointed out errors on their paperwork- go back tomorrow to get it); zipped up north to the city where I'll need to register- office is only open Tues, Thurs, Sat- and No, no way to check from here- I tried the web and a phone #- no luck. Just go up there and find out. Fine. I did.

Tomorrow: go back to Univ, get the vital paperwork, go back north to other city and... (this is the fun part...hahaha) initiate contact with the immigration people. Oh yuck. Oh double yuck... unless they've totally changed their spots since the last time I saw them. In fact- pass the nerve pills, please. I don't think I'll be needing any coffee- except to ward off a headache. I'm wound tight as a spring right now. ;) It's a great life...if you've got good nerves. (That is a DRKP quote... I wonder if she ever reads this- you there DeAnotchka?)After that? If things don't work with the dear folks up north? Well- flea (oh- I mean flee... well, I mean leave- go see TC... try there... and if that doesn't work- Ha! an EU vacation... well, not a vacation- but the summer spent somewhere other than here...)

No stress... none at all... nope...

I lie... fib... prevaricate...

But, I'm actually far more relaxed about the summer part of it. That unknown I'm at peace with. What is churning my tummy right now is the people tomorrow. So. Now you know.

Back to work on the paperwork I have to get together for tomorrow.

(And, I'm packed- except for my dirty laundry- you impressed? Packed for the summer, kids.)

That's me on the right. Natural grace and beauty in its natural setting.

(They say that if you see any differences at all in these 2 dolphins, you need a vacation immediately- beaches, mountains, cabins in the woods- something.)

found pic

Found this shot from last Jan specials. Taken in the city where our Western bache is, in front of the memorial to the Jews that were slaughtered here during WWII. The city had a high Jewish population, and consequently was the site of a Jewish ghetto which the Nazis liquidated in June, 1943. pic taken by Martin, apparently, as he's not in it.

More Moms

Just another Mom post... One of the extra-special things about my life is all the moms in my life. I went through the pix on my computer and found these- but this is just a tiny drop in the bucket of the moms of my life. Two of the most special, Mary A and Wanda O, aren't here because I just don't have a digital pic of them. They were my 1st 2 'worker moms', back in Indy, 1994. Of the ones in these 2 collages, 2 are gone now, several are my age (or younger)- some are childhood friends, my sis, my sis-in-law; some are 'kids' from fields I was in. There are several on here who aren't actually moms- but they're my mothers. From both side of the Atlantic. Love You- whether I had a pic of you or not!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

To My Sis-in-law, Melissa; they don't often come as special as Aunt Lissa

To my little sis, Gina- she always wanted to be a mommie- and she is! Love you, GreenBean!


















And to Mom! Here she is doing what she loves best- holding grandkids.




















I snagged this pic off of Anne awhile ago- look at those Moms! Don't you just love it? I do!














Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

I got hit

by Arlenee the Weenie (Oh, I guess the proper term is tagged... I got tagged)

so here we go:

Rules are: Post a comment on someone's blog that has letter verification. Write down the verification letters for submitting the comment. Post a list using the verification letters as the first letter of each item in the list. Example: If you typed in kjdffs to verify your comment, the first word of your little list would start K, the second J, the third D and so on. Each word has to reflect something cool or important to you and your take on life! Also tell us where you commented to get your letters!

n: Noise- don't really like it- and my idea of Noise might be different than yours (You call that music???)
y: You'll never be younger than you are right now- so get going.
z: Zits- one of my favorite comic strips.
p: Paul- my oldest brother and first ever best friend. A good guy.
l: Love pianos and flutes. Learning to play the flute. Learned the piano (but not as good as Arlenee the Weenie, come to think of it) many years ago. It's still my fav.

Got my letters off of the above offender, er, tagger. I'm tagging my sis, Lani and Laura-the-out-west.

:)!!!!

They're in! (excuse me, I've gotta go find a tissue- something wrong with me eyes.)

Home is where you hang your hat

And my hat has been hanging around here. The city I've been in the past week (where I was in Dec as well) is a major iron-ore mining area. Right now, I'm on a train headed west to collect documents that will hopefully enable me to stay for the summer. The train goes right past some of the mines. Everything is covered in reddish-orange dust. They say this is one of the most polluted cities in the country, But you don't really notice it living here. There are lots of trees and parks.

We're waiting to hear if our Musketeers got in. They should be at the border by now. So just waiting- which can be the hardest part of all. Take Care!

Sunny Day

This is a sunny sunny day for a certain young lady... and here's the reason

And here's a pic for you, Jen! Congrats!! (in lieu of a bouquet)

Name it

This is Trude. She has a problem. Yup. She's bar-hopping in N.B.

WHAT?!

Well- this is our room here at Auntie H's and Uncle (?) Ivan's. Cell phone reception is bad. She's looking for the spot in the room where she has the most bars of reception (is that the right terminology?) on her cell phone.

In other news- we had a bang-up good day. Saw all the folks out here whom I know to see. A bit of history- Bill and co came here first. Now Sharon A has been here with various others. The folks out here and in town, too, have been taking it nearly personally that those 2 didn't get right back in last week. Uncle I told us tonight that we should have just referred all those officials back to him straight off and he'd have straightened them out. (If you only knew him, this would be much more meaningful.) It's pretty touching to see all of their care and response.

AND! B got his visa today (!), S & P hope to get theirs tomorrow. Hopefully we'll see The whites of their eyes in another couple days! :)

Skype

Someone asked awhile ago what skyping was & I keep forgetting to answer. Skype is a program you can use to talk to people from your computer. If you call computer to computer to another skype user, the call is free. There is a fee for computer to landline service- but it's cheap (at least cheaper than any other option we have here- don't really know anymore what you folks pay for phone service). You need some sort of microphone on your computer (or plug-in mic); earphones are nice but not essential if the speakers on your comp work. Skype is compatible with web cams which is a real treat for far away aunties who like to watch Forrest talking about school or Justin tell about his T-Rex kit or JennaMae whispering her little secrets, or Owsie smiling sweetly... Madi and Miki howling as they try to NOT take a nap even becomes fascinating on a web cam. Not to mention all the other neat people out there. I don't have a link for you, since we're at a bus stn waiting for a bus. Google it.

Ps. How cute is this- 2 yr old Madi calls her twin sis Kiki instead of Miki.

Fake relatives, mosquitoes, birthdays and anniversaries

This is really more birthdays and anniversaries- but there is a mosquito zinging around here...
So- I got this handy-dandy email reminder that this

young lady has a birthday.... today! That's her and her bro- snagged from her, of course. They are my fake relatives- thanks to my brother-in-law, like it or not, now they're my relations too...sort of... ok, they proly don't claim me, but anyway-

Happy Birthday, Sara!!! Hope it's a good day!!

Also, same email service (hmmm???) tells me this

young lady has a birthday in about 3 days. That's her in the shades- with her beautatious little neice! Happy Birthday, Carla!

And now- yes, the real relatives. The kind that can't really legally truthfully deny being kin. Nope. Not at all.

My bro and sis-in-law:

Happy 11th (11th?!) Anniversary Ken and Miss! xoxo

Love you!

And my li'l sis and bro-in-law:

Happy 10th (!!) Anniversary Duane and Gina!! xoxo

Love you, too!

It's really hard to get pix of these 2 couples- just them. With no kids. These days, they seem rather busy with kids. And fish.

It all started Fri night

came back from seeing V&I and the girls and Sasha. Did a bunch of shopping since, well, you know, the next day, Trude was arriving and I was going to need to have my socks pulled up and act like we do know how to cook and feed people in this joint. We take showers. We do laundry. We are PEOPLE. Yes.
I shopped. And got stuff that we needed. Unloaded it all in the kitchen, put it away. Made some pasta. Retired briefly to my room to eat it. Started feeling... odd... just odd... and freezing cold... back to the kitchen. The whole day's worth of dishes- but that's not so much when you're just one lone ranger. Look at that all blearily and think: It'll keep till tomorrow and crawl into bed. And shiver. And shiver. I mean, I was really REALLY cold. Plus mysteriously started to cough. And cough. (Note: leaving a messy kitchen isn't really me- I hate going out there in the am to a mess- I shoulda known something was wrong when the dishes looked like they wanted to wait till morning.)
Sure enough- wake up feeling rotten. Gauging how much time I need to do the stuff that must be done before T gets in and still leave in plenty of time to meet her train, start off with the dishes. T calls. Tells me when she gets in (12.30). And I'm like- I'm sickkkkkkkkkkkk.... [whine, whimper] Bless her heart- She says Just tell me the bus I need to get on and where to get out and I'll manage. I'll stop and get chicken on my way and we can just eat when I get in. (Those were all T's lines.) Well, I feel a small burst of energy just knowing I don't have to go to the train station- it's a LONNNGGGGG way from the bache. I got chicken last night and I have a fast easy meal (chicken wraps) planned, I say. Fine.
I start by washing my hands and then getting stuff slowly going: chicken cut up and marinaded (Worcestershire sauce with oyster sauce and garlic); lettuce washed and dried; tomatoes washed. Plus, also start the split-pea soup for supper (ok- I'll admit it: I'm a mean split-pea soup maker...if you like that kind of thing; I love it and I really like making it; it's fun).
So now, there's more dishes. Lots more. Fine. First mistake- draw wash water first. Then think, Oh, now I need to put that somewhere (it's in a bowl) for to get the rinse water- put the wash water on the counter and fill the 2nd bowl with hot water... now I need to switch them around... Oh no. I'm confused. So, ummm (I guess the fever that I know by now I've got has clouded my brain)- I picked up a totally full bowl of hot water and prop it up somewhere on the sink and turn to get the sudsy water... and that's when that bowl of hot water just sort of went- WHOOOSH- Wow- it was something to see... I mean there's water all down the front of me plus it's totally filling up every inch of the kitchen (small kitchen, of course- tiny. microscopic. This is part of the problem). Suddenly I think, Oh no! The neighbors are going to get a flood and it'll be my fault and they'll be mad and yell at me and... yikes. The phone rings. It's T- I'm here. (I'd told her I'd meet her at the stop because you have to go down the stairs and cross under the street and come back up on the right side of the street and this can all be very complicated when you can't see the landmarks up top- you have to know which hole to dart up the stairs to escape to freedom again.) Umm, I say- I've just had a disaster here and I'm really not able to go out just now (and I'm thinking My slippers and socks are wet and how am I going to put my shoes on like this? I know that doesn't make any sense but that's the way it was.) So, T's been here once or twice and says Well, I aim for that Reebok store, right? Yup, I say; come around the front of that and ..... Ok, she says. Which entrance? The 4th I say.
Well, I sort of move toward the bathroom where there's a yellow rag and it's the only thing on my mind. And the next thing I know- WHAM! I mean, I really don't know what happened but suddenly I was on the floor, half wrapped around the bathroom door frame- 1 slipper was under the table, the other was under me (???what???) and let me tell you- it hurt. It really really REALLY hurt. Like completely. Like painfully. ouch. Mommmmmmmmmmm... this is what I thought as I nearly (not kidding) started to cry. I gingerly got up and realized that I hurt even more than I'd thought-but there's no blood anywhere. I got the yellow rag. It was like using a napkin to soak up Lake Michigan. Didn't work. (You're not going to believe this next part- I've got a fever, remember): I look at myself and remember that the jean skirt I'm wearing needs to be washed- so I just took it off and sopped up a tiny bit more water. And then I found several other towels. Finally got the lake dried up. And got re-dressed. And then T knocks on the door. And I let her in. And I tell her the whole pathetic story. And she falls over laughing... yup. She did. But you know what? I do too. It's just what I needed. Otherwise I was going to totally flood the kitchen a 2nd time with the leaky faucet that was my eyes. And laughing's better than crying... (at least in this instance).
Let me just tell you that I don't bruise easily... and I have bruises in remarkable places... remarkably painful bruises in remarkably painful places... including my arm and leg- several on both. And it hurts worse today than then... and it hurts to move.
It does.
But I don't have a fever anymore and I feel a lot better. Laid low all day yest and today- and whatever it was, it fled and left me with a newly cleared head... and a few bruises...

update

Bill wrote- he's off to Romania tonight; Sharon and Phyllis are on their way over tomorrow. That seems to be a better place to make an attempt to get a visa. Also, The Cutie Pies will be able to take their invitations down by car, which is a better method than sending via courier. Plus, it should be a shot in the arm for the 3 Musketeers to see them and the baby! (So, if you know B, S and P- shall we assign the names Larry, Curly and Moe to them? And if so, who gets which name?)


And- there's a university that will try to get me on as a summer teacher. Ha. Maybe I can teach cross-stitch. I should have tried to get in as a student. Of the flute. Yup.


Trude arrives tomorrow, for which I'm heartily glad. Saw some of the locals tonight. See the rest tomorrow. Then a full day Sun, likely out with Auntie H... unless T feels really whippy and is up to hitting the road for real... this is her 3rd consecutive night on the train and tonight is in the open 3rd class wagon, so I highly doubt it. I shall try to never ever again complain about frequent train trips.



Good night.







edit: It's been pointed out that, in fact, the 3 Musketeers were not Larry, Curly and Moe. Rats, that was such a good idea...but I'm not exactly comfortable calling these particular 3 people the 3 Stooges...so... sigghhhhh

and the misc stuff

Like the new fashion in boots among some people- SRW and I went out to the 'most amazing village on earth' (someday, I'll try to remember to do a post on this one- it deserves it); they sms'd the night before: It's been raining out here all day- are you coming tomorrow? Oh sure. Take bags, I advise Sharon- You can use them as boots (but I take none for myself, thinking at the last minute: Bags aren't going to cut it, Dummy). Well, let's just say that it was muddy. Very. There was no walking across the 'flats' (mentioned in that other post) for sure- in fact, there is more water there right now than I think I've ever seen. It's been a wet spring so far- which is good, actually.

This other pic? Well, folks, that is a shot of one of the more wonderful things to come down the Ukr Pike in years.

See, it used to be cause for celebration (and mental post-it notes) if you found any place that sold anything but instant hot coffee anywhere; then various cafes started serving espresso- but not necessarily anywhere within reach of the bus or train station you were currently hanging out in. Fast forward to sometime in the last year or 2. These coffee dispensing machines are everywhere- and especially in bus and train stations. Most of them are NesCafe; yesterday I saw this one- it was, hahahaha Out of Order- but no matter. Why? My travel day started in the Odessa bus station (which is a nightmare of reconstruction and remodeling right now, if you care to know). There were 3 coffee machines side by side there: NesCafe, Jacobs and LaVazza. I got mine from the LaVazza... why not? And you know what? It's good coffee, folks. You can choose Strong Coffee, Strong Coffee with milk, Double shot Strong Coffee, Espresso, Lots of sugar, No sugar, A little sugar... it just goes on and on. And they're everywhere. I remember the long ride between Odessa and Kherson with Linda- and her solemnly taking me to a special spot inside the Mykolayiv bus station and making sure I knew where to find the lady who'd set up shop there with an espresso maker, table and cash-box. That was astounding and wonderful and unmissable. I mean, I would have made that trip just to stop at her table... (come to think of it, she's proly been put out of business by these wonderful machines).

And- a really important question. I've now discovered Sharon A's stashes of: Popcorn, Pesto, Parmesan cheese and WI Maple Syrup. Do I-
a) decide that her presence is my conscience (therefore it's completely missing right now) and consume, devour, obliterate it all with joyful wild abandon
OR
b) dutifully leave it right where I found it, knowing that my conscience really does reside with me all the time and these things are best enjoyed with a friend and fellow-connoisseur of good food
???????
sigghhhhhhhhhhhhhh

sitting tight

The last week was a whirl. Packed and re-packed a million times. Saw T off; saw Ala off; ran home, finished packing (this is last Thurs) and did a million and two other things and LEFT. Too. Having no idea how soon my life would turn upside down. I mean, I packed my late spring and summer-in-Ukr stuff and took it with me; left a case with my summer-in-Western-Eur stuff (yes, it's different- I don't like to snag my good clothes, for instance, on the various pieces of transportation we meet here- but you need something decent to avoid looking like a street person when you go out among polite society- or whatever). Anyway, managed to get me and my bags all the way to Lviv and then Odessa and then on south of there to the very bottom of Ukr. Had a great weekend there and a great day on Sun. And really REALLY nice to just be with everyone again.
Mon am, Sharon W and I headed north to make village visits, spending the night with Anya- which is a real treat (for anyone who knows her). Three of our Musketeers headed over to the neighboring country for passport registration purposes (with, as they say, nothing but the clothes on their backs- not even Phyllis' toothbrush)...and, folks, they are still there... and they will still be there for awhile. Rememeber this? That which we have feared? (well, maybe you didn't know, so just to sort of clear it up, there's been a law on the books for awhile that no one has bothered to enforce...up until now.) So, 3 of us are out and waiting for the first slew of May holidays to pass so that they can try to get visas; several of the rest of us are anxiously waiting to see how it goes- not only because we care about them- we do, we do- but also because, gulp, it'll be us next. One thing, though, I will leave with my toothbrush and whatever I need for the next 3 months just in case. This is a weird feeling. Life has been 'planned' for the next 3 mos (more, really)- not planned as in hourly, but planned as in first a month or so with SA; then our preps and special days; then a month of trekking all over the country, likely, as various people are in and out and we cover for them; then a couple weeks in Spain. NOW- who knows. Who knows. I guess it's a good reminder about a lot of things- like don't get too taken up with plans. Like I have too much stuff.
For now, I'm alone in the East; T is also alone, so she's seeing V in the mountains and then likely coming over here to help until SA gets back in (fingers crossed- see, I could leave and stay out for the 90 days and life would basically be all the same for the rest here- except someone else would have to get the blanket and pillow count up north- and make sure the outhouse gets cleaned; Bill and SA we really really need...yikes. Phyllis, too- but we're talking preps, and and and... we're talking hyperventilation.) SRW is also alone. The boys are all hanging out at a work project, I think, so they have each other (or whatever).
So, if you want something to do, just remember us... I know you do- but anyway... (and in case you're wondering- which you weren't because why should you? You didn't even know this was an issue- well, this has the poor Poles in a stir, too... we're all one big pot of stew...)

I should mention that this affects our Pol neighbors mainly because T was supposed to go help out there until EL gets back; this means TC is alone right now, too.

Sweet Baby!

Had a surprise phone call Tues evening- from Mr Cutie Pie (that sounds funny, doesn't it? Well, he's half of the Cutie Pie couple, that's all I've got to say). Anyway, they were in town for his work and Mrs Cutie Pie would be happy to see me (the feeling, believe me, was mutual)! So, Weds, after telling Anya good-bye, off I go.

Me to Bus Driver: do you know where 'Dom Pavlovykh' is? I need to get out there. He looks at me. Yes, he says (he's one of these types that could look totally mean and scary and has the voice to match- but is a softy inside, I think). Sit here- indicates the seat beside him (that way he won't forget, along with all his other bus-driverly duties, to point out my stop to me- this is what I love love LOVE about Ukr'n bus drivers- generally, they're your friend, they're looking out for you- and you need that- because it's a dog-eat-dog world, folks). 15 min later- here you go. (I wish I could growl on here- that's what he did.) Walk, walk, walk. The hotel/resort they're staying at is on the shore of the Black Sea, tucked behind some major industry stuff of some sort. It's not at all to my taste- totally tacky, in fact- gaudy colors, flower beds in bloom... with plastic flowers- it's... it's... well, it's just not me, that's all. But, I wind around through the flaunt and glitter and tack and finally find their room.

Baby Cutie pie is asleep...so we start with a hug and continue in whispers. Anyway, he does eventually wake up... I last saw him in Jan; he was 5 mos old then; this is him now... Oh, he makes my hard heart melt! He eats solids now; he chatters; he smiles; no teeth yet, though he drools non-stop; and he's FAT (likely the first one in the family, on either side...haha)!

In fact, his mom is so tiny and skinny that I'm totally amazed she can pick him up! He looks bigger than her- sort of. This little guy's parents are so sort of interwoven with my own history here in the country, that it feels like he's mine- or my grandson, anyway. His folks weren't married yet when first I met them. His dad often was my translator when T & I went north to the boys' area (gave T a break). When learning a language (that makes it sound like I know a heap- I don't, but this goes way back to elementery school when I was, for the first time in my life, doing the bulk of my communicating in English and trying to NOT sound Amish), I pick out one or two people and mimic the sounds they make, the way their voice rises and falls. So, this little guy's dad- he has a pretty good strong Western Ukr accent- and he was my 'copy'. Not that that matters... it's just part of the story. The rest of it has to do with the place where the Western Ukr bache is and that city...but that's a whole 'nother story for a whole 'nother day.

Do you really need to know? What is it about these lists anyway?

1. Where were you 3 hours ago?—umm- somewhere here in the apartment. Maybe drinking tea???
2. Who are you in love with?—my nieces and nephies (did I tell you the 6 year old is taking violin lessons? Do you have a few more hours? I could tell you more...)
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon?—don’t think so
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?—the carrying case for my laptop (picked out by my sis and bro-in-law; I’m guessing my sis, actually; it’s a cool one.)
5. When is the last time you went to the mall?—well last Jan, I walked around a mall in Odessa with Sveta
6. Are you wearing socks right now?—you bet
7. Do you have a car worth over $2,000?—Nope- no car at all; sometimes I wish I had a car-any-car (like when the bus driver says he doesn’t have room for my bags on his bus); sometimes it’s nice to not have the bother of one (like when the cops are out collecting bribes).
8. When was the last time you drove out of town?—as in I drove? June, 2006; as in someone else drove and I was along for the ride? Yesterday.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?—Nope
10. Are you hot?— I’ve been laughing at this one every time I read it. That is not for me to say; I’m also not hot.
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?—Ice water
12. What are you wearing right now?—whoops- right now, I’m actually still in my pj’s- and it’s a great feeling, I can tell you that much! (I’m not wearing makeup either…oh wait- does that count?)
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?—ummm
14. Last food that you ate?—bowl of cereal
15. Where were you last week at this time?—in Droho urging T to hurry out the door so that she could buy her ticket and still get on the bus that Ala was on when it went through town; T loves me, I'm sure...
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?—nope
17. When is the last time you ran?—don’t know- I try to avoid that- you could hurt yourself you know…
18. What's the last sporting event you watched?—no idea; possibly figure skating back in Jan; or soccer on some train station screen.
19. What is your favorite animal?—Hard to tell. I love dogs, but it’s really hard to top a baby calf all soft and sweet.
20. Your dream vacation?—Someday, it’d be neat to get back to Norway and do some serious trekking; vacations aren’t exactly something I think about as such- they just sort of occasionally happen, a day here and there, mixed in with normal life.
21. Last person's house you were in?—Anya’s in Odessa.
22. Worst injury you've ever had?—don't know- life has been a series of minor injuries but nothing serious that I can think of.
23. Have you been in love?—oh well- who hasn’t? Right now, it’s my nieces and nephies, of course!
24. Do you miss anyone right now?—yes
25. Last play you saw?—No idea
26. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?—I snarl at them.
27. What are your plans for tonight?—well, I guess we’ll have the study with the folks here in town.
28. Who is the last person you sent a facebook message or comment?—Don’t remember and ain’t gonna go look.
29. Next trip you are going to take?—To Poland (proly)
30. Ever go to camp?—Nope
31. Were you an honor roll student in school?—yup
32. What do you want to know about the future?—Nothing. Well, ok, it’d be nice to know how this crazy visa situation is going to be resolved for us here...
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?—Nope
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit?—I reckon; not that I’m going to go.
35. Where is your best friend/s?—It’s hard to know exactly who this is; I have various best friends in various situations.
36. How is your best friend?—see previous Q.
37. Do you have a tan?—Nope; and I don’t tan, I burn- so I generally avoid trying.
38. What are you listening to right now?—the neighbors are using various power tools in their apt, so getting the 'remodel serenade'; also traffic sounds
39. Do you collect anything?—only pix of the little people in my life!
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know?—I wouldn’t touch this with a 10 foot pole
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over?—Feb, 2006-let’s just say that Zionsville, IN, is no place to go more than 15 mph…I’m still hissing about this, actually.
42. Have you ever drunk your soda from a straw?—of course; I prefer not to, though
43. What does your last text message say?—best wishes from cell phone service provider for the May 1st holiday- a big deal here.
44. Do you like hot sauce?—yup
45. Last time you took a shower?—I’m on my way right now, actually. Before that, at Anya’s (so yest morning or the night before- don’t remember. It’s a daily thing, though, no fears.)
46. Do you need to do laundry?—yup
47. What is your heritage?—as far as I know, I’m all German
48. Are you someone's best friend?—that’s hard to know. I’m a close friend to several.
49. Are you rich?—yes- just not in material things
50. What were you doing at 12AM last night?—skyping!