Happy New Year!

We just saw in the new year here! In Lutsk. Hope it's a good one for you all! XO

your (not quite) daily comics fix

This fall, I really did see a soldier cranking his military jeep trying to get it started... the jeep was full of soldiers... had no idea at all that such vehicles were still in use... his hat and coat weren't nearly as cool as Jeremy's dad's though.

I heard something the other day... it goes like this: If a man says something in the forest and no woman is there to hear him is he still wrong?

The answer is- Yes.

enjoy the eggnog!

There are a few things that I miss about life in the US... this is one. Of course, I could technically learn to make eggnog... but holiday season in the US includes things like eggnog flavored ice cream and frozen custard...and how do you manage all that?

And then there's the whole peppermint candy cane thing... I'm still contemplating trying to make some...but it'll have to be under pretty special circumstances...

what's this?

Phyllis drew this for us... do you know what it is?

No cheating......

give up?????

here you go-

A giraffe walking past a fourth floor window....

hahahahahahahaha

(almost) drama in real life

We had a few days of winter here...about a week, actually. Maybe a bit more. The last several days have been warm and rainy... here's what it looks like out the kitchen window...

the canal has some open water...

Sooo

this morning, just minding my own business, making my breakfast tea, look out the window (it rained a lot last evening and in the night...let's just remember)

There's a person... a male... a boy... somebody... walking out onto the ice... *blink, shake head*... look again... yup, there he is. His 2 buddies are sitting on the far bank, watching. He slowly walks out toward the middle, gets there and begins kicking at the ice... kick kick kick...

I get out my cereal and look out the window again...

He's lying down on the ice.... uh no... he's in the water... his red-jacketed buddy from the far bank is frantically scrabbling across the ice towards him.

I watch open-mouthed for a bit... Red-jacket Buddy is falling down...he's totally drunk... (the guy in the water proly is, too)... Red-jacket Buddy tries to doggy paddle on the ice out to his in-the-water buddy... I get a horrible feeling in my stomach, knees get weak... leave the window (I have no nerve when it comes to watching scary stuff and this suddenly qualifies as scary) and call Julie... What should I do? J says Do you want me to call the ambulance? Yes, I say...

Back to the window. Red-jacket Buddy is now in the water beside the first guy. They're both clawing at the ice, scrabbling, trying to get out. Third Buddy is cautiously moving out across the ice... he's carrying something ropey-looking.

I quit watching again.

Look again First Guy is out and being pulled away from the hole by Third Buddy. Red-jacket Buddy still flailing around. The other 2 finally manage to pull him out... I call J back- Uh, they're out, better call off the rescue squad. She tries but can't get through.

Meanwhile, here they go, back across the ice toward the far bank.

(there were people crossing the foot bridge the whole time; 1 or 2 stopped and watched for awhile but most kept right on going...)

15 min later, a fire truck, police car and ambulance are on the scene, looking for them... (really, I'm impressed... you hear so many horror stories of emergency people not responding or taking forever to get there... given distance and traffic, they got there pretty quickly.)

here's their hole... he must have been totally drunk and a complete idiot to even try it...

and just to the right of this pic? Something I just quit looking at... an ice fisherman placidly sitting there fishing...

You know what? People are insane.

And that fisherman never twitched when those clowns were in the water... Is this just business as usual?

Haven't forgotten...yet

Remember this?
I've been thinking about it. Actually, I finished and delivered one person's thing. The other 4 people's handmade things have been nearly done for months... nearly done... The trouble is, I'm not really happy with how it all went and am not quite sure what to do about it... sighhhhhh...

And now there are all of 10 days left in 2009... whoops...

a li'l wee bit of snow

It's been snowing and snowing... snowed all day today. Someone asked how much we have- No idea... I'm no good at estimating and no one measures around here that I know of... but there's getting to be a *nice amount out there...
*whereas nice=lots

For a long time, we had none...

not so now. It snowed all day (at times the air was completely white). This is looking out the kitchen window tonight. We don't have nearly as much as most of the rest of the country... but, umm, it'll soon be enough...

it's also cold... has been right at 0 F (-15 to -18 C) for days now. It's been awhile since I've seen this kind of winter weather.

it got cold

It's been cold here (high today around -15 C/5 F)... with a fierce wind... which makes for a mighty windshield factor (ps- see previous post if that's a mystery). Good days to not go out more than you have to.
a peek out the kitchen window.

the canal is frozen... the lighter area down the middle is (I think) what bubbled up in the night when it got really cold and froze deeper... then this stuff froze on top of the ice. It looks like open water but it's not... and tonight it's doing the same thing).

Even with the windows shut tightly, the wind hitting the side of the building full force means it's cold in my room... I've been having a lot of this... and it is So Yummy and Cozy!

my friends

I've said more than once that my friends are better than the likes of me deserves... I mean, it, too. But sometimes one of them does or says something that I want with all my might to share around even if it doesn't, you know, make the person look like the genius that they are. (I'm sure.)

ahem

Earlier this week, I got an email. It's cold here. It's snowy here. And with the windshield, it's even colder.

And, as Phyllis says: Believe me, it'd be even colder without the windshield.

And she would know... having ridden around sometimes in the winter on a tractor with no windshield.

Thank goodness for the windshield.

The Cook

This was cute...

and it reminds me of something... the other day, we heard someone talking about making lunch. Haha, I laughed and continued mentally planning what I would have for lunch that day.

Then there was more talk about lunch. And get this- said person's wife looked ready to take him seriously. And sure enough, he had a menu all planned out- veggies, a salad, fish, dessert...

and he wore an apron to make it really official

Phyllis enjoyed it!

note to Colin- We'll clear the kitchen for you anytime, just any old time

musings

This certainly isn't a new thought... many have had it before and will have it after me. Some have described it with much more elegant words than I can.

The torch is being passed, a generation is gone or moving on. The children who were playing in the streets yesterday are being looked to today to bear a burden with a steady hand and strong shoulder... and the thought tears at their lungs and leaves them gasping for breath. But they've had wonderful sturdy people to look to and they have access to the same source of help that every weak and faltering human through the ages has always had access to. None have been perfect but their knowledge and admission of that fact and then finding help that is beyond them have made them fit for the task. And it will be like that for this next generation.

Every year brings changes- most keenly felt when the change involves loss. One of the most deeply satisfying things in my life is seeing the kids I knew maturing and changing and filling the places left empty by the deaths of the older faithful souls who used to surround them. Truly, it is joy and sorrow interwoven. Sorrow for the loss which we continue to feel but joy when we see growth in others because of it. I have a list of every baby, child and teenager and the age each was when I was in their area. I look at from time to time. I love those kids. I wish them all the best.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I've been going through my comics folder (news to you, I'm sure). This one reminds me of myself. Back in the summer of 2002. Karen, DeAnn and I roaming the streets of Lviv... yacking and chatting and doing the kind of stuff that women do when they're just enjoying the afternoon together. K&D were talking away and I repeating the word ринок (rynok- market) over and over just quietly under my breath like, just enjoying the company and the day and being alive... and all of a sudden, something happened that had never happened before in my life... see, unlike an English 'r', the Ukrainian 'r' sound has a slight roll to it... as kids, we'd goofed around with sounds and I could never roll my r's... never ever... and I hated it but had resigned myself to it... and here, lo and behold- that 'r' sound at the beginning of the word just rolled off my tongue and all the way down the street, around the block and back, stopping at my feet proud as a peacock. I was in shock. Stopped walking. Made the other 2 listen to my new-found ability... of course, it was no big deal to them... but to me? My life was never the same again

:)

Longevity

A doctor on his morning walk noticed the old lady to the left on her front step smoking a cigar. He walked up to her and said, "I couldn't help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?"

"I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink 4 bottles of Jack Daniels every week and eat only junk food. On weekends, I watch TV, pop pills, party till 4 am and don't exercise at all."

"That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?"

"Thirty-four," she replied.

you maybe got this as an email, too... oh my...

short people and big days

I ran errands today! Wow!

Back in Indy Margaret C was with us part of a year but she didn't go everywhere with us- wasn't up to that anymore (she was only 90-something...) We stopped to see her one day and the lady there laughed and said- You know, I just realized today that I haven't been counting right. She'd asked Margaret how she was doing and M had answered, all smiles and happiness: It's been such a good day, I've gotten so much done- I got up, took a bath, combed my hair, read a little, did some laundry, took a nap...

You get the picture. Well, I've had some days like that lately... but things are really picking up. Today, my list of 'stuff done' includes going to the grocery and going to the train station to meet a bus (Yes, we do understand the difference between buses and trains... it's just that the train station happens to be a major bus station of sorts, too).

Now- that train station run- well, that was a great one. See, I'd gotten wind of a care package that was on its way... and then I heard tell of someone from Poland spending a few days in Ukr... only west of us... and then I got on the phone with someone else and said- Hey- that stuff that came- ya wanna ship it my way on a bus? Well, sure, hey why not...

So she did. And I met that bus. It was like a birthday ripping into it back home again! Here's what it was:
aren't these just the cutest things?! I love them! (They're slippers, Dearies, on my feet... incaseyoucan'ttell)

these were with them- get well cards... from my bro and sis-in-law and nephies!
Now let's take a look at this one... this one's from the youngest nephie... He got quite eloquent with his... in the lower right corner-that's an 'X' made from that white medical tape you all have in your medicine chests... and (they don't show so well here) to the left of the x is a row of multi-colored staples. (Don't you just love how a kid's mind works?!) And we won't even talk about what the hand lettered messages from a 7 1/2 year old and a 4 1/2 year old will do to an auntie...

Here's what the last package from them looked like:
again, decorated by this little guy
and while we're on the subject, here he is again- recent skype conversation... I need to do this again soon!

we did some serious chatting that day! It was breakfast at their house and the rest were busy eating... but O came to chat.

Big Brother came by, too...

F plays the violin... he played a song for me... and I recognized it-"Long Long Ago"! Yay! In fact- he's so good, there was no way to NOT recognize it! (and do you see his shirt??? :) They live near Indy... where there's a football team... not that I care about football... I just happen to sorta keep track of 1 team... that's all...)

this guy's my bro... he was there, too... (actually these shots are from several different chats...but he's generally there)

Miss was there, too

They never know what I'm doing with my web cam...

But isn't it great to see the faces of the people you love, hear their voices... shoot them as they look the web cam right in the eye? :) <3

I love you guys!

Vegetables

My friend Karen likes vegetables... veggies are super, yummy, wonderful things. Ask her what her favorite vegetables are and she says:

• corn on the cob
• popcorn
• pumpkin pie

I like those veggies, too... a lot... Around here, we eat a lot of pumpkin custard- just like pie only without the crust. It's even more of a veggie that way...

Crocs!

I had no idea this was why people were wearing these things...

mind you, I suspect my darling nephews and nieces wear them because Mom and Dad buy them... and I must say- they sure are cute in 'em...

So- this summer in France, I kept borrowing someone else's crocs... because they're so 'water-friendly'... and because I just plain took a hankering to them... So, I looked around the shops of the small village nearby... none... someone kept their eyes peeled for a pair in Paris (here's a hint- when you go to Paris to shop, you're not really there for the crocs... I mean, come on... this is just not what to look for in Paris...) that's a good friend who'll do that... what she found was this: now isn't that just the cutest little croc you ever did see? :)

Anyway, I got Mom on the job and she brought these along in September...

and let me just tell you- we've had fun together, these crocs and I! Never thought I'd get into wearing plastic shoes... again...

remember jellies? ;)

3six5 I'm in!

and I can't believe it.

check out April 30 right here

I debated about doing this- back and forth and to and fro; should I, shouldn't I? And then I popped my hand in the air and waved it around... and someone saw it... gulp

I saw this originally as a feed from Mental Floss and it grabbed my attention and imagination immediately. It evoked the same kind of feeling as the time capsule you bury as a class of 4th graders that will get opened in 50 years. Why do you want to, I asked myself. Do you want to be a writer? No. Do you want someone to know you? No, for sure not. Why? Because it's unique. Because I see life and world events and people in a place and from a perspective that few ever speak from... not just from the perspective of Ukraine but also from my personal perspective. Because there's a part of me that is still full of 4th grade excitement and wonder over a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I'm excited to see what others write and I'm excited about writing my piece... and I'm a little bit nervous... Mom? Can you type?

ahem- for a friend

in honor of someone's facebook status yesterday... and for all the rest of you, too, who survived/are surviving ushering one generation into the wonders of adulthood

This won't look like much, but... wow!

Sitting at my desk working and look to my left... things out the window are suspiciously light... there's an odd sort of tinge to everything...

what could it be?

Slowly realization dawns... sunbeams???

Run to the kitchen window... sure enough, there's a light spot in the clouds! Which minutes later was looking more like this!

and then- see this? Those are really and truly rays of sunshine reaching reaching reeeeching for us! The first time in weeks.

Welcome, I say... Welcome... pull up a chair, put your feet up... don't worry about the furniture, we don't mind. We're just that glad to see you!

:)

carrots... carrots... more carrots

I like carrots... really, I do. Always have. Good thing, too... they're in just about everything I eat these days.

this is salad... before mixing...
boil beets, boil carrots... when they've cooled, grate them all into a bowl along with several peeled apples. (An apple secret(?): grate and then allow to turn brown- it's a bit easier to digest... I care about stuff like this right now...) Sprinkle a bit of salt over this, drizzle about 1/4 cup of honey or dark corn syrup over it and about half a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice... then mix it all up. Now... it's not quite your typical salad...but it is really pretty good. It's a take-off of a really super Ukrainian salad where you grate raw beets, carrots and apples together and dress with honey (and maybe a bit of apple cider vinegar or lemon???). Chopped walnuts are super in it... but we are not yet back on such delights as walnuts...
It also smells sort of like freshly chopped silage... but that just adds to the mystique! I'm sure...

then there's this... see, I told you there were carrots everywhere you look! Start with fish- this time it's trout. Beat an egg (add a pinch of salt) and dip the fish in the egg. Sprinkle finely ground bread crumbs mixed with herb of choice (I used a French Provincial mix) on bottom of baking dish and lay fish on this; sprinkle more breading on top of the fish. Squeeze a tiny bit of lemon on the fish. Then- here's where the carrot comes in (!)- grate a raw carrot over it... Then- this has been fun- pour the rest of the beaten egg over it all (it goes to the bottom and makes a sort of omelet on the bottom). You can also do potatoes with this. It's not much to look at... but the taste is just plain good... after boiled chicken breasts umpteen different ways. Cover and bake at 350 for about 30 min. Add a bit of boiling water towards the end if it's getting dry.

of course- you have to watch out for bones when eating this... with the tilapia, you don't... I usually do this with a flat white fish and am generous with pats of butter and mushrooms. One thing that's saved the day with all this boiled/baked/fat free stuff- herbs! You can do dried herbs (and proly fresh- I just don't have any) and get flavor! And thankfully, I love boiled veggies with salt- I've always loved the taste of the veggies themselves and have never cared all that much for cream and cheese sauces. However, I'm going to be mighty happy to get back to some other kind of eating!

more food

Karen was here recently. Her brother and sis-in-law were, too... they just left yesterday. K saw them off at the airport... then she came back here and had some supper... potatoes done in a bit of olive oil... and then some ham fried up after the potatoes... and then some really yummy Korean-style carrot salad... and then she ate that all while I watched.

And you know what? When you do all that up in the kitchen, other people (who can't eat it) can smell it...

I'm really happy for her. Yes I am... (I am I am I am I am)

The day before, K and her people and 2 other good friends met for dessert at TGIFriday's... the skunks...

(I made them all tell what they'd had... oh my...)

STU

ok- the little guy's name is: Sunshine Titis Ukrainets

:)

Thanks for the suggestion, Dorothy!

The last part is the masculine adjective form of 'Ukrainian'

food food food fooooooooood

I'm hungry... insanely hungry. My new diet (for 2 weeks... gack) includes: boiled-in-water-no-sugar cereal grains, eggs (thank goodness), boiled veggies, boiled chicken or fish (and I decided that baked fish or chicken is good, too... I mean, let's be real here...) and hard unsweetened bread stuff- like the stuff they let babies chew on when they're teething.

Oh, and I can have salt.

wow.

So far, I've been tickled pink to eat all that stuff and feel good afterwards... last night, though, I went to bed hungry... woke up hungry... ate an egg... hungry... ate some cooked buckwheat... hungry...

toughed it out till lunch

hungreeeeeeeeeee

baked some tillapia- tiny bit of lemon on top, brushed with an egg and breaded, salted, grated carrots on that and topped with leftover baked potato. Oh yeah- wrapped in foil. Baked it. Ate it.

hungry

ummm

hungry hungry hungry

Phyllis says it's a good sign... that all's going to be well... Let's hope. All I know is My.Appetite.Is.Back. Big time...

I'd like some of this:

My birthday cake... gorgeous, no?

Mom brought these- they're still in the cupboard... drool

oh my goodness sakes alive... a BLT

or how about this?

this was my reward after all my pre-op tests were done... poppy-seed crepes... truly lovely and delicious... and I will have more someday...

someday...

sigh

hungry

I'll go have a cup of tea and some hard tack...