some favorite pix

I'm digging through files trying to delete (why is it just as hard to delete endless jpg and bmp files as it ever was to sort through and purge 100 photos?) and came across some I hadn't seen in awhile. So, without further ado, I bring you: 

My sis and her babies. 

my 3 nieces.

one of my all-time fav's. 4 oldest babies in the family riding the wild bucking (or not) sofa! 

'Літний душ'- Summer shower. Outside, gravity operated. :)

Мура/Murra- the best cat on earth... or she was. I'd tell her off for sneaking in and hiding under beds and in bedding storage- and she'd bring me a mouse. She died this past winter and is one cat I miss.

preps a few years ago. Loved it then, love it now.

gypsy woman's skirt. I stepped on it as I followed her down the bus steps... and I wasn't hot on her heels, either. It just really flowed/dragged/something out behind her. ;)

Love this one of Mom's oldest brother, my Uncle Larry. Mom and some of her sibs took a trip out to the West coast with their dad and had a blast. I don't have many pix of my extended family so treasure each one.

grape harvest, southern Ukr. Some of the best grapes I've ever tasted.

Little boy full of vigor and vim and living in desperate circumstances- most days, his meals consist of macaroni with ketchup or oatmeal. A tea bag is shared among the whole family. His mom is disabled (likely because of an old head injury) and desperately trying to hold her family together. Officials keep a close eye on the family, asking the children if their coats and boots were new this year or are last season's, asking what they get to eat. This kid always sparkled, though, and was happy to chat and be fussed over. Love the teeth... or lack of! In many ways, he's a typical 7 year old. 

Little Princess. But pic mostly memorable because of the memories of that day. oh me oh my. 

Hard to remember these days... had lots of the white stuff this winter. 

This kid lives her life as a blur so the pic is very appropriate. We see her each Thurs; she's usually finishing her nap when we arrive and then comes sliding in after awhile. Like a lot of kids, she has a favorite item of clothing- a pair of yoga-type pants, in her case. heh. Hers are so loved and well worn that there is very little left of them, really. I mean, most of her backside hangs out not to mention her knees. They're literally worn to shreds. Her parents and 2 big sisters looked like they'd die the first time she showed up in them. We roared. She fled. :)

You'd have to know him to fully appreciate the pic. He's all rough and gruff on the outside but a whole lot softer inside than he'd like you to know. 

These dogs must surely come from the same gene pool. Do litter mates spend the rest of their lives as best friends? hmmmm

even though I don't do a lot of Dew anymore, I can't help but automatically check the cold drinks in case PepsiCo has decided to begin importing it into Ukr... Not yet, apparently.