For a few people.............

To the FitBit Peeps out there: Have you tried this? (It just seemed worth a go!)

I have a little pedometer- nothing so slick as the genuine fitbit dealy-bobber. But it counts steps. I don't wear it much. Not since I got 16,000 steps in 3 hours on a typical bus ride. 

I've seen a lot of shivery posts on facebook- the weather's turning cooler and a goosebump or 2 might appear from time to time. No complaints here, though. It's such a treat to not be sweating all the time. I'm in love with being able to move around outside without feeling like I've melted into a yucky puddle of grime and slime. And sleeping at night and needing a blanket! How fantastic! I tucked my duvet into it's cover today and am luxuriating in the bliss of needing a blanket and the duvet. Of wanting to snuggle into covers and pillows. 

Even the buses are mostly no longer hot. 

I like summer for the freedom of movement- my backpack is lighter because there's no need for a sweater or extra socks or long-sleeve anything; no coat to slow you down and take up space. Footwear is a cinch- sandals! In that respect, summer is a treat. 

But this weather- you can breathe again, you can exult in the feel of cool air on your skin. Walking everywhere is a treat again and not just something to endure. Ahhh fall, I do love you!!!

Things that really aren't possible

I can only conclude that they have bad ice cream at that house.

 

I have ice cream memories from as far back as I can remember. There were a lot of things that we didn't have in our house when we were growing up. Some of those things I wanted pretty badly (oddly, though, I cannot think of a single one of them now. hmmm); some I don't remember fretting about much. For instance, we never had a TV and, while I loved spending the occasional night at my friends' houses- Sondra or Lorna, usually- and totally gluing my eyes to the TV while there, I really don't remember missing it much at home. (Maybe my mom can fill in forgotten details!)
I think I would have gladly had more soda pop, although I don't remember exactly suffering without that, either. I do remember that ice cold pop (Pepsi or Root Beer) and chips went with haying.
And I also vividly remember my very first ever Mountain Dew. I was at the county fair and stopped at a food stand for a snack...and had a Mountain Dew to go with it. And it was love at first swallow. And nothing's changed. Man-O-Live, I love that stuff. (And it's just good for everything about me that it's not for sale here in Ukraine, sigh.)
Same goes for my first Snickers. I was, if you can believe it, in the 8th grade. Supposed to meet my mom at the library after school or some such thing. What I remember clearly is going into the grocery store across the street from the library and buying a Snickers bar. And also loving that from first bite. Snickers is sold here in Ukraine. Snickers are too much and too sweet now. (I have no idea why Mt Dew isn't....I'm sure there's way more sugar there.)
And we always had ice cream in the freezer. Always. Burger's Vanilla Ice Cream. (And sadly, it doesn't even exist anymore.) It was delicious. My dad's favorite. About the only kind he'd eat, as I recall. His idea of an after dinner treat was a big bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce on top. My brother Paul has continued the tradition nicely. And I must say, I don't often say No to ice cream myself. Vanilla is the best. And when it's hot out? You simply can't have too much! Ukrainians love ice cream but most often buy it in single serving cones or bars or some such thing. The place is full of little ice cream freezers with a friendly woman (usually) and a cash box.
I had 2 ice creams yesterday and one today.
It's been very hot here the past few days.* Thankfully.
So let's hear it for ice cream!! And remember, Kids- You really CAN'T have too much! ;)

*It really has been hot- unseasonably hot. Over 90 degrees on Fri and close to that yesterday. 80-something felt cool today. 

calendars and birds and collectors

When I was in the US the last time, I picked up (on sale) an Audubon bird calendar for 2012 and brought it back with me. And loved it. And kept it thinking- Sometime, you know, you might want some of these pix.

In June, I came across it and decided to cut the pictures apart and use them 'here and there'.
I accidentally cut off some of the names and was curious to know just what kind of bird was on one or two of the pix.

So, being a fan of google, I googled '2012 Audubon Songbird calendar'. And clicked on the Amazon link. And nearly passed out. You can sell your used '2012 Audubon Songbird calendar' on Amazon starting for (starting at) $89.88. And I'm guessing mine would have fallen into the higher price range as it was in excellent condition, no writing, not bent, pristine condition....
Mind you, I likely wouldn't have sold it myself but.
Seriously- Who pays $255 for a calendar????

So- if you have any of those babies laying around, get them listed and sell them! (And start shopping around for next year's; by the time your kids graduate from high school, you might be able to contribute to their college fund with 1 calendar!)

Hot chocolate with a twist

Several years ago, I had some hot chocolate in the Arcadia Mall at the Wedel Chocolate shop. It was- amazing. Thick and creamy, more like the drinking chocolate we had in Spain with our churros. With a twist. Served with hot pepper syrup. 

Some time last year, I had this brain storm. What if I melted this chocolate bar and mixed it with milk. 

So I did and it was good- really good. One bar makes enough for at least 2 people. To get it right, the chocolate:milk ratio is about 1:2, approximately. To taste, I reckon, is a better way to say it. It's rich, for sure. 

So then I messed around with adding ground, hot pepper. Which was good enough but not quite 'the thing', you know? 

So last week, I did some googling. Several people are coming this way in the next year or so. And I was thinking: Why not find some online and have someone bring it over?
Turns out the syrup doesn't actually stay nice very long. Everything I saw said Make it fresh and use within 2 - 4 weeks.

And all those syrups are for making mixed drinks. Here's a very simple recipe I found. 

Peppers, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water

melting the chocolate, mixed with milk

Finished syrup

And in my cup! Oh my. Very yummy.
I'm now on the lookout for hotter peppers. Ukrainians aren't big on hot peppers; the ones I found aren't actually hot but warm...and that heat was diluted quite a bit in the syrup making process. 

Oh boy

Where to start? I didn't intend to let it go this long. So does a person catch up? Or just start in *boom* right here and now? Perhaps a bit of both? ;) Done mostly in pix, I think...and in several posts.

Patriotism is huge right now. Everywhere. I kind of like it. :)

 In May, K's niece and husband visited and we spent a day in L'viv with them.

The "Coffee from L'viv" coffee company roasting coffee beans in the front of their store. Pretty good coffee, actually.

We visited Lychakiv Cemetery- rich in Polish and Ukrainian history. Wikipedia link and a site dedicated to the cemetery- English available.

Lychakiv Cemetery is a beautiful place. The main 'roads' are well maintained, as are the graves along these paths but most of the cemetery is very wild. 

Pretty typical graves.

The only part of the cemetery with many fresh graves- people who have died in Kyiv in the winter of 2013/2014 and in the current conflict in the east. This whole section of the cemetery is dedicated to people who have died fighting for Ukrainian independence.

Graves of people who were killed fighting Russians during WW II and those who were liquidated by the Soviets during Soviet occupation. This part of the cemetery is new and bodies were relocated here from their original burial site.

This part of the cemetery is large and gave me goosebumps.

This must be a brother and sister, both who lived to be old but both who participated in the Soviet resistance movement. 'УПА' is one of the controversial partisan armies that fought the Nazis and Soviets in WW II; in the  end, many of these opted to join forces with the Nazis, hoping to avoid Russian occupation. Because of this, they have been implicated in Nazi war crimes and atrocities against Poles, especially...which is why many in Western Europe are not too keen on them. Ukrainians see them as having fought for Ukrainian independence. As you see on this marker, the lady is still alive but because of her role, she will have a spot here. The man was 'repressed' (by the Soviets); the woman has been 'rehabilitated'- meaning the gov't has acknowledged she was a victim of Soviet repression and is not guilty of whatever crime she'd been prosecuted for. Many of the people in this part of the cemetery were sent to Siberia.

Ukrainian and Polish soldiers who died during the Polish-Ukrainian War in 1918-1919.   (From Wikipedia: The Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.) L'viv was a Polish city until after WW II, when many Poles and Germans were resettled elsewhere. 

 Memorial to and markers for 3 Americans who died fighting for Poland

Some kind of archaeological excavation in the old town of L'viv. 

And it turns out I have a 'son'! heh. The things you never knew till you knew. Story: I reminded some people of a certain lady in Canada. And then along came Jason and he reminded these same people of this lady's son. So.... he calls me 'Mom' and I call him 'Sonny Boy'. And he's the kind of kid to pick if you could pick your kids! ;) 

In doing some computer housekeeping this afternoon, I came across a post I'd started to write earlier.

In our rambling this afternoon, we came back through the center of town, past this very quiet and now nearly empty place. But being here brought back some very clear and sharp memories from Feb 20, 2014. That was a chilly day. That was the day that snipers were on the rooftops in downtown Kyiv, picking off people from the streets and squares below. Aiming for people wearing special white vests with red crosses on them designating them as medics. The day we flew out of our apartment in an almighty hurry when we realized that our dear girl, my co's youngest sister a medical student was actually still in town. She was part of a group of about 40 doctors and medical students from our city who were leaving for Kyiv but their departure had been delayed. There was a desperate need for trained medics in Kyiv. She'd been there often before, during some of the worst days to bring medical help to wounded people. But this time felt so much more uncertain than the other times.

This quiet street was where the bus was loading and we got down here in time to tell her good-bye and hug her tight and wish her the best... and hold our breaths and hope that all would be well. I don't remember that there were any tears shed by anyone there. Everyone was sober and determined. About half a block away was a large public meeting in the main city square where public officials were going over safety measures for our city. 

So much has happened since then.

So much. 

I've sometimes written about it, mostly I haven't. What can you write? Thousands have died. Thousands. At least one army pilot was kidnapped inside Ukraine and taken to Russia where she's been accused of crimes; she's been imprisoned there, illegally, for months. 

For a long time, we were so thankful that at least none of those nearest and dearest had been called up by the army. 

At the end of January, I was having a pre-bus bread and honey snack when an army officer came calling with the notification for the man of that home. He's my age, exactly. His wife is my dear friend; so is his bro-in-law. He has 2 young children. We were all stunned. Of course it could happen; was bound to. But then it did. 

Because of poor health, he was deemed unfit to serve, thankfully. (With the proviso that if war is declared- or martial law- he must report.)

Several weeks ago we were with another man, a contact, who'd been called up in the very first wave of mobilization last spring. He served his 12 months and was deactivated. Alive, whole, healthy. It was a huge comfort and relief to see someone who came home from the army in one piece; so many don't.

Another friend's young son, 17, was 'called up'.... but because he's not yet of legal age (to serve) and because he's a student, he was deferred.

And today we received word that one of the dearest got his papers and was declared fit. He goes this week. He's 49. He has a wife, 6 kids. In fact- those 2 up there? The 2 sisters? They're his oldest and youngest daughters. I cannot imagine what this summer will be like without him. 

And that youngest one. She's still a med student, 3rd year. And she's still actively involved in training military medics. Many weekends, she's near the front where she hears constant gunfire. She trains soldiers battlefield first aid.

So much of this is hard to understand. It has at times kept me awake all or most of the night. It has at times made it hard to read, to pray, to concentrate. It has completely altered life here. Many grocery stores have collection bins for goods that the soldiers need; many collection tins for funds for the army and private militias. And many many people, in spite of very difficult times financially, give and give and give. 

There is comfort in several firm facts: 

• God doesn't give us more than He gives strength to cope with.
• Nothing is beyond His strength and control.
• We see a small part of the picture; God sees the whole picture.
• God has a plan- it is to save the souls of men. This He does. 
• There are things that are more important than even natural life. IE- Life is more than bread and the body more than clothing.
• God will care for those who trust Him.

So- we continue to trust. Someday, this will be history. We don't know how it will end, we don't know when it will end. But it will. No storm lasts forever. 

I've shared things on Facebook, sometimes. Often I haven't. Then someone says: You need to so that people know what's going on. So I've shared again for a bit. But really? People- Russia is in Ukraine- tanks, heavy artillery, soldiers. This is not a Ukrainian civil war- this is Ukraine trying to get Russia out. Why is Russia here? We don't know. Not really. Why can't the two countries live as neighbors with independent governments? I don't know. But apparently one can't imagine life without the other while the other is desperately trying to create life outside of the domination of the other. Yes, there was a ceasefire. No, it's not the first. No, it's not actually been adhered to...at least not by the rebels and Russians. Ukrainian troops and heavy artillery were withdrawn from the front lines; the other side simply takes that territory. And so it goes. So someday, hopefully, I'll be here to tell you about how it all ended. But that day is not today.

And yes, this is partly why I really haven't blogged much the past year (although I was on a decline, post-wise before this all started). So much just doesn't seem important in light of the current situation. 

xo

Happiness is...

...being a Puppy

...if you're a little boy. :) Which reminds me of a story I've (possibly) told before.
Summertime, big family gathering. Sister 1 and Sister 2 each have little boys about the same age. Sister 1's little boy is potty trained; Sister 2's little boy is not potty trained. The 2 little boys are playing together and both run up to Little Boy 1's mom (Sister 1). Little Boy 1 says 'Mom, I have to tinkle' (use your imagination- shouldn't be too hard). Sister 1 thinks- Aha! I'll take Little Boy 2 along and we can show him how it's done! Off they go to a shrub (or tree...or something). Little Boy 1 takes care of his business. Little Boy 2 is watching with BIG eyes. Auntie- Is he a puppy? teehee Those 'little boys' must be about 17 or 18 now. 

...having a cat who loves (?) appreciates (?) acknowledges/accepts you; soaks up your affection.... or at least deigns to sleep on your sofa. ;)

I'm not kidding. I love this cat. She lives in the town of Ostroh, near the apartment I frequented in February. We'd come home after having been gone an hour or all day or 3 days...and she'd be waiting for us; jump up, meow in the most questioning way and run to the door, meowing...and run into the apartment ahead of us, heading for her favorite spot on the sofa, in the sun. And because we're such softies, we let her spend the night. Who knows what kind of life she led when we weren't around... must be tiring because she'd be in the exact same spot and position the next morning.... and also ready to leave and take care of business the cat way. ;)
 

... a for real toilet. (I'm not kidding.) See this one? The seat is attached. Affixed. Won't slide. Won't come off. Oh Hurray.

 Also there's a lid. I'm telling you, we are uptown, we are! (I'll bet you wish I had a pic of what we had before this one, don't you? Well, subtract the lid and imagine an unattached 'floating' seat. You really don't need a pic. Trust me. And trust me that this is a thing of beauty. 

(And did I ever tell you my other throne story? As in the throne that occupies the smallest room in the house? *throat clearing noises* Well, Once upon a time, Little T and I moved into an apt that had no furniture and just barely had a toilet. As in No seat, never mind lid. Just the ceramic base...and wherewith to flush. We move in. The landlords are there, all pleased and happy. Oh- You don't have a TV, they say. We'll bring you one. We have one we don't need. We'll bring it right over.
T and I look at each other. You know what we'd like more than a TV, we say? A toilet seat.
WHAT?! They say. Listen, if you want a toilet seat, go to the bazaar, get a cheap one and when you leave take it with you. They're not expensive.
I am NOT hauling my own toilet seat around Ukraine, I say. We'd like you to get one (it can be cheap, no worries) and we'll leave it when we move out.
And they did.
And we were TV-less and happy.

.... darling little nieces who grow up WAYYY too fast but are adorable along the way. Oh My Little B... you do thumpy things to me heart.

 .... this mouse catcher is pretty warm-fuzzy feelings inspiring, too.

This one is quite possibly my favorite of all... as far as cats, go, anyway.

...this duvet cover. I got to be with it again for the month of February. It just.... makes me happy. 

 ...this chocolate. A touch of salt in/on it.
Break it into pieces and put into a teflon-coated small pot with milk. Heat until the chocolate's melted and it's all mixed together nicely. Add hot red pepper to taste. Drink it.
It Is So Delicious. It warms your tummy-tum-tum in the most cozy way.
The real stuff is made with hot pepper syrup but...that I've never seen in a store. 

....and of course- Happiness is when your friend who had cancer and zoomed home 2 years ago for chemo and radiation and the works comes back, healthy and happy and raring to go!! Welcome back, Little T!

hello? hello? helloooooooo?

Just because it's been a LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG time and so that you'll know there's still life here. ;)

I, uh, don't like it at all. Unless it's toasted in granola. Just because.
(But you're cute, Dolly, you are.) 

Did I ever tell you about my co who could swallow a WHOLE handful of pills in one go...with one gulp of water...and one swallow? And how one time her hearing aid ended up in that pile of pills? And how she could even manage all the pills AND the hearing aid with one swallow of water? It's quite the story. And it's true. :) (And she was quite the lady- I miss her!)

Pinterest Fail

Or it would be if I'd gotten the idea off of Pinterest.

And no- There won't be a pic of this fail. It is delicious, though. Remember that!
You know those white chocolate covered pretzel things that have been on the scene a few years now? The ones that are first dipped in melted white chocolate and then rolled in/sprinkled with crushed peppermint candies? Here---> These Things. Well I do love them. And I've made them several times. And, you know, they've always turned out pretty decently. Someone brought me the makings not so long ago. Yesterday seemed like the time to make some. And for the first time ever- Wow. I mean those babies are UGLY. I mean the chocolate did not at all cooperate and they are.... just.... amazingly unpretty. (They taste good, however. Their deliciousness is directly proportional to their ugliness.) :)

And then there's the win.
Someone made eggnog last week and promised to save some for me...and didn't. At all. Boo-hoo. So, I went shopping for eggs and cream yesterday and made some MYSELF. So there. And guess what? It is Exceedingly Delicious! This is the recipe (pretty simple, actually). I made half a recipe, omitted the rum and used 2 small tubes of rum flavoring instead. Try it. I'm not kidding. If you like eggnog, you will LOVE this stuff!

This is exactly how I feel about math. Unfortunately, I was never very good at pushing numbers. And- speaking of math. I saw how my nephew is learning math now. It looked like a nightmare come true. If we thought math was hard in our day, I'm not sure what these poor kids have. At least our math problems never took a whole page PER problem until well into calculus. Goodness. I really don't understand how the new way is anything but more confusing.

It is that time of year. Again. Already. I'm sort of stunned. 2014 seemed to just vanish. Here's wishing you all the best possible 2015...keeping in mind that this might not come about exactly how we think but that it will be the best if we are careful on our part to choose wisely. And I'm off to have a 'cup of kindness'--- see above re that eggnog! ;)

The Fridge Got Married

What do you think about that??

No, Not THAT Fridge.

This Fridge.

This is the fridge that lives in our kitchen.
And, Why Yes, there IS a story.
Thank you for asking!

Just over a week ago, we went down south. All the way to the end of the world south...well, the end of Ukraine, anyway. Down to the mouth of the Danube River. And when we got back to our cozy little apt up here in the sort of north, we made a wee discovery.
First of all, we got into town really early. I mean really. (Because our city is in the middle and all trains are on their way to some end city a few hours, at least, down the road. And they want to be there at 6 am. Ugh.) And the night train had been HOT. As in SoHotICan'tSleep Hot. There was one 2hour stretch that I never noticed the time. (This is paybacks for never having had kids and losing sleep getting up with fussy babies. Nights on trains. So that I know what it's like. I feel your pain, I do. And do you know what? You cannot sit up in a rocking chair and cuddle the hot train and enjoy the smell of the top of its head while you're not sleeping.)
Anyway- so when we got back to the apt, we crawled straight into bed for a few more hours. Like 3 or 4.
And then I rolled out to the kitchen in search of cereal and coffee. And noticed the fridge light didn't come on.
And further more, the milk is...whoa- Very Sour. And Completely Warm. Oh dear.
And so's everything else. Everything. Everything is basically room temperature. Sure enough- it's off and has been for a while.
Long story somewhat shorter.
The fridge was plugged into a power strip with an auto shutoff in the event of a major power surge. There had apparently been just such a surge while we were away. That feature on the power strip likely saved the fridge. (Because of the ongoing crisis with Russia there is a bit of a problem with power supply just now- some days, the power is shut off for a few hours during peak usage time so that the commercial centers and hospitals near us have what they need. When it's turned on again, there are some pretty big surges.) However, you have to manually flip a switch to get juice back into the cord. Heh. And that takes a person. Present. Which there wasn't.
So, we talked to the landlord and he found and brought over a little surge protector that you set to a max output. If it tops that, it shuts off until the output drops below that level and stays there for 90 seconds or some such thing.

Here it is. See it? It and the fridge are Very Happy together.

See that number? 229? 
heh
We have 220 volt outlets here, theoretically. Our landlord tried it at his house (in a village on the outskirts of town) and said Set it to trip at 235 and you'll be fine. 
Thanks, We said.
We did.
And our fridge never stayed on for more than about 5 min at a time. This'll never work, We said.
Call the landlord back who consults his fellow electrical engineers at work.
Oh yes, in town it's quite high, They said. Set it at 250, They said.
We did.
The fridge runs and is happy. And that little gadget often registers outputs of around 245.
I'm telling you- Don't Put a Fork in Our Outlets. You Will Be SORRY!

And furthermore, I now understand why people unplug their washers every time they're finished with the laundry. I do, too.... now. And I also no longer leave my laptop plugged in when I'm not using it. 

The Picture I Didn't Take

It's a dark and starry night. We were on a bus and had been for a long time. I put Galadriel safely in her linen case and tucked her into my bag (Galadriel is my Kindle- we're good friends. She goes everywhere with me and has for 4 years or so.)
So, on the bus and thinking This trip has been so long already, it'll surely be time to get off soon. It's dark, I'd better get ready for disembarkation, in you go  Galadriel.
And up I come for some air just as this Man gets on the bus. He must have been wearing cowboy boots.... although I couldn't see his feet. But surely. Or leather biker boots. He was in jeans and a (PossiblyProbablyFake) leather jacket with shiny silver studs and buttons and rivets and things all over the shoulders and upper back and this really pretty cool black (PossiblyProbablyFake) leather cowboy hat.... and a big square brick red child's backpack on his back. The backpack had Wily E Coyote on it. I wanted so bad to get a pic but it was just too dark. K says it was surely his young son's (assuming such a child exists).
I'm here to tell you- A red Wily E Coyote backpack will undo your cool so fast.

Also there was a beggar. At a bus station. There are always beggars. Mostly they look like they need money for their next bottle of liquor or shot of something bad and illegal... or they're gypsies. This one got on and asked if anyone had any bread. I've never actually heard anyone ask for a piece of bread. I had a small bag of apples from a friend plus an apple I'd wrapped in a napkin and bagged before we left our apartment. People gave him some food and money as he moved towards the back of the bus and I dug around for the separate apple. Found a piece of chocolate candy along the way. He can have that,  too, I think. Everyone likes chocolate candy. And then Ahhh- the apple all wrapped in its napkin alone in its bag. I give it to him, he thanks everyone politely and leaves. And then I remember that there was also a small clear plastic baggie of dirty wet wipes and kleenex. And I suddenly wonder which bag I handed over. I dig. And come up with no bag at all. Neither the apple nor the garbage. Ughh.
Two hours later, I find the bag of trash and am completely overwhelmed with relief.

Also there was an overheard conversation. K was in the seat ahead of me. A man gets on and sits beside K. Thinking about our stop in the dark at an unfamiliar spot in the road, she asks him Where are we?
He names some unknown place.
Where are you going, he asks?
She says.
He says Oh that's a LONG ways yet and names off about 10 stops before ours. Then he peers at her.
Where are you from, he asks?
America, she says.
Where, he asks??
America.
WHERE??!?
She looks at him. I live in Ternopil (that's where our apartment is).
Oh, he says. Ok. Ternopil he can cope with.

Today I rode the bus with a Hapsburg jaw. And wondered what the chances were that it actually was one.... our just that kind of a jaw.
Ask your Uncle Google. ;-)

And lunch?

It was delicious!

No pix but a link. I was given this recipe this morning.  I found the website it came from (look back there).
But no pix. Not even of my incarnation.
But take my word for it- It was very nice.

Chicken With Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

·         4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total)

·         1 tablespoon olive oil (I used more)

·         4 garlic cloves, minced (Should have used more)

·         1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil; 1/2 ounce), patted dry and coarsely chopped

·         3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

·         1/4 cup cooking wine (link calls for dry white wine; I used red and it was fine.)

·         3/4 cup chicken broth

·         1/4 cup heavy cream

·         1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning once, about 6 minutes total. (Chicken will not be cooked through.) Transfer with tongs to a plate. (I cut the chicken into large pieces at this point; strips would also be nice.)

(This is where I added about another TBS of olive oil so that the garlic wouldn't burn as the skillet was quite sticky.) Add garlic, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to skillet and sauté, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, covered.

Add chicken to skillet with any juices accumulated on plate and simmer, covered, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Stir cream and 2 tablespoons basil into sauce in skillet and bring just to a simmer.

Transfer sauce to a deep heatproof bowl or 1-quart glass measure and purée with an immersion blender until almost smooth. (Alternatively, blend sauce in a standing blender. Use caution when blending hot liquids.) If necessary, add water to thin to desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper.
Serve sauce over chicken and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil.
This one, as far as I'm concerned, is a keeper. It was fantastic. And, I'm pretty sure it'd be very nice with roasted peppers instead of (or in addition to) the dried tomatoes.

When Life is Ended

Last week I wrote about our old friend Fedir, who seemed to be nearing the end of his life. Fri morning we learned that he'd passed away the day before. Yesterday a group of around 20 of us celebrated Thanksgiving early. True to tradition in many homes, we each shared something for which we are thankful. What's been on my mind since hearing of F's passing: I'm so thankful he didn't have to face another winter. I'm so glad he could go before winter truly set in. I'm thankful he could go. 

Ukrainian fun'ls generally happen very quickly after the death; this one was Saturday morning. A handful of people from 3 corners of Ukraine simply dropped what they were doing, threw some things into backpacks and jumped onto buses...and by early Sat morning, Dima's house was full of tired but happy (maybe thankful is a better word?) travelers. K and I cancelled our plans and got D's house ready for guests. Cooking. Making beds. Putting out towels. (I LOVE to make beds and do towels. And I love to do that at D's- it's so organized there! There's plenty of room.) We all piled into D's van and were on our way (having picked up funeral wreaths first) to the village by about 9.10. It's an hour's ride to F's village. We had a short service in F's daughter's house. Neighbors and family came and went. At 12 noon, a truck came to collect the body and we all walked (about 45 min) to the cemetery. Another short service and it was done. One life quietly and orderly tucked away. 

Funerals are for the survivors. And one thing about this one- we all spent much time reflecting on F himself, on choices he made and stuck with, on what his life had become and the very sweet release death was for him. And on this: God likes to finish His work. 

procession through town (Yes, it was very muddy and sloppy. A long walk to the cemetery but it warmed us up...and we were very much in need of warming up. No heat in the house where the fun'l had been, cold outside. We were individual blocks of ice. The walk felt good.)

Entering the cemetery

The Ushytsya River near F's house. His village takes its name from this river.

I'm glad I knew F. I will miss him. I'll miss the long drive out to his house. I'll miss the delicious grapes that grow on the arbor by the house, the wonderful pears from the tree in the yard. But most of all, I'll miss him. I'll miss hearing his stories. He had so much to share and I'm only just realizing that we didn't ask half what we should have. All older folks have much to share. The oldest generation here in Ukraine, however, has seen so much. They've survived wars and famine and several major changes in government- not just in officials but complete changes in government. F was born when his part of Ukr belonged to (Poland- I think)- before the red army and the Russians overwhelmed Western Ukr.

And for the record: When I'm buried- I want an Amish casket. I don't want a $10,000 overpriced funeral home special. I want a pine box made by an Amishman. 

Remembering summer

I started this post ages ago while waiting in a cafe for a bus. And um. It never got off the ground. Now that it's cold out, I get the urge to do a shout out to summer!
:)

We saw some truly gorgeous sunsets in June. Looking out over the lake. 

And there seemed to be an unusual number of rodents and other pests around. Ugh. These dudes were divided up evenly among the cats and dogs, I found out later. :)

There's a portable a/c unit in the wood storage/furnace room....

....which is where we stored the veggies....

....and created a walk-in cooler, Ukie style! :)

I love calzones...and I had a very delicious one at the end of June!

Ukraine is full of poppies in the early summer. The roadsides and fields are gorgeous when they're blooming!

Keeping cool on the bus. Hold 2 straight-from-the-fridge bottles of water to your face. :)

July in Greece on Crete. On the brown side of Crete, the only side I've seen. This is at the historic site of the ancient palace at Knossos. It's one of my favorite places. For whatever reason, it completely captures my interest. I could spend hours roaming here, reading the placards, looking at the stuff, listening to the guides. These earthenware jars were used for storing water, olive oil, olives...and likely anything else that they needed to store. Some are estimated to have held over a ton of liquid.
Links to Knossos: wikipedia, web images, here, here

More of the ruins at Knossos.

again, Knossos

If Ukraine is hot in the summer, Greece is HOTTER. It's a different kind of heat. Ukraine is humid and close. Greece feels like the inside of an oven, sometimes a convection oven. Very hot and very dry. I spent hours on the roof of a house stretched out on a blanket in a narrow strip of shade under this little roof-let getting ready for things to come...and also simply having a bit of a siesta. Almost nothing happens between about 1 or 2 pm and 5 pm- Siesta is a serious business. Well, for one thing, it's too hot to move during that time. Everyone hops up again afterwards and roars on till midnight, though. :) 

Climbing Mars Hill in Athens.

The view from Mars Hill

Greek dogs sort of reminded me of Ukrainian dogs. :)

The Parthenon is in a semi-permanent state of restoration. 

More restoration. Interestingly enough, although construction on the Parthenon was begun in 447 BC, it was intact and in excellent shape for more than 1000 years. The Ottoman Turks had conquered it, turned it into a mosque and then also used it for an ammunition dump. The Venetians bombarded it and exploded it in 1867. Wikipedia, web images

Back in Ukraine. A team of horses; one has its foal along, a very common sight in the summer.

I love this honeysuckle vine. It add so much sweetness to each of the hot summer days!

More pix of the yard I saw every day for most of June. I love this place!