Valentine's card

"Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate!"
Sandra J. Dykes

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Easter! to the whole world

Easter Joy

Jesus came to earth,
To show us how to live,
How to put others first,
How to love and how to give.

Then He set about His work,
That God sent Him to do;
He took our punishment on Himself;
He made us clean and new.

He could have saved Himself,
Calling angels from above,
But He chose to pay our price for sin;
He paid it out of love.

Our Lord died on Good Friday,
But the cross did not destroy
His resurrection on Easter morn
That fills our hearts with joy.

Now we know our earthly death,
Like His, is just a rest.
We'll be forever with Him
In heaven, where life is best.

So we live our lives for Jesus,
Think of Him in all we do.
Thank you Savior; Thank you Lord.
Help us love like you!

By Joanna Fuchs

weekend post

Valentine’s was very nice. I woke up late to greet a snowy sunny day.

It started with a phone call from the man of my dreams (What a surprise!) who congratulated me swiftly and then talked for 25 minutes about his recent activities. I tried to response for the first few minutes, but he was so eager to speak that ignored any comments. He didn’t even suggest sex on the phone! That’s why I just put him on the loud speaker and took up polishing nails mumbling on the cell: “hm.. wow… I see” .

In 25 minutes he said that it was nice to have a chat and hung off. Well, at least my nails had been perfectly pink by that time. Besides my beloved siblings presented two huge dark chocolates accompanied with a CD of 24 beautiful love songs performed by a famous Philharmonic Orchestra. So I totally forgot about the guy.

Later the family got together and we had a delicious dinner followed by wild dancing. I have to admit, that a lot of Tom Jones’ music and red wine works much better that sex on the phone.

The conclusion of the day was that I have to find another man of my dreams in the neighbourhood, because long distance doesn’t intensify love at all. It destroys it and turns into indifference.

P.S. Here's some sweet love story about long distance. It may have a happier end than my and the man of my dream's one.

family issues

The repair of my apartment is in full swing. I called on to see how much of the apartment had already been torn down. To my surprise little was done. The old tiles were removed, the floor and the walls were leveled off, the doorways were widened and new door studs were installed; they even started to glue new tiles. However the pipes have not been replaced, the batteries have not been unpacked and the bathtub is still in the hall, which means I’m to live at mum’s for a couple of weeks more. That’s not cool!

You see, since I started to live at mum’s, she’s been treating me as her little girl. She worries if I’m not at home by midnight, she asks if I eat well at work and why I don’t dine at home. A couple of days ago I slipped on an icy road and limped home half-covered with snow, so mum wanted to make sure that nothing had been broken. She even fills me a lunchbox as she used to when I went to a primary school. It’s crazy!

I have been living on my own for almost eight years now. I have learned to take care of myself and developed certain habits, most of them are outdoor activities. So it’s okay for me not to be at home early, not to eat regularly or fall off the bridge on a regular basis. Mum has been comfortable with it for the last eight years, and I’m wondering why she just can’t behave the same way, while I’m at her place.

I’m not unhappy about bunking down there. I’m glad to have a chance to spend more time with mum, to help her around the house, to chat about my apartment repairing, the parents’ country house decorating and so on. It’s just weird to receive phone calls in the middle of the night requiring where the hell I am. Trust me, mum, there are places you wouldn’t like to know about!

Anyway, I’m spending the coming V-Day with my family at our country house, because the only true love I’ve ever experienced is for my parents, siblings and grandparents.

Happy coming Valentine’s Day to all of you!
Love and be loved!

today's Sister Day

This e-card's just hilarious!


Happy Sister's Day!!

down the mountain

The past two weeks were filled with extreme adventures and passion. It never occured to me that I may develop a crash on mountain skiing so fast.

The moment I slided down the mount for the first time I was hooked. It took two days to gain some paramount skills, and on the third day the cable-way lifted me to the height of 4700 metres and the adventures began.

I was so agitated and scared that had to pluck up courage for several minutes to ski down the narrow route in the teeth of the wind. There was a cliff to the left of me and a steep to the right, which left me with a metre-wide skitrack. Scary. Reckless. Wild.

I was sking down the Elbrus for almost four hours, while the descending normally takes maximum 30 minutes. The stress was immence and the next day was spent on lying around and walking.

The walk brought me to a lovely cafe at the foot of the Mount Cheget, where I met a man of my dreams. Together we stayed till the day I left. We went skiing all day and danced all night. We shared our life stories and believed we'd live forever.

It was a lovely winter romance with a man of my dreams and mountain skiing. I'm still not sure which I love most. Time will show.

midnight shopping

While half of the world is celebrating, I'm working fast to tie up loose ends and be able to flee from the cloudy city to snowy montains on Saturday.

Last night I went shopping really late and experienced all benefits of midnight shopping at a sports market. There were very few people, lower prices, mignight discounts and no rush at all. I have to admit that I loved it. So now I'm fully equiped to climb up the mountains and stay there for two weeks.

The cat is to be taken to Granny's in the evening today. The presents are already hidden under the fir-tree so that the family could find them on New Year's Eve. The suitcase is almost packed. Life's good!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, dear bloggers!

variety

Don't you love the spirit of Christmas? I do, even though I'm not supposed to celebrate it.

Jesus' birth is celebrated in January here and it is a completely religious holiday. While all the fun, presents, binges and family dinners are held on New Year's Eve and are celebrated at night from Decembre 31 to January 1.

It was always a very complicated matter for me, as most of my friends and two ex-boyfriends are form the USA and France, so I know perfectly well what an old-fashioned Christmas is about, as I spent several years celebrating it. Returning here I celebrated New Year and followed Orthodox traditions.

They say "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" , and that is the best advice I've ever got. I'm very grateful that life has taken me to countries with different traditions, that I have met people of many religions and that there are still so much to see.

Adventures are ahead...

give me an old fashioned Christmas

It's snowy again on this side of the world! Holiday lights are shining in grey streets and on dark buildings and turning a gloomy city into an enchanted castle in the middle of the woods.

The citizens shivering with cold, are rushing down illuminated streets paying more attention to decorated shopwindows than to beautiful snow lying around and sparkling trees.

I'm one of those lucky people, who have already purchased presents and chosen an outfit for a party. Besides my dear artificial fir-tree is already decorated and is twinkling with hundred of colourful lights. This little fir-tree was created more than 60 years ago and has always decorated apartments we lived in.

Everytime I install it and unwrap wonderful decorations I remember my great grandmother's words on one of the New Year's Eve in my distant childhood. She was hanging a small blue glassball with golden snowflackes painted on it and suddenly said: "You know, dear, I may not be with you the next New Year, but the fir-tree and these glassballs will keep warm-hearted memories of today forever".

How right she was! I was unwrapping the toys yesterday, when my eyes misted over with tears and I saw a reflextion of great grandmother's smile in that very blue glassball. She was with me at that moment. She will always be.

"Thanks for the memories, grandma" I said, hanging the blue glassball on the firtree.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Hey-how for Hallowe'en

A' the witches tae be seen,

Some are black, an' some green,

Hey-how for Hallwe'en.

Eat, drink and be scary!

September 1

September 1 is The Knowledge Day here. It is the first school day after summer holidays and it is always celebrated at great scale. Half of the city roads get blocked, because happy pupils and students parade thought the city to their schools, colleges and universities carrying backpacks, handbags and huge bunches of flowers for teachers. At every educational institution its director or head teacher makes a speech about the chindren and teenagers who are the future of our country. They promise that the coming school year is going to me the most memorable, adventurous and exciting, and children listen to them dreaming of a nice celebration which will happen after the official part.

I just love September 1, as the city is flooded with careless chatter of young people discussing holidays, dates and parties. And every time I hear them I wish I were back to school again, back to those through-rose-colored-glasses years when I cared about nothing but fun.