Hi everyone. The last three weekends hasve been busy as have the weeks. BUT today starts the last week of classes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone is counting down the days. We are also waiting for the students to start disappearing from class as they leave on vacations early.
I have spent the last three Saturdays on Andryivsky street Christmas shopping. I am finally done! I also picked an orphan to buy gifts for. Yesterday I taught 7 people to knit; it was fun! It felt like a Christmas party. We had lots of good food and wine.
I bought a 3 foot X-mas tree and am glad I did. It really is nice to have one in the apartment. I miss all the decorations and houses lit up.
It is cold here but not as cold as MN. We are still in the 20s and 30s. No minus temps yet...
Half of the city doesn't have heat or electricity cuz the government hasn't paid the bill. I am really thankful we are on the heated half of the city!!!
I need to get back to work. I will be in MN on the 22nd. I'm very, very excited to be coming home.!!!

Natalie had people over on Sunday for a house warming and we were treated to more stories, traditional Badura music and songs. Taras sang traditional songs about the Holodomor; very haunting even without understanding the words. Petar and Nila performed again, also.
Saturday was a day to commemorate the Holodomor, the forced starvation by Stalin.
I was sick all weekend. During the night and on Saturday morning it snowed big, wet flakes. Later on the wind picked up and it was like being home in Minnesota! A good reason not to leave the house; especially when you are sick. Saturday morining I went on the trip to the commissary cuz I was out of groceries
I am going to the AMC after work today to see the doctor.

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I doubt it will amount to anything. In a few minutes a group of us are going to the French restaurant for Isobel's B-day. I'm really glad this day is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow my secondary students will be done with an installation sculpture project. I will post the pictures

I have pictures from this weekend but can't figure out why the computer put them where I can't get to them from here to post them. Did that all make sense?
Friday night was International Night at the school; it was interesting and very crowded. Saturday I went on the shopping trip in the morning. In the afternoon I met Barb and Isobel downtown and we wandered around. We ate at an Indian restaurant. We went to the English book store and bought books. I bought a basket and Barb bought a movie. We ended up doing some 'retail therapy' (impulse buying). We found beautiful beaded, cut velvet shawls and we each bought a new umbrella. I bought a Gustav Klimt umbrella; very appropriate for an artist/art teacher. We then went home and had supper at Barb's and watched a movie. Sunday I stayed home all day and watched two movies, started a knitting project and did laundry.

Last night Isobel and I went over to Natalie's house for supper and to meet two friends of hers. Natalie is from Australia but is of Ukrainian descent. Natalie's Grandparents fled to Australia when Stalin was persecuting people and forcing starvation upon the Ukrainian people. She has lived in Ukraine for apx. 5 years now. The people we met are fromAustralia but are also of Ukrainian descent. Their parents fled Ukraine the same time that Natalie's grandparents did. Petar (Peter) and Nila (pronounced like nila wafers) plan bandura's which are a traditional Ukrainian instrument. It is the equivalent of 3 guiters in one. They don't have frets, tho. Peter's father learned to make them as a young man. At the time only certain people were allowed to make banduras; it was a trade secret how to make and play them. He fled Ukraine with two he had made but one was taken away from him. He then made them in Australia. He met another man who had fled Ukraine who taught him to play a certain style of music on them. In Ukraine they are generally made from willow; in Australia he met someone who connected him with a source of hard woods from which to make his baduras. Peter and his family have donated their father's bandura to a museum in Australia. Peter and Nila have learned to play some traditional songs that no one in Ukraine any longer play and sing. They say that they also speak a dialect of Ukrainian that is lost in the big cities and is generally only spoken in certain parts of the country side in Ukraine. They both played fantastically and Nila has an extremely beautiful voice; she can sing in many different octaves. It was an extremely interesting evening talking with the three of them. Peter and Nila knew so much about Ukrainian history which was very fascinating.

Friday morning was the first time there was frost here. Saturday was cold day. Yesterday was a bit warmer. Saturday Isobel and I went downtown to shop. We met a couple from the states that have lived here for 7 years.
Saturday night 12 of us met at a couple's house to watch a movie. We had lots of good snacks and a fun time.
Sunday I went out for groceries. Most of the day I spent at home.
Six more weeks till winter break! I'm coming home for Christmas and I am looking forward to seeing everyone...and using a dryer, eating American food and stocking up on things to bring back here.

It was great having a week off from work! I slept in, took naps, watched movies, and explored Kyiv. On Saturday October 25, Isobel and I went to the French restaurant and shopped the vendors along the street. I bought a beautiful goat hair scarf. We also went to an antique museum. Wednesday I went to the commissary and stocked up on American food. Thursday Barb and I went shopping for winter boots and wandered around town most of the day. Friday night I babysat for a couple. Saturday Barb and I went to the Podil neighborhood. We walked across a suspension bridge that will be torn down for a bigger bridge. We went to a large market part of which is outside. We bought pears that were huge and very tasty. We each bought a hand made basket. Sunday I went downtown and wandered around for a few hours.
The weather was very nice all week. It was around 45 - 50 degrees.

It has been very nice having this week off. Yesterday Barb and I went to the American Medical Center; I got my flu shot and she saw the doctor. We then went downtown to shop for boots. We both found pairs. It is was very hard to find them big enough to fit me. We had lunch and looked for an English book store we read about. It was very hard to find. We each bought two novels. We went to TGI Fridays for a coffee and then to the market for vegies. We also did lots of window shopping. We each found a two wheeled cart which was great! I'm getting tennis elbow in my left elbow from carrying too many packages. I may look like an old lady using it but I don't care. We then to Barb's for supper and a movie. We watched "The Painted Veil." It was very good. When I got home I started making chicken soup.

Barb bought me a pretty little coin pouch in Turkey. Her and her daughter went there for 4 days.

This morning the Lewis's are having people over for brunch at 10:30.

Wednesday I went to the commissary with another teacher and stocked up on food. I'm really glad I found out he was going there. I have some familiar food again.

Hi everyone!!! I had a great weekend! We had conferences on Thursday and Friday. On Friday we got out at one and 6 of us went exploring. We went to eat first at the food court at the underground mall. We then to St. Sophia's Church complex. The inside of the church is very interesting. The mosiacs are being restored; most of the church is open to the public. Other parts are in the process of being restored. That areas you can walk around in have the mosiacs partial restored in many areas so you can see how dirty and damaged the mosiacs are. There are a few areas in the floor where they have the original floor exposed (and covered with glass cases) so you can view some of the remnants of the mosiacs that were on the floor. There are many other areas that are exposed to show the foundation, brick laying, and arched door ways that were filled in in thepast centuries. Now the floors are covered in large metal tiles which are interesting in themselves. The ceilings in the stairway to the upstairs and some of the doors are very low. Even I had to watch my head in some of them. I'm not sure if that is due to other flooring being put on top of old floorings.
After we were done there we went to Andreski (not sure that is spelled right) street where artists and other venders set up. I bought great presents for my two boys! We found an art supply store I have to return to. There were many galleries but it was getting dark and we headed off to eat. It started raining on us; we walked all over trying to find a restaraunt and finally decided on a buffet. Then we headed home. It was a great afternoon and evening!
More later about Sautrday and Sunday.

I received mail today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I received a letter from my Mom and the two books I ordered. One is a how to art book and the other is the novel Brisinger; the third in a series.I'm excited to get new reading material!
We have conferences until 7 tonight and from 8:30 til 1 tomorrow. A group of us are going to St. Sophia's Cyurch after work.

Hi! I had a good weekend! I actually had a good time at the lock in onFriday. We took the kids to Mac and Don's to eat. The students actually behaved themselves (other than being silly). They had Star Wars toys in the kids meals so I got a kids meal with along with two boys I have in art. We got light sabers and had a few light saber fights. Also, things are really bad here for me; I ate the hamburger and fries and they tasted good!!! When we got back to the school I was supervising the movie room; I thought I'd be breaking up lots of inappropriate behavior but none happened. I got caught up in watching the movie and didn't get home till 12:20 (my shift was over at 11) and then I couldn't sleep! I hate that!
On Saturday I got up at 7 to go on the shopping trip; I still haven't gotten a DVD player. I got clay pots for my new house plants and some groceries. On the way home there was an accident on the free way and we were stuck in traffic on an on ramp. There was a Holstein cow staked out in grassy area of the on ramp! It was hilarious! Here is all these cars creeping along and this cow happily munching away in the middle of it all. Of course I had left my camera at home. It was very funny.
When I got home I cleaned up for my party then took a nap. I baked the bread and it turned out very well. It came out of the oven in time for my guests and it was a big hit. We had a great time, the food was good and Barbara brought dessert. Around 8 we went to another teachers house for his birthday party. That was fun also. Some local people were there and we talk about Ukrainian politics and local life. I went to bed at midnight that night.
On Sunday Isabel and I spent 7 hours exploring downtown and another area. The weather was beautiful. We were looking for art museums but couldn't figure out the addresses. I knew of a gallery downtown so we headed over there. I'm glad I thought of it. They had some very interesting exhibits. We were probably there for two hours. Afterwards we went to TGI Friday's for a snack and browsed some shops. We then took the subway down a few stops and went to look for this English book store. We couldn't find it so we walked thru the botanical garden. It was a nice area but was more of a park. Coming out of the park we were a little lost so we wandered some, found a beautiful park we walked thru, bought some chocolate, and found a subway to get us back to where wwe needed to be. When we got off at our stop and were walking out a large group of punk dressed kids walked by and about a dozen of them had mohawks! I wish Steven could have seen their hair! It was great!

It's foggy today as was yesterday. Tonight I am working 8 to 11 as a supervisor for the secondary lock in tonight. I picked the movie room; hopefully that won't be as bad as the gym or other things. Tomorrow we have a shopping trip. Last Saturday it was cancelled so hopefully I will be able to get a DVD player. Saturday night I am having people over for supper. Sunday 3 of us hope to go downtown and to St.Sophia's Church Museum and an artist's fair.
My sister, Kala, sent me a recipe for no knead bread and I figured out yeast at the market. I mixed up the bread last night and will bake it tonight.
All the teachers are looking forward to fall break. I am not going to Egypt; it cost to much and the resorts were going to be very busy that week. I want to get away not back into more chaos.

One more week and the heat gets turned on!!!!!!! Some mornings I shut the kitchen door and use the oven to heat up the kitchen so I can have a warm room to get dressed in. It is drizzling here this morning. We already have to get our classroom orders in for next school year. The items are ordered from the states and have to go thru the American Embassy. Every thing takes for ever here.

I had a good weekend. The weather was beautiful here on Friday and Saturday. There were soccer tournaments at the school on Friday and Saturday so Friday I took my 7th hour class out to watch. Friday night Isobel, Sam and I went to the Mega Market. It is in a huge shopping mall that is filled with overpriced designer shops and overpriced eating places. We stopped in one nick nack store as a joke and we all ended up buying something. I bought a shallow chicken bowl; it is very funny. Also a candle holder that is about 24 inches tall of an African women. We had a snack at the deli in the grocery store then shopped (till we dropped) for groceries. We took a taxi home instead of lugging all our packages on the subway. On Saturday Isobel and I went for a leisurely walk.
On Sunday I went downtown to look around and do some shopping. It was overcast and drizzeled part of the day. I like going downtown cuz it is clean there. They also block off the (4 lane) street from traffic and people are strolling around and there is usually someone playing music and other things going on. I also like to get a lemon ice cream when the stand is open. It is fabulous.
I bought three more plants last week.

Saturday there was another trip to the American commissary for shopping. I stocked up. Saturday night I had popcorn and An A & W rootbeer and I was in heaven! I had pancakes on Sunday morning; that was a treat also. My apartment was very cold this morning. I shut the kitchen door and turned on the oven to warm up.

Yesterday the shine was able to break thru the clouds in the afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today we woke up to blue skies with some puff clouds. The sun is shining full force right now and it is such a huge relief to see the sun again!!!
Tonight i have been invited to dinner at a couples home. Several of us are going home with them after work. They are a very nice family and it should be a fun evening.
The exchange rate is up to 5.02 hrevna for $1.00.We are happy to see it go up. It was at 4. 64 when we got here.
I'm glad the week is ending. I am finely starting to feel better and look forward to being able to rest this weekend. On Saturday there is a trip to the American Commisary to shop and I am looking forward to American food!!

On Sunday in Lviv, we ate breakfast at the hotel and headed out for more exploring. I was really sick and Sam was feeling slightly better. Neither Barbara or Isobel were getting sick yet. We were able to leave our luggage at the hotel until three when we would take a cab to the airport. We went back to the market square to do some shopping. I bought a small glass chicken (I now have a Ukrainian chicken!!!!!!!!), a bandelero (similar to a guitar but smaller and slightly different shape), and a cup and saucer made from black clay (Very elegant in it’s simplicity). We met an Ukrainian couple who had lived in the states for several years. They were very nice. They helped us do our shopping; there is the regular price for items and then the price for Americans. They wanted to spend time with us but we were leaving soon by the time we met them. We visited another church, walked thru a beautiful park, traveled some new streets, found a restaurant with simple but very delicious food and then headed back to the hotel. We caught our cab to the airport and hung out for an hour till our plane left. There were no assigned seats for the flight so it was a free for all getting on the plane. A new slogan I have is “worse than cattle in a chute.” There we 5 guys on the plane who needed to slapped up; they were terribly unruly and drunk. Happily two of them were really in pain when the plane started landing cuz their ears wouldn’t pop. JJJJJJJ Revenge is so sweet sometimes. The taxi ride back to our apartments was terrifying but we got home safe.

On Friday evening, (very rainy) Barbara, Sam, Isobel and I left for Lviv for the weekend. We took an overnight train; this was my first train trip. It was suggested that we take first class cars. They were simple and nice. Nobody slept very well due to the way the train rocks but it was a pleasant enough trip. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. in Lviv. We took a taxi to our hotel and they locked our luggage up in their office so we didn’t have to haul that around with us. McDonalds was the only thing open so we ate there. We walked over to the Opera house to look at it and wandered around a bit waiting for a real place to eat to open. At about nine we ate at the hotel restaurant. I had potato pancakes stuffed with cheese with a side of sour cream. There were delicious!!! We walked around a bit more until a friend of Barbara’s daughter and her husband (Lillia and Anzar) met us to give us a tour. They were a wonderful couple; very intelligent and very informative about Lviv’s history. We visited several churches; briefly stopped at the market in the square. We ate at a great restaurant called the Golden Boar. The place has a very interesting history, which I can’t remember exactly but when the basement was being cleaned of ruble three golden boar statutes were found hidden in the walls. So there were several boars’ heads hanging on the walls and a complete stuffed boar hanging from the ceiling. The food was fantastic!!! We saw nearly two dozen brides as we wondered the city. They have more than one Lent and can’t get married during Lent. One had just ended so many people were getting married. What a cold rainy day to get married!!! We got in on two of the weddings as we were visiting churches. (I’ll have to write more about the churches.) Lillia helped us by tickets for the Opera. We then departed company with Lillia and her husband. We went for dessert then back to the hotel to rest before the Opera. It had rained constantly all day and we were soaked; shoes, socks (I went thru three pair) and pants. The Opera was good. We couldn’t understand it too well. They had the basics of the story printed in English in the program but was hard to follow most of the time. It was great to listen to the singing and to watch the actors.