Seasons

I do love living in an area that has four seasons. My most favorite seasons are fall and spring because they are less extreme than summer and winter. Especially here in Ukraine. Thankfully I prefer the cold of winter — snow rather than cold bone-penetrating rain…brrrrrr — over the heat of summer. This summer wasn’t so sizzling, but some years I have just wanted to climb into the fridge. Fall appeared with its cooling temperatures and I so love the bright yellows and golds as the leaves prepare to drop.

Today while walking around Podil with Jim, the cold winter breeze made itself known. Blustery. Actually quite chilly, though I won’t say cold yet. Cold is really really cold here. Really. Until we have inches of ice on the sidewalk, and trucks hauling snow away from the streets, then it’s not yet winter. Nor really cold. But it’s coming.

And as much as I love the white blanket of snow covering the dirt of the city, I do also love living in the city of flowers. Spring is amazing. The whole city smells new! Everyone comes alive after hibernating through the last month of winter — typically gray, wet, dirty…with everyone wearing black or grey. Bright colors on the trees, in the gardens, and on the clothes. Truly a sight for sore eyes.

Just wish it didn’t turn back into summer for sooo long.

Anything!

I am once again facilitating a “Good Morning Girls” online Bible study this summer. We will be engaged in a book study — “Anything” by Jennie Allen — as well as digging into the Word each day. My group meets via facebook using a specific reading plan, and we are scheduled to begin again on June 3 for eight weeks. (For those of us not near English language bookstores, the book is available for your e-readers!)

If you are interested in joining a diverse group of women who get excited about God’s Word — and how He speaks to our hearts — let me know and I will add you to our group!

Yes, it’s hot but…

I can’t help but notice the clothing that so many females here in Ukraine wear (or NOT wear) as the weather turns hot.

A new friend of mine who was escorting a group of American students (all male, I believe) to Kyiv for an intensive Russian language experience commented when asked what his students are saying about Ukraine: “The girls here sure don’t wear much…”

During our prayer time together in the mornings, Jim often prays that God will protect his eyes and guard his thoughts. He prays this not just for himself but for all men (particularly Christian) who are bombarded not just by billboards — which we must see year round — but by the “real thing” as women of ALL ages remove any semblance of modesty in the summertime.

It reminds me of some passages and questions that my friend Lisa is going through with women in her area:

“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety…” (1 Timothy 2:9).

Nancy Leigh DeMoss asks the following questions in her booklet entitled “Biblical Portrait of Womanhood” and I ask each of you to also ask yourselves these questions:

Do I dress modestly?

Do my clothing styles encourage men to think pure thoughts, rather than stimulating them to have sensual thoughts or desires?

Do I dress in such a way as to draw attention to the heart and spirit of Jesus within me, rather than to my physical body?

Yes, it’s hot. But, ladies, are some of us being stumbling blocks to the men around us? Are we drawing attention to ourselves? And why are we surprised when men respond inappropriately? Or even feigning disgust at their attention?

America’s Olympic flag-bearer

August 6, 2008 from USATF press release (BEIJING, China) The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today that track & field athlete Lopez Lomong (Tully, N.Y.) has been selected as flag bearer for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team by fellow members of Team USA. Lomong, 23, was notified of his selection Wednesday night via phone in Dalian, China, where he is training with the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.

“This is the most exciting day ever in my life,” Lomong said. “It’s a great honor for me that my teammates chose to vote for me. The Opening Ceremony is the best day and the best moment of Olympic life. I’m here as an ambassador of my country and I will do everything I can to represent my country well.”

To select the flag bearer, U.S. captains from each sport met in the Athlete Village Wednesday night, in person and via conference call for those not yet in Beijing. Any captain was able to bring forward a nominee from any sport. After the nominations and a discussion period, the athletes voted, selecting Lomong.

Lomong will compete in the 1,500 meters in Beijing in what is his first international appearance. He finished third at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field in Eugene, Ore., with a time of 3:41.00. Lomong attended Northern Arizona University, where he won the 2007 NCAA outdoor 1,500 meter title and the 2007 NCAA indoor 3,000 meter title.

Lomong has overcome an overwhelming array of obstacles in becoming a top American middle distance runner. He was born in Sudan, fleeing the country when he was 6 years old and becoming separated from his family. He was sent to live in a refugee camp in Kenya for 10 years, and in 2000 he walked five miles to watch the Sydney Olympic Games on a black-and-white TV. It was then that his Olympic dream began. Watching U.S. track & field athlete Michael Johnson run, Lomong remarked that “I’d like to run like that guy.” He wrote a moving essay in 2001 about what he would strive to accomplish if he lived in America, and his heartfelt words prompted officials to give him that chance. He was moved to the United States to live with a foster family in Tully, N.Y., and became a U.S. citizen in July 2007, a moment he says has changed his life forever.

“The American flag means everything in my life – everything that describes me, coming from another country and going through all of the stages that I have to become a U.S. citizen,” Lomong said. “This is another amazing step for me in celebrating being an American. Seeing my fellow Americans coming behind me (in the Opening Ceremony) and supporting me will be a great honor – the highest honor. It’s just a happy day. I don’t even have the words to describe how happy I am.”

“USA Track & Field congratulates Lopez in being selected for this incredible honor,” said USATF CEO Doug Logan. “Few people better understand or reflect the American Dream and Olympic ideals than Lopez. What a great, great day for him and the entire Olympic Team.”

With the selection of Lomong as flagbearer, track and field athletes have carried the flag at the Olympic Games for Team USA in 13 of 22 Opening Ceremonies.

Wow! What a story! Yes, the good ol’ USA is STILL the country of choice! Dreams really can come true…

Pina Colada

You may recall the post from last week that featured empty chairs overlooking Crow’s Pond. I was imagining Jamie and Dasha sharing a cup of coffee in the morning while enjoying the view.

Well, I hadn’t thought these chairs through until the END of the day. Jamie and Dasha sent pictures today and one of them featured these chairs AGAIN.

This time, though, Dasha and my sister Janet are toasting ice cold pina coladas.

Whew! I could use an ice-cold sumpin’ right about now…

Cheers!

Warming up

It’s 8:00 p.m. and it’s 82 degrees.

Definitely warming up, but it’s hard to complain too much when I realize what a perfectly delightful spring and summer we have had. We have remarked on many a day that we can’t believe the moderate temperatures so late into the summer.

Those days seem to be over. Praying for breezes to blow through our flat…

Concert in the park

Yesterday morning we received a phone call from a young missionary family who invited us to join them at an outdoor concert in the park last night. We have been trying to find some time to get together for several months but to no avail. So this sounded like a great idea. We checked to see if their children were accompanying them, so that we could ask OUR children (Jeanne and Kolya) who were expected to arrive in Kyiv around 4:00.

The plan: Arrive early to find a bench (with a back) to sit on. Bring food and drink to share. Enjoy the fellowship.

Right after we received the call, the skies opened up and we had torrential rains. Then it cleared up. And then rained again. (I was having flashbacks to the Paul McCartney concert day…) We planned to meet at our metro station at 5:00, and by then all looked pretty clear. AND, as a side benefit, it was also much cooler. So we stuck with the plan.

We met at the metro and clamored aboard with our bags, backpacks, and blankets. Definitely bag people. We rode for two stops and exited at Maidan Nezelezhnosti (Independence Square) and walked the main street for a couple of blocks before beginning the ascent to Marinsky Park. Lots and lots and lots of steps. Across a narrow wooden bridge suspended over a busy street. To the corner of the park with the bandstand.

While Julie and I unloaded our bags of food onto plastic serving dishes — chicken, bread, grapes, salami, several cheeses, crackers, apple slices, and…of course…chocolate — her children quickly made the switch from walkers to roller-bladers. The paved area behind the bandstand is ideal for anything with wheels — tots on tricycles, child-sized jeeps, and roller blades!

James and Jim dusted off a spot on the wall behind our bench, put down a blanket, and immediately began discussions about…well, you name it. Theology, music, life in Ukraine. They DID take a break from conversation long enough to eat.

The orchestra with piano soloists played for several hours (including the rehearsal that we ate through!). A most enjoyable and peaceful evening. Good music, good food, good fellowship, good weather. I’m always amazed at the variety of attendees at concerts, operas and ballets here. From the elderly to the toddler on his father’s knees. From young adults in dresses to teens on roller blades. They all appreciate classical music.

And did I mention that Dynamo Kyiv was playing a football game at the stadium beside the park? From time to time the cheers of the crowd would drown out the music and we would all try to guess what had happened. After one outburst, William and Katya (our young roller-bladers) skated back to us with the announcement that Dynamo had scored! They just happened to be skating in that direction. Jeanne and Kolya decided to leave the concert and head back to the flat to watch the game on television.

After a few minutes I received a phone call from Jeanne. They just happened to end up at the game. The lure of football is too much for Kolya AND Jeanne. And why watch it on television when you had to walk past the actual game to get home?

As we were leaving the park, another outburst of cheering and applause exploded. We all looked at each other trying to guess what had happened. And then I knew that I could just make a quick call and get the answer. Dynamo had scored again. Hooray! 2-0!!

I’m thankful that we went to the concert last night. We had been wanting to go all summer but were either out of Kyiv, or simply forgot. And, it turns out that this was the last weekend for concerts in the park this summer.

Thanks for calling us, James and Julie.

Crow’s Pond

Can you think of a more relaxing, more peaceful place to wake up and enjoy each other’s company while savoring a fresh mug of hot coffee? This is the view that Jamie and Dasha will have for the next couple of weeks while visiting relatives on Cape Cod.

Jamie has an audition at Berklee School of Music in Boston on August 2, so he and Dasha decided to take advantage of it being summer…and having a free place to stay on the Cape!…and visit his grandmother and aunt and uncle. I’m so thankful that they all get some time together in a non-rushed, non-wedding, non-funeral setting!

I shall not covet, I shall not covet, I shall not covet…

It’s the Fourth!

The Fourth of July is just another day here in Ukraine. That’s one of the reasons that I felt so compelled to be in the States, on Cape Cod, to be exact, last summer. I really miss the American spirit, the patriotism, and the celebration of our freedom. (We do enjoy celebrating Ukraine’s freedom in August of each year as well!)

I love a good old-fashioned parade. And last summer we went to my most favorite one. This is the parade in which I marched many a summer as a representative of a girls’ sailing camp — 20 campers and a random 3 or 4 counselors. Why I was part of this parade so many times I don’t know, but they do provide some really fun memories.

I love not only the marchers, but I love to watch the crowd. Dressed in red, white, and blue. All ages. A true family event.


Also, in this typical small New England town, ALL of the shops along the main route were decked out for the holiday. Window shopping was just part of the day.

Flags and hydrangeas. Can you get any more “Cape Cod?” These were proudly displayed on the front porch of the home where we have so often sat to enjoy this parade.

Mom and our hostess. This woman used to own the children’s clothing store in Chatham. The one where we bought our school clothes. (Remember school clothes?? Back in the day!) It was always a big deal to go to her shop, pick out our clothes, and then model them for my grandparents that evening. Always to the sound of “Here She Comes, Miss America!” being sung by my grandparents!
And don’t you love Mom’s Fourth of July sweater??

One of the very best parts of being on the Cape for this holiday is that family and friends gather together. Not a wedding. Not a funeral. But a celebration of freedom! Mom, my sister Janet, daughter Jeanne and me.

Enjoying the sites with the love of my life is always a great thing! Mom, Jim and me.

Dear friends Gary and Karen joined us on the Cape last year. We miss you!

And my sister and her husband David. They have the privilege of living in Chatham year round!

We’re off to a mini-gathering to celebrate the 4th among some American friends…Have a great day!

Home Sweet Home

Today was a scorcher here in Kyiv. I might have chosen to just stay inside with fans blowing furiously, but Jim and I had promised to help our son Jamie and his bride Dasha move belongings from their flat to the upstairs of a home where they will be living.

Lots of ex-pats were helping, and, much to my surprise, several Ukrainians as well. I wasn’t so surprised that they’d be WILLING to help, but today is Independence Day here — 16 years! And holidays are well celebrated in this country.

Anyway, a little background: Jamie married Dasha two years ago this month, and they moved into the flat that Dasha shared with her grandfather. Her parents had moved out to the village to live as foster care parents…a large home was provided by the British group sponsoring the project.

Last summer, Dasha’s maternal grandparents sold their home in one village to move onto the piece of property that her parents had purchased to have some place to move when they retired, but not too far from the children! Work began on the 2-story home, and then Dasha’s maternal grandpa died. Now, it appeared that the house was being built for just one person and would be too much space. Also, as the price of building continued to skyrocket, finances were getting tighter for all involved.

A plan came into effect: Continue to work on the house with the idea that Dasha’s fraternal grandpa and maternal grandma would live on the first floor, and Jamie and Dasha would have their private space on the second floor. Once everyone was out of the large flat in the city, it could be rented to provide cash flow.

The workers agreed that the home would be ready to move into by August 1, so the flat was advertised for rent available at that time. Partially because the flat was not the MOST convenient location for the center of Kyiv, they were not sure how long it would take to rent it. Much to everyone’s surprise, an American family already living in Kyiv was looking for a space near a particular seminary. The seminary is across the street from this flat!  So, now the race to finish the house was on. At least to a livable state. The new family planned to move in as close to August 1 as possible.

To make a long story short, the workers took a break — and after 3 weeks with no clue as to when they would return, new workers were hired. Jamie and Dasha lived with us for 2 weeks, and then with good friends closer to the village for 2 weeks. And tonight Jamie and Dasha are staying with her parents NEAR their new home. Not IN their new home.

Why? Well, the house was STILL not ready to be moved into, and the tenants of the flat had been gracious enough to allow them to store boxes and furniture in the large living room. They really needed to get settled before the school year begins September 1.  Bottom line:  it was time to get belongings out of the rented apartment.

So today we moved the furniture. Some to the first floor for the grandparents. And some upstairs for Jamie and Dasha.

[frustration at not being able to insert a priceless picture…]

To get upstairs, FIRST you needed to climb an upright ladder that was leaning against a metal landing.  Step off the ladder to the landing, reverse direction and go up the stairs.  With no guardrail.  Not easy with refrigerators, beds, ovens.

BUT, their stuff is in.  The workers just need to connect the water.  And the electricity.  And the appliances.  And hang the light fixtures.  Finish the staircase.

It feels so good to be back in our flat.  Fan blowing.  Furniture placed.

Ahhhhh.