I went to the Ukraine

and all I took was this one lousy photograph.

I was in Kyiv last week for a work conference. I think that Europeans have a special love of the conference format. They relish the opportunity to sit around and drink bottled water. I, on the other hand, could be found doodling madly on many sheets of notepaper.

I really didn't see much of the city at all, unless you count my driver taking me from the airport to the hotel. The first night we all went out to the above restaurant, O'Panas, which served traditional Ukrainian fare. They served delicious meat stuffed pancakes and some of the most perfectly roasted mushrooms I have ever tasted.

Back in my hotel room, I enjoyed spending my late night hours watching the Discovery channel, one of the three channels broadcasting in English. I watched so many episodes of Miami Ink, La Ink, and Jon and Kate plus eight, I am now on a first name basis with all the characters.

The trip was a bit of a whirlwind and it wore me out. I have spent this past week catching up at work and getting ready for this weekend's adventure--a trip to the Danube delta, where the Danube river meets its end at the Black sea.

Shake, rattle, and roll

Just had our first earthquake here in Bucharest. Fortunately it did little other than briefly rattle my nerves and the china cabinet.

I experienced several earthquakes in Guatemala. Down there, seismic activity seemed to fit right in with the active volcanoes and torrential rain season.

In my younger years, before having children, I took a cavalier attitude toward earthquakes and natural disasters. But now I am a mother and I am terrified of the possibility that a 7+ magnitude quake will strike Romania and Bee will be sleeping in her room and I won't be able to get to her. It's a nightmare with potential for reality. It's right up there with my worst nightmares.

However, I think I can sleep easy tonight. The earthquake hopefully let off some geological steam and we won't have another for a while.

City in Bloom

Dolly Picnic

Guest list: Mommy, Bee, Bunny, Katinka, Maggie, and Peter.




On the menu: strawberry lemonade, tea sandwiches (salmon and cream cheese and peanut butter and jelly), yogurt, apple slices and thumbprint cookies.



No party is complete in Romania without a stray dog stopping by.




Bee made sure that everyone had seconds of lemonade.



After we ate, we played and played, acting out scenes from Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. We received quite a lot of attention from passers by. Next time, I will make sure to bring extra cookies to share with any other kids who might wander over.

Books #18 and #19

One I really disliked:

"Lover's Hollow" by Orna Ross. I bought this book because the cover looked nice and it was over 600 pages long. It felt like the author combined three half finished novels (two about Ireland and one about San Francisco) into one story. It was confusing, because all the characters had really similar Irish names. I half heartedly tried to keep track of who was who, but gave up about 300 pages into it. It was a relief to finally finish, even if the ending made no sense.

And one I really enjoyed:

"The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. Ms Meyer isn't a one-shot wonder. This story starts out fast and keeps you desperately flipping pages right up until the very end. Her characters weren't especially well developed, but they were likeable enough.

Books #16 and #17 Twilight and Breaking Dawn, by Stephanie Meyer

I enjoyed re-reading the first and last books of the Bella Swan/Edward Cullen saga almost as much as the first time. There was much less dramatic tension, knowing how the whole thing turned out, and I was instead able to savor the plot and catch little details that I raced past the first time.

I am reading, and have been reading, and will still be reading another book, a long endless pointless novel set in Ireland. Every night I think I will be able to finish the darn thing but always end up falling asleep instead. . .

Easter Egg Hunt

Contentedness

. . . is having my Mom here for the week and seeing how happy Miss Bee is around her "Mimi."

I am very much looking forward to having this Thursday and Friday off, and seeing my sister, who arrives on Tuesday.

Posting will be light for the next week.

A lucky granddaughter am I

Happy Birthday, dearest of Lanas!

Among many things, you have taught me:

Rummy tile
How to knit
The importance of family
Croquet
To always wear sunscreen
Spanish
To love musicals
Good manners
and how to make a good sandwich

Much, much love,

M

Between dusk and twilight

After Bee went to sleep and David came back from one of his seemingly daily trips to the dry cleaners (I don't know what that man does to his clothes) I walked down the street to grab a few things from the grocery store.

We have a reasonably well stocked grocery store a mere two blocks away, and a full service one four blocks away. Between the two is a fruit and vegetable market (although most of the sellers there are cheats so I rarely go) and a bakery. Their proximity is one of the advantages of city living.

It is unusual for me to go out after dinner and I relished walking outside in those few final minutes before sunset. As I headed to the store it was still dusk and the gray buildings were tinged with pink. As I walked home it was twilight, and the street lights flickered on.

Now I am off to watch Dr. Who and eat ice cream.