Bees' Meeting, April 20
In attendance: Helen, Dawn, Margie, Peggy, Tricia, Randi, Linda
We spent a long time eating and enjoying a wonderful salad made by Dawn using fresh vegetables she bought at a farmers' market on her way home from visitng her parents in Southern California. Margie made a heavenly orange marmalade cake from scratch that everyone thoroughly enjoyed! Peggy shared about the Honor Flight trip to Washington DC with her father to visit the WW II and other war memorials. That got us all to reminicsing both about experiences in Washington DC and about our parents and other WW II vet relatives.
During the meeting, we clarified that members need to pay dues for missed meetings, except for Ellie, Rita, and Carol. Ellie and Rita -- we welcome you with open arms whenever you're able to make it. Carol, everyone is praying for you and hoping you'll be able to return to our meetings again soon.
Helen is recovering from shoulder surgery and doing well. We are all praying for her full and speedy recovery, and we're grateful for her generosity in opening her home for our meetings.
The Fallon Quilt Show is May 19-23. On Saturday, May 22, it will include a car show and and outdoor quilt show. Dawn has 5 quilts entered in the show. Randi is still figuring out how many quilts she will enter. I'm sure they will represent the Bee's well.
Food for May meeting: Randi will bring a main course -- it will be a surprise. Margie will make another delicious cake, and Tricia will again bring bread of some sort.
The Quilter's Rendevous at the Susanville Armory will be on June 26-27. We also discussed the Nevada Quilt Guild based in Fallon trying to hold meetings in outlying areas to attract more membership. It will be interesting to see how that works out and whether a meeting might come to Carson City.
Show and tell:
Randi made some pillowcases for the Million Pillowcases Project. They were absolutely beautiful both in fabric and design. Randi shared with us a pattern that involves stacking and turning, which she says is a very easy way to make a pillowcase. That method requires 3/4 yard for the main pillowcase, 10 inches for the hem, and 2 inches for the narrow border between the pillowcase and the hem. Randi is going to demonstrate the technique at the May meeting.
Randi then modeled one of the tutus she made for her granddaughter's spring dance recital. The little girls will be dancing to "Over the Rainbow," so what better for that than a rainbow tutu. It was very impressive that her ingenious tutu construction using headbands from Walmart as the waistband allowed for a "one size fits all" tutu for girls from ages 5 on up to adulthood!
Randi and Helen showed their Project Linus quilt tops and Peggy and Dawn showed their FINISHED Linus quilts. That was fast! All of them are truly beautiful, and it was interesting to see the variations in sashing and borders and how those elements were able to tie together all the scrappy fabrics.
Margie showed her first machine quilting projects -- "Noah's Shakeup." Great start on machine quilting, Margie! Margie also gave Linda and Tricia each a set of hat and booties for the grandbabies they're expecting soon -- pink for Linda's granddaughter and blue for Tricia's grandson. Just a sidenote -- Tricia's grandson was born on April 27, and the family is healthy and doing well.
Note from Linda: There are no pictures for this blog because my camera was run over by a car (it may have actually been mine but we'll never know)! If you want to bring items back to the next meeting, we can add them to this blog. I have a new camera so I'm set to click.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
March Meeting Minutes
Hi everyone,
Next month's dinner will be: Dawn - shrimp salad, Tricia – Breads, Margie – dessert,
Randi, Dawn, Linda, Peggy, Tricia and Carol were in attendance.
Our hostess, with the mostess, was out on a date with her hubby to the Symphony so Carol filled in. We hope you had a great evening Helen. Even in her absence Helen had a quilted wall handing to share. How sweet!
Our main objective this evening was to pick the squares we are going to use in the quilts we are doing this Saturday. Please bring everything you think you will need to finish as much as possible as we’d like to get as close to completion as possible. There will be 3 irons and boards and a couple cutting tables set up. Bring whatever you think you will need. We each are doing our own, sashing if you choose to use, binding, batting and backing this time. Our treasury is NOT going to buy these. Try to use fabric from your stash. We are meeting on Saturday at 10AM and, thanks to Margie, you may stay till 4 PM. Saturday please remember to bring a LUNCH.
We played Quilt Bingo what a cute game! Peggy won and we all got a bracelet and a heart - mine said "Wild Thing"! I love it.
Show n Tell was as always very neat. Not too many though. Margie showed us her knitted booties and hat for a
friend having a baby. Margie and Linda were each doing a quilt for the baby, Margie
forgot hers but Linda brought hers in, really cute.
Also, Linda's daughter Kyna is expecting a baby girl the beginning of June and she brought her quilt, very sweet and purple....just what mom wanted for her new baby.
Linda also brought the quilt her daughter, Rachael made when she was in labor with her youngest child. Rachael sewed away, pausing to breath through contractions. The result of hours of labor was a beautiful baby son, Ivan Joseph, and a quilt that is now finished. Linda had great fun quilting it and adding flowers and bees for it is all about 
pollination, right?
Dawn is working on a couple quilts. A couple of years ago, Dave purchased the Shop Hop quilt kit for Dawn to make. It is simply beautiful and Dawn really fell in love with it. Dave worked out a fair trade, if she made him a hand-tied, scrappy quilt reminiscent of the quilts his mother made to keep her children warm on cold winter nights, he would gladly give her the Shop Hop quilt. Well, look at how lovely scrappy quilts can be. Thanks for sharing it with us Dawn.
Randi picked out some colors for a quilt with a friend and wanted our "valued" opinion on colors to blend. Think we did well - as always :)
Peggy and Tricia showed us their technique for curing T-shirts with spills down the front. Try embroidering a 
beautiful design OVER it and for a hole in your jeans you can do the same. It is beautiful, creative and gives recycling a new definition!
Seems that we've been celebrating the advent of grandbabies and now it is Tricia's turn. Aunt Peggy made a
rag quilt and
designed a baby bib for the new
little guy who will make his
appearance later this year. Such a lucky fellow to have a talented grandmother and aunt!
Next month's dinner will be: Dawn - shrimp salad, Tricia – Breads, Margie – dessert,
Helen - cheese 'n' crackers and hot artichoke dip
PLEASE BRING RECIPES WITH YOU for whatever you bring. Tricia can not make a book without recipes!!!
Don't forget your $2.00 dues. Have a great month and keep b z-z-z-z-z-.
Carol
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
February 2010 Meeting Notes
February Meeting 2/16/10
Carol, Randi, Helen, Margie, Ellie, Tricia, Dawn & Linda in attendance.
I think the food has us all showing up. Thanks to Helen and Ellie for a wonderful fiesta! Everything was soooo gooood!!!! Rita where are you?
Everyone paid dues. Remember $2.00 each month.
We are meeting March 20 at 10AM to work on donation quilts for the Linus Project. We are concentrating on making quilts for boys. We'll meet at the Cooperative Extension office, 2621 North Gate Lane , Ste 12 Behind the old Carson City Theater. Need to bring the 6" squares and any other stash you may want to use. for pattern, Disappearing 9 Patch, aka Twist and Shout.
Sash will be 1" you'll need 1/2 yard, Black for binding or Red, Green 1 yard.
You'll need a total 1 1/2 yds of fabric to finish front.
PLEASE bring your squares to the next meeting and we can pick the colors we want to work with and then you will be able to pick from your stash or purchase what you will need to do the
quilt.
Don't forget Fallon quilt show in May and the classes they will offer on Thurs, Fri., Sat. and Sun go to their web site.
The Gees Bend quilt show is in Reno until 4/11/10. They have a free day, on 2/25/10. Remember they are closed Monday and Tuesdays. Ask for senior discount if you go other than the free day.
Reminder for Carol to bring Plumeria pattern for Margie.
We decided to do placemats for our challenge this next Christmas meeting. Should be fun.
Linda made an attic window with trucks with a minke background, it was so cute. It is for her grandson, Noah, to take to daycare and use for his nap blanket.
The little rail fence quilt with quilted flowers was beautiful. Linda made it for her grandniece, Tori, who lives in Texas.
Helen did red and white wall hanging and table runner for Valentines so cute.
Randi Finished her Windy Moon Quilt - Stars it was beautiful.
Margie is working on her "Buggie" quilt.
Linda borrowed Carol's place mat pattern. Bet she gets started early for Christmas.
Dinner next month:
Peggy - Black Bean Chorizo Soup; Margie will bring Salad; Tricia will bring Corn bread and Carol will bring dessert - Chocolate Pots.
Bring recipes...
See you all March 16th.
Keep bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Carol, Randi, Helen, Margie, Ellie, Tricia, Dawn & Linda in attendance.
I think the food has us all showing up. Thanks to Helen and Ellie for a wonderful fiesta! Everything was soooo gooood!!!! Rita where are you?
Everyone paid dues. Remember $2.00 each month.
We are meeting March 20 at 10AM to work on donation quilts for the Linus Project. We are concentrating on making quilts for boys. We'll meet at the Cooperative Extension office, 2621 North Gate Lane , Ste 12 Behind the old Carson City Theater. Need to bring the 6" squares and any other stash you may want to use. for pattern, Disappearing 9 Patch, aka Twist and Shout.
Sash will be 1" you'll need 1/2 yard, Black for binding or Red, Green 1 yard.
You'll need a total 1 1/2 yds of fabric to finish front.
PLEASE bring your squares to the next meeting and we can pick the colors we want to work with and then you will be able to pick from your stash or purchase what you will need to do the
quilt.Don't forget Fallon quilt show in May and the classes they will offer on Thurs, Fri., Sat. and Sun go to their web site.
The Gees Bend quilt show is in Reno until 4/11/10. They have a free day, on 2/25/10. Remember they are closed Monday and Tuesdays. Ask for senior discount if you go other than the free day.
Reminder for Carol to bring Plumeria pattern for Margie.
We decided to do placemats for our challenge this next Christmas meeting. Should be fun.
Linda made an attic window with trucks with a minke background, it was so cute. It is for her grandson, Noah, to take to daycare and use for his nap blanket.The little rail fence quilt with quilted flowers was beautiful. Linda made it for her grandniece, Tori, who lives in Texas.
Helen did red and white wall hanging and table runner for Valentines so cute.
Randi Finished her Windy Moon Quilt - Stars it was beautiful.Margie is working on her "Buggie" quilt.
Linda borrowed Carol's place mat pattern. Bet she gets started early for Christmas.
Dinner next month:
Peggy - Black Bean Chorizo Soup; Margie will bring Salad; Tricia will bring Corn bread and Carol will bring dessert - Chocolate Pots.
Bring recipes...
See you all March 16th.
Keep bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
January 2010 Meeting Notes
January MeetingRandi, Margie, Tricia, Peggy, Ellie, Helen, Carol were present.
Dinner was well received. Carol made Boef Bourgon . It really is easy and oh so wonderfully tender and delicious. Ok we need to start collecting recipes
for these good meals. Maybe we can end up with a cook book by the Bees. Tricia will be in charge of this. So ladies bring your recipes to the meetings for her to collect or email them to her or Linda.We are changing our meetings to the 3rd THIRD Tuesday of the month. The fourth doesn't seem to fit.Next meeting will be the
16th of February.With that in mind - Ellie and Helen will be doing the dinner. HOMEMADE Tamales, refried beans, rice and flan. M-m-m-m-m-m-m.
Remember the stamps for Gees Bend Quilts? Well they are coming to Reno. They will be here 2/6 thru 4/11/10 at the Reno Art Museum 160 W. Liberty St. Reno, NV 89501
NV Quilt Guild is having a quilt show in May. They have classes you need to sign up for same Thursday thru Sunday. Check their web site. They
will be at the convention center in Fallon.Goals for the year:
Ellie - to make the meetings. do baby quilt with raw edges.
Group: We need to take our6" squares and go to Margies to set up a place to sew. We will then use the Twist & Shout pattern to make quilts
for boys. They will be 15 1/2" square with 1" sashing and 3" border.Also do paper piecing Angel Quilt for Cancer Resource Center.
Also Ellie's quilt that she donated to the Cancer Resource Center received over $300. and the lady that won was thrilled.
Helen said she would find out about a fabric discount from fabric stores if we are donating the finished product.
Helen's nine patch quilts are pictured in the left column. She says that she never makes a pattern twice but she found one that has captured her creativity. Aren't they beautiful?!
Dawn continues her prolific, creative quilting and created the table runner, butterfly wall hanging and a placemat for little Helen and table runner for Randi. Thanks for sharing, Dawn1
Randi has been keeping bzzy making an apron for Linda, a bug jar quilt and a daisy quilt. Aren't her colors great? She even used minkee fabric, such a challenge. What is her secret? We always enjoy seeing what she brings to the meeting.
Carol continues her fine handwork with embroidered and appliqued tea towels. She certainly uses her time well, creating heirloom quality art!
We are going to start a donation program in our group again. This will be $2.00 per meeting, you can pay each meeting or all at once. This money will be used for the donated quilts for backings and battings as we will usually use our stash as we can.Margie is to be the treasurer. Carol gave the monies left over from before to her to start us off once again.
Everyone bring ideas next month for our personal challenge.
Last Goals;
Dawn- Did all her goals and should Spring, Butterlfly Feathers
For next year: to complete 2008 Shop Hop Quilt, Quilt for neice Kellsy for applique Wall hanging, 6" square scrappy quilt, Premie Quilt, Linus Quilt, Lap quilt.Helen - Completed Pumpkin Quilt, Little quilts and redid sewing room.
2010 to finish 3 full size and several small quilts.
Tricia 2009 - didn't do so swell. Improve on machine quilting for 2010, do seasonal table runner, flying geese, Butterfly quilt, baby Gabe stuff, crazy compass quilt and embroidered Wall Hanging.
Peggy 2009 Didn't finish placemats, 2010 need to improve machine
quilting, do a larger size crazy compass quilt and many quilt tops.Margie: 2009 one goal do a quilting project - Wall hanging.
2010- do one whole quilt, baby quilt by this summer.
Carol did alot of 2009 quilts, didn't finish them all. 2010 Finish what I've started and try to not start too many new ones. If people wouldn't have babies and get married or have birthdays it would help. :)
Linda's 2010 - has 4 tops to quilt. Would like to donate one day a month towards Christmas projects. 6 new small, 3 new large and 7 unfinished
Randi - 2010 Use orphan blocks. Go thru quilt magazines and get rid of rest. Set aside time for Christmas projects once a month.
Can bring pattern for placemat??
Next meeting 2/16/10. Good night, it's yuky out everyone go home early.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Russian Ramblings
December 11, 2009
Hello and goodbye from Russian dear ones,
My from Russian with love ramblings will cease to exist after I sign off this e-mail. Someone asked me what I would remember most about this adventure and there really is so much. I think if I had to choose only one fond memory it would be of all the people I have met here both Russian, non-Russian, young and old. Everyone has their own story, their own lives, their own joys and sorrows but their friendliness, open hearts, and laughter made my stay here such a lasting blessing in my life. They will remain in my heart forever.
I learned that I can live simply with few things, have meaningful work and be appreciative of each new moment. I have found being present in the here and now brings true happiness. I learned that I need to walk more in my daily life. I found that my walks to and from school most days, plus my journeys around town were reflective, prayerful times for me. I learned that I can be silent and not have NPR on constantly (sorry KTOO!). I learned that I love writing and reading even more and filled my evenings with good books before I nodded off to sleep. I learned to value much more all the blessings in my life that I often take for granted. I brought along to Russia my gratitude stone that a friend gave me and tucked it in the pocket of my coat. On my walks I often rubbed the smoothness of the stone and reflected on each day's gifts. So, my Russian exile has been very contemplative, almost retreat like, for me. My everyday distractions were few which
allowed me to BREATHE. My students of course were the highlight and I could write at length about each one but I'll spare you that for now. And YES, I learned that I can still teach and really do love this profession!
Lindsey and Kat surprised me Saturday night by taking me for a walk and then into a beautiful hotel that was all decorated for Christmas, though they call it New Year's here. As we entered the candlelit lobby we were seated at a table and offered mulled wine and Christmas cookies while a children's choir performed. It was magical. There was a young boy of about 7 who sang several solos who had such an angelic voice and had such composure. He looked like a young Andrea Bocelli. After the concert we went up to the top floor of the hotel which overlooks the whole city and sipped champagne. A lovely evening!
I attended one last ballet on Sunday afternoon which was lovely. Who knows if I'll ever grace the Mariinsky Theater again. It was wonderful to seep in all the culture while I was here. As Peggy said, "It's back to the Grumsickle for you!" (A little Juneau humor!) The stop by a nearby bakery for quiche and hot chocolate on my way home as a light snow fell capped off a lovely Sunday afternoon.
I endured one last metro ride on my way to the porcelain factory to look for a tea cup for my Mom. You have to look at a map and count the stops until your exit since the signs and announcements are in Russian. The problem is that the speed and jostling of the metro lulls you off to sleep. As I was nodding off I glanced up and the man standing in front of me was sketching this sleeping babushka (me!) I only had a glimpse of my portrait as I exited the car at the right stop. Thank God! It's so sweet to see men and women give up their seats and stand for older people. Hmmm! That must be why I got a seat!
A few funnies from this week:
Isabella my six your old grand daughter told Amy Jo that I am not allowed to go on anymore trips. It will be so wonderful to spend lots of time with those three urchins to make up for all my time away. I'm looking forward to that.
One of my students shared that he would miss me "like a bucket of beans!' I think it was a compliment but it somehow got lost in translation.
Another student, that little red-haired American girl, told me ,"Mrs. Hanna, you are the best grandma I NEVER had!" Such treasures these children!!!
My last three days of teaching this week went by in a blur. The staff presented me with a beautiful plate and a bouquet of flowers at the staff meeting. I read Miss Rumphius to my class on my last day and when I got to the part that says, "You will always remain in my heart", I teared up as did the kids. We promised to be e-mail pals and write and I told them we will meet again and they know where to find me. Eventually, everyone makes it to Alaska don't they? One boy was worried I might be dead by the time he made it up there. There are no guarantees. As one little girl said, "But, you'll be in the sky so you'll still be with us!" You betcha!!! The last day with the kids was on Wednesday and was bitter sweet. They were so sweet making me goodbye cards, giving me hugs etc. The REAL teacher will return tomorrow so we made her a welcome back sign. At the end of the day they surprised me with a farewell party. I couldn't hold back my emotions. The families presented me with a book of letters and drawings and photos from my class and a photo book of St. Petersburg. My last walk home from school was refreshing and now it's time to do some laundry and begin to pack for home.
I spent the past three days talking long walks around the city absorbing the cityscape and canals that have etched their mark upon me these past 2 1/2 months. The streets are always bustling with people walking, work men going about their construction work on the old buildings, cars honking as the traffic stalls and the church bells ringing every hour. It's such a stark contrast to where I call home where I can take a walk and not see another soul, or car, and may only hear geese honking, eagles screeching etc. The air quality here is very different as well. I look forward to taking a breath of fresh Alaskan air. I managed to find a lovely Russian porcelain tea set that I'll be carrying on the plane. I'd ship it back but the shipping costs more than all the tea in China!
Snow is now falling and I just returned from another long walk. As I sipped my latte at Garcon, my favorite French Bakery, they were playing in French, "These boots were made for walking" and "I Want to go Home." How timely! I lit a candle for my Mom at the Kazan Cathedral. She's in the hospital with flu like symptoms. Fortunately, my sister Theresa is there to take care of her and handle this crisis. Tom is now back in Juneau and happy to be home. Soon, it will be my turn! Tonight I'm going to the British Consulate for a Christmas Program with friends from school and then to bed for my last sleep here.
I'm wondering if there's a 12 step support group called Substitutes Anonymous since disconnecting with those 15 children is going to take time. Such a wonderful experience for me. Thanks to all of you who encouraged me and said ," Yes you can!" Especially a heartfelt thanks to you Laurie who let me know they were looking for someone to do this. The last lesson learned: Never pass up an opportunity to broaden your world. It can be life changing!
Until I ramble again from who knows where...
Love and thanks for reading all these missives!
Kathy (Katya!)
Hello and goodbye from Russian dear ones,
My from Russian with love ramblings will cease to exist after I sign off this e-mail. Someone asked me what I would remember most about this adventure and there really is so much. I think if I had to choose only one fond memory it would be of all the people I have met here both Russian, non-Russian, young and old. Everyone has their own story, their own lives, their own joys and sorrows but their friendliness, open hearts, and laughter made my stay here such a lasting blessing in my life. They will remain in my heart forever.
I learned that I can live simply with few things, have meaningful work and be appreciative of each new moment. I have found being present in the here and now brings true happiness. I learned that I need to walk more in my daily life. I found that my walks to and from school most days, plus my journeys around town were reflective, prayerful times for me. I learned that I can be silent and not have NPR on constantly (sorry KTOO!). I learned that I love writing and reading even more and filled my evenings with good books before I nodded off to sleep. I learned to value much more all the blessings in my life that I often take for granted. I brought along to Russia my gratitude stone that a friend gave me and tucked it in the pocket of my coat. On my walks I often rubbed the smoothness of the stone and reflected on each day's gifts. So, my Russian exile has been very contemplative, almost retreat like, for me. My everyday distractions were few which
allowed me to BREATHE. My students of course were the highlight and I could write at length about each one but I'll spare you that for now. And YES, I learned that I can still teach and really do love this profession!
Lindsey and Kat surprised me Saturday night by taking me for a walk and then into a beautiful hotel that was all decorated for Christmas, though they call it New Year's here. As we entered the candlelit lobby we were seated at a table and offered mulled wine and Christmas cookies while a children's choir performed. It was magical. There was a young boy of about 7 who sang several solos who had such an angelic voice and had such composure. He looked like a young Andrea Bocelli. After the concert we went up to the top floor of the hotel which overlooks the whole city and sipped champagne. A lovely evening!
I attended one last ballet on Sunday afternoon which was lovely. Who knows if I'll ever grace the Mariinsky Theater again. It was wonderful to seep in all the culture while I was here. As Peggy said, "It's back to the Grumsickle for you!" (A little Juneau humor!) The stop by a nearby bakery for quiche and hot chocolate on my way home as a light snow fell capped off a lovely Sunday afternoon.
I endured one last metro ride on my way to the porcelain factory to look for a tea cup for my Mom. You have to look at a map and count the stops until your exit since the signs and announcements are in Russian. The problem is that the speed and jostling of the metro lulls you off to sleep. As I was nodding off I glanced up and the man standing in front of me was sketching this sleeping babushka (me!) I only had a glimpse of my portrait as I exited the car at the right stop. Thank God! It's so sweet to see men and women give up their seats and stand for older people. Hmmm! That must be why I got a seat!
A few funnies from this week:
Isabella my six your old grand daughter told Amy Jo that I am not allowed to go on anymore trips. It will be so wonderful to spend lots of time with those three urchins to make up for all my time away. I'm looking forward to that.
One of my students shared that he would miss me "like a bucket of beans!' I think it was a compliment but it somehow got lost in translation.
Another student, that little red-haired American girl, told me ,"Mrs. Hanna, you are the best grandma I NEVER had!" Such treasures these children!!!
My last three days of teaching this week went by in a blur. The staff presented me with a beautiful plate and a bouquet of flowers at the staff meeting. I read Miss Rumphius to my class on my last day and when I got to the part that says, "You will always remain in my heart", I teared up as did the kids. We promised to be e-mail pals and write and I told them we will meet again and they know where to find me. Eventually, everyone makes it to Alaska don't they? One boy was worried I might be dead by the time he made it up there. There are no guarantees. As one little girl said, "But, you'll be in the sky so you'll still be with us!" You betcha!!! The last day with the kids was on Wednesday and was bitter sweet. They were so sweet making me goodbye cards, giving me hugs etc. The REAL teacher will return tomorrow so we made her a welcome back sign. At the end of the day they surprised me with a farewell party. I couldn't hold back my emotions. The families presented me with a book of letters and drawings and photos from my class and a photo book of St. Petersburg. My last walk home from school was refreshing and now it's time to do some laundry and begin to pack for home.
I spent the past three days talking long walks around the city absorbing the cityscape and canals that have etched their mark upon me these past 2 1/2 months. The streets are always bustling with people walking, work men going about their construction work on the old buildings, cars honking as the traffic stalls and the church bells ringing every hour. It's such a stark contrast to where I call home where I can take a walk and not see another soul, or car, and may only hear geese honking, eagles screeching etc. The air quality here is very different as well. I look forward to taking a breath of fresh Alaskan air. I managed to find a lovely Russian porcelain tea set that I'll be carrying on the plane. I'd ship it back but the shipping costs more than all the tea in China!
Snow is now falling and I just returned from another long walk. As I sipped my latte at Garcon, my favorite French Bakery, they were playing in French, "These boots were made for walking" and "I Want to go Home." How timely! I lit a candle for my Mom at the Kazan Cathedral. She's in the hospital with flu like symptoms. Fortunately, my sister Theresa is there to take care of her and handle this crisis. Tom is now back in Juneau and happy to be home. Soon, it will be my turn! Tonight I'm going to the British Consulate for a Christmas Program with friends from school and then to bed for my last sleep here.
I'm wondering if there's a 12 step support group called Substitutes Anonymous since disconnecting with those 15 children is going to take time. Such a wonderful experience for me. Thanks to all of you who encouraged me and said ," Yes you can!" Especially a heartfelt thanks to you Laurie who let me know they were looking for someone to do this. The last lesson learned: Never pass up an opportunity to broaden your world. It can be life changing!
Until I ramble again from who knows where...
Love and thanks for reading all these missives!
Kathy (Katya!)
Russian Ramblings
December 7, 2009
Tis the season isn't it?
I'm REALLY looking forward to coming HOME and celebrating the holidays with family and friends. We just found out our daughter Suzanne will be joining us for Christmas so it will be double the pleasure and double the fun. I'll leave St. Petersburg on December 12 ,ovenighting in Amsterdam, and will be in Juneau the night of December 13. Yahoo!!! Meanwhile, the long winter days are settling in here. By the time the children go out to recess at 10 it's getting light but when I walk home at 3:30 it's getting dark...so much like Juneau in December. I need my SAD lamp!
Tom's now in Gilroy traveling between his Dad in the rehab. facility and his Mom in the hospital. He doesn't have access to a computer so I try to Skype him every other day or so to stay abreast of their progress. Right now they may be doing surgery on his Mom since she appears to be having heart problems. They may end up going up to Stanford to do this. His Dad seems to be improving with his kidney infection but is still running a fever. Tom and his brother Roy are talking to the doctors and dealing with all of this. It's so important to have advocates for elderly parents in these situations. I'm glad he is able to be there.
Some wisdom from the week:
I was out on yard duty before school one morning and always have a brief chat with Nina one of the guards. She speaks a little English so we can visit. We were commenting on the rain while standing under our umbrellas when she said, "Nature makes no bad weather. It's all a gift from God." Lovely! I'll need to remember her wisdom and positive attitude when I return home to Juneau!
For teachers only (or maybe not):
I have been taking the students through the writing process and have been writing a short story myself in front of the class focusing on all the elements of a good story: characters, setting, problem, solution, beginning, middle, and ending. I worked through the beginning and middle of the story and put it aside for a couple of weeks helping them in turn with their stories. Yesterday one of the boys said, "What about your story Mrs. Hanna? You know you only have a few days left with us. You'd better finish." So I did. Talk about pressure! It was a fun process since I gathered their input along the way and wove their ideas into the story. I did finish it and typed it up and now they are each going to get their own copy and illustrate it themselves. I dedicated the story to the class and they were thrilled. One girl said, "I can't believe we have a story dedicated to us!!!" They were and are my muses for sure!
Our class went to a Children's Puppet Theatre this week which we all enjoyed. Fortunately, Marina, the Kindergarten teacher, is Russian so she came into my class to tell the story so that when we went to the puppet show we would have some idea as to what was happening. It was a version of "The Magic Fish" but was called "Emeylia and the Pike." I had never seen a dog puppet humping a donkey puppet before in a children's puppet show ,or anywhere else for that matter, but hey this is Russia!!! I had to take my glasses off to make sure I wasn't seeing things but the kids didn't seem to notice. It didn't last long!
On the way back on the bus I happened to be sitting next to one of my American students who said when she came to Russia she had her smile and now she's lost it. She seems very homesick for her life back in Michigan. It was interesting to hear her ideas as our bus traveled through the city back to school. She pointed out packs of wild dogs on the streets dodging traffic and eating garbage, people wearing only dark colors, graffiti on the buildings. I tried to point out all the happy things I noticed like a few people wearing bright colors, Christmas decorations going up, beautiful architecture. It's hard to believe someone so young could be so negative about her life already. A real lesson on looking on the bright side for me!
We had parent conferences this week. I arrived the morning of parent conferences to find a bouquet of yellow tulips by my computer with no note. Do I have a parent conference fairy? Anyway, I thought of what I used to do to get ready for conferences and set a conference table (thanks Karen Allen!) with the tulips and a table cloth of pink construction paper with a lacy pink scarf over it. Ambience! It was so delightful to talk to the parents and they all showed up! A couple had interpretors with them. It was a very lovely way to finalize my teaching here and the parents were most appreciative.
I have made some very special friends here. Kat is the 4th Grade teacher and is so much fun and makes me laugh. Her name is also Kathleen AND she's Italian! She's fiesty and full of energy and her curls remind me of my daughter Suzanne.She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes immediately: walking to school with me the first day, showing me where to use a safe ATM machine , where the nearby markets are, where to eat, how to ride a bus and the metro etc. etc. She's been an angel and will be returning to New Jersey when school ends. She's been here for four years and is more than ready to fly home. She's single and wants to start a life back home with the goal of meeting an American man.
Lindsey teaches 5th grade and this is her first year here at the school though she's lived in St. Petersburg and studied Russian here. She can read and speak the language. She's a tall beautiful blonde who is also single. She taught me how to buy do-nuts in a Russian Bakery, shared her bread recipe and cumin from the states with me. She and Kat are both wonderful teachers. She'll be here at least another year since they sign two year contracts. She's from Minnesota. They're both young enough to be my daughters and have been so wonderful including me in their after school lives here. Such a blessing! I don't know what I would have done without them. Tonight we're going out for dinner and then making chocolate chip cookies and watching movies at Kat's apartment. Girl time!
Of course there's Ron my principal who has become a dear friend. He opened up his spare room in his apartment for me to use and shared his dog Marlo with me as well. Nothing like a warm,furry white friend (Marlo, not Ron!) He was more than welcoming in so many ways : teaching me to grocery shop here, driving me places, helping me get Tom here, letting me take over his refrigerator and kitchen, sharing his bathroom with me etc. We've had some great educational talks as well as many laughs. He loves Juneau and wants to return. He'll be a friend for life.I don't think I've ever met a more generous, giving, dedicated administrator and person. He stands outside the school building and greets every child by name with a handshake. Once I heard him singing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning." He makes everyday beautiful for the students here in his care.
I have one week left here and only three teaching days to go. I'll probably write one more "Russian Ramblings" before I leave. Seems like they get lengthier and lengthier.
Have a great week! With much love,
Katya (that's what the Russian people call me!)
Tis the season isn't it?
I'm REALLY looking forward to coming HOME and celebrating the holidays with family and friends. We just found out our daughter Suzanne will be joining us for Christmas so it will be double the pleasure and double the fun. I'll leave St. Petersburg on December 12 ,ovenighting in Amsterdam, and will be in Juneau the night of December 13. Yahoo!!! Meanwhile, the long winter days are settling in here. By the time the children go out to recess at 10 it's getting light but when I walk home at 3:30 it's getting dark...so much like Juneau in December. I need my SAD lamp!
Tom's now in Gilroy traveling between his Dad in the rehab. facility and his Mom in the hospital. He doesn't have access to a computer so I try to Skype him every other day or so to stay abreast of their progress. Right now they may be doing surgery on his Mom since she appears to be having heart problems. They may end up going up to Stanford to do this. His Dad seems to be improving with his kidney infection but is still running a fever. Tom and his brother Roy are talking to the doctors and dealing with all of this. It's so important to have advocates for elderly parents in these situations. I'm glad he is able to be there.
Some wisdom from the week:
I was out on yard duty before school one morning and always have a brief chat with Nina one of the guards. She speaks a little English so we can visit. We were commenting on the rain while standing under our umbrellas when she said, "Nature makes no bad weather. It's all a gift from God." Lovely! I'll need to remember her wisdom and positive attitude when I return home to Juneau!
For teachers only (or maybe not):
I have been taking the students through the writing process and have been writing a short story myself in front of the class focusing on all the elements of a good story: characters, setting, problem, solution, beginning, middle, and ending. I worked through the beginning and middle of the story and put it aside for a couple of weeks helping them in turn with their stories. Yesterday one of the boys said, "What about your story Mrs. Hanna? You know you only have a few days left with us. You'd better finish." So I did. Talk about pressure! It was a fun process since I gathered their input along the way and wove their ideas into the story. I did finish it and typed it up and now they are each going to get their own copy and illustrate it themselves. I dedicated the story to the class and they were thrilled. One girl said, "I can't believe we have a story dedicated to us!!!" They were and are my muses for sure!
Our class went to a Children's Puppet Theatre this week which we all enjoyed. Fortunately, Marina, the Kindergarten teacher, is Russian so she came into my class to tell the story so that when we went to the puppet show we would have some idea as to what was happening. It was a version of "The Magic Fish" but was called "Emeylia and the Pike." I had never seen a dog puppet humping a donkey puppet before in a children's puppet show ,or anywhere else for that matter, but hey this is Russia!!! I had to take my glasses off to make sure I wasn't seeing things but the kids didn't seem to notice. It didn't last long!
On the way back on the bus I happened to be sitting next to one of my American students who said when she came to Russia she had her smile and now she's lost it. She seems very homesick for her life back in Michigan. It was interesting to hear her ideas as our bus traveled through the city back to school. She pointed out packs of wild dogs on the streets dodging traffic and eating garbage, people wearing only dark colors, graffiti on the buildings. I tried to point out all the happy things I noticed like a few people wearing bright colors, Christmas decorations going up, beautiful architecture. It's hard to believe someone so young could be so negative about her life already. A real lesson on looking on the bright side for me!
We had parent conferences this week. I arrived the morning of parent conferences to find a bouquet of yellow tulips by my computer with no note. Do I have a parent conference fairy? Anyway, I thought of what I used to do to get ready for conferences and set a conference table (thanks Karen Allen!) with the tulips and a table cloth of pink construction paper with a lacy pink scarf over it. Ambience! It was so delightful to talk to the parents and they all showed up! A couple had interpretors with them. It was a very lovely way to finalize my teaching here and the parents were most appreciative.
I have made some very special friends here. Kat is the 4th Grade teacher and is so much fun and makes me laugh. Her name is also Kathleen AND she's Italian! She's fiesty and full of energy and her curls remind me of my daughter Suzanne.She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes immediately: walking to school with me the first day, showing me where to use a safe ATM machine , where the nearby markets are, where to eat, how to ride a bus and the metro etc. etc. She's been an angel and will be returning to New Jersey when school ends. She's been here for four years and is more than ready to fly home. She's single and wants to start a life back home with the goal of meeting an American man.
Lindsey teaches 5th grade and this is her first year here at the school though she's lived in St. Petersburg and studied Russian here. She can read and speak the language. She's a tall beautiful blonde who is also single. She taught me how to buy do-nuts in a Russian Bakery, shared her bread recipe and cumin from the states with me. She and Kat are both wonderful teachers. She'll be here at least another year since they sign two year contracts. She's from Minnesota. They're both young enough to be my daughters and have been so wonderful including me in their after school lives here. Such a blessing! I don't know what I would have done without them. Tonight we're going out for dinner and then making chocolate chip cookies and watching movies at Kat's apartment. Girl time!
Of course there's Ron my principal who has become a dear friend. He opened up his spare room in his apartment for me to use and shared his dog Marlo with me as well. Nothing like a warm,furry white friend (Marlo, not Ron!) He was more than welcoming in so many ways : teaching me to grocery shop here, driving me places, helping me get Tom here, letting me take over his refrigerator and kitchen, sharing his bathroom with me etc. We've had some great educational talks as well as many laughs. He loves Juneau and wants to return. He'll be a friend for life.I don't think I've ever met a more generous, giving, dedicated administrator and person. He stands outside the school building and greets every child by name with a handshake. Once I heard him singing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning." He makes everyday beautiful for the students here in his care.
I have one week left here and only three teaching days to go. I'll probably write one more "Russian Ramblings" before I leave. Seems like they get lengthier and lengthier.
Have a great week! With much love,
Katya (that's what the Russian people call me!)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Russian Ramblings
November 30, 2009
Hello dear ones,
It's hard to believe it will be December 1st tomorrow. Tom leaves tonight and I will surely miss him. I guess it's back to the nunnery for me. I have two single beds in my room, which is sparsely furnished, and really does resemble a convent. He's on his way to California to be with his Mom and brother Roy. His Dad is in a rehab facility so there's so much for him to deal with there. Now we have word that his Mom who is 96 has pneumonia and is in the hospital as well. This was a great respite for him and he had a wonderful time. His brother Bill's memorial service is yet to be planned so hopefully he'll be able to assist with that.
We had a wonderful first Russian Thanksgiving with our new friends here. We climbed our Rapunzali-like staircase of 120 steps to our friend Kat's apartment carrying all our Thanksgiving offerings: turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, apple crisp, gravy, wine and ice. We are thankful we lived to the top!! It was a fun evening with 8 other Americans and Lexi who is a 6 year old Russian orphan girl who was adopted recently by Kate, the teacher I'm subbing for. Kat (whose apartment it was at) had the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on and broadcast it on the brick wall of her living room. Of course this was Lexi's first Thanksgivng so she was thrilled with the balloon characters in the parade, but mostly with watching her giant shadow. That was a highlight for us! She's a beautiful child! We corrupted her by showing her how Americans put olives on their fingers to eat on Thanksgiving. You DO do that don't you??? It's a tradition in our family.
On our last weekend together here we spent Saturday touring the Peter and Paul Fortress and bought a couple of prints for our home in Juneau that remind me of where I live here. We toured the prison where they housed all the dissidents. They made it sound like a hotel but lit sure didn't look like any I've stayed in except for one in Sardinia. So many young people were hung because of their political beliefs. Hopefully, we will continue to respect people with opposing views in our democracy. On Sunday we went to the Smolny Cathedral which looks like a huge blue and white wedding cake and then took a long walk home by the Neva River. It was in the low 40's out so Tom took his coat off and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. He received many stares from the Russian people out walking and a few smiles. At least now we know how to get them to smile! In the afternoon we went back to the Hermitage to gaze once again at the art work of Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, Cezanne, Leonardo da Vinci and all those important folks. The evening was spent seeing the opera "Aida" and then off to bed since Monday is a work day for me and Tom has to pack to leave for California. He was so happy to have come and experience St. Petersburg for ten days.
Tom and I experienced our first Russian traffic accident together. Ron was driving us and my two teaching friends Kat and Lindsey to our school play that the high schoolers were putting on. We were stalled in traffic and literally not moving when we were hit by a SUV. Nobody was injured and all we knew to do was pretend we couldn't speak Russian when the police showed up, which wasn't a stretch for us. Lindsey did speak the language but was told never to in these situations. An electric tram bus was coming into the intersection when the SUV guy decided he could race it. It hooked on his back bumper and pulled him into us. Fortunately, we are all fine but the car will need a little makeover. The funny thing is that on Friday we had school colors day so Ron sprayed his hair blue and white for the festivities. Can you imagine him at a Russian police station with blue and white hair trying to explain in English what happened? Talk about
credibility! Fortunately the American Consulate intervenes in these situations so they were there as well. Ron is not at fault and all is good. It truly is a wonderful world.
There are so many interesting characters in my daily life here. As I enter my apartment building I have to punch in a code and am greeted (in Russian of course) by the concierge on duty that day. We always have a conversation in our native languages but still are able to communicate a little. Elsa always wears a beige beret and loves Russian mystery novels, Elsa knits and watches Russian soap operas, and Tatiana sorts through old black and white family photos. I would love to know more about their lives but the language is a barrier for sure. They love Marlo, Ron's dog, who I walk everyday after school and always have milkbones to give her. Sweet ladies!
Not to be forgotten is my Russian alarm clock that goes off at unpredictable times from midnight to 6 a.m. Here's how it works. The men here (well some of them anyway) seem to go out to the clubs and pubs and other sudsy establishments to socialize every night of the week and stumble their way back to wherever they go laughing, yelling, sometimes fighting and setting off firecrackers. I wake up wondering where I am. Don't these people have jobs? Probably not, unfortunately! Somehow they enter the courtyard below my apartment to serenade each other (or maybe it's me!). Rude awakening! I'm tempted to get a dozen eggs and pelt them out the window! One night I awoke to someone singing "Ave Maria" in a beautiful tenor voice. At first I thought I had expired in the night. It was just my drunken angel. He hasn't returned since then. Meanwhile my battery alarm clock continues to wake me at 5:30 a.m. For variety sake firecrackers are lit off as well though I prefer to call them fire devils!
Then there's the Music teacher who is Iranian and is quite an accomplished composer and pianist here but teaches elementary music to make ends meet. If the children misbehave they have to sing the musical scale in front of the class. I have to leave the room to save my sanity and my ears! He teaches with an Iranian accent which is very difficult to understand. They kids are now learning Holiday songs to sing at a Winter Concert....mostly American tunes like Frosty the Snowman, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, Deck The Halls, and Auld Lang Syne. The children's accents are so adorable as they sing. And they do LOVE to sing inspite of the scale torture!
Tom and I took nightly walks around the city after dinner while he was here. Every building is lit up with lights which accent the architecture which is amazing and on a very grand scale. New Year's is the big winter holiday here so the decorations and lights are starting to go up. We navigate ourselves around the city by the canals and church steeples. They act as lighthouses for us guiding our walks.
A few funnies from the week:
Heidi, a red-haired, freckled faced American girl was trying to comfort a boy who was crying because he didn't want to go to gym because he had a runny nose. She said in her matter of fact American accent, " Oh, just suck it up and deal with it. You'll survive!" He did!!!
We've been making lots of paper quilts and reading wonderful quilt books. Most of the kids didn't know what a quilt was so I showed them some of my quilts I've made on my Facebook page. Bringing in REAL things is a bit difficult here so we make do. The math involved and visual problem solving has been a fun way to integrate the curriculum with the wonderful quilt books I brought along. I wish I had a sewing machine here so we could make a real classroom quilt, but OH WELL! As everyone reminds me, "You're not in Kansas anymore!" Or Alaska!!
Love to all!
Kathy
Hello dear ones,
It's hard to believe it will be December 1st tomorrow. Tom leaves tonight and I will surely miss him. I guess it's back to the nunnery for me. I have two single beds in my room, which is sparsely furnished, and really does resemble a convent. He's on his way to California to be with his Mom and brother Roy. His Dad is in a rehab facility so there's so much for him to deal with there. Now we have word that his Mom who is 96 has pneumonia and is in the hospital as well. This was a great respite for him and he had a wonderful time. His brother Bill's memorial service is yet to be planned so hopefully he'll be able to assist with that.
We had a wonderful first Russian Thanksgiving with our new friends here. We climbed our Rapunzali-like staircase of 120 steps to our friend Kat's apartment carrying all our Thanksgiving offerings: turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, apple crisp, gravy, wine and ice. We are thankful we lived to the top!! It was a fun evening with 8 other Americans and Lexi who is a 6 year old Russian orphan girl who was adopted recently by Kate, the teacher I'm subbing for. Kat (whose apartment it was at) had the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on and broadcast it on the brick wall of her living room. Of course this was Lexi's first Thanksgivng so she was thrilled with the balloon characters in the parade, but mostly with watching her giant shadow. That was a highlight for us! She's a beautiful child! We corrupted her by showing her how Americans put olives on their fingers to eat on Thanksgiving. You DO do that don't you??? It's a tradition in our family.
On our last weekend together here we spent Saturday touring the Peter and Paul Fortress and bought a couple of prints for our home in Juneau that remind me of where I live here. We toured the prison where they housed all the dissidents. They made it sound like a hotel but lit sure didn't look like any I've stayed in except for one in Sardinia. So many young people were hung because of their political beliefs. Hopefully, we will continue to respect people with opposing views in our democracy. On Sunday we went to the Smolny Cathedral which looks like a huge blue and white wedding cake and then took a long walk home by the Neva River. It was in the low 40's out so Tom took his coat off and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. He received many stares from the Russian people out walking and a few smiles. At least now we know how to get them to smile! In the afternoon we went back to the Hermitage to gaze once again at the art work of Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, Cezanne, Leonardo da Vinci and all those important folks. The evening was spent seeing the opera "Aida" and then off to bed since Monday is a work day for me and Tom has to pack to leave for California. He was so happy to have come and experience St. Petersburg for ten days.
Tom and I experienced our first Russian traffic accident together. Ron was driving us and my two teaching friends Kat and Lindsey to our school play that the high schoolers were putting on. We were stalled in traffic and literally not moving when we were hit by a SUV. Nobody was injured and all we knew to do was pretend we couldn't speak Russian when the police showed up, which wasn't a stretch for us. Lindsey did speak the language but was told never to in these situations. An electric tram bus was coming into the intersection when the SUV guy decided he could race it. It hooked on his back bumper and pulled him into us. Fortunately, we are all fine but the car will need a little makeover. The funny thing is that on Friday we had school colors day so Ron sprayed his hair blue and white for the festivities. Can you imagine him at a Russian police station with blue and white hair trying to explain in English what happened? Talk about
credibility! Fortunately the American Consulate intervenes in these situations so they were there as well. Ron is not at fault and all is good. It truly is a wonderful world.
There are so many interesting characters in my daily life here. As I enter my apartment building I have to punch in a code and am greeted (in Russian of course) by the concierge on duty that day. We always have a conversation in our native languages but still are able to communicate a little. Elsa always wears a beige beret and loves Russian mystery novels, Elsa knits and watches Russian soap operas, and Tatiana sorts through old black and white family photos. I would love to know more about their lives but the language is a barrier for sure. They love Marlo, Ron's dog, who I walk everyday after school and always have milkbones to give her. Sweet ladies!
Not to be forgotten is my Russian alarm clock that goes off at unpredictable times from midnight to 6 a.m. Here's how it works. The men here (well some of them anyway) seem to go out to the clubs and pubs and other sudsy establishments to socialize every night of the week and stumble their way back to wherever they go laughing, yelling, sometimes fighting and setting off firecrackers. I wake up wondering where I am. Don't these people have jobs? Probably not, unfortunately! Somehow they enter the courtyard below my apartment to serenade each other (or maybe it's me!). Rude awakening! I'm tempted to get a dozen eggs and pelt them out the window! One night I awoke to someone singing "Ave Maria" in a beautiful tenor voice. At first I thought I had expired in the night. It was just my drunken angel. He hasn't returned since then. Meanwhile my battery alarm clock continues to wake me at 5:30 a.m. For variety sake firecrackers are lit off as well though I prefer to call them fire devils!
Then there's the Music teacher who is Iranian and is quite an accomplished composer and pianist here but teaches elementary music to make ends meet. If the children misbehave they have to sing the musical scale in front of the class. I have to leave the room to save my sanity and my ears! He teaches with an Iranian accent which is very difficult to understand. They kids are now learning Holiday songs to sing at a Winter Concert....mostly American tunes like Frosty the Snowman, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, Deck The Halls, and Auld Lang Syne. The children's accents are so adorable as they sing. And they do LOVE to sing inspite of the scale torture!
Tom and I took nightly walks around the city after dinner while he was here. Every building is lit up with lights which accent the architecture which is amazing and on a very grand scale. New Year's is the big winter holiday here so the decorations and lights are starting to go up. We navigate ourselves around the city by the canals and church steeples. They act as lighthouses for us guiding our walks.
A few funnies from the week:
Heidi, a red-haired, freckled faced American girl was trying to comfort a boy who was crying because he didn't want to go to gym because he had a runny nose. She said in her matter of fact American accent, " Oh, just suck it up and deal with it. You'll survive!" He did!!!
We've been making lots of paper quilts and reading wonderful quilt books. Most of the kids didn't know what a quilt was so I showed them some of my quilts I've made on my Facebook page. Bringing in REAL things is a bit difficult here so we make do. The math involved and visual problem solving has been a fun way to integrate the curriculum with the wonderful quilt books I brought along. I wish I had a sewing machine here so we could make a real classroom quilt, but OH WELL! As everyone reminds me, "You're not in Kansas anymore!" Or Alaska!!
Love to all!
Kathy
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