Stuff Happens

Somehow or other, I feel like I've come through a long dark swamp. I had a dream last night, that even though I don't remember all the details, seemed to put a whole bunch of stuff into perspective for me. I woke up very early (for me), somewhere close to 5:00 am and couldn't go back to sleep. That means I got less than 5 hours of sleep, so we'll see how I do through the rest of the day. :) But I feel more relaxed than I've felt in several weeks.

So, what have I been doing? Hmmm. Interesting question. Staying close to the flat, rarely leaving it, in fact. My eye is the same, my vision is not good, and I still fear tripping and falling. Whenever I do walk anywhere, I walk with someone, preferably Mel, so I can hold on to him in the rough patches. There are a lot of rough patches here. Poor man!

But I have to admit, I'm bored with this flat. Sick and tired of the heat and humidity. Tired of reading the same old stuff on the internet every day. Tired of weaving. Tired of embroidering. Can't find my new cross-stitch project (where in the world did I put it????). Do not want to step foot into the kitchen (due to heat mostly).

Actually, I'd love to go on vacation. Where? Hmmm. Another interesting question. A few years ago I would automatically have said, "Scotland!" Or maybe I'd have said, "Egypt again!" Or maybe I'd have even said, "Greenland!" Of all those destinations, Greenland is the only one that sounds even remotely interesting - and safe! Oh, I'd like to go visit New Zealand, too, but that's not exactly close, and it's not exactly safe right now either (depending on where you are at of course - the earthquakes are located mostly in one area).

The earth continues to rumble. Radiation continues to spew up into the air in Japan (did you know that? The main stream media does not report on it - you have to go digging to find out what's happening over there. Click on link to read the latest info from Arnie Gundersen of Fairwind Associates.)

In fact, it makes me wonder - when was the last time you thought about Chile? People died in a big earthquake there not so long ago and there are still after shocks happening. A large volcano, Cordon Caulle, has been continuously erupting for a couple months now on the Chile/Argentina border. Click on the link - absolutely stunning photos! Amazing amounts of snow have fallen in Chile this winter (yes, it's winter there!) - so much that the storms are being called "storms of the century!" which is ridiculous since it's only 2011 and the century has just begun and no one knows what the storms will be like in 24 years.

When was the last time you thought about Christchurch, New Zealand? The aftershocks continue to rumble there, more buildings fall down each time, the city center is a ghost town, whole subdivisions are falling to pieces due to landslides, etc. It's pretty amazing, really, what God is doing to a town that bears His Son's title! But when I've looked at photos on The Landslide Blog, mostly I'm amazed and awed at what God does. Check them out: Images of landslides from the Christchurch earthquake Part 1. Be sure to check out all five parts!!

I could write more, about the volcano in Hawaii and it's recent lava lake collapse (really cool video avaiable at YouTube - just do a search). Or about the volcano, Nabro, that erupted without warning in Eretria.

Or about Comet Elenin. Good grief! There is so much garbage out there on the web about this comet, it is amazing! NASA had to take down one of their sites on it due to all the End of the World conspiracy junk people were posting. I'm sure they did not want to be a forum for spreading false information and having their name associated with it. (just guessing)

And the guy who insists that there have been volcanic emissions of some sort coming out of Southern California, actually in an area that Mel and I traveled through and played tourists in about 18 months ago. He's also into HAARP conspiracies, weather modification and other stuff. I'd laugh, but it's too serious of a problem, what he's doing, to laugh about it.

Sometimes I just have to laugh, though. The world has gone crazy! (It's a sad kind of laughter, you see.)

Literally crazy.

Rioting in London and other parts of Great Britain. Riots in Syria, with the government there actually killing close to 2,000 of their own people (maybe more, info is hard to get out of the country right now) in attemps to quell the 'problem'. Flash mobs in the US. Riots in Greece, Spain. Sit-in in Israel.

And so much more. The world has gone crazy.

And I watch it from my little computer, in my little flat, in my little city which fortunately remains calm and somewhat normal. What IS normal??? :) :)

Today the sky is very gray and it's much cooler, altho still over 80 degrees here at my desk, according to my thermometer. It sprinkled earlier, was dripping just a bit when I got up. We have really needed the rain - hope we get some more.

So, in the mean time, the grapes are ripening on the balcony, my grandson is getting ready to go back to school this week, my granddaughter is growing like a little weed, and life continues. And I pray for them continually.

I'm glad I dreamed last night. I feel so much better about it all. :) :)

Really!

Bits 'n Pieces

It's snowing quite heavily here in Kherson tonight. Wonder what it will be like in the morning. We have guests arriving on the morning train from Kiev. Mel will be in meetings most of the day and I'm supposed to meet with the women on our team and Tracy, the woman on the train, sometime in the afternoon. Could be an interesting day. I do NOT like to walk in the snow here because I have no idea what is under the snow - ground, a crack or a hole. Sigh. We'll see. I would rather stay inside and work on my embroidery and weaving! (Still have to warp the loom again. That sounds so cool to me - "I still have to warp the loom." heh heh)

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In my reading around the net tonight I came across some articles about "loud booms" that people are hearing. Most are reported in the States, but they've been heard all over the world.

A few months ago, while I was sitting at the dining room table in the evening up at my parents place, working on Eithnee's baby blanket, I heard a boom. No one else heard it. The television was off or I would never have heard it myself. I actually thought there had been a gas explosion down in Woodland Park or even in Green Mountain Falls. It sounded far away and "deep". I even wondered if it wasn't deep in the earth beneath the house.

Years ago my dad was digging under the main part of the house, thinking about making an area to store some home canned fruits or something (he likes to dig, says it's his Welsh heritage) and he came across a crack in the earth. He shined a flashlight down it and dropped a couple rocks but never saw nor heard the bottom. He stopped digging. I figured it is just a space between a couple boulders - their house is on the side of a mountain after all! When I heard that boom, I wondered if something had dropped down there somewhere, way down. The house didn't shake, the dogs didn't react, I didn't see the cats so I have no idea if they reacted or not. I asked Mom later if she'd heard it, but no, she hadn't. Considering she is almost deaf, that did not surprise me. I watched for the newspaper when it came out (a weekly) and there was no news about an explosion in it. Nor was there on any of the television stations the next day.

Now I wonder. Is the boom I heard similar to the booms other people are hearing? If so - what are they??????? No one seems to know what is causing them, according to the articles I read tonight.

Strange.

I've not forgotten that boom, nope I have not. In fact, that's part of the reason the first article caught my eye. I thought it was really weird then, I think it's really weird now. {shivers} ha ha!

Most people have music playing all the time, or the television blaring away, or kids yelling and playing around. Very few people listen to silence any more. But I love silence. When you listen to silence you hear things - like unexplained loud booms far away!

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Mel reminded someone today that we are in a spiritual battle. I needed to hear that. Several things have been said or have happened since we got back to Ukraine that I am really struggling with. Because I already struggle with depression in the winter, and because I'm convinced that we are on the verge of some very, very difficult times in our world and possibly even the Great Tribulation (which I think the Church will go through), I am always processing things in my mind through those glasses. I needed to hear again that it is a spiritual battle, not a physical battle, that causes me so much struggle. I need to keep in the Word more, I need to pray more. It's not "I should", it's I NEED to do these things.

I listened to a sermon tonight and I listened to 10 chapters of John from a free audio download I found on Biblegateway.com. While I work on the embroidery or weaving I try to remember to pray. I pray for the person the item is for, and I pray for family and friends here and at home and anything else that comes to mind. I do my level best not to just sit and think. When I just sit and think I often end up going over and over and over and over in my mind things that were said, things that were done, hurts, angers, and so forth. Why is it I can't sit and think of lovely, peaceful, calm, holy things naturally?? Sigh. But that's the way I am. So, I'm going to try and download some more of the free Books of the Bible and find a way to listen to them as I work. I found it very interesting to listen to John as I played a simple game that didn't require paying attention to.

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I should get ready and go to bed. I don't think I'm going to go to sleep very soon (too much coffee too late in the day), but I am tired and I just need to think. Of course, I need to remember what I wrote in the previous section about "just thinking"!

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Last night I dreamed a dream. Someday I'll start a book with that as the first sentence.

Last night I dreamed a dream. It started out with me being John Wayne, driving a herd of cattle and one lone buffalo to market. It morphed into me, the me me, not the John Wayne me, teaching a bunch of kids all about buffalo at a Visitor's Center at some National Park somewhere, but there were no buffalo in the Center, altho I went from exhibit to exhibit explaining in detail what everything was to those very interested kids. Poor kids! Then I suddenly was trying to find a gift of a buffalo to Mel, but ended up giving him one of those bobble-headed dolls - a penguin bobble-head doll. Little gray penguin body, great big very round bobble-y head. Looked a lot like this guy, but without the blue hat:I have strange dreams sometimes.
(I'd never seen this photo before I went searching for a picture of a bobble-head penguin, so I didn't dream about it! ha ha ha)

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I would love to dream about a new house tonight. Wonder if I can convince my mind to do that. I have some of the most wonderful dreams about exploring new houses. Houses that have long corridors with lots of rooms opening up and windows to look out of and staircases to climb, and warmth. I've had several dreams of houses like that over the years. The houses go on and on and on and I'm going to live in it and make it my own and I love them. Strange since when I'm in a big house I rarely use more than two or three rooms on a regular basis. Shoot - even in this tiny flat we live in now I only go in the bedroom whenever I need to get clothes to wash or put away and at night to go to bed. Maybe if there was better light/bigger window and more room I'd go in there more often, but as it is, I spend 90% of my time in this office room or the livingroom. The rest in the kitchen with a bit in the two "little rooms".

Someday I would love a big house like that, tho. One that never needed cleaning, of course!

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I love this music, especially the piece, Ancient Spirits. I could listen to it over and over again.

Some Days are Diamonds...

...some days are stone. Today is stone, with a few little diamonds thrown in to make it livable.

Woke up at 4:30 this morning and thought to myself, "Wow! I feel great!" I lay there in bed wondering what I had done differently during the previous hours to cause myself to feel so good physically at that point. Finally went back to sleep around 6:30 still feeling great - and woke up at 8:30, aching all over. Ouch.

This happens every once in awhile. I have what I call 'A Really Good Day' with little or no arthritis pain anywhere in my body, a cheerful attitude and a general feeling of well-being all over. I don't know what causes them - or for that matter, what causes the typical day where I have aches and pains that are normal and livable. Then there are days like today where I can hardly move because I am so stiff and sore all over. I guess these things are "normal" and just a part of arthritis. I've wondered about fibromyalgia, but I don't think I have the other symptoms - and that's good.

So, I took a couple more ibuprofen about an hour ago and some of the pain in my right thumb has subsided, but I'm still feeling stiff and achy all over. Maybe it's the weather? Actually, I think there is some truth to that. It's much colder again today and a weather front is/has moved through. We were supposed to get snow but only a few diamond crystal flakes have fallen so far. Everything is covered in a very light coat and the trees are sparkling beautifully in the noon sunshine.

This song has little to do with what I was writing about, except for the title. I like the title. :-) I like the song, too. I think John Denver looks sad in this video.

Mel and Andrew just drove up to the top of the hill and parked their cars. Dad followed them up. It's supposed to snow, starting tonight, from 4 to 12 inches. We are supposed to go down to Westcliffe tomorrow to visit friends and supporters, but it's supposed to snow down there, too. We'll see what happens!

I'm holding Eithnee as I type. She's propped on the table and my left arm. My hands are free to type on the keyboard, altho I keep having a problem hitting wrong keys with the left hand due to the angle. :-) But it's worth it to me, just to hold her a bit more.

Eithnee must weigh over 8 pounds now. She is definitely growing like a weed. Her little cheeks have filled out, her arms and legs have filled out - but she is still very little for 10 weeks, or is it 11 now? She may be little, but believe me! She has personality and attitude. She is a grumpy little thing at times, but we think it's because her digestive system is still trying to catch up and she's a bit colicky. This past two weeks she has decided that she is a mama's girl and doesn't really want her Grandma Cindie very much. She is intrigued by the males in the house - loves to just lie in their arms and stare, stare, stare at them. But Grandma Cindie is only ok if she has a bottle to feed her. Now, it seems to me that Eithnee is very young to have a fixation on her mama. Usually this starts somewhat later - like around 8 months or later? Her Oma agrees - I guess she's not too fond of her Oma right now, either.

Actually, it seems to me that she is doing several things very early. From about 3 weeks of age - meaning before she was even supposed to be born yet! - she's been holding her head up by herself. She definitely has a "bobble head" but she holds it up just fine. She just can't control it very well yet as to whether it goes to the side, but front and back - yep.

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A new day! Kara came back upstairs last night and we sat and talked and I never got this post posted, so I'll finish it now - - I hope!

By the time we went to bed last night, it was kind of raining and snowing at the same time. This morning we woke up to at least 6 inches on the ground and heavy snow still falling. It's thinned out a bit in the last 45 minutes, but has also grown much darker. For almost 8 a.m. it looks like late evening instead.

I often tell people in Ukraine that we get the most snow from March to May. Well, it's the end of April and we are having our usual "April Blizzard". Good thing Mel, Andrew and Dad took the cars up last night!

There is a fire burning in the woodburner, but not much wood is up from the woodshed. Mel will help Dad (if Dad will let him) get up a couple wheelbarrows full after Dad runs the snow blower. My Dad is so darned independent that he hates to ask for help and will often just 'disappear' and go do things without telling anyone or asking anyone to help.

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I got a special thing in the mail yesterday. Well, actually it came via FedEx Ground.

For several years I've received a catalog from The Teaching Company. "The Teaching Company brings engaging professors into your home or car through courses on DVD, audio CD, and other formats. Since 1990, great teachers from the Ivy League, Stanford, Georgetown, and other leading colleges and universities have crafted over 250 courses for lifelong learners like you. It's the adventure of learning without the homework or exams."

A few years ago I ordered a course on the history of the English language for Mel and we both really enjoyed it. At the same time I ordered a course on the history of Rome for myself. Mel and I have both listened to about half of it. I hope to finish it when we get back to Ukraine. (I really enjoy the professor on this one - he has an interesting sense of humor.)

Last week I ordered two courses, "Cosmology: The History and Nature of Our Universe" and "Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy". The box arrived via FedEx Ground yesterday. I opened up the box to to make sure that everything was there, but I didn't open any of what was inside. Now I'm excited to open up the two packages inside and take a look at the course book. There are several DVDs and I'm really, really looking forward to getting into them. There are supposed to be several hundred photos from space.

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Ok, it's gotten so busy in here that I have to quit. It's been one interruption after another as I write and I can't keep a straight line of thought going for writing. I feel like it's all jagged bits coming out of my head and I can't really express myself very well. So, hopefully, I'll get back to another post before too long!

Snow!

No, not here. Here it is in the low 70's today. Snow in Colorado! Seems early - but it's not. :-)

near my parents place this morning Peak Now

down in the Wet Mountain Valley this morning Sangre de Cristo Mountains webcam

It Must Be Spring In Colorado

Last night I talked with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson via Instant Messaging. While we chatted, they sent me a few photos.

Dye-ing Easter Eggs! Look what I did! (Boy does he look like his papa in this photo!)They are having a terrific snow storm in their part of Colorado. Kara told me that when we were talking, they'd had by then already 12-15 inches of fresh snow. My father had gotten stuck in their long driveway and John had to help shovel him out. In some places where snow was left from the storm a few days earlier, the snow was over John's knees. I miss snow. We had no snow here in Kherson this winter, unless you want to call an inch of snow "snow".

Before going out to sled:Coming in at Grammy and Grampy's after sledding down the big hill. This is the last photo John sent, taken a couple hours after the photo above. My crazy son-in-law. This is something I would have done, with a shirt, shorts and shoes on of course - he just took it a few steps farther. We both love snow, altho neither one of us ski. :) :) :)

Second Snowfall

We had snow this morning when we got up. The streets in our district were very slick and the ground was white. Crushed snow footprints led from the outside door to the street. I even wore my new snowboots to church this morning. We called a taxi and he drove very slowly and carefully down the street, slowing way down and waiting patiently for a marshrutka that was pulling out from a bus stop (amazing!). We got about 3/4 of a mile away from our flat and voila! The snow disappeared. Looks like we got most of it, although it is possible that in other northern districts of the city they had some and maybe more than we did. There was barely a skiff of snow stuck in some of the sidewalk cracks near the building where we are currently meeting for church.

I took a photo when we got home late this afternoon: Fortunately, the roads were not slick any more. The sidewalk still is, though, so I'm glad I wore my boots. :)

May Blizzard

Our son, Peter, wrote on May 1 and said it was snowing in Colorado Springs. Today I checked my friends' blog, SDSue SD Ramblings, and found several photos of the blizzard up in South Dakota on the same day. I copied one :) and here it is:

Meanwhile, halfway around the world, this is what we saw the same day here in Ukraine:

I tell people this is true, but most people just can't quite believe it - the three snowiest months in Colorado are March, April and May! The good news is that the snow usually melts really fast during those 3 months, so it isn't piling up into 10 foot drift (usually).

I checked the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo giraffe cam on the 1st and sure enough, there was snow falling, but not sticking on the ground, just sticking on trees, grass and the boardwalk. The giraffes were missing, nicely tucked up in their warm Giraffe House, eating hay I am sure. The next day, the 2nd, the snow was all gone and the giraffes were out in the brilliant warm sunshine again, visiting with the people and begging for their crackers.

I miss wild weather.

Thoughts

Why does snow fall silently?

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I have had a thought in my mind for several days. Just a 'mind picture' that I cannot seem to do anything with at the moment. A single snow flake landing on a baby spruce tree branch. Winter cold, gray day, heavy skies, silent lacey flakes drifting down, silently, oh so silently one by one by thousands. Dried meadow grasses, standing stiff and frozen, coated with hoarfrost. The silence of the forest in winter, broken by the sharp crack of a tree freezing deeper in the icy cold. Silence. Crystal clear air, clean and fresh, cold and dry. The croaking call of a raven to his mate as he flies high above and out of sight. The darkness of the far pines and spruce fading into gray and finally disappearing as the flakes begin to fall faster and thicker.

But it all begins with one flake, drifting down and landing on a baby spruce tree and lodging between two needles.

I can feel it.
Hear it.
Smell it.
Almost taste it.
Live it again.
And again.
Once more.

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