Attic

I live in a very old farmhouse.  I'm not sure how old, but I've been told it predates WWI.  Since it was first constructed, the house has had two additions put on while it was owned by my great-grandparents.  The downstairs is in pretty good shape, but we have terrible insulation that makes is hot in the summer and cold in the winter upstairs.  This week we finally had an energy audit to figure out what we could do to make it more energy efficient. 

We had go up to the attic.

The door to the attic is actually in my room, the room where I keep all of my earthly possessions while I travel the world.  I have never opened the door and had no idea what could be up there, except for two Christmases ago a bat got into my room through the attic and nearly scared my cousin and me to death.  So we opened the door and went up a few stairs to move the board covering the entrance to the attic.  Vermiculite came raining down and we didn't stay long.

After the energy audit guy left, my mom and uncle decided they need to go up there again to see the situation.  I didn't go up very far, but I snapped a few pictures.  We found an old school project on milk, a suitcase, a stained glass window, and some World War 1 pants (I don't know if that's what they are but they look military-esque and have a draw string).  We also found my Grandpa Jim's baby book!  His mother had written entries for things like Baby's First Visitors, First Steps, First Baptism, and First Pair of Shoes.

I think we're going to have to put on a new roof soon to fix the insulation problems.  And hopefully cover up all the vermiculite before anyone gets cancer.  

Grandpa Jim reading his baby book

Everyone Loves Xiao Mei

So I'm going to post some pictures of her!

Family Game Night: Masterpiece

It was a good Christmas

It was a snowboarding in Utah, 42 inches of falling snow, bake off where everyone wins, love to my family, love from my Savior, Christmas Eve service and crazy wrapping paper throwing during the every growing cousins gift exchange, waking to cinnamon rolls and lots of cousins kind of Christmas.  It was pretty much the best kind. 

I actually miss Christmas and the anticipation of it all.  It’s a good thing we start celebrating in November.  There’s no way we’d be able to fit in all the joy if we only started after Thanksgiving. 

Now it’s a much needed haircut, sitting by the fire, singing carols at the retirement home, custard and coffee, shop till you drop, cousins from the other side, games every night, trying to get the Christmas letter postmarked before 2011 week in-between Christmas and New Years.

I spent the morning doing things to bring in a good new year: resume updating, moving around money, planning, praying, and journaling. 

I’m ready to leave the snow for a tropical vacation after the New Year…

Xiao Mei, Metro Christmas Trees, and other Decemberisms

Well not too much/a lot has happened lately (depending on which hour you ask me).  I feel like this blog is about my travels and life in Moscow and I haven't done much of either.  No traveling in the past... 3 weeks.  And not much Moscow living, because I've been either working or sleeping. I took a week off from social life 2 weeks ago.  It was really, really cold that week too.  But I've been out more this week.  I know this is totally a blogging cop-out, but here are some pictures to speak for what I've been up to lately.

So since December has began, we've celebrated Xiao Mei's 7th birthday,

 

 and decorated the Christmas tree!

I had dinner at ГУМ with a friend on Wednesday and was delighted to see their spectacular Christmas decorations, including this Metro-themed tree,

and a lot of other trees too,

a castle/slide in the middle of the mall,

 and fancy gingerbread (not really) houses.

I have 4 more days of teaching 6th grade Humanities, and 5 days until I fly to the US!

Productivity

Despite what you may think, 4:30am is a great time of the day.  Especially if you're involuntarily waking up due to a condition that I just learned is also known as desynchronosis. 

So besides looking up different ways to say "jet lag," yesterday and today I have done the following things between the hours of 4:30am and 10:00am:

- Learned how to make delicious scrambled eggs (the key is heating the pan with butter and  sour cream, keep them moving with a rubber spatula, and don't add salt & pepper till almost the end)
- Cooked Tommy fried rice
- Played poker with oatmeal cream pies
- Listened to podcasts
- Downloaded new music
- Took my dog for a walk
- Uploaded and edited photos
- Took a nap
- Got a job
- Dyed Tommy's hair

Wedding #4

I'm at a hotel in Mansfield, Ohio, and there is a pad of paper next to me that says "thought pad."  what am I thinking now?

i'm thinking that the wedding today was pretty great.  my cousin, Tim, is a great guy and I can tell that his new wife is a really sweet, dedicated person and they're going to be really happy together.  it was so fun to see my extended family again and we had a good time at the wedding, and afterward playing cards and getting dinner.

I'm thinking about my wedding, on 11/11/11.  Groom TBD.

i'm thinking about how great is the new Arcade Fire album, especially the first 8 songs which are all I've heard so far.

i'm thinking about the book i just bought, Hipster Christianity.  Yes, I actually bought this book.  I was initially hesitant, but upon further inspection I discovered that a.) it is actually about something meaningful, not just satire or shallow observations of hipsters, b.) the font looked like a book I would have read in college, and c.) I opened it up to a random page that was describing the different type of hipsters and one was called "Expats;" it went on to reference Rilke, Lost in Translation, the band Air, and H&M.  After reading the introduction and first chapter, I am not disappointed with the purchase. 

I'm thinking how I started out writing in all lowercaps, but quit because I couldn't take the incorrect punctuation.

And now I'm thinking I want to go to sleep.

Electrici-hy

So I've heard rumor of rain in Moscow.  Can anyone confirm this?

Speaking of rain, I was going to post something last night, but we had a thunderstorm that knocked out all the electricity for an hour or so.  It was around 10:30pm and we were at Grandma's when it happened.  She lit two kerosene lamps.  I don't think I had ever seen a working kerosene lamp before.  It was like being on Little House on the Prairie!

We lit a bunch of candles at home, and realized that everything we were incapable of doing anything we would normally be doing (watching TV, being on the internet, anything requiring running water or pluming, listening to Odysseys...).  So what else was there to do in a thunderstorm with no electricity at 11pm, but to eat ice cream? 

Speaking of ice cream (or celebrations calling for ice cream), today is Grandma Norma and Grandpa Jim's 54th wedding anniversary.  Congratulations!  As I write this, she is telling him to put on socks, and drilling holes in the wall to install a rail so it's easier to walk.  Now that's love.  

Speaking of love, I love my new hair!  I'm remembering all the things I loved about having short hair before.  Being able to wash it in the sink is tops.  Taking half the time to get ready is a close second.  Third is probably looking more my age (aka not 17), although a lot of people say I look more like my mom now.  AND after someone on facebook pointed it out, I realized that pretty much everyone is getting the same hair cut!  So much for originality.  Oh well, my head still feels light and free in the summer heat.

(PS "Electrici-hy" should be said in your best Billy Elliot accent)

Jake's Wedding Pictures

My little brother got married!

See pictures here.  The photographer, Brian Mullins, did a great job.  He was also very prepared: "Hello, Bridesmaids!  I'm the photographer.  I have safety pins and thread if you need anything!"

But this one, taken by my grandma, is my favorite...

Feel free to add captions

Flying to the Wedding

It feels like the 80's
when we were much smaller
but somehow felt bigger than now

come summer my brother
you say you will marry
by this time next year it will be

you came with a ring
the obvious thing
and we were all smiling so wide

it feels like the 80's
when we were much smaller
but somehow felt bigger than now

it feels like the 80's
when our world was honest
it sometimes feels less honest now

the love of another
the cradle and cover
by this time next year will it be

we long for this things
these obvious things
when we can feel complete inside

it feels like the 80's
when our world was honest
but nothing feels more honest now
more honest now... 

~Denison Witmer

Prayers for Norma Jean

Pray for my Grandma Norma's ankle to get better.  She slipped on a step in her flooded basement Wednesday and was in a lot of pain Thursday.  We're going to the doctor's today for x-rays because we're pretty sure it's broken.  She does so much that people don't see and being immobile is really difficult for her.  It's just the way she's always been.  She has been taking care of my grandpa who has a very difficult time getting around.  Plus, my brother's wedding is in a week and she'll need to travel ("even if I'm coming in a wheelbarrow," she said).

The one day flood

So I'm home for a while.  And by home I mean my secret home in Iowa where all my possessions collect like a museum of my life, all the photographs and memories crammed into one upstairs room of an old farmhouse that I periodically sort through and fall into nostalgia.  I wanted to write about this today, but a few things came up...

After a long drive through the back roads of Wisconsin and Iowa, I arrived home to my mom and Tommy.  We ate dinner at Grandma Norma's next door and picked green beans and cabbage from her garden because she said it was going to rain the next day.  I was so happy to have a few quiet, uneventful days.

haha.

First, there was the flooding this morning.

By afternoon the rain had subsided, but there was still water in our basement and Grandma's, too.  Our basement is very dingy and I go down there as little as possible, but I managed to take a couple pictures from the stairs.

Then Grandma Norma twisted her ankle on a step going to her basement.  My mom took her to the ER for x-rays, but they couldn't tell what was wrong.  We're going to a foot specialist in Cedar Rapids tomorrow.

So like I said, quiet and uneventful...

I also made banana bread and researched family genealogy today, while watching Little House on the Prairie, and 4 episodes of M*A*S*H with Grandpa Jim while my mom and grandma were at the ER.

Breakfast at the Amish

One of the greatest things about being in rural Iowa is the Amish community: the Bump & Dent stores and especially the bakery.

It's open Friday and Saturday mornings, so we try to go whenever we're at home.  Pies, pastries, bread, cookies, mini pies, and kolaches all homemade and sold at ridiculously affordable prices.

 Oh deliciousness. 

Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, and Tommy

The Summer Search

The theme of this summer has been seeing where God is working and join in, for however long I am there.  Traveling around (a lot!), I've seen Jesus in a youth community center, in a hospital waiting room, and in the blessed union of marriage.

But I never really expected to see Him like this.  I had anticipated a few weeks of relaxing, spending time with family, and maybe finding another organization to volunteer with.

Ever since Grandma hurt her ankle, I've gotten a much bigger feel for how her life goes.  It's to the tune of mowing the lawn, gardening, taking care of the dog, helping grandpa to the bathroom and with most everything else, making and serving dinner, clearing away dishes, and a million other little things.  I don't know what she would do if my mom weren't here now. 

And now, as I sit eating dinner in front of a TV watching The Lawrence Welk Show and British comedies on PBS, I know that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Many thanks to, Anna, who teaches me to see Jesus in unlikely places.

PS I don't think American TV from 1967 was much different from what they were seeing in the Soviet Union.  Ah, it never gets old.

Home-ish

I’m “home” now, so long as home is where most of your material possessions are kept. Because we only live in the house a few months out of the year, we don’t have Internet there. I can bring my computer to my grandparents next door, but it’s pretty slow here, so I haven’t written in a few days. Also, Jake’s at camp and he’s about 33% of my readership.

My mom, Tommy, and I got here late Tuesday night and since then have been to the dentist, eye doctor, the Christian bookstore, K-Mart, and the Olive Garden- the usual stops. Our house here belonged to my great-grandparents, Alfred and Florence (definitely using those for my kids). It was built in the 19-teen's and an addition was put on in the 1950's, I think. We want to do some ремонт (repairs, renovation) to the upstairs, like painting and re-carpeting and getting me a real bed, so Mom and I looked at paint samples and furniture today. We've also been doing some deep cleaning and sorting out clothes. Try putting half your possessions in a house and only coming to it every 6 months, and you’ll see how things pile up and how disconnected you get from your possessions. I'm finally starting to give away some of the junky clothes from high school I was keeping for sentimental reasons. Of course, I always get caught up reading old journals and letters, and it slows me down.
 

There are dead ladybugs everywhere that we still need to vacuum, too. But it's good to be "home."

Unholy Contact

When I was in 9th grade I went to a youth group in Beijing called Potter's Wheel.  At one Wednesday night meeting we were supposed to discuss in small groups things that made us feel "holy" or "unholy."  Then we all came back and talked about it with everyone.

The most common answers for "holy" were things like reading your Bible, praying, talking to friends about God, etc.  For "unholy," people said things like sinning, lying, and forgetting to read your Bible.  Except for one guy, whose answer I'll always remember.  He said, "I feel unholy when I have a contact that won't go in."  I thought that is so true!

I woke up this morning about 20 minutes before we all went to church.  I seriously needed coffee and my right contact wouldn't go in.  Well, it went in, but hurt like crazy and I didn't have time to go into battle with it right then.  So I drove to church (one-eyed) with my cousin Renee and was kind of out of it the whole service.  Then we went to Sunday School and I still hadn't fully woken up.  And my eye still hurt.

After that we had only a couple of minutes before we had to rush over to Maple Street Baptist, the church that sponsors Joshua Christian Academy, so that my cousin Abby could recite some verses with other students for their service.  The kids did a fantastic job (I'm not sure I can recite the 10 Commandments, Psalms 1 and 23, and sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic!).  But I was in a really bad mood and felt incredibly impatient with the kids.  Despite it being Sunday and going to 2 churches,  I felt quite unholy.  On the drive home, I had to take a few deep breaths and assess the situation.  Why was I feeling so crabby?  Was I having a spiritual crisis?  What was the real problem?

The answer: my unholy contact.

Once I had identified that as the main cause of my anxiety, it was a lot easier to deal with everything.  I've even had a pretty good day since then.  I didn't feel holy (or happy), but that didn't mean that something was deeply wrong.  It was just a matter of not freaking out over how I was feeling and addressing the real problem, which was easily fixed. 

So what makes you feel unholy?  What do you do about it?

Free, free, we're free at last

You've never heard of Juneteenth?  Before today, neither had I.  But apparently it is a recognized holiday in 36 US states!

So what is it?  Well, although Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect January 1, 1863, some folks in Texas didn't know until June 19, 1865.  So Juneteenth commerates the day when all the slaves were finally free.  The name comes from a combination of June and Nineteenth.  I wonder how many of these holidays are hiding out that I don't know about just because I'm white?

A few years ago, my aunt Chris became involved with an African American church and helped them start a private, Christian school for K-3rd grade called Joshua Christian Academy.  Last year it opened with 8 students (including my 7-year-old cousin... if you go to the site I think you'll be able to figure out which one she is).  This fall they're going to have 25!  The school wants to limit the class sizes to 15 and add a grade every year.  It's a pretty amazing story, and I want to write more on it later.

So today, Juneteenth, there was a parade in Des Moines and JCA had students walk and a van drive in it.  It had been quite stormy the past few days, but the sun was bright and shining this morning.  We all wore red for the school colors and walked about 15 blocks, throwing candy and waving to people.  I'll admit- I felt pretty white :-)  There weren't as many kids on the route as we expected, but we still threw out lots of candy.  I love parades in Iowa.  They have always been a big part of summers for me here.  

After the parade, there was going to be booths and live music in the park where we ended, but my cousins and I only helped set up for that.  I kind of wish we could have stayed longer, because the music sounded like it was going to be good.

Anyway, so now you know.  Happy Juneteenth!

Freedom for Youth

My cousin, Becca, is a Christian Ministry major and is doing a summer internship at an organization called Freedom for Youth.  I'm tagging along with her this week.  Their Freedom Center campus is so cool.  I'm amazed at how beautiful the buildings and everything look; I was assured that God is responsible for the design because he provided the right landscapers.  It is located in a shady part of town, but once you enter the property, it looks like a little old Western town.  It truly is a safe refuge.  

Shops and the Art Studio; These buildings here are used for Freedom Quest (teenagers) classes during the school year, such as pottery, bicycle repair, wood-shop, metal works, gardening, drama, etc. 

Sonshine Kidz is the summer program for elementary aged children.  It is held every Mon, Tues, and Wed from 11am-1pm.  I can't post any pictures of the children, but believe me, they're adorable.  There are mainly African American, Hispanic, and newly immigrated (so far, I've met kids from Kenya and Tanzania).  The kids arrive and we eat lunch (delivered every day by the grace of God), hear a Bible lesson, play games outside, and spend time reading.  I especially like the emphasis on reading and writing.  Today, we played with chalk.

Can you tell which one is me?

After Sonshine Kidz, the teenagers came in the afternoon to earn "Sweat Points" for summer camp.  I think they need to earn 30 points (hours) to go, and they do jobs around the campus to earn them.  I weeded for a few hours with a group of them and got a little sunburned.  Two of the girls taught Becca and me a routine from a workout dvd called Hip-Hop Abs.  I'm working on a dance move called the Washing Machine and I'll leave it up to your imagination as to what all that entails.

Freedom for Youth was founded in 2003 and they acquired this property in 2006.  They meet so many needs, including homework help, mentoring, skills classes, chapels, feeding program, community closet, and even transitional living for 18-22 yr olds.  The kids are given the opportunity to sell the what they make in class (metalwork, woodwork, pottery) a few times a year at a Country Market.  After spending time at the campus, I can tell that the staff and volunteers are relying on God to meet all their needs and keeping him in the center of what they do.  It all seems so simple there.  Do God's will and have faith that things will work out as long as he wills.

I loved being with 11-15 year olds again.  I need to keep my "teacher edge" even in the summer ;-)  We shared stories about our lives, and even talked about the effects of the fall of communism in Russia.  It was awesome.  Even having to reprimand a few girls for bringing a water fight indoors felt so natural to me and not burdensome.

Today took a lot of energy, but I felt like I was exactly where I'm supposed to be.  Even if it's only for this week.  God is at work all over the world.  He really is the best volunteer organizer, with a global network of people moving all the time.  I'm so encouraged to see a place functioning so well and making a tangible difference in a community.  The people I have met here are truly Spirit-filled and have left me longing for more of that in my life.

Chinese food + Mothers = VICTORY

So this weekend was Victory Day which means the entire country of Russia went on vacation and had picnics.  I went on my first Russian picnic today, with shashlik in Sereberyanyy Bor. Sunday there was pretty awesome parade, which I watched on TV, glancing out the window to see airplanes on their way to Red Square.  Since the city was going to be crowded, we celebrated Mother's Day Saturday night.  We went to a Chinese restaurant called Дружба (Friendship) and had authentic cuisine- way more so than what you get in the US (ie no florescent sweet & sour pork or General Tsao (whoever he is)).  It was DELICIOUS. As for Moscow prices, quantity, and quality you really can't beat this.  We ordered 5 dishes (with rice and tea) and each could have fed 2.  Chinese style, of course, which means sharing everything. 

Here are some pictures to make you jealous:

Look how much we had left over!

NYC...

I need to get up to meet friends for brunch and rifle shooting.  More on that later ;-)

Here is beautiful New York from last Saturday with my lovely friend Megan.