My Bubbling Teapot

It all started when the guy that lives with us flattened the front of our vehicle when he met another vehicle when sliding through an icy intersection. No, let's back up. A few weeks prior, I was taking Allison to the dentist. Now in Poland parking spaces are all meant for compact fiats not mini vans. I was wheeling into a promising looking parking spot when I kissed the fender of an innocent car beside me. Horrified, I parked and climbed out. I rubbed the scratch and it seemed to disappear to my relief. I needed to find the owner, but I had no idea where he was in the three floors of this public building. And what would I do if I did find him. I had no idea how to tell him in Polish what happened. Many bumpers in Poland sport dents and scratches, but I still wanted to be honest. I took Allison into the building and when I returned later, I saw the car speeding away. I still feel a tinge of guilt about that. But back to my story. The same day, I rode with John and sat in the car ...

When we lived in America on the way town, my boys would count basket ball hoops... now they count roadside shrines. When we lived in America, my children never rode on trains... now they are quite familiar with all kinds of public transportation, trains, trams, buses, and metro... When we lived in America, my children wouldn't have thought twice about the cashiers at Walmart... now they whisper in amazement, Mom, that lady speaks English!!!... My children talk about rondos, markets, street vendors, tutors, bigos, pierogis, gates and fences, drunks, Warsaw, and fiats like they are normal life. Which indeed they are!!! Their world has expanded to a new culture. In fact, this is the culture they know. This is their home! I always get ecstatic when I think about furlough. My heart hammers as I think of this summer and the ten weeks we will spend in America. For me, I will be returning home, to the comfortable, the familiar, the life I knew. But for my children, they will be leaving the...

What better atmosphere for opening hearts than sitting around a candlelit room sipping cups of tea? Once every two months, we open our homes in this way and invite our friends and students to get together and share their hearts with one another. This isn't always easy for them. Normally, they are very private people and only have one or two close friends. And most of them are not believers. Our theme for the evening was "Treasures" and each woman was to bring something that represented treasure to her and tell us why. It was amazing some of the original things that the ladies brought...a ring of car keys (it meant that her husband was home with her son and she had an evening all to herself)... a locket (the picture of her mother and grandfather was priceless and the memories precious) ...a wedding ring (the love of her husband)... a dried rosebud ( the rose that her husband gave to her before they were married and was romantic and before he became so practical) ... an ol...

Just when we think winter can't get colder, it does. It doesn't often get below zero, but it is now and seems to be here to stay.Today we woke up and it was snowing. Because of the cold weather, my window sills were already coated with ice and now there is snow drifting up the panes. I can't help but say it is lovely. And, every winter, even when I'm sick of snow, snow, snow, I can't help but gaze in awe at every beautiful new layer. The disadvantage of winter is our cold house. Our furnace just can't keep up heating this drafty house, and so we shiver. We try to stay close to the heaters and only venture to an outer, icy room when absolutely necessary. I was just thinking what a weight loss program spring will be. Taking off all the layers of sweatshirts and pants can only make a person feel slimmer, right? Amid the winter doldrums, we try to lead a normal life. Snow doesn't mean school cancellations like in Oregon or Virginia, or the people here would keep...

I'm amazed every winter how much "stuff" that we need to remember every time we walk out the front door. Yesterday was no exception as we bundled everyone up and headed out to the pond for the first ice skating of the year. As usual, I was beginning to wonder if it was worth it. There is nothing more frustrating than to spend fifteen minutes putting on your children's snow things than to have the children back inside in five minutes because they're cold or the snow doesn't pack right or they have snow inside their boots. I was thinking these thoughts as the usual winter dressing room became a madhouse. "Allison, do you have your scarf?" "Mom, where are my gloves?" "Austin, don't forget to take your stocking cap!!!" "Mom, I can't find any more socks. I looked everywhere." "Derek, do you have to got the bathroom? Remember, there isn't any at the pond!" MMMMOMMM, I can't find my boots!!!" ...

Imagine watching the spectacular 4th of July fireworks display along the Willamete river bank in Harrisburg, Oregon... now imagine this all around you for twenty minutes nonstop... that is how our town of Minsk welcomed 2006. Every year we are impressed again at the impressive sight... fireworks popping off everywhere... people out in the middle of deserted snowy streets, drunk and wishing everyone happiness in the coming year...apartment windows flinging open and champagne spilling out and streamers floating down to the street below... one year we witnessed a group of youngsters braking bottles all over a busy intersection... a few minutes of glory and then the people return to the warm houses and their all night party. Really????!!! My friend looked unbelieving when I told her that in America where we lived we might have heard three gunshots or a horn honking for one minute, but we never had such a wild celebrations. She seemed quite incredulous. Maybe a bit how I felt when friends t...