Thinking of You

Happy Labor Day...

to all of our USA friends!  While you all were enjoying the day off at a picnic or on the beach, we were at school, starting our second full week with students.  Last week we experienced  our first days of inclement weather.  Not bad after a month of warm, sunny days with only one evening thunderstorm.

             This was last Tuesday morning.  A beautiful morning walking down the street on our way to school.

                       Tuesday, approaching the back gate to the school grounds.

                                Wednesday morning, same street, cold and rainy.

 

 

                             Evidently a perfect day for a snail to take a walk.

                       Again, Tuesday morning elementary line-up on the blacktop.

The elementary director of instruction monitoring students or playing?

 

 

                                                Tuesday after school soccer practice.

                                                Wednesday after school bus line-up

Wednesday after school student line-up at the coffee machine in the high school.

 

In just one day we went from summer to fall!  Thankfully, we were back to sunshine and warm weather yesterday and today.

 

 

 

Back to thinking of all of you...

 

So on Saturday we rode the marshutka (public bus) for the first time and found our way to the US Embassy to shop at the commissary.  We have decided that it won't be something we do often, but it is nice to know it's there and we can have a little taste of America if we need it.

 



These are the things we bought at the commissary that we can't find in Ukrainian grocery stores.  We ate that whole bag of potato chips as soon as we got back to our apartment!  I like the paprika flavored chips I found here, but I LOVE salt and vinegar chips!

 

 

 

Here are just a few other items we have with us in Kiev to remind us of "home".

 

 



 My bulletin board at school: a homemade going away card from Sean, one of my social studies students at St. James Middle; a picture of my little Chaleckis; and a card from my mom and dad.

 Here's a blast from the past!  I have taken this crazy statue with me to every school I've worked in.  It was a gift from Wade, one of my third graders back in Mansfield around 1987.  (Wade, if you're reading this...thank you!  It's a reminder of how much fun teaching can be!...  With or without an episode of The Monkees :)

 A spray paint painting from Katelyn hangs in my office as a reminder of Myrtle Beach, St. James schools, and Rebels Without A Clue, our Tuesday trivia team at Anthony's.

                                         Our three kids and our three grandkids. 
 Surprisingly, this frame and the pictures made the trip without breaking in the box we shipped to Ukraine from Myrtle Beach.  It's sitting on the bookshelf in our apartment.

                             The quilted table runner on our coffee table made by Mary Beth reminds us of our dear friends, the McKeevers.

The teddy bears that were on the cake that the choir and the Stephen Ministry folks from our church in Surfside had for us before we left.  We miss our church family.



 

The Steelers hotpad my niece Rachel made for us is just the right size for our coffee pot here in Kiev.

We've also used the colors in the dishcloth that Jay's mom crocheted for us as a theme for our kitchen decor and furnishings.

 

 

A final reminder to all of you (our friends and family),

 Even if we don't have something we can see and touch here with us, we are carrying you with us in our hearts and we are thinking of you!