Easter Sunday

Yesterday, our friends Natalie, Andrei and daughter Yulia drove out from Dnipropetrovs'k for Easter Sunday dinner. It was the first time any of them had been to our place ever so we took great delight in showing them around. (I had just finished putting up the curtains in the kitchen and cleaning up before they got there. Only one small oops in drilling in the mounting screws, which I am an expert in covering up by now.) They were quite impressed with all we had done.

First thing in the morning, Tanya had started cooking again. Some left over perogie dough became a fish pie (and tasted wonderful). Two more salads, crab salad (1 cup niblets corn, 1 cup slivered crab, two cups slivered (grated?) carrots and the ubiquitous mayonnaise) and a green salad. The chicken went in the oven just when they called to say they were outside town.

We opened our dining table out full for the first time. To hold all the food, not to accommodate 5 people. We should have had 10 people for dinner. And Tanya sent me to the store for more groceries because “she didn’t think we’d have enough food”. Actually we’d run out of fruit juice.

Tanya has known Natalie for about 10 years and considers her one of her two best friends. Natalie started her career as a professional translator and lately was the head of the City of Dnipropetrovs'k International Relations Department. She was all over the world at any given time, working on business deals, leading trade delegations or piloting the Mayor and other high officials on various missions related to trade with the City of Dnipropetrovs'k.

She has just started on the biggest challenge of her life, heading up the company which will put together the bid on the 2020 Summer Olympics for the City of Dniporpetrovs'k. She is terrified and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job but got no sympathy from either her husband or Tanya as all believe there is no one in Ukraine as capable as she is, to make it happen.

Andrei is a businessman in Dnipropetrovs,k. Construction and trucking. Great guy. I had not met him before and had been looking forward to meeting the man who married Natalie, figuring he had to be something grand. He is! Yulia is 15 and a sweetheart. No one seems to have told her that teenagers are not supposed to be that well mannered and agreeable to have around.

A big storm blew in about 5:00 so they headed for home. It rained hard all night and I have not had to do yard work today at all. Love it. Now I have to go look after my pooches.