Old Calendar New Year’s Day

The trash bags were set by the roadside with care, in hopes that the garbage men soon would be there. Especially when they didn’t come last week. At about 10:00 am Tanya looked out the window and said, “The garbage has been picked up. Huh!! Maybe it will rain”, which I take it is the Russian equivalent of “two moons in the sky”. That was yesterday.

It didn’t rain but the temperature shot up from -12º at midnight to +2º at 9:00 am. Three boys in their early teens were going door to door as is the tradition on Old Calendar New Year’s Day. They showered us with wheat like rice at a wedding, while reciting the centuries old rhymes that wished us health and happiness and food in our fields and gardens throughout the year ahead. We gave them 20 hrivna and a package of eight chocolate marshmallow cookies. Rather Machiavellian, I thought since neither divided by three. Tanya said they would cope.

Volk and Bobik spent a delightful hour antagonizing the neighbour’s cat. Or vice versa. They have had a hate-hate relationship since they were puppies and the cat went on walks with us just to wail on them whenever she felt like it. If the cat walks along the road behind Lucia minding her own business, the dogs will circle and bark but not go near her. They want her to run so they can chase her. She will hiss and spit at them driving them into frenzy before she finally breaks and climbs a tree. They sit under the tree and bark at her. Volk tried to climb it today. Got to the second branch but couldn’t figure how to get farther. Then she scooted under the car and stayed just out of reach while they circled and barked. Great fun.

The Christmas decorations came down today, leaving the house looking bare and empty. Tanya carefully packed everything in boxes, which we stored in the attic. She had to climb up on one of the high stools to reach the tops of the cupboards in the kitchen. I pulled a chair over beside it so she could step up and down easier. I said “Don’t die”. She said “If you don’t help me, I won’t die”.

Just as she reached up for an ornament on top of the cupboard, I yanked her pajama pants down around her knees and left.