Get up, Grandma

Sometimes I do something right.  Visiting Tanya's sister Luda and family was a pleasure this time because THEY GOT INDOOR PLUMBING since we were last there.  So as a reward for not having to use the outhouse, which has a seat but no boards across the front, Tanya and I bought them a computer.  Nothing fancy, just the basics.  They signed up for hi-speed lite which is cheap and handles Skype. If every investment I ever made worked out that well...

Every day now, Tanya talks to her family, face to face with Skype and a video cam.  She can see her Papa every day.  Roman too is Skyping his aunt almost every day.  That is the best part.  He is getting to know his family in Siberia whom he has not seen for maybe 10 years, though his grandfather was here two years ago. Makes my day just to see the happiness on everyone's faces.

One of the reasons Tanya has been calling every day is that her cousin Natasha has been very ill, in Intensive Care in Abakan Hospital, though she is home now.  She had thrombo something.  Small blod clots floating around that were lodging in her lungs and making it very difficult for her to breath. They got it under control.

Natasha's mother Tanya's Aunt Vera, lost a leg 18 months ago to diabetes.  She gets around fine on crutches and wheelchair. She even babysits her great grandson, Tolik, when called up on to do so.  Tolik is named after his great grandfather, Anatoli (Tolia, Tolik) but he takes after his "Uncle" Roman.  Roman took everything apart to see how it worked, including his toys and two vacuum cleaners.  Tolik has discovered how to undo the wheels on his great grandmothers wheelchair.

They learned this when Natasha was in hospital, Tolik's mom Katya was working and Vera was babysitting.  A wheel came off and dumped her rather suddenly.  Tolik's response?  "Get up, Grandma".

Vera, Tanya, Natalia, Anatoli