Happy as Pigeon with a French Fry GiST # Next

1. Have my documents, visa, presentation, ticket and clothes ready for Kazakhstan.  Leave Monday morning at 0045 hours by train to Kyiv and Monday night 2300 hours by plane to Astana.  Will rent a flat for $50 and sleep all day. Will be home late on 24th Nov.

2. Friday's trip to Kyiv was far less nerve wracking than last week's trip.  Only one screw up and it was my fault - left my modem and mouse in the restaurant where I had lunch with my friend George from the Canadian Embassy.  Discovered this at the railway station at 1545 and by 1715 was back with the missing pieces after a very brisk combination of subway and walking.  Needed the exercise anyhow. Went straight to the train which left at 1745.

3. Tanya had hot soup waiting for me when I got home Friday night.  The perfect comfort food.

4. Skype

5. Andrei drove me to Dnipropetrovs'k on Thursday in his Lexus to pick up the last documents for my trip.  I didn't mind travelling at 120 until Andrei said the speedometer was calibrated in mph not kmph.  Oh...

Kuchma appears to have dived onto his towel and  collapsed

Speaking of diving, this sleep position is adapted from the Olympic diving team.

Cold cat cuddles quilt.

Simple Fare for Simple Folk GiST #22

1. Bread, cheese and tea for supper last night. Tanya knows exactly what to serve.
2. My new $30 canvas computer bag; not the $300 fine soft black leather one that we looked at in Krivii Rih.
3. Our little purple Kia Carens, standard transmission, few bells and no whistles but dependable and not too expensive to repair.
4. Our little village, bad roads and all, but peaceful and with open country just across the road.
5.  Just general contentment.  Few needs and fewer wants. 

Winter is coming GiST #21

1. Every day is a day closer to April and spring
2. Getting the dogs winter lean-to house all warm and snuggle BEFORE the weather got cold.  And remembering to shut of the water to the outside hose before the tap froze.
3. Kuchma has decided he is going to become a house cat in his old age.  He sleeps in the house at night but wakes Tanya up every morning at 7:00 to be let outside to do his 'blutions then comes back in for milk and cat food. Tanya has to wake me to take my turn at getting up early as I don't hear him at all.
4. Watching the dogs munching walnuts and spitting out (most of) the shells.  They were helping Tanya rake and burn leaves under the walnut trees and discovered walnuts were edible.  They are not as clever as the ravens at opening them but since they can crunch the nut, they don't have to be.
5. The doves are so pretty; light brown or light grey. This must have been a good season for them as there are many of them roosting n the walnut trees.

Miscellaneous Gratefulness GiST #20

1. Air ticket to Kazakhstan arrived today.  Must mean I am going, though my gut feeling and Tanya's, too, is not good.  The whole episode has been SNAFU to date but money is money so one takes the risks.

2. Bought three return trip train tickets to Kyiv for under $100.  Two round trips to get my visa and one to catch the plane to Astana.  We'll buy train tickets to Moscow and to catch the plane to Canada in  November.

3. The hounds have been behaving quite well lately.  Either the 6 weeks in lock-up while they healed or the fact that it is late in fall and no females are running loose or both but they re remarkable playful and head into their pen when it is time.  Even Volk.

4. Tanya's cold seems to be getting better.  She still has a lot of congestion and coughs up a lung once in a while but less often than it was.  She says it is because our friend Ryya has it now.

5. Got word today of the sudden death of a colleague from Saskatchewan Agriculture days.  Not grateful for his death but certainly for his life.  He was a good man and made a solid contribution the the industry.  Wild Rice Specialist at La Ronge, Ag Rep at Hudson Bay and Forage Specialist at Prince Albert over the years.

Food mostly GiST #19

1. Ryya and Vladik came for supper last night so I have another granddaughter story.  She is 5.  Mother: "Why aren't you learning to read?"  Girl: "I don't have to; my friend Iliya can read". Late at night, her mother can hear her tossing and turning in her bed. "Why aren't you asleep?" "Mama, who first decided the world was round?" And mother had to go to Google and find out before the kid would settle down.

2. Tanya went to the market today and I didn't have to go.


3. When she got home we made three litres of Adzhika sauce.  Tomatoes, bell peppers, red chili peppers, fresh horseradish root and garlic all run through the food grinder.  24 cloves of garlic turned out to be too many and next time we will use just 12. The sauce can be cooked and bottled or just bottled and kept in the fridge which is what we did. Apparently you can eat it with anything though it seems to me it would go best on beef.  it is good on bread and butter too.

4. Tanya made vereniki (perogies to some of you) for supper and put a bunch in the freezer too.  Vereniki is first boiled of course. Potato stuffed vereniki are then fried in butter with onions.  Cottage cheese vereniki are basted with melted butter and eaten with sour cream.

5. Number ONE son and DIL bought a new to them car, a 2008 Ford Escape.  They needed a new car so badly as their Toyota had seen better days. I am glad.

Homeward bound GiST #18

The last few days have not made it easy to look on the thankful side of much, even though ther ehave been things to be thankful for, I have not felt like listing them or even much thinking about them, being weighed down with other things (see previous post).  However it all fell in place today and so here we go.

1. I have a signed contract with Nameless Large Republic and should get my airline ticket from them tomorrow if they ever make up their minds when the seminars are to be held.  At least I know what my topic is and can work on it finally.

2. The delegation from a Ukrainian company that wanted me to take them to Canadian Western Agribition and do a short study tour of farms, ranches and feedlots cancelled out last night.  This was to be my ticket home to see my kids after 18-24 months.  However Large Nameless Republic kept moving the seminar dates later past the date I would have left for Canada so it was fortunate that the delegation cancelled.

3. Tanya said I should go anyhow so this morning I booked my ticket to Saskatchewan and will be in Canada from Nov 29 to Dec 19.  Did I ever mention how much I love my wife?

4. Kuchma slept in the house the other night instead of going outside.  He came upstairs to wake Tanya at 7:30 in the morning.  BUT he wouldn't go out until first he had a bowl of milk and then his tummy rubbed. He is so funny.  His winter fur filled in while we were in Turkey and he looks like a much larger cat now than he did all summer.

5. People's kids make me happy.  Tanya's Aunt Vera has a great grandson Tolik (Anatoly) who is two and talking up a storm.  Tolik is the one who took the nuts off the axles of his great grandmother's wheel chair and dumped her when the wheels came off.  He loves nursery rhymes and can say several of his favourites.  His great grandmother will often mix up the names of her daughter Natasha, Tolik's grandmother,  and her granddaughter Katya, Tolik's mom.  So now the little imp will grin at his grandmother and call her Katya.

6. BEST DAY EVER, NCSteph!

7. Masha, the littlest pot head, though it does seem a bit of a strain.

Back Home Again GiST #17

1. Arriving home safely Wednesday night.  The tour company bus behind us on our way to the airport in Antalya was in collision with an oncoming car in its lane that sent 18 people to hospital.
2. Our neighbour Katya who house-sat for us and fed the critters also cleaned the house from top to bottom. She warned us we needed mouse bait.
3. Kuchma caught two mice in the house last night.  Of course, we had to corner the mouse and show him where it was but at least he didn't break out a deck of cards like Garfield.  Tanya is distributring mouse bait by the bag full.
4. Pork roast.  After two weeks in Turkey.  Tasted awesome
5. Our new hot water furnace is keeping the house nice and cozy even on low.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada GiST #16

I am thankful today for:
1. My Tanya, моя Танюшка моя Любимая моя Милая
2. My kids (and spouses, two so far).  Those who know them, know how wonderful they are.  Those who do not are missing out.
3. My kids' mother, Ella, who is mostly responsible for how wonderful my kids turned out and that they are not to quote MayB "drug addicts working the streets to pay for their habit". Some fathers do not do well raising kids.
4. Tanya's boys, their spouses and of course Masha who round out my family and Tanya's to three and three.
5.  Relatives and friends the world over
6. My health (I am in pretty good shape for the shape I am in).
7. An ongoing interest in the world around me and enough books and internet to keep me reading and learning forever and ever.

Rainy Sunday GiST #15

1. Today was a lazy day as it rained all day.  Forecast is for more tomorrow.  Looks like winter is upon us a bit early this year.
2. The waves are just pounding the beach tonight, roiling in, all white and foamy and at least 3 or 4 feet high, exploding on and over the rock wall.  Water to my ankles on one wave and got yelled at for standing too close to the wall and getting my shoes wet and when will they dry?
3. A little girl, maybe 16 to 18 months old, here with her mother, independent and friendly to everyone.  She brings smiles to all faces just running around the dining room.
4. Watching (from a far distance) Tanya bargaining with the shop keepers in the strip malls that line the other side of the road.  It is an art form and she is merciless.
5. Two more days and we can go home.

Burton played Hamlet. Hamlet lost.* GiST #14

And these last few days, Murphy has played Hell and Grace lost.  Not that I don't have things to be thankful for; Tanya being at the top of the list.  But it is hard to make a list other than of people I want to kill or things I want to smash.  Holidaying in Turkey and spending most of my days on computer fighting fires or just keeping them burning in other cases.

1. Did get in the water today for half an hour.
2. Tanya has gone shopping with a friend and I didn't have to go.
3. Internet is a God-send this week.
4. The food here at Sumela Gardens is wonderful.
5. Vsyo budet khorosho - All will be well.


*If someone could find me the correct quotation, I would appreciate it.

One Efes thing after another - GiST #13

1. Cold Efes (Ephesus) beer, the best in Turkey, tastes so good after a long hot stroll through the markets.  After I found it was $5 per bottle (half litre), it didn’t taste quite as good but never-the-less. . . and we are on holidays.
2. A bank machine ate my debit card.  But the hotel desk helped us contact the bank and make arrangements to collect it, starting tomorrow, for however long it takes.  It didn’t eat Tanya’s card so we were able to pull money at least.  She gave me $20 for my very own spending money.
3. Grilled fish for supper.  I stood in line with Tanya and then gave her my fish because she loves fish.  I ate chicken in tomato sauce.  Tanya says if we come here for the winter we will have to bring our own pork from Ukraine.  I could just eat lamb.
4. The wind blew all night and the water is pretty choppy; fun for bobbing up and down in the waves.  To me they look so big when I am at the bottom of a trough looking up at the next wave coming in.
5. My idiot brother (he of The English Cowpath): “I was trying to remember your blog name one time and came up with Fag Bladder but knew that wasn't quite it”. I would punish him but being my brother is likely punishment enough.

Body by Fisher GiST #11

This post is being written in the more or less dark on the balcony of our room.  If I sit out here it is close enough to catch the Wi-Fi from the office,

1. Watching Tanya swim out so far into Antalya Bay I can hardly see her and "swimming" out to meet her half way coming back.
2. Left over from yesterday - seat in the exit window row on an Airbus 221 on the way from Kyiv to Antalya,
3, How are the mighty fallen and the mountains made even as molehills. There are things to be said for underwire support.   And one piece bathing suits.  And in my case, tents.
4. Northern Exposure. And southern exposure and eastern exposure and western exposure.

5. Celebrating 64 years by swimming in the Mediterranean and going for dinner with my wife to a little roof top cafe with wonderful Turkish food.  Best Day Ever, Stephanie!

Pictures tomorrow.  I know I said that yesterday.

The Mediterranean Coast - GiST # 10

1. We arrived at the Sumela Hotel about 45 minutes south of Antalia on the southern Turkey Coast for a two week stay at this 3 star hotel.  The water is wonderful.  Even I can 'swim" way out over my head and not panic.
2. The first room they showed us to was a disaster,  Very small but with a nice bathroom.  For $30 Tanya got us moved to a larger room at the opposite end of the hotel from the entertainment stage which plays thump thump music to about midnight.
3. The website said Wi-Fi.  There is a trick to that.  For no cost you hook up to the cable at the front desk and check email.  It is painfully slow.  BUT if you ask the right questions, one of the young men who works there signs you onto the hotel Wi-Fi network which does exist but cost $5 per day for the first 8 days (the next 6 are free).  Only in the lobby but who cares.
4. Our luggage arrived with us.  This morning in Boryspol Airport for 5:00 am take off, they were loading 4 planes for Antalia and one for Sharem el Sheik.  We figured our luggage would end up there.  (Murphy was an optimist).
5. We won't starve.  The salad bar is loaded with fresh vegetables (and hot banana peppers) and the four hot dishes are adequate and tasty.

Pictures tomorrow.

Sunshine and Sleeping Cats - GiST #9

1. My step-daughter-in-law. Today is *Lina's birthday.  I went to their place for lunch.  What a banquet she put on, just for the four of us (her mom and I extra).  Tanya joined us on Skype so she wouldn't transfer any germs.

2. Smiles from a happy little girl.  Yesterday I gave my old notebook computer to Natasha, Katya and Yuri's youngest daughter, who is 12. I deleted all my files and had MIR computer shop change all the programs to Russian language for her, bought a modem and paid the first months internet fees.   It will do to start her off even if it is old and very slow.

3. Home-made ham and split pea soup.  Easy internet recipe and tastes wonderful.  Will make it again.

4. Tanya helping me manage negotiations for contracts, keeping tabs on all the pieces.  My Manager!

5. Cats sleeping in the sun.  Kuchma fell asleep in the sun on his little bed .  Sun moved.  Cat didn't. Tanya put toys beside him.  Didn't even flick an ear. 

*Sometimes I spell it Lena, sometimes Lina.  Her name is pronounced Lee-na, not Len-a and not L-eye-na.  The Cyrllic I/i is pronounced ee.  Which is why the Ukrainian KKK member got confused when sent to the sheethouse but I digress.

Mouse in the House - GiST #8

1. Kuchma caught a mouse on our upstairs landing.  It is fall; mice move indoors for winter. I felt sorry for the mouse but better the cat caught it than if I had to try.  Tanya was not going upstairs ever again with the mouse on the steps.

2. Skype - talked to all four of my kids and both spouses this weekend.  A 2 cent phone call to get them onto the computer and the rest is free.  Connection is hit and miss so the webcam is only on for a minute but at least we get to see each other.

3. Refillable ink cartridges for my Canon iP4300 printer.  Fast, easy and cheap (That's me). Brand is Color Way.  Website is in Ukrainian but the spelling is American.  Maybe it is available in NA too?

4. Ky and Lyn are successfully dealing with the challenges of their new jobs.  Meaning they haven't killed anyone yet or taken to strong drink.  Ky is marking assignments from her first year students.  She is quite positive about it.  Positive they are dumb as bricks but are teachable and will improve.  Lyn is coping with teenage boys who make her library smell like goat and with a filing system that appears to be more random than librarians are used to.

5. Tanya is feeling better this morning.  Got up, made tea, took her meds and went back to sleep. Head colds are no fun.  I gave her hugs and will try my hand at making soup.  Not chicken.  We ate that for supper last night.

Seven Day Wonder - GiST #7

1. Actually blogged seven days in a row, never mind GiST'd.
2. Asked a friend for a letter of reference and he threatened to put it on old UNDP letter head and add doctored pictures.  Worst of all he threatened to write the truth.  See if I ever bail his ass out of jail.
3. Felt like working for the first time in several days.  Laid down until the feeling went away.
4. Trying to look after Tanya who now has my cold.  She takes such good care of me, I wish she would let me take care of her. Mostly I do dishes and make tea. And give her lots of hugs.
5. Looks like I will have a small project in Kazakhstan in mid-November; enough to recoup my costs of July plus related marketing costs.  In my world breaking even is considered a huge profit.

Why I need GiST - # 6

This has been one of those day where five things to be thankful for do not roll trippingly off the tongue.  There are ALWAYS things to be thankful for; things that make me smile, things that make the day if not the "BEST DAY EVER", at least redeem it from being a write-off.  Every day above ground is a good one.

1. Hot home-made ham vegetable soup - good for what ails me.
2. A small boy with a huge backpack wending his way home from school kicking a chestnut down the sidewalk in front of him.
3. Masha had a school trip to an ostrich farm and came home with a real feather and a small plastic ostrich as souvenirs.
4. Oreo cookies and honey covered puffed wheat - tastes of home from the local grocery store.
5. Tanya, who loves my kids, who love her in return.

Another Sonya Story - GiST #5

1. Why I love other people's kids.  Sonya is supposed to be learning to read. Her mother asked her to read a book to her.  Sonya refused "I can't read. I can't remember the words.  I can't understand it.  Etc etc." Her mother wrote on a piece of paper in Russian of course "Sonya is being an ___" (rhymes with grassmole).  Sonya said "What did you write?  Is it about me?  Let me see that. . .   MOTHER, that is a terrible word! NEVER call me that" "See, you can read".  And she could and did, ever after.

2. A good night's sleep, once I went to bed at 1:30.  I slept soundly until 10:00 am and woke up feeling much better.  I may even breath again.  They say you can't live without love but I find oxygen to be rather important too.

3. Danish blue cheese on toast for breakfast.  Now that is decadent.  Almost like home-made Baklava for breakfast on a school camping trip with Grade Sevens about 20 years ago.

4. My hounds are recovering from the last beating they gave each other about 2 weeks ago. Volk is pretty much healed up.  Bobik, who got the beating of his life, will take another couple of weeks.  Both will take all winter to regrow all the hide they lost off their faces.  They are going to become consultants as soon as I can get the vet arranged.  Enough is enough.

5. Tanya's last (??) box of fall bulbs arrived.  Only $25 this time.  They don't go in until late in October anyhow.  Between 200 to 250 planted and another 50 to 75 to go.  Now sure where, but Tanya assures me she has a (new) plan. She worked three solid days clearing out flowers to make room for bulbs.

Sept 21 with bulbs planted in the clear areas

August 20 packed with flowers

Sept 21, bulbs in the clear areas - except for the angled path which is dog and cat run

August 20 filled with flowers

Grace in Small Things #4

I'm trying to think of a better way to title this blog series.  365 of these will get boring.  I need a daily theme word and then put GiST #X behind it or something.  For Canadian readers I am tempted to shorten it to GST.  For those who don't know, GST is Canadian for VAT, like "Eh" is Canadian for just about anything we want it to be.  But as usual, I digress.  I release a thought inside my head and it takes off like a pinball machine. (TILT).

Anyway here are five more things that I am thankful for and that make me happy.

1. From reading MayB's blog post the other day, it appears I could be a grandfather in my own right next year.  Of a kid.  Or a dog. Its a win-win.

2.  Comfort clothes.  Flannel long underwear that looks like tights.  today I wish they had feet.  A heavy flannel housecoat.  All to keep me warm as I shuffle and snuffle around the house.

3. I love kids.  Other people's kids especially.  Our friends Ryya and Vladik have a granddaughter named Sonja who is in Kindergarten.  The teacher called the class up to sing and she refused to go.  The teacher called her mother.  When she got home, her mother asked her why she didn't sing with the class.  "How do you know?"  "I'm a mother.  I have eyes everywhere and know everything you do". Sonja looked at her mother with all the scorn a 5 year old can muster "The teacher told you".  Next day she went up with the class and informed the teacher that "See, I am singing.  You don't need to call my mother".

4. Tanya took the mini-bus to Dnipropetrovs'k today to visit her friend Elena and go shopping in the big clothing and garden markets.  Old age is when you don't care where your wife goes as long as you don't have to go with her. 

5. Everyone quotes Adam Smith but no one actually reads him.  I have started "The Wealth of Nations" and am on page 26.  It took a month.  How long will it take me to read all 1208 pages?

Grace in Small Things #3

1. Yesterday Lina and Tanya harvested all the grapes and started making grape juice.  They also collected a big box of walnuts from under our our trees.  Lots for banana bread this winter - I put a good half cup of chopped walnuts into each loaf.

2. The two families of young swallows that have been swopping around, practicing their wings, have disappeared for the winter. The young doves are still here.  There were a dozen or more, so beautiful in their light greys or browns, perched on top of the outbuilding. I opened the window to take a picture and they all flew away. Don't know if they are mourning doves or not but they are certainly morning doves.  They start hoo-hooing at the break of day. 

3. Coldrex hot lemon drink.

4. I finally have a plan of organization for the business plan I have been working on.  All the research I can do is done but what, where and how to include the information most logically had created writer's block(head).  The canned templates are OK to a point but. . .

5. Finding this song for Tanya