Monday, August 22, 2011

One Year Ago Today I Came Home From England.

Last photo taken on the trip:




















Fifty two years ago today my dad and mom got married.


























And today. August 22 THIS year?
I finished this book:






















It's the memoir of a gal, born in 1955 (so, a few years older than me) in Russia. She lives in the USA now, and took a creative writing course with Frank McCourt (the author of Angela's Ashes) and this book was the result.

I found it fascinating in that she and I are from the same generation but lived in different worlds for the first 25 years of our lives. Communism was brutal. I loved reading the details of her life:

"The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they're lying, they know we know they're lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them." 


She's 24 years old:
"In my entire life, I've eaten at a restaurant only once. I put on the two best pieces of clothing I own: a pair of corduroy Levis a girl from my American class gave me last summer and a jacket of rough suede my sister brought me from her theater tour five years ago. I spit into a container with cracked, dry mascara, which we sometimes also use as shoe polish, and drag a little plastic comb over my eyelashes. The mascara congeals in clumps, and I carefully break them with a sewing needle., separating my eyelashes so that they look as thick and long as those of any American woman."




If you're interested to learn more about the author, Elena, here's a conversation with her.


Also, on August 22, THIS YEAR (ie TODAY) - 


I spent 3 hours at the lake bringing my grand total up to 15 hours spent at the cabin this summer. 


And lastly, today, August 22?


I was spoiled by John and Val who prepared (and then cleaned up) a great BBQ dinner for me. Everyone should have awesome cousins. 


Three things I'm thankful for:
1. On August 6 there were half a dozen boys in my house, preparing, in addition to a mess, a video to be played at Andrew's wedding... 
Video can be viewed here. (Choose to watch it in HIGH QUALITY)
Photos of the day can be viewed here


































I am thankful for the friends in my sons' lives.


2. I am thankful that I saved all our Adventures in Odyssey CD's. Drew just asked for them tonight. 


3. I am thankful for promises like this one:


"Watch and be astounded at what I will do! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you." Habakkuk 1:5


"Anything is possible if a person believes." Mark 9: 23


Shalom,

1 comment:

valerie said...

Thanks for coming over. You made a fantastic evening even better. Wow - 2 dinners in 2 months. Let's try for 3 in a row.