Just a few cakes

The first few weeks of January--in cake.
(unfortunately for some reason, blogger is uploading my pics as script so I can't rearrange them or put the text between them or do anything to make it aesthetically pleasing)

First off, my niece's birthday, which is the barbie cake.
The birch logs came after that for a little seminar that Julie was helping with.
The last cake is the one made for Julie's homecoming. It was a 6" that I decorated to look like the painting she has in her room.

Winter Pics

Just a few pics of what it is like here in winter in my neighborhood. It is -22C today, which is about -8F. We're keeping our apartment warm with a space heater and bundling under blankets.
I know that for some of you, those temperatures might not seem that cold, but think of it this way: most people here don't own cars or control their heat or hot water sources. So, you take what you can get. And of course, most people can't afford space heaters. Add to that that you have to go outside and be in the cold to catch public (which of course is having a harder time and is slower right now because of the cold and because of the ice on the roads) and you spend a lot of time out in the cold! So, most of us just try to stay inside.

In these pictures you can see our roads: think ice with a light layer of snow on top and occasionally sand (they don't salt here). Perfect for slipping.
The picnic table in the courtyard of my apartment building.
The entrance to our local outdoor market. It is within ten minutes walk of my building.
The little store "Boaz" that is at the end of my building--my building is the building just behind it. The store has lots of variety for emergencies and well over a third of it is just alcohol.
Then there is a bigger store that is a few more minutes away. The Gastronom. It is very soviet style.
Across the street from that is a furniture store not far from the market.

Colds, Cakes and Elections

Last week I decided to stay home and work from home, so that I could focus on my doctrine course editing without the distractions of the office. It was a good plan. And it worked, with the minor hiccup that I came down with this cold mid-week so stayed home and did no work for a day, but made up for it the next day. It was good to feel like I have made some progress. I was able to give a section of the lesson I am working on to dad to read for input. I'm planning to do the same thing this week, which means that hopefully I will be able to finish a good segment of that lesson and feel like I am making real headway on this course!
Provided my cold doesn't interrupt me, of course. It is trying to settle in my chest, which I very much resent and am fighting against. I like to breathe!
While I was down and out I was looking at cake decorating ideas--naturally. And when I got too tired to do that I looked for a tv show about cakes and came across "Ace of Cakes". I think I've worked my way through three seasons already! It's been a couch week.
I've been frustrated about being sick again, but one day I woke up and realized that this is winter and this is normal for winter and actually, I am still doing better than I was last winter...so, no complaining! And I did give myself a break and realize that it is ok to be sick. Frustrating, but a normal part of life. It is so hard not to push myself. I feel like I am being lazy if I am not pushing myself.

On a rather larger scale, Ukraine had preliminary elections on Sunday. These narrow the field so that on Feb. 7 there will be only two presedential candidates to vote for. We all knew who would win these elections and they did, but now we need your prayer for the next couple of weeks as Ukrainians think about voting in February. Please pray that the person who will be best for Ukraine will win. Sometimes it is a matter of choosing between the lesser of two evils, but that can still be an important choice to make!

Still in a Winter Wonderland!

Yep, we still have tons of snow and are getting more. But, I am back home now. Started work up again today. Really I am needed less and less here as a manager at the office, which is a good thing since I have plenty of editing work to do.
My camera went on the fritz over the holidays, so I've had to steal other people's pictures, which are, of course, not on this computer, but my laptop at home. I will eventually get a new one, but I'm holding out till my birthday to see if I get one as a gift (hint, HINT family members). :D In the meantime I'll have to snitch from my roommate, who is--conveniently for her--out of town at the moment.
I had a lovely holiday with my family. For the first time in years, I actually felt odd celebrating two Christmases. Well, maybe odd isn't quite the right term. It was just different. I've never celebrated a Christmas without my family before that actually felt like Christmas and this one did (on the 25th, Julie and I had some friends over for dinner). So, going to my sister's for New Year's and second Christmas (Ukrainian Christmas) was a great time, but I wasn't quite as much in the Christmas spirit by then. Odd, for me. I'm a very Christmassy person. But it was good to be with my family and see the kids. It is amazing to watch them grow up. We looked at some pictures from when my nephew was a little tyke. It's hard to believe he is 13 already! But it is good to watch them grow up and change and develop.
Life is never stationary. I must remember to "seize the day!"