Still in Yalta....

Thursday, 12/21 11:00 AM Yalta time.....Hanging in as best we can. Still waiting to find out from our translator in Kiev if our court date is tomorrow or Monday..Christmas Day. Either way, the waiting is beginning to wear thin. More than a bit homesick, but we've come this far and have our eyes on the prizes. Yalta is beginning to gear up for Christmas and New Year, so there is a bit of a new bustking in this seaside resort town. It ain't cape May!!!. We are finally out of the hotel and in a nice apartment. Makes it easier to move around and we're actually having homecooked meals. Lisa's dad makes breakfast and her mom is cooking..even without the modern conveniences she is used to. We actually had pasta, meatballs and sauce last night.
Lunch is usually on the fly...but you can't beat the 100 diferent ways they make soup and borscht here. We are going to Natalia's orphanage today to join in their little holiday party and show. That should be fun for an hour or so. We try to plan one or 2 things a day while we're waiting around, just to have something to do. It gets tough at night, though. Our side of down closes up pretty early, so even going out for a walk after dinner has its limits. At least in Kiev, we were in a city.

Pop and I were the entertainment for the morning at the local salon...we got haircuts. I'm sure we were laughed at....you can tell by the tone..kinda like the episodes of seinfeld when elaine has a few issues with the nail salon. Who cares? they were all smiles with the tip though...al 2 dollars.
A haircut, shampoo and tip...$6 US dollars..and not a bad haircut! That killed an hour. So..here again at Internet. They were down yesterday, so no access. Still tought o put up pics yet...not secure Internet facility and don't want to put pics up intil court decree is settled.

I'm glad to hear that everyone is well in Rockaway, Heights, NY, NJ, Westchester...etc....
We miss everyone fiercly. I wish we had something to report in the process here. But at least while in Yalta, we are getting good one on one quality time with natasha. She is full of spirit...she will be "trouble". She shakes her crooked finger at us and admonishes us in her Russian. We are picking up what she says and making the connection with body language. One good thing about the orphanges...they teach the kids routine, clean up after yourself, and share. And the kids play on playground equipment made of iron and steel with a concrete playground. They are resilient.
And they take them out at dusk to play.....tough litttle kids. hard to visit the orphange without backing up the van and loading all the little buggers in and stealing them away. There is one little guy we have nicknamed "the wacker"; he has a tendency to hit below the belt when we go upstairs to get natasha ready for her visit with us. Imagine the other names that I can't post here on the blog for the little guy. He packs a wallop...just ask pop.

Natasha is very forthcoming with the hugs and kisses now, especially at the end of the 2 hour visit. She loves her momma and taunts her poppa. At least she taunts me in Russian. I'm dead meat when she learns english...she has a few words down.."go go go" good girl..and the latest..a chopped up "pizza pie". we were playing with playdough and I made a pizza and taught ehr the words. Anyway....time to hit the roadsky here and hit the market for lunch items.

To all my friends and students at Heights...I know you have one more day to go before the break...please wish you and your families a great holiday and new year. I hope to be back in the states by early January...but will keep you posted on that as the process plays out.

Love to all!!!!!