of the Lord is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15 NJKV) Again, I’m too late. But God is never too late. On Saturday, December 14 he released my beloved friend Natalia Antoninovna from her diseased earthly body and took her to her eternal home. This sad news was not unexpected. But it’s never easy to hear. I had so hoped to see her one more time, hold her hand, and offer her the comfort of my presence. Alas, she couldn’t wait. I get that. Few people leave this world as heroes. No, she was not famous. Don’t wrack your brain…
Counting down to a new adventure
BRRRRRR! In 27 days I will be loading myself and a suitcase full of wool clothing onto the plane headed for Samara. Yes! I’m going in the winter. I have several official CrossRoads meetings and gatherings scheduled as well as opportunities to celebrate the Winter Holidays with my Russian friends and have the experience of a Russian winter–which, is such a huge part of their culture that I feel the need to see it for myself. Even if only once. I have heard about the huge yulka (yolka?) fir tree decorated in the main square and the ice rink that…
Sneaky peeks inside
Taking photos inside the Russian cathedrals is frowned upon/disallowed/against the rules/subject to scolding/just plain forbidden! But, being the clueless foreigner that I am (not), and sometimes finding myself away from the tour group and/or unnoticed, I was able to capture a few photos of the breathtaking interiors of both ancient and modern Orthodox churches.
Ah, the Volga
Imagine floating. Imagine cool water-scented breezes. Imagine an ever-changing shoreline for 9 days. Here’s some of what I saw from the deck of our ship as we cruised the Volga (the longest river in Europe and the lifeline of trade in Russia for hundreds of years.) I’m now a fan of river cruises. How about you?
Naturally
The spring weather in Samara this year was a bit “off” resulting in a rather drab display of flowers–yes, very disappointing for me in that I am used to a steady stream of bouqets, like lilies of the valley, lilacs, tulips, and the grand finale: peonies. But all the blooms were late, wimpy, or non-existant here in the city. So, imagine my delight as our cruise ship landed in places where nature flourished and blessed me with its vibrant colors, cool shadows, and air-freshening fragrances. It was worth the wait.