Evening notes Archives - Chasing the adventure

About books

I just finished reading a book, of course a mystery, about the library in the small town “Hitting the books” by Jenn Mckinlay.

It felt like they were writing about us: crafternoon group (although we craft in the morning), book club, some (favorite in the book) visitors were falling asleep reading newspapers. “The manager wouldn’t kick them awake until someone complained or the snoring got too loud”.

When I finished this one, I promised myself to focus on the second book, which I checked out. Also a mystery. Not about the library, just written in the year of my birth.

Maybe I will write about it later…when I finish reading it or if I finish reading.

Yesterday at work, and I work in the library, I saw a book “The secret, book & scone society” by Ellery Adams… a mystery ( no surprises) about a bookstore. Here ‘s what I read:

“Stories don’t change much across continents and centuries. Hearts are broken. Pride is wounded. Souls wander too far from home and become lost. The wrong roads are taken. The incorrect choice is made. Stories echo with loneliness. Grief. Longing. Redemption. Forgiveness. Hope. And love”*.

All these different stories described in books can help people if they know what to read and when.

And it’s only page 4!

I literally force myself to put the book aside and do housework and hobbies.

I need to redo the sleeves of the sweater I’m knitting, sew together the rabbit’s head, ears, and body, and make a face. I want to finish the second rug for the bathroom set and put it under the mattress to straighten up. On Monday, I need to make several calls, and after all, no one canceled the work.

God help me! I gonna need it.

* quote from the book.

CarPlay

I would like to look into the eyes of the person who invented CarPlay.

If you think that progress is always good, then I strongly disagree with you.

If you know me, then you may remember that I started driving in America 7 years ago. I had different stages, with WOW! (Freedom of movement) to “OMG how scary!” and “Oh how scary always”, and “I did it!” (driving in a snowstorm and to a neighboring state), and also “Thanks to my husband” (when driving in the rain)….

All this time I’ve been trying to make the car my cozy zone, not Hygge, but simple convenience.

I listened to discs I burned by myself (a CD player was installed in the car). The music was needed to drown out Crackle’s barking.

I have installed rainguard.

I always had a phone charger and 2-3 pairs of shoes with me (I’m a girl).

There was a special blanket for the Crackle so that he does not fall on the floor if I have to brake hard.

February news-2, Tomsk, Russia

On Saturday I saw one of my long-time subscribers.

And I was just ashamed that I haven’t been writing for a long time.

The situation must be fixed, here we go..

I decided to see what’s going on in the world.

First I looked in Russian news:

February news, Tomsk, Russia

After listening to voice messages from my sister, I decided to watch the Russian news.

I started with the Tomsk news… and found a TV channel that I even didn’t know existed*. I watched one episode.

The new Tomsk oblast Governor Vladimir Mazur surprises with his activities.

-On February 8, he held a meeting with volunteers who were collecting humanitarian aid for Tomsk soldiers. He spoke about the results of his trip to the “Donetsk and Luhansk National Republics” over the previous weekend. I think on February 4-5. And, yes, the “National republics” that are now being “liberated” by the Russian army.

The governor put together a short video, most likely not by himself, and as he says, not for advertising purposes. The video is here.

-On February 10, he visited a plant that produces mining equipment, control systems for miners, etc. which are relevant for the Donetsk National Republic. Interestingly, the plant is heated with coal (!), while gas heating equipment is installed. But because of the bureaucracy, it cannot be connected. Now probably the governor’s assistants will sort out the problem.

-On February 11, Vladimir Mazur went to the ski track, took part in the marathon “Ski Track of Russia”. He published this in his telegram channel.

–Also I saw the gymnasium where my children studied. ..The director of the gymnasium (the same as 20 years ago) asked for modern security cameras and to improve the area around the school. I remember how difficult it was to get to the school grounds on rainy days. Nothing seems to have changed over the years.

How to find and lose a friend in 1 day? The mission is possible!

In short – accept a friend request and refuse the services from that “new friend”.

The story:

One recent morning, I got a friend request (on FB) from a lady named Tatjana.

I like an expression that I learned here: “Sorry, I am not sorry”.

The expression from me is “I was surprised, but not surprised.”

Lately, I started getting friend requests often, almost daily.

And I don’t do anything special: I don’t advertise myself, I don’t sell anything, I don’t write posts. However, sometimes I share photos/posts from Instagram / Telegram.

In general, FB and its younger brother IG are not my favorite platforms.

There is a joke: I like people who like me. They have good taste.

Elena Bria – my January guest

Little bird Lena finally got to our house.

Lena, Elena Bria, young and talented, ambitious and brave, enterprising and purposeful.

A small suitcase (smaller than my carry-on luggage), a sketchbook and … a large painting (does not fit in a sedan).

On one breakfast, 3 buses, 2 taxis, she got to New Bedford in 13 hours.

Christmas Eve Thoughts

conversation with the seller:

-Are you Russian?- the seller

-Yes, – I

-I have a Russian sister-in-law. She has the same accent. I don’t understand her sometimes. But her English is pretty good and so is yours.

-Thank you. Tell her … – I tried to tell something nice

-She has a happy life with my brother in Сalifornia…near the ocean..- she couldn’t stop talking

Evening notes, 5

The best is yet to come

-I don’t like to tell people that I am from Russia – I.

-Tell them that you’re from Moldova – said Elena – Hardly anybody knows where it is.

There are three categories of reaction to the answer: Moldova – she continued:

Moldova? – they honestly don’t know where it is. 🤷‍♀️
A-a, Moldova – they pretend that they DO know.
Oh, yes, yes – Maldivi!

The world is made of paradoxes*.

At the time when I don’t even want to sound Russian, Steven Seagal says he is Russian, Russia is his home. He got Russian citizenship in 2016. The same year when Serbia too granted its citizenship to him.

Well, to each his own.

The Moscow Times reports that more than 3.8 million Russians have left the country in the first three months of 2022, according to data from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

4184 people left the Tomsk region – Tomsk telegram channel “Tomsk 1604” says.

Unfortunately all my family is still there. They are not as rich and popular as Steven Seagal. And I worry about them every day.

I just hope everything will be fine and soon.

* Paradox is a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jan/11/steven-seagal-serbian-citizenship-martial-arts-school

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/23/many-leave-russia-as-ukraine-war-drags-on

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/05/06/nearly-4m-russians-left-russia-in-early-2022-fsb-a77603

The advantage of walking an uncomfortable dog

Let us temper our criticism with kindness. None of us comes fully equipped.
Carl Sagan

Those who know me know that I have been living in this country for almost nine years. And all these years I have a few feelings that I carry on.

One of them is the admiration of coziness.

It comes to me suddenly, at different times and occasions, but sharp and clear.

Sometimes my cute “uncomfortable” dog Crackle causes this feeling to appear.

Evening notes, 4, Boston

How to spend a vacation without being excruciatingly painful?

Make a to-do list, do almost everything from it, get tired.

One of the action items was a trip to Boston. Beautiful Boston… always beautiful Boston.

The decision to travel was spontaneous, as always. But there was also a plan – to go to a Russian store and meet with Dan’s sister and her husband. But they couldn’t make it to Boston at the last moment. So I spent the whole day alone with Boston and a backpack with trophies.

Friday morning in Boston was overcast. The day was partly cloudy. Temperature – I don’t know. It’s warm in the sun, but it’s uncomfortably cool in the shade of even a small tree. Spring. It’s still spring. And in spring, cold winds often blow on sunny days.