Merry Christmas!

Greetings!
Our Christmas photo montage is attached! It’s Christmas Eve (kind of) here in Kiev. The snow has melted during the last couple of days and the weather, for winter, is quite pleasant. Since Ukraine was under communism, Christmas is really celebrated, but trees and decorations and gifts are exchanged during the New Year. Some people also take advantage of the Orthodox Christmas (Jan 7th) to head out for a drink or another holiday party. Alister and I will celebrate our Christmas on the 25th – old habits die hard and really – how can you wait another 2 weeks until opening presents!!!
Really, it is quite nice. There is no holiday rush, no frenzy. The stores are just as crowded (or empty) as they are during other weeks. Only the street venders selling fireworks and garlands and the fact that all the supermarkets have Soviet Champaign on special – betray the fact that now we have entered into a different buying season.
We are looking forward to celebrating our first Christmas together and discovering the many adventures in store for us over the next year. One project for sure will be fixing up a mud walled cottage that we are trying to buy out in the country. As it’s not ours yet – and as its winter – our only active fixing up to date has been to burn piles and piles of rotting clothes and shoes that had been providing a home for rodents over the past 25 years. Currently we are planning the best solution for an outhouse. Our neighbor, who goes to our church and moved to the village a few years ago – has promised to teach us how to make the clay and manure mixture needed to patch and strengthen the crumbing walls and I guess we’ll figure out the rest of it as we go along.

We’re thinking of you as you celebrate this season and anticipate your own plans for the next year.

Wishes of Peace and Joy
-Sarah and Alister