Between Senator visits

When I last posted it was all about the anniversary event at the Mennonite Center on Wednesday, since then I have been too busy to write... well almost! Thursday morning we had classes to teach. Garry gave me a ride down to the classroom for my eight am English class since the predicted rain storm had arrived overnight and it was really coming down all morning. I gave the test I had written up the night before (exactly the words I had told them it would be on) and eventually everyone had all the correct answers. I would say that three of them knew all the answers and a couple more knew most of them and most were generous to their classmates as is normal.



Then I got a ride home (break time is between my class and Garry and Maria's classes- he's teaching parts of a cow and conformation ) to make some hot soup for lunch on a cold wet day since we were expecting Victor and the Fords (who had arrived in Ukraine the night before) by noontime.

Kolya, Dennis and Maria

 They arrived, we ate and it was decided that we would drive them to Kiroy Rog while Victor did his regular Thursday milk sales. Maria would go with us so she and Garry could visit a church organization who has sent us five of the guys we have this year. Dennis and Sandy had a quick tour of the new classroom, barn and saw Kolya's (whom they have known since he was small) apartment.

The ride was fast, rather bumpy but uneventful.

It happened to be Daryl's birthday so we got to have birthday pie after the Bible study. Garry and Maria got back right after he blew out the candle on the pumpkin pie (I had hung out at the apartment) and we all stayed over before driving home Friday morning. It's safer to travel on holey roads in daylight. Unfortunately, we missed out on our Thursday night meeting and one of the students birthday parties too. We are just way too busy.

Look cows along the highway!

We had puddles on some parts of the highway on the drive back. It was cloudy at first, the the sun peeked out, and then it started drizzling by the time we were near Dnepro. Garry picked up some stuff for finishing the drywall at Luda's house.

Camo tractor on the highway

I think this sign means - end of highway, sharp curve, slow down
or you'll be upside down, so look out!

It was village day in Nikoliapolia Friday, so everyone was at the celebration at the village center if they weren't working. No field work to do after the rain the day before. They tried plowing the hayfield (the first alfalfa planted 5 years ago) Saturday morning, but it was still too wet to even plow sod, they will try again Monday.









Friday afternoon we were expecting a new student from the people in Kherson so Maria stayed longer than normal. The new student is named Masha, she seemed a little nervous when we met when she arrived, but seemed to be quite lively at student church Saturday evening. Maria got her settled in over at the far girls house, while we headed to Dnepro for our follow up class (for the Summer English Institute ).






We had quite the turnout for our class, I should have printed more than 11 copies of the stories we were reading, because some people had to share. We meet every Friday and this is the fourth week, and largest class so far.

not everyone in the photo too!

 We were chatting afterwards, because it turned out one of the new people that had come with someone is an American teaching English for a term in Dnepro, she came with one of our regulars, who is teaching her Russian. We were also waiting for our vet students, Andrey and Alina, who wanted to come out to the farm. I think I wrote that they were out several times in the spring to do practicums at the farm.

Saturday morning we cleaned up a little after Garry went over to check out the barn and how milking was going, then Garry went out to supervise the guys cleaning up this barn. Everyone is still figuring out what is supposed to be done where with the cows moving around last week.

When our guests arrived I went to the barn to find him. Senator Don Plett and his wife from Manitoba, with their driver and Olga from the Mennonite center stopped in on their way to the airport. By now the Pletts should be in London overnight on the their way home, but they got to tour pretty much the whole operation with Garry. I didn't even think to get out the camera, because we were having such a good time visiting with them (Maria said that they were like regular people) but here's a picture of the lovely little plate he gave me before they left.

At lunchtime, Garry took Maria home to Zaporosia, I warmed up some lunch for the vet students, ripped out my crochet project to redo it, and made dough for pizza for dinner before student church- dinner was after, I put it together and baked it after.

Finally I started this blog post... and I need to get something done for the English classes we are visiting after church tomorrow.

Wishing I was in Manitoba today, our granddaughter is ten years old and the last time I was at her birthday party was before we came here, I always miss hers, even though I have made some of her sister's summer birthdays.