Beginnings and endings

Yesterday morning we had some frost, so we'll be buying new tomato plants for the garden. All the tomato seedlings, half the peppers, my eggplant, Maria's potato and little beans and a couple of the cucumbers- one of Garry's big one and couple of my just up- amazingly almost all of them are fine.
Luckily, my bean plants are still seeds underground.

We were hoping for some rain last night, it was in the forecast and a little had fallen by the time we got home from Zaporozhye. Unfortunately, just enough to dampen the ground so it's gone already- at nine am. There's more rain in the weekend forecast, we hope to get some real rain.

Yesterday we had the last day of regular classes, and then Garry helped Victor move the new bees into their boxes that were built when the teams were here. For more photos of the bees go to the trade school blog by clicking on the bird photo at right.

After lunch they settled the last bees in their new homes, and we had a visit from Jessica, her brother, an architect, is visiting from the US and some friends to talk about building. Jessica is starting a project to build and run a foster home south of Zaporosia for orphan kids, and he is designing it.  Garry walked all over the village with them, it's amazing how good his ankle is doing now.

I saw this butterfly land on the lilacs Tuesday afternoon
Did you know the word for butterfly and grandmother is almost the same?

Sad news to report, this week there were three funerals in the village, including our neighbor next door. The babushka passed away at her daughter's home in the city, but the funeral was held here in the village. Monday night when Garry was sick I wondered why the lights were on over there all night, and Tuesday morning it became obvious when people started arriving next door and one was carrying a floral grave wreath.

 Around 11:30 the body was carried in the driveway from a van with a black piece of fabric tied on the mirror parked by our driveway. I was out in the yard and could hear the priest begin the ceremony, right where she used to sit in the yard. It looked like the people were standing in a circle there.  I could see the shadow of the incense holder moving through the lilac bush, which was in full bloom. By noon, everyone was gone to the graveyard.






It was strange not seeing her out in her yard this spring, wearing her yellow or red kerchief tied over her hair; cleaning up around her flowerbeds, calling her chickens inside in the evening, or sitting by the stoop doing some chore. Max Boradin helped her in her yard and talked to her about Jesus several times a week when he lived here.

It's really quiet outside now, even the chickens are gone, they disappeared the day before the funeral. Her son and daughter packed up the house on Wednesday and closed the gate. The red and yellow tulips are still blooming in front of the house, and no one know where the two giant stuffed animals in our flowerbed came from last week, they just appeared one day.