Ajvar and everything else: June 2005

I make it to the garden

So my downstairs neighbors (who I met during a power outage) have a garden outside of town. When I found out I got really excited and told them when they go, that I want to go also to help.

Well, finally this morning I made it. We left around 8:00am and went to the wife's school, in a near by village, where she teaches biology. She showed me her room and introduced me to her students. (Who had come in on a Saturday to receive their final grades, which were read allowed and commented on in front of the entire class...)

Then we went to the house she grew up in the village. It is a huge lovely house but no one has lived there since her mother died two years ago. (the death notification, with picture, is still posted on the door of the house) She and her husband keep a small garden there.

Then we drove through the village and in a stream till we got to their larger garden. They have a large orchard, lots of meadows, and an acre or so of cultivated land. We worked around the peppers and corn, pulling weeds and such for a few hours. They seemed very satisfied with my work and told everyone in the village how hard I worked.

So that was my morning. Got some exercise and some sun, and can check off goals 2 and 3 of pc. If only I could get a little more done towards goal one…

1.
Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women.

2.
Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

3.
Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.

Discovering Green Gold

Contrary to popular belief, ‘Green Gold’ is not something you tease a child for ‘digging’ for in their nose, but the title of the newest Macedonian Ministry of the Environment publication on Galicia National Park… their translation, not mine.

Anyhow, enjoy the pictures from Turkey. It was a really great trip. And now I can add 2 more countries and another continent to my list. (a total of 13 countries and 3 continents!) (the eastern side of Istanbul is technically Asia…) Next on my list is Greece. And I would like to spend some more time in Bulgaria. Shaun and I took a train from Istanbul to Sofia spent 2 days on our way back.

More later!

Pax
Vanessa

I think this is another sign telling us not to climb on things... but maybe we were entering a break dancing zone...

This is the front of the library at Efuses, another well perserved ancient city. The four statues are wisdom, learning, virtue, and... I don't know probably memory...