Mid-way through the 6 hour New Years lunch with the park staff. If you look closely will see that both Kenny Rogers and Bill Nye the Science Guy joined us.

The thinnest santas ever take some time out for dancing on the streets of Ohrid. I have video of this also...

Roma children play on the street while santas dance.

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a concrete deer.

Santa visits the Millennium Cafe. A popular local coffee bar.

Icons done right. West is a cigarette brand... for those less familiar with cheap cigarettes.

Shaun and the Christmas tree in the center

Shaun, Tessa, and I made ginger bread cookies out of a mix from home. We didn't have cookie cutters so we had to be creative.

Tessa drinks from her ginger bread mug, complete with 'whipped cream' frosting.

Dinner at Carla's on Christmas day.

Getting up early to open presents from Santa.

Boat at port

Men fishing on the lake

Happy Holidays!

It looks like we will have a white Christmas in Macedonia! Or maybe if we don't get any fresh snow, we will just have a slushy, frozen, grayish Christmas in Macedonia. Anyway- we had lots of snow over the weekend and it has been too cold for it to melt so we still have snow. We also have roads and side walks that are solid sheets of ice. (People don't shovel so much here) Thank goodness for my Yak Tracks! (the metal covered rubber bands that I stretch over my shoes to be able to walk around)

Anyway- enjoy the pictures of the snow, the sheep, and my Christmas decorating. (You know your are a PCV in Macedonia when a herd of sheep ends up on your front lawn!)

I decorate for Christmas

Tessa makes the most out of the snow on my terrace

My little terrace snow men

Bad weather along the lake

Up close and personal

Sheep in the city - near Tessa'a apartment

I am back - well mostly…

So I guess it has been a while. As most of you who keep up with me and my goings on know, I was home for 16 days around Thanksgiving. I returned back to Macedonia last Wednesday. I had a really nice time while home, actually maybe too good a time, as it has been a bit rough for me adjusting back to Macedonia. There is a certain comfort that comes with being able to leave your house and not have to explain to a stranger what you are doing in their country, how much money you make, and why in the world you would ever leave America! (On average I have this conversation once a day)

But I am almost back on a local sleeping schedule, have returned to work, and my apartment is now warm enough that I can go to bed without bottles of hot water. It is not really that cold here, but my apartment is difficult to heat despite all three of my heaters working as hard as they can, which is not very hard really. The large heater in my living room rattles when ever the fan is on, the heater in my bed room creaks and pops as the oil heats and cools, (I like to pretend it is a fire place creaking and popping! It makes it seem kind of cozy rather then just annoying.) and the heater in my bathroom (which I only use when I shower) vibrates on the tile floor. I miss the summer, when the only noises to keep me up were the live bands playing in the street for weddings, engagements, name days, birthdays, funerals, graduations, independence days, revolution days, other holidays, and store openings.

Anyway- I am back and nearly fully functioning. I was often told while home how beautiful a place I live in. While it is true that there are magnificently beautiful places here, I think I have been neglectful by not also posting pictures of the less glamorous parts of Macedonian life. So, you can all look forward to some new pictures soon.

But till then…