and the geese that were getting fat have now disappeared!
I used to see them every day when I walked home, milling around the playground between my building and a nearby elementary school, pecking at the ground for who knows what geese eat. Maybe they stay close to home now, avoiding the treck through the snow to get to the playground. Or maybe they’re cozy, fluffy pillows now. Hard to say. Sometimes things just disappear around here. I’m sure it’s no mystery to the locals, but even after one year I’m still working things out.
***
My mom and dad are coming for a visit in just one month and four days!! I’ve sent them a detailed, sorted list of the things I miss most from America in the hopes that they’ll stuff their suitcases with stuff like post-it notes, zip-lock bags and Tabasco sauce…but in case anybody else out there is feeling generous this time of year, I thought I’d post my “wish list” here.
America (as I remember it…):
- Wool socks
- Good floss (e.g. Johnson and Johnson “Glide.” Basically anything that’s not the cheapest floss available. Because that’s what Peace Corps gives us.)
- Toothpaste for sensitive teeth
- Make-up (especially CoverGirl Power Point eyeliner in “espresso,” light shades of concealer, blush, neutral/brown shades of eyeshadow, and Maybelline Great Lash mascara in dark brown or black)
- Pilot G-2 Black and red pens
- Peanut butter
- Maple syrup
- Twizzlers (Pull and Peel! Cherry!)
- Peanut Butter M&M’s
- Books (see the book tab for a more specific wish-list)
- Zip-lock bags
- Post-it notes
- Hot pad holders/oven mitts (haven’t been able to find those here, mysteriously…)
- Dial soal (the plain old yellow kind)
- Tabasco sauce (especially green)
- Brown sugar
- Photographs
- Magazines
- Seasonal candy (All seasons. All candy.)
By no means should anybody feel compelled to send me anything! (See previous post about compulsion to know what that feels like…). I will be more than satisfied with a simple card or e-mail wishing me a Merry Christmas, so please rest assured that I am not posting this in an effort to guilt people into sending things. However…should you feel so inclined to send gifts, I figured I’d post a list of things that I could really use/really miss, so that you’d be able to send me something I’ll be really glad to get. I can’t help but feel a little bit greedy about this…but it’s been over a year since I left America now, and at this point I miss some of these things so much that I suppose I’ve become rather shameless. Forgive me!
My address (first in English and then in Ukrainian. Either one will work):
Laura Ruth Ward AC No. 58 M. Chortkiv Ternopil’s’ka Oblast 48500 Ukraine Лора Рут Вард AC No. 58 М. Чортків Тернопільська Област 48500 УкраїнаAlso! You can send things to my parents and they’re willing to bring them along when they come. Cheaper, easier, and probably more reliable than sending things directly to me.
Jim and Charlene Ward
535 Deer Run Lane
Morehead, KY 40351
(Thank you, Mom and Dad! Not just for coming to Ukraine, but for being willing to bring half of America’s consumer goods with you!
or….if anyone wants to send Laura something more expensive than a card (you will find that the cost can then be quite expensive) you can send it to us and we’ll bring it with us and that could save you some money. (Laura Ruth’s mom) Our address is 535 Deer Run Lane-Morehead KY 40351 Happy holidays:)