At the end of February, continued

I uploaded the photos I wanted to post...but they didn't post. Where did they go? Who knows! I'll try again. Maybe I'll end up with two sets of them!

At the end of February

Days have been a little warmer this week. The snow has not melted, but it has fallen off the fence rails where it swooped graciously like decorative icing on a cake, looping evenly over each post. More is predicted for this coming week. Winter isn't over yet.

Tonight, Laura comes across the water from Helsinki on the midnight ferry! It won't be an "early night", but neither does it need to be an "early morning" tomorrow. Anticipation is running high on both sides!

Yesterday, I braved the city by myself! I used my limited Russian and bought Laura a 10 day city transport ticket at the Kiosk. I found Stockman's and enjoyed shopping for groceries. The downside of all that is that I bought too much and of course had to carry it home from the tram.

There are more pictures I want to post. More interesting things in Tartu; the Pizza shop on the corner; more of this snow that has been threatening to bury us!

Winter wonderland

No use talking anymore about snow - or ice - or cold; seems everyone has more than usual of that this winter! But Tuesday when we went to Tartu the frost on the trees was spectacular. Every tree - every twig of every tree - was covered with pure white lace! I managed only one photo, probably because there were so many possibilities I didn't know where to start, so missed them all. My one poor photo out the window of the bus hardly does it justice. Imagine a whole forest like that; and not just one mile of it, but over a hundred miles. Imagine all the trees in the city frosted white against a blue sky.

One afternoon we took a bus to Keila Joa to see the waterfall. Kathy has seen it is summer and in autumn and loves the spot. Now, in winter, it is frozen. (My toes began to feel like they might be, too!) We were glad for the cheerful wood fire in the fireplace when we went into the little restaurant there to warm up and wait for time to go to the bus.

There are copies of old photos there showing the castle that once proudly stood above the valley and the waterfall, part of a bygone era.

Views Out a Window

Friday again - four weeks ago today I arrived here in Tallinn. The view out the window doesn't look any different today than it did then. The world outside is a black and white photo. Snow has come down all day today, covering paths and footprints with a fresh, white blanket.

We had three days of sunshine this week! I'm afraid they only made us feel impatient for Spring! As we trudged to the bus stop yesterday evening, we told each other how TIRED we are of winter. HA! As if it would do any good to be tired of it! It is very likely to be this way until May.

Today, when we woke to fresh snow falling, we again admired its beauty, and as we walked through the soft, fluffy stuff, boot top deep in our path to the street, we didn't complain.

Today I came back home from the Center by myself! Today I managed to get both locks on the door to open! Today I remembered to disarm the security system! Progress, eh?

I took a few pictures out the bus window on the way back to Tallinn from Tartu. They show a bit of the countryside. The other pictures are out the window here, in sunshine and today with it snowing.

Around "our" house

I want to give you a little glimpse of where we are living now.

A few photos in Tartu

Sorry! If I were more blog-literate there would not be two of the same photo on this post. If only I were a little smarter, I could remove the one there in error and put in the one that was SUPPOSED to be there. But ALAS..... there it is, and I guess it intends to stay.

A few photos in Tartu

February!


Friday again. That means I've been here three weeks. Three weeks? My sense of time, somehow, has gotten lost; lost in the newness of it all; lost in the changes. Days are only what our schedule in them is. Life here has different joys; different challenges.
It is a challenge to begin to know my way around this city. Really, it is a challenge to me to find my way around ANY city. In this city, everything is written in a language I don't understand.

The cold and the snow present their own challenge. I'm a Nebraska girl and grew up with cold, snowy winters. But, we've come to be a people who go out the door and into our car. We grumble and groan if we have to scoop our way out, or scrape the windows. Here, we dress for the cold. We walk to our source of transportation. Sometimes we stand in the snow and wait for it. Then when we arrive at our "stop", we walk some more! I'm loving my "Yak-Trax" that enable me to step with confidence. Paths and sidewalks are not cleared much. Foot paths are often only a narrow track that has become rough and frozen under the passing of many feet.

The comfort of the home provided so kindly for us here is a pleasure. Our own tiny kitchen - with an oven! - makes it easy to cook, and it's a pleasure when I fix something and my co-worker enjoys it. JOY is those here wanting to listen to the Gospel. Joy is having something to share with them. Joy is the vision we have for the future - a vision that helps us to continue with hope!