Home Made Holiday Punch Deliciousness

So tonight I stopped at the corner market and picked up a can of ginger ale to accompany the fruits and berries waiting patiently in my fridge to be juiced.

Ingredients: 

Cranberries, raspberries, apples, and ginger ale. 

(measurements to taste and size of need)

Instructions:

Break out that juicer you have in your cupboard and go nuts with the fruit. I found the apples really helped mellow out the tart cranberries, and the raspberries gave it a lip smacking sweetness. After stirring together the juice, add in the ginger ale, and shabam!

 Delicious home made punch that tops the artificial taste of any super market juice. I love the tart ginger fizz that begs the holidays to be celebrated with cheer.

I Love My Mumsy!

Today marks the day to celebrate mothers across the USA. Mothers are a strong bunch, if you ask me. They birth a child. They do whatever it takes to keep it alive for 20 years, and then they let it wild and free, hoping that those 20 years were effective in imparting wisdom, so that the kid won’t go out into the world and be a stupid fool.

Speaking of imparting wisdom, I want to talk about my mom. She is a glorious and amazing woman who did whatever it took to keep me and my sister alive and happy through all sorts of trials and tribulations. She was always there for us, she knew who our friends where, she took us on spur of the moment road trips and she was always the cool mom, not to mention the BEST chaperone. My mom always had something crafty for us to do, weather it was making peanut butter birdfeeders, or painting blocks of wood. She said yes when we wanted to go camping into our teens, and she lets us do Chinese fire drills with our friends. She taught me everything I know about whipping up a meal, and she always had good books lying around the house. My mom always has good advice and knows when to cut the crap. She always tells her coworkers about my sister and I, and our newest endeavors- and her motherly pride shines.

I think I’m like my mom a lot, and that makes me happy to say.  Love you Mom! I couldn’t imagine, wouldn’t WANT to imagine, going through life with anyone else but you!

Happy Mother’s Day! =)

What do you love about your mom?

A Russian Picnic, with a little bit of BBQ!

Just a follow-up to my lame post from this past weekend. Russia celebrates Labor Day on May 3rd, and we all went out for a fun picnic by the Large Dam. I bought some BBQ sauce. There was chicken to be enjoyed, fellowship fun, exploring, and good times for all! It was also a great group because there were so many awesome English speakers! Good job Andre, Tanya, Elya, and Dima! Love these people =)

Fun!

-Alissa-

Day of Spring and Labor

The Day of Spring and Labor / Праздник Весны и Труда (day off)
May 1, 2010
In 2010, the date falls on a Saturday and so May 3, a Monday, will also be a day off work.

Formerly International Worker's Solidarity Day under the old Communist system, it seems that everyone calls this one something different now. "Labor Day," "The May Holiday," and "Worker's Day" all seem to be used, but everyone at least uses the same date. It is celebrated with parades, concerts, food, and drink and traditionally kicks off the dacha season.

Taken from the this link.

Like a Bull in a China Shop

This week I was blessed to go over to a good friends house and help her decorate for Christmas. Its such a blessing how I met her! She is the Connecticut admissions representative for JWU, and she was one of the adult leaders on my trip to Greece last spring! We got along really well, and it turns out that she is a Christian and is really awesome! This summer we got together a few times, and her son and I went to the same conferences in Utica NY at Zion! So funny. Well anyways, her kids didnt want to help her decorate the tree, so a bunch of us girls from the Greece trip went over and had a blasting good time!  She is the most hospitable person I have ever met, and I pretty much want her to come and decorate my house someday. I adore her "traditional new england cottage" feel, with no gaudy decorationg, but each seems to have a purpose and memory.  Maybe Christmas decorating will become a tradition while we are all still in Providence!

It was fun, and really great to hang out with people I havent really seen that much since last spring!!

Stephanie, Me, Chimene, Yuan!

 

This is her beautiful white Christmas tree in front of the fire place.

 

Me underneath the real tree, trying to get it sturdy and uncrooked!