Autumn Update

Zdravstvuitay!
We are all suprisingly happy here in Daugavpils! Zoe may start school in a week or two and can't wait to make some new friends. Her daily fun is painting, playing dress-up, and watching Russian cartoons. Steve is teaching classes and lecturing at various conferences in town and in Riga, the capital. Poor June is still awaiting the arrival of hair to warm her little head this winter. Her vocabulary is expanding, but her favorites are "NO!" (used way too often)and "Dom! Dom!" (Dominik, her best playmate here). Alyssan keeps the flat afloat with daily trips to the outdoor market and to RIMI, a Latvian mini-version of SuperWalMart.

We try to have guests in our home once or twice a week for some TexMex supper or American apple pie. The guests politely scoot the food around on their plate. We were excited to find a Baptist church in town that usually has some English spoken or translated during the service. The Texan pastor and his wife have lovely Southern drawls!

A couple of weeks ago, the city turned on the radiators, meaning we get to spend the day inside in T-shirts and shorts and only bundle up like Eskimos when we venture outdoors. The days have actually been crisp and beautiful, but they are slowly disappearing as the dark lengthens and daylight draws shorter.