December 2017
Merry Christmas!
Although they may not have nativities and celebrate Christ’s birth like we do, Ukrainians do like the lights and decorations of Christmas and they definitely get into the decorating and shopping. I thought you might like to see some of the things we are seeing so I have snapped a few pictures.
Last year we noticed one of the Trams all lit up. There is only one so I don’t know if individual drivers have control or if someone paid to light it up but it is fun to see. We have not ridden on this one yet but maybe we will get to at some point. Without riding though it is fun to see. The lights are on in the daytime as well but they are more fun at night.
O Christmas Tram!
Today is Saturday, December 23rd and in some ways it was a normal Saturday. We got up early and went grocery shopping. We like to go early before the roads we walk along and the stores get crowded – especially for walking home with Elder Morgenegg pulling and pushing our shopping babuska cart along. There was a lot on my list for our upcoming celebrations so the cart was full and heavy today even without getting any flour, but we got it home and Elder Morgenegg got it up the ten stairs into our building. Then it was time to unload and put it all away, have some breakfast and get cooking. Elder Morgenegg did the washing (only two loads today) and hanging laundry and then he vacuumed the apartment while I continued to cook. I made us another pumpkin pie for our Christmas dinner and eight loaves of swiss bread for our brand Christmas party which was to start at four o’clock (16:00). With braiding it and only being able to cook two loaves at a time and having to wait for the oven to finish cooking the pie (it took almost two hours to finish – but looks delicious and smells delicious) – the last loaves were done by about 3:15. We still go to the branch before four – amazing but if the tram comes just as we get there and this time one was there so we hurried across the street and although it had closed the doors they opened again and we even were able to sit down.
I took the bread into the kitchen and just took it out of the bag and sat it on the window sill (they are quite wide here) and left as the kitchen is very small and there were several women in there making open face sandwiches (very popular here – piece of bread with thin slices sausages, cheese and a slice of pickle – you get used to it and I actually like them now – of course, it helps that almost all pickles here are dill). Later when we went into the room to eat it was good I had brought bread as they had used my bread for more sandwiches and without it there would not have been much to eat. The sisters were raving about it – so I guess it was okay.
Anyway, my camera is threatening to die and so I only got a few pictures before it stopped working and so I tried Elder Morgenegg’s phone but it was being picky as well. Here are the pictures I took with either one. It was a fun event – the first one planned by our branch mission leader. We think he did a good job.
First our branch president did an introduction and then they showed the introductory video of the Light the World Campaign – and then he talked about how we need to do this every day. Then …
The manger set the stage for what was next.
The Elders and Sisters in our branch sang the Primary Nativity song …
The members acted it out. Here are Mary and Joseph and the baby is in the manger – the angel is sitting behind.
The full cast – two children are the sheep and there are three kings as well as shepherds.
So it was not true to scripture but it went with the song. It was very nicely done and everyone was very involved watching.
Then there was a talent show which is when me camera and Dad’s phone were not very cooperative. I have just three pictures.
Elder Larkin is quite a character and he played the ukulele and did a Christmas rap. It was really quite good – sorry for the blurry picture.
The is a young couple of dancers who are really amazing – very talented. His older sister used to be his partner but she did a solo instead. I didn’t get her picture but she was dressed is a red velvet dress.
The Elders and Sisters sang a song as well. Our missionaries are all so musically talented.
There was also a brother who read a poem or some sort of verse, in Russian. Everyone seemed to love it but we didn’t have translation so although we could appreciate how well he seemed to do we have no idea what he said.
Then the branch mission leader (or someone else) had put together a group of video clips for the members from former members or missionaries. It was started by a video from the former Mission President and his wife and included some missionaries who have gone home, the daughter of one of our members, a young woman who recently moved to Kherson Ukraine and others. Although it was in Russian we could appreciate how the members were so thrilled to see old friends and hear their messages.
After that the sisters had made lots of sugar cookies for the children (of all ages) to decorate. They also had some fun charades (fun to watch), and some other games. They really enjoyed that – then on to food. They had the open face sandwiches, apples (sliced), mandarins (which we would call clementines) in sections, lots of candy. One plate of a delicious layered cookie, and lots of plates with my bread sliced – some with meat or cheese and some plain. Here they do not put mayonnaise, mustard or butter on sandwiches – just meat, cheese and or pickles – again, you get used to it. I still like mayo, mustard and butter but I can live without as well. They also had cups of two kinds of juice. I learned once before that the red is quite good, the golden is a “compote” and I don’t really like it – it has a smoky smell and a strange taste but the members love it whatever it is.
While we were waiting to took a couple of pictures of our branch mission leader’s wife and daughter. They are such a sweet family.
Anastasia and Anya. Anastasia is expecting a baby in January and Anya just turned one year old and is full of energy.
Anya.
At this point they were just hanging out and maybe going to play some more games – so we packed up and left. We went first to get new batteries for my camera to see if that would help. For the moment they do but it is dropping lines in the view so it may have seen better days. I think it is maybe 12 years old or so – not sure without my receipt file but I know it is old. I have started looking but really miss Amazon. We will see what happens. I was able to take some good pictures on the way home. We got off at the mall so we could look for a turkey for our Christmas dinner and I took a lot of pictures there.
Passage Mall all lit up.
Across the street from the mall is Work.UA and it is all decorated as well.
Here is the Work.UA tree all lit up.
One of the trees at the mall
The carousel which runs year round.
There was a concert going on in the parking lot in the middle between the mall and the Work UA building. It was so loud you couldn’t think let along talk and we were not that close. We could finally hear when we were several blocks away.
Another building all lit up.
This is actually some kind of a candy or bakery shop but the windows were so cute I took a picture. I have walked by here before and never noticed it.
Decorated sidewalks
This is the walkway outside the exclusive mall where Le Silpo – the exclusive grocery store is. I think it looks so pretty with the lights and balls and all. In the heat of summer the lines where the lights are mist you as you walk under them.
One of the dress shop windows of the exclusive mall – always an interesting display – this one seems to have to do with the Queen of Hearts.
Upstairs outside Le Silpo you can see the window displays. Yes, Christmas.
The entrance into Le Silpo and you can see a check out on the left.
As we left Le Silpo I took some pictures of the trees all lit up between to two traffic lanes where there is a walkway and where the trams go.
More.
And more. The white squares are advertisements that don’t show up here.
As we head back home here is a restaurant we often pass with its decorations.
A small decorated reindeer and two trees outside the restaurant.
A huge flower shop with lots and lots of flowers. I have never been inside but it looks like it is filled with so much variety. Someday I will go inside and buy something. It is just too tempting.
So that was Saturday, December 23rd. The next day was Christmas Eve and we started our day going to our regular Church meetings. It was the Primary Children’s program like last year and like last year it was wonderful. These children sing so beautifully and were so well prepared. One funny thing, there is one little boy (about four years old I think) who is quite a character and gives his parents fits – if he knew the words he really sang out but if he didn’t he just moved his mouth in funny ways. It was hard not to laugh and when people laughed he was worse. I know he will grow up and be an amazing young man but for now he is quite a character.
We had debated when to have our Christmas dinner. Traditionally we have had a big dinner Christmas Eve and then just left overs on Christmas Day but with it being on Sunday we were not sure. However, when else would we do it as today, Christmas Day we are at work. So we simplified and decided to cook our dinner after we got home from Church. Several weeks ago we saw what we thought might be turkeys at our regular grocery store and we though that if they had them we would buy one for our Christmas dinner. However, when we went to the store on Saturday they didn’t have any. We went to two other stores not far away and finally at the third store I bought a large chicken. Not what we had planned but it would do. Then Saturday night after the party we went to two more stores. Nothing at the first one, but the second one had what we thought might be turkey – but we were not sure. This is a very exclusive store with wonderful customer service and we sometimes shop there as they have some things no one else has (like Kale, for example, and other vegetables and fruits you cannot find elsewhere). So we took the “turkey” to the meat counter and asked if someone spoke English. A sweet young clerk held up one figure to say wait and took off. We waited a while and then a manager came and spoke very good English. We asked if the bird in our hands was a turkey and he said no that it was a duck – not what we wanted. He spoke briefly to the meat counter associates and showed us one “special order” turkey they had left. It was hanging in a special refrigerator behind the counter. It looked like it might be too big for our oven but he had an associate weigh it and pull it together and it was only 3.8 kg (about eight pounds we thought) so we decided to risk it. Although it looked like a turkey in most ways it was quite thin so we thought if nothing else maybe we could lay it on its side to cook it. So home we went with our turkey – quite happy with ourselves.
Our turkey in the bags in the refrigerator. It took up a whole shelf in our little refrigerator. Here it is laying on its side.
So after Church we had to prepare our turkey to go in the oven. We had tested it the night before and it just barely cleared the top burner in the oven and although close to the sides we thought we would be fine. I had made stuffing the day before and we decided to stuff our turkey as well. Although I had what I thought was a big bowl of stuffing it all fit inside the turkey which had a large cavity. I was glad there were no insides included as we have no cat to give them to and I always feel bad throwing them away. By three o’clock we had our turkey in the oven. The predicted time was three to three and a half hours – we don’t have a meat thermometer so we were planning to cook it fully. At home a turkey was often done before the full allotted time but we were not going to take chances here.
Our turkey before stuffing. Elder Morgenegg is holding it so you can maybe get an idea of how big it is.
Our turkey seemed to not have skin but it came with skin and feathers on its feet. We plucked off what we could. We later learned it did have skin it is just very thin.
Our turkey fully stuffed, trussed and stuffing into a baking dish.
And into the oven it went – not much room to spare but it fit – we were worried the shelf would fall down – that has happened. Fortunately, the shelf held throughout. Even when we took out the turkey to take off the foil to let the outside brown some.
While the turkey was cooking there was not much to do – too early to make the potatoes, gravy and caramelized carrots I planned (there are no sweet potatoes or yams here that we can find). I had made a fruit salad (kind of a take off on Waldorf salad – I even found marshmallows) on Saturday so that was already done. So we had time to do other things.
Ukrainian Marshmallows. They are not round like the ones at home but the are light and fluffy and worked fine in the salad – although cutting them smaller was a challenge.
We took time to read the story of the birth of Christ from the scriptures starting in Matthew and then Luke and then back to Matthew. We listened to Christmas music I had downloaded onto a flash drive for Dad and just rested. About six we had a call from our son, Matthew, which was perfect as it filled our time a little more. When we finished talking with him we took our turkey out, took of the foil, put it back in for a short time (we put on the upper burner to hopefully “toast” the top of our bird.
Our finished turkey.
Carved bird! Missing one leg and part of the side breast.
Our Christmas dinner!
So here is our Christmas Eve dinner table. The salad I made is on the left then gravy, mashed potatoes, caramelized carrots by potatoes, turkey and stuffing. We decided not to have rolls. I didn’t have time to make them on Saturday and that seemed like too much for the Sabbath day. I will make some today or tomorrow. Later we had pumpkin pie which I also made on Saturday. It was a very delicious meal with lots of leftovers for us to enjoy.
Christmas Day, December 25, 2017!
This morning we had already decided to come into work as there is a weekly report that Elder Morgenegg provides our president each week and that needed to happen. Most of the missionaries are not skyping until later so he will not be interrupting their time with their families. Our families are all asleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads and we hope to get home before any are awake enough to talk to. Here is our Christmas morning with our finished 12 Days of Christmas trees.
Christmas trees and gifts.
Although it is not a day of parties and fun – it is a good day and we will enjoy talking to our families later. All is well and as we walked into work today we noticed it is very quiet here. Saturday night and last night there were fireworks as people celebrated. Perhaps Christmas is not a national holiday here but the people love any reason to celebrate and party. Schools are obviously closed – perhaps they get a winter holiday. Whatever the reason it is a quiet day – windy, brisk, cold and wet – but quiet. We had a little snow yesterday morning but it “warmed” up and became rain later and this morning there were also some showers – now it is just windy and cold. It will be wonderful to get home and relax and enjoy each other and our children.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year – that is the biggest celebration here beginning New Year’s Eve and continuing all day New Year’s Day. Enjoy your families and take some time to remember our Savior who is the reason we celebrate.