Photo Caption Contest

I haven't updated since our trip to the US because life has been racing along at supersonic speed. In fact, I haven't even had time to look at my pictures of Ryan and Lisa's wedding until today, more than a week after the ceremony!! This afternoon I finally found a few minutes to upload the trip photos after which I found myself waking from an unexpected nap with my right earring post making a new hole in my head where the pillow and my ear had jammed it into my skull. I still don't have time to do a complete blog entry but this picture of amphibian friends at the Asheville Nature Center made me smile and I wanted to share it with you. Here's my challenge- submit entries for a funny caption and the winner will receive a Polish gift (could be chocolate, pottery, etc). You have a week so get creative!

PS Double click the photo to see why I love our new camera!

Polish Outdoor Market

All over Warsaw there are vendors set up on sidewalks, selling anything from shoelaces, to used books, to fruits and vegetables (one old man selling a few desperate pieces of junk wasn't even wearing pants when we jogged by him last week). The produce is almost exclusively local and fresh (I do see the occasional bunch of Dole bananas for sale) and unbelievably inexpensive. For example, the raspberries in the forefront of the lower picture, cost less than $2 for four cups of giant berries!
But remember to bring lots of small change when shopping at the outdoor markets because the Poles hate to make change. They will wait patiently while I count out a handful of groszy coins and sigh impatiently if I hand them a single paper bill. But it's worth it because as I type this, I am pleasantly stuffed with blueberries and raspberries. I love July in Poland!

Look at our garden!

Okay, if you are an experienced vegetable gardener, don't laugh at our novice attempt at growing food. The idea to plant a vegetable garden began with Katy and her 7th grade science class. She had learned about composting and gardening and in math class, she planned a business to sell her produce. This sounded like an excellent project for us at home, too, so in May, we dug up an area of lawn behind the garage, converted a bed of over-grown junipers, and planted two gardens. In the picture above, Michael is standing next to pumpkins and tomatoes (almost as tall as him!).
I'm standing in the plot behind the garage which is not quite as fertile as the above garden. I think this is because we didn't amend the soil like we did in the other, and it doesn't get as much sun, either. We have four corn stalks, peas, six cabbages, one onion (don't ask me what happened there), five lettuces, and a half row of carrots. The numbers of each plant are low because we decided to start small, except for the onion, of which mysteriously only one seed germinated. The kids enjoy monitoring the daily growth of the plants exclaiming, "We have created life!" Michael even ate a pea (again, please contain your laughter).
Today we picked our first peas, which Michael is shelling, and enough lettuce for a salad with dinner. The tomatoes will be ready for picking just about the time we head for the US. Instead of a pet sitter, I'm going to have to hire a garden-sitter-picker.

Debbie and Tim meet Kasia Figura

At the yearly Fourth of July party at the ambassador's residence we ate, drank, and chatted with some of the 1000+ attendees currently living in the Polish community. Of course all the people assigned to the American embassy were there as well as the usual businesses investing in Poland, representatives of other governments, and local VIPs.
Two people were of special interest to us this year- General Jaruzelski, the Communist Party Secretary/President who declared martial law in Poland in 1981 (trying to destroy the Solidarity movement) and Kasia Figura, one of Poland's most famous and beloved actresses (she appeared in The Pianist and Pret-a-Porter). Ms. Figura was gracious, chatting and posing with all her fans.
Fireworks closed out the evening.

Debbie and Katy in Berlin

On Monday Katy and I flew to Berlin for the day for a doctor's appointment. While killing time before the appointment, we stumbled on a Dunkin' Donuts!

The ruin on the right is what remains of the Kaiser Wilhelm church after bombing in WWII. City planners chose to leave the building as it was and to build a new church next to it. The original church is disintegrating due to traffic and construction and the new church is often mocked for its appearance.

After the appointment, we had six hours to explore the city before our return flight. First stop, the Berlin Zoo. Katy is standing at the elephant entrance.

The most famous resident of the Berlin Zoo is Knut, the polar bear abandoned by its mother and raised by a human zoo keeper.

After hours of walking, dark clouds rolled in and the rain started. Katy and I found a dry bench under some trees on the edge of the Tiergarten park, across from the Brandenburg Gate.

The Berlin Wall is gone and Berlin's most iconic symbol, the Brandenburg Gate, has been fully restored.

Evidently all the construction across the city has depleted the country of building materials, hence the use of Legos on this wall!!

I am finished with elementary school (oh, and so is Michael)!!!!

Michael and Ms. Navar, his 5th grade teacher

I was first the parent of an elementary school student in 1989 which was 20 years ago but as of last week, I am finished! Michael "graduated" from elementary school so my days as room mother, holiday parties, cupcakes on birthdays, and teacher gifts are behind me. Believe me when I say that only a tiny, tiny part of me is sad about this. Katy is not nearly as thrilled as I am about this because she realizes that this means her little brother will be at the next middle school dance with her!

"You gotta burn it to earn it!"

Yeah, I know the video overlaps onto the side bar but embedding a YouTube video is already stretching the limit of my computer skills. If anyone has a way to shrink the video, please share. Anyway, I think the video is hysterical. There are a whole series of them (a new sport combining golf and running, ultramarathoning, etc.), if you are interested.

As for this week's running- except for getting rained on and having to skirt a thunder storm, I have been able to follow the schedule, which is a repeat of last week. One minor glitch- the Forerunner is broken so I'm not sure of my paces.


edit- thanks to Kyle for shrinking the video for me!