Day 10 of 10

We're home to familiar Mariupol! We have a different apartment this time, but very, very nice. It is not downtown, so we cannot walk to the coffee shop or small market but we are safe, warm, in a very pretty home, have internet and nice beds and a cool kitchen. We have been very well taken care of by our agency, we have to say. We will go with the flow tomorrow, something we are good at doing, and see what the day brings. The best thing it will bring is Karina!! Just think - this is her last night at the Tsentr Opiky. What do you think she is saying to her friends tonight? Tomorrow, we doubt if she will go to school - Friday was probably her last day at school. Wow - is she excited? Is she scared? What is going through her mind? We have her clothes and shoes ready for her. Tomorrow is our first day as a threesome! Stuart is way ready to come home. His patience is on the fringe right now. The thought of 2 more weeks, potentially is driving him a bit nuts. On a positive note, he drank the best beer he has had in 6 months last night at dinner! He is all about that beer. Too bad he can't have one tonight - he could use it after the 25 hour bumpty-bump-bump train ride. Oh well - it's all about perspective. And being grateful for all the goodness we have, which are magnificent. This apartment, for example, is very pretty and clean and the light fixture in the living room is awesome! Karina will love it - totally sparkly! Even the wall paper is sparkly! And, we are able to wash clothes. We wear the same clothes everyday, and they don't really get as dirty as they do in America. It is interesting, but I see a similarity to dog food. That is, once we fed our dogs canned dog food from Sam's club/Walmart for about 6 months in a row. I know... it was about 8 years ago. Then, Ann switched them to a raw food/homemade diet, where they only got natural foods. Suddenly, like within a week, all of the dogs smelled better, their breath was better and their coats looked better. Well, here we do not eat foods with preservatives and lots of chemicals (like canned dog food has in it). I think we are healthier and that is why it is not the end of the world if you don't wash as often. Just a thought....