Laundry Day

This is my washing machine.
It hides out in the bathroom.
It can hold about 5 shirts in one load
and takes about an hour and a half to run a cycle.First it rotates clockwise,
then stops for 5 seconds
and then rotates counterclockwise and stops.
Then repeats.
It's different than I'm used to,
but better than washing in the stream with a washboard.
This is my dryer.
It takes about 7 hours to dry!

Godfrey

Let me introduce you to Godfrey. He is the custodian and groundskeeper at the chapel here in Warsaw. He has a heart of pure gold!
Godfrey came to Poland four years ago as a political refugee from the country of Zimbabwe. He had to leave his family behind and cannot return. His wife and three children are still there trying to survive in that war torn country.
Shortly after Godfrey came to Warsaw he met the missionaries and became a member of the Church. He shared his feelings about it with his wife back home in Zimbabwe. She contacted the missionaries there and also joined the Church.
His greatest sorrow is not having his family with him and we all pray that some how, someday they can be reunited, but it's a very difficult and complicated task.

Yesterday, Godfrey turned 50. In his sweet humble way, he had no expectations of any recognition of this special day. That's what made it so fun to surprise him with a birthday party!


He has never had a birthday party before or blown out the candles on his own cake.






Soooooooooooo, then we decided to take him outside to play...

It was a perfect day for water balloon volleyball!

I hope that it made Godfrey's day.....cause it sure made mine!

Pottery and Blackberries

For my birthday, Dean bought me my first piece of Polish pottery.
The pottery industry here is centuries old and is traditionally blue and white and hand-painted.
They say the inspiration for the original patterns was from the feathers on the tail of a peacock. I love it and look forward to having many pieces when I return.The best way to break in a new piece of pottery, of course, is to bake in it...
and what better thing to bake than
Blackberry Slump.

Can't resist sharing the recipe with you...

Blackberry Slump
4 C. fresh blackberries
1 C. sugar
1 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. milk
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Put berries in ungreased 5-6 Cup glass dish (Polish Pottery) and sprinkle evenly with 3/4 Cup sugar.
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/4 C. sugar into a bowl. Add milk and butter and whisk until smooth, then pour over berries. Bake slump in middle of oven until top is golden, 40-45 minutes. Cool 20 min. Serve warm Makes 4-6 servings.

Dean gives it a "thumbs up"!

The Castle

When we went to Malbork Castle last week,
I looked for Rapunzel to see if she was locked away in the tower.
But, apparently she was rescued ages ago.
The moat is now dry, and the knights are long gone...

But, as the largest brick castle in Europe,
Malbork is truly a stunningly impressive castle.
It dates from the 14th century and was the stronghold for the
Teutonic Knights who invaded Poland.
Largely destroyed by the Germans in WWII,
it has been restored to much of its earlier glory.
However, the chapel is still in ruins, as you can see, and awaits restoration.

The windows were as elegant on the outside as the inside.
The dining hall served the knights and their ladies.
Dean and I think that we could rule
this little kingdom together and live happily ever after.

Dunes

This week was a special treat.
Our friends, Jim and Jann Crock came from the states
for a visit. One of the sights that we enjoyed
during their stay was Slovinski National Park on the
coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland.
Here you find a mammoth crescent-shaped dune of
fine, white sand.It's a 3 mile hike from the road into the dune,
but well worth the effort.
The largest dune is named after the village that was
buried by the blowing sand.
Łącka Dune


I guess Colorado isn't the only place that can claim beautiful dunes.

I Love the Mailman

A little bit of heaven came in the mail today...
4 1/2 lbs of chocolate chips!
I think that's about 720 delicious,
melt in your mouth cookies.
Divine!
Thank goodness the Crystal Light
that came too has NO calories,
so that I can eat all those cookies
and not worry about putting on pounds!
Yea, right!