(minus) Thirty Something

The last few days have been pretty cold, between -30C (-22F) and -40C (-40F).

(although I have to admit it was only -25C when I took these pictures!)

It's hard to keep your car going through the winter, some people don't even try, they just leave it under the snow until the spring!

Sometimes the snow just sticks to the trees and makes everything white.

When it is this cold the water condenses out of the air and everywhere is misty.

I had to resist the urge to tweak the contrast.

Advent fun

In Russia the communists largely replaced Christmas as a celebration with New Year.

So Christmas is not the commercialized affair it has become in many countries.

Advent is something few outside of the church have any understanding of.

We decided to organize some Advent events aimed at helping kids (and their parents) understand the Christmas story whilst having fun.  

There were lots of activities

Face painting was particularly popular

Then it was story time...

Time to make an angel to take home

After all that work - snack time!

Signs that Winter is coming.

First Snow!

You have to add five minutes to your journey time 

to clean the snow and ice off your car.

The coat rack just doubled in size!

It's time to wear a hat again.

Something Russian - animals made from wood shavings

Spent some time with a friend today, 

in the conversation he mentioned his former teacher, 

who makes animals from wood shavings.

The owls beak and claws are made up of hundreds of layers of shavings. 

He studies wildlife to make his models as accurate as possible. He even has a patent on his technique

He was offered 60, 000 pound ($100,000) for the owl, but refused to sell.

If you can handle Russian find out more here:

http://crabo.ru/news/podelki_iz_struzhki/2011-09-12-837

Book Club for three year olds.

Once Luda had the idea to get some friends together with their kids to discuss a favorite book the kids had read. This has now become a regular event - a book club for kids.

This time they discussed a book by the author Vladimir Suteyev. He was an animator who became a children's author, illustrating his own stories. He was also ambidextrous and could even write and draw at the same time!

One of his most

Something Russian - Mushrooms!

Most Russians love Mushrooms.

Not the sanitised ones you buy at the supermarket, but wild ones!

Some love the hunt, finding hidden treasure in the woods.

Others just love the taste, and are prepared to buy them by the bucketload (literally) from sellers at the market, or at the side of the road.

Knowledge of the different types is passed down the generations. 

Some need to be boiled first, some you can just fry in butter with a little garlic, and some potatoes.

You can also marinate them and keep them to eat on a cold winter evening.

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Wedding

It is hard to generalise about weddings. I can't say that this wedding is a "typical Russian wedding", most weddings here, take place in a registery office and followed by a boozy reception.
I can only claim to show you the wedding I went to recently, and point out a few things that are characteristic for most christian weddings I have been to here.

The bride and groom. Dressed like pretty much anywhere!

Everything starts with prayer.

The pastor preaches - he went long.

The couple make their vows and pray for each other.

Then the pastor gives the blessing and declares them man and wife.

This wedding was unusual in my experience, because everything took place in the same room.

After the wedding ceremony came the feast.

As well as congratulatory songs, usually there are some fun competitions 

often at the expense of the newly weds.

Because every woman wants to marry a knight in shining armour!