Holiday Season Has Begun and Giveaway Winner

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families!

  

Today is the official beginning of the Holiday Season, the most magical time of the year for my family.

My children are fascinated by the Christmas lights that neighbors put out and we are going to see more of them each day. This weekend we are going to put up and decorate our Christmas tree. And next week I plan to write and send out Christmas cards. However, my most favorite holiday activity is baking! I have several new recipes pinned. And I am so much looking forward to a family cookie exchange party that we are going to in a couple of weeks. Then there will be more gatherings and parties to attend. Such fun!  

And today is the day to announce the winner of the Mariposa tabletop fountain. It’s Susan from Writing Straight from the Heart. Congratulations!

Finally Cold Days

Last night it finally started raining. And it wasn’t just a light shower, but a nice heavy rain! The temperature dropped down to the sixties, making it appropriate to light a fireplace (I had been waiting for that).

This morning my hardwood floors were so cold that I had to put on a pair of warm knitted socks that my mom made for me.

In the afternoon the skies cleared up a bit and my boys and I went out to get some fresh air. Other than some trees changing colors, we didn’t see many interesting sights. But raindrops on the succulents in our front yard sure looked pretty.

Tabletop Fountain Giveaway

Back in June I had Smart Solar Flutterbys giveaway sponsored by Serenity Health. They were so kind as to offer another giveaway for my readers.

The prize for today’s giveaway is Mariposa Tabletop Fountain.

The sound of falling water is so calming and relaxing. And the fountain’s dreamy design can be a beautiful addition to your side table or desk.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below. Make sure there is a way for me to contact you if you win.

The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on November 23, 2012. Due to custom issues that might arise, the giveaway is open only to US residents.

The last day to enter the giveaway is Thursday, November 22, 2012.

More of Krakow, Poland

My most memorable cultural experience in Krakow was attending an evening concert of classical music at this majestic old church. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul dates back to the seventeenth century and represents Polish Baroque style.

As for my best culinary experience, it was a brunch with my husband at a small inviting tavern. We both had traditional Polish dumplings called pierogi. I had ones stuffed with cabbage and mushrooms, and my husband had ones stuffed with potatoes. They both were very delicious.

You might ask me what my best shopping experience was. Well, I didn’t do any shopping. I realized that my home is filled with tons of small souvenirs and trinkets from my trips and I probably don’t need any more. I thought it was wiser to spend time and money on seeing and experiencing things rather than shopping. Nevertheless, I enjoyed window shopping at some lovely artisan shops.

Evening Krakow

Dear friends, thank you for your kind comments on my previous posts about my trip to Europe. It was a fantastic time of my life and it’s so wonderful now to experience it again by sharing the pictures and stories with you!

From Ukraine, my husband and I took a plane to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. There we changed planes and flew to Krakow, another old Polish city.

The purpose of our visit to Poland was a friend’s wedding that was to take place in a small village two hours by car away from Krakow. We, however, arrived to Krakow a few days prior the wedding, so we could explore the city.

It was late evening when we finally got to our hotel, which was located near the Main Market Square of the Old Town.

Neither my husband nor I had been to Poland before, so despite being tired from the flight, we set off to explore the city. We walked narrow streets to the Main Square, which dates back to the 13th century.  I was absolutely fascinated by its grandeur!

We walked around the square and strolled inside the Cloth Hall, a Renaissance building in the middle of the Square.  

There were many beautiful skillfully crafted things to explore (and buy) inside. Probably because it was a long tiresome day for me, I didn’t buy anything though I was particularly drawn to a few booths with gorgeous amber jewelry.

I fell in love with Krakow right away! In the dark of the night, everything seemed so perfect. A clean and quiet town, alive with pedestrians but hardly any cars. The majestic toll of the bell from the tower of the Cloth Hall announced the time, and it utterly felt like a town from another time!

The following day, when the sun came out and I saw the city in a different light, I was not any bit disappointed. On the contrary, I was certain it’s going to be one of my favorite cities in the world!

More about daylight Krakow next time.

Until then,

Olga  

Mushroom Picking in Ukraine

Disclaimer: This post should not be used as a guide to mushroom picking. The purpose of this post is solely to share my experience. 

One of my best experiences during my visit to Ukraine was going mushroom picking with my two uncles, my aunt, and my husband. One of my uncles and his family live only five minutes away from beautiful pine woods. My uncle knows a lot about mushrooms, wild berries, etc.

It was a Sunday afternoon, so we didn’t expect to find much as most mushroom pickers set out early in the morning. Yet we found lots of mushrooms – edible and poisonous.

The first mushrooms we found were very pretty but deadly poisonous toadstools.

The next ones were Jersey cow mushrooms. We found plenty of those. My uncle said they are edible and some people do pick them, but he and his family don’t. So we moved on.

Then I came across this beauty. Again pretty, but dangerous.

Finally, my uncle found the first edible mushroom – a big, beautiful porcini.

And soon I found one too!

Once the first ones were found, our spirits were lifted and we were sure we are going to find more. And we did! My husband and I kept count of how many mushrooms each of us found, but somewhere after ten, we stopped counting.

In addition to porcini mushrooms, we found lots of Bay Boletes. In Ukraine they are called Polish mushrooms.

And my aunt found a few Saffron milk cap mushrooms. I was quite tired by then, so I didn’t take a picture of them.

Overall, we collected about a bucket of mushrooms. It was fun finding edible ones, learning about poisonous mushrooms, and just spending time with my extended family.

The next day, it was just as much fun devouring mushroom soup that my aunt made!

Scarves and Shawls

When I was flying to Paris last month, I read in the onboard magazine that one absolutely must have a scarf in Paris this fall. It’s the fashion thing! I was glad I had mine with me!

A scarf is a beautiful accessory, which can be styled many different ways. Moreover, it can be turned into a practical piece anytime you need. Throughout my trip in Europe, my scarf was very handy. One evening in Paris, we went out for dinner. The restaurant was within a walking distance and the evening was very pleasant. However, on the way back a drizzle started. Not having an umbrella, I however had my scarf. I put it on my head and felt comfortable and chic.

And here are a few more gorgeous scarves and wraps (the photos are from Traidcraft website).

I have a wool wrap similar to this one. I received it from my mother-in-law as a Christmas present last year. I can’t wait until the weather cools down, so I can start wearing it.

Of all the scarves and wraps from Traidcraft, this hand knitted Alpaca wrap is my favorite. I wonder if I could knit something similar. My sister-in-law got me several skeins of beautiful Alpaca yarn. I might give it a try as I definitely need more scarves and wraps for this autumn. 

Ukrainian Countryside

From the capital of France, I’m going to take you to a completely opposite world – a tiny village in Ukraine. My grandparents spent their entire lives there, raising their children, working on the land and tending to farm animals. A simple way of living. And a very difficult one too!

They are long gone, and with their passing away destruction began to take its toll. It’s hard to believe that this empty estate overgrown by trees and grass once was a happy place filled with life, children’s laughter, mooing, bleating, clucking, etc.

   

In this small hut, which now has almost collapsed, my mother and her five siblings grew up. I spent many summers here too. There were only one room and a kitchen with an earthen floor. The water always came from the well. Luckily, during my time, there already was electricity, but it wasn’t there when my mom was growing up.

Despite the lack of daily-life necessities, I remember it as a very happy place.

  

My grandfather built another house (I remember it being referred to as “the new hut”) on the estate in hope that one of his children will make home there. But no one did. Yet “the new hut” was practical when there were family reunions. My grandparents, however, never moved in there; they preferred their old tiny hut.

I love visiting my grandparents’ place whenever I go to Ukraine. It holds so many happy memories. I feel a bit sad that all that once was there is now gone forever. But that’s the way the life is!