Sunday with Ivan

What a wonderful Sunday morning meeting we had. Ian thought it would be ok for us to have the emblems here at the apt. Soooo nice. Sad part was Vasilisa was out of town on business and Natasha was ????? It is so good being here with the girls, Annette and Karyn. The Fellowship is very rewarding.
After meeting and visiting it was lunchtime and a nap for all but Jan; she was making cookies to take to Evgeny's home for dinner with he and his mom, Tamara. It is a long bus ride, one transfer, to his home so he met us halfway and led us to his stop. As the bus was pulling out, the fumes still swirling around our noses, I exclaimed " my backpack is still on the bus". It contained the hymn books and the cookies. Someone said, "get a taxi". We ran over to a waiting taxi. Evgeny pushed me into the back seat and yelled to the driver, "follow that bus and go fast!" The tires spun on the ice and Annette was left holding the door handle (she let go) yelling "but he doesn't speak Russian".
Meantime, I am in the middle of the back seat leaning over trying to say the bus number-soccor diver or sotok divy or ...Finally I came up with sorek deivit (49) as he pulled up behind number 82. We we slip sliding on as I thought is this a French Kidnapping movie or what. A few blocks later we pulled in behind smoken 49. I jumped out before the taxi stopped, slipped on the ice, fell down, lost my hat, recovered and jumped on the bus as the door was closing. I yelled "halte" which would be ok but I am not in Mexico. Everyone stared. Then I said "pashalsta, pashalsta" (please) and ran to the back of the bus a grabbed my backpack, said spaseba (thank you) and jumped off the bus. I later thought I am glad no one beat me up thinking I was a terrorist. There was the driver, with my hat in his hand. When we returned to the bus stop all I had was a 1000 ruble note for the 200 rb fare. So we had to drive to a store that would make change.
The evening with Evgeny and his mother went well, normalna, after that. We enjoyed the cookies and had a nice sing. When Jan told Evgeny's mom about me she said," that's just the way this day had been-My Blini's (crepe) didn't turn out well either. I hope you you day was a good one. Morrie