home sweet home!

this is the one restaurant we have. the rest
are kafe's. see the icycycles? 

i think the trees are so beautiful
with ice on them!

this is so pretty but the more I look at it
when the ice melts we could have '
a awesome light show on our hards!

aren't they so cute???

this is our hostel decorated with iccycles

Sorry I have not been meaning to ignore blogging just have been thinking of ideas and busy with gosti's actually!  I'm going to put some pictures of winter here in this post so you can get some idea what I'm talking about.  After racking my brain for ideas I think I have some topics for some new blogs.  I don't think I've ever told you about the houses here...so why don't I do that.  The houses here are very old, unless a family has the money to renovate, and made of concrete.  That's why the fire thing isn't such a big issue, it IS for safety reasons but ...ok, new sentence.  Concrete doesn't burn so, after several emails back and forth with the safety and security director about my apt not having any place for me to go if there should be a fire, it was brought to my attention (DUH!) that these concrete communist era block style buildings may be old but they don't burn!  My apt is painted using 2 colors on the walls.  Sorry!the classrooms have 2 colors and I only have one and that would be white.  I've put some things on the walls so it doesn't look so...well, white to give my walls some variety.  I have a big map ofBulg on one wall.  I highlight the places in B I've been and also put the locations of other volunteers.  It's not too monotonous!  Artwork from kids helps too!  Most people have a refridgerator, washing machine, and a wood burning stove.  In the winter usually one room out of the house is kept warm and the others are shut off.  Kinda like I shut the doors to my rooms that are not in use in my house in the states, same here basically.  And did you think I forgot to mention the dryer?  I didn't forget, there are none.  The dryer is outside on the line where hopefully the sun is shining and your clothes will dry faster.  Most families, I think, have a drying rack for clothes too in addition to the line, at least I do.  This I haven't quite figured out.  Usually if a family has a house they don't have just 1.  Usually right behind, beside, or a very short distance from the "main" house is another smaller kinda like a guest house.  I do know that usually the first son who gets married (this is kinda iffy and depends on a number of things) lives with his parents and my guess is that this is their house or at least room.  Both over new years and last night when I was gosti when it came time to sleep, or nap for new years, I left with the female host and we went to the "other" house which is just as nice.  However the kitchen is (usually)in the main house.  Of course there's a wood burning stove in the other house/room too.  I guess the more I think about it the more it is like a guest house.  Now of course this is just my experience and may be totall different in other places.  Glad to hear so-far-so-good about the storm, at least from my Indy friends and family!!  Love and hugs and enjoy the pictures!