Here and There

 Not sure why but I like taking pictures of stairs!  Glad we didn't need to walk up these snowy ones!

 These brooms are made from birch twigs - and they really work well getting snow off the sidewalks!

 Closer view of the natural broom.

 We thought the 'graffiti' in the snow was pretty funny - I guess you use what's available, huh?

 The sidewalks are kept pretty clean, not so the parking spaces!

 Blooming plant!  We inherited three nice plants from the former missionary couple - and this one bloomed this week!  Makes us know spring is coming! Elder Smith takes good care of the plants - like he used to do the whole yard - this is much easier.

 When it snows someone puts dirt on the sidewalks - Sister Heiselbetz's calls it 'brown sugar'!  It does improve the footing a little bit.  These are side streets, the main sidewalks are kept pretty clean.

Elder Smith wanted to take a picture of this fish in the market - I waited across the way!

Brass and Ice Sculptures in a small park

 We walked about eight blocks and found this other smaller park - with both brass and ice sculptures - it reminded us of the Springville Artist - Gary Price and his art work around Springville.  This appears to be a mother and daughter - love!

 Cow in the snow!

 Monkeys on a bench - seeing, hearing, and saying no evil!!

 From a distance we wondered if this was the Bull - but no - another cow.

 Really like this one - children reading! 

 Fountain in the middle of the park ... we will come back in the spring and summer to enjoy the water fountains.

 Rodin's - The Thinker - this park is close to an Art Museum.

 Also Rodin's The Kiss - great art!

 Not many ice sculptures but interesting ones.

 This is a little house that the children can actually go into.

Ice Sculptures in the Park

 Saturday the temperature was in the high 20's and we went down to a park to view the ice scuptures.  This is a sledding hill built with wood and then ice around it - fun for the kids to sled in the middle of a park all winter.

 Here is Father Frost and the Snow Maiden - I think they look great with snow on them.

 The rest of the ice sculptures seemed to be about Fairy Tales - but we didn't recognize any - did enjoy the art work in ice!

 Cute Elder Smith !

 I have on my Montana coat - with hat and scarf - my Russian coat is too warm for 20 + degrees above zero - I call it 'the furnace'!  Glad I have it when I need it.

 This Ice Maze was so cool - literally! 

Last of the ice sculptures in this large park.  Beautiful day to enjoy them.

Defenders of the Fatherland - Men's Day

 These are the fridge door magnets that Polly and Jennie sent us - and the Temple one is the one the Relief Society sisters made for the men of the branch - celebrating Men's Day - Feb. 23rd.  Women's Day is March 8th and they always do something nice for the sisters - stay tuned!

 Thanks so much Polly - we love our interchangeable cards!

 The men's gifts packaged and waiting to be given out.

Pot Luck lunch after church as part of the celebration - good people, good food, good time!

Sight Seeing downtown Irkutsk

On Monday we went sight seeing with the cute volunteer sisters - this is a symbol of Irkutsk - a mythical tiger - with a sable in it's mouth!

 Not certain what we are doing here - but it was fun!

 Outside a Chinese restaurant - Year of the Dog - 2018

 Elder Smith by a Robot!

 My turn...we thought our small grandsons would like to see these.

I Love Irkutsk!

Making Baby Quilts

 Sister Lamb is helping me tie baby quilts for the 5 new babies in our branch born last year ... note - no quilt frames available - so we pinned the quilts to the ironing board and the back of the chairs!  It worked!  Elder Smith and Pres. Lamb were in the front room with a meeting..after quilting we served them lunch.

 Fruits of our labors - the baby girls have lace around their quilt.

We found these receiving blankets at a local Mall - perfect to make small quilts.

Irkutsk misc.

 We were on our way to the Church building for a meeting and found these frozen fish in the outdoor market!  See the other vendors in the background?  they bundle up in warm clothes and sell all day.

 Our wonderful young volunteers - we are very blessed to work with these delightful young people.

 At another meeting Sister Lamb brought this sign - Teach the Gospel - Use words if necessary!  I told everyone Elder Smith and I don't have 'words' - so we should try harder to live the teachings!  Notice the new dress - Elder Smith brought it for my Valentine's Day gift - at the after Christmas sales!

 Sister Melton is so darling - she told me that she was going to gain weight serving with me since I was making yummy treats all the time - that she was  trying to eat healthy - so this is her valentine - an apple with a valentine message!!

She loved it! 

 Sister Nelson and Von Schlegell were serving in Novosibirsk when we arrived in September - now they are in another city as companions - we were at the same meeting and we were laughing about how Elder Smith and I looked like 'deer in the headlights' - our first day in the mission we met them in the mission office... aren't they pretty?

 There was a meeting in our front room - for the Priesthood men.  Sister Lamb helped me tie three baby quilts for members in our branch with babies.  We improvised with no quilt frames - pinned the quilt to the ironing board and the back of the chairs!  It worked!

Finished  - cute huh?