Family Odds and Ends

R5 has been asking me for about the past two months to make apple butter for him. I went through a canning kick in July, and have been less-than-interested since then. But, we saw a babushka at the metro selling apples from her dacha the other day, so I bought three kilos. And yesterday I came across Linda's Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe. I've modified it a bit (stove top, brown sugar, unpeeled) and it simmering right now.

A couple of weeks ago, J7 misused the vacuum cleaner, and as a result was given extra time to practice using it correctly. Vacuuming is his least favorite job (as it was mine, when I was a child.) He's had a great attitude about it though, and yesterday was vacuuming an singing at the top of his lungs, Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart!

On Friday I took the two older boys to the dentist. It's been three years. It's a bit of an overwhelming task at times to first find a doctor with whom we're comfortable, not to mention making appointments in Russian. At this clinic, however, most of the staff has at least some English. My teeth feel so smoothly clean, the dentist reassured us that T6's bite looked fine, and we have app'ts for early December for fillings. *blush* I'm so embarrassed that I allowed the boys to get cavities (small ones). My Dad is a dentist. . .

I also saw an eye doctor this week. (Doesn't speak English.) I had an eye infection a few weeks ago, and we're still determining whether there is an underlying problem or it was a simple infection. And, I need an updated prescription and glassses. If you have a simple prescription, you can buy glasses at the metro station here. Mine's a bit more complex, so I need to bring Hubby along and go to an optika and find some frames he thinks suit me. I hate picking out frames alone.

We'll be having Thanksgiving with the Americans on our team this year. Thankfully, Tracy and Lauren will be making the turkey. Traditionally, I've been hugely pregnant and due any day around Thanksgiving, so I've had limited experience baking turkeys. The first Thanksgiving after we were married I made a delicious spread. Last year I made a "traditional American Thanksgiving" for Hubby's English classes. Oh, my. Nothing turned out how I wanted it to. And the turkey. . . Well, let's just say I'm avoiding being responsible for baking turkeys until I can get back to the land of Butterballs.

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I am relieved to hear that someone else has not been to the dentist in 3 years. That's about how long it's been for us and I keep wanting to make an appointment. But the question is who (none of our colleagues live near us to recommend a dentist). Medical care is pretty good here. I mean I gave birth to Junior here and was very pleased with the whole thing. But for some reason, I am more worried about the dentist than I was about delivering a child. Sort of. Maybe because I didn't know what to expect since he was my first child. But boy-oh-boy do I know what to expect at the dentist. And I imagine it could only be worse here than at home.

On another note, we will have our first real Thanksgiving meal since we arrived in Asia in 2002. I'm making dinner rolls in the bread machine and sweet potato casserole. I actually found stuffing mix and cranberry sauce here. Someone else is cooking the turkey. I've never done it before.

By the way, I have just started visiting your blog regularly and I really enjoy it.
Posted by: Jane at November 22, 2004 03:14 PM

*grin*

Glad you enjoy it.

Yeah, I think I'd have done okay with birth here, but it was a major thing getting to the dentist. The best part of the visit, though, was the waiting room had magazines in ENGLISH! (Yes, they cater to the expat community. . .) However I've heard many of the local dentists have great equipment, because it's all new. Hope you can work out a dental appointment sometime soon.

Hooray for the cranberry sauce! A teammate's brother came for the holidays, and he brought all the hard-to-find ingredients for our feast.

And, I'm glad to see you here, Jane. I don't always comment over at your and Joe's place. But I'm a regular reader. *g*
Posted by: TulipGirl at November 22, 2004 09:53 PM

Oh, I'm tickled pink you decided to make the apple butter! I have a batch in the crockpot right now. How did it turn out? And most importantly, did R5 like it?
Posted by: Linda at November 23, 2004 07:01 AM

i forgot to mention that we have something in common - something rectangular that one lives in on Frost Avenue while attending a certain seminary. =) I read you were there on your hubby's blog.
Posted by: Jane at November 23, 2004 07:03 AM

Jane! We were at #12 the fall of 2000--and that's where C3-almost-4 was born. When were you there? What a small, small world. . .
Posted by: TulipGirl at November 23, 2004 11:30 PM

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