Day 12

Okay, before I get into this blog I need to clarify something. While looking through photos that are taken each day we have noticed that they are all very similar. We are ALL wearing the same thing, the weather the looks the same and our surroundings look the same. We want you all to know that we did not take tons of photos the first day we arrived here and now David and I are on a romantic cruise somewhere in the Caribbean, we are actually here and living each day to the fullest....we just wanted to make that clarification.

Well, no one can ever accuse us of not living on the edge, we know how to get things done around here. After a restless night, David decided we needed to find a dentist and stat. We found one right around the corner, next to our lovely bus stop, so handy. We walked right in and they were able to see David immediately, much to his relief, but you could tell he was also a bit nervous. Through Oksana David was able to explain the pain and the wonderful dentist went right to work. She started the procedure with a shot, and when Oksana and I saw the needle we both turned our heads, we couldn't bear to watch, unfortunately they didn't have the grape or strawberry flavored gas that David requested, poor guy. After much drilling, cleaning and more drilling the dentist finally removed the nerve, which I didn't even know was possible, she then filled the tooth with a temporary filling and he was a good as new. It was quite the humorous situation watching David answer questions from the dentist, through Oksana while his mouth was being worked on and then relaying things again through Oksansa back to the dentist. Whew, it was quite the morning. We went to pay and the whole procedure only cost us 150.00 gryvna, approximately $18.75, can't beat that. In fact I told David maybe we should get all his dental work done while we are here in Ukraine, he didn't agree. We do need go and get an x-ray taken tomorrow and then if David is still in pain we will beed to do one more follow up visit, but as I write this David is in no pain whatsoever. No more 'Groundhog Day' around here anymore
On our way home we passed our, well my most favorite find, as of yet. My friends and family who know me best will surely appreciate this...I found a SECOND HAND STORE, a Ukrainian DI of sorts. I thought I had died and gone to heaven right then and there. David moaned and shook his head when he realized what kind of a store it was. Oksana mentioned that she had never been in SUCH a store before, she didn't like them. What? Who doesn't like a good second hand store? So I quickly agreed to introduce her to the fine "art" of shopping at such a store and she had a ball, let me tell you. She was amazed at the prices and the different assortment of items. We found nails, batteries, makeup (okay I wouldn't even buy makeup used), clothes, purses, kitchen supplies and the list goes on and on. I could tell my poor David wanted to go home, so I will plan a 2nd, 3rd and possibly a 4th trip back on my own time. Boy, our apartment is in an ideal location...close to a grocery store, bus stop, dentist and now a DI...life is soooo good.

When we arrived home tonight we read your comments from our blog and many of you asked if the sanatorium also has girls living there, well we spotted them for the first time today and they are just as amazing and beautiful as the boys. They are softer and gentler, they huddle together in small groups holding each other's hands. They apparently live on the other side or maybe even on a different floor, it is hard to tell once you are inside the sanatorium We took their pictures and posted them below. When we were leaving today four little girls approached us, we gave them some candy and took their picture, oh I just wanted to grab them and kiss them all over. Afterwards as we were walking across the yard to leave we heard something yelling at us, we turned around and we saw one little girl crying as she was running towards us. She put her little hands out and asked if she too could have a little piece of candy like her friends. I looked over to David and through my tears I could tell David was crying too, he handed her the whole bag of remaining candy and told her to take them back and to share with her friends. She couldn't believe we had given her the whole bag, she was so grateful and the thing is, there were only about 10 tootsie rolls left, but she was happy anyway. She quickly ran back to her friends and handed out what was left and as we turned to leave we heard the group yelling, "thank you," we then turned around and they were waving goodbye. When we got to the fence with the boys today our emotions simply overwhelmed us, we did not want to leave. We didn't want to leave the boys, we didn't want to leave the children. The boys hugged us goodbye and told us in their broken English, "it's okay," and I have to think that one day everything will be.

Kisses!!


Bogdan at his usual place, waving goodbye and waiting for us to turn the corner.



The girls waving goodbye. The girl in the brown, hooded coat with her back turned, is the one we gave the bag of tootsie rolls to.


These are the girls that approached us originally inside the sanatorium.

This is the little one that ran after us asking for candy. She was all smiles when we gave her the bag. Beautiful!!

A gentlemen was selling this right out of his van. Just after I took this picture a lady wrapped it up in a towel and headed for home. Yummy?

David, all smiles. This was BEFORE the shot.

David and the dentist...drill baby drill.

Nice, cozy office.