Boot-sandals: A Trend for You?

Are you a fashionista and out there on the leading edge? Are you an early adapter of the latest? Well then, you might be considering a pair of these boot-sandals. They're the hottest thing in Eastern Europe this summer.

But who wants hot for the summer? Well anyway, admittedly, I might be missing something. But the rationale for this sort of footwear escapes me.

If you're a trail blazer of fashion, please explain these to the rest of us. . . Say, dear blog reader, have you spotted these in the city where you live? Do you see yourself indulging?

Russia Has Its Freedoms

Many freedoms exist in Russia, a fact to which I can attest. One is the freedom to choose ones apparel. This has its advantages. Like the dear grandmother pictured below who was parading around town in this jacket and head scarf on a 90-degree afternoon. She's free to do that, of course. (Double-click photo to enlarge.)

I like her selection of footwear: She went with sandals rather than boots. That's her choice. Welcome to Russia!




Say, do you know a guy who wears shorts and dark socks? He might be Russian. Send him on over. There are others of that ilk here, walking about freely on the streets.

Usually it's dark socks, black leather shoes and shorts. But with his athletic shoes, at least this fellow's going in the right direction, fashion-wise.




Freedom of apparel comes in quite handy. Myself, I've left home, thought I was reasonably presentable but mercy me, was I wrong.

I've been known to combine dark, navy capris with a black top. That's the problem with dressing in the semi-dark. Navy can pass for black. But you know what, no one even noticed. Or if they noticed, no one let on. This is something to love about Russia.


There are no fashion police here. At least not on the street where I live. And for that, I am truly thankful. Then too there's the freedom to plant flowers. Or not. And the freedom to photograph other people's flowers. Or not.


There's freedom to stop and sniff other people's flowers. Or not.




There's the freedom to paint graffiti. Just don't get caught. . .
But these words are very special. It warms my heart just to see this:

Literally, this says God is! That's Russian for, There is a God! This has been up on that wall for several years already. Even better, no one has painted over the message.



There's the freedom to worship, to gather in churches. On the left is the entrance to our church building, the white one there. We are free to worship.



We are free to post the sign at the entrance, Rostov Church of Christ. That's a wonderful freedom that not all believers enjoy. In Belarus, for instance, posting the church name on the building is forbidden. Unless, of course, it's part of the official state church. But welcome to Russia where we do have that freedom.




There is a God! He is alive.
In Him we live. . .and we survive.



For flesh is as grass and the glory of man as the flower thereof. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of our God endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

Well there's bound to be a way to segue back to the freedom of apparel. But on this Independance Day, guess what -- I'm disinclined to worry about it! Granted, this freedom thing can get taken a bit too far! ;)

Holey, holey, holey: The Care and Feeding of Moths

A wonderful church in the Dallas area stores my 50-some boxes of material possessions in a spare classroom. They keep the door locked and one person has the only key. My treasures have been secure there for nearly a decade now. Or so I thought. But the one thing we overlooked was posting a sign in English, Spanish and Russian: Moths, Keep Out!

Recently I was in Dallas and sorting through my boxes of treasures. And what a surprise awaited me from those pesky little critters. Behold this beautiful wool skirt, lined even. Besides that, moths found my stash of Pendleton wool. But at least they confined their feasting to the top few layers of that fabric before they moved on to greener. . . garments.

Moths mystify me. How do they manage to get into a locked classroom in the first place. How do they sift through boxes of books, photos and cookware and keep searching until they find fabrics. And, connoisseurs of fiber they are, how do they sort through the cottons, the silks and acrylics, saving their appetite for the wool. Those little rascals.

Should come as no surprise though. Jesus himself said, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6: 19-21)

On the plus side, this holey skirt is one fine visual aid for the fleeting nature of things: material things. Especially when that material is wool.

And how about You, dear blog reader. Have you had insects chew up something of yours? How do you store woolens?

Furs, Furs, Glorious Furs

Cold Russian winters and fur coats go together like...like birds of a feather. Some are simply absolutely breathtaking. One neat thing about the fur coat ladies, they're always quite pleased to pose for a photograph. Certainly can't blame them. A few years back, someone who would know (Tatyana in Brest, Belarus) said that a mink coat easily runs a year's wages and that it's meant to last for a lifetime.

This could be mink. On the other hand, maybe not. It's definitely not lamb.


This also could be mink. I'd say we could rule out fox on this one.


This one is not mink. Hmmm. She told me but how could I write it down when I was busy with the camera? Maybe you know what fur this is? We can safely rule out ermine on this one.

Anybody out there got a fur coat? Want one? Want to buy me one? Well, actually I have a respectible Republican cloth coat. It's exactly 10 years old and looks like new.