Sun's Out....It's Warmer - and a Request

The sun is shining and it's above freezing today and has been for the past several days....though still icy cold at night.  The snow is melting during the day and it turns into frozen hard pack at night - it's rather slippery!  It's 12:30 on Sunday and after getting up a little later than usual, the dishes are washed, my laundry is washed, my hair is washed and I'm writing on my blog.  A wedding party drove through town at 3 different times this morning honking their horns. It's a lovely morning.

This will be a short post, but do look in the right column and click "Winter" to see some of my favorite recent photos.

I've been thinking about spring and summer.....

• I'm looking for someone to build me a screen for the bedroom window I keep open all summer long.  Typically lacy curtains hang in front of the windows to discourage flying visitors, but last summer I still had many uninvited pesky critters. One wonderful thing about winter is that bugs are not a problem now!
• I bought my first pack of flower seeds to plant in pots.  I have some large plastic 10 liter water bottles that I can cut in half and make into pots.  Maybe I'll plant some herbs on my balcony too.
• I'm thinking of some of the beautiful places in Bulgaria to visit - the Black Sea coast, the Rila mountains and lakes, the National Parks - there is a lot to choose from!
• I'm starting to research plane tickets for my son to come visit in the summer.  It's expensive and since I'm a volunteer in Bulgaria who receives a minimal stipend, I want to ask for your help.  Is there anyone with an abundance of airline miles they might be willing to donate towards a ticket for him?  If so, email me (see the bottom of the right column) and we can discuss it. As of today, round-trip airfare from San Francisco to Sofia is about $1600.

That's it for now, enjoy your day.

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton in Sofia

Today, Tuesday, it is another snowy day in Bulgaria.  It's 12˚ F / -8˚ C in my region.

Sunday I traveled to Sofia for a brief "Meet and Greet" with the Secretary of State.  What a privilege for me and about 50 other Peace Corps volunteers (the 50 of us who decided to make the trip - all the volunteers were invited).  It was the first time I had visited the Embassy and the first time I saw Hillary Clinton in person.  Aside from any political agendas one way or another, I appreciate her as a 21st Century woman. She's intelligent, powerful and has a compassionate heart.  She actively works to improve lives of the people on this planet.  So yes, for me it was worth the 10 hours of traveling round-trip to see her for 15 minutes.

Here's an excerpt of comments she shared with us - Embassy employees and Peace Corps Volunteers: 

"I’m delighted to have Peace Corps volunteers here somewhere. (Applause.) I know they’re not a quiet group. (Laughter.) I expect to get some reaction whenever I run into them. And so 20 years ago, Peace Corps volunteers started arriving to teach English, working here in development... And we see democratic institutions taking root and growing stronger. In fact, starting next year, Peace Corps members will start leaving...I know that you love serving here...But Bulgaria doesn’t need Peace Corps volunteers the way it once did...that’s the story we want to sell,...our aid, our people coming, and help in the democratic transition."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with James B. Warlick, Jr., the US Ambassador to Bulgaria.  She took the time to shake hands with everyone on the front row - including me.

If you are interested in more details about her trip to Bulgaria (she was here for about 6 hours) you can read more on the US Embassy - Sofia site.

A flag from each state hangs from the ceiling in the meeting hall.