Liankacreations

  Faith, Memory, and the Small Habits We Carry Across Borders I never thought I would miss church. But somehow I got into the habit of going to church at Christmas—Catholic Christmas—and also to the Episcopal church, whatever that means. Churches here are different from Russian ones. Of course, they belong to different religions to begin with. But to me, God is one. And although I was never a religious person, there are moments when I feel the need to go to church. I was never religious because I couldn’t be. The Soviet government and the Communist Party were our ideology and our faith. There was no room for belief beyond that. After the fall of the Soviet Union, churches reopened. Happy citizens rushed inside to baptize their children, to marry, to celebrate Easter and Christmas, and so on. Suddenly, people found faith in God, and the churches filled with parishioners. Russian churches are not very humane. You can hardly find benches to sit on during the service— if nothing has ch...

  If you think it’s cold here, you’re wrong — it’s –35°C in Tomsk. More than 10 scheduled buses did not depart from Tomsk to Tolmachevo, Asino, Kozhevnikovo, Teguldet, and other settlements on Tuesday due to the extreme frost.   Earlier, it was reported that temperatures in the Tomsk region could drop from –30°C (–22°F) to –43°C (–45.5°F). Tomsk itself is in the southern part of the region, but it is still around –35°C there. It’s going to get warmer on Thursday, only -11°C (12.2° F ) -13°C (8.6° F). Mayor Dmitry Makhinya urged drivers to give rides to people waiting at bus stops during severe frosts and help take them to a warm place. In Russia, it’s generally normal to give rides to strangers (this is how I got married for the first time, LOL). I haven’t seen a similar practice here. Maybe it is just me.  One news caught my attention: On December 8, a group of Russians was deported from the United States for the third time. The third time? I didn’t hear anyone tal...

  Journaling 7* When you’ve worked in the same library branch long enough, you start recognizing patrons as soon as they walk in. Since I don’t see well from far away, I often recognize people by their figure, posture, or even their smell. You might not believe it—or maybe you would—but some people come in with a very strong smell of alcohol. There was one pair in particular, a mother and her son, who always carried that strong scent. I especially remember the son. He visited the library for several days in a row about a year ago . I remembered him because once he said, “Every time I get out of prison, I go to the library.” I couldn’t stop smiling that day; he just made my day. So here he was again, this time with his mother. She checked out a book, and then they left, leaving the strong smell of alcohol lingering in the building.

  Every year on October 21, we begin our celebrations: first, the anniversary of my arrival; then our wedding anniversary; and finally, New Year.  Today marks twelve years since I landed at Logan Airport. Daniel met me there with flowers. I was so relieved to finally let go of my constant alertness after traveling for nearly 36 hours. At last, I could relax and start looking around for something similar to what I just left - something that could help me to encore in Massachusetts. I often tell people that I’m in America only because my husband is an American, and I am grateful to him for that. My husband is my only encore.   Daniel asked me today whether twelve years feels like a long time. Honestly, I’m not sure. Sometimes it feels like we’ve been through so much together, and yet, I don’t want to believe that I’m twelve years older. Twelve years ago, Daniel took me to the beach. It was the first time I saw the ocean, the sea grass, the seagulls. I have been in love...

It’s most unlikely I could get a morning like this in Russia. Here, my husband cooks breakfast almost every weekend. Actually, we do it together: he fries eggs and bacon, I do toasts and set a table. So, this morning I had time to browse the Internet.  This is what I found.  An American couple Brian Keith and Beth Ellen Mattisse received temporary residence permits in Russia. They will live in the Tomsk region. The resource did not specify where exactly: in the city or in the village. How are they going to make a living, what job to do, if they don’t speak Russian? I hope to learn it later. The resource said that the family has joined the Orthodox Church. I would love to see how the Mass was conducted. Did Dionisy Melentyev, rector of the Resurrection Church in Tomsk, conduct the ceremony in English specially for them? I doubt it. Although, who knows.  …So many questions.  According to Irina Volk (Official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Rus...

  Meet my handmade gnome friend! ✨ Dressed in cozy burgundy with sparkly details and a snowy white beard, he’s ready to spread a little holiday cheer (and maybe guard the yarn stash 🧶😉). I had so much fun putting this little guy together—the striped hat, fluffy beard, and all the cozy details make him such a charming decoration. Would you welcome a gnome like this into your home? 🎄❤️

Another crafty Wednesday at the New Bedford Public Library Wilks Branch! This month’s project, Folded Book Vases , a super creative way to upcycle old books into stunning floral displays. It was so cool to see everyone get in touch with their artistic side and also give new life to books that might have otherwise been discarded. As always, the participants surprised me and themselves with their creativity. We've all agreed to meet again next month for our next crafty adventure.