April vacation!

April vacation is here and I am so ready. School was busy and stressful over the past few weeks.

But I'm learning to set boundaries, and I intend to spend most of this upcoming week resting and recovering.

I have War and Peace to read, and most of all, I look forward to spending time with the girls, doing fun little things around here. Sena will be going to Washington DC soon, and every moment spent with her now is precious.

This is a beautiful time for a vacation too, with all the flowers starting to bloom and the trees leafing out.

I hope that you are able to enjoy this beautiful time of year too...

Peace

Sick, but spring is here!!!

I've been sick with a flu and it's been painful and not fun, but I am getting better. I took two days off from school, but today everything was hurting from laying down, so I decided to take a small walk. I went to the woods near our house. Wow! It did me so much good. I walked really slow like an old person, and that was just fine because I had nowhere to go and nothing else to do. 

The woods were beautiful. Peepers were peeping, along with other frogs and toads; birds were singing and the brooks we're running so happily!

I told Sena this morning that I'm glad I got sick, because even though I didn't feel well, I got to be around her and Aiyana more, and now I got to have this nice little walk in the woods.

peace

Sena's appearance in a music video

Sena is featured in this music video by Ken Mo, that was just released. Have a look:

 https://youtu.be/DYgiNCu_JBM

Sena appears at time stamps 0:48 and 1:59.

You can find more info about this project here: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2022/youth-get-louder-keb-mo

Spring equinox at our farm

https://youtu.be/ssWdmD97Mko

I made this little video this morning to show you what's going on at the farm this time of year.

Peace 

Spring!!!!

Amidst the heartbreak of Ukraine, spring is here. Some days I feel like it's wrong to be happy about it. 

But it's heartening to see people helping and supporting each other in this awful situation. Today I found out that my cousin in Germany hosted 3 Ukrainian families that fled. I am proud of her for helping like that.

And also, it's heartening to hear of all the people in Romania and other neighboring countries doing what they can do to help.

Here are some recent pictures:

Snowdrops: my favorites and the first flowers to come out of the ground in spring

Beautiful flowers for my sister

Mucenici: tradițional sweet Romanian breads made on the 9th of March to welcome spring and to remember those who are no longer with us. Sena made these.

snowstorm last week

Sena. Photo credit to Nick Barta

me, happy near my snowdrops

peace

Everything is forgiven

"There we two shall walk again... There it is spring, and the swallows are back, and everything is forgiven."

     -Isak Dinesen, Seven Gothic Tales, Dreamers

Peace

Having such a good birthday!

It started with a beautiful birthday message from my dad this morning, and many wishes from friends.

Then, good coffee.

Then, Sena and Aiyana and I went to my favorite greenhouse in CT, Loggies and indulged ourselves looking at plants, and being around plants, and bought some plants too....

Then we went to a nice cafe for lunch.

Ed bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Tonight we're all going out for Indian food.

Peace

Thank you for your hard work, Sena!

Sena is currently featured in Connecticut magazine's 40 under 40. Congratulations and thank you for continuing to do this hard work, Sena! 

https://www.connecticutmag.com/the-connecticut-story/40-under-40-the-class-of-2022/article_2af00172-7a31-11ec-9ec5-afef09401d6a.html

Small happenings

Some small happenings since the last time I wrote:

Our whole family got Covid, meaning all 11 of us that got together for Christmas in Montreal. Fortunately, we all got over it fairly easily as we are all vaccinated.

At school, things are going well and we're about to end semester 1, and start semester 2. I really like working at EO Smith. I also just found out that I got certified by UConn to teach their introductory engineering course, Mechanics 1, which is really exciting.

Other than that, we booked tickets to go to Romania in August and we're also planning to go to Istanbul!!!! 

In my free time, I've been reading my Chekhov and still can't get enough. Been less active on social media, as I have less time, and sometimes I find it somewhat bleak and soul sucking. Other times I still enjoy it.

I hope you're all well too. And will post more updates soon. I'll leave you with these recent pictures.

Bluff point

Appreciating rocks more than ever now that I've taught my first geology course!

Aiyana at Grist Mill

Peace

Happy 2022!

A little video from this morning: https://youtu.be/baBCDhc35Kk

Remember that any moment, even the difficult ones, can be lived beautifully, simply, lovingly. I wish you many such moments in 2022 and beyond.

peace

More pictures from Montreal and Bromont

Christmas in Montreal again!

So grateful to have been able to make it here this Christmas.

I hope your Christmas was beautiful!

Peace

TODAY is SUCH a happy day!

Our beautiful Sena is turning 18!

💖💖💖

35 years today!

Today marks 35 years since my family left Romania and landed in New York City: our arrival to North America.

35 years since our lives changed irrevocably.

I don't have a coherent narrative about these 35 years. They were good and they were hard. Still are, for my whole family.

I am happy with where my life is right now. I am grateful for all the opportunities I had, which I might not have had in Romania. I am above all happy for all the amazing people I've met here, in Canada and the US. And so very grateful for my little American family that I have made here in CT.

But being an immigrant in some ways never gets easy. You feel like you fit in anywhere and nowhere. I fit and don't fit here, in Canada, in Romania. There's a sense of grieving which increases as you get older, for having lost something that you can't even define. Something that doesn't exist anymore except in your deepest feelings and possibly in shared memories.

There's also a sense of incredible richness and gratitude at having been privileged enough to experience so much, such different cultures, each with their own beauty. And more than anything a sense of happiness at being able to share this richness with Sena and Aiyana.

This is a little collage I made to celebrate these 35 years since our arrival, with pictures that capture some moments in this neverending transition.

Peace