From Chaz: Winter & Isolation

I just finished a biography of Sartre. He is now my personal hero. I love him. The most moral writer ever. I love his line, "Hell is other people." I am slowly getting a grip on Picasso book Two. Was very repulsed yesterday reading about the Eastern front of Ww2 and that really Stalin was worst than Hitler. I am surprised anyone was still standing in Poland after the war. Charles

Fwd: hello

Hello Julia and John,

 . . . We enjoyed mountains this weekend  for the first time this year, as I am having break from school. We visited both Igman and Jahorina and snow is really nice.

The news is that Inela started working two weeks ago (accounting department at a bank), with limited time contract, but she is happy with it. Grandfather Teufik is taking care of Mak meanwhile, untill next week when the daycare/kindergarden is starting. We'll see how that will go, as Mak has not been spending time with anybody but us and grandparents and not so much with kids either. We'll try with half a day first week.

I attached one photo from the New Year's eve. You mentioned controversy about Santas in Sarajevo from last year or previous year. Yes it was in the public pre-schools where administrator director wanted to have Santa out : ). It was only a try. Both kids and parents like Santa so it didn't happen, and she is not director any more. A punk-rock band that my friend is playing drums at made a song about that pre-school director. It was pretty funny. They made fun out of her.

Wish you joyful rest of the winter all the best to the family,

Salkanovici

  

Fwd: staircase 2

Lori writes: Well we got it in last night. . . It was a real mess and we have just been so stressed the last few days it probably wouldn't have been fun to be around! Eason would have gotten a heck of a new vocabulary last night too! I think I told you the mess with the metal? Well we got that fixed sort of. Then when it went to the painters someone mixed up the boxes so it got painted a purple hue and looked awful! So they had to re-sand blast it and re-paint it. So we were on hold. Then the "team" of guys that were supposed to help put it in bagged out and we were calling guys last night. The thing weighed 800Lbs! The frame was already up so we had to "thread the needle" getting it where it was supposed to sit on the loft. Crazy but it is done! Now we have to build the railing sometime, but not for a while until more is done. . .

Friends and Babies

Faik's wife-to-be, Sibila and Amina, Inela and Mak!

Lori and John W.'s Latest Project: spiral staircase

"Off to the powder-coating! Will get pics when it is up-right in the house too. Looking at install hopefully Friday but not sure."

(Ed:  What a beautiful piece of work!!!!)

Planting the Christmas Tree

Outside in the sun after a starry, freezing night and shiny crystalline morning . . . planting our 2012 Corkbark Fir, tree bought by Eliot and Kyra . . .

What A Day!

Olivia sends us this picture fro0m over in Winthrop, WA.

Busted (Happy Holidays from Almir)

I hope you have spend wonderfull hollydays, christmas and new year!


(p.s.  I know that you are little laisy to write:)


Almir

East o' the Mountains, Lost o' the Sun

Julia and I spent a week over east of the mountains.  6 degrees Fahrenheit, -14.4 Celsius!  Lots of snow and ice.  Driving down a street covered in 9 inches of ice, I realized that I didn't want to live there in winter!  (I checked the temperature on Brac . . . almost 60 F and sunny . . .)  Still, gorgeous, gorgeous . . . snow-shoeing in the mountains . . .