Most days I go about my business without much thought to my history. The days of bread lines and food stamps are long gone. I’m very comfortable in my home in the center of Boston, with every needed amenity within a few minutes of walking distance. And then something happens that reminds me of how lucky I am – most of us are – to have such simple things as running water, electricity and internet (and plentiful food). We didn’t always take those for granted in Kishinev (I specifically remember filling up buckets of water for showers and cooking – water outages were quite frequent) and I learned to appreciate them once again after the power outages this week. It was rough.

It was a gorgeous day in Boston when a transformer caught fire and contributed to a 15-block power outage in Back Bay. We were just 2… Continue reading

Hi my lovely Russian Bites readers! I’m taking a little break today from my usual posts to tell you that my milk chocolate truffles are up for bidding TODAY ONLY at the Great Fundraising Act auction.

All proceeds will help a fellow blogger Susan from The Great Balancing Act cover her treatment bills for Lymphoma. She is currently hospitalized and her out of pocket bills are $5,000/month! I actually don’t even know Susan but it broke my heart hearing about her sudden diagnosis and I feel honored to be a part of a community that is so amazingly supportive!! The amazing Janetha organized an incredible auction with nearly 200 items up for bidding (from baked goods to clothing, dishes, internet services, etc.) that you do not want to miss!!Now go on… BID HERE for the truffles or check out the… Continue reading

Hi all. Hope you’re getting ready for a fun night out to celebrate the new year. I’ll see you in a few days… in 2011!!!

[Yup, in Russia, a "Christmas" tree is decorated for the New Year!]