Holiday Mood

Hey, guys.

Is there a better recipe for a good mood than giving gifts? Well, maybe also getting prepared to the holidays. Christmas spirit is everywhere even in Ukraine during the war. It's just different.

Volunteers working hard these days. Some volunteer organizations take care about children who lost their parent on the war. Some cooks tasty things to pass to the front for our brave guys who will especially miss their families during Christmas. They are there to defend us, and we are to take care of them and do our best.

Final preparations are being made to make a holiday party for children who, together with their families, left the occupied territories and are forced to look for housing in other cities of Ukraine. They are collecting money to buy small gifts for every kid. Everyone can join and make own contrubution, and became a Santa for them. You know, the children write letters to Santa as they used to do in their peaceful past but what do they ask for? Some letters just heartbreaking. They are asking for a winter hat or gloves, thing that are the must and shouldn't be asked for as a gift...

You guess it, I made my contribution too. And this is what I would like to kindly remind you about this special time of the year when anybody can make miracles. 😍👼🧑‍🎄🧚‍♀️

The season of gifts and Christmas cooking. Yesterday I drove a lot. It was my way to deal with the lack of self-confidence as a driver. I know it is irrational but can turn into a real problem if I let it time. And I met with two my friends (all is left after the war begun and many people fled abroad), and gave them the little things I get for them.

Truth to be said, I not only give, but also receive gifts. 🎁 I got 2 this year, from my daughter Nat and from my Hive friend @livinguktaiwan. I don't know how she does it but she always hit the nail on the head.

Her parcel came very fast which is a nice surprise due to queues of carriers on the Ukrainian border with Poland and Slovakia. I've been waiting for the parcels from US and China for more than a month now. Although our carrier Ukrposhta sent me a notice that my parcel arrived and is ready to collect 2 days after it actually did. I went to collect it yesterday and had to wait and wait while were searching for it and asking each other questions like "where did the parcel came from"? or "didn't you receive the sms"? or "when did it arrived?" and "did you looked everywhere?" and so on making me really nervous.

My daughter sent me a DIY ginger Christmas Tree 🎄 There were ginger starts of different sizes, sugar powder, sugar sprinkles and the recommendations. All I had to add to this set was 1 egg white and a bit of my time.

I have been ages years old when I made my first ginger Christmas stuff. 😅 It was bending one or other side during the process like an artist bowing to the audience from the stage. Now I know it just needed a little bit more time to to harden the previous layer before putting the next. But I like it even though.

I wish I could buy such stuff when my daughter was a kid to prepare it with her as I velueve it is designed. But in 90s, to afford eggs and butter and some nuts for holiday baking was a luck.

Inspired with the result, I baked cookies that we call "marzipans". During the years under Soviet occupation and living behing the Iron Curtain, people in the west of Ukraine called "marzipan" any an exquisite, festive dish. I must confess that I was about 30 y.o. when I learned that marzipan is a mixture of ground almonds and sugar syrup, and it took me a while to believe that this meaning is original.😬

So, meet my version of Marzipan! 😊 And its taste is divine, trust me.

This is all I was going to share with you on these #BeautifulSunday ❤

On these days, share your love and care with those who need it. This is the best gift and reward.

As a Thank You for your time and attention, and my new tradition, here is a fact about Ukraine that you might not know.🔔

💡 On September 4, 2023, the US National Aviation and Space Museum decided to honor Andrii "Jus" Pilshchykov. From now on, his name is engraved on the memorial wall of the museum, and his selfless service to Ukraine is recognized as belonging to the national heritage of the US aviation and cosmonautics. He became the first Ukrainian to receive such an honor.

He was the face of mysterios "Ghost of Kyiv" who defended our sky during the war, and a pilot who fought for the development of Ukrainian aviation throughout his life.

He continuously advocated for passing F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine and insisted on how F-16s would allow Ukraine to defend cities from missiles and liberate occupied territories.

Read more on the official museum website.

Have a warm and nice weenend!

Cheers,
@zirochka