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Bring Anya Home

Anya Turovinina applied for a visa to come to study English in the US. She was to be seeing her sister for the first time in 3 years. Four days before she was to fly to Boston, the US embassy in Moscow denied her a visa because she is an orphan and “likely to try to remain in the US”. There are hundreds of foreign nationals studying English in the U.S. right now. Anya was denied simply at the whim of this particular embassy agent. We are fighting to have the embassy reconsider their decision and allow Anya to come study English and see her sister, whom she misses more than words can wield the matter.

If Anya is sent back to Siberia this weekend, it will have devastating effects on her. Anya is technically homeless. She sleeps on a couch at a friends shack ( that is what it truly is). There is no heat, running water, etc. She has no one to care for her, and no job.

Anya was born August 1, 1991 in Kemerovo,, Russia, which is located in southern Siberia. She and her sister ( my daughter) were abandoned by their mother in 1994. By her own account, she simply left them outdoors in winter, and walked away. Both girls were taken in by a caring neighbor, but after a short time there, Nastia had an accident. The facts as to how it happened are unclear, but she received 3rd degree burns to her arms, legs, back and head. She was taken to a local hospital. After several months she was going to be released. However, when the neighbor tried to take her, she was refused. Only the birth parents could take her, she was told. The mother was searched for to no avail. ( Their father was in prison for stealing food to feed his family) Nastia was sent away to a far off orphanage meant for children who were in need of special care.

Anya was then passed around by various neighbors until she was 11 years old. When she was 11 and a half, the police received a report of a neglected child. Anya was taken from whatever home she was in at the time, and sent to the local orphanage. She had never been to school, and could not read or write. She was malnourished and fearful. She remained at this orphanage until she was 17. ( They allowed her to stay an extra year because she had nowhere to go.) At 17 she had to leave the orphanage and was supposed to live in a “dorm” for the local technical school. Anya was harassed daily by men trying to get her to get involved in the sex trade. She left the dorm and started living on various couches of friends.
To this day she has no home. Anya’s father got out of prison when she was in her early teens but he was homeless and could not care for her. He died in 2007, just before Anya’s birthday.

My daughter is Anya’s only close relative. We are her only chance at a normal life. She NEEDS us, as we need her. PLEASE help us to get her home.

Right now I am so unbelieveably ticked. I have every other weekend off. I asked for THREE DAYS OFF apart from days I would have been scheduled off for anyway, the 24th, (should already be scheduled off for the 25th, 26th and 27th) and the 28th and 29th.

Ya know I get that its retail and you need coverage. I get that there is a limited number of people in my department. But I’ve asked for 1 morning – not even a whole day- off in the period I’ve worked there. I’m even willing to work an extra weekend when I get back to cover for the time I was gone.

But you know what your answer makes me want to do? Oh that’s right. Give y’all a big FU. You know. Since this isn’t my chosen career and all. And then y’all can figure out how to run the deparment without my help.

Let me know how that goes. Listen. I know I’m not God’s gift to retail. I know I’m not your “greatest, bestest, perfectest” employee. But I’m sure not your worst. And I do what I can to help the store. And when my stuff is taken care of, I try to pitch in and help others. Becaue that’s how I am.

But really. I’m pissed. I am 700 miles away from home. I have not been home since June. The one time I ask for a few days off, so I can be with my FAMILY, for the HOLIDAYS, I wish y’all would work with me and let me know when I can go so I can buy the damn tickets already. It’s already a budget stretcher to go, now y’all are making it a budget killer.

Thanks. No. Really.

“Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.”
- Garrison Keillor

At my house we like to watch Christmas movies and holiday specials.

I’m a little OCD (thank you years at camp) and am all about having schedules and lists and all of that goodness. And yes, that has run into my holiday television viewing (but only holiday television viewing — thank you). And there are so many choices out there through the holiday season, ABC Family and Hallmark and so many of the other networks have so many movies for us to watch. So why watch another go round of Snow 2 Brain Freeze when I can watch Rudolph and the Island of the Misfit Toys? Or How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

So I’ve spent some time pulling together schedules from where I could (still can’t find anything from Nick and that’s a little disappointing).  And since I’ve put all this effort into it, I thought I’d share what I have, so you know when your favorite Christmas movies will be showing, and where to find them.

I’m starting today by posting the movies that will be on the remainder of the week, and in a couple days I’ll post next weeks schedule. After that I’ll continue posting the schedule weekly through Christmas.

There is no guarantee that my schedule is 100 % accurate, but I did the best I could with the information I had available, and I’m 100% certain there are shows I’ve missed.

If I have missed your favorite, let me know and I’ll try to get it included (no promises!!! I only happened to have some free time this week).

Also, all times listed are Eastern – since that’s my timezone, so check local listings to be certain when movies air in your timezone.

So without further commentary, here is November 24- November 28

Hey y’all how’s it going?

Congrats to Tamela and her man and their puppies for getting to move to a new apartment!

Rinn’s been even busier but she’s been making sock bunnies for the wee ones in her family.

Our friends are having a baby girl. I think I’m going to crochet her a blanket.

Also, interview Monday for a second part time job. Wish me luck!

That’s how I’d describe today. Basically last week they found a lump on one of the dogs that seemed to cause her pain. So the vet looked at it. Biopsied it. Decided it needed to come out. Took it out. Had the pathologist look at it too. Found out it is aggressive cancer. X-rayed the dog. Found it in her lungs. We’re all heart broken. She’s not hurting. But there is no way to know how long she’ll be okay.

Now I feel fragile. JD’s been taking care of me though. But I’m not one of those people who think it’s “just a dog”. So I’m not sure when I’ll feel better.