Spring Grove Cemetery

Back in July when I visited Haley in Cincinnati she graciously packed her kids up in the car and took me to Spring Grove Cemetery. In the spirit of Thanksgiving I must say I am not only thankful for a friend who will go to a cemetery with me but one who will pack up her small children to go too. Spring Grove is very similar to Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, but with more Civil War gravestones which my history-loving heart thought was just so cool. We first stopped at the Civil War section and got out to walk around. We walked towards a pond and the roots on the tree were growing in such crazy directions.

I didn't have any particular part of the cemetery I wanted to see (because I'm terrible at planning). We did a little walking, but then it was just getting too hot for the girls and, let's be honest, me. I don't handle heat well. Haley decided that we would just drive around and if I saw something that caught my eye we'd stop and I'd take pictures of it. There was so much to see and look at. If you wanted to do the cemetery right it would take more than a day to do. From the road we saw some pretty cool grave stones. At one point I was the only one who got out, which I was surprised the girls lasted as long as they did! Cora kept asking about the zombies which found kind of hilarious.

The older tombstones were my favorite, obviously. Newer ones just don't have the same appeal. Below, we came across a child who had died, and Cora and I got out to look at it. I'm not quite sure about the face she's making in the photo because she wasn't scared of it. There were coins left on it and she kept asking why we couldn't take it. She was also asking about why a child had died. What do you say to a 4 year old about this? I don't remember my answer, but it was probably something along the lines of what I usually do: ignore the question. As we were leaving we almost got caught up in a funeral procession. I was glad Haley was driving because I become a mess when I drive if I feel I have no control over the situation. After a few minutes she was able to back her car down a steep hill and we were free of it. My anxiety was a little high for a moment.

It was so hot that day, but it was worth the trip. Have you ever visited Spring Grove Cemetery?

Oktyabrya Prospekt

Throwing it back to Russia for the moment in this post. Right before I left, A and I went for a walk up Oktyabrya Prospekt. It's almost like we went full circle because it's actually what we did on our first "date." We walked so far we almost made it to Chernikovka! If you live in Ufa, then you know that it's a pretty far walk. I had a list of things I wanted to see and do before I left and the marten statue was one of them. I was definitely drawn to its 70s look. I also wanted to take photos of the street in general to remind myself of it since I used to walk it a lot. I'm glad I did, but it's pretty hard to write this post because I truly miss Ufa.

I had never walked further than Gorsovet Park, so there were a lot of new landmarks that I'd never noticed before while riding the marshrutka. The building above is supposedly going to be the tallest skyscraper in Ufa. A was really interested in it, so the only reason I took a picture was because we were standing there for too long and I had nothing better to do. On another note, you can probably guess how excited I was when I saw the puppet theater and the castle playground as we continued walking north. The puppet theater fountain was in rough shape, but I wish I could have taken the fish to display in my house. The fountain was actually a nice size, but there was no water in it at that time. I'm sure it looked better in it's former Soviet glory.

Since we walked up one side of the street I was hoping we'd pass the street art on our way back. I had been wanting to take pictures of it for a long time but just never made it that far with my camera. My feet were killing me, so we ended taking the bus back home when we were finished. It rained a lot the last few months before I left so my long list of places to visit never got finished.  We managed to make it back up Prospekt one last time, though, and I was able to take pictures of the art.

I've been pretty "homesick" for Russia the last few months. I absolutely love my job here in the USA, but I can't help but wish I was back in Ufa. Anyone else ever feel this way? What's the best cure for this "homesickness?"

Too Much Sugar in Cincinnati

Last week I mentioned that I went to Cincinnati to visit one of my best friends and her family. It was my first time seeing them since I went to Russia, and it was my first time getting to see Ida. She still had her fat rolls! Haley was awesome in driving me around to all the off beat places I had on my list. It's taking me a while to edit those, so in the mean time here are just some random pictures of her kids and sweets.

The plan was for me to drive down on Saturday, but last minute I changed it and decided to drive down on Friday evening  It gave me a chance to visit another good friend in Columbus and not worry about time. Since I came Friday night it gave me an extra few hours on my trip. We woke up Saturday morning and walked to get donuts at a little place called Wyoming Pastry Shop. We took the donuts to go and ate under a gazebo a few hundred feet away. The donuts were so good and a great way to start my visit.

A mutual friend of ours works for a ministry, and they started an ice cream truck in the Walnut Hills area of Cincinnati. The name "Green Man Twist" comes from the rock carving of the man you'll see below. I can't remember that *actual* story of him though, but it just makes sense to know where the name came from because I know I thought it was interesting when I put two and two together. I love ice cream, and I hadn't seen my friend, Katy, in years so I was excited to stop and see it. Apparently, Cora really likes their ice cream too. Katy even let Cora and me check out the inside of the trailer. The ice cream hit the spot, but don't worry we ate plenty more ice cream throughout my visit.

A nice, little community park was built where the truck is parked. I had been to this area many times while living in Cincinnati, and I always love seeing how people are improving all of the city's neighborhoods. Cincinnati is constantly changing and I really can't keep up. I hope that energy makes it up to Cleveland. We didn't stay too long, but I was glad we stopped by.

After Green Man Twist we stopped at Mount Storm on our way to the abandoned cemetery (I haven't edited those pictures yet). From the park you can see the University of Cincinnati. Looking at the photo below I can see the university, my old work, and the school where I did my student teaching. It makes me nostalgic, and I can't look at it too long or I'll get really sad. Life is what it is though, and I love my job, so things work out for a reason.

Have you been to Cincinnati? What restaurants do you recommend?