From Karen Porter’s Diary note

But all I want is snow!!!! All that’s missing is snow!!!

Speaking of beauty and glory, there’s no town lovelier than West Chester! I’ve walked and driven around a lot in this town since I came back – and there’s no more beautiful town anywhere. West Chester is simply beautiful, particularly at Christmas time! Lights and decorations everywhere – it looks like the perfect Christmas town!

But all I want is snow!!!! All that’s missing is snow!!!

I had made a haircut appointment but am undecided about letting my hair grow, or going short again – so cancelled the appointment. I had it cut very short before going to Russia, but it grows very fast…an d I may want to keep it more shoulder-length. Not sure. On Wednesday, I visited my dentist; and we can’t figure out what’s causing the pain I had in Russia…so we’re holding off doing anything about it for now. OK by me – who wants dental work, anyway? But it was nice walking to his office!

Oh, and a very random thing: I’m thrilled that the START treaty passed, not to mention repeal of the “Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell” nonsense. I felt so bad when START was threatened, as I was leaving Russia– I mean, how can any reasonable human being object to anything that helps make the world safer? As for DADT, how can any reasonable human being object to giving complete rights to people willing to risk their lives for this country? I was very disappointed that the Dream Act failed – I mean, how can any reasonable human being turn down innocent kids who only want to go to college and/or risk their lives for their country? Welcome back to America! Some good, some bad! I got totally wrapped up in these issues for a few days – I’m back! AND I ordered (from www.cafepress.com ) an Obama/Clinton/2012 bumper sticker! Let the campaign begin, folks – I can’t wait! I am so “pumped” for the next presidential campaign!

Also, planning ahead, I keep reading the daily “[Name]/adorable-dog needs a foster home” e-mails I get from the Mid-Atlantic English Springer Spaniel Rescue (www.maessr.org)….I told them I’d take Charlie if it comes down to “foster or SPCA” – but he’s in North Carolina, so someone closer might take him. Waiting. (MAESSR has relay-car-volunteers set up for interstate transport .) There’s also little “Shadow” here in Pennsylvania – and he had a little Cocker Spaniel friend named “Coco,” both of them dropped off by a family that can no longer keep them. Uh-oh – I took 2 the last time….will I take 2 homeless dogs in again? It’s biting off more to do, but how can I not take one in? It will happen.

Dec. 23 (Thursday) – I did my spontaneous “Chevy Chase Christmas thing,” deciding, on the spur of the moment, on that cold and windy Thursday, to replace all the burned-out lights on trees outside my house; found what I needed on sale at CVS; and spent the day happily lighting up the outside! Now my house looks like my favorite, hilarious Christmas film, “The National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation [with Chevy Chase]” – well, not quite that crazy…but many more lights! And they’re all white lights, so I can burn them all year round – my house will always look like Christmas!

But all I want is snow!!!! All that’s missing is snow!!!

That evening, I spent about 90 minutes Skyping with the amazing Prof. Ron Pope out in Illinois – the man responsible for my going to Murom! Ron founded the American Home cultural center in Vladimir (not far from Murom ) and made the “connection” for me to get to Murom. Ron Pope has done more for world peace than anyone else I know! He has inspired, worked, moved people in so many ways. In addition to Louis, Ron is THE other American here I can talk about Russia with nonstop – who can understand and who really cares. He’s full of ideas for new projects, and he’s helping me get a new focus, which I very much need now that I’m back. I won’t go into our entire conversation now; but suffice it to say, we’re “plotting.” I am thrilled to know Ron, and I look forward to working with him for years to come.

Dec. 24 (Friday) - Christmas Eve - I went over to the Safe Harbor Homeless Shelter for a 6-7:30 a.m. volunteer shift. Then, I made coffee and packed a lunch for a drive west and north to French Creek State Park while listening to my annual Christmas Eve delight, NPR’s broadcast of the BBC’s King’s College “Nine Lessons and Carols” Anglican Christmas Eve service.

Every year for about 10 years or so (since I discovered this broadcast one Christmas Eve while waiting for Louis at a Kennett Square YMCA swim team practice), I have looked forward to this very peaceful Christmas Eve radio program. And, for some of my friends, you don't have to be a "believer" to enjoy the serenity of this annual BBC broadcast from England on NPR. One thing I like about this annual broadcast is that I’m joining millions of people worldwide, all tuned in to the same program, together . After the program, they interview people who make this service their Christmas every year – even some who travel to England just for this service and often stand outside in the cold for hours just to get into the church! I look forward to it each year, turn off the phone, listen to this alone, sometimes in  my car to eliminate distractions – here’s WHYY’s blurb:

 

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - Friday, December 24 at 10am - 12pm

Hosted by Michael Barone, this is a live stereo music and spoken-word broadcast from the chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England. The 30-voice King's College Choir performs the legendary Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service of Biblical readings and music. 1:59:00 length.

 

I decided this year to make the drive up to French Creek State Park, another favorite haunt, timing it with the BBC broadcast. It was perfect – just me in my red Subaru with coffee and lunch and this inspiring, serene service, in what I call “the Cathedral of Tall Trees – the winding roads through tall, bare, brown trees, with golden-brown leaves thick on the ground; with brilliant golden, warm sun and a bright blue sky – my version of stained glass!

 

I watched a lone skater on Hopewell Lake doing some pretty fancy moves to my Christmas choir music (which she couldn’t hear ), then 3 young folks playing ice hockey. And over at Scotts Run Lake, I thought at first that, for the first time ever, I’d see no one fishing, then saw 2 small groups out on the ice apparently doing just that, with their 3 red, white, and blue pickup trucks (no lie ) parked on the bank. I remember years ago Louis and I driving up there, with no snow on the ground in West Chester, and finding, to our delight, not only a snow-covered park (it’s colder there), but also very thick ice on Hopewell Lake and scores of folks doing ice-fishing with little huts and campfires all over the lake. Louis scared me to death (he was about 8 then) by running out onto the lake – I kept worrying the ice would give way (apparently, though, the thickness was all over the lake ). Then we went hiking in the snowy woods – nothing more refreshing! I must say I missed Russia’s white birch trees, though! Driving up to French Creek has now been added to my Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols tradition!

 

[Note to self: Spend more time at French Creek in 2011! If any of you ever want to camp there, let me know!]

 

But all I want is snow!!!! All that’s missing is snow!!!

On Christmas Eve evening, I went for another shift at Safe Harbor, 6-9 p.m.

 

Then I fell asleep laughing uproariously at my favorite Christmas movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (Chevy Chase) on TV.

 

Dec. 25 (Saturday) Christmas Day – (4:45 a.m .) I could not be happier today because of 2 e-mails I just opened at 4:45 a.m.! Both from Russia – one from Elena and Natasha, and the other from my dear, beloved student, Lev Antonov – with photos of him and my other wonderful students (attached). I could not have asked for anything more this Christmas Day. I’m sending out the photos with this diary entry – one is of Lev and the other students (Lev’s on the left); one just of Lev; and one of me with a wonderful painting one of my students gave me. I just wrote back to everyone to tell them how much I miss and love them. That they thought of me this Christmas Day moved me to tears.

 

And Lev’s my “Barack Obama” student because he’s the one who wanted to know so much about our politics – and about Barack Obama! I just wrote to tell him how excited I am for the new campaign and about the “Obama/Clinton/2012” bumper sticker I ordered for my car! Lev is a serious student, but also one of the friendliest you’d ever meet – always smiling and welcoming. I also saw another side of Lev once. When Ksenya , Timofey, and some other students and I attended the Moscow pianist’s Liszt concert (see previous diary entry ), Lev showed up, too, separately. I think he said he’d studied music a number of years. He was sitting right in front of me, and I noticed that he was totally absorbed with the concert, at times moving his fingers quietly in time with the music – a very serious, intelligent, and wonderful young man whom I treasure as a friend.

…

 

(9:00 a.m.) I had signed up for the early morning shift again at the homeless shelter, 6-8 a.m. Working there helps put everything in perspective.

 

I drove over in the cold dark of Christmas morning, not listening to Christmas carols, but to my car’s CD player repeatedly booming Viktor Tsoi’s hard-driving rock song (Russian group Kino) “гость” (“The Visitor”), which I love.

 

I finally had my not-so-seamless reentry moment: The e-mails from Murom this morning made the tears start flowing as I drove to the shelter. I finally cried. I finally realized how much I miss everyone in Russia. I experienced my first wistful sadness. Murom friends, I miss you so much. I’ll be back!

 

The women at the shelter, without knowing, really helped me. I didn’t do much for them, but they helped me. It’s hard to believe sometimes that a town the size of West Chester (only about 17,000 ) can have so many homeless people – the women’s dorm was almost full this morning. I arrived before their wake-up time, and they all gave me a cheerful “Merry Christmas” as they entered the common room from their beds and showers. They all, no matter their most likely overwhelming problems, gave such brave faces to this Christmas morning.

 

One of my duties was to monitor the “smoke break” outside – and one of the women told me that I, with my Russian cap and my round rimless glasses “look like Yoko Ono.” Wow! I hadn’t had such a great compliment since someone told me I looked like Helen Mirren! I’m soaring!

 

And, as we watched a Christmas carol fest on TV, some of them joined in the singing. These homeless women are some of the most courageous people I’ve ever known, and their cheer this morning in the face of all they must deal with gave me courage. Again, I didn’t help them – they helped me.

…

 

I decided to make this final “Russia diary” entry on my favorite day of the year as a kind of closure (don’t like that word, but it works) for my Russian adventure. Christmas, however, is always the beginning of a new year for me, not the end.

 

This time last Christmas, I could never have dreamed I’d not only go to Russia, but actually live there for 3 months! As I said to myself on the plane on the way back, “If I were to die now, I’d die happy – I’d have no regrets – I’ve done what I wanted to do in my life.”

 

What I want for the future is this: To make good on that experience, to use it in some way to help improve the relationship between our 2 countries, to help erase past enmity – to help make sure my Russian friends never have to fear our bombs, our guns, our soldiers. That’s why the START treaty was so vital to both our countries to, as President Obama so aptly put it, tpush the “RE-START” button.

 

One of the readers of this diary just sent this e-mail, which says a lot of what I’m feeling (thanks, Reid):

 

I know that it is not very "Christian" of me to send this out on Christmas day, but...................

 

If you are in Kandahar this Christmas morning wondering if the next bullet has your name on it, what do you think of your Congressmen back home in the comfort of the Capitol whining that they have to work right up to two days before Christmas?  Wondering if they have your back.  They needn't wonder - both Kyl and DeMint not only never served in the military - they both avoided the draft.  They need to live their faith - not just talk about it.

 

Reid, you hit that nail on the head this morning!

 

And, in Ron Pope, I’ve found such a kindred spirit. I want to help him in every way I can to continue his amazing work. Ron, I’m committed. I’m with you! I’ve found out what the rest of my life will be devoted to – and I thank you so much, Ron, for leading me there!

 

And, again, to those of you in Murom who e-mailed me this Christmas morning – you made my Christmas the happiest one ever! I love you all!

 

Isn’t life grand? I mean, it doesn’t get any better than this, folks!

 

(Even so… all I want is snow!!!! All that’s missing is snow!!! I demand my snow!)

On to 2011! 2010 sure surprised and amazed me – and 2011 will be even better!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

The Beginning

 

PS: It’s flurrying, and they’re predicting snow for tomorrow!