Back in the Saddle Again

Our weekend in North Carolina was wonderful! Our hosts, my Aunt Sheila (shown in photo) and Uncle Dick rolled out the red carpet and treated us like royalty. My Uncle Mike and Aunt Judy also wined and dined us in their beautiful home. It is so nice to have TWO sets of relatives in one town! Now it's time for my parents to move to Pinehurst/Southern Pines, then the Davis clan would all be together! Hint, hint!

We returned to seven Russian guests from the Russian Peace Foundation already settled in our home. Katya was certainly thrilled to have seven people to converse with, and I was thrilled to have seven interpreters! I have been quite busy this week cooking, transporting and entertaining these folks, but the Russians show us such warm hospitality when we visit their country, so it was only right that I return the favor. They go home tomorrow with sunburns and suitcases full of souvenirs, and I will come home from the airport and sleep for a week!

Katya's English is getting better by the day, which makes life and school easier for her. A tutor comes in twice a week for two hours each time so this extra help will speed the process along. We found the world's nicest person to tutor Katya, at the dog park! Olga is from Belarus, where she earned her law degree. She came to America in 2005-2006 and earned her Masters of Law at the University of Florida (GO GATORS!) She moved to Washington, DC with the dream of attending law school at either Georgetown, American, George Washington or George Mason University. Keep your fingers crossed she'll get in one of our local law schools. She's also applied to law school at UF, but she would prefer to live here because she has a family in DC who lets her live there rent free. Olga will not accept money for tutoring because she is 'paying it forward.' A nice person in Belarus taught her English and would not accept money so she says she must do the same for someone else. I have gotten quite creative with slipping gifts into her car, gift cards into her purse and I insist she eat dinner with us on her evenings here. I told Katya she would have to pay it forward when she grows up, and she's promised she will.