Too many goodbyes to handle

We're getting into a bad and sad period. Leaving our best friends behind is just a miserable, cruel and painful experience. We're trying hard to be happy for what's been and not to be depressed by the fact it's over. We have never had, and probably will never have, as great neighbors as you, the families Aymone Azevedo and Brecht. Have a wonderful Christmas in Brazil and Florida!








Until we meet again.

//Hanna, Benke, Johanna, Jonte and Maja

Thanksgiving 2008

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at Jonte's school also. The 2nd graders had a very impressive concert making beautiful music with simple methods. I was not able to run my annual Thanksgiving Day Race downtown because of a bad cold. Getting old I guess. In the evening we got together with our neighbors again. Great food, great people.

//Hanna

The West Chester Navy Flash 3rd in State

Johanna's soccer team made it all the way to the State Tournament again, and this time with brilliance. The Navy Flash took the 3rd place after having played 6 games in 3 days. Worth every minute of freezing winds, rain and snow - even today's runny nose and sore throat! Snow, Sommer, Andrea and Ethan came to cheer the girls with us.

Congratulations Johanna!

Greetings from Las Vegas & The Grand Canyon!

We've been out West. It was dry, dusty, sandy, warm days and cool nights, cactuses, palm trees. There were signs of snakes, scorpions, old pioneer routes. Ghost towns, guns for sale, buffalo.. yeah, The Wild West! Cars, trucks, our RV and Route 66! The majestetic Grand Canyon took our breaths and we soon realized it was impossible to catch the true feeling of it on a photograph. But we sure tried, see below. And in the middle of it was this crazy, schitzophrene town called Las Vegas. There's nothing like Vegas and it can only happen in America. Completely insane, but yet fricking awesome, simply great fun! It is not a town for kids, but having spent the Halloween night there we could make the best of it anyway. Observe: we spent ZERO dollars on gambling. By the way, did you know most casinos pump oxygen, usually blended with perfume, in the inside air to keep players awake the whole night?!

We've collected some pictures in our Webalbum, feel free to check them out! http://picasaweb.google.com/Sandelowskyalbum

//Hanna

GO BAMA!

So the Americans got a new President. And the world a new leader. Excitement or uncertainty?
It was a priviledge to be able to see the whole show as closely as we did. Obama was in Cinci (Snow went to see him!) and Sarah Palin was in West Chester (it was a closed event; they wouldn't let me into the area. Maybe I look like a trouble maker..?) Now, with all respect to those who disagree with my views I still allow myself to see, feel and analyze the outcome of this election as me, an outsider, an Europee and a visitor in the USA:

There was a wave of hope, optimism and pure happiness that you could feel blowing through the air almost wherever you went. I know - it's easy to smile when you're a winner, and believe me: I'm enjoying every second of it! The Americans have shown themselves and the rest of the world that there is - despite our doubts sometimes - a great deal of common sense, sanity and sophistication in their thinking. They showed they do want to belong to the modern western world, and that is not only in economical but also in most social matters. They also showed they have a sensible understanding of the tough economical times we're heading to, and that the old economical doctrines of success don't necessarily apply in today's global market. The deep South (read: give racism a face) and a couple a concervative (read: mix religion with politics) states still hang on there in the past, but the vast majority of the country is ready to move on. It's not the 1800's anymore, it's time for a Change. I have noticed that even some people who gave their votes to McCain purely for his economical program didn't, in the end, think this was such a bad outcome, after all. Obama's appreciation speech was phenomenal; he reached his hand out saying he aimed to be everyone's President.

Our family spent this historical moment down in the desert side of California, on an RV-park; the last night of our 5 day long vacation in the Grand Canyon area. This is the season the oldies from upper states move down to the states with more pleasent climate. There was a warm atmosphere of bridge play, pool and bingo, a beer or two, peaceful chatt with these friendly people. Even though we were dramatically age discriminated and obviously the only ones who really appreciated the outcome of the evening we thought it all was really a cult thing to do, "totally cool" as Johanna would say (after having seen High School Musical 3).

We received a few phone calls and emails from our friends around the world. Everyone was pleased, relieved, hopeful for the future. Silly, but it felt almost like we were part of the success! Ohio made the difference! Thanks to people like Snow who volunteered! I'm not taking any credit of it though, except for a couple of bumper stickers and T-shirt purchases I (and my sister Kati!) made to support the campaign. Jonatan had interviewed his classmates on their political views (he is in second grade!) while we ordered him to keep a lower profile and not show how brain washed he was :). Johanna (fifth grader) was more aware of the huge McCain-Palin (McSame Pain) support there is in our town and was simply not taking part in discussions at school; instead she swallowed the shock after hearing one of them, quote a girl in her class: "We don't like Obama because he steals money from the rich and gives it to the poor!" She was silently happy about Obama winning but would not wear the Obama T-shirt to school - just in case. Johanna, Jonte, Jenny and Sommer taught successfully Maja to say "O-ba-ma!" Benke's vibrant (!) political drive at work may have played a role, but who knows - the effect might have been just the opposite, knowing his methods...

//Hanna

Happy Halloween!

A very social October = FUN!

Hey - long time no see on this blog! Have been kind of busy catching up with our friends here in Cinci, and also hosting our Finnish and Swedish friends and family. My sister Kati with her son Nooa came for a week, we had a good time, and what a great kid Nooa is! You all should know that he aims to be the President one day:)
Kati and Nooa arrived on a hot (+30 C) October day, and our first touch of the American culture was on a Pumpkin Patch with a Hay Ride and a Corn Maze. Actually, first time for our family, too!




The next week the Holm family (except Emilia!) honored us with their visit. Loads and loads of Cincinnati sightseeing, which is always a nice change from the everyday routines (as a mad housefwife).
Happy Birthday to Mari! ...was the reason they travelled, and since she wanted it to keep it low key, we only took her to a couple of head shakers at Kings Island on her Big Day.



The same day Jenny's family left we drove to Chicago to see Becky's family who had driven down from MN. We had a nice dinner at the Grand De Luxe Cafe and did the usual tourist stuff (this time we even went to the American Girl Place - see the hairdressers!). Benke and I went for a beautiful Sunday morning run on the Lake Shore.

There is a specially warm place in our hearts for Becky, Brodie, Calder and Quinn and I hope the story is to be continued! I can't stop telling everyone that Becky had just received a grant worth 1 million dollars from the State of MN for the new homeless shelter they are going to build in Bemidji - fully and totally thanks to the hard work, enthusiasm and intelligence she possesses as the director of the shelter and a writer of the grant application. Needless to say, we are very proud of you! (Came to think of Nooa's presidental ambitions - how about Becky??).







Now, I'm back in business doing the laundry, driving the kids to their activities and trying to run some errands and soon start packing for our fall vacation to the Grand Canyon National Park...and the Halloween night in Las Vegas!

//Hanna