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Goodbye, Crazy Old Cat
A few months ago I wrote about Huckle, our not overly bright, directionally challenged, accident-prone, Czech barn cat. I started that post as a sort of epitaph, as he had disappeared from our roof a...
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And Then There Were Two (Again)
About three weeks ago, our 15-year-old cat passed away. I said no way would I get another cat before packout, but if you are a Cat Person, you know how that goes… Taz, the cat who is actually a...
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Mid-Life Crisis: Done
To be honest, there’s not much going on around here lately. We study Polish, we play with the kitties, we go out to eat more often than we should, we study some more Polish. OK, I am not actually...
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The “R” Word
Yep, R is for retirement. In the Foreign Service, this comes up sooner than you might think. Because my husband joined the FS in his 20s, he is already eligible to retire in his early 50s. But there is...
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Sunshine, Sand and Sea Lions!
Sometimes, people think that if you have seen the world, you might not have any interest in your own country. This is so not true! I love to travel in America. There’s so much of it I haven’t seen yet....
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We Are In Warsaw And The Sofa is Not Poopy
We made it! After the usual series of last-minute hassles, including a drive to USDA-APHIS in Richmond the day before our flight to get one silly piece of paper for the kitties which NO ONE looked at,...
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Government Housing Hack: Kitchen Decals
“Drexel hacks” are a thing now. You can see some good ones here. I actually tried one yesterday, without success: it turns out that Drexel sofas have measurements that somehow do not match the...
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Government Housing Hack: Patio to Catio
When I heard that we would be moving into an apartment in Warsaw, I immediately added “catproofing” to the list. Not because I am a crazy cat lady (though I am). Because cats can’t fly, and ask us how...
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A Bit Less Shiny Brass and Harvest Gold Please
By the time we leave Warsaw, I will have spent 19 years of my life in Embassy housing, 17 of them surrounded by Drexel furniture. In other words, each post may be just temporary, but sadly, this is my...
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Drexel Chairs: Boring to Boho!
The 8 chairs that come with our huge Drexel dining table are upholstered in more gold polyester. Blech. I am certainly not the first person to cover the seats, but I am so pleased with the result that...
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Embassy Housing Hack: Velcro Bathroom Coverup
So, this bathroom was kind of bugging me. It’s our guest powder room, and has a functional, but really cheap-looking Formica vanity. I also like to keep extra toilet paper and cleaning supplies in each...
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Embassy Housing Hack: Weird Bench Coverup
After I dealt with that unattractive bathroom vanity, I got to thinking about this weird, built-in bench. It is Formica with plain metal legs. Like a cheap kitchen island got lost and ended up in our...
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2015: Year in Review
This is the post in which I sum up all the wonderful and exciting things I did over the last year, painting a glamorous picture of Foreign Service life that will make you jealous as hell. Or not. Expat...
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Warsaw’s Botanical Garden
This week, spring finally arrived, bringing with it a tidal wave of flowers—and tree pollen! European birches are my nemesis. I’ve been sneezing like crazy, but that isn’t going to keep me from getting...
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The Orderly Flowers of Warsaw
The Botanical Garden is not the only place in Warsaw where flowers are blooming. Armies of city workers have been out planting millions of pansies over the past couple of weeks. Bulbs—daffodils,...
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Tulips at Keukenhof Gardens
Last week, we visited my sister-in-law in Amsterdam. Presented with a sunny day at just the right time of year, of course we had to make a day trip to Keukenhof Gardens! Keukenhof, located in the town...
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