Good Saturday morning from Moscow.  It's all the way up to -2 F, but our hopes are high because the prediction for Sunday morning is now -21.  But what is a Moscow winter without a little chill in the air.

We have had a somewhat subdued week, except for Tuesday evening.  I got the worst head cold in the history of mankind, staring on Monday.  But the worst of it was over yesterday afternoon.  Our presidency were all off doing mission tours this week so I was able to work two half-days and not fear being fired.  Marlene has it this morning, but of course she is not suffering nearly as bad as I was.  I would put the pain scale number at 11, for LeeAnn's benefit.

Tuesday evening I cowboy-ed up and went with Marlene and the Walker to the previously arranged performance of the Sound of Music.  I was shocked that they did the play in Russian!  Aren't there copyright laws or something to protect us Americans from such affronts?  Let the Russians write their own plays, I say.  Wait.  I think they might write their own plays.

Well, in any event the thing was marvelously done.  Those folks can sing and dance.  It was first class.

There is a lady in the office, Marina Kharlmova, who in responsible for the Russian edition of the Liahona.  She is a very gentle and sophisticated lady.  Part of her life is to know what is going on in the arts scene in Moscow,  so she got us tickets for the play.  We are hopeful that she can get us in the Bolshoy Ballet before our term is up.  That will cost us a bundle, but we are not likely to make it back here a 2nd time.

Well, here are some pictures and a little commentary.

I am hauling our weekly groceries home from the store.  It's about an eight minute walk from the apartment to shopping center that includes the grocery store.  It was pretty bitterly cold, hence the chin warmer kindly provided by Rebecca.

Our state-of-the-art dryer.

Marlene's creative urges on display.  She had baked something so the over was warm.  No point in letting that heat go to waste.  She is getting so skinny that she could be wearing those PJ's and you would not notice the difference.

Walking to work at 7:50 a.m.

Our apartment building viewed from the Area office about a half mile away.  We enter the building on the right had side, about an inch from the right margin of the building.   The beauty salon that saved Marlene's life is on the other side of the building, around the left side.

The lovely building to our left as we look out of our windows.  We thought  originally that it is another apartment  building, but lights are on in the windows almost all night long.  We will have to explore there when conditions improve.

The view to our right which is our building close-up.

We are ascending a very long escalator coming off the Metro on our way to the play.  There is an optical illusion that the folks going the opposite direction are leaning way back.  I don't think the picture captured it well.  Plus it's a little awkward to take people's pictures w/o asking permission

We are waiting for the play to start.  We are in a very large foyer.  There are photographers offering to take the pictures of patrons, and there is a pretty busy bar off to the side of the foyer.

The Walker's came with us.  MaryAnn is still in love with her borrowed fur coat.

The joint was only half full so the operators kindly offered those of us with cheap seats, seats closer to the action.  We ending up right on the center isle, row eight.

The couple on the left are the Palmer's.  Sister Palmer has relatives who connect with Marlene  back to the original group who entered the valley.  The couple on the right are the Cook's.  They know Erv Holmes.   Of course everyone know Erv Holmes.