First of the farewells...

As I geared up to leave LCC I spent many meals hosting students who had been particualry important to me for a meal.  Here I am with the first group of students that I taught...my fall 2010 FYS group.  Not everyone could make it, but this is about half of the group.  

 

Julia, Laura, Mariya, Ira, me, Paulis, Romanas, and Oleksi

Lituanian souvenirs

When we were shopping at the markets outside of Trakai I snapped these photos of some very common and traditojnal Lithuanian souvenirs.

 

Display dolls

 

Amber trees

 

Paintings decorated with amber

 

Dolls to play with

 

More dolls to play with

Last trip to Vilnius

Rachel and I went to Vilnius in late May.  We wanted to pick up a few last Lithuanian souvenirs and we wanted to spend some time together without the kids underfoot before we parted ways.  We arrived on Saturday and did the normal Old Town stuff.  It was fun to visit our favorite shops "one last time" and to pick up a few final pieces of pottery and such.  We stayed in nice Holiday Inn and went to Trakia Castle on Sunday.  Here are some photos of our time at the Castle...

 

Me in front of the Castle

 

The inner courtyard

 

Beautiful ceilings and light fixtures

 

Ancient Lithuanian money

a painting of a king

 Stained glass window

 

 

a painting of the castle

 

Assorted game heads

 

A lion's head!

 

fancy pipes

 

and a risque pipe!

 

a beautiful porcelain box

 

lovely bowls

 

Looks like these people were about MY size!

 

me and my dear friend, Rachel!

 

me pretending to serve up some delicious Lithuanian food!

Trading allegiances?!

Has Dr. Marlene Wall traded allegiances?  Here she is sporting a GOSHEN COLLEGE sweatshrit rather than her trusty LCC one.  What is going on?!  

Marlene was off campus on official LCC business all day on a Friday.  She came by my place for a Friday evening Haystack party and felt a little over dressed in her suit.  All I had to offer her was my lovely GC sweatshirt.  She wore it because it was far more comfy than her suit and begrudgingly allowed me to take her photo!  :)

 

You can imagine her thinking, "Take the picture already!"

What a good sport!

She made sure I had an LCC sweatshirt when I left LCC in May!  :)