Xenia
Xenia had a birthday, and fifteen looks good on her! She stands at five feet three inches and weighs in at one hundred pounds of pure muscle. Xenia is taking driving classes and should have her permit by the end of the month. The same weekend she started traffic safety, she competed in her first…
Influenza-A crushed Christmas
Did Christmas happen this year? I missed it! I remember getting ready. We started our Advent fast forty days before Christmas. I sent out Christmas cards. We put up the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving. The kids weren’t into it, and it took a lot of cajoling and calendar syncing before the young adults could help…
Christmas Letter 2025
Our annual tradition of group Christmas letter writing. The kids have all been instructed to say something about themselves and something about each of their siblings. My letter comes first though. Dear friends and family, Merry Christmas! Syra’s Scribbles VI is out on Amazon!l Check out syrasscribbles.com Ι play cello and teach Calculus. Ι do…
Loved and Interesting
When I started at Felida Elementary after my parents divorced and Mom moved my younger sister and me out to the family property, I could have tried to fit in with the popular girls. The most popular girl took me in hand and pointed out all the cool kids, but I never strove to be…
It’s a…
Misha saw his first cat at a bookstore a month or so ago. He was so excited, he learned to say, “Kitty!” Esther video called me so that he could show off his cuteness and his new word. So I went on Amazon and bought him a stuffed cat to commemorate the day, and Amazon…
Alone
I’ve been thinking about how often I am alone. I’ve immersed myself in the days of diaper changes and clinging toddlers as I finished Syra’s Scribbles VI and started reworking Syra’s Scribbles II. Back in the day, I wanted nothing more than the chance to go to the bathroom alone, and a solo trip to…
Next Book Back Cover
I’m gearing up to publish Syra’s Sribbles VI. Here’s what I have so far for the back cover. In the sixth book of the Syra’s Scribbles series, Syra finally has the big family she’s always wanted, but life is harder than she expected. Syra shares her most vulnerable moments of despair as well as her…
Forward to Syra’s Scribbles VI, by Esther
Syra’s Scribbles VI will be out around Thanksgiving. Here’s a little something to tide you over till you can read it! I’m so thankful for Esther’s work on this book in the series. My mother is a smart lady and usually writes her own forewords. However, she thought that this volume of her memoirs in…
Back to School in Ohio
Esther, John Ben, and Misha have been gone for a few weeks. I keep waiting for the big feelings to hit, but even when I moved my furniture around for the baklava party and found a tell-tale chicken nugget and toy car, no tears welled up in my eyes. I smiled at the evidence of…
The Vancouver Church
I have history with the Eastern Orthodox parish in my hometown of Vancouver, Washington. When Mom was looking into Orthodoxy, the closest parish was in Milwaukee, Oregon. The Vancouver parish was founded well after Mom moved to California to live with us. Still, even after Mom left, there were reasons for me to return. That…
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Syra's Scribbles 