Guest-napped in my own backyard!

My mom and I went to buy train tickets, good experience. We waited for an hour to be told to came back a few days later...I think it's important that my mom saw this, it might make some of my frustrated emails a bit clearer. When I returned home Doodle was sitting in my garden and my renter was shouting fruit names and asking my to translate. He tells me he is feeding my father and giving him tea, Doodle turns to me and says, "I don't know what's happening but he brought me out her and gave me tea and is getting all sorts of things from your trees." It was awesome. Mom and I ended up joining them and spent a lovely hour discussing remedies and different ways to utilize the many things growing in my yard. Here's the lovely set up.

We headed up to my xala's house in our guesting extravaganza. She is a brilliant cook and her cakes are to die for. It was a nice afternoon with Xala and her three daughters. Xala's motto is "Why do you need badness? In this world we only need goodness." She lives by this every day and with that kind of warmth and optimism she raised her girls. I love these ladies and here they are with my parents.

Of course we had to stop by Mindy's, that's not her real name of course but she loves America and out of the M names I listed Mindy stuck! She received her gifts of a book, USA t-shirt and a USA headband in true Mindy fashion...beaming and trying not to squeal like the 5 year old she felt like. The shirt was promptly pulled over her head and she even paraded it around the street for a bit. Here's my little wanna-be American

Her mom was very excited to not only meet my parents but prepare a meal for them. She made some plov and though my parents had already eaten two different kinds on their trip this chicken-eggy goodness was a first. Here's Mindy with her mom and sister Nigar.

How could Qax exist without my lovely Russians. Almaz is a lovely woman with three stricking daughters. Unfortunately the eldest was in Baku, but she was there for a university test and education is number one so she is pardoned. Mindy came over to join in the festivities as my parents were eating some more dolma and not seeming too surprised at the cocker spaniel which makes my Russians all the more unique in Qax. Almaz kept the conversation flowing in her English-Azeri-Russian mix as usual, never forgetting to fill her yard with as much laughter as possible. When my mom handed out the scarf, 13 year old Konuş was elated, rarely get a bigger smile out of that girl. Nothing could beat the markers and princess coloring book my mom got for Diana. She's 8 and very shy, it took me a few visits to even get a hello. Of course with my parents it was the same game but the second the coloring book appeared she couldn't contain her excitement. I can't wait for a new painting to put on my wall. This is us with Mindy, Almaz and her two youngest girls, Konuş and Diana. They are all so pretty!