Who is “krutajababulka”( the tough grandma) ? And why is she so?
It all happened last summer, hot, dusty and noisy summer it was. This was due to the fact that they were building a dry pond across from our home. My grandson Gleb because of this fact spent very little time outdoors as this future dry pond was a park before with two baseball fields and one soccer playing area in which he enjoyed a lot and now everything was Topsy turfy. Every morning at 7.30 big loaded power shovels filled an endless parade of dump trucks to remove the bottom earth making a huge hole that seems like a moon crater. What is the affinity with “krutaja babulka” whose real name in this life is Valentina, just in case if you are interested? The answer is quite simple to say the least. Gleb. Being very proficient in the computer arts for eleven-year-old he saw this construction in the park as a reason not to venture out, and had every excuse in the book some of which were: it’s too hot, or too noisy, I did not have enough sleep due to late nights of computer fun, or games, or eating pasta after midnight which became a daily ritual. To counteract this lethargic and excessive lack of activities Grandma being impatient with his attitude that at first seemed amusing but later became very annoying came up with the idea that something had to be done. The solution was obvious to her. Pull the plug from his connection to the virtual world he was so wrapped up in. No more fun. At least not all day. He was a rebellious little fellow but Grandma was ever persistent no matter how loud his howling was. She would not give in. She was tough. And he called her krutaja babulka. The name was to stick and thus became the name of my web site. I hope that you will enjoy this journey with krutaja babulka –Tough Grandma.
Really where does this toughness come from? Was it inherited ? Or was it a result of a difficult life of growing up in war time Russia, seeing her mother and sister struggle when they were being evacuated from their home in city of Bryansk in the middle of European Russia to escape the advancing German armies and not knowing where they were going and how to survive? As there was no father with them and her mother was 5-month pregnant with the other baby, who was to be her brother Gennadiy. A combination of social upheavals, trials and events built up some sort of resistance and adaptation to the sometimes uncontrollable circumstances and events. Because of this resilience, adaptability which she lived through this toughness of character developed and became a way of life complimented by a sense of humanness which is manifested in ways that at times appears to be contrary to the inner toughness of her personality and character. Compassion, caring attitude, sincerity and most of all honesty, she may be blunt at times or critical of herself or others and this is because she wishes the best for everybody.
These attributes have instilled in her a great sense of creativity. She sees beauty all around her and this has inspired her to put forth in writing books of her life. Now I am going from Krutaja babulka to my-self.
Since I now have been happily retired I can put my efforts into creating new and exciting endeavors the directions of which will include crafts such as matrjoshkas, wooden easter eggs, rolling dolls with tinkling bells, big and small apples with the surprises, costumes of different nationalities for dolls and selling my favorite amber jewelery.
Krutaja babulka Valentina invites everybody to her creative workshop.