Together Again! Celebrating the Birthday with the Friends and the Family, what can be more joyful than this?

Our annual “Babulkas” meeting on March 17, 2015 took place on Skype in Emma’s apartment: Emma, Zoya, Nellya, Valya, Rimma, Lara, Lyusya and me chit-chatting for an hour or so, wishing each other good things. Rimma as always is reciting her verses (in my translation):

“Canadian friend Valyusha Filina

Is celebrating her Birthday today,

Bringing us together, the feeling,

As if she’s the bridge between us, so to say.

You’re far away from our common Motherland,

It seems to us but you’re pretty close,

As your interest lies to the very end,

In our lives, the latest news at most.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Emmochka is a creative hostess,

To please us with such an atmosphere,

To open up to you, to tell the best,

With personal stuff, being frank and clear.

First of all, Happy Birthday

To you in a friendly way,

You are from one hundred

Just simply one quarter away.

God bless you with health to spin around the whole world.

Even of those years you could make life as a sausage

(with the ingredients of fun, laughter, interest, good conversations and joyful get-togethers).

The photos are included.

Another group of people of the Holly family got together to celebrate the same festive occasion of Valentina in the “Japanese village” restaurant in Calgary.

Here’s the photo of Janko and me in funny Japanese outfits and caps.

Below are two movies from there,one is showing the flame, a Japanese tradition to cook tappiaki. Watch:“Oh, Japan! Japan!”

The next one is Birthday greetings a la Japanese. Watch: “Happy Birthday! a la Japanese”

Happy Birthday to all who was born in spring, join us in a beautiful sing-along “Happy Birthday to you”.

Listen to: Emmylou Harris: Together Again (1977)