Found this in my desk drawer this morning.   Happy Easter! To M. Puriņš and family With warm greetings at Easter from Mamma Lilija Edvīns Ojārs (Date unknown) ...

Easter holidays in sub zero temps means more of the same indoor action. We hung out with friends at their place last night and our boys ( we have two; they have two) ran in circles for FIVE HOURS with toy swords and sticks and shields. Through the kitchen, through the lounge, into the passage, back into the kitchen. Yelling the whole time. When, oh when will it be warm enough for us to boot them outdoors for hours at a time to do the running and yelling? What is a reasonable temperature?...

Every morning since I've been back from tropical South America - more than a week ago - I look out the window and see that the snowman is still there, proudly sticking out its sticky little arms and blank face pointing into the sun. I loathe him. I flew off to Brazil in late february.  When I left Riga it was quite mild - just under zero degrees - and I departed safe in the knowledge that when I returned it would be March already, and winter would be at an end, and there would be hope...

So I'm back, and before I return to normal programming (ie. Latvian weather reports), I will make a couple of trivial observations about Brazil, for your viewing pleasure: 1. You can find a Garden of Eden in the most unexpected places.  Brazil has moments when it truly feels like paradise. Corny, but true. 2. Despite the fact that many Brazilian gardens ARE Gardens of Eden with an amazing array of fruits and flowers, most Brazilian households sport a bowl of PLASTIC fruit...