Bathroom at Emily’s House in Russia (In the Background)

My dad from Russia went to [on] the train. Sometimes he takes with him vodka or sometimes friends. Most of all he brings saw with him. Sometimes he cuts wood when he goes on the train. My dad from Russia he use hands with saw [used a hand saw] get cuts of woods from wood place. Always they go get wood and burn them and make a fire. No car or bike because he only goes on the train. We always carried wood by wheel barrow and by hands. Sometimes we pick it up and sometimes small pieces and carry big pieces too. [In seeking clarification, Emily told me that they would go to the woods to gather fire wood. They especially liked to go after storms because more wood had fallen down and was easier to get. The wheelbarrow referred to was used for handling fire wood at home, not in the woods, which they had to take the train to get to.] Sometimes we put for stove woods and burn them all the time. [Cooking and heating were provided via a wood burning stove in the one-room shack.] We put lots woods in wheel barrow and we put some boiled water with bucket on top and we also cook some food.

We not have hot house. It’s very cold. We always burn woods because make sure we get warm. We eat green food [lots of greens]. When I am little girl and we have wood we eat with neighbors also we make things like potatoes, purple cabbage, radishes, onions, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

We have gardens in neighbors. [There was a community garden that neighbors shared] Sometimes neighbors cook food for us. Sometimes they lazy.

One time my dad burned his hand by fire and also he goes on the train most the time and he smokes and drinks a vodka on the train. I help my dad from Russia with the train.

Sometimes I break window in the orphinige when governmant take away me after home. I feel that I got so scared. [Felt afraid when government removed her from her home and placed her in an orphanage.]

Sometimes they have burned houses and also we get the plants in the make sure we have food all the time [I never got clear on this part other than sometimes, the village would lose a house to fire.]

I help my dad from Russia cut wood with saw. Sometimes I try by myself. My dad very lazy sometimes but he still get wood. We carried wood in the house and make fire under the stove, and we also get water to make sure we not get fire everywhere.

Sometimes if we go to the woods they have on the ground purple mushrooms, little ones.

Sometimes we have on plants purple cabbage. Neighbors, always they have food. In my house we never have food. I and my sisters ask for food all the time. Of course in my house always have vodka. My mom drinks every day about it.

Sometimes neighbors have like clothes and food and sometimes they drink all the time also. We have a green food all the time with plants because my opinion we need survive kids and families. All the time in my house have drink or smoke. My Russian mom and dad smoking or drinking. But my dad love me and my sisters.

In little towns have garden like planting more for neighbors food and sometimes we never give up about garden.

He takes train almost every day because he need go to do like garden and cut trees. In the winter he get cut a tree because make sure neighbors not get cold and also make sure we always get food my sisters and brother and me.

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