Worried?

I don't doubt that many people here have the war in Ukraine on their minds. There are warning signs from many governments that Putin will test NATO with drone and missile incursions into the Baltic States, as well as into Poland. He wants to see how NATO will respond.

Lithuania’s interior ministry announced on July 14th that the government plans to evacuate residents, but it did not provide details on routes or collection points. One route would be into Poland.

It said three-quarters of people could evacuate independently, while municipalities would help those who cannot leave by their own transport or require additional assistance, with priority given to families with young children, those with disabilities, and the elderly.

Lithuania’s neighbor, Latvia, will get Eurofighter jets from Germany to protect its skies ahead of the Baltic country’s elections on October 3.

NATO fighter jets destroyed a drone that entered Lithuania's airspace on Tuesday morning, the country's president said. 

Poland’s defense ministry said its ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were put on high alert due to the threat posed by Russian drone attacks on western Ukraine, which the country borders.

On Sunday, a Russian drone struck a train that was within two miles of the Polish border as it traveled between Kyiv and Warsaw, Ukrainian railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) reported. No passengers were injured, but Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the incident showed that Russia was “knocking directly on the doors of the EU and NATO," adding that "Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners." Source: Newsweek

So, yes, there is a reason to be worried. Putin's plan has always been to recapture the countries making up the U.S.S.R. Chwała Polsce!/Слава Україні!/Słava Ukraine

Visit from Gabriela.

Yesterday, Gabriela, a former caregiver for Joan, visited at 4:30. She is a future pharmacist currently doing her internship.

She spent the last three months in Portugal as part of the Erasmus program. She had many stories to tell us of her adventures there, as well as in Kenya, where she went after Erasmus was over.

We spent four hours together before it was time for her to leave. Joan and I were thankful for her remembering us.

The drop-down shade on the large south-facing window in front of my laptop fell down and broke the mechanism that raises and lowers it. The shade was in good condition; just the plastic mechanism broke. I thought I would have to buy a whole new shade, but at Leroy Merlin, the employee told me I could just buy the replacement parts if I knew what model of shade I had. Of course, I didn't. I looked at the different bags of parts and bought one to take home and see if it would work.

After learning how to fit the pieces together, I think it will, but I have to wait for Paige to come next week to put it in place. It is too wide to do on my own.

Meanwhile: Ukraine:

Ukraine’s General Staff reported strikes on an Orion drone control station in occupied Crimea, a drone launch site near Donetsk, and two depots in the Luhansk region. The General Staff said the strikes took place on Sept. 17 and overnight into Sept. 18.

 The General Staff said damaging the ground control station could significantly restrict Russia’s ability to operate Orion systems in that area.

 Ukrainian forces also hit a facility near Donetsk used to store, prepare, and launch Russian attack drones, according to the General Staff.

In the Luhansk region, the General Staff reported strikes on an ammunition depot near Dovzhansk and a military supply depot near Kypuche.

Why?

Why does the world continue to let this happen? 4 1/2 years of this! 

 

They were assassinated for refusing to betray Ukraine.

On September 15, 2023, Russian occupiers abducted Anastasiia and Valerii Saksahanski from their home in the occupied Kherson region.

Their two-year-old daughter, Margarita, was left alone. Anastasiia was found with a gunshot to the head.

Valerii was tortured and killed.

Their “crime”? Refusing Russian passports.

Refusing to serve the occupation.

Choosing Ukraine.

Russia killed them for that.

Anastasiia and Valerii Saksahanski.

Go Blue!

Library & Ukraine.

A warm September day with sun necessitated that I take Joan out after my 3-hourbreak.

During my break, I went to the Raczynski library to see if they had a book with old pictures of the zamek(castle) we sit behind in Cafe Lokum. I'm curious what the stable area actually looked like when there were horses in it.

I climbed the four flights of stairs to get to the information desk. To my surprise, the young lady behind the counter could not speak English. It was a wasted trip. There are so many rows of books that it would have served no purpose for me to find a book I wanted.

Meanwhile: Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued another warning to Europe on Friday, threatening that any deployment of European troops to Ukraine would amount to direct war with Russia.

“Now they are talking about how they might send troops onto Ukrainian territory. That means war with Russia,” Putin said, referring to discussions among European governments over possible security guarantees for Ukraine. Source: Kyiv Post

But it's OK for 50,000 North Korean soldiers to be fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine. Call his bluff; send troops to help Ukraine.

EU ambassadors failed to agree on extending sanctions against Russia for a second time on Friday, after France joined Slovakia in demanding the delisting of Russian-Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

Four EU diplomats told Euronews on Friday, Sept. 11, that the two countries are seeking to remove Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov, causing “huge frustration” among other members of the bloc. Besides Usmanov, Slovakia has pushed for Mikhail Fridman, a cofounder of Alfa Bank – Russia’s largest non-state bank – to be removed from the sanctions list.

Both individuals are linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the military-industrial complex sustaining Moscow’s war efforts. Source: Kyiv Post

Slovakia is friendly towards Russia, so that is no surprise. France, knowing the word "surrender" very well, is playing the two-faced government, supporting Ukraine but looking out for France first. 

A walk.

My nephew Jeff and his wife, Annmarie, did a 3K walk in support of childhood brain cancer. They also walked in memory of his dad/my brother, Wally. He has been gone for 52 years, but he is never out of my daily thoughts. He would be 86 years old if he had lived. Physically, he is dead, but as long as we remember him, he will never be "dead".

I wasn't planning on taking Joan outside today, but the weather was warm and their are not going to be many more like this, so I took her to the park. It was nice with few people there because it's a workday for most.

Ukraine: Unbelievable. 

Trump urged Zelensky to stop striking Russian diesel facilities and blamed Ukraine for global fuel shortages. The US leader’s demand followed record August attacks and almost daily drone strikes against Russia, with Ukraine hitting refineries and igniting fires visible from space.

The US president, speaking to reporters on Sunday during a visit to the 2026 Amgen Irish Open golf tournament, said that Ukraine’s long-range drone raids against Russian oil refineries were the main reason world diesel prices had spiked, and called on Zelensky to call off the attacks.

“Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing: He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. Let him go after targets – but not diesel fuel, because he’s causing a shortage of diesel. This isn’t done by the Middle East. This is done by what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine. So we spoke to Mr. Zelensky about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel because that’s hurting the world,” Trump told a gaggle of Irish and international reporters.

 A US-Israeli war with Iran leading to the near total shut down of tanker exports via the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, along with worsening Red Sea tanker export volumes following Houthi capture of the Sea’s southern exit, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, are the main cause for rocketing crude oil and refined fuel prices – currently between $106-$120/bbl – most energy industry analysts say. Source: Kyiv Post

That is the way of the U.S. President, as always. He doesn't admit responsibility for starting the "war" with Iran. It is totally his fault. I hope his followers finally understand that fact and the many other lies he has told them. They could curtail his power this November by voting against his supported candidates. Will they? Probably not. It would be to embarrassing to admit they voted him in as President.

The Bully Speaks.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has claimed that Russia would wipe Lithuania "off the map" if nuclear weapons were deployed on its territory and that its NATO allies would not dare invoke Article 5 on collective defense.

Russia has threatened Lithuania with nuclear weapons as the Baltic nation is eyeing a lift of its nuclear weapons ban.

Lithuania’s parliamentary parties provisionally agreed to the constitutional amendments in July, and the parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs voted 7-2 on the proposal on Wednesday, Sept. 9, paving the way for a final decision in early 2027.

The lifting of the ban would allow NATO, of which Lithuania has been a member of since 2004, to deploy nuclear forces in Lithuania.

 Canada’s and the United Kingdom’s engagement in the Baltics is also extensive: Canada is the battlegroup framework nation in Latvia, the UK in Estonia. Canada plans to deploy two battalions of a brigade to Latvia by 2025. The United Kingdom will, in addition to its participation to the eFP Battlegroup in Estonia, earmark a brigade for rapid deployment to the Baltic region.

Medicine.

Today, I have to go back to the Apteka to pick up two of Joan's prescriptions that they didn't have in stock. When I arrived, they brought out one prescription, but then told me they couldn't order the other. They said there was a problem with the wholesaler, and so the order was rejected. I asked if there was an alternative medication, but they said there was none with the same ingredients. She suggested I try a different Apteka. In fact, she gave me the addresses of two of them, which she said had the medicine now, but they only had one box in each store. I buy prescriptions for 3 months. One box would not be sufficient. I looked up a few other Aptekas close to where we live, and I drove to the nearest one. I told him what I needed, asked him to check their stock, and he said they didn't have any; they could order it and have it tomorrow. So tomorrow, I will take you home with me, go to that Apteka, and hope that they were able to place the order successfully. It could be that they just told me they would have it tomorrow and didn't know they couldn't order it. We'll see what happens. tomorrow.

Meanwhile:

Dmitry Medvedev, former president and current deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said Lithuania would “disappear from the map of the world” if it lifts its longstanding nuclear weapons ban.
Medvedev made the remarks on Friday, Sept. 11, after Russia had already threatened Vilnius earlier that same day.

The country’s parliamentary parties had agreed to the constitutional amendments in July, while the parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs voted 7-2 on the proposal on Wednesday, paving the way for a final decision early next year.

The lifting of the ban would allow NATO, of which Lithuania has been a member since 2004, to deploy nuclear forces on its territory.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov threatened Vilnius over the plan by saying the Baltic nation – once under Soviet occupation – will be “in the sights of our nuclear weapons.”

“And if there are nuclear weapons on the territory that are aimed at us, then the territory of this country will also be in the sights of our nuclear weapons,” Peskov told Russia’s Channel One on Friday, as reported by state media Ria Novosti.

September 11th

 September 11, 2001-We were attacked by foreign terrorists from Saudi Arabia. 2,996 innocent people lost their lives, but the nation survived.

January 20, 2024-We were attacked again, but this time it was domestic terrorists from our own government. Have the strength to help us survive again.

NFL

Okay, so we did make it to 67 Fahrenheit today, so the weatherman has gotten it right the last 3 days. What a miracle!

Paige came over and sat with Joan today doing her physical exercises, and then both of them watched the NFL football highlights for the rest of her time here. When I left at 11:00, they had just started watching the games, and when I came home, they were still watching them. It surprised me. I know John likes football, but I didn't know thatPaige liked it also.

I spent a good part of my time between the Apteka and the doctor's clinic. Last Monday I sent a request to have some prescriptions refilled, and usually the next day I have the codes to take to the Apteka and fill the prescriptions. On Tuesday, there was no reply to my message. Wednesday, I sent another request, and by Thursday at noon I still had no response. I made an appointment to see the doctor, only to get my prescription refill codes in hand. I also wanted to ask the doctor why two of my prescriptions had to be paid for. They are the same ones I've been taking for years, and they've always been free after I turned 70 years old. The doctor looked them up and said there was a mistake made, and she wrote me out a new prescription for them, specifying that they were free. It's these little bureaucratic things that continue that really piss me off. You have to be persistent when dealing with bureaucracy, and I am.

The picture above is the newest addition to our Rajewski relatives who live in British Columbia, Canada. His name is Nikko.

85 to 65

85°F yesterday, 75°F today, 65°F tomorrow. There's no doubt we are heading towards the gray winter in Poland. Sunshine is rather rare here during that time, and if you let it, it can be depressing. Although if you watch the news, that can be even more depressing. Of course, it would be easy to not pay attention to the news, but with the situation in the United States, everyone should be aware of what's going on and how important it is that they vote in the midterm election.

I stayed up way too late last night and didn't wake up until 12:00 this afternoon. Working with two resistance groups in the United States, and the only time I have to do it, because of the time difference, is late at night. I try hard to get to bed by midnight, but more often than not it ends up being 1:00 or 2:00 before I go to sleep. Being involved with the groups has curtailed studying Spanish very much these last four or five months.

Meanwhile Ukraine:

Good news--The EU's Court of Justice on Sept. 9 dismissed a legal challenge filed by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban intended to prevent money linked to frozen Russian assets from being spent on the EU's military aid to Ukraine.

EU countries agreed in EU 2024 to bankroll some military assistance for Ukraine using the interest generated on Russian government assets that have been "frozen" within the EU since Moscow launched its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The current Hungarian prime minister, Peter Magyar, has not spoken about the case but has adopted a more constructive approach to relations with the EU since taking office in May.

While Magyar has repeatedly ruled out his country providing direct military assistance to Ukraine, he has affirmed Kyiv's right to defend itself and signaled Budapest would not obstruct assistance from other EU members. Source: Kyiv Independent

NOT o good news. Former CIA Chief of Station Sean Wiswesser says NATO’s deterrence is too weak and warns that the Baltic states could be Russia’s next target. “I believe the Baltics are next, unfortunately,” he tells Kyiv Post special correspondent Jason Jay Smart. He points to the Suwalki Gap as one place where Moscow could attempt a limited move that forces NATO to decide whether Article 5 will actually be enforced, without first launching another full-scale invasion.

Wiswesser says the danger is growing because Russia is already testing the West while rebuilding its military faster than many analysts expected. Moscow still regards the United States as its main adversary, while sabotage, cyberattacks, drone incidents and covert operations are already reaching European countries. The next challenge to NATO could be intentionally limited and difficult to classify, giving governments less time to agree on what happened and how far they are prepared to go in response.

That is why Wiswesser keeps coming back to deterrence. “Real deterrence is, unfortunately, risking war to prevent war,” he says. He calls for long-range weapons for Ukraine, including German Taurus missiles and F-16 ERAMs, greater pressure on Russia’s oil and gas sector, and the seizure of frozen Russian state assets in Europe. Warnings matter only if Moscow believes ignoring them will incur a concrete cost. Source: Kyiv Post

Interesting Day.

Yes, it was an interesting day for us. We had a new visitor at 1:00 p.m.; his name was Bruno.

Because we've been frequenting Cafe Lokum more than Sowas or Kandulski cafes, I have gotten to know one of the people behind the bar who takes our order. This has been going on for the last three or four months. During that time, I've had more than a few brief conversations with Bruno, and last week I invited him to visit us. He lives in the next, I guess you would call it, suburb or maybe region very close to us, within walking distance from his flat to ours. Is not originally from Poznan, but he's been living here for 6 years.

He arrived at 1:00, and we had ciasto, coffee, tea, and water sitting at the kitchen table. When we were done, we moved to the living room for more comfortable seating. I told him about our life in Poland, our life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, about building my house in the forest, and several other stories about our travels in different European countries. Of course, it was all new to him, so he was very interested in it.

Around 4:15 p.m., it was time for him to leave and return to his own flat. I'm sure we will see him again this week when we make our visit to the cafe.

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

Ukraine war latest: Drone and missile alerts sound in Kyiv amid temporary attack pause on capitals

Amid a temporary attack pause between Kyiv and Moscow, Russian drones are flying above the Ukrainian capital 

*Russia has enough resources to wage war through 2028, Ukraine's military intelligence says 

*Ukraine claims strikes on railway bridge and Russian aircraft in Russian-occupied Crimea *Kyiv shortens curfew to 1-5 am 

*Pro-Ukrainian partisans sabotaged communication tower ahead of oil refinery strike, Atesh group claims.

*Ukrainian drone blitz hits 3 Russian oil refineries, Zelensky confirms. Source: Kyiv Independent

Ukraine

1st and 3rd Corps have been assigned the mission of holding Slovyansk and Kramatorsk against the expected Russian offensive. Both commanders are self-made generals – Denys Prokopenko (1st Azov Corps) and Andriy Biletsky (3rd Army Corps) – who rose through Azov’s ranks; in other words, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) put its first team and best players into the Donetsk region.

These are two of the AFU’s hardest-fighting corps – although, to be fair, probably the 30th Marine and 7th and 8th Airborne Assault Corps are to that level. The presence of USF brass at the outset of the planning makes crystal clear the Ukrainian intent: when Russia launches its big offensive, probably after the fall wet season, the most effective Drone Wall buzz saw will be in place to meet it. Three months is a long time to let Ukrainians prepare…

 Ukrainian drones attacked targets across Russia overnight, hitting residential buildings near Moscow and a seaport in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russian officials and monitoring channels reported.

In Kubinka, about 60 kilometers west of Moscow, a drone attack caused a fire on the eighth and ninth floors of an apartment building, Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said. Ten people were evacuated. He said there were no casualties.

Kubinka is home to a major Russian military airfield used by the country’s Russian Knights and Swifts military aerobatic teams. The town is also located near Patriot Park, a large Russian military-themed complex.

The Zamek.

A large building of the Imperial Castle in Poznań, built for the last German emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II, who personally established a detailed plan for his residence.

The Imperial Castle in Poznań is one of the youngest castles in Europe; it is the last and youngest residence of the monarch on the continent.

The castle did not escape war stories. From the uprisings to the actions during the Second World War, it changed its destiny many times. It served as Hitler's headquarters, although the commander himself probably never stayed there. For this purpose, the layout and functions of the lock interiors have been completely changed. The most important rooms are decorated in the totalitarian style of architecture of the Third Reich. In the place of the chapel, Hitler's office was arranged, with an electrically heated balcony (floor). From the balcony, the Führer would receive parades. The office was decorated identically to the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, and its decor has been unchanged to this day and often serves as a film set.

After the surrender of the citadel on February 23, 1945, the castle was part of the camp for German prisoners of war (transitional camp). 

The castle was to be demolished after the war, due to associations with the German occupant, but due to a lack of finances, only Nazi symbols were removed, and the damaged story of the clock tower was demolished.

Subsequently, the castle served as the Town Hall and the Municipal National Council in 1948, and in 1962 as the Palace of Culture. In 1979, the Imperial Castle was entered in the register of monuments as a cultural good.

Today, the Imperial Castle is a meeting place for culture and art, as well as history! In the summer, we can go to concerts, film screenings, or exhibitions. The castle and its interiors can be visited in a version with an audio guide, an application, or without. On the official website of the Imperial Castle, you can learn more and even choose a virtual walk. Source-Zamieszkali.pl

Now, they are renovating behind the Zamek where the entrance to the old stables is. 

Autumn Goldenrod.

Nothing brings Autumn to mind like seeing goldenrod everywhere. It is a similar feeling in Spring when the dandelions are in bloom. Now, blue is our favorite color, but something about yellow makes us a little happier.

Goldenrod refers to a group of around 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the aster family. Most species are native to North America, though a few are native to Europe and Asia. They produce clusters of bright yellow flower heads atop tall stems in late summer and autumn. Goldenrod relies on insects like bees and butterflies for pollination. Because its pollen is heavy and sticky, it is transported by insects rather than blown by the wind.

Goldenrod serves as a vital late-season source of nectar and pollen for pollinators preparing for winter. It's leaves and flowers have historically been used in herbal teas for their mild diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.

The plant produces vibrant natural yellow, gold, and green dyes for textiles. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, praised for their resilience and bright autumn color.

1939

The invasion of Poland, 1 (September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of World War II. The invasion began on 1 September 1939 when Germany marched into Poland, preceded by the Danzig crisis and by the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, which was signed one week before and approved by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union one day before the invasion. On 17 September the Soviet Union invaded as well, acting on a secret protocol of the pact, which assigned parts of Poland to them. The campaign ended on 6 October with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing the whole of Poland under the terms of the German–Soviet Frontier Treaty.

The aim of the invasion was to disestablish Poland as a sovereign country, with its citizens destined for extermination. German and Slovak forces invaded Poland from the north, south, and west the morning after the Gleiwitz incident. 

As the Wehrmacht advanced, Polish forces withdrew from their forward bases of operation close to the Germany–Poland border to more established defense lines to the east. After the mid-September Polish defeat in the Battle of the Bzura, the Germans gained an undisputed advantage. Polish forces then withdrew to the southeast where they prepared for a long defence of the Romanian Bridgehead and awaited expected support and relief from France and the United Kingdom.

On 3 September, based on their alliance agreements with Poland, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany; in the end, their aid to Poland was very limited. France invaded a small part of Germany in the Saar Offensive, and the Polish army was effectively defeated even before the British Expeditionary Force could be transported to continental Europe.

On 17 September, the Soviet Red Army invaded Eastern Poland, the territory beyond the Curzon Line that fell into the Soviet "sphere of influence" according to the secret protocol of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact; this rendered the Polish plan of defence obsolete.^[20] Facing a second front, the Polish government concluded the defence of the Romanian Bridgehead was no longer feasible and ordered an emergency evacuation of all troops to neutral Romania.^[21] On 6 October, following the Polish defeat at the Battle of Kock, German and Soviet forces gained full control over Poland. The success of the invasion marked the end of the Second Polish Republic, though Poland never formally surrendered. Source-Wikipedia