This chapter reminds me that no matter where you go in the world people want to get away from everyday life every once in a while and get a chance to get back to nature; where we all came from. It shows that you can live on the other side of the world from some one in a completely different culture but still share the same values. What it all boils down to is that we really aren’t very different from all other humans. Sure we are all our own person with our own unique make up of likes, dislikes, values, and beliefs, but when you strip away those superficial layers we are all the same. We are people who all share the same needs to survive and a big part of that is getting away from the stresses of everyday life, and spending quality time in nature where we all came from. From the United States to Russia, everyone likes to get a chance to go to dacha.
Chapter 4 is all about the dacha. Just like here (in the UP), families come together and stay out at camp or dacha. I find it funny that the grandpa has like the “final” say on everything because whenever my grandpa is around, whatever he says goes, just like in A Mountain of Crumbs. Even how she wanted to go fishing with her dad and she couldn’t because she had chores to do is the same that happens here. It shows me no matter where you live people are for the most part the same.
This chapter reminds me of when my family goes to our cottage during the summer. There’s always chores that need to be done that my cousins and I have to do too. Like the grandpa in the book, whatever my aunt says goes. She’s in charge of what needs to be done. However, it’s always nice to go there and get away during weekends or weeks at a time during the summer. It’s weird to think that even on the other side of the world families are a lot like families here in the United States. I enjoyed reading this chapter because of the memories it brought back for me. Since our cottage is one of my favorite places to be, and it seems like it’s the same for them as well.
This chapter reminds me of my visits to my grandparents house that I take every summer. My grandparents live in the south so I also have to do chores outside in my grandmothers garden. But unlike the book, my grandmother is in charge of how everything is done around the house and in the garden. I enjoyed this chapter because I could relate to a lot of things that happens throughout the chapter.
Chapter 4 is all about the “dacha”. A dacha is essentially like a summer vacation home. This chapter reminded me of my life
and about my cottage in Ludington, Michigan. We share the 50+ acres of land with my uncles David, Brian and their families.
When we first bought the land, it was completely covered in trees. We could barely get out cars on the two-track road that led
to the cabin. We then decided to clear out some of the trees and made the two-track more accessible to all sorts of vehicles.
In the novel when it talks about them working hard to get water reminded me of when my family and I had to work really hard
to cut down all of the trees. Also, Dedushka reminded me slightly of my father. In the book it says, “Dedushka loves to be in
charge.” My father loves to take charge, especially when it comes to group projects. Elena reminded me slightly of myself at
that age. I never wanted to work, only play. When Elena wants to go fishing, her mother says no. Despite her mother saying
no, she asked again and again. I tended to do the exact same thing up until I was about the age of sixteen. A quote that describes
this situation perfectly is on page 44. It says, “This is so unfair that I burst out crying. I wail and sob. My nose begins
to run, and I rub the tears and snot around my face.” I did this exact thing an awful lot as a child when I didn’t get what
I wanted. I wish I could go to my own “dacha” more often than I do. It allows me to escape reality and forget about my
worries.
Reading this chapter Dacha, brought many great memories of going to camp with family and friends. Having grown up in the city, I really didn’t understand what the big deal was about Camp. On one of our visits to Marquette, I found myself sitting between my father-in-law and my former husband, in an old Chevy truck, driving down the bumpiest road I had ever been on. After our final turn down a one track road, there it was, a Civil War homestead log cabin called Camp.
We ended up moving to the Upper Peninsula and bringing our children and friends to camp on much summer and winter days. Although there were not a lot of chores for the children to do, they always knew you had to leave Camp as clean as you found it. When everyone is ready to leave Camp it is an unwritten rule to write about your adventures at Camp in the log book. A lot of stories are found in these log books about hiking, shooting guns, fishing, four wheeling, working on a fort and sometimes just lying under the big oak tree.
In conclusion I found it very heartwarming to read about family traditions at Camp and to realize have much families are alike in all parts of the world.
This chapter gave a great look at the simply lifestyle lived by those people outside of the city. It reminds me of the camps and cabins scattered throughout the U.P. This chapter also showed the danger and power of the sea, which must always be respected.
One Book, One Community Mountain of Crumbs 
This chapter reminds me that no matter where you go in the world people want to get away from everyday life every once in a while and get a chance to get back to nature; where we all came from. It shows that you can live on the other side of the world from some one in a completely different culture but still share the same values. What it all boils down to is that we really aren’t very different from all other humans. Sure we are all our own person with our own unique make up of likes, dislikes, values, and beliefs, but when you strip away those superficial layers we are all the same. We are people who all share the same needs to survive and a big part of that is getting away from the stresses of everyday life, and spending quality time in nature where we all came from. From the United States to Russia, everyone likes to get a chance to go to dacha.
Chapter 4 is all about the dacha. Just like here (in the UP), families come together and stay out at camp or dacha. I find it funny that the grandpa has like the “final” say on everything because whenever my grandpa is around, whatever he says goes, just like in A Mountain of Crumbs. Even how she wanted to go fishing with her dad and she couldn’t because she had chores to do is the same that happens here. It shows me no matter where you live people are for the most part the same.
This chapter reminds me of when my family goes to our cottage during the summer. There’s always chores that need to be done that my cousins and I have to do too. Like the grandpa in the book, whatever my aunt says goes. She’s in charge of what needs to be done. However, it’s always nice to go there and get away during weekends or weeks at a time during the summer. It’s weird to think that even on the other side of the world families are a lot like families here in the United States. I enjoyed reading this chapter because of the memories it brought back for me. Since our cottage is one of my favorite places to be, and it seems like it’s the same for them as well.
This chapter reminds me of my visits to my grandparents house that I take every summer. My grandparents live in the south so I also have to do chores outside in my grandmothers garden. But unlike the book, my grandmother is in charge of how everything is done around the house and in the garden. I enjoyed this chapter because I could relate to a lot of things that happens throughout the chapter.
Chapter 4 is all about the “dacha”. A dacha is essentially like a summer vacation home. This chapter reminded me of my life
and about my cottage in Ludington, Michigan. We share the 50+ acres of land with my uncles David, Brian and their families.
When we first bought the land, it was completely covered in trees. We could barely get out cars on the two-track road that led
to the cabin. We then decided to clear out some of the trees and made the two-track more accessible to all sorts of vehicles.
In the novel when it talks about them working hard to get water reminded me of when my family and I had to work really hard
to cut down all of the trees. Also, Dedushka reminded me slightly of my father. In the book it says, “Dedushka loves to be in
charge.” My father loves to take charge, especially when it comes to group projects. Elena reminded me slightly of myself at
that age. I never wanted to work, only play. When Elena wants to go fishing, her mother says no. Despite her mother saying
no, she asked again and again. I tended to do the exact same thing up until I was about the age of sixteen. A quote that describes
this situation perfectly is on page 44. It says, “This is so unfair that I burst out crying. I wail and sob. My nose begins
to run, and I rub the tears and snot around my face.” I did this exact thing an awful lot as a child when I didn’t get what
I wanted. I wish I could go to my own “dacha” more often than I do. It allows me to escape reality and forget about my
worries.
Reading this chapter Dacha, brought many great memories of going to camp with family and friends. Having grown up in the city, I really didn’t understand what the big deal was about Camp. On one of our visits to Marquette, I found myself sitting between my father-in-law and my former husband, in an old Chevy truck, driving down the bumpiest road I had ever been on. After our final turn down a one track road, there it was, a Civil War homestead log cabin called Camp.
We ended up moving to the Upper Peninsula and bringing our children and friends to camp on much summer and winter days. Although there were not a lot of chores for the children to do, they always knew you had to leave Camp as clean as you found it. When everyone is ready to leave Camp it is an unwritten rule to write about your adventures at Camp in the log book. A lot of stories are found in these log books about hiking, shooting guns, fishing, four wheeling, working on a fort and sometimes just lying under the big oak tree.
In conclusion I found it very heartwarming to read about family traditions at Camp and to realize have much families are alike in all parts of the world.
This chapter gave a great look at the simply lifestyle lived by those people outside of the city. It reminds me of the camps and cabins scattered throughout the U.P. This chapter also showed the danger and power of the sea, which must always be respected.