From the book Nadia's Kitchen....
My
grandmother’s name was Nadia and it was in Nadia’s kitchen we came
to know the true meaning of her name which is Hope. Nadia’s kitchen
was always well stocked with a myriad of mysterious iron pots, pans, and
notes handwritten in Russian, which could only be deciphered by Nadia.
It was here we spent our days as daughters and granddaughters wondering
from one generation to the next what her life had been like in the old
country. We were always begging for a glimpse into the world she left
behind. When Nadia spoke of these things a hypnotic force seemed to
envelope the kitchen, silverware stopped clanking, eating would quietly
cease and everything that had been important a few minutes ago no longer
was. By sharing the stories of her life and struggles Nadia emboldened
us with a deep desire to live courageously, without fear or hesitation,
always able to find hope and meaning in the world around us.
It is believed that sometime in 1917 Nadia traveled the Chinese Eastern
Railway from Harbin to Vladivostok where she eventually met her
husband William S. Hopkins. William was a Sergeant in the Medical
Department of the 31st Regiment AEF, American Expeditionary Forces, and
had been stationed in the region. The times were fraught with turmoil
and tension as the Russian Revolution of 1917 changed the face of
history. Amidst chaos and danger William and Nadia met, fell in love and
were married in 1919. Shortly thereafter they set sail on a honeymoon
voyage from the shores of Russia to San Francisco, California. When
Nadia first saw the port of San Francisco she told William that the city
so reminded her of Vladivostok she wanted to stay and make it their
home....
About Nadia's Granddaughter Stephanie
As a socially conscious native of the San Francisco bay area I have an unwavering desire to serve the public good, and in some way help alleviate the suffering of others. I have worked in both the private and non-profit sectors as a director of supportive services
and housing for the homeless, low-income families, seniors, at risk youth,
those with mental and physical disabilities, survivors of domestic violence and the underserved. My
goal is to build Nadia's Kitchen into a non-profit, residential,
cooperative community with an organic garden, restaurant and farm stand
operated by the people willing to participate in
building a new model of community; a loving, vibrant, sacred, and
sustainable place to call home. Proceeds from the sale of my e-book is
the seed money that will be used to start bringing this vision forward
in Sonoma County, California.
To learn more about projects with a similar mission
visit:
The
Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project, Catalyst
Kitchens, and Homeward
Bound of Marin.
May
you always have strength of body, mind and spirit
and always remember to reach out to those
who do not ....S. Hopkins
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