Birthdays

It's hard to have a big celebration after a big celebration, but sometimes you just have to! Joey's 50th birthday, close on the heels of Christmas, was one of those occasions. (Lest we forget, also Michelle's birthday, but at 42 this year, hers didn't qualify for a special "0" birthday.)

Michelle had done all the planning and lots of work beforehand. We all pitched in at the end - there's always a lot to do at the last minute - getting the house ready, final cooking, putting the goodies on the table. The guests were mostly friends from the neighborhood and a few others from around PC. And the foreign guests -- me and Werner.

Joey seems to have weathered the transition to the next half century pretty well, don't you think?

Merry Christmas

The food has been eaten, the presents have been opened, the bags are packed. We'll be heading out at half before early tomorrow morning for the US of A.



Peace
Joy
Love

I'm Late, I'm Late ...

So, what else is new. Actually I thought I was in time, but I guess I forget how busy it gets at Christmas thyme and the mail persons have been down-sized here and the planes are fuller and slower (that saves fuel) and, and, and ... I just shoulda finished them and mailed them sooner. But I didn't and facts is facts.

So here are pictures for Michelle and Joey and Lee and Crissy to show them what the pillows and the ornaments for the kids look like and we will hope in our deepest, deepest of hearts that the packages are not lost forever in the dark void. Been there once and do not want to go there again.

Here's the proof that they existed once. Crocheted snowflakes, cross stitiched names, hand stitiched, unique. Not for purchase. Unbezahlbar. Oh, sorry, that's German. That means, you can't buy this.

Green, Green

Not Christmas green, not Kermit green, not money green (though we know that lots of that green is now invisible to the naked eye), not green with envy (though the ones who didn't have the aforementioned money are not so envy green these days, I think), not puce or Irish or emerald or hunter or olive. No, this green is environmental green.

You all know we are pretty Green here in Germany and I myself am a pretty Green person. Recycle. Ride the bus. Take the train. Ride the bike. Proud to do it. But now it's getting personal! Now the feet are to the fire and the rubber hits the road and if you got 'em smoke 'em and oh my.

Now there is the "green" sticker you have to have for your car. Starting January 1. Aren't they pretty? So, 4 - green - means you can drive anywhere and everywhere. The yellow and the red are increasingly restrictive. Then there's the "you don't even qualify for a sticker that limits where you can drive!!!"

Guess what category we're in?

This is tough. Getting a new car is a bit of a stretch. But if we need to take Mutti to the doctor, we can no longer do it in our car since we can't go into the city center with our car. Green has its price. Episodes to follow.

Memorial

Today we took Werner's mother to the funeral for her dear friend Ruth. They got to know each other late in life but struck up an incredibly close friendship. EVERY NIGHT when they were in Bremen, they'd alternate calling each other at 11PM - when the rates went down - and talk for an hour. EVERY NIGHT. Ruth came with Mutti to Florida in 1988 to visit Werner when he was teaching at FSU. Ruth's husband had died some years before and they never had children; her closest relative was niece and her husband who live some hours away from Bremen.

But the church was her home and it was heartwarming to see all the white-headed ladies there giving special comfort to Mutti but also to each other. At least two of the ladies - both well into their 80's - had come to the service by bike!! One has a tricycle in deference to her hip replacement, but another of the ladies still gets around on a two-wheeler. Wow.




Ruth had an infectious laugh and could hardly talk without smiling. I think this picture - from Mutti's 90th birthday - captures her spirit well.

Auf Wiedersehen, Ruth.

Market Magic

Werner's been teaching German to two students from Jacobs University (the international university in our neighborhood). They were here Saturday so they could squeeze in all the meetings they wanted before Christmas. How convenient - after the lesson we could go to the market.


Sidhant (from Nepal) and Mahesh (from India) are graduate students in sciences I don't even understand the names of - nanobionuclearphysiophysicschemistry or something like that. I don't want to make fun - they are both in basic science and do research for the sake of reasearch. Suffice to say they have more than a few smarts; in addition they are just nice to be around.

They'd never been to the market so it was lots of fun for us to explain stuff, fun for some of our regular vendors there to hear me speak so much English, and nice for the guys to pick up some fresh veggies and fruits.


It was closing time and the vendors were packing up. At one stand I asked if they had some old bananas, thinking about making Banana Bread for gifts. "No - they're all gone. OH, NO, wait, wait, I have something for you!" The vendor proceeded to give us about 6 pounds of sugar bananas! Then he asked, "Do you want some oranges?" Not waiting for an answer, he packed up all the cut oranges and melons that were on display. My goodness!!! Lots of food ! The guys loved all the extra stuff, I've already made 12 mini loaves of banana bread and I have to work fast to use up the rest of these sweeties.

Going to the market at closing time on Saturday might be good planning. The magic? Bananas for a smile.

Circus Time

All of you know it's sometimes hard to find just the right present. That gets a bit harder when the recipient is 91 (Werner's mother, that is). So, Werner decided - and I concurred - that since the circus was in town, that could be the answer: Nothing to open, nothing to save, nothing to display, just something to enjoy.

The Circus Roncalli has a long tradition here and it's a bit more Circus de Soleil than Barnum and Bailey. But a bit of both. Like all circuses, it's magical. This one, too, is somewhat less directed at the little ones. The acts are sophisticated and the clowns aren't too slapsticky, but nevertheless fun and funny.

It's in a tent- lots of tents are around along with all the attendant wagons for the artists and hands - set up on the grounds near the main train station ; everyone has a part to play, a costume to wear, the public to enchant. There's even a Café des Artistes, but Julia, not the one in New York! Here they advertise heating, not the food!

There's an official video here that gives a clue of how fun it is, but of course it's not like the real thing. The guy in the bubble was hilarious, the performers with the twirling rugs were unbelievable, the woman whose clothes changed in an instant was amazing!

Most wonderful of all was hearing Mutti laugh out loud. What a nice present for us all.

Here come da Judge

Of course, Chief Judge Meyer (Ilsemarie to us) is FAR FAR more sophisticated and serious than this. Nevertheless, Tuesday, was a day to smile and celebrate and enjoy.

We'd only been to the upper hall of the Town Hall once before for the performance of a Schubert concerto - which was just lovely - but it didn't give us a chance to really look around the hall. We have decided that a guided tour is in order - there's so much history there! Huge paintings from the 1600s on, decorative wood and stone doorways from that time and later, intricate model ships hanging from the ceiling. Though impressive - and recognized by UNESCO as a Heritage Site - it's still a rather warm and intimate place. I suppose all the wood contributes to that.

Chief Judges of Adminstrative Courts around Germany came to the reception, yet another honor.

Of course, it was a day for the family to celebrate too. Here's Judge Meyer with her husband Ulli, her sister and niece and nephew.

Besides that, we got to dress up and sit in some really really old benches. AND drink some champagne!

First Advent

Sunday was the Annual First Advent Family Feast at René and Rima's. We'd had Amina here for the weekend so the Chief Cook and First Assistant could devote their time to preparation and I think they used all the time they had! Here's Mutti at the table, anticipating the first course.

René wrote up a menu for us to read and Mutti to take home for reference so she can tell all her friends about the food. One does need a reminder - it's a bit exotic:

The Flight Show

Pheasant broth with ground pheasant meatballs and vegetables

Fried Marinated Quail with Avacodo-Coriander Mousse and Fresh Figs

Fowl in Fowl in Fowl: Dove with Corn Stuffing

in

Guinea Hen with Bread Stuffing

in

Duck with Duck Farce

The soup was delicious and whetted the appetite for the next course. René fried up the quail. He has a monster gas burner and skillet outside for just such things (as well as browning roasts, steaks, frying batches of rosemary potatoes, etc. - but not today!)

I'm not exactly sure when I last had quail. At Judy's in 1978 or so? At Mrs. Phipps' in 1987 or so? I have NOT had it much more than that, but the next time I do, I'll have to try and do this!

Then we had to wait a bit while the birds were watched. Though the cooks had got up (temporarily) to put the birds stuffed in birds stuffed in birds in the oven at about 5 AM, they had to cook a bit longer and then a higher temperture to make them brown and crusty. It needs 10+ hours in all to fully roast!! In the NY Times you can read this article on Turducken which is the same idea. Arrangements of other birds in birds besides the turkey-duck-chicken go back to court days in Europe and beyond. Suffice to say it's rich, filling and wonderful. We decided he should put this meal on the regular rotation - three or four times a year at least!






What? No dessert?? Well, sort of. I brought Cranberry Bread (always a hit) and Pumpkin Bread with Orange Cream Cheese. Rima's mother has a wonderful reptoire of yummy cakes and she did not disappoint. Coffee. Schnapps. DONE and DONE IN.

There were lots of satisfied smiles after the feast. I was SO grateful that Werner volunteered to drive home. I was too stuffed to move.