And thank goodness for that! Johanna and Klaus had the date set for our annual feast before the New Year's celebrations were done. Can't be too careful - there's lots to plan and lots to plan around given that most of us are retired and not bound to regular work schedules anymore.
And we were particularly happy participants since last Thursday we finally got water. What a relief. Now there's some serious patching to be done and the bathroom to do, but more on that later. Now we can party.
We have to start early since we have to walk for a couple of hours - get our appetite in peak form and enjoy the crisp weather. And it was so nice! Before we put on our boots and coats, there was time to enjoy the sun and have a cup of coffee.
But then - out! And look, spring is on the way - little snowdrops blooming.
We were a smaller than usual group this year, but no less fun. It was a popular day for an outing - underway we met at least 8 other groups on their own Kohl+Pinkel Walks, all ages and sizes.
It's always pleasant walking along the Lesum and through Knoop's Park. I never tire of the landscape.
And as much as I love everyone's company and the walk and the Schnapps and the sweets - the highlight is always the food. Everyone tweaks the Grünkohl (kale) their own particular way and there's the ongoing friendly debate on whose Pinkel sausages are the best - Bremen's or Oldenburg's. We always go with the Bremen variety - less meat and more grain - but there's no conflict around the table since we can choose from both! Clever hosts.
I can say YUM several ways in German - lecker, köstlich, herrlich, herzhaft, wohlschmeckend. And all of them apply!
The Grünkohl season is about over. I wonder if I can squeeze in one more meal .....
Our pipes aren't the only thing frozen here. Most of the waters around Bremen are frozen - hard and solid and thick
enough to skate and walk and run and play hockey on. We stopped by the
Schönebeck Schloss last weekend to watch the skaters. After my last
outing some 6 years ago - when I cracked my elbow - I gave away the ice
skates and the roller blades. I don't regret it, but I still enjoy watching others having fun on the ice.
This looks like a mosaic, doesn't it? And it is, of course, but the pieces aren't glass or plastic - they're ice. Yes. Ice on the water in the harbor. It's not nearly as solid as the water in front of the Schloss, but hard enough that some crazy folks were snapped walking across the harbor the other day.
And I noticed something I hadn't seen before - locks. Love locks. I don't know if it started in Paris, but that is where we first saw them - hundreds of locks attached by lovers. There seem to be only four here so far, and it'll never be Paris, but it's a sweet sentiment. But I'm going to check in a couple of weeks to see if the local authorities haven't clipped them off!
There's been a trickle of water in the bathroom, but not enough to brush teeth, much less take a shower. So, down to business. The ceiling has got to go so we can find the pipes.
First get everything out of the little front hallway.
Then put up a plastic sheet, because it is going to get dusty.
It's impossible to tell when these pipes were installed, but it was sometime before they figured out decent insulation. Above the plasterboard is a 3cm thick mat of straw, held together with baling wire. Needless to say, it's old and dry and dusty. What a mess!
And, there's one - a pipe - there behind the mineral wool wadding and paper. Can you believe it? Werner thinks little critters ate off the paper, ate some of the wool and exposed good bits of pipe. I'll go with that, not having any other plausible explanation.
We're hoping that with a little warm air getting to them, they'll thaw and then we can set about putting in real insulation under the roof decking and around the pipes.
We have to pay a bit more attention to Werner's mother these days - she's getting older (she just had her 95th birthday!) and naturally she's just weaker. Everyday things are a bit more of a challenge and it helps when your son (Werner) comes now and again and takes care of changing the bed and making sure the door isn't so squeaky and organizing the kitchen and cleaning out the fridge and so on and so forth. We don't mind at all.
When Werner went to see her after we got back from our US visit, he noticed how worn her apron was. Would you like a new apron, Mutti? Yes, but I hate to ask - Sharon is always so busy!
Now, let's agree Mutti's apron needed replacement. It was / is 20+ years old. It definitely shows its age!! Frayed edges, already poorly replaced ties, just old. But I am too busy to make a new apron for Mutti? Really?
Do I have some fabric? Well, yes. Do I have time? Well, of course.
And the lady needs something bright and spiffy and - ladylike! Color and lace is what she needs.
She was tickled. And I was tickled that she was tickled. Hey, everybody's happy!!
Wow. A month since my last post. But we have been really sorta kinda busy. Or I just haven't stopped long enough to write.
It began in Orlando on January 3 and ended there on February 2. In between there were stops in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Lynn Haven and Tallahassee. We saw old friends and lots and lots of family. Just like always. I like it that way.
Lee and Crissy and kids only got a nod from us before we were on our way north - though we were to return for a longer visit.
The first stop was St. Augustine - a pause on the way to Jacksonville. Werner had been there years before, and my last visit was even more years before that. It's a bit more touristy now with the "old city" converted to trendy and touristy shops and restaurants and very pedestrian friendly. But the major draw, the Castillo de San Marcos, has not changed a bit. Walking around it was a pleasure and a walk down memory lane as well. The weather could hardly have been better - cool breezes and warm sunshine. A nice omen for the rest of our trip.
I'd arranged a stop in Jacksonville to meet up with a few former high school classmates since I won't get back in April for our 50th class reunion. Everyone says it but it doesn't make it any less true - How did we get this old? Wasn't it just yesterday, the prom, the graduation? Yes (in our heads) and No (in real time). It was a special treat to see two good friends from that time - Sherry and Bonnie. Others were there as well and we had a nice evening. Werner of course is so easy - and since he's a bit exotic, people love to talk to him.
And the B&B we stayed in I will recommend to everyone: The Jenks House in Riverside, a historic neighborhood that grew out of the great fire of 1901. The Martens were wonderful hosts and breakfast with fresh-squeezed orange juice from trees in the back yard, fresh roasted (!) and ground coffee and buckwheat pancakes can hardly be described without drooling. The upper photo is a sewn fabric collage that hung over our bed. Very interesting.
Then OFF TO ATLANTA and the local Goode Sisters and families. The family hasn't grown in the last couple of years, but since we're all growing older, it seems bigger! What fun!! We missed out on Keith + Liz and kids but we'll catch them next time.
Finally we make it to Florida, Lynn Haven, the Ginn Residence. Because Hunter and Hannah were so long the focus of our trips there, it still seems it still ought to be the first stop and it is still strange that it isn't (no offense, L+C!) We got to see Hunter play soccer with his school team, mess around with Hannah's friends for a weekend sleep-over, and eat fresh oysters till we couldn't. Otherwise, it was lots of normal life - school, shopping, work, eating, cooking. All that equals wonderful.
Then a couple of days in Tallahassee with Nancy. Crazy dog! Fried shrimp! Talk, talk, talk! We are still working on solving the worlds' problems and I'm sure we'll accomplish that on our next visit.
Finally back to Orlando and time with Dylan and Hayden. There are bike rides to do, picnics to have, flower beds to weed and plants to water, more food to eat and more food to eat and votes to tally.
The political process has always been interesting to Werner (he arrived in the US just as the Bork hearings started, for those of you who remember!) and he's never got over it. I don't know exactly when I started (maybe in high school running for office in student council), but I remember putting up signs and making phone calls for McGovern, going door to door for Chiles, and donating here and there. And always reading. It's interesting to be there and see debates and reactions in real time. From now on, it will be time-delayed.
We're home again, from warm and sunny to freezing and sunny and sometimes snowy. And freezing is no exaggeration - our pipes are closed. Shut down. No water in the bathroom or shower. No washing machine. After the thaw, we'll find out what has happened and what we have to do. In the meantime, we fill the buckets from the kitchen to flush the toilet and take our showers at the fitness center after our workouts. Weird. Strange. Not so really comfortable. Really. Not.
