Art with Friends

Art and crafts are Werner and me.  We look at it, we love it, we do it.  Professionals we are not, but frankly, we're not too bad at the projects we tackle.  Agreed? 

I think I've sewn everything in the house that can be - slipcovers, curtains, pillows out the wazoo, needlepoint, cross stitch, upholstery (small), several of them more than once.  Especially pillows!!

And then there's Art with a capital A. Our friend Renate does Art.  And she had a small exhibit in a small gallery near us.  Worth the trip.

The theme was From Reality to Abstract so there were paintings from her earlier "realistic" work to the more abstract work she does now.   

Since I love sheep, especially sheep on the dikes, this was a real favorite of mine.

This is not as abstract as at first glance.  It's fish.  Though you could say the colors are a bit on the weird side.

 But then Renate gets into more cubist and abstract  forms, but the colors are still appealing and pleasant.

We enjoyed it! And it's great to support our local artists.  Maybe Werner will be up there with an exhibit before we know it.  After all, he's Werner the Artist. 

Advent, Advent

It's a children's song, a popular tune this time of year... Advent, Advent, one candle burns...though in German it rhymes!

First Advent was a week ago, and as usual, or many of the first Advents we've spent here in Germany, we were with René and family.  The gathering this year was a bit smaller, or a different configuration.  We used to have a pretty big group, but that was before Mutti died, before Monika and Lex moved to Curacao, when First Advent didn't conflict with Rima's parent's visit to home in Lebanon.  Regardless, it is festive.

 Rima is great at decorating and that includes the stocking I made for Amina a few years back.  But what's this?? Someone's been nibbling on the stocking, it seems.  Yes, Mr. Mouse. I'll take it home and put some patch there....

 Then there's food.  Of course.  Let's start with a soup - a beef broth with noodles and veggies and egg.  It's steamingly wonderful.

Other foods followed - breast of duck, potatoes, red cabbage.  By then, of course, I am too much into eating to remember the camera.  I think it is an annual affliction.  It's delicous, of course.

The whole time, I am sitting across these three ladies - Maya, Amina's godmother (and life-long friend of Rima's), Amina and Rima.  Not a bad view at all.

Neighbors and friends were already dropping in for late coffee and cake and chatting when we had to head out, back home to get ready for Monday and the week ahead.... including another get together next week  since we have to visit the Christmas market in Bremen.

Thanksgiving v. 2016

We got started really late on putting Thanksgiving on the table this year, so late that I didn't realize I hadn't even put on any make up until all of our guests had left.  They're all so great, no one said a word.

Our special guests this year were Barbara and Charlie, our dear German friends who have totally adopted their Americanized names.  They've only been back for a bit from their annual USofA visit, so they had some political tales to tell.

But it's not about politics.  Not really.  It's mostly about food - and fellowship.

The table.

The guests at the beginning, toasting our gathering with a glass - or two - of sparkling wine.  Since champagne comes only from Champagne, we settle for Sekt.

Ulli's tie, a nod to the origin and reason for our annual occasion here in Germany and just maybe a reference to the recent events in the USofA.  Yes, definitely.

 They brought a bouquet that made me laugh!

Politics aside, Turkey is King.  We sort of put the bird back together for the picture (though frankly it looks a bit naked), but we again did a spatchcock, the only way to do a turkey.  Really.

 Menu:

Caramelized onion and toasted bread soup.  Quite the hit.
The Turkey, with cornbread dresssing on the side and cranberry sauce.
Brussels sprouts with cream and garlic. Black eyed peas.
Sweet potatoes. Mashed potatoes.
Lots of gravy.
Pies:  Pecan and Pumpkin

Ah, just like there in the USofA, prep takes so much more time than eating it up.  Though there were lots of calls for seconds, and though we had down-sized everything this year, we had lots of leftovers. Frankly, that's OK.

We talked a bit and wrangled again about the walk, but most of us braved the chilly wind for a constitutional after the meal.  Franky, I have to, because if there is pecan pie, I have to eat it and I have to have room to enjoy it.

And I did.

 Clean up, clean up, the ditty goes.  And with our earlier meal time, clean up doesn't last until half-past dark.  Werner is the chief bottle-washer - I collect and dry up. 

And then it's done. The candles have burned down. All the glasses, all the dishes, all the pots and pans are ready to be put back where they live most of the year - cabinets, cellar, and attic!  I hope we don't have to wait a year to get the pretty Grandmother dishes out again.

Happy happy Thanksgiving to you all.

New Teenager

Birthday time!  Amina is officially a teenie now. 

Birthday celebrations are a bit different here.  First of all, there are NO NOT NEVER early congratulations or celebrations.  Best is to celebrate only on the very day, but in the event of big birthdays (those with a "0"), there's some leeway.

Thursday was the day this year, a school day and a work day, but nevertheless, there's a mini-celebration.  My classes were finished at noon, Werner didn't have class until 10 am on Friday, so it was easy to go help have fun!

One special wish - a giant teddy.  Mama says this is the last one!

Uncles come by - of course!

 She's looking quite grown-up!

Amina's godparents joined us and then it was time for food.  When you go to the Baum's, there is always good food.  René and Rima roasted a whole loin and sliced it thin and served it with a home made remoulade sauce and  pan-fried potatoes.

And a cake.  Not the traditional one as in the US, but specially made by Mama - cheese cake with fresh fruit topping.

 Good conversation around the table and all in all a good beginning into the teens.

Happy Birthday, Amina!

Fun with Muriel and Tony

Monschau - Höfen

Serendipity.  That's how we met.

We met  because Muriel had to jump in - way back in whenever - to become a chaperone for a bunch of girls who were coming here from England for an exchange program with Werner's school.  Great for us because now we have two (relatively) new "life-long" friends!  We just hit it off - lucky us.  We've been getting together pretty regularly now for these many years.  Muriel and I talk about kids and exchange all kinds of needlework stuff, Tony and I can talk about translation stuff, and we all talk about - stuff.  Seems we never run out of stuff to talk about. They have an amazing place in Mittenwald  in the German Alps where we have been a few times, and of course they've been to Bremen and we've been to England to visit.

This time, it was between all those places - a meet up in Höfen-Monschau.

Muriel and Tony often stop there on the way to and from Mittenwald.  Tony has an "allergy" to flying, so they take the ferry and drive the car and take a break along the way.  Hence, Monschau.

Since we really like train travel, we checked that out, but this time it was way too awkward - too many changes, too long a trip.  So: car.

So: STAU (in German that means major, major traffic jam, sometimes many kilometers long).  Around 3 hours into the trip, there was an accident, all traffic both directions was stopped, so we cooled our heels, along with hundreds of others!  Standing on the Autobahn is a funny feeling.

But we finally got moving again, and got to the vacation rental about 90 minutes later than expected and only a bit before Muriel and Tony arrived.  Timing is everything.

It's a nice place, an addition to the original home that was built about 1850, though some of the beams in the house are carbon-dated to about 1300.  That's O L D.

Evening one was just food and catching up, though that is lots of fun.

Next day, the Heckentour:  the walking tour around the village that highlights the really, I have to say amazing, hedges in this little village.

Hedges multi-task.  They mark boundaries.  They keep the cold wind away.  They allow you a bit of artistic expression.  They provide privacy.  And here, these hedges are  H U G E, so they do all of that BIG TIME.  Some of the hedges, they tell us, date from the 17th century and when you peek between the little branches of the hedge, there are some quite large trunks to see.  H U G E.

  Some of them even have windows.  Really.

We were lucky to have such a nice sunny day for our walks.  After lunch around the table in the sunny courtyard, we drove to a nearby area for another walk.  First a peek into a wayside chapel (it is a heavily Catholic area) dedicated to St. Jude, the saint of lost causes - among other things.  Here a plaque of thanks from a young supplicant "Thank you that I passed my exam"  !!

We wiggled in and out of Belgium on this walk, but there were occasional stone markers to let you know where the border was and which side you were on.  D=Deutschland.

 

Lovely views are all over the Eifel,

and we also had a lay-down on the stone where - they say - Charlemagne spent the night once.  Hope he had some cushions. That is one hard, cold stone!

Next day, Werner and I were on  our own.  Since Tony and Muriel have been here many times,  visiting Monschau was our thing.

It's deep in a small valley, sheltered these many years since its founding in the 12th century from much change.  Just about the whole town is a designated historical site.  The castle above the town is from the 13th century, used these days as a hostel for students and a conference site.

A river runs through the valley, of course!

 Interesting slate shingles on some of the buildings.

 It's crookedy.

 And it's very hilly.  We wondered how folks manage in the winter with snow and ice!

A view from the castle.  This was for sure a post for the security forces.

Another chapel where supplicants had prayed and then put up plaques with their thanks.  Nothing quite as mundane here as passing an exam.  Some of the plaques were from the early 20th c.

Yes, we walked the stony paths.

Views of the old town.

Not everything is old - Werner's demonstrating his incredible strength here bending a steel sculpture. Yeah, right. 

Cute,  interesting,  but I would not NOT want to live there!  Steep hills, challenging in summer and I can imagine about impossible in winter. Every day, many hundreds of tourists wandering around and poking into every cranny.  Unless you're have a house overlooking the valley, privacy would be a dream.

They of course have specialties - mustard from an old mill, now in countless varieties, and a special cookie, a twist on a ginger cake that is quite yummy, I have to say.

And last day - a side trip to Vogelsang.  It was a training center for elite officers during the Nazi time, later occupied by Belgian troops, and now houses permanent exhibits about the history of the site and the incredible natural wonders of the Eifel region of Germany.

One of the monumental sculptures there celebrating German manhood and the German ideal of that awful time.  The man was riddled with old bullet holes and the chiseled saying has had the obnoxious name removed.  Nevertheless, reminders are necessary lest we forget.

There was a full-sized sports field for track and soccer, an indoor swimming facility, still in use, and a lot of steps to climb to keep you in shape.  We certainly got our cardio workout that day!

Packed lunch.  We always take lunch with us rather than eating out, and, to tell the truth, there's little I like better than a sandwich on fresh Graubrot (rye bread - no caraway seeds!) a bit of fresh veggie and hot tea.  Especially surrounded by trees in color and good friends.

Ah.  A nice long weekend with friends, a few of good walks, plenty of good food and conversation.  What's not to love??

Looking forward already to our next visit, wherever it is!  Thanks Muriel and Tony.