December - Post Last

 We'll see if I can finish this before December is gone.  It's 8:45 PM local time, so the clock is running!

In Germany there's the 1st Christmas Day and the 2nd Christmas Day. I used to have fun teasing my students about that.  What? There is Christmas. Then there's the day after Christmas. 

It was a losing battle.

Christmas eve: There was cheese fondue with friends, five of us around the table, two pots of cheese fondue, more than enough bread (baguette and rye), broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, apples, to make us happy and full and finish off the cheese. It was really good!  I don't think we did that at all last winter, but we will do it again before this winter is over.

 

Christmas day, we were happy to have Ursel with us for salmon and fried risotto cakes. That was yum. That was sadly without pictures, but Ursel is not sad because she hates the picture-taking bit. 

We opened the few presents, took a walk and packed for our trip.  Next day, off to René and Rima's.

Have I mentioned that we are without a car these days?  Our old lady is having issues and we've decided to give her a rest till spring. In the meantime, we walk, use our bikes or public transportation. Thank goodness, that's a real option here. 

So, off to Ohlendorf and the family. We took the train from here in Vegesack to Hamburg-Harburg, where Amina picked us up from the train station.  From there, it's about 20 minutes by car to their house. 

We saw Monica and Lex earlier this year, but they weren't able to come for the holiday. So, the table was a bit smaller.

The food, however, did not suffer from their absence! We had the usual goose with all the trimmings and it was as good as always.

 

After the feast, we opened our presents.  They are more and more of the home-made variety. We LOVE the preserved goodies that René makes - this year some Bolognese and gourmet noodles.  They will be put to use.  After our guests left, we snuggled down and watched a movie.  Family time!

Next day, we were taken back to the train station and went to Cuxhaven on the North Sea coast.  We' d been through there before but not really stayed, and we were both looking forward to several things:  quiet, walking, quiet, reading, quiet, eating, quiet.  It was a great success.

It's often windy on the coast and it was!! And cold!! And a bit of wet! But we were prepared. Last year Michelle and Joey sent us back to Germany with a bag-load of hand warmers and body warmers and foot warmers. We took advantage and those little boogers came in handy. 

Our hotel was cute, old and not a little bit shabby, but our room was generous in size and the folks were so nice. I'd stay there again. We were there on the 2nd floor in the corner. Neat.

Cuxhaven is of course a port city, but not so very commercial. Boats take passengers to the little islands off the coast or to the lighthouse on the smaller island nearby. 

Lighthouses are loved and still in use.

We walked and walked and looked and ate. One breakfast took care of two days of breakfasts! 

We ate as much as we could and made a sandwich of the leftovers. 

There are lots of pretty old buildings around Cuxhaven.

Next day, we walked even more, to the "Kugelbake" - the lighthouse at the end of a spit of land that Cuxhaven is well-known for. 

Along the way, more lovely sights. 

One of Werner's old classmates comes from Cuxhaven. When he saw this pic, he said, "Oh, that was the church where my father preached!" 

And here's the "Kugelbake" - though you can't see it, there are lots of people there on the spit.  

Later we walked on the down side of the dike, also a pretty view.  There were lots and lots of folks there, all ages, enjoying the sea air and the views.  That the day was sunny was a super extra.

What a great little get-away.  We're ready for the new year and planning all kinds of wonderful things to do - cleaning up and clearing out and losing weight and moving more.  Let's see how that works out.  Lots of LOLs.  

Happy New Year.  

December - Post Two

Amina and Finn came to visit. Any reason for a visit is fun, but this is particularly fun because we went to the Christmas Market. 

And, it is the first time that Amina came all on her own! Of course, she's stayed here lots of times without mom and dad, but this time she drove herself (or did Finn do the driving?). No matter, they are here!

The kids are still in school and have lots of week-day commitments, so Saturday was the best time.  They arrived about noon-time, so we had some pumpkin soup before heading to town. (Everyone in Germany loves pumpkin soup, in case you were wondering.) 

It didn't rain, but it was gray and it has been gray FOREVER it seems. But but we can still have a good time.  Finn has never been to Bremen! Wow. That's a bit like growing up in Tallahassee and never having been in Panama City, or Lake City, or Pensacola, or Jacksonville. We're not all that far apart, but sometimes, fate does not take you somewhere.

We took the train to town and one of our first sights was the Santa Crossing sign. That's a good sign! How cute.

We took a peek at the Bremen Town Musicians statue, but there were so many people  there, we didn't stop for a photo.

But Roland was not as popular, so we got a shot.

We visited the lower Rathshaus room where there were some very accomplished artisans showing their wares.

Finn "needed" some Smalzkuchen and we "needed" Kartoffelpuffer, and then a warm drink, so our tummies were happy.

A walk through the Schnoor and then through the Mittlealtermarkt  along the Weser. Boy, was it full!! In fact, so full that it was not really much fun. We looked at a few stands, made note of the food, and then headed out.

It is lovely market, and we had a good time, but I think Werner and I might head out again on in the middle of the week when it isn't so crowded.  

For sure, we need to have a Brat! 

December, first post

 You all know by now that the Advent Sundays are a thing here.  In fact, that determines our "Thanksgiving" since 1st Advent (the 4th Sunday before Christmas) is a deal, so we don't want to do our big deal of Thanksgiving the Saturday before the Sunday of the first Advent.  Got that?

Thanksgiving was done, we got all the stuff put away, we got the table back to a four-seater instead of an 8-10 seater. This year, unlike last, I did get a wreath done and the candles and a bit of Christmasy stuff to set up the season.

As a total aside and silliness, note the very small crocheted thingy on the chair. In all the old lady parlors a long time ago, there would be doilies on the back and arms of the chairs. This would be way too small to qualify for a proper doily, but Werner found this little one among the mess of stuff I have collected and he placed it there, so here we are.  

It is COLD but we have to get out and about and on one of our recent walks, I noticed this little flower.  The plant is called Immerrgrün or, in English, evergreen. It's a primrose of some sort and normally blossoms in very early spring. But the weather has been weird and so blossoming times are, too. It's OK, we love color and especially this time of year. 

Thanksgiving leaves us so much leftover and I'm always looking for a new way to use the turkey.  Fajitas! Memory does not always serve - I thought I had the flavor mix and thought I had the flour tortillas, but no, I had neither.  That was a bit irritating since I'd already got all the goodies for the insides and no one was anxious to buy the stuff for the outsides.  What to do? Make tortillas. So I did.

It was really easy and they were good and tasty, though not so round as the store bought.

We've had the fajitas, turkey pot pie, turkey fricassee, and of course a repeat of the whole dinner. We're taking a break now - 

Thanksgiving in Germany

 We've done it so many years now, but it still deserves a note. How many years?? I think we're on year 33, but I could be off one or so.  But A LOT.  And for all but one of those years, Klaus and Johanna, Ulli and Ilsemarie, and Ursel have been here.  Others come and go, some came for a while and faded away, but those core folks are my Thanksgiving have-to-be-here guests.

Except when they aren't.  This year, Ursel had a serious cold and opted out.  We are all in the "vulnerable" health category, so we appreciate it.  But we missed her!

So, just seven around the table. But it was done up as usual.

I love the little things Michelle gives me to enhance the table.  The pine cone turkey is so cute and, wouldn't you know, the friends asked if I'd done it myself!! No, I didn't. This year, the pumpkins became candle holders. 

Actually, it took a bit more work this time.  I hadn't got around to sending the very large tablecloth for the two- to the Heißmangel.  Maybe I've mentioned this service before, but maybe not. They have the hot press, the big round, padded roll that takes your flat linens and presses them with heat and steam and makes them pretty and stiff and shiny because you have already starched them to a fare-thee-well and delivered the linens still damp. There used to be three in my neighborhood; now there are none and I have to go to the next little town to get my table linens done.  I know; third-world problems.  And in the USofA, I would venture to say a problem you didn't even know existed. But here we are.  

I set up the ironing board at the end of the table and pulled the cloth along the table as I ironed it. No wonder we pay other peeps to do this.

Once again the turkey was spatchcocked, done to perfection and served with all the goodies - cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and black-eyed peas. We ate a lot, but not enough turkey.  

In the meantime we have had turkey pot pie, turkey soup, turkey fajitas (with home made flour tortillas!!) and cold turkey sandwiches, twice! There's more in the freezer....

We did take a little walk between the big meal and the desserts - the usual pecan pie and Key lime pie. There are some expectations you just don't mess with! I tried pecan squares one year.  OK, but not quite the same...

It took a bit, but we got the dishes all washed and put away again till the next big event, which may well be Thanksgiving 2024!!

USA Trip Fall 2023

We began with Atlanta this time. VERY important, since last visit we had to cancel Atlanta due to a nasty bit of food poisoning. And maybe Atlanta is the best way to begin -- we don't need a car there since Atlanta traffic scares us to death and our sisters offer rides. They are used to the craziness. Plus, we can fly to FLA cheaper - and easier - than renting a car and driving!! Really. There is a hefty premium to pay when you rent one place and leave the car in another. 

(An off-topic side note.  I used to LOVE driving through Columbus, GA from Atlanta to Panama City, where there was an amazing needlework shop. Yow.  Spent some bucks there. But it's closed, so it's a lot less interesting these days, that drive...)

But first, Atlanta. 

It didn't start well.  Our total flight was cancelled (what???!!) so we had to reschedule and it wasn't the best - after five phone calls and a lot of time, we got Bremen to Frankfurt to Chicago to Atlanta.  Chicago? I had promised myself to never do that again, but we had no choice.  Did we make our connection? Of course not; it was O'Hare. So we arrived Atlanta at 10PM instead of 2:30, and then the train to Chamblee and then the pick up from Ginny and Barry, so midnight or so getting to a place to rest. What a day for us all! Kudos to Gin and Bar for their patience.

Ahh, but we got there.  Leisurely mornings. Everyone likes their morning puzzles and reads.

Next day, we visited Matthew's Cafeteria since I had specifically asked for fried chicken, and they do fried chicken. What we didn't know is they also do live music, old-time country. That was a real treat.

There were easy visits with other family, gentle walks, lots of talk, a visit to Costco (of course).

We'd been in touch with Anja Tigges, one of the Gator crew from Werner's time at UF and she came to the house for a visit - a double treat for her because Ginny was her Principal for a couple of years! They had a fun time catching up and then we just sat and did the same. 

I made a Butterkuchen in her honor, but it was a disappointment.  Looked great but way too dry.

Steve came by one day in his Halloween decorated Jeep! Halloween is an even bigger deal than it was before - so many decorated houses and cars!

We had a visit with Rachel, Omar, and Aubrey but forgot to grab pictures when we visited with Dave, Dana and boys - and when Liz and Keith joined us for an early dinner one day ---what was I thinking?!

But I did remember to take some photos when Julia drove us downtown to the MLK Jr. Center and National Park. Such an interesting visit! The "introduction" area had lots of pictures, memorabilia and historical recreations, BUT the competing audio from the different exhibits was so loud, it was hard to stay there very long.

The simple wagon that carried his casket through the streets of Atlanta.

There was time for lunch before visiting Ebenezer Church and MLK's childhood home, so Julia had looked up the best-reviewed soul-food place in the area.  Unfortunately, we didn't realize they still weren't serving inside and it was a bit chilly to eat outside, so we ordered and ate in the car.  THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN. Good collards, potatoes and gravy.  We also were entertained by an irate customer who we kept our distance from! But staff were oh so nice!!

It's strange sometimes seeing a place in person you've seen a thousand times in pictures, and so it was with the Ebenezer Baptist Church.  

We weren't allowed to take pics inside the MLK home, but it was so recognizable, a 50s home.

Then it was over so fast! Ginny and Barry dropped us at the MARTA station, we checked in without problem and then on the plane to Panama City!! (It's a quick trip - leave ATL at 1:30 and arrive in ECP at 1:30  LOL). Michelle picked us up and Florida fun began. What's up?  Food, of course.  They took us to Olle's, two or three little towns away, a German restaurant. But Michelle warned us: Don't start talking German to them - they're from Estonia! Nevertheless, a good German menu. And good company, too.

The house was already decorated for Halloween, inside and out! Scary stuff!!

And Saturday, Game Day, a home game at FSU so that means tail-gating. M&J have it down to a science and the truck can handle it all. But it won't close the cover itself. About 30 minutes into the trip, Joey suddenly came out with a mild expletive,  made a quick maneuver to the shoulder and and went back to cover all the goodies in the truck bed.  Nothing lost!

Crissy and Dylan had competitions to attend, but Lee and Hayden came up. Hayden is always good for a hug!

Another exciting game, another win for the Seminoles keeping their unbeaten record for the year.

We were late getting back to PC, did the minimal necessary unpacking and headed to bed. Next day, all the put away and quietly going about the usual after party cleanup. Michelle went for a nap and Joey started the wash and we just kinda hung around till Werner and I decided to take a walk. BUT, there's water all over the floor in the hallway and in the laundry - yow!

The shop vac made quick work of the water, but what a mess (though the floor is really really clean now  LOL). Turned out OK - next day the repair guy came, he knew exactly what had gone wrong and fixed it. Great! (A good repair service is worth its weight in gold. Just sayin'.)

Of course, the beach is a must-do. Michelle, can we borrow the car?  Take the Jeep!! You're going to the beach!!

So we took the Jeep. Yes, it is fun. With a capital F.

Alas and alack, it was our only day at the beach, but there's so much on the calendar.  For instance, another visit to the Board and Brush in Panama City. Always fun! Michelle and I were there with Ariane. 

I really think my choice was the easiest - the other girls had more of a challenge, but it all turned out great.

More adventures!  There was a launching of a cutter for the US Coast Guard and all the big wigs were there - one day of designating Panama City as a Coast Guard City and the next launching the ship - grand event with all the local dignitaries and a lot of the national dignitaries, too.  Very impressive, it was.

And, ya know, there are the grands!  Hannah and I went shopping for fabrics for some spiffy scrub caps, we visited Hunter and his workshop to order (more) little boards for gifts, and just had a good time hanging with H+H+H.  

Hannah styled Harrison's hair!

Birthday! I had a Birthday.  78.  This is a number I do not recognize and hesitate to admit to, but so it is. The family treated us to a sumptuous dinner

I finished some sewing there: the Christmas pillow, ornaments for the "kids," and scrub hats for Hannah that were a bit more fun than hospital green.

And before you know it, poof, the time is gone and we are off to Orlando.

Weather. It was great in PC and it continued while we were in central FL. Warm, not too humid, sunny, mostly dry.  Lovely.

We met up again in DeLand with Larry and Bonnie, old high school classmates of mine. Some years ago I tended to think that "reunions" were unnecessary visits to an unreachable past, but I've found it is not only pleasant but - reaffirming? - to keep in touch with folks from so long ago. We had a nice lunch, walked up to the Stetson campus and then had an amazing custard ice cream. 

More meet ups!! Beth Boozer, a friend from medical school days, has a condo in Cocoa and loves the museum in Winter Park that has such an amazing collection of Tiffany glass works.  So we met there and had a leisurely walk through the collection - the largest anywhere. Yes, we'll do that again, too.

Afterwards, Werner and I had a light lunch and a walk through the upscale shopping area in Winter Park.  Really, it's nice.

And then it was Friday, High School Football Friday. What a hoot!! Marching bands, teenagers in pads who don't even look like they know what they are up to sometimes, the cheerleaders, the majorettes, the flag team! Lots of noise and lots of fun!!

Then we went back to Winter Park to take the three lake tour on a pontoon boat. That was cool.  Just an hour, but you get to see some interesting houses, get a little history lesson, learn a bit about the ecology of the area, and just enjoy the breeze and the sunshine.  Ah, Florida.

Then, pack it all up and  check out till the next time.  It was such a nice visit (except for the part where Barry fell and broke his leg and had to go the hospital and have surgery, but that's another story) and I am tempted to make another visit in 6 months or so, but we'll see. The trip back was without problem this time, but it is hard, 10 hours or so in a teeny space with dismissable food and no way to relax.  But, who knows??? Maybe you'll see us again sooner than you expect!