Easter Part II

Or pre- and post-Easter.  Take your pick for a title. I'm not fussy.

Writing has taken a back seat in the last few weeks - and more - and reasons seem to keep piling up to not write.  So I must.  But I will skirt the less fun, less happy things that are going on right now.  Here in blogworld, it's sunshine and smiles.

Pre-Easter we had a short visit from René and Rima and Amina.  A visit to a local museum to check out the exhibit, a series of amusing paintings on postcards. Werner and I had visited the museum already, but I hadn't been able to fully enjoy it, so it was good again and the cartoons were especially to René's liking. Afterwards, time for Kaffee und Kuchen!  The restaurant we visited is a grand old 19th century building in the center of our sprawling city park, . Rima insists on a visit in summer so we can sit in the garden.  OK - pick a date - we'll be there.

Easter Sunday dawned sunny and bright - and we were prepared! Individual spinach tortes.

Hand-painted eggs.

Chocolate bunnies nesting in bunny napkins.

 And a fully dressed table for our brunch with friends.

It was yummy and filling and so afterwards a walk was in order.  We were not alone - half the city was walking along the Weser and enjoying the weather and down time. Here we are, framed by blue skies and colorful pansies.

Ah.


Easter Monday, also a holiday, was equally lovely, so we headed to Worpswede for another walk, this time around the local "mountain"  - the Weyerberg - all of 60 meters high.  But when everything else is at 0 meters, that's a mountain.

But, first, where are we going?  As it turned out, we didn't need the guide, we could just follow the crowds.

At the top of the Weyerberg is a memorial called the  Niedersachsenstein (The Lower Saxony Stone), a brick memorial dedicated in 1922 to honor local men who died in World War I.  It is big;  I'd describe it as looming.

And with all monuments, there is graffiti, lots of initials and such cut into the brick.

And on the way back through the commercial area (which gets to sell on days that shops are otherwise closed since it's a designated tourist destination) we found just what I need (need!!) for the pots of hostas on the back terrace. 

First Advent

Ah, no wreath this year.  We opted for four candles on a tray with random greenery.  I think it will change a bit in the next four weeks, and that's OK. Meanwhile the first candle is lit and a light breakfast - a fruit salad with North Sea shrimp - is enough - because later there'll be a feast.

Some years, this was a realllllly big event - three sets of grandparents, cousin, great-grandma, godmother.  And as you all know, René can put on a food show - 12, 14 people to sit down and eat? No prob.  There have been some fabulous meals.

But years pass and things change.  Monika and Lex have moved to Curaçao. Rima's parents were in Lebanon visiting relatives for two months.  Mutti /Grandmother / Great-grandmother has left us.  Cousin Ruth was not feeling well.  We shrunk the family!!  Only five of us this year, but that doesn't mean we celebrate any less.

Rima had decorated.  She always does, and she does it well.

We brought stuff, too.  Some dishes of Mutti's that go well with their set.  And Mutti's solitaire set of hand-fashioned marbles.  Every little kid in the family - including Hunter and Hannah - have played with this game!  So retro - but so attracting and attractive.  Everyone wants a turn!

Then it's time.  Dinner.  Dining.  Delicious.

Soup.

Then of course I forget to take pics because I am so busy eating!  Instead of the whole duck, this year we had breast of duck.  But with all the traditional accompaniments - red cabbage and boiled potatoes and yummy gravy. My diet was minimally set back since I was so restrained!

Picture-taking fun was on the menu, too!

Next weekend, the trio will be here for a visit to the Christmas market in Bremen.  More fun in store!

Helping out

It's what friends and family do - help out.

Rima and René have moved into the house he grew up in.  It's a happy move, but it's a MOVE and we've all been through that!  So much to do!  The living quarters are pretty well organized and the kitchen functions (but the cellar needs some serious work still!)

Our jobs are more limited. First you get the tools together.

Install the lamps.  These are in the dining area. This is not as easy as it looks - first paint the shades to match the wall, then lengthen the wires and punch out longer places in the wall to accommodate them and patch and repaint and hang and adjust and readjust.  Takes some patience and Werner, thank goodness, has an abundance.

Curtains to hang.  Werner's good with a tool or two so he did some drilling while Rima did some advising.

I was in charge of hemming assorted curtains to the right length, so my trusty sewing machine made the trip too. But OH NO!  I forgot to bring the adapter for the plug!  Werner to the rescue!  It's not art, this -  "adaption" -  but he made it work, one plug to the other. That's what counts.

 So, inside sorta done - it certainly is looking a bit more done. (Mirror hanging was a joint affair as well.  This baby weighs A LOT!)

And then - of course  - there's the yard. It had gone several months without too much attention and  - of course - the "new owners" bring some new ideas.  We did a truck load of trimming and cutting and weeding and slashing. Forty-year-old boxwoods felled, ivy "trees" trimmed.  Little plants put where the weeds were pulled.

Finally we found a moment to sit and have a cuppa tea and some cake - and along came the neighbors, back from the annual "Schutzenfest" - the local shooting club parade and festival, all dolled up in their uniforms and medals.  Looking proud!!

I think this tradition needs a post of its own! That'll be later.  René is a member himself of a shooting club but claims he'd quit in a minute if they made him wear a uniform.  I believe it.

This "new" home project isn't finished by a long shot and we'll be back to do more stuff, since we know houses just keep wanting attention.  But that's what we do.  We help out.

First Advent

There's a German Christmas song that the children love:  Alle Jahre wieder kommt das Christuskind   - Every year the Christ child comes again.  The first part - alle Jahre wieder - gets used a lot for things that just get repeated again and again:  the tree, the celebrations, the Christmas market, the wreath. Our Weihnachtskranz for this year, a bit simpler.

And so it is with First Advent lunch at René and Rima's - every year again - though this year could be the last of the "usual" since it will be the last that Monika and Lex are with us as residents of Germany:  in January, they'll be moving to Curacao.  Not exactly around the corner, as they are now.

But no one was sad.  The day started with snow here in Bremen-Vegesack but was bright and clear most of the day.

 

Amina had a bright red Heidi outfit, and the rest of us were festively dressed as well.

 

And Rima, hair professional that she is, had done Amina's hair beautifully. I have to say, though, when you have thick, shiny, wavy hair, it's hard to go wrong!

Renè used to come up with a different festive menu every year, but he seems now to have settled into a traditional goose meal.  Actually two geese - one roasted at home and one at Monika's, which begs the question what will we do next year??

Round out the goose with steamy hot potatoes, brussels sprouts in brown butter, apple stuffing and red cabbage and you have a feast.  We all did our part!

Afterward more conversation and coffee and dessert.  I have to say, it's a bit like having Thanksgiving two weekends in a row. In fact, it is exactly like having Thanksgiving two weekends in a row!  Next weekend, I think we'll fast while remembering the wonderful food and company.

Amina Week

Our annual summer visit from Amina has come and gone.  Busy, it was!  If you want details, click on the link "Amina in Bremen" above.  But be warned, it's in German!

There were highlights a plenty.

One day we took Alica into town with us and visited the Bürger Park (City Park) and played mini golf as well as boating.  Mini golf is NOT Putt Putt - rather more primitive, but it  was fun nonetheless.  Even with a rain delay.

And boating?  We were pretty good.  I couldn't take any pictures of us landing in the bushes on the shore since I was trying to push us OUT of the bushes, but the girls had a lot of laughs and no one - or the boat ! - was injured.

Going to the movies is always a hit.  This time it was "Brave" (or "Merida" in the German version) and of course in 3D.  Actually, I can do without 3D, but .....

Opa and Amina painted an old planter of ours and I - tongue-in-cheek - suggested maybe Amina would like to give it to her mama.  Oh, yes!! Oh,can we???  I was not at all sure it was something Rima wanted in her yard, but it was way too late to say no.  But of course, Rima loved it!

And don't forget the ropes course - Kraxelmaxel.  Amina was a real little monkey and with Opa got through four of the courses.  I got through two parcours and have the bruises to prove it!

As luck would have it, the Fesitival Maritim was here last weekend - perhaps my favorite of all the many fairs and fests here in Vegesack.  Friday we were there with Amina, Saturday with the whole family, and Sunday they headed out to Holland for two weeks of vacation.  Bye-bye.

Then came our dear friends Peggy and Wolfgang for one more round at the Festival Maritim topped off with a fireworks display.

What a week!  Now Werner's got a full-fledged cold (mine, I am so sorry!) and we're just hoping the little kid escaped the germs.

Odds and Ends

Amina was with us for a week.  It's the Easter holiday (no compunctions here about using the religious name for the break!) and since Mom and Dad still need to work, it's nice to have someone(s) to entertain the little kid for a while.

Routine:  Get up.  Not too early.  Watch TV.  (Really, but not too long.)  Eat breakfast.

Sometimes it's cereal, but sometimes it's a slice of bread with salami.  And sometimes salami bread has a face!

Take a couple of bubble baths.  That's always fun!

Our neighbor Alica is now an integral part of visits of grandkids from here in Germany or there in the US.  Alica's a trooper.

Because our weather was pretty wretched, and because it was coming up Easter, we painted eggs one day.

 
And another day, we went to the zoo in Osnabrück.  On the way, we wondered if it was a good idea.

Not only rain, but coooooooold, too.  We checked out the animals and weathered the weather and saw most of what they had to offer, including the "Underground" exhibit that had lots of lengths of tunnels made by little naked-looking mole types.  Ugh.

The girls had a good time and there was a bit of sun sprinkled in with the clouds and occasional showers, but that may be my last visit to a zoo.  Of course the weather was a factor, and summer and green is some time away, but it all seems too much like a jail, all caged in and colorless and in the end depressing.  Bye, bye, zoo.

Sunday we took Amina back home.  I took my sewing machine with me and worked on shortening curtains and making pillow covers for Amina's new bedroom look.

And Werner, well, he had something to do,too. For Christmas, Amina got a new playhouse (not so new, actually) and it needed some upgrading.  Werner worked on the roof and though it was planned, it was too cold and damp to repaint the exterior.  That'll happen next trip. Pictures of course to follow.