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!

Thanksgiving, Version 2013

I remember Thanksgivings BB (before blog). I do. One year BB, an American friend was here as a guest and took so too many pictures of us cleaning and stuffing the turkey!  Angles!  Guts!  Skin! When we got the developed pictures back, I wondered what in the world we would ever do with 20 pictures of a naked turkey.  Still don't know.  BUT it was nice to have an extra hand taking pictures, because when you're in the middle of it, you only have your memory of it, and never enough pictures!

That's how I feel this year - too few pictures, but plenty of memories.

We've done this enough times now that Werner no longer threatens that he will never do it again, and frankly our friends would likely protest if that came to pass.  We've found a rhythm, a dance if you will, to getting the meal together and practice makes perfect.  Almost.

Menu:  
Puréed Salsify-Orange Soup  
Turkey with cornbread dressing  
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Green beans
Black-eyed peas
Cranberry-orange-ginger compote

Food preparations began Thursday: pick up the goodies from the market, make the gravy base, the soup base.  Friday, brine the bird, prep the veggies, make the pies, set the table, clean up!

I like everything but the "clean up" part.

And Saturday?  Bird in the oven, rice the potatoes, chill the wine - or warm it as the wine demands - cook the veggies.

And voilá!  We're ready!

We enjoy having the extra table in the kitchen for the extra dishes.

Werner insisted that we prepare less this year to avoid a mountain of leftovers.  I panicked, but he was right on everything - except for the soup which was just barely enough!  I was way wrong on the mashed potatoes which were still toooooo much!

After a sip of Pro Secco, we retired to the table and the guessing began on the soup.  I thought I would stump them a bit, but Johanna got it right away!

There was some of everything on everybody's plate, and of course there were seconds (and thirds) (and nibbles) too.

Another major success!

And then a pause - a walk around the harbor.  A couple of our guests hadn't been in this area for forever, so Werner got to be tour guide and point out some of the things we see every day and know so well, but is pleasant to see through other eyes.

Then, time for dessert. Three pies this year : pecan, pumpkin, and Key lime.

And we all have to have a little bit of each.

Finally, it was clean-away time.  Carcass in the pan for soup stock, extra turkey for lots more meals. Thanksgiving means being thankful for lots of more meals!

It was fun.  It was filling.  It was friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you there in Thanksgiving land.   

Finale Bathroom

It is a saga because sagas go on F O R E V E R.  That's what it seems like with the bathroom.  First it was the frozen pipes and then the temporary fix and then the fix for the future - new bath, new half-bath, new water heating.

OK.  But the last bit, the ceiling that had to be torn out so all the pipes could be put in, well, that kinda took a back seat for a while.

Finally, it had to be done.  HAD TO BE DONE. The old sheets had been draped along the open ceiling for almost a year and since Werner and I tend to work to deadline, deadline was our annual Thanksgiving dinner.

Deadlines are good.  We like deadlines. And when there's a deadline, things get done!!

Werner works like I do, I think.  He can do so many things and is willing to tackle lots of tasks.  But sometimes we overestimate our, um, skill level.  So he'd be working and I'd be around, and then I'd hear him laugh.

Laugh? What does that mean?  It means he did something wrong!  Gotta do it over!!

It took a week to finish the insulation and the wallboard and the wallpaper and the paint.  But it got done. And as always, it looks great.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:   Thanks Werner!

Food!

Every time I go to the USofA one of the first questions family and friends ask is  What haven't you had to eat yet?  All the yummy things I want there - steak, hamburgers, fried chicken -  that I can't get here so easily, are really loaded and I come back loaded with an extra pound or two or three.  Usually I can drop it pretty quickly, but not always, and somehow those extra pounds keep piling on.

Finally I had to bite the bullet, and this week I started on a serious diet.  Ursel had a lot of success with one of these powder things, so I thought I'd try that just to get a jump start.

 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner came from this package for two days.  Cardboard box containing powdered cardboard that masks as food.  Not exactly tasty, to say the least.

Frankly, I wasn't really hungry.  After two days, I drank the cardboard liquid twice a day and had a very light meal.  I have to say, it works! Pounds just melted away.

Nevertheless, I can't do that 24-7 and the weekend provides respite.  Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, and then I can face another week of cardboard.

And dinner was really, really, really good.  We still didn't splurge - moderated portions, fish, veggies.  The potatoes were sliced super thin and stuffed in a small casserole, sliced shallots all around and between, and then a brushing of butter and olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt.

The Brussels sprouts were roasted with garlic and oil and thyme and a splash of bacon for a bit more flavor!

 
Put it on the plate, pour a glass of wine, light the candles. For next week, we diet.  Again.

Sunday Sunday

All of our friends are so much more social than we are, and thank goodness!  They ask us to get out of our shell every once in a while.

Today there was an exhibit downtown, 11 am, arranged by friends.  We are slow of a morning, and Sundays especially so.  Getting downtown by 11 means getting up at 7 !! OUCH!  But, hey, it wasn't nearly as bad as we thought.  (I'm trying to convince Werner that we should do that every Sunday, but he's not convinced.  Not yet.)

To the Bamberg Haus. Cool place.

It's the Volkshochschule - the people's school -  the center for all sorts of lessons (Italian!  Wood carving! Yoga!) and meetings and such. Want to learn something?  This is the place!  The exhibit that opened today is a special collection of old post cards from the late 19th and early 20th century from Germany and nearby countries, most of them depicting synagogues, Jewish shops and Jews at spas or on the street. Things you can't see anymore these days.

As was arranged by good friends, naturally Werner ran into old acquaintances he'd not seen in awhile. (Yes, we should get out more often.)

After short speeches by local dignitaries as well as federal representatives of the Czech and German governments, we had a look at the collection.  Who'd have thought postcards could be so interesting? But of course postcards were different in the land of ago and they gave not only witness to life at the time, but are witness to what no longer exists. Almost all of the synagogues pictured were destroyed during the night of November 9, dubbed "Kristallnacht" by the Nazis but more appropriately called Progrommnacht, 75 years ago.  Remembering and reflecting is more relevant than ever.

Music was supplied by the son of the organizers (and a former student of Werner's)  and his flautist friend.  What a treat!

After that we were off to Schloß Schönebeck, our local manor house where they were holding an antique show.

It's a low-key market at the Schloß.  Lots of books, odds and ends, crystal, dinnerware, this and that.  Nothing that will break the bank but lots of things that are interesting.  I always find something I can't live without. This time it was a few more doilies to place between the serving plates and eating plates so they don't clatter so much.  Really, don't we all need those?  But honestly, it just makes my heart bleed, just ever so little, that they are sold for onöy 1€ each !  I know the time it takes.  And this precious crocheted collar, done on a needle so small I can't imagine, older than all the doilies, was just a throw in for nothing. It is worth more than all the doilies put together.  There's a philosophical question here that you don't want me to go into.

Afterwards, there was still enough lovely fall daylight for a walk in the woods around the Schloß - and we weren't alone.  It 's the weekend and no matter the weather, the folks in Bremen love a walk but sunshine is always welcome and I still love shuffling through the leaves.

So baaaaahhhhh and so long till the next time.

Goodbye

We said Goodbye to Werner's mother on Friday last week.  Mutti was such a special lady.

Elsa Graue Wichmann  1917 - 2013

Here she is at about oh 32.  Three kids, a widow, living on a farm, working from sun up to sun down.  And more.  From all accounts, she usually had a smile on her face.  If not that, she was at least open and willing to talk and listen.

Werner's memories, the ones relayed to me, are of shared work, shared pleasures, gentle guidance (but from Grandpa, some serious direction!).

When her daughter married and the baby came along, Mutti moved in with them and helped.  She never left and never stopped helping.  Once she broke her shoulder when she fell from the ladder washing windows -at 70!  And even when she could no longer get out on her own, she wanted to do the ironing!  I never want to do the ironing but it was something she enjoyed.

At her 90th birthday party, she posed with the grandkids,

and the great-grandkids.

The big "kids" haven't changed much, but since they get together so seldom, it was time for another picture, this time with smiles in memory of Oma Elsa.

It was a lovely service, led by her long-time pastor, attended by loved ones and friends.

We will all miss her.


 

US Trip September - October

Business or pleasure?

It's one of the questions on the customs form you have to fill out before they'll let you into the USofA.  They ask too if you're a terrorist or if you've been on a farm lately or if you want to sell some of the stuff you're carrying, or if you have over $10,000 in cash on your person.  I generally answer No to everything.

But the business or pleasure question?  This time, I wanted to say:  Yes.  Both.  It's always a pleasure to be there.  Good grief, it's Florida, pleasure destination of half the world! But there was (family) business to take care of in GA, too.  But I checked Pleasure. :)) Don't confuse the customs guys is a good rule to follow.

After landing in Orlando we took the weekend to reorient ourselves, but there was a special dinner to squeeze in, too.  Le Coq au Vin. Voted the best French restaurant in Orlando. If I could vote, I would agree. Excellent service, excellent food, and we loved the company, too.  :-)  Some of the charge went to charity too.  Good all around!

On Monday we walked Hayden to the bus stop and then Dylan to kindergarten.  What a pleasure!!  Hayden loves school and loves riding on the bus (Thanks, Mr. Fernando! Great bus driver!).  Dylan does not so much love walking to school.  Why can't we go in the car?? This is so boring!!  My legs are tired!!  But we find ways to pass the time and before you know it, there we are!  Wow! Did you see that lizard!  How many bikes have gone by??  It turns out to be a lot of fun.

Are these kids cute or what?

Then, so soon, we were off to Michelle and Joey and Hunter and Hannah. We hardly ever take the direct route because we have time.  At the end of the Turnpike, we toke the Scenic Route.  Love it.

US 27 leading to US 98. Through little towns and along stretches of woods and pasture.  We looked longingly at the turnoffs to Cedar Key and Steinhatchee, but we kept driving.  Somewhere, though, you have to take a break and St. Marks, just over the bridge, was the place:  Tupelo honey, cane syrup, home-made jam, sitting on the hood of a pick up truck.  Ya just gotta stop. 

We tasted the syrup, selected  a jar of fig preserves, and took a picture, but not without a price - it comes with a story.  Seems the old guy has been there a while doing his thing and a few years back, someone else asked to take his picture.  Later, his son-in-law says Dad, you're famous!  and shows the old man a picture of the painting that was made of him and his truck and his goods.  And the price of the reprints - hundreds of dollars!!!  Well, that's me, he says, don't I get a cut?? Another grandkid, a law school, grad, says So sad, too bad, you gave permission and now your image is not yours anymore.   So the old man takes pleasure in telling the story and showing the copy of the painting.

Then a pause in Apalach.  It is impossible to not stop.  Regardless of the changes, there is the permanence of the water and the boats and the seaside buildings and the lovely salty scent of the place.  If we ever get back to the USofA, that is right up there of where I want to be.

And finally to Michelle.  And family.  They are all so busy!  School, work , dance, soccer, homework, cooking.

Werner got the valances re-hung.

I got the Christmas pillow and ornaments finished.

Michelle did some serious showing off of how to throw pizza dough. Very cool. I think she's been practicing on the side. I definitely need lessons!

We walked on the beach.  You would not believe it from this picture, but it was a Red Flag day, a tropical storm out in the Gulf, but she never showed up.

There was a quick side trip to Tallahassee and a too-short visit with Nancy. But so much better than no visit at all!

And the highlight of the week:  the FSU game.  Leaving early has its rewards.

And what pleasure for me: for the very first time, I got to see all the grandkids at one time in one place. Kids too. This simply does not happen often enough.

Add to that a big win over Maryland. Go NOLES!

Before we left, Hannah modelled the dress she'll wear to the freshman dance (she's growing up, don't you think?), and they posed in front of the car before leaving for school. It was too early for Hunter.

Next stop, Atlanta.  Not really.  NObody lives in Atlanta.  It's Tucker and John's Creek and Suwanee and Decatur and Lithonia.  (Really, it's Atlanta, but don't tell anyone!)

This was the "business" part of the trip, doing my part to get mother's house organized for an estate sale.  NOT so easy!  Julia and Ginny had already done the lion's share of the work, but I helped for the last organizing for selling. The guys helped, too.  Cool. Done.

Meanwhile, Mother is enjoying her new digs.  The place is more than nice and the service seems to be top-notch. I heard no complaints. How could you???

There was time to meet up with the big and little kids of the family and do some catching up.  Once a year is hardly enough time to do it all, but again, it's better than nothing. The kids are all teenagers now, all of them driving.  Geeze.  I think us old folks are holding up pretty well, too.

 

But then another reality set in.  Werner's mom was not doing well, so he headed back to Germany a week before our planned departure. 

I headed back to Orlando on my own.  It was such a treat taking Hayden to the bus and walking Dylan to school (still boring, but we managed :)).  The Christmas pillow got done, one (!!??) of the ornaments for the kids.  Saturday was the BIG GAME, FSU vs  Clemson. What a show and FSU showed them all what they could do.  I forget how wrapped up you can get in college football, so far away that I am.  But I'll be a close watcher the rest of the season.

Here's mommy and daughter.  What a beautiful pair.

And Dylan before she had her visit to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party.  Tinkerbell, of course, just like last year!

Afterwards, she had a hoot organizing all the loot.

And then it was time to say goodbye.  Getting two kids to hold still is challenging and the pictures don't always come out great, but I love the memories they evoke and I wouldn't trade them for anything - the memories OR the pictures!

It was a wonderful trip and of course I can't wait to be back again! Thanks to you all for everything.  Pure pleasure.