Dienstag, August 29, 2006

Scents, a Childhood-Reminiscence or How to kill a Rabbit


August 29/06 7:04 p.m.

Scents can, at least with me, trigger off memories. Think, I'm guided a lot by my sense of smell. Today I was cutting tomatoes for a salad. Had bought them at the local market at a farmers stall, and that fruity, genuine fragrance reminded me of the garden of my childhood, where we grew vegetables, fruits and also those delicious tomatoes. In this garden, we also had a box with two rabbits, not for us kids to play with, by no means! You must know, that it had been war time, with not so much to eat (especially meat) anymore, so the rabbits were no cuddly playmates, but food for the Christmas dinner. Of course we kids loved to take them out and stroke them, but were only allowed to do so under surveillance. So, one afternoon mother had to go shopping into town, that beeing a half hours walk to get there and back, no folks, no cars at that time! Strict orders, to leave the rabbits alone, were disobied as soon as mother turned her back. My brother and myself thought, that we would be very smart, building a little arena out of bricks, so the rabbits, beeing still babies, could not get away. Everything went fine, till my brother, by stepping over the "wall" knocked over a brick,which, -plum - fell upon one of the rabbits. It fell over, twiched for a bit, blood ran out of its nose and it was a goner. We tried to revive it, by shacking it and massaging it, no deal, it stayed dead. So then we tried begging a replacement off neighbours ,(everyone in the vicinity had rabbits) but people were stingy (wartime, remember) ,so we had to face our mother and confess, which led to beeing locked into the bathroom and beeing beaten with a whip. Must have been at that time, that I made that oath, that ,should I ever have kids myself, would never lay hand on them. And I kept my promise. Well, once a while my hand probably slipped, but I never did beat them up. - Well, in defence of our mother, I must say, that she was suffering all her life from a nervous condition. For her, raising us without my fathers help (him beeing an officer in theGerman army and at war), must have been a handful, and we were rascals! - The picture shows little Landfrau in the garden, all dressed up, tomboy- pics were not taken at that time.

So, up to today, I wont eat rabbit, neither horse, but there is not the traumatic experience of killing one!

Samstag, August 26, 2006

Eventing- Cross Country


Aug. 26/06 5:11 p.m.


GREAT GOING!

Germany leading, so far,keep your fingers crossed!

GROUNDHOG DAY



August 26/06 1:30 p.m.

Have you seen the film ? (German:..und täglich grüsst das Murmeltier), of course, everyone has! Well, Landfrau is in such an continious loop of every day the same routine, fixing breakfast, taking the bike and the dog, climbing the fence to feed and look after my ,by now 3 horses (have adopted the two mares), fixing lunch, shopping(every day hateful, not fancy!) doing the chores around house, garden etc.,watching television at nite and falling into bed, that she thinks, that she must have created her own groundhog day. Think by now I could do the most foolish things, nothing would happen, would wake up the next morning and could start allover again. - Last Thursday, however, had been an exception, trip to downtown (dentist!!) , so man of the house came along, since he does not walk around anymore, for him it was parking lot hopping, for me rushing about afoot, which resulted in missing each other all the time. We managed to have lunch together, however. But the scream was me, watching the entrance of the parking garage elevators , where crowds kept popping out, to catch,my again lost, companion. So finally I saw him and made unmistakable signs, that he should come to me, only it has not been him, but a strange guy, ugh, very embarassing. He came so obidiently and when I apologized, that I had mistaken him for someone else(did not say:my husband) he just grinned and said that I resembled a woman he knows. And I thought, that I am somewhat unique! Which reminds me of a similar story, which happened to me several years ago,during one of our trips to U.S. -Will try to copy it in. And by the way, stopped smoking a year ago!
So, above, you see the copied story from my diary from years ago, have been too stupid, to put it in a link,but you can enlarge the scripts.

...and around here today we have big celebrations,Nordrhein-Westfalen, our state, has its 60th birthday, there is the mobile homes and trailers-exhibition(not interested) and of course Aachen, Aachen, Aachen - military (cross country) today, my favoured discipline.

Wow, I'm GREEN LANTERN!

Your results:
You are Green Lantern
Green Lantern
90%
Hulk
80%
The Flash
80%
Catwoman
80%
Spider-Man
70%
Robin
67%
Superman
65%
Iron Man
50%
Supergirl
47%
Wonder Woman
47%
Batman
45%

August 26/06 10:37 a.m.

So friends, here it is - anotherQUIZ (no more "begging" for a while!) - Have fun! -

Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.

Mittwoch, August 23, 2006

Obituary For Two Fish


August 23/06 5:41 p.m.

Sad happening, this morning our two kois, Harald and Wanda, were afloat in our little pond, but not alive, dead as dead fish. Now only Max and Moritz, the two smaller goldfish, are leftover orphans, might hand over the spoon too, if the water should have turned bad. It looked kind of milky yesterday, but last night had been o.k. - Well, we had an unceremonical burial ,dropped them into the brown bin (for the organic waste,remember?) and since it is only to be emptied a week from next monday, I hope they do not start to smell too soon. You see,there it is again, our garbage problem.

Nice happening today,that our dressage-equipe took gold today in Aachen and are once again the world champions! Do I ever enjoy to watch those horses perform, they are so perfect, like dancers, could make your eyes water, even if you are not "horsecrazy".
Watching some on TV every day, yesterday had been "endurance", where the Maktoums all got disqualified. They were so pissed off,since they had counted on gold, (its their discipline), ripping off their tents, TV -station-set ups and everything in no time, all what was left over, were the bathroom facilities with golden faucets. Serves them right, those upnosed Arabs, although I felt a bit sorry for the Princess Haya , who is the president of the FEI. She is so nice to look at and a very smart lady.

Aachen live is great, we had been there before, but nowadays we dread the traffic line ups and the immense crowds. So we are couch potatoes, like mostely, lately.

Dienstag, August 22, 2006

The Healthy Alternative.....


August 22/06 8:06 p.m.

...for all of you, who have to watch out for the waistline. Doesn`t my "late summer arrangement" look good? But folks, no use showing up at my doorstep, most of the fruit have been gobbled up, by greedy Landfrau! The flowers are still there, but who wants to eat flowers? although, know a couple of guys who do, but only after a few beers too many. - No names dropped!

Freitag, August 18, 2006

About Garbage Pick Up


August 18/06 8:37 p.m.

Well, friends, wouldn't you think that was no issue? Not for Landfrau. First: we Germans are well organized, brown bin for the organics, yellow bin for the plastics and the grey one for the rest of the daily waste. And the system had been that in turn the bins had been picked up alternately the same day every week, i.e. the brown and the grey one, the yellow one has been allowed every three weeks for company. Can you follow me? Good: So far Landfrau could follow up too. But now they have changed the system around and the bins are picked up in a wild arrangement, I'm too mega- goofy to remember. Of course there is a nice plan, where its all put down, but if you forget to look??alas! So a week ago I got stuck with the brown one, this morning it has been the grey one and it's so nice to be woken up at 5:30 a.m. by the riot of the pick-up truck,and then its definitely too late to jump out of bed and rush the thing out, there is that big,fat Mercedes sitting in the driveway and in the garage in front of the bins my small car (look post April 16/06!),which would have to be moved too. Fat chance, alors! -
So, the next evenings, when its dark already, I might creep out with my alibi dog, dragging behind, a bag full of garbage under each arm, which then I will sneak meanly into exposed bins of various neighbours! (little joke!)

P.S. ..and notice the nice,shiny new bike of man of the house,additionally sitting in front of the garbage bin assembly.

Mittwoch, August 16, 2006

A Lot about Chocolate!

August 16/06 8:27 p.m.

Here is something for all of you who like chocolate and are lucky enough to not get fat. Landfrau wishes she could eat a pound! Klick the link ,will make a puddle under your tongue!

My patient is home safe and sound.



....and why, for heavens' sake, do I get such a huge page for those two sentences???






































































Dienstag, August 15, 2006

A Great Movie!

Aug.15/06 6:45 p.m.

Now folks, have not given a good link in quite a while,and instead of a walk with my little friend and guardian (pouring rain) , I' m busy with my not so good friend, the compi,which I could kick out of the window once a while, like the guy in the trailer!
Enjoy the trailer, and if you have a chance to watch it,dont miss that movie, its real good! The background song is damn great!

Biking against the Wind..


August 16 /06 11:45 a.m.

...have you ever tried it? I prefer horseback- riding against the wind, but unfortunately beeing put down to fenceclimbing to visit my former "buddy". I'm not so sure, think he still dislikes me for forcing a horse's life upon him . As for myself, I will check out a gym for "oldies", reccomandation of a neighbour, not so fond of getting all flabby on account of no horse excercise, a little bit of fenceclimbing wont do.

And now a big Wellcome home tomorrow for my patient, who, I'm sure, will peek into my blog right away!

Oh, and found a balloon card from a kid in Wuppertal this morning on the horse meadow,will send it back, maybe the 5 year old might get a price, Wuppertal is not so close for a little ,yellow balloon.

Gee,whizz, my dentist cancelled my appointment,she has a bad stomach, ain't I lucky, no gagging today!

Sonntag, August 13, 2006

The Junkie, Generosity and a locked Safe!

August 13/06 2.33 p.m.

So every day, I`m going to park my car at the Hospital`s parking lot,and there is that junkie, we are almost friends by now. He posts himself next to the pay-box, and when people come to draw a ticket, he sells the ones with leftover time, which he has begged off parkers, not using up their time completely. Sundays parking is for free,then he beggs for a token. I try to support him and once a while I give him a little bonus. -Now today, being hopefully the last Sunday to make those hateful trips into K refeld, I planed to be generous and give him a little more. My good intentions were killed by the safe in my patients room.We wanted to go for a little walk in the park and I decided to lock my wallet into the safe,and - bingo - pushed in a wrong key, which of cse. I did not remember, since I felt I had pushed in the right one. Shit happens, Sunday - no mechanics - so here I am, minus wallet and minus generosity and minus all my papers.

Man of my life, having time on his hands, has been fiddeling around with the "maybe" numbers I had timidly voiced, and believe it or not, he got the safe opened. An emergency opening today would have cost us(me?) € 150,--, the "for free" mechanic would have come only tomorrow, thats why I decided to leave without my identity, and the poor junkie got nada, will make it up to him the next time, he wont get lost on me.

This morning already had been dog- and horse time,remember, I have been an early bird today,but did not get the worm!

Ghosttime?


Aug.13/06 7:05 a.m.

The Mercedes(sitting at the curb - (too big for Landfrau to fiddle in and out of the driveway every day) started to scream and the burglar lights in the driveway came on,and that at 6 a.m., where it has been daylight already. Now I am wide awake, want my breakfast, where is my maid? - As goodie for the day .- a pic - I had been taking with my new camera - present for the not taken place trip to Vancouver - Also taken in the morning, but not soo early, this should not become a habit! Cute, my "watchdog" proudly accompanied me, when I went to check on the car, probably would have wagged his tail at every potential burglar!

Freitag, August 11, 2006

Thinking About....

August 11/06

...life in general and my life and how time flies. Got into fotos of our youngest grandson (the birthday child) and really gasped,how I had aged in those 9 years ! - But,such is life and now enough about life! Climbed the gate (daily routine by now), to feed old horse his apple. He is now out on the meadows day and nite, running with two mares, which are really bitchy,although its getting better. It has been hard, to put him out, but there only was the alternative to send him to horse heaven. He started to have his falling spells again and I decided, to put an end to our riding activities, before we both turned the salto mortale. He is in no pain,so I told him, that he better gets used to live like a horse, he is not people anymore. - I am surrounded by oldies, my oldie in the hospital is getting better, hope to take him home next week. That really was close! -
So, as the saying goes "lets count our blessings".
Now I really feel,that I have put out the word for sunday, and we only have friday,so enough of that! Tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett O'Hara used to say!

Wieder ein Geburtstagskind!



August 11/06

Dieser kleine Mann ist nun schon 9 Jahre gross! Happy Birthday, Timm! ..und bleib so,wie Du bist (wachsen darfst Du natürlich). Gee, time flies!

Dissatisfaction all the Way

Honeymoon over
The devil, it is said, finds work for idle hands. And with the German Bundestag in recess this month -- and a number of politicians taking a bit of time off -- the devil seems to have a busy schedule in Berlin these days. The result has been a minor implosion within Chancellor Angela Merkel's party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
One answer may be the discomfort many in the CDU have long felt with Angela Merkel's leadership. During the post-election honeymoon when Merkel's triumphant tour through world capitals resulted in sky-high approval ratings for the chancellor, one had the impression that many in the party were merely biding their time until she stumbled.A more stoic political party could perhaps ignore such public opinion vagaries. Particularly given that Germany is currently suffering from a post-World Cup, post-heat wave hangover. The current nationwide disgust with all things political feels a bit like a breakfast table spat following an epic night out.

Given the mounting critique, though, Merkel -- now back from northern Italy -- has said she would like to meet with Rüttgers this week to iron out their differences. And her most-trusted aide -- and general secretary of the CDU -- Ronald Pofalla has said that "we will have to continue to work on defining the profile of the CDU as part of the governing coalition."
This week, though, it seems as though Pofalla has turned over a new leaf. His solution to rising welfare costs? Why not require people to take over financial responsibility for their unemployed parents?
The idea might need a bit of work. The devil, they say, is in the details.

By Charles Hawley

August 11/06
Did I not predict we had hard times coming?

Montag, August 07, 2006

The Awful Alternative

August 07/06

...is shown here , instead of nice Vancouver, beeing with our friends, sundowners at the deck of the yacht-club, trips inland etc. etc. Lets think positive, a total kidney failure would not have been a piece of cake on a ten hours flight, neither at a hospital in Vancouver. So its daily trips for Landfrau to Krefeld, I hate Krefeld! -
So, friends,keep your fingers crossed for my patient, that the medics make him whole again.