Tough Luck

June 30/08 3:27 p.m.

And I knew it, no walking cast, bone has moved apparently, so we continue: business as usual. How long?? Quien sabe.

Sequence of the" Shit happens"

June 28/08 11:15 p.m.

Now,take us, first the heart surgery, then the broken foot and now...the television in the downstairs area, the only one the patient can move around in, is on the verge of breaking down. But, do you notice, the events become minor in the run. So, there's still hope, but for tomorrow nite we are in a jam, m.o.m.l. wants to watch the soccer finals, we have a big screen televison in the "tower" room, but no ways to get him up there. So, it's a hard decision, rely on the tv to hold on or take him to watch the game at daugther's place, which involves getting him into the car, loading the wheelchair and whathaveyou. As I always say: we shall see.
We had a beautiful summer night and I had a time out on the garden deck with a glass (or two) of red wine, lightening my little kiva stove (which always reminds me of Santa Fe) with my outside torches burning and looking,like on a stage, into the camping type living room, where the patient is sleeping on his double inflated bed. The first cast is supposed to come off on monday, then it will be one he can walk on (so they say) and we will take it from there. He has high hopes, I am doubtful.

The Mess we are in

June 26/08 9:25 p.m.

...reminds me of Heinrich Heine's bed he could not leave anymore for the last eight years of his life and called his "Matrazengruft" (matress catacomb)

(Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (December 13, 1797 – February 17, 1856) was a journalist, essayist, and one of the most significant German romantic poets. He is remembered chiefly for selections of his lyric poetry, many of which were set to music in the form of lieder (art songs) by German composers.) - from WIKIPEDIA -

We certainly hope that the confinement of our patient won't last for the next eight years.

And some more about the European soccer championships, I still think the Turkish team had deserved to win last nite. Now Germany is the semi finalist and has to play against Russia or Spain, whoever wins tonite.

SOCCER

June 25/08 7:18 p.m.
Tonite is the night, GERMANY against TURKEY! I am a solitaire German who thinks Turkey will win. We shall see and now I am off!!

Make do,or being inventive

June 24/08 9:42 p.m.

Not so easy, getting everything managed. Moving up the stairs asswise of course did not work. So Landfrau had the really,mega brilliant idea to put up two inflatable guest beds, one ontop of the other,in the living room and after moving the patient around on our wheel equipped computer chair, I picked up a wheelchair today. We have a big problem since the patient is not allowed to stand on the castfoot for a week (so they say) and his healthy leg is without muscles,ergo no strengh. His arms he can not move on account of his bypass scars, so moving around ,like to the bathroom, is a task. Makes me a nurse and a housewife on the side and as if I had nothing else to do I had to empty our fishpond and clean it this morning. It started to smell terribly and the water had turned, so when I emptied it I found one of our leftover goldfish dead on the ground. Have to get the lonly rider now a new companion, whish he had done me the favour to die too. But - you can't have everything.
And now it's early bedtime for me.

MALCONTENT

June 23/08 4:41 p.m.

So our patient has "fallen" himself back into the mega-patient state, he broke the middlebone of his foot. Had an X-ray made this morning, because he could not walk any more. He is far too heavy for me to handle and he can't use crutches on account of his bypass scars. I ordered a wheelchair , which we will get tomorrow,but that won't save the staircase problem to the upper floor, where the bedroom is located. The guestroom is in the basement, same amount of stairs. He thinks he can manage on his bum, well, I think he might be in for a surprise. Then we will have to think of something else. -
Today is Herr Hund's birthday, 10 years old, and we really are neglecting him, poor bugger. Netherlands vaccation with grandson is out, so are any other activities for the next 6 weeks to come. Brilliant? Don't think so.

HERZKAPSPER

June 21/08 2:56 p.m.

....Is a somewhat flippant verbalism of a heart attack, and that's what Landfrau will get pretty soon if m.o.m.l. keeps up his mischiefs. Home for a week now he took his bike and - fell off! As if it was not enough that he has scars from the heart surgery, a damaged shoulder, damaged knees,( all previous ailments), now he is sitting in his chair beeing supplied with cold packs and ointment for his foot. And Herr Hund has infected anusglands, so he has to be treated too. Hope I do not mix up the medications.
Aside from keeping a hospital I baked an apricot cake which right now smells up the house very nicely,hope it's as tasty as well.
The accident happened yesterday and since yesterday I get a laughing fit,every time I see my patient limping around with a cane,which he refused to use up to now, like "I am not an old man" - well... Somewhat mean, I know,but the only alternative to sit down and bawl. Kind of an hysteric reaction, I suppose.

Hey, Friends...

June 20/08 14.00 p.m.

...for all of you taking flight this weekend, and - brother i.l. - have fun in India!

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The great Willie Nelson with "On the Road again"

....and they are still flying!

June 20/08 8:18 a.m.

Those little flags! And a whole nation has new superheros, Schweini and Ballack, Ballack and Schweini, oh yes and maybe Mr. Lehmann (I think he did the best job, but nobody asks me).

Clinton, Obama to make joint appearance next week -LINK

June 19/08 9:37 a.m.

And I would say it is about time that they join forces, otherwise Mr.McCain will win the homerun. And I hope Germany will win the homerun tonite against Portugal (soccer) otherwise a whole nation will sink into deep depression and all those nice little flags flying on cars will have to vanish, that would be a shame.

Lunchtime

June 18 /08 11:30 a.m.



MySpaceTV-Videos: Shark Lunch von d.d.sHpilz

W O W !! - we are having lamb today.

Herr Hund - Thinking

June 15/08 3:53 p.m.

6:30 a.m. - I will go and have a look - she still has her eyes closed!

7:00 a.m.- maybe a pat with the paw might help!

7:30 a.m. - she's awake, she's awake, joy, joy!

7:40 a.m. - she gets herself a coffee, maybe the fridge will be opened? shit, no luck!

7:50 a.m. - she takes a shower - booring!

8:00 a.m. - now it's for the breakfast goodies, wow, human food is so great!

9:30 a.m. - I will pester her a little,she should get dressed.

9:40 a.m. - she puts that delicious stuff on her skin, I will just get a little taste - lick! -

Why does she scold me every day again, she won't be able to kick my habit.

10:00 a.m. - she gets dressed -about time!

10:05 a.m. does she have to pick up the paper out of the mailbox,can't that wait? At least I am allowed along, will bark at some people passing by.

10:07 a.m. she gets her jacket and....hurrah,my leash, and will she take the bike?? She does...

jumping around with joy - my day is saved.

KOKOPELLI

June 13/08 10:20 p.m.

Kokopelli really had been a Jack of many trades. I learned about him during our stays in New Mexico and I had been fascinated by him. So I had been very happy when we found this little piece of art by Elwood Martin Reynolds, a Cheyenne-Arapaho Native American artist. -Now my very own Kokopelli is beeing very lively depending on the time of the day and every time I look at him he somehow gives me a happy feeling. He had been really pretty tonite at sunset and tomorrow man of my life (m.o.m.l.) is coming home. -

Found above info about the passing away of the artist. It kind of shocked me,although I did not know him. But I remember the nice salesgirl in the shop in Santa Fe,when we had been there last in 2000, she talked so fondly of him.

Teach an old dog new tricks or my Tom-Tom and me

June 11/08 9:04 p.m.

Had to go to a place near Cologne today, a girl friend of mine,who lives in Southern Germany now, celebrated her birthday at her daugther's place. In pre- Tom-Tom (navi, for the ones not up to date) times I would have reclined, I am a catastrophy about finding my way around unfamiliar surroundings. With my Tom-Tom I am a queen (so I thought). Trouble is, when you know your way a little bit in a way, you think you are smarter than the device. I did not obey and took the exit from the Freeway which I thought had been correct, that had been my burial, because from then on I got led around regions which never could have been right. In the long run I lost 15 minutes to an hour,amazing considering the ways I had been circeling around. On the way back I decided to really listen to instructions and by that time I had finally found out that if the smarty says right or left, you have to watch the little screen too,otherwise you turn too early. Like I said, old dog and new tricks. But on the way back I heard an old favoured song of mine on the radio, listen friends, it's smooth! - And has the trip been worth it?-Three guesses! Now I am relaxing with a glass of wine, shit is, you can not drink with driving, but then, I still might be circeling Cologne, if I would have had a couple of drinks. Although on the other hand the party might not have been so boring - for me.
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Journey with Little Miss Sunshine

June 10/08 7:52 p.m.

Not long ago I have seen a tv-documentary about a Mongolian Nomad family. Amazing how they manage to pack and stow all their belongings, even furniture and their yurt-tent into oxen drawn carts in no time. But this is nothing, I tell you nothing, compared to our trip ,granddaughter, great granddaughter and Landfrau took, to visit m.o.m.l. at his rehab in Lippstadt for the weekend. The car had been loaded till under the roof with things the baby needed (so her mom said). We did not even have room for Herr Hund, he had to stay with daughter No.2. Our patient of course had been very happy to see us, he looked and felt well. They for sure make him work hard at his rehab. He will be coming home coming saturday, then it had been 2 days short of 3 weeks. Time flies. The place where he had been is a nice retreat, in the middle of a big garden parc. The small village of BadWaldliesborn gives the impression of a big parc, very clean but on the other hand a bit boring. I think fox and hare bid each other good night in this region. The clinic had a nice outdoor sole bath - swimming facilities which I enjoyed. M.o.m.l. isn't allowed yet to swim on account of the scar and granddaughter had to take care of the baby. So I went by myself and was eyed by some lonely swimmers, obviously bored patients and bitten by a nasty bug. I still have a bruise on my collar bone. At night we had a nice grilled meat dinner at a local restaurant.We even could sit outside, weather had been great, which during our drive had not been so great, since the aircondition in granddaughter's car had broken down and we arrived quite sweaty with a sweaty baby. Then it was good not to have a smelly Herr Hund along. - We had rooms in an a bit oldfashioned hotel, right across from the clinic, all the other guests were old people,so little
Miss Sunshine had been the hit. We had breakfast together the next morning and then we left for home, granddaughter and baby stayed with me till this morning and I have been busy today to turn the house,which had been a big playpen, into a normal house again. All in all some nice days with beautiful weather. Now it's me and Herr Hund till Saturday.

Weather Pixie

June 5/08 11:55 p.m.

Weather Pixie is back!! - look at bottom of page.

Two new Ones

June 5/08 10:45 p.m.

Saw a report, no two reports, on TV this nite, one about Barack Obama and one about Medwedew, who for the first time is visiting Germany. Two leaders who have to prove themselves. Obama has not yet reached the top and Medwedew, Putins puppet? As I often say, time will tell.

I call it the "Hoopsie-syndrome"

June 3/08 7:53 p.m.

I must have been 13 or 14 years old, when my parents have been visiting with a family, who had a daugther my age, Hoopsie. I remember that I just had been fascinated by that girl, we had lots of fun together that day and I am not so sure anymore, if we even stayed overnite. My parents returned the invitation some time later one sunday for lunch. At that time we lived in an appartment in a block where the main street ran in front. So , after breakfast I positioned myself at the front window, waiting and looking out for Hoopsie. Her father ran a trucking business and they were supposed to arrive by truck. Anyway, time went by, lunchtime passed, no truck, no Hoopsie. My mother told me to stop looking, but I would not listen, I held on to my post. To make a long story short, they never showed up. At that time people did not have telephones like nowadays, so I think that day we never found out what happened. And I never met Hoopsie again. My dissapointment that day had been out of this world and till today, if I run accross a similar experience, I call that my "Hoopsie syndrome" by myself. -
What made me think of that today? That family lived in a city called Soest, quite near the place where m.o.m.l. is taking his rehab.

Hot Summer

June 2/08 4:17 p.m.

....and this would be the third day of our holiday at the Baltic sea. So I am taking my vaccation around the ferry landing region (see header pic) and m.o.m.l. is working hard at his retreat to get back in shape. Just had the car (finally) cleaned from desert dust, now a new thunderstorm is approaching, hope without hail and/or sand.

Tough day for Herr Hund

June 1/08 8:47 p.m.

Had to go for a mailbox in neighbourhood village, the one here around the corner looks suspicious, no sings about emptying times attached any more. So I took the bike and the dog this morning and while we were there, took the opportunity to have a look at the new house one of my friends had moved into, the 4th one since I know her for about 8 years. Quite a reccord, considering german standards. Around here you move into a house ,once you can afford it and most of the time die in it, unless you get prosperous and then you want a bigger place, a symbol of wealth! - We are still in the first one we bought, so much for accumulating wealth. - Then my daughter phoned and suggested a bike tour with grandson and dogs to a farm in their vicinity, where you could have coffee and cake, etc, beer and wine of course too. Heaven for people with a sweet tooth. When I came home, I rushed to visit with a neighbour, who had broken her shoulder and has been home from the hospital a couple of days. But then Herr Hund stayed home to rest. So he had been already alert enough to sit and stare at me, envying me my chicken I had for dinner, not the aspargus, though.-
Weatherwise it had been a great day and I hope I will get the weather pixie back on my page, would be a shame if this was taken from the net.

Come on, People!

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June 1/08 9:05 a.m.

Now you are for sure looking for the "hair in the soup". So what, if Obama made a great uncle into an uncle and he mixed up the camps. I ask myself how many Americans even would know what he was talking about. Fact is, he told a family story with a real background, don't be so fussy, people, lies ,to start a war,which still takes lifes every day, count much more heavyly.