Montag, Dezember 28, 2009

Christmasdog - Reloaded

December 28/09...7:03 p.m.

Now for all my friends,who have been wondering how Herr Hund coped with the "first time in his life outside X-mas tree", here is my story and it is true I did not make it up. On the day of X-mas eve I started decorating our living room, setting the table etc. and had been watched continiously by Herr Hund, he was following me like a shadow. He eyed me when I was climbing up a chair to get his plate out of the storage place and from then on he kept returning to the place in the living room, where we usually had been putting his goodies. I tried to sneak into the basement to fill up his plate, thought he did not notice since he kept Herr Husband company in the living room. No way! Herr Hund spied me, came rushing into the kitchen, trying to have a glimpse at his plate. I told him that he would have to be patient still for a little while but when we startet our Christmas ritual, putting our christmas choral on the record player (no, we do not sing ourselves, that would be the end of christmas) he went haywire and started running around the table, whining demanding his plate. When he got it, he gobbled up everything except for a big bone, with which he kept running around the house, looking for hiding places.
So folks, you can rest assured Herr Hund did not have a problem with the Christmas tree sitting outside, which by the way was much admired by the family and friends and everyone thought it a brilliant idea not to have it constricting the inside space.

Mittwoch, Dezember 23, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!



December 24/09




Landfrau wishes all her friends and faithful readers a great Christmastime!

Samstag, Dezember 19, 2009

Winter- and X-mas Childhood Memories without Jingle Bells


December 19/09.......2:28 p.m.


What a beautiful day it is today! Landfrau took a walk with Herr Hund in bright sunshine through a snow- powdered landscape in biting cold. But now- a- days, with the proper clothing it is enjoyable. It had been different during my childhood, I remember having to wear scratchy woolen garments and gloves never were able to keep our little fingers warm. Putting them against the heated tile stove to get them unstiffened again, sometimes made us cry with pain. But it had been fun when Mom wrapped us into thick blankets and pulled us in a sleigh, my jounger brother tucked between my legs. But we never froze when we took our sleighs for downhill runs in the nearby park where it had a few quite nice slopes and a pond for ice skating. Skates had to be put on with a skate key, you had to be quite skillfull. Then we came home wet from snow with red cheeks like apples. - And Christmas! It had that real magic to it, without sprouting Santas all over the place, Santa (Weihnachtsmann) was ever present but never to be seen. And on Christmas eve we heard him rumble behind closed doors but by the time we were allowed to enter the festive room he had left, a little bit to our relief, because to be honest, we were a bit afraid of him . But, oh , the presents he had left, everything had been set under the tree, no parcels to be unwrapped, like nowadays and I vividly remember a beautiful doll with long black braids sitting in a little carriage. Since I only have brothers, I knew right away that it had been left for me and my heart beat with joy up to my throat. And the tree, adorned with real candles and giving away that terrific smell of forrest. The decorations were much admired by us, all those tiny little figurines, some familiar from fairytales, only pity, we were never allowed to take them down and play with them. - The Christmas meal the next day always had been goose, till the war started and all the geese had vanished. Did they also fight for the country like my Dad? From then on memories have dwindled, they must have lost their magic.

And then very fast I had not been a child any more.

Mittwoch, Dezember 16, 2009

X-mas Shopping with Herr Husband

December 16/09......7:52 p.m.
Driving downtown at this time of the year is a pain in the neck but driving downtown with Herr Husband is a challenge. Since he is having difficulties walking long distances Landfrau always is looking for ways to park him which most of the time results in loosing each other. And Herr Husband's mobile phone is happily sitting in the parked car. Our story for today is a cute one again. Since we usually have lunch during our downtown excursions , I told Herr H. to walk to te restaurant, while I went for some fast errands. When I arrived at the packed place, I told the headwaiter, who wanted to place me, that I planed to join my husband and that I would scan the place if he had already arrived. Well, done - no husband, so the very friendly man offered to place me at a table to wait for my companion. Landfrau told him,if an elderly gentleman with a cane, looking a bit helplessly around, would show up (he never finds me, I could be right in front of his nose) , he should point me out to him. Well, sat there for about 15 minutes, studied the menu, called Herr H.'s mobile, which, as usual, sat in the car, when suddenly the headwaiter approached me. Smart guy had recognized Herr H. by my description, he had been sitting behind a pillar at a table across from mine already when I had looked for him in the beginning. So this time it had been Landfrau playing blind mouse. Thanks to the waiter we could have our meal together, not seperately.
I am thinking of ways we will not loose each other almost every time we go places, quite a task!

Donnerstag, Dezember 10, 2009

Our Christmas Dog

December 10/09.....6:44 p.m.

We will have a big problem this year and Landfrau is chewing her nails. Herr Hund starts to get very nervous around Christmas season as soon as we carry our X-mas tree home. He is watching us very closely, does not want to miss out when we take it into the living room for trimming. And from then on he is waiting for the big night, when it will be time to open the presents. His present is always a plate full of dog goodies and he gobbles it all up and what he can not manage anymore, he hides in corners around the house. But this year, we confuse him. We have brought the tree home and, having decided to leave it outside in front of the big picture window so we have more room inside, when the family shows up December 25th, he does not know what to make of that. He has that big question mark look on his face, like...where will Santa put my plate? I am having a hard time reassuring him, that Santa will find a solution. But Herr Hund is not so sure if he can believe me.