Like an old Movie

">

Can't get enough of them

October 23/08 7:49 p.m.

What I am talking about? Three guesses- my friends the wild geese of course. Right now they are all over the places, looks like they are deciding where to assemble for this hard journey farther south. Gives me a cozy feeling to hear them in the morning crossing our roof making noisy calls. I always regret when they have left. They fit into the autumn setting of those terrific colours of all shades of yellow, red and orange. Landfrau just loves fall, even if she needs gloves bicycling in the morning with Herr Hund

Look at a little Lady

October 22/08

Everyone's darling is already 1 year old today - Happy birthday, sweetie-pie and many happy returns! Stay happy and healthy!

The late Autumn Blues

October 21/08 7:11 p.m.

Have been kind of down today and the grey sky has been no help. Sometimes I do not mind this somber setting, there are days I even love nature misty and grey. But today... - In former times I used to take my horse out to the riverbanks and afterwoods I usually felt fine and my world had been set allright again. Dog and bike do not have the same effect. Maybe a nice glass of red wine tonite will chase away my gloomy feelings.
And oh yes, tomorrow will be a day of joy, wait and see!

Dropping Dead

October 20/08 11:00 a.m.

Think my blog would have died already without the "House of the rising sun"

The Honorable Visitor

October 18/08 2:20 p.m.

Our 11 year old grandson, the field hockey kid, is supposed to stay with us overnight, his parents are invited to a wedding. He has, like almost every weekend, a hockey game and grandpa is supposed to pick him up after the game. Now, yesterday on the phone grandfather got strict orders:
Don't come to pick me up before I give you a phone call, and
don't come before I call you and wait around for me!

That started us thinking, is he embarassed to be seen with limping grandpa who on top walks with a cane? Or has he other "engagements" up his sleeve before we pick him up?
We are curious but obidient!

Weekend Song

October 16/08 5:10 p.m.
Great, great CALEXICO - with my favoured -" Across the wire"

'>http://

The forgotten Victims

October 15/08 4:10 p.m.

Just as I had been thinking about Ike (remember? the hurricance) today and how people might be coping, I happened to hear a report on WDR 2. It has been an interview with a lady, who had been running a famous fish restaurant in Galveston and how they now fight to clean up the unbelievable mess and how insurances refuse to pay etc. Also she mentioned that there are still about 300 people missing. But appparently all this is snow (or should I say water) from yesterday and all a nation seems to be interested in is how a vicious pair of politicans tries to throw mud at a decent man who deserves to be the next president of the USA.

Just nice to relax by

October 14/08 7:22 p.m.

Simply listen.....


'>http://

Again - a Fish Story

October 14/08 2:15 pm.

Digg this, my sweet, houseguarding, fishfeeding neighbour is a complete nut about animals, like she feeds ants sugar, when she spots them running around. Now, our newest addition to our catastrophy pond, the veiltail, has the habit of kind of swimming sidewise rather close to the surface. Looks funny, since it must be a very greedy fish, it has mutated to a thing like a golfball with fins. Mrs. neighbour figured out that there must be something wrong with Mr.veiltail, so she "dunked" him about 4 times a day deep to the ground. Poor fish had been so frightened it went for hiding under the fountain pump when first time I inspected the pond after our homecoming. I feared it had been a goner in the meantime. Slowly it starts to act normal again, when it sees someone at the edge of the pool. And it still eats "light" food, the greedy monster.

Back in the Chaingang

October 12/08 9:11 p.m.

..sigh, sigh - and almost, but only almost , finished with my unloved task of unpacking bags. I's fun at the hotel, where you have those "virgin" cabinets where you put your nice clothing, but at home...cramming them into overstuffed (with crummy clothes ) wardrobes , it is a pain in the neck. You agree? And tomorrow my messy garden cries for attendance, so I will have to roll up my sleeves and get going as long as the nice weather lasts. And talking about the weather, again we have been soo lucky, only one day a bit of rain, the rest pure blue sky and most of the time sunshine. So, thanks to all of you ,my anti- rain dancers, you did a good job once again.

Yes, it has been a great vacation, such a nice place and sea and country side and I enjoyed beeing spoiled with good food and wellbeing. We did a lot of sightseeing too along the coast and inland, this former eastern part of the country up to now has been unknown to us and let me tell you, it's lovely. Only thing we regretted is, that we did not take our bikes along as we had in mind first, it would have been worth it. But we rented for one day, so Herr Husband could get around for a bit too, walking is out for him for long distances. The walking had been left for Landfrau and Herr Hund and we enjoyed the lonely beaches, empty of beach people. During high season dogs are only allowed at the dog beaches - a nuisance.

Our first stopover on the way to Warnemünde had been Worpswede, a bit of an dissapointment, our chosen hotel turned out to be rather crummy and the little village had been overcrowded. We had a nice dinner though with my cousin and husband, who live in Bremen and came to see us, for them it only had been an half hour's drive. On our way back we made a stopover at a little country hotel in the middle of nowhere (Dünsen, never heard of before) and it had been a real treat, we slept like on cloud seven.

So now we are back home safe and sound and Herr Hund did not want to get out of the car, he wanted to continue the holiday. So did Landfrau.

G O N E !

October 3/08

SEE YOU LATER, FRIENDS ;-)) - stay tuned!

Well,well, well

Ocotber 1/08 2:41 p.m.

A little bit of sunshine right now at this moment at our home for next week at the baltic coast. Packing bags is not such a drag, when Landfrau has a positive "lookout".

Where are my Dancers?

September 29/08 7:34 p.m.

My dear friends, this webcam http://www.webcam-worpswede.de/ I want to see in full sunshine at least 3 days from now, so get busy, dance the anti- rain dance.
Worpswede will be our first stop on our way to the baltic sea, Landfrau has always said she wants to see Worpswede before she dies!

Last Rays of Summer

September 28/08 4:21 p.m.

Have a look, just soo pretty , they never blossomed nicer and Herr Hund enjoying the still warm cobblestones.

Why can't it always be like that?

My Friends are back

September 27/08 5:51 p.m.

Every morning now again they pass our roof on their way to the riverbanks, this morn' in dense fog, the sun breaking through. They woke me up with their loud calls and it's a bit eerie when in no time they vanish like ghosts. - But seeing them at the riverbanks there is nothing ghostly about them, they are just a noisy crowd, maybe discussing the route they want to take further south. But I bet before they are leaving they will feast on the leftover grains from the harvested corn fields. So we should enjoy them still for a little while.
The snap has been taking on this morning's
walk with daugther and the rat pack(dogs) with my mobile phone camera, neat?

Should not miss out on her

">

September 26/08 9:26 p.m.
No BobDylan without Joan Baez - here is your weekend song, folks

Bob Dylan.

September 26/08 8:39

Yes, those were the times, I am fed up with all the bickering about elections, a nondescript woman from Alaska, zillions down the drain and guilt beeing a word never heard of.
'>http:/
/

One more Week

September 25/08 9:48 a.m.

Well, bad thing is, again no luck in winning the US trip (radio quiz) which will take place end of October- bummer - good thing, I do not have to pack bags , a task I hate, so soon again after our upcoming trip. Which now puts you in the spot my dear friends and faithful blogreaders, you have to start dancing the "anti-rain dance" for us. Do not hesitate, it worked before. So, GET GOING, p l e a s e....

Gee, that's me!

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a playful, spirited person. You have a limitless imagination and amazing creative talents. When you're happiest, you are outgoing and expressive . You love celebrations, and you enjoy showing off a little. You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different. You find solitude to be the most comforting thing in the world. Being alone with your thoughts feels very peaceful. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You are very impatient. You spend more time waiting for something than actually enjoying it.

The Autumn Test
September 22/08 1:03 p.m. Olala, I could fall in love with me!

MINI MEETING

September 20/08 6:16 p.m.

Or you could call it "meet many minis" (from all over Germany, Holland and Belgium) and each and every one of those little cars looks different,( and mine the only one with two dents,haha). I personally think that this is one of the assets making this car so special., not the dents, mind you, but the difference in appearance. The event started out at Schloss Dyck and since the weather played along offering us a tremendous autumn day it had been a success for the organizer, a local cardealer, who represents BMW. The program however had been cut out definitely for young folks (us having raised the age average considerably). Around lunchtime we decided to call it a day and went for lunch at a nearby country inn and had great food in a nice ambience.

And the party tonite and the drive to the Nürburg Ring tomorrow we leave up to the young mini - crowd.

Landfrau will feast on apples.

I am an Apple!

September 19/08 8:41 a.m.

You do not believe me? Now here, listen: Two days ago there had been this fruit and potatoes vendor from the "Alte Land", a region near Hamburg famous for its apple orchards, ringing at our door. Normally we have our gate closed, but I had been in a hurry (stupid ladies lunch) and had left the gate open to take my car out. So there he was, smiling nicely, offering me a piece of apple to taste (like snowwhite, eh?) and our stupid "watchdog" made friends with him right away . Usually I have no problem with getting rid of unwanted visitors at our doorstep, but like I said, in a hurry etc. So, the sample tasted good and the kilo price had been right, I told him I would buy some. Turned out the minimum amount would have been 20 kg, well with a household twindled down to two oldies and a dog who does not go for apples I said NO.T he nice guy then offered to sell me the half amount and I could keep them in the basement over winter, they would not rot etc. So, as I mentioned- in a hurry - I said o.k.ok. and made the deal. He then offered me a "present as a new customer of another sample of apples, which he would let me have for free. So I told him to just leave those in front of the door, since I really started to be short of time. To my surprise I then found the same load I had bought as a present. And this morning in bed I started calculating again and it dawned on me that the nice guy had cheated me in a very sneaky way, the "present" I had paid for too, since I had paid the double price for the ones I had really bought. You follow me? Now things like that happen when you are in a hurry and now I am into apples, eating them gallore, keeping ten doctors away at least, making apple sauce, apple pie, apple desert, apple jelly (messing up my complete kitchen on the go) and those damn apples won't get less, have the feeling I am still left with 40 kg of apples. Offered some to my neighbour as a present, oh no, she had bought some too, offered some to my daughter - oh mom, we have our own apple tree! (forgot that with their rented place goes a little orchard across from their home) -
Might put up a stall at the market place of our village ( now this is a joke) .
And what teaches us this whole story? Never make deals when you are in a hurry.
Happy that I did not buy potatoes too!

King no more

September 16/08 7:47p.m.

Now tomorrow the hard task of de-decorating the village will start and the king has outreigned. I think folks were quite happy with the festivities and also the weather played along, kind of cold, though. Exept for one night, where we had an invitation, we did not participate in anything, we were just bystanders and at nite happy to be cozy couch potatoes.

That's taking it too far!

September 14/08 11:34 a.m.

Outragious and insulting and has nothing to do with politics, what a weird election game.

Look and Listen

September 12/08 12:13 p.m.

We are just innocent bystanders.

Let's Celebrate

September 10/08 6:21 p.m.

Our whole little village is in complete uproar. This year will be an anniversary, the 150th celebration of the SCHÜTZENFEST. Just to give you an idea, the pics show the "residence" of the Schützenkönig and the place, where the parade is passing by to salute him and his royal household (not quite ready yet). A big tent has been set up for the festivities and lots of beer will be consumed. There is a merry-go-round for the small folks and beer pavillons and food stalls, where you can buy sausage and such, for the visitors. -

So, let's hope the weather holds, or we will have a lot of Schützen not only wet from the inside but the outside as well.

Lovely,lazy Day.....

September 9/08 7:56 a.m.

.....started out with a visit to the vet, a check up, since lately Herr Hund has developed a heart condition. But thanks to the medication he has to take now twice a day for the rest of his (I hope still long) life, the x-rays showed an improvement. So we celebrated with a lunch at the Fährhaus at the ferry landing, a place we love, especially if you can sit on the outside terrace. - Home, I took a sunbath on our front porch, even fell asleep, rare for me during daytime. For doggie's nightwalk we took the bikes, Herr husband zooming ahead with his electric driven bike, and we had a beer at the beachbar next to the camping grounds with a lovely view upon the old part of Kaiserswerth. Now its 8:00 p.m. and already getting dark, maybe I will have a glass of wine on the front porch, if it's not too chilly already.

A Shot into the Oven

September 7/08 2:11 p.m.

That had been our steak dinner last nite. We decided to try this new steakhouse, the media has been raving about on tv and in the papers. The meat comes from Nebraska+USA and they offer different cuts from the ones used around here. Well, the place had been packed and the service friendly, but as to the food: the meat was o.k. moml's not cooked enough (they offered to put it on the grill again), the sour cream had a strange taste to it and the desert they really fooled up. We ordered a mousse au chocolat (not a challenge for a normal kitchen), first it did not come and after complaining they brought something(claiming they were out of mousse, mind you, were had been early, the first guests)which we could not quite figure out what it should have been, we decided on a dish beat up from some prefix powder. We got that for free, but never mind, if you go out for dinner,you want the food you order and it should taste good, not a replacement for free, even if it would have been good. And the invoice in the end trippled the ones we usually had,when we had a steak dinner at the Block House, where we always had been satisfied up to now. Naturally the ambiente can not be compared, but if I have the choice between better food or better ambiente, the food wins.
Today is my (long deceased) mother's birthday. I remember those family reunions with a set coffeetable in the garden and we always had prune cake. Nice memories...The prune cake we will have today too, but the weather is far from inviting to sit out in the garden.

My September Song

September 5/08 8:54 p.m.

'>http://

Here it is again, a great weekend song for faithful blogreaders. And ......fall is really falling in around here.

The Busy Bee

September 4/08 8:57 p.m.

...that's me. And do you want to know what I did today?

fixed breakfast
made the beds,cleaned the bathroom
walked the dog
washed a window
fixed lunch
ironed a load
cleaned up shelves in the guestroom (a ton of books for the containers)
took a bike drive with Herr Hund
mowed the lawn
sweeped the entrance driveway of leaves
same action in the backyard
changed a light bulb in the tower room(hard task!)
fixed a night snack

...and told Herr Husband, he could never afford me if he had to pay me.

Sing a X-mas Song

September 3/08 3:00 p.m.

That's what I told Herr Husband and I gave him an akku bike as a premature X-mas present. It's now he can make use of it not during cold and rain in the winter.
But as it goes with this guy who has a little black cloud hanging over his head permanently, every time he wants to take the piece out, it starts raining. We had a test run though, where I went along with my "normal" bike to see if he seems safe driving. It looks good, so hopefully not another broken foot (or worse). For X-mas the piece will be adorned with a big red bow.

A Heavenly Present

August 29/08 6:25 p.m.

The weather frog has predicted a weekend out of this world temperature wise. - Great, so we will have the one and only bar-b-que nite this year tomorrow nite. There is but one place to buy a real good steak the right cut, that's the big local outdoor market downtown. Decided to have lunch for a change in the city, but voted against it, too crowded, tooo noisy, too many cars and too many construction sites. Maybe us country bumpkins are not used to the huzz buzz anymore. Instead we choose to visit the riverboat restaurant Canoo (faithful readers are familiar with the place, for all the others, again the link) and it is always a pleasure to sit there,this time on the outside deck,with a view upon the city skyline and the river traffic. And the food is good too. The place in the meantime has a bit of a beat up character, but never mind, it adds to the charm.
Back home took a bike tour with insulted Herr Hund (because he had to stay home during our downtown trip) now his little world is ok.

Watched Barak Obama's speech this morning at the internet, will he be able to live up to his promises, should he win the presidency? Time will tell.

Some other Kind of Advertising or I want that little Helper

">
August 28/08 9:56 p.m.

Really good for a laugh and there is not much to laugh about nowadays. And Landfrau wants the "Come here and help me in the household "- edition.

Short Trip and lots of Action

August 25/08 4:50 p.m.

Had visited with the young family for the baptizing of little Miss Sunshine. It has been a very nice and successful event and the garden party on account of the occasion was a hit. Old and young ones mixed very well and our little lady had been the star. The weather played along too (thank you all - dancers!), food had been great and the cake buffet could outdo every fancy cafe-restaurant.

We stayed at our little country inn in the neighbouring village and Herr Husband is always good for a surprise. Last nite, it still had been pitchdark, I was woken up by a voice asking me to switch on the light because someone had lost his bearings and was sitting on the floor. So happened that he decided to sit down in the lounge chair to get his eyes aquainted to the dark for finding back to bed after the bathroom visit but seated himself between sofa and chair, because he mistook the two armrests for belonging to the chair(look at the pic!). Well, it had been quite a deep seat and then he could not get up anymore. But this time he at least did not break anything. Herr Hund was annoyed, that his blanket was occupied. -

Landfrau laughed so hard, she could not go back to sleep for quite a while ( little sins are punished right away).

Mystery of Electricity

August 20/08 8:17 p.m.

Last nite suddenly our lights went off, so we checked our fuses, turned out the main fuse had blown out, we switched it on, same thing a few minutes later. Then our neighbour showed up and told us his fuses kept blowing out. So obviously we kept turning off each others electricity and we could have continued doing this all nite, if he had not contacted us. We live in a duplex type house, but with complete seperate electricity circuits. Now lots of activity started, a team from the electricity company, and they also brought a test car, or whatever you call them, our own electrician, neighbour and man of the house, the last two only "watchers" tried to find the mistake, zero, nada. The fuses kept happily blowing. Outside supply lines were checked,no luck, so the team left, after having emptied half of our(messy) basement, embarassing comments towards Landfrau from man of the house included (which won't make me tidy up that ugly place) and the electrician and the two unlookers kept switching around, till we finally were left with lights minus groundfloor lights and had been better off than our neighbour,who had no kitchen and basement lights . This morning I got up at a real early bird hour, wanted to bake a prune cake for this afternoon's company of a friend from Southern Germany, suceeded to have it ready before the electrician showed up again, but put in the double amount of sugar in the rush. So, the place was checked and doublechecked, in the meantime we had elelctricity all over the place, so had the neighbour. Later on the electrician found a foul line in the neighbour's kitchen, the ceiling lamp, and now the neighbour has to have the painters in to redo the kitchen, because the ceiling and walls had to be opened. But the electrican claims, that this has not been the reason for the short circuits and that it will happen again for sure.
Then he left and we are waiting for the bill.

Zut alors,

August 18/08 7:02 p.m.

...or, shit happens (as us Germans say). The German horseback riders ( jumping team) blew it. Now we have to keep our fingers crossed for the single competitions.

To start the Week with...

August 18/08 8:20 a.m.
...folks - dance the anti- rain dance for next weekend, it's never too early! And as a reward a nice song from Billy Ray Cyrus, the guy deserves listening to.

'>http://

One Day of Summer during a Summer which is no Summer

August 16/08 7:56 p.m.

Sounds like the title of a novel, doesn't it? Well, it's no novel but a novelty that we could have breakfast AND dinner outside in our little backyard. Puts you into a kind of holiday feeling, if there was not the abundance of work nevertheless for Landfrau. But I took the time to bake a prune cake and we had a piece,what do I say, greedy Herr Husband had three, with whipped cream, the real Mc Coy! - So now we have to look into the next weekend, there will be the baptism of little Miss Sunshine in Hessen and all the worldwide friends and readers, who had been so nice with their birthday wishes for our grandson are asked again to keep their fingers crossed for nice weather, because the party and reception is going to be a garden party, so friends, kick over the sunshine for little Miss Sunshine!

Wow, here we go again!

Nadine Capellman,Heike Kemmer,Isabel Werth
dpa Bildfunk (Jochen Luebke)

August 14/08 7:06 p.m.

Our horseback riders! the German dressage team went for gold, great success for the girls!

Catch a falling Star

August 13/08 6:39 .m.

Last nite a rain of falling stars had been predicted around midnight, so I had been busy peeking out of the windows up front and back. For a while there were no clouds but a rather bright moon, so I was about to give up when a big falling star came my way, had the feeling it almost hit me. I had been so surprised that I forgot to make a wish, pity! Later on I saw a smaller, far away one, but that had been it, because the sky started to cloud over and all my unwished wishes have to wait for another two years, then this phenomena should happen again, so the experts say.

Go for Gold!

'>http://

August 13/08 11:06 a.m.

Simply too beautiful to watch, Landfraus' heart goes out to this dream pair and I do not think I should deprive you of watching this tremendeous "gold ride".
Sorry, could only find a German version, but words are not necessary anyway.

Sunday Song

">

August 10/08 8:53 a.m.

A nice song for a sunday morning, makes you want to travel, doesn't it, to far away . strange places.

Full of good Food

August 9/08 8:37 p.m.

Had a veggie dinner tonite, pancakes filled with chanterelle,which we call Pfifferlinge, and as a dessert blueberrie pancakes with whipped cream! Yummy! and after dinner the latestst news about the conflict in Georgia, houses burning, people dying and at the time beeing no end in sight to an awful conflict. It seems far away and unreal, but it isn't. Bizarr! It is a weird world we are living in.

Personal Olympics

August 9/08 2:03 p.m.

Our grandson had taken part in a hockey summer camp for the last week of school holidays. He had been voted best young talent player of the group , not bad really, but he also made third place in "trash talk", which grandma-Landfrau is extremely proud of. A multi talent, our grandson! He will be eleven years old August 11th. - worldwide good wishes are appreciated then!

For todays' Start...

August 8/08 8:39 a.m.

....of the Olympic games.

Another Fish Story

August 7/08 2:26 p.m.

I am not so sure, but it seems our veiltail has lost some of his veiltail ! No wonder, the way the original (formerly) sole inhabitant of our pond, the monster goldfish, is chasing him around, maybe he ate part of the tail, antropohagus!(cannibal) , should re-baptize him Hannibal Lecter.

The one Day Summer - Summer

August 5/08 7:17 p.m.

At least we had been lucky during our little vacation, but otherwise, summer -zilch. One day it is real nice and one prepares to set up the garden furniture and starts thinking about getting something for bar-b-que, the next day it is crowding winter again. Crazy! Today it had been one of the better days, so we took the opportunity to drive for a beer to the beach bar at the riverside, me and Herr Hund with the bike and Herr husband with the car. Memory of the broken foot on account of falling off the bike is still too fresh. From the beach bar you have a great view upon the opposite riverside, similar to the view in my present header. Herr Hund tried in vain to join the pack of other dogs frolicing around, but he seems to be the outsider kid with the spectacles, mobbed by all the others, they just ignore him. And he is so eager to join in! Poor kid, eh dog, I should say!

We made it!

August 3/08 4:05 p.m.

...and for all of you who have been faithfully checking my blog, here is a nice video of "Burg Bourscheid" which we could see from our hotel and which I visited with our grandson. -

We had a very relaxing stay in Luxembourg and aside from eating,drinking,wellness,massages and walks with Herr Hund we did not do much, grandson claimed, that the visit to the castle had been enough education for this trip. He stated that he wanted to "chill". Well, fine with me, I think I deserved some "chilling" anyway. - One morning, walking the dog, I saw some deer, the first time we had been in that region. I took it as a lucky sign.

Still at that hateful task of unpacking and stowing away bags, left them sitting in my rooms overnite,but no little house gnomes appeared to put them away, so I have to be my own house gnom, as usual.

Will we make it?

July 25/08 7:02 p.m. Keep in touch!

Snails and such

July 23/08 4:37 p.m.

I learned to eat them while we lived in France, and I got to like them, although there is not so much of an own taste, it's the butter and garlic which gives the zest. But I do not like the naked ones. Landfrau once a while feels obliged to live up to her name, working in the garden and such. Today I discovered that it must be the year of the naked snails. I remember a year we had moml's niece with family for overnite visitors,they took a plane to Turkey the next morning out of D. airport. So, since it had been a nice warm summer night, we sat in the garden, having a keg of beer and some food. Now those naked things love beer! In no time we had them crawling all over the places, stepping onto them with our naked feet. And the kid of the niece wanted to save each and everyone of them and started bawling loudly when her father stepped on them to tease her. After an hour I could have wrung the kids neck and shot the father. -
Today I flushed several down the toilet, yes, I know, they too are mother, father and tiny snail kid, but me, I am snail god!

Burden of the Books

July 22/08 3:18 p.m.

Grrr...getting 4 books for a (birthday) present from different persons, having read three of them already and the last one, gosh! too sophisticated for my old brain. I want to live,sigh and cry with the books I read, for brain food I have the internet, yep. - Giving away books I have been just as unlucky, the last two I wanted to "surprise" my daughter with, she had read them already. But,alas, I exchanged two of my books, one of them the sophisticated one,and even got some money back, what a deal, could get used to that. -
And for all of you,who like to sigh and cry with the stories they read also, here is a recommandation: THE CENTER OF WINTER by Marya Hornbacher /Harper Collins NY
and you can also get it at HEYNE's (81056) " Du hast nicht gesagt ich liebe Dich "(German version) .

Enough is enough

July 20/08 9:54 p.m.

We say: the devil is hidden in the detail. Now take this, Herr Husband, the last day in his wheelchair, knocked over a big lamp, he had to squeeze himself into that special corner, and backwards, that is! Landfrau dragged the heavy piece to the repair shop, had been a task loading it into the car. Corner without light for days not so nice. Yesterday picked up the lamp, switched it on, whoom bang, a short circuit! Phoned the shop, they say it must be a slipped isolation. So, next week, same procedure. I slowly but surely think that we have had it with the mishaps, we deserve some pampering now,or not?

Good News

July 18/08 9:55 a.m.

Friends and fans, look at bottom of page,weather pixie is back! Now I can check on my weather ,when,looking out of the window I do not trust my eyes. Our heating has started itself this morning (outdoor feeler) , I suppose we are waiting for snow (little mean joke).

New Pond Population

July 17/08 9:26 a.m.

Since "Herr Husband" is still the casted,handicapped one not allowed to drive a car,Landfrau decided to end the state of loneliness of the leftover fish in our pond (faithful readers are familiar with my several "fish" stories) . So, hated Krefeld is the only place where, according to the internet, fish for ponds could be found. First shop I decided to look for, the road had been blocked off completely, deviation etc. did not know where it would take me. So I decided to visit the second one,which had been seen at the side of the road all the time I had been driving to the hospital. Mysteriously the shop had vanished. About the third one my Tom Tom navi ,which by then I decided to activate, told me the street number was not available and inspite of driving up and down that road I could not spot a 200. So I went into a roadside market for building materials and there a friendly lady pointed out a new shopping center, where I might be lucky. And bingo...a big store for animal needs and - bless them - fish tanks galore! By then I must have gone bonkers because of all the fish swimming around I insisted on a special one, I had the feeling it had looked at me, transfering: take me,take me! - My, a fish,not a puppy! - I also got a tiny goldfish without telepathy. Now we have a populated pond. For how long??

P.S. Link to a pic of veiltails

A Ray of Sunshine in the Morning

July 16/08 9:07 a.m.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE!

Slowly but surely

July 15/08 7:46 p.m.

Yes, we are approaching normality, not quite yet, but there is hope. We had an "outside" birthday party for moml (man of my life) at the Canoo the floating restaurant I had been reporting about at previous occasions. Food had been plenty and good and the ambience terrific, when it started getting dark the patron lit candle lanterns all over the places and with the beautiful bright skyline of Düsseldorf and the even brighter lights and movements of the big "Düsseldorfer Kirmes"(watch the slide shows in article) you had that holiday feeling and since it had been a warm summer night for a change the setting had been perfect.
And today we had lunch at the "Langster Fährhaus" a place quite near to our home at the ferry landing,which we also favour.
Of course I am still the diligent driver, but July 25th the cast will come off, then we shall see further.

Beautiful,but no Pets

">

July 12/08 4:35 p.m.

Found this touching movie about the Northamerican bisons.
When we had been in South Dakota a few years ago, we watched the buffalo-roundup at Custer State Park. Quite a sight for which you had to get up very early in the morning, but it had been worth it. What amazed me at that time was, where all those other spectators came from in the middle of nowhere. Beeing eye to eye with the beasts I had been glad that there had been a fence between us. We have been told that every year accidents, even deadly ones, happen, when tourists think they are confronted with animals they can treat as pets.

But now I am going to take out my own personal pet, Herr Hund, no danger there, oh yes, he might lick you to death!

Amazing

July 10/08 6:07 p.m.

...that those geraniums ever came across with blossoms. Every time they were about to bloom,they got beaten up by storm,rain or hale. Now they made it and it's worth a pic before something ruins them again. Our weather is not really playing up to the time of the year.

Hi, I'm back!

July 9/08 8:00 p. m .

And thanks to valerian I do not care so much about all the " shit happening" anymore . Besides the patient has a walking cast since yesterday, he even can climb stairs and can reach his own bed again, so the living room camp has been removed. Still, there are certain things not so easy yet, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I always have my doubts with certain medics, so I insisted the patient should consult another doctor, and bingo, his cast had been a real "masterwork". Now he has a new one and a walking piece attached to it on top. Of course, he would not win in the paralympics, but he can move without the wheelchair, how we started to hate that piece! Unfortunately driving the car is out, even an automatic, law is against it and in case of an accident there would be no coverage. So Landfrau still is the obidient chauffeur. And the obidient nurse, and the obidient servant, but thanks to valerian I don't give a damn.

Not in the Mood

July 6/08 5:50 p.m.

Keith Urban for the Weekend

'>http://

July 3/08 7:02 p.m.
Weekend song -
Yep, friends, I know, it's only Thursday, but my US friends are celebrating the 4th of July tomorrow, so have a jollie one, you guys. -
As for Landfrau, the grab into the toiletbowl does not seem to end. Herr Hund puked onto the entrance hall floor ( fortunately without carpets on account of the wheelchair) , the patient dropped a bottle with orange juice in front of the fridge, glass and juice all over the floor yesterday, today a tiny bottle of leftover oil came catapulting out of the fridge when I opened it and now my new bought pair of pants is rotating in the wahsing machine, hopefully the grease comes out. And on top of that I discovered a dent at the right side of my car,which must have happened yesterday when I tried to get the car close enough to the enctrance door for the patient to get out of the wheelchair into the car. Had to drive him to the meds. By the way, we are still with cast - no walking.
Hey, but don't worry, otherwise I'm fine!

Reining in wild horses

July 1/08 11:48 p.m.

As a former horse owner it breaks my heart to read reports like that, but what's a wild horse compared to the remaining misery of our world.

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!

">
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.
>http://

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!

">

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.