The Day I almost drowned myself and lost my Ticket

August 16/09...10:37 p.m.

This is all about our pleasure cruise aboard a vessel on the river Rhone in France. - Since we did not want to be under pressure to reach the ship for boarding at 3:00 p.m. we decided to fly into Lyon the previous day. Also there had been that Bocuse birthday dinner the night before our departure. But that is another story. So we arrived pretty early in the morning at Lyon. We had an amazing small plane, and it had been occupied about 1/3rd, gave you the feeling "daddy is going to take you flying" very relaxing. - We had booked for a night into a hotel "Cour des Loges" situated right in the old part of town, very charming and unique - but that is another story. We were lucky to have our room right away, had a leisurely breakfast and then Herr Husband decideded to take a nap and curious Landfrau decided to roam the old part of the town of Lyon. We had been in Lyon before, so I knew a bit about the whereabouts. Decided to take the "furniculaire" (rack railway) up to the hill, where the Basilica" is situated. You have a marvellous view from up there all over Lyon. Tickets you buy at the bottom and you only can enter after having devaluated your ticket. After having visited the Basilica, enjoyed the view and walked around for a bit, I decided to take the trip back down. Looked into my purse - no ticket - . Looked again and again, no ticket. Decided then that I must have lost it while taking out my camera. Started to look around on the ground where I had been walking around, found a lot of tickets, none looked familiar. By then people must have thougt there was a nut walking around collecting cast away tickets. Problem is, you can not buy a new ticket at the upper station and you can not enter without a ticket. Had a last checkup into my handbag, and what grinned at my..my ticket. Had been hiding in a side pocket. So I had been quite happy that I did not have to decend on foot in the mid day heat. - by the time I arrived back at the hotel I decided to hava a swim in the tiny pool at the roof. A nice, little wellness center, but not a soul around. Dipped into the pool, which had been extremely tiny, and found out it was equipped with a device, which you could adjust to swim against. It gave a warning that one should put it to lowest level afer usage. Well, the idiot having used it before me had left it on the highest level and idiot me pushed the button and was thrown around like in a terrific surf, thought I really would not get out . Finally managed to reach the button and adjust it. From then on it had been great and I made a mess using lot of towels and walking dripping all over the place. Punishment! And at night we dined at Bocuse, but that is another story, as I said before.

To be continued.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

August 6/09....8:16 a.m.

About Life and Death

August 2/09 ....6:30 a.m.



Now we are into the month of August already, the vacation of daughter No.2 and family is over and it is the last day for mad Max as our houseguest. Have been awakened by a horrendous flash and thunder and outside we have one of those "green winter" days again. The smell of fall is in the air. Found a death anouncement in the daily paper, my teenage crush, who so long ago broke my heart, has died. It is always sad, to find the obituary of people one has known, even in the far away past. Carpe diem, that's what Landfrau sighs very often nowadays.

Apple of our Eyes!

July 29/09.......2:00 p.m.

And this had been my youngest visitor and she got the most attention for sure!

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A Promise...

Juli 28/09....7:57 a.m.



...is a promise, so I might as well post about my birthday. Everyone has them, as a kid they are great and up to a certain age the birthday child mostly cries at his or her party. Starting from a certain age one has the tendency to sing the song: It's my party and I cry when I want to...well, getting older is not such a piece of cake any more and it really builds up your moral when you get a birthday card from a friend telling you, so now you too are a year older.Thank you, nut, has Landfrau bought the eternal youth, am I Dorian Gray? - But also I have been greatly amused, getting a book from another friend, which "she could not resist reading" first, after leafing through. Only the way it looked, about 3 other people could not resist beforehand either. Never mind , have the book in my collection already anyway. So, when you get in the future a book as a gift from Landfrau,which she could not have resisted reading you are "in the picture" so to say. - Aside from that (now we come to the good part of the story) Landfrau got spoiled galore by the man of her life and her family . I am like a kid, I just love presents. And we had lovely dinners, eating out, only my brunch party on sunday morning at the lovely Canoo I could not enjoy so much , somehow I had grown an addional head overnite and both heads hurt. Could have kicked my ass, should have learned by now that a hangover is a hangover. For sure Landfrau is old enough! - Also by now *laugh*!

Who is stealing my Time?

Juli 23/09.......11:13 p.m.

Actually I had a very good post made up in my mind, about the phenomena of mama-mom-whatever bloggers, very strange to us Europeans, but now I am too darn tired. So you will have to wait for my brainstorm tomorrow or whenever. Guys, you will survive it! But being in "the blog" now I might as well take the opportunity to thank all my real and my virtual friends for their good wishes to my birthday! From now on Landfrau counts backwards.
Hope that does the trick!

Shit happens!

July 16/09...8:82 a.m.

But nothing beats homemade shit! Ripped off part of my car mirror backing the car into our garage, bad but not so bad, since it just snapped off and flew to the ground. But then stupid Landfrau decided to drive over it and it made KCHHH and it was a goner. € 50 down the drain unnecessarily. For that I rewareded myself the "Deppenorden"! -
NO COMMENTS PLEASE!

Memories are made of this!

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July 14/09...8:35 a.m.
Why do good times pass so fast? And it seems I have been away for ages but it has been only a week.

Seaside, a Boy and the Tour de France

July 12/09 ....10:10 p.m.

One word Landfrau put on her "bad list" : AUSREISSER !

Being at the seaside with not exactly beach weather and having a (pre) teen along, who is a sports freak, an alldaylong TV run of the Tour de France is not really my piece of cake! - Aside from that we had fun, and who is talking about the weather anyway. We went on bike rides on dune paths, had refreshments at a dune pavillion with a terrific view of the sea, went into the little village with our bikes and for a swim in the hotel pool, where I must admit that I had been the absolute coward, the outside pool gave me the shivers. And the sea only saw my feet. Our last day gave us a marvellous experience, 2 seals from a station, where they raise abandoned baby-seals made an event out of setting free two youngsters, that had been so cute, they were set in their crates at the beach and as soon as those were opened, they robbed toward the sea, dived in and were frolicing in the water. Only, after a while, they decided that it was enough and now they wanted to go home. But with all the people at the shore cheering them on they decided the peace and quiet of the wide open might be the better idea and they left toward the sand banks.-

The last two days our daughter joined us to pick up her son and we enjoyed our time together. And, oh yes, mad Max came along too, so the rat pack had been together again at the seaside and Herr Hund made a real effort to learn how to be disobidient.

Here we go again!

July 3/09....7:54 p.m.

Getting our feet wet at the seaside - Netherlands! Stay tuned ;-))

Funny Weather

June 27/09...1:24 p.m.

Nothing to say? Talk about the weather. Today it is an effort to breathe, so sticky. Poor Herr Hund with his thick fur, went real slow on my bike tour on his behalf, never mind, gives me time to look around. Some fields have turned yellow already, might be harvested soon. And the corn is growing fast. I actually dislike cornfields, for me they are murder fields, too many corpses have been found in cornfields over the years. And there are the cabagge fields, which evaporate that nice smell in late fall and winter, always makes me gag, but the farmers take their time, to plow the remains. Thunder is now growling outside, too bad, no chance to bike for an icecream and relax outside the parlor. Will fix some strawberry tartlets instead. My strawberry marmelade yesterday turned out absolutely delicious. Unfortunately Herr Husband likes it too (had the hope he wouldn't), now I have to guard it like a miser.

I blew my Top today!

June 23/09...6:09 p.m.

Not that I do not blow it on other occasions too,but never mind that. But today had been the utmost. Had to have my routine breast check up and mind you, that is no piece of cake, having your tits sandwiched between two plates and standing in a twisted weird position, girls, you know what I am talking about. Anyway, had an appointment around lunchtime and after having had the x-rays taken sat in the dark stuffy little room, waiting for the doctor and my results. After leafing through outdated magazines for half an hour, I decided to put something on and go and check for the whereabouts of the doctor. A very astonished nurse asked me, if he had not seen me yet and after my denial told me that he must have forgotten about me and she would send him right away. Well, he showed up pretty fast and I asked him what kind of halfwitted action that had been, letting me sit around half naked for such a long time and if he has had lunch in the meantime. The nincompoop kept apologizing no end, he had been on the way to see me and them something came up and he forgot about me, blablabla. So I told him that this calls at least for a reduction on the invoice, fat chance that will happen,though. After I had given him hell I felt real good and by the way, my results were o.k.

My Friend sings on Sunday

June 21/09....5:23 p.m.

So good to find old friends on YouTube and good to see that old friends age too! ;-)

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Good for a Laugh!

June 18/09..8:52 a.m.

Yes, always good for a laugh are stories which involve Landfrau and grandson. Two days ago daughter #2 asked me to take care of the kid, I should see to it that he had his lunch and then give him a lift to his hockey training, feed and walk the dog (mad Max -my once a while houseguest), grandson would be home from school at 1:45 p.m. and I should be at their place by then. Obidient mom was at the place a little ahead of time, sat in the sun in their yard and by the time it turned to be 2 p.m. started to worry about the kid not there yet. So I gave him a ring on his cell phone and had the astonished question where the heck I was. So I told him that I was waiting for im right in front of the door and it turned out that he was waiting for me inside of the house. He had been early, but who would think of that, the door being locked and the dog not barking, because he knows me. We still would be sitting inside and outside of the house waiting for each other, if I had not phoned.

Home, sweet Home?

June 13/09 ....8:09 a.m.

First of all, have found out that I really DO NOT LIKE WORK! - Being spoiled during holidays is so much nicer, friends. What Landfrau hates about travelling though, is packing and unpacking. Lets take packing - inspite of my list there were several forgotten items, like - very important- passport for Herr Hund and my own personal alarm clock I hardly can do without. Forgot to switch on the outside timing lights and was not so sure about having switched out my nespresso machine ( well, I did, but uncertainty kept nagging on me!) . Have to keep working on my proficiency, seems to get harder with age.

Enough of that. Our little vaccation has been great and really something urgently needed. Just "chillin'" , good food, good wine, massages and not overdoing activities...the early morning and late afternoon walk with Herr Hund up that steep hill behind our hotel almost did me in, but once we reached the top we were awarded with such a great view and with a path we had all to ourselves. Never met a living soul. Then you think the world belongs to you. - One evening our Luxembourg friends joined us for dinner, its always lots of laughs with them, we are friends since over 40 years. Only our headwaiter, whom we called Obama among ourselves (could have been a brother) treated them very upnosed, they refused to stuff themselves with the big menu which we ate every nite. -

And then, during our last night I lost Herr Hund, had been watching a late movie, really enjoying myself in my bathrobe together with Robert Redford, when Herr Hund decided that he had an atttack of diarrhea and wanted out, but pronto. Since our room had been at the end of a very long hallway Iwas not so sure if we could make it to the elevator. Fortunately we had a fire escape staircase right across from our room, but the door could only be opened from the inside. Landfrau in bathrobe let out Herr Hund and Herr Hund vanished into the dark of the night. Whistling calling... no dog. So woke up Herr Husband who would not trust his ears when I told him that the dog got lost, then dressed in a jiffy to look for our lost friend and by the time I was ready, a very excited Herr Hund showed up at the bottom of the fire escape. He must have run to our ususal entrance and finding everything closed, remembered where he had come from. Well, I was so glad to have him back, but by that time Robert Redford had left me. Now I will never know how the movie ended.

So that had been the exciting finish of our vaccation . Now I am back home and wish "Obama" would serve me breakfast!

About Time

June 7/09

Falling off Horses on Islands

June 6/09....12:30 p.m.

Almost every morning during our biketours Herr Hund and Landfrau pass the racetrack of our (former) riding stables and inevitably riding stories cross my mind. And there are plenty, believe me. Some refer to holidays, I vividly remember my first ride on German grounds. At that time we lived in France but out of some forgotten reason decided to take our vaccation at the island of Juist, one of the northern German islands. I had started with my first riding lessons in France and there I rode those very easy to sit, smaller French breed horses. A treat! - Now, beeing a very eager beginner-horsewoman, I decided to book a ride at one of the local island stables. Got my first fright when I saw those huge creatures, but everything went well, I started to relax and enjoy myself, loping along the sandy beaches, but..then we reached harder ground on the way home and, never have been taught that position, where you stand in your stirrups, I started to bounce like sitting in an effen Deux-Chevaux and off I went, very much to the estonishment of the other riders. Was I ever embarassed!-
My second island flop happened only a few years ago at the Netherlands seaside , Schouwen-Duiveland . We have friends,who take their horses and put them up at a local, also rental, stable. So they meant well and invited Landfrau and daughter for a ride. Our friend told the stable owner that we were very good riders and that was a mistake. They gave us horses, which must have been sitting in their boxes for at least a week, probably beeing unmanagable for normal riders. Daughter had a run-away ,as soon as we reached the beach, she dissapeared as tiny dot at the horizon and me, I got a trotter, who must have been astonished that there was no sulky following up and stormed off in such a brisk trot that he just bounced me off too, only this time I fell at a high speed on ground where the water just had receeded and mind you, on top of beeing soaking wet I had the feeling I had fallen on pur concrete and I had hever been so bruised around my lower half up to the waistline in all my life. For 3 days my favoured companions were icepacks at the weirdest places.-
I have been riding horses in New Mexico and in Arizona, never having had any trouble. I should stay away from island-horses, for me, they are jynxed.

Life full of Highlites

June 4/09....8:50 p.m.

Would not be so great, to live a life full of highlites. You would never know boredom and sometimes it is just good to be lazy, empty and bored. Had such a day today, which had been full of tasks but utterly boring. My tonites highlite will now be a glass of wine and the relief to know that life will have real highlites in stall for me in the future and then boredom can go and fly a kite.

Busy Bee - that's me

May 30/09 .....4:31 p.m.

Really have been buzzing around today. First biketour with Herr Hund (fortunately his paw looks very good, the awn must have come out by itself) to pick up fresh aspargus and strawberries at our local farmer, then mowing the lawn and watering flowers and shrubs, then another biketour into village, this time minus Herr Hund , he is always such a slowpoke, sniffing no end and making me wait for him continiously - a pain in the neck. Had to pick up some small forgotten things and as a reward treated myself to a delicious icecream- cone from the Italian icecream parlor, feeling like a kid, dripping icecream all over my fingers and licking it off. Then at home I prepared some strawberry shortcakes with whipped cream, which we just devoured. Feeling a bit like a glutton, but never mind, had enough excercise, so I don't have a bad concience. Will go easy tonite and just prepare a nice green salad ,with tomatoes ,garlic bread crumbs and hard boiled eggs and fresh french bred alongside, a treat. - Enough food talk for now, enjoy my beautiful rose, it is still blooming in my garden!

Season`s Opening

May 28/09......6:66 p.m.

Yes, my friends, our Herr Hund had been the one, opening up the season being the first of awn victims. That's what the vet said anyway and that usually they fill in much later in the season. Well, Herr Hund had to live up to his name, country dog! - Fortunately the thing sits or sat, one can not really tell, between his toes and this way has no chance of migrating. Amazingly our patient does not limp, otherwise he would be good company to his master. For the time being no bandage, just antibiotics and we have to wait and see. Maybe we are lucky and the thing does not have to be cut out. So, keep your fingers crossed for us!

Summer Impressions

May 24/09.....4:18 p.m.

Landfrau promised herself a real "effn" lazy day today. Kept my promise up to now. Have to come inside for a while, soaking up sun while reading two papers made me kind of sweatty (but not smelly,haha) - a pool would be nice but all we have, is the pond, where at the moment we have the ultimative fish mortality, there are two leftovers to go but I bet that in the end we are stuck with one bugger who does not want to die and then pity grabs my heart and I go out and buy another couple of companions and the whole story starts anew. Well, such is life, or in this case rather the death of fish. This way we can stick to our neverending fishstories. The money we have spent on replacements could buy us a real good fishmeal by now. -
Last nite we had friends in for BBQ and foodwise everything turned out perfect, exept for the "test- grilled" sausages, which Herr Husband burned and Landfrau refused to eat. Our guests had been more brave, even claiming they were alright. The politeness of the invited! Herr Hund got mine and did not complain either.
So, if it would not be hate- monday tomorrow and we had a pool, life could be perfect.

Country Life

May 16/09 ...2:24 p.m.

I know, I know, I am repeating myself, but to enjoy living outside of a big city but having it close nevertheless has something. This morning Herr Hund and Landfrau went by bike (Landfrau - bike, not Herr Hund) to pick up aspergus, strawberries and potoatoes from a local farmer, freshly harvested. On the way through the fields and bushes we came eye to eye with a deer, so close I almost could have touched it. We stood there, staring at each other and I tried even to keep my breath, that I would not chase it away. Fortunately Herr Hund had been practicing his usual slow poke tour, by the time he arrived at my side, the deer had gone. Also I enjoy the horses, which have been turned out by now upon the various meadows, they so much enjoy the fresh air and joung grass, frolicing around. Now I will peel my aspargus and then dolly up, dinner date with my brother and sister-in-law.
At times life can be enjoyable!

Crybaby

May 11/09 ....9:20 p.m.

Complain often enough, loud enough, sometimes it helps. My little garden fork is on its way, daugther no. 1 took pity on poor mom, put it in the mail today. And I still have a promise on flowers (to be planted) from daughter no.2, made today at birthday party of son-in-law. Good food,good wine & good company, joung folks, love that! Evening had been a bit chilly,though, Herr Husband had today's sunshine mistaken for summer, he wanted to leave before he turned into an icicle, dressed too summerly. Grandson ran around in short sleeves, that kid must have fishblood!

Same Procedure as every Year, James!

May710/09...... 2:16 p.m.

What am I talking about? Well, look at the date,glorious mother's day! Up to now I got an electronic card which did not arrive. - It had been cute, when the kids had been small, hiding them for days & then coming up with the most atrocious little gifts, you had to be hilariously joyful about.
Not that I really take much notice of the occasion nowadays, only thing is, that I start teasing Herr Husband the day before, like I expect at least breakfast in bed (hate it, crumbs!) and he goes haywire, because he hates preparing breakfast, what am I saying is, he hates doing things around the house which involve hands, and that does not leave much to do. We had times it escalated in such a way that he started yelling at me that I was not his mother and me beeing pissed off in the end at his attitude.
Yesterday I did some garden work and my little handfork broke. So I said that I wanted a mother's day fork for a present . I DID NOT GET ONE!
Now we will take the bikes and drive for an icecream, it is a great sunny day, but not over yet *ggg*!

This is just too funny!

May 5/09 ...6:57 p.m.

For all my friends, who do not have the opportunity to watch our little video in YouTube! -Gives you a little impression about action around here. - Now, this will be it for now, this is not a baby blog *g* .

Little Miss Sunshine Content

May 2/09 ..11:22 p.m.

Having a toddler in the house is a somewhat different experience. Has one forgotten already the time when our kids had been small, having the run of the house? - Most of the "untouchables" had been put away, but in the garden a terracotta bowl had been a victim, calling ball,ball, grabbing and throwing it had been done so fast you did not have time to blink. Well, not too bad for collateral damage during 3 days, I would say, oh yes, a lump on the head from a headover tumble from the couch, which my heart made skip a beat for a moment. An adult falling like that would have broken his or her neck, I bet. Certainly the little queen had us dancing around her galore but can you say no to such a doll? Anyway, we enjoyed it , but honestly, every day and all the time would let us reach our limits. -

One thing is for sure, mother nature knows why she does not favour older women with offspring anymore and if older men think they still must father and raise kids, its their own fault.

Let's see if I still can do it!

April 25/09 ...3:50 p.m.

What? Well, writing something without having to cut myself down to 140 characters. Thank you, twitter, you really make me minimalize myself, Landfrau sometimes has the weird feeling of even talking in tweets. Not that I have too much to say,anyway. Bought first aspargus of the season at our farmer, freshly cut this morning and we will have it with new potatoes, sce. hollandaise, baked ham and buttered crumbs tonite. Since aspargus is a real diet food I have the hidden hope, that all the other goodies on my plate also will turn into diet food miraculously. Scale will tell tomorrow morning, I might just cheat and show it the finger - there!
Fishwise there is another addition to our pond, could not resist a tiny coi when I had been out buying plants for the garden, and I am telling you, this fish can not swim, sitting on the ground most of the time, might turn into an amphibian.time will tell. -
And next week we will have visit from little Miss Sunshine and mom for a few days, looking forward to that and we are curious how much she has developed since X-mas, when we saw her last. Before I have to roam the house with a big basket, collecting all the "untouchables" and I hope that Herr Hund behaves better this time and does not think that he is the leader of the pack.

Just Music....

April 21/09 ...8:37 p.m.
.....for listening to on a nice spring-summer evening, enjoying a glass of wine!


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Lazy Saturday

April 18/09 ....2:59 p.m.

Listening to Herr Husband talking baby talk to baby on the phone. Drives me nuts! lol ! - Aside from that we are down to one dog, our guest dog, mad Max, has reluctantly left us, Herr Hund does not seem to be too unhappy about it, he is a spoiled "Einzelkind". And we have another,or rather, one more variety of our fish stories. Now we have four again, the longtime vanished "tester" has reappeared. If there ever should be five in the near future, I begin to believe that somehow Jesus is around, preparing to feed another 5000 with one fish. - Whatever. -

A bright ,promising sun had been out this morning, now it is raining again and darn cold on top. Landfrau is not satisfied. The short,warm period and then the follow-up rain has caused an explosion of green naturewise - green hell it is. The skiing gang is back home safe and sound from Austria, I always breathe a secret breath of relieve, they might drop in later. Landfrau will now switch back to twitter, but I try not to develop into a tweet addict.

Ivan the Horrible,the Antichrist or Cat Attack

April 12/09....9:14 p.m.

Things happen, which in my modest opinion only happen to Herr Husband. Today, beeing Easter, great weather and a lazy day altogether we decided to have dinner out at the Molzmühle, about a forty min. drive from our home towards the Dutch border, set very picturesque in the middle of woods. We know the owner, a very nice lady and a good cook to boot, quite well, she got some restaurant stars from various testers. We got a nice table at the first floor and while waiting for our food to arrive, we got a visit from the cat of the house, named Ivan (from now on the Horrible), a tomcat the size of a small black cougar and black he was, like the antichrist. Herr Husband talked to him very nicely like- who are you, nice kitty and so forth, while dangling his left hand at his side. Mind you, he did not even touch that minature tiger, and suddenly Ivan started to scratch, bite and beat up the hand of Herr Husband. Landfrau, like in situations like that, sorry - had a laughing fit and Herr Husband's hand had been bleeding like hell. He is taking bloodthinning medicamentation on account of his heart condition. We were supplied with some band aid and now here at home Landfrau administered some desinfection and we are thinking of a tetanus shot tomorrow, depending on the situation.
Nevertheless, dinner had been great and now we have sitting an army of chocolate bunnies around, one Easter Bunny Landfrau gave to Herr Husband, 2 from our daughter, 1 which sat in front of our gate (donnor unknown up to now )and one from Ivan the Horrible. Chocolate galore, or, like one of my twitter friends calls it, chocolate thunder.

So this has been our Easter up to now, there is one more day to come, hopefully in a way more relaxing, we can not cope with too much excitement anymore.

EASTER

April 12/09

HAPPY EASTER !

Easter and the vanishing Things

April 11/09....2:50 p.m.



Easter is the time to hide things, right? mostly eggs and sometimes you find them about 6 months later! Around our house we have the story of the vanishing fish and I really did not dare to call it "Another fishstory" in my headline! If you have followed up my fish stories, you might remember, that after our icy time during winter only one of our fish survived, the smallest goldfish, called the 5-incher. Now both of us, Herr Husband and Landfrau, started to feel sorry for the lonely bugger, so Herr Husband went out to get him a companion. Orders from Landfrau had been:JUST ONE FISH! Since this fish had been so small we named him the tester. It took a few days and the tester had vanished. We kind of fished around in the pond, no luck, gone. I even took out the pump. Well, the next day, there was the tester for a glorious 2 days, then, zilch - vanished. And this time it did not show up any more. So Herr Husband went out and got another 2 fish, this time disobeying my strict orders for getting only one. To make a long story short, 2 days later they had vanished, all three of them. Neighbour told us she had seen a heron around. So Landfrau took a deep breath of relief, end of the fishstory, no more fish.
You might not believe it, 2 days later they were back , all three of them! Happy Easter!

Fly me to the Moon

April 8/09 ....7:44 p.m.

Since there are easter holidays, our grandson had a time window for his grandparents and we went to see that facinating expo at the gasometer in Oberhausen in the middle of the industrial area of the Ruhrgebiet. Many of the former industrial places are not needed any more in our modern times, so they have been turned into momuments. A great idea,so coming generations are able to have a look at the working places of older times. The gasometer has converted into a place where they have expositions and also presentations and performances, very interesting. So, today we have been looking at the biggest artificial moon in existence and there was a demonstration about all the moon phases in fast motion. A real "wow" effect. Many other interesting things to see, I could have walked around for hours. Spooky too to listen to a tape of the call from the Russian base talking to the first space victim and suddenly there had been nothing anymore. A human lost in space and his last words forever preserved.

And to top it off, we went to the top. There is a -very windy - observation platform 100 meters high, where you had a terrific view all around and grandson spied a little amusement parc right at the foot in the surounding grounds belonging to a big mall and we naturally had to drive there right away, but after a late lunch with snail waiters (they only looked like humans) it had started to rain and the temperature had dropped considerably. So our freezing grandson let us take him home - 45 min. drive, after all - and we were lucky to avoid the evening traffic.

My Summer Trauma?

April 2/09 ....7:33 p.m.

Have been a very busy Landfrau today and an early bird on top. Had an appointment for the once a year nuisance of " health inspection". I call it the pee- run, three guesses why. And in the afternoon I kind of raided the local flower market. My efforts to give the unloved new fence a personal touch. Hope I will be satisfied with the results at the end of this summer, have to wait and see. Our weather right now is like the icing on a cake, smooth. For me it can stay that way, and I think other people don't mind either. Will have daughter's dog, mad Max, as a houseguest over Easter, if running with two dogs won't do the trick of turning me into someone slim and trimm, then I give up. -
Queen Elizabeth has been wrapped into the arm of the First Lady Obama, the British court is in uproar, but the queen obviously did not mind beeing touched the democratic way and Herr Husband fell under his car, while unloading a bag of garden soil from the back compartment. Got rescued by a lady neighbour, because he could not get up by himself anymore. He gave her a hard time, beeing half his size. So, these were the most important news of the day. - And have you been April fools yesterday? I know of at least two, but not Landfrau, mind you!

Spring,Spring, Spring and no April Fool

March 31/09.....6:35 p.m.

Now outdoor activities start to be fun again and not just a must just to air Herr Hund. On our morning bike run Landfrau and Herr Hund have been passing deep green horse pastures. The horses are not out yet but the green looks so tempting that Landfrau would almost like to be a horse. Well, actually I am a horse, big @$$ and big mane - just joking folks - not such a big mane after all. Oh, STOP THAT NOW, LANDFRAU! Enough is enough! -

Last weekend with lousiest weather ever our son-in-law had to transfer his boat from the harbour where he bought it in Holland to the harbour where he has rented a box. It had been a rough long run and just before arriving at their destination the motor conked out and they had to run into the harbour under sails, and that in the dark. They managed bravourously and even hit the right box, but that had been pure luck. So both, the captain and the boat passed the test, minor things still will have to be done and the motor has to be looked after by an expert. Old ex-sailor father- in-law is looking forward to be taken along for a sail, Landfrau is looking forward to a nice hotel at the seaside, I always have been more of a horse woman, water has no beams!

Buy me a Monkey!

March 25/09.....2:46 p.m.



Our new fence, no, don't like it, really have to get used to it. And our "Felsenbirne", I think you call it juneberry, but do not take me up on it, is now proudly presenting it's four naked stems or trunks, whatever, against the naked fence. Before there had been that overgrown Ivy background, Now it looks like one of those climbing trees for monkeys in zoological gardens. So, Landfrau should install a monkey, but it has to come with the guarantee,that it does not bite faces and limbs off people. Will be hard to find, I reckon.
Ah shucks, I better stick to the further monkey business making this cotton pickin' fence representable. We shall see.

I am not Snow White!

March 24/09 ....11:20 a.m.

.....and Landfrau hopes that she is not yet the bad queen. Although "mirror" Twitter slowly but surely makes me feel like it. Lately in the guise of followers shows me the real me. Who is following me? Cooks, wine drinkers and now, to top it all off, a WEIGHTREDUCER! Made me cry. Fits in so perfectly with my thoughts during my walk with Herr Hund just half an hour ago, where I had been turning over in my mind that all my life I had wished for long, terrific legs. And what am I gifted with, short, muscular stems, bawl.....
I have given up the hope that I still might grow a few inches or so, will stick to high heels (in public) as long as I am still able to stagger around with them.
Have been an early bird today, new garden fence is set up in our kitchen garden, in my opinion useless spending of money I would have a million different ideas to spend on. But it has been a must before our "friendly" neighbour would have been getting at us with a gun. Nasty "follower" for real.

The Sunday Pic

March 22/09 ....10:23 a.m.

Smart Landfrau has been wrecking her little brain, how not to deprive my twitter friends of their promised sunday pic (as if someone cares, lol) and voila, here it is! I just adore white roses.

PADS

March 19/09 ..... 6:52 p.m.

Yes pads, that's what it read on my shopping list several days ago. When I picked it up I kept staring at that word, pads, pads, what the heck, what kind of pads? Did not need any for cosmetics, neither for my coffee machine. Consulted Herr Husband, asking him to read the item on the list. Pads, came the answer. To make a long story short, could not figure out the pads, even not in the supermarket, where the mysterious pads might cross my path. Nada. Forgot about the whole thing. Now today, my usual farmer's market shopping day, it needs a long list and believe it or not, what sat big and fat at the end of the list in my own handwriting? You guessed it - pads. Could not even remember having put it there, maybe I had been unconcious for a while, setting up my list? Could also be that there is a gremlin in our home playing tricks on me. Wrecked my brain all the time while shopping, even asked a friend, whom I met by coincidence to read that damn word, pads, she said and started to wreck her brain too, giving me clues as to what kind of pads it might be. Arriving home my eyes fell upon the frying pan rack, sitting in the sink and it dawned on me: scouring pads !
Have to face the facts, I must be getting old. Tonite I will go and hide in a secret corner and cry for a bit.

The Party Mile

March 14/09....9:16 p.m.

Landfrau is full, full of good steak. Once a while we decide to leave our solitude countryside and go and take part in the life of town . Tonite we wanted to have dinner at "our" barge restaurant, tough luck, they had a wedding party. so we thought we should try the old part of town, the party mile, so called because there you find one beer parlour and one food restaurant after the other, all what have you, from german , italian,turkish, libanese to chinese food . We choose the wellknown Block House, a steak temple, known for its excellent cuts of meat. Walking there, we really had been amazed, so many restaurants had their tables outside and people were wining and dining, mind you, at at temperature from barely 10 above Zero. At the most famous beerparlour, the Uerige, most of the tables outside had been crowded with waiters running back and forth, carrying loads of beer. Some people started singing already. Later on at nite the party mile gets to be a place not so safe anymore, drunks start to riot and the police has their hands full. There are often even stabbings and robberies. Bad times. It is a shame, but the city is trying to get a grip on the situation and turn this part of town into the charming "party mile" it used to be decades ago.

For a Change - A Chuckle in the morning

March 13/09 .....10:22 a.m.

Herr Husband has the habit of putting his little pill plastic cup into the pocket of his bathrobe. So about every second time I wash the robe, pillbox gets washed along with it. No harm done. Happened so again yesterday and when Herr Husband wanted to fill it up for the next day he called from the bathroom: "There is still water in it!". Now, Landfrau, just having brushed her teeth, presumed he had been talking about the waterglass and called back:" I just drank out of it." Herr Husband, flabbergasted: " what are you , a dwarf?" - Landfrau almost peed into her pants from laughing.

Gloom and Doom

March 11/09 ...10.12 a.m.
I simply hate this weather we are having right now!
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Text:
I see the bad moon arising.

I see trouble on the way.I see earthquakes and lightnin.I see bad times today.

Chorus:Dont go around tonight,Well, its bound to take your life,Theres a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.I know the end is coming soon.I fear rivers over flowing.I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

ChorusAll right!Hope you got your things together.Hope you are quite prepared to die.Looks like were in for nasty weather.One eye is taken for an eye.

About Dog Poop and too much Rain

March 10/09.....7:14 p.m.

We still have a lively E-mail connection with our dear friends living in Vancouver B.C. We have met at the time we had been staying in that beautiful city and there are times we reget that we ever left, but then, you can not turn back time and I should not complain about the time we have lived here in Europe since we came back from Canada. Had been very nice and interesting times too, with lots of traveling abroad. Now what I want to talk about today for a bit is the 4 year old granddaughter of our friends. She is such a doll and we are supplied with cute stories about her by the proud grandparents. So also today, when we were informed, that for her 4th birthday her strongest wish had been a plastic dog poop. Well, actually the only person up to now I know of who is continiously talking in her blog about dog poop is that (ex?) Mormon (can you be an ex, or is it once a Mormon always a Mormon?) woman Dooce, but I think that right now reporting about her pregnancy takes the upper hand. So, the little one of our friends is in good company. That depends of course whichever way you want to look at it. And I refer to the dog poop, not the pregnancy - mind you. Anyway, she got her dog poop and had been a very happy birthday child. -
Other subject, the rain.There is that song "Has there ever been so much rain, man " continiously twirling around in my head and every time Herr Hund takes me walking on the levee I regard the rising river suspiciously. And if all that snow in the mountains starts to melt within a short time, we are in for something. There are plans to reconstruct our dike this year in summer, but that will be of no help now. Up to now we always have been lucky, so lets hope our luck holds for the time being once more, otherwise we are in for some very wet feet.

The Everending Story

March 7/09 .....2:47 p.m.

where I had been afraid that it might be a neverending story. What I am talking about? You have read me before (hope so *g*), the book grandson gave me for X-Mas "Grandma, tell me..." , which had been a pain in my neck ever since, the Damokles sword for sure. Same book had been given to the other grandma and as I told grandson yesterday that I have the book finished I got an answering e-mail "so you have outdone your competition M." Am I ever proud! That kid really is something, good for a laugh very often. Now I only hope that my efforts pass inspection. - Other efforts have been made today to plant some flowers which had been sitting around for days, just did not feel up to garden slavery in pouring rain. But today there is that nice smell of spring in the air again, had a longer biketour with Herr Hund, passing by my former riding stable. I very seldom drop in there, getting fed up with people asking me "Don't you miss your horse, don't you miss riding? " - Of course, fatheads, I do so, very much ,but decisions have to be made between the head and the belly, although belly sometimes is a bit rebellious. But, alas...Too many things are to be considered, if I could handle it the way my twitter friend Kimberly in Texas does it, having the horses close by on own ground it would be fine, but that is out of the question around here. So I stick to my nowadays equipment, the "Drahtesel" (wiredonkey) as we say in Germany. And that wiredonkey Landfrau is going to saddle right now and Herr Husband (with electric bike) and I are driving to our little village, 3 kms, to visit a bakery coffeeshop and we shall feast on delicious cake like homemade and a milkcoffee grande - and never mind the calories.

I am your DJ

March 5/09 1:11 p.m.
Nothing to say, something to sing (little joke, friends ;-) )

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The Day I talked to Jerry Lewis

March 1/09........3:43 p.m.

During my bike tours with Herr Hund a lot of things cross my mind, sometimes I don't even know why. So today, when I remembered my phone conversation with Jerry Lewis. You do not believe me? Cross my heart and hope to die, it's true and happened like this:
At the time Herr Husband still had been a busy global traveller, he got stuck at one of his international flights in a business lounge, waiting for his connection. He then usually tried to phone home, kind of to pass time. Also said day and during our phone conversation he told me that he was sitting next to Jerry Lewis. I did not believe him, thought he was pulling my leg, so he went up to Mr. Lewis with his phone, introducing himself and asking him to confirm that they were both in the lounge. Now Mr. Lewis had been very nice, asking him "what's your wife's name?" and then talked to me on the phone, confirming he was really Jerry Lewis. Flippant me had been on the verge of saying that he might as well be Donald Duck, would I know? But I held my tongue , thought if the guy was so accommodating I should not be a"comic". Besides,talking to a comedian,you should not try being funnier than the expert, it's like being holier than the pope. - Anyway, we chatted for a bit and I told him that it would be nice to see him if he ever showed up here in our hometown. He promised, but has not shown up yet, what a shame!

And I have another "celebrity" story up my sleeve, but that will have to wait for some other time. o.k.?

Made my day

February 23/09.....12:41 p.m.

Just came in from my walk with Herr Hund, have to take this down before it slips my mind: Landfrau met neighbour with grandson( 5) outside. So we chatted for a bit. Suddenly grandson,who kind of acted already annoyed because I kept grandpa from walking on, said to me: in former times you looked younger. I asked him a little flabbergasted in which way - his reply: you had less wrinkles.
Fits perfectly in with my usual flippant remark around Karneval-season: - you should stop celebrating,when you look worse after taking off your witch mask. -
I am still giggling!

Can not win

Landfrau and Mom

February21/09

Talking about that winter, which really this season has managed to please and annoy us. But if you ask me, around here it is kickin' up the heels in a feeble way. During my today's walk with Herr Hund I noticed light dashes of green on so far dark brown twigs and branches. Also the snowdrops start to show, must have helped that Landfrau bought that wine with the name of perce neige, which by the way tastes delicious. Opened the first bottle tonite with our salmon dinner ,might have to go for an addional supply pretty soon. Otherwise have been busy again with the fabolous X-mas gift from my grandson, the book where I figuratively dish out my life from birth. The pre-given questions are a hairraiser, most of them, so I found a way to pepp up the oevre with some ideas of my own, which meant also digging into old photobooks. Ran across some pictures of my mother in her days, when I had been a toddler. My, has she been attractive! She died at a , for today, early age of 76, Alzheimer, and strange enough in the end of her sickness days, her beauty kind of reappeared, there were no marks of sorrow and age anymore in her face.

But with the book I see light at the end of the tunnel, so to say ,and for finishing it a few more drab winter days are not so bad. You see, there are two sides to everything.

It's the Time of Year!

February 21/09 8:44 p.m.

Can not skip that, too cute!

KARNEVAL Contribution!

February 19/09 2:00 p.m.

My contribution for the "Altweiberfastnacht"
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Springfever

February 18/09....6:50 p.m.

Honestly, must be springfever,which pushes me into snap decisions to jump into my car and drive downtown and on top of that must have been a catalogue in the mail by a downtown clothing store. And Landfrau knows beforehand that she will never fit into those barbiedoll-sized garments, but knowing is not believing and my Waterloo comes latest when I am in one of those overlit cabins, already sweaty from undressing, hair, which is too long right now anyway (hated hairdresser appointment coming up) pointing in every direction trying to squeeze into pieces which outside of the cabin looked by far big enough. As I said: Waterloo... Grinding my teeth I then roll up to the next level, where the "fat" ladies shop and there I am usually lucky. Today I picked one of the good days where there had been an adequate choice and once I discover that I fit into a chosen piece I go haywire and buy the same one in different editions,might not be available anymore at some other time. Today's captured goods: 1 pair jeans dark blue, same ones light blue, long sleeved T-shirt white, long sleeved T-shirt yellow, same one mint and a short sleeved polo shirt yellow. Saleslady treated me like roalty and admired my cap. In former times I have been admired for my looks! - Well, you can't have everything.

Once again......

February 17/09......6:02 p.m.

....a quiz, just love them, but do you think seriously I would publish it here if it was bad?

YOU ARE FEARLESS

You Are Fearless

You have great dreams and unrelenting ambition. You go for what you want, and it's hard to deter you. You are incredibly competent and intelligent. You've had a very high success rate in your life. You tend to dominate people. You have a very strong personality, and others tend to heed to your demands. You're confident enough to be considered arrogant. You tend to think of other people in terms of what they can do for you.

Are You Flirtatious, Fearless, Factual, or Friendly?

Valentine's Day

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February 14/09....9:07 a.m.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN!

Winetasting Galore!

February 11/09 ...8:38 p.m.

A few days ago a flyer from our favourite wine shop came by mail. Among others they were praising a French wine namened Perce-Neige, which in German is "Schneeglöckchen " (snowdrops). Now, mind you, with our not so supra weather around this time of the year I had been so intrigued by that name, I had to have that wine, simply had to have it. I could taste it in my mouth, even never having tasted it. So yesterday afternoon in a slushy snowstorm Landfrau drove to the wine store. Thought I might be the only customer, since the shop is located off road in a leftover building of an old monastry. Totally wrong, shop had been filled with quite some people about my age. Seems we are the age group comforted by buying wine in drab weather times. The store also offers other goodies, like jams, olive, oil, pasta sauces etc. So I took my time looking around ,eavesdropping on two ladies, who could not make up their minds if buying the cheaper wine,which one of them claimed, was more to her liking, or the more expensive one. I really had to giggle, whom did they want to impress? The sales clerk, by choosing the expensive one? Really, some people. Then Ihad a taste of "Schneeglöckchen" and another brand, but snowdrops it was, it turned out excactly they way I had expected. Got a lesson on top from another customer,who told me that tasting wine has to be noisy, you have to slurp, and I told him that I know that you never say that a wine is lecker, now that's a sacrileg, wine is fruity, round ,full, heavy, but never lecker ( yummy), and then I said that this wine was very "lecker" and him and the sales clerk laughed their heads off. - So you see, even at an ugly,rainy day you can make friends with the help of wine.

A Beautiful Song

February 9/09 7:09 p.m.
.....and a beautiful singer. -
Take the time and listen, it's like the caress of a breeze.

Yes, I am

February 8/09........ 3:14 p.m.

....writing a post. That's what I promised myself today, have to stop waisting all my resources on twitter, even if I have nothing to say - so to say. Now, seriously, twitter is insofar intriguing as you are sitting there reading all the stuff other brains, who also have nothing to say, evaporate. Some things might be amusing, but serious information you only get from the news tweets. Sigh, to make a long story short, shit- I am hooked. Still, there are days, like today, I slap more or less successfully my fingers to stay away. -
And now down to serious business, my life. Not such a hype right now, but I am getting modest, happy if I am spared catastrophies of which we have had plenty last year. Last week Landfrau had been Herr Husband's driver, he had a dentist appointment to have quite some teeth removed. The problem is, that he starts gagging, as soon as he looks at his "new" teeth, sitting there grinning at him. Either he gets the hang of putting them in or it will be toothless time till he can be fitted for some implants, but that takes time - talking from experience. At least my implants were necessary way back in my mouth, so I could still grin at people with missing teeth. Herr Husband can not, at least I told him he better not. He is considering joining the crew of homeless people selling their special paper downtown, he would fit in mouthappearance wise. Gosh, it is easy to be sarcastic if one is not affected. Well, in a way I am so too, have to think of cooking soft, chewable food for the time beeing. That nice, juicy steak is out at the moment.
Isn't it great, when missing teeth are the momentarily highlite of life?

Model -Me

February 3/09 9:45

Had to drive "downtown" yesterday, Landfrau had a meeting with an old friend, he is a producer of radio plays -section criminal stories. We met at a very picturesque - and for the old part of town unique Bistro cafe. He lives in Berlin but knew the place, unknown to me, shame on Landfrau. Story is, that he has produced a play and for the cover image of the CD he wanted me as a model. I represent one of the main characters, of course I can not talk about the plot here. But friends so much - beware of me, I am a villain! -
Asked my friend if he could not find an adequate person in Berlin but he thought that I would be just the fitting character, whatever that tells us. I shall get a copy in due time, let's wait an see.

Reminiscence of a Day

January 30/09...10:56 p.m.



Will roll it backwards: watched a very nice play on TV right now , no, friends, will not talk about it, it is enough I enjoyed it, let it sit at that. Had a nice late afternoon bike run with Herr Hund, a lonely goose ,Nil I think, had been harvesting a field, i. e. the freshly growing seeds. And that is why the local farmers hate them and there is the battle between conserving nature and profit. - To make it real up to date, Herr Husband, descending from the tower (attic room) switched out the upper level light and a bulb exploded, blew the main fuse and there we were, groping around in the dark. Blown bulb had exploded with pieces even down into the basement area. Great. Have to look into that tomorrow morning. Anyway, pieces, most of them, cleaned away. Amazing, so much debris caused by a small light bulb. - Now, back to my day. Went shopping for the forgrotten items, mind you ,it is not walking around the corner, have to take the car for every pint of milk. Had been fixing lunch ,delicious trouts, but I did not catch them beforehand, that should have happened some other time, when hippie daugther No. 1 invited us for dinner, but that is another story and occured ages ago, daugther is now a very successful business woman and those are our shared memories of the past. And to start the day with it had been the usual run with Herr Hund, who is very unpatient watching me sit down at the computer after getting out of bed, unbrushed teeth and unshowered. Of course prepared breakfast, diligent little Landfrau, like every day and days to come and now I am sitting here with my glass of red wine, thinking in some ways I must be a natural nut. And please, do not agree, we will not be friends any more.

The Last of the Mohicans

January 22/09 ...7:00 p.m.





Creepers, here I am again with my neverending fish stories. One misely 5-incher left, Moritz, the fat goldfish ,followed his brother Max into the enternal hunting grounds and he took along vailtail, the funny guy. I am telling you , fish will not be gifted with names any more, they will get numbers from now on at the rate we loose them. And always in such a funny way!- First one had been Philipp, a little white coi, looked like a tiny dolphin and used to swim in circles, like mad. . After that for quite a while we had Harold and Maude, 2 cois, along with Max and Moritz, the goldfish . Maude comitted suicide, living up to her name, she jumped out of the pond. Harold followed her, but him we saved. We gave him fat Wanda, a coi , as a companion and they both decided to be goners the same day. Now for quite a while it had been Max and
Moritz, the goldfish, then Max beat it to fish heaven and we felt sorry for the lone rider and got him the 5-incher and veiltail as companions. Think they have been frozen fish when we had the cold spell lately and only the 5-incher survived, maybe beeing so small, who knows. -

I think from now on we should have fish only on our plates, nicely prepared, but that of course would deprive you of furthermore fish stories unless one of us suffocates from a fishbone.

I need some Flowers

January 20/09 3:40 p.m.

Landfrau does not want to look at snow anymore, flowers "happy me up".

Zilch out of 10

January 19/09 ..... 7.14 p.m.

I simply hate mondays and I know why I hate them. Waking up in the morning with the task in mind to have to clean the house is not so prickly as such. I detest then additional distractions, o.k., I know I have to walk the dog, a daily necessity or pleasure, depends... but aside from that no more other stuff. This morning daughter no.2. called, poor girl is down with the flu, so of course mom asked if she needed some help, and yes, she wanted me to cook a soup for her and grandkid. No more beef in the freezer I had to drive to the supermarket and there I developped my first wave of hatred, No parking place to start with and the shop full of people with shopping carts loaded as if they were stocking up till doomsday. A line at the butcher's counter, grrr...another line at the bakery counter, double grrr.. after having bought my baguette remembered that I needed some fresh bread for us too, mind you, that someone might have taken note that I had lined up already, no sir, had to wait again in line. Tripple grrr... rushed then home , cooked the soup and kind of figuered that Herr Husband would be the delivery service, no deal, he had to write a letter. And that's now where the scoring sets in. Rushed to the car in the garage to load the basket into the trunk, car locked, key still inside, score of 5 out of ten, fetched the key, jumped into the car and drove like speedy Gonzales to daugther's place, since grandson had to be fed before leaving for hockey training, opened the trunk and stared like a dumb nut into the empty trunk, no basket. That stupid thing sat happily in the back of the garage. Score 0 out of 10. Phoned Herr Husband that he now for sure had to get moving, drove home and startet my housecleaning job, which is not finished by far, so tomorrow I am in for another appointment with broom and wiping cloth.

For today I am absolutely thrilled.

The Mini Teen

January 18/o9 .....3:01 p.m.

He is so refreshing to have around the house- eh,once a while - and such a funny guy. Landfrau is talking about our 11 year old grandson, son of our younger daughter. We had him as a houseguest overnite and as soon as he arrives our lives are changed. Sports news have to be watched, and commented and certainly we have to listen to all the latest stories of his field hockey games. The biggest laugh we had last night, when he dropped an invoice out of his wallet. Turned out it had been from a local DIY superstore, dated December 24th, shortly before closing time. The smart kid had bought his X-mas presents for the family at double reduced rates and this way got a lot for little. Quite the business freak he will be one day. - In the morning he proudly anounced that he had changed his shower habits, he is taking a shower now -mind you - every day at least for 6 min. and then he flashed his own bottle of deo, AXE -Bom Chicka Wah Wah - and Landfrau stated that she regreted it very much, not to have that puma cage smell to sniff any more - haha.
Before he had to leave -hockey game - he looked with me into my twitter and asked me if I would have given myself the twittername "grossstadttussi" (big city brat - free translation) if I would be living in the city. Glad that I was allowed to stick to Landfrau since I live in the countryside.

No Blinky Palermo

January 14/09 ....7:44 p.m.
My sister-in-law, who lives in Paris, had been in her twenties friends with a painter artist, who gave her as a present some of his water colour sketches. The pics had been hanging in forgotten corners framed in Ikea frames for ages. As it turned out, they are worth a fortune and by now have been bought by a Museum and sis-in-law's family came by quite a considerable amount of money. -
Now this Landfrau family here is sitting on some old coins for ages and Herr Husband decided today to have them evaluated. As it turned out, they are not even worth the price of the gasolin he used to go downtown. So no Blinky Palermo deal for us ,have been dealt the asshole card once more.

V.I.P.s

January 11/09 9:20 p.m.

Yeah, that' s what we felt like tonite, Herr Husband and Landfrau. The only time in my life I felt more important, as a matter of fact like a celebrity, has been in Dubai, when we had been invited for a harbour cruise aboard a Yacht owned by an East Indian business man, us boarding on a red carpet and people looking on, wow, once in a lifetime! But that's another story.- Now for tonite - Herr Husband has his favoured spot, a floating restaurant at the riverside, and the owner, a very nice,young turkish guy, born already in Germany, so to say 2nd generation, has taken a liking to him - father image? So we always get the special treatment and tonite we have been the only guests. Now, mind you, only guest in a reataurant are a horror in my opinion, but not at this place, you have this great view at the city skyline and the river traffic to watch, nice chill out music and excellent food and efficient service. So, to make a long story short, it had been a wonderful evening and Landfrau emptied almost a whole bottle of wine. Iknow who will have a good night's rest - or maybe I shall be unconcious? - Tomorrow will tell.

Can't get enough!

January 9/09 7:30 p.m.

Would have never thought that I one day would and could enjoy X-country skiing around my own home. Just like the times we vaccationed in Austria I put on my skies right in front of the door. It is a bit harder without tracks, but the ground has been flattened enough that I have no difficulties gliding. And I have all that wonderful country side all to myself together with Herr Hund, who still beats me speedwise. Have discovered spots where I have my own personal downhill runs, the levee is great for that. It is a funny feeling to be running along the riverside, up to now I always had been surrounded by terrific mountains in Austria. - But one more advantage around here, its cheaper folks ;-) ! Of course Landfrau misses to be waited on coming home, there you can't beat a hotel stay. Well, one can not have everything.

Bloody Monday

January 5/09 9:53 p.m.

...is actually every monday for Landfrau, housecleaning day, a task accomplished every week more or less successful. Today it had been bloody monday the real mcCoy, cut my finger and decided to skip the hated cleaning, figuered it won't be said "she cleaned well" at my grave and dug out my cross country ski out of the basement, not used for the last three seasons. Since it happens about every 10 years that we have such masses of snow around here, might as well take advantage. Had a slight temper fit about my sport suit, which must have shrunk,sitting in the closet and made late New Year's decisions "loose weight,loose weight,loose weight...and I am very good for a start,sitting here feeling so hungry I could devour a scewered ox.
Well, I had a terrific run, it was hard, without a trail, and Herr Hund had been by far faster than me. For a while I glided along the riverbanks and there were wild geese flying so low over my head that I could hear the swishing of their wings.
So, for the night I expect a crowd of brownies to clean my house , then I can repeat my todays run tomorrow.

To start the New Year with!

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January 3/09 1:52 pm.

After a great walk with Herr Hund in sunshine little bit of snow and Zero degrees all Landfrau can say:
IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE!