Merry Christmas!

Fall Fotos

A crisp couple of Fall days ...


Pumpkins in the field


And a boy searches for the perfect pumpkin ...


... this would be the one.

another day - another place, Yorktown.

The schooner Alliance


A lone kayaker comes in to the beach


Madge and her guy ...


Well, one of her guys ....


Paul and his girl.

Bike ride

Some random pics from a lovely bike ride into York River State Park - about 5 minutes from our house by car, a few more by bike ... a bit longer if you really enjoy the ride ...


Looking down onto the beach ... fossil shells everywhere ...


Looking out over the river. Yes, it is rather blue ...


some NON-edible mushrooms (Pilzen). We'd love to find the edible ones ...


another view


Bike, meet 'shroom - 'shroom, meet bike

Fall foliage pics coming soon.

One of the things we so miss about our time in Germany: A day of REST!
Being influenced by the church, Germany has Sunday as its day of rest....stores are closed, offices are closed, you do not cut your grass or do yard work, most folks do take a break from the work week. You find people going to church, visiting family, walking, biking, eating out (the restaurants have limited hours they can be open on Sunday) , etc....

In America we pride our selves on being open 24/7...and that has me exhausted! Even though we, as a family, are trying not to participate in the seven day constant, it is hard when that energy is always surrounding. The constant energy needs to be fed and it sucks at you with all the activity and opportunities being so easily available. It is so easy to want to run to the grocery to get a jump on your week, to pick up that something at Target you forgot, to cut the grass, to wash your clothes. Yes they all help your "to do list" get checked off, but when do you rest? I am finding it takes a lot of energy and discipline to get my things done before our Sabbath and not to wait till the Sabbath to catch up, BUT that energy is restored by not having to think about or do any of that on our day of rest.

There seems to be a movement afoot that supports this idea:
http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/

I have also found a good reference in the "Emotional, Healthy, Spirituality" book by Peter Scazzero.

School

School is a little different in the US ...

Wils on the back porch ... in "school"

School is fun!! ...

... but math is always math.

30 days or there abouts in the USA

Time to check back into the blog world after a transition time of moving us: family, pets and stuff from on continent to another.

The last two months have been a whirl of packing, flying, landing, semi-unpacking, and culture adjustment. I am slow to say culture shock, as it is more of an easing into new/old environments.

Life around Williamsburg has exploded with new roads and buildings. It is familiar, but at the same time new.

I noticed this yesterday while attending a worship service. Was this guy speaking in such simpler terms and concepts then our pastor in Germany or was it the fact that I did not have to have the words running through my internal translator first, thus eliminating one step along the way. It take much less energy to listen to your mother language.

Writing checks is a renewed item on my list of adjustments. I do find it much easier to keep track of monies with checks.

Drivers license: Somehow my renewal did not make it to our Virginia mailing address while we were abroad. So I am three years overdue, thus I need to take all of the test.
But first I need to prove that I am actually a resident of Virginia....my passport is only good to prove that I am an American citizen. At this moment I am stateless.
That will change this morning..I am off to take the tests...eye, written and driven. WISH ME LUCK!

Radmarathon

What we like - Day 51. Riding the Balinea Thermen Radmarathon.

Five differing distances, five differing profiles, five differing ways to "feel the burn". There was the "family ride" (of 35k or 21 miles), then a 75K, a 110K, 155K and a 240K. Knowing our own limitations (not being Tour de France riders, that is, and not having the high-tech Rennrads) we opted for the 75K (that is, 46.6 Miles).

Want to know the route? Pull up your Google Earth (or use MapMyRide) and input the bold names in the text below to ride along! We were on the main roads and bike trails (but not the Autobahn, ok?)

The day was lovely, although it was looking to be a little on the warm side, so we got an early start. Leaving Bad Bellingen at 8:15am, we proceeded south to Efringen, then on to Egringen. From there it was a nice ride up the valley (Kandertal) passing by Holzen and on to Riedlingen.

Madge can ride her bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars ... (sorry, gratuitous song reference)

Above: Paul and Madge on the trail between Holzen and Riedlingen

Madge at the first checkpoint in Kandern (25K and going strong)

Above: Some of the "competition" - okay, there was not really a competition, these are just the profis in their blue club Tricots (a Velo club from Dornach, Switzerland). The blue team was riding the 110K distance. Some other Swiss riders (at the table) were also riding the 75K. We rode as a loose group with them for most of the distance.

From Kandern we proceeded on through Sitzenkirch, Johannesbreite, Sehringen and on to Badenweiler.

Madge climbing up towards Badenweiler. This part of the ride was lovely - in the shade and with gorgeous views!

Looking out at the valley from up on the mountain.

Another view of the valley.

... and Madge heads down a little hill and around the corner.

At the bottom of the hill, we rode through Badenweiler, then on up a hill through Schwärze (small enough that you will not find it on Google Earth). We hit 63KPH (that's about 38MPH) coming down the hill into Britzingen.

Riding through the vineyards above Britzingen, we saw this neat sign for a little Dorf (very small village) called Muggardt. We like foxes. ^..^

We then wound our way through Laufen and Dottingen, with another checkpoint coming up in Heitersheim.

Madge at the last checkpoint in Heitersheim (50K in only 25K to go). They had water and snax at both checkpoints and we re-tanked our water bottles at each stop.

Some lovely flowers along the road.

We like poppies.

If you are still Google-mapping the route (you are? cool!), from Heiterseheim, we rode on through Grißheim, Zienken, and Neuenburg. The wind was right in our face and the sun was hot! It took a bit of work to get back to Bad Bellingen (and I had put the camera away to concentrate on riding), but we made it! Next on le Menu - a Tour in France (but not "le Tour").

Happy trails, everyone!

Count down: Saturday 59, Sunday 58 Monday 57,

Saturday July 3rd; Countdown - day 59 - I like living here, when during the World Cup, I can be surrounded by 3,000 of our closest Friends while watching Germany boot Argentina 4-0.

✈

Sunday July 4th; Countdown day 58 - what I like about living here is even while in Europe we are able to celebrate our Nation's Independence Day with good American friends and that we can spontaneously sing the American National Anthem AND make it sound great with harmonies and proper breathing and inflection. Guess we have sung that a time or two in our childhoods! Oh, say can you see....!!!!

plus good hamburgers and marshmallow roasting.

✈

Monday, July 5th, Countdown day 57 - I like hearing a hawk call so directly overhead, that I duck to see if it is landing nearby.

Count down day 60, FRI-day What I like...

One of the local stores has started to re-carry drinks in a can. What I like about this is that there is a "Pfand", or as we older kids remember as a "Deposit". Here in Germany, the deposit is 25 cents for plastic bottles and aluminum drink cans, 8 to 10 cents for bottle and glass jars. It may be a pain to pay up front for the use of these items, but boy does it make you bring them back to get your refund! That refund money has saved my more than once in the check out lane. I like deposits on bottles!

Count down day 61, Thursday, What I like...

Day 61

• I like hearing the local church bell ring the top of the hour.
  

Count down day 62, Wednesday

day 62

• I like being able and being expected to hang out my laundry...

there is a controversy about that "right" in some areas of the USA at the moment.

Count down day 63, Tuesday

• day 63 I like being in a room of 5 friends and then notice that we are from 5 different continents!

• 
  

What I like 'bout here, The Count Down, Day 64

Day 64 till the flight to the USA.....

I like going for a Pole Walk about with friends
The kind of a walk that Ends
with a Breakfast
of fresh baked rolls and breads,
with various
jams and spreads,
tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar
and olive oil,
Eggs boiled hard,
wonderfully strong coffee All
Enjoyed on a fabulous Stone deck
listening to birds - watching
dogs romp 'round the garden and pond.
I like going for a Pole Walk about with friends.

Wednesday night in Germany

This is what happens on a Wednesday night at our church. Fußball!

We had over 2500 people gathered on Wednesday evening (for "Wednesday night supper"). We had several "small groups" going - one in the main sanctuary, one in the foyer, one in the bar, and one outside. Here are a few pics ...

First - outside a rather large "small group" is gathered.

Go Deutschland!

German vestments.

Inside - another group anticipates a German win ...

... and in the bar?

more people.

dinner on the lawn - Wurst, Pommes und Brot!

Hopp Hopp Deutschland!!!!

What I like 'bout here, The Count Down, Day 66 & 65

Day 66: Poppies growing as wild flowers alongside the roads and in the wheat fields.

Day 65: Sitting and sharing lunch with the older ladies from the Gemeinde "church" www.feg-rebland.de and finding out that "little Old ladies" are the same around the world.

48K for a 48th birthday

I decided, that in honor of my 48th Birthday, I would do some-thing that I had not done before.

For this special day, Thursday, June 10, 2010, I determined, as my challenge, to bike ride for 48 Kilometers.

And I did!

On a hill above Lörrach-Stetten on our way to Adlehausen. I am in Germany, the cows are in Switzerland.

I never tire of the wonder of being in two countries at once!

Taking a break in Adelhausen. We had just completed level 4 and 5 hills to get here. The water was a welcome addition as we had almost finished our own.

We made it down the hill to Schopfheim for a mid-morning refreshment and enjoyed some people watching. Hit a top speed of 57 kph coming down the hill ... I love speed, but I love my skin too, so I slowed down a bit ...,

Happy birthday to me ... I had fun!

now what shall I do next year?

What I like 'bout here, The Count Down, Day 67

ok, So we missed the drama of marking the 75th day til we fly back to the US. For those wanting to know - it was last Thursday, I am off by a week and a day.
Moving on: Purpose of this blog entry is to take note of the things I like about living here in Germany. Hopefully I'll make at least one a day to contribute to the count down.

Day 67

I like being able to ride my bike home from the grocery with Baguettes sticking out of the basket. It makes me feel so continental, however, not French, as they would not have paper wrappings on the bread as the Germans do.!

45 is not really that bad. After all, if you play a 33 at 45 it sounds funny

Happy 45th Birthday!

The Händel Torte,
in honor of my musical man.
Happy birthday was sung as Handel's
Water Music floated through the background.

(yes from a box, I could not resist the name but ain't it purty)
This is a Torte, not a Kuchen, or a cake. Tortes are a whole cake cut into thin layers which are then then spread with a whipped cream. Not cool whip, but hand-mixer whipped whipping cream and perhaps flavored. There is no 10x sugar butter frosting found in this culture. Perhaps a more known example of a torte is the Schwarzwald Torte or Black Forest cake. However a glance at my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book, 1989, p. 82 recipe looks nothing like what the Oma up the street makes and it has no Kirchwasser.
A Kuchen here is a more familiar form of the pound cake found in the southern United States, with a couple of exceptions: it is not as sweet and it is a bit on the drier side. The kuchen however is still as rich with eggs, just not as moist as its US cousin.