Ever wonder how we spend part of our Sunday or other days?
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Sunday, April 05, 2009
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Seemingly little things
I need to post this quickly before I forget to recognize the seemingly little things in life that point the way to bigger issues along life's path. What ?? ok, I am talking about miracles; not the huge parting of the sea or feeding thousands but the little miracles; the ones that because they happened they changed the course of events in life.
Example number one: On Thursday the weather had finally turned; the sunshine was warm and I was already to go for a bike ride. I wanted to go on a ride to try out my "new, recycled from the second hand shop" bike. Had been trying since 4 o'clock in the afternoon to get out of the door and take a ride with Paul. Well as things go around here, it was ten after six before we left. Vaden has just gotten home from a babysitting job, all the kids were settled so we could have some free time together.
So we are set, ready, go....bing, clink, rattle.....the chain, no, not the chain slipping off again...nope it broke this time. My miracle in this ... we were only five meters from the house and to think we could have been 5 or more kilometers away.
Miraculous happening number two, (that I am aware of for the week):
Vaden is in the midst of ballet recital weekend, "Lotte and the traveling Genie". Yesterday I watched her responsibly pack all of her things in her bag, even heard her count off what she needed...two pair of shoes, tights, hair thingies, safety pins, makeup ...
well I guess we should have had a list. When the time came to change into her second dance costume for the night there were NO suntan dance tights! My miracle now unfolds: one of her class-mates had packed a second pair! Even told Vaden that she had had them in her hand about to not bring them, thinking "nah, I won't need these" but she listened to that voice and brought them any way!
She let Vaden use them. Without those tights Vaden would not have been able to perform! Thus a life-changing event, thus my miracle number two.
Example number one: On Thursday the weather had finally turned; the sunshine was warm and I was already to go for a bike ride. I wanted to go on a ride to try out my "new, recycled from the second hand shop" bike. Had been trying since 4 o'clock in the afternoon to get out of the door and take a ride with Paul. Well as things go around here, it was ten after six before we left. Vaden has just gotten home from a babysitting job, all the kids were settled so we could have some free time together.
So we are set, ready, go....bing, clink, rattle.....the chain, no, not the chain slipping off again...nope it broke this time. My miracle in this ... we were only five meters from the house and to think we could have been 5 or more kilometers away.
Miraculous happening number two, (that I am aware of for the week):
Vaden is in the midst of ballet recital weekend, "Lotte and the traveling Genie". Yesterday I watched her responsibly pack all of her things in her bag, even heard her count off what she needed...two pair of shoes, tights, hair thingies, safety pins, makeup ...
well I guess we should have had a list. When the time came to change into her second dance costume for the night there were NO suntan dance tights! My miracle now unfolds: one of her class-mates had packed a second pair! Even told Vaden that she had had them in her hand about to not bring them, thinking "nah, I won't need these" but she listened to that voice and brought them any way!
She let Vaden use them. Without those tights Vaden would not have been able to perform! Thus a life-changing event, thus my miracle number two.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Month of Malaise, March
I am continually amazed at how it is the seemingly little things that make all the difference in the undercurrent of a culture. Take the example of attitude toward health and sickness vs school attendance. March has been our month of sickness. We have had atleast one child home, three out of the four weeks of March and as we are approaching the Easter holidays in April and I still have one in the bed and all three are finishing up their antibiotics tomorrow. So a lot of school time has been missed. I really cannot believe those words are coming from me, but I am concerned about this; I, who am a homeschooler at heart and who thinks that organized school rooms classes with 23+ plus kids is too much for sanity. But I ramble....
The point of this cultural observation:
Stryker-Ann has been sick and has missed two solid weeks of school. I have emailed one of her head teachers, and I stopped and spoke to her French teacher today. BOTH responded the same: yes she may have some work...but it is more important for her to stay quiet and to get well.
My American culture of: you must go to school or work at all cost of health peaked out and could not believe it ears. You mean really just don't worry about it and get better? What about all of those days missed? get healthy, the work will be there when you return healthy.
From Wils' teacher I recieved the same response, and I am sure if I asked Vaden's it would be the same as well.
I am really liking this attitude of: health really does mean something and the understanding that it does take time to heal some illnesses; which is a part of life. Unlike the attitude of the American culture, that illness is a form of weakness and infringes on ones independent life style. Remember in school, the kids that got an award for not missing a day of school the whole year? I have a friend who received one. I also remember a girl receiving an award for not having missed a day of school her whole high school years. On first analysis this is fantastic and it really is amazing no matter how you look at it, but underlying it is a work ethic that puts all else aside, it is one of the building blocks for future ill health. Now if the child is truely not sick then great, but it is that attitude of I must at all cost to my health and the health of others around me go to work, school, etc. What are we really saying when we do this?
The life here seems to encourage that, if you are sick you stay home and get better, there are enough sick days to cover it, you are a better worker, student if you are healthy. My home culture seems to say..hey you lazy bum, you are not really that sick, are you? It is a real inconvenience and besides you only have so many days to be sick so you better pull your self together and get in to work or school.
Please don't think that because of this attitude toward health, all is peaceful....I'll blog next about the Abitur Prufungen which are the Senior's exams.
The point of this cultural observation:
Stryker-Ann has been sick and has missed two solid weeks of school. I have emailed one of her head teachers, and I stopped and spoke to her French teacher today. BOTH responded the same: yes she may have some work...but it is more important for her to stay quiet and to get well.
My American culture of: you must go to school or work at all cost of health peaked out and could not believe it ears. You mean really just don't worry about it and get better? What about all of those days missed? get healthy, the work will be there when you return healthy.
From Wils' teacher I recieved the same response, and I am sure if I asked Vaden's it would be the same as well.
I am really liking this attitude of: health really does mean something and the understanding that it does take time to heal some illnesses; which is a part of life. Unlike the attitude of the American culture, that illness is a form of weakness and infringes on ones independent life style. Remember in school, the kids that got an award for not missing a day of school the whole year? I have a friend who received one. I also remember a girl receiving an award for not having missed a day of school her whole high school years. On first analysis this is fantastic and it really is amazing no matter how you look at it, but underlying it is a work ethic that puts all else aside, it is one of the building blocks for future ill health. Now if the child is truely not sick then great, but it is that attitude of I must at all cost to my health and the health of others around me go to work, school, etc. What are we really saying when we do this?
The life here seems to encourage that, if you are sick you stay home and get better, there are enough sick days to cover it, you are a better worker, student if you are healthy. My home culture seems to say..hey you lazy bum, you are not really that sick, are you? It is a real inconvenience and besides you only have so many days to be sick so you better pull your self together and get in to work or school.
Please don't think that because of this attitude toward health, all is peaceful....I'll blog next about the Abitur Prufungen which are the Senior's exams.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Wildlife Sighting for Spring
What is that hiding behind the bench and log??
These guys are rare as hens teeth over here - especially in our yard! This would make the fourth or fifth squirrel we have seen in our neighbourhood - over the last three years ...
Friday, March 20, 2009
birthday stroll con't
I think one of the BEST presents one can present is taking the time to be present. And that is exactly the gift that was given our family by cousins the weekend of February 20th. We had flown into Virginia Thursday evening/Friday morning and who should just show up but Uncle Dave and two cousins. What a screech of surprise reached our ears Saturday morning as the girls discovered their cousins had snuck in after a very long car ride Friday night.
It is interesting that the word PRESENT has so many meanings in our language:
–NOUN pres⋅ent
| a thing presented as a gift; gift: your time with us |
pre⋅sent –verb (used with object)
| 1. | to furnish or endow with a gift or the like, esp. by formal act: to present someone with a gold watch, or your time |
pres⋅ent –adjective
being with one or others or in the specified or understood place: to be present for a wonderful weekend.
I so thank you Vosteen cousins for making the tremendous effort it took to see us for such a brief time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Birthday stroll, 2009
On February 20, 1994 Vaden was born in Williamsburg. Prior to her actually entrance, we had to walk, and walk. Therefore in honor of that day we showed Vaden where she had "walked" just before the grand arrival. Here are a few snippets of the day in CW, which by way was as beautiful as 15 years ago.
The MUST for tourist foto!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Cultural thoughts
We have been living in Germany for over three years now, actually three years, two months and fifteen days, but who is counting. And the longer I live here, there is so much more I find I don't know and am not even close to knowing. When I say knowing, I'm talking about the kind of knowledge that is so deep that one does not even know they know it. It is the kind of knowledge that you have to think hard about even knowing. In short, it is cultural. My latest example concerns time. Yes, we all know and joke about the Germans being a very time sensitive people, they like to be on time for all things. Which for me means always being in a rush, but I have yet to see a German person rush to get anywhere; for whatever reason, they are there on time or before, as I come skidding in the door sideways just to not be more than 10 minutes late!..I'm telling ya it is cultural, from the time a baby breathes its first breath.
Now the other type of time awareness I have discovered recently is the view of chronological time. Last week while in a ladies group, the subject came up of how long our family was going to be able to stay in Germany. I answered that we would be leaving sometime in the summer of 2010. The response was "So SOON?" In my mind I'm thinking, ok that is 18 months away...a lot can happen in 18 months, it is a whole school year and a half, it is one and a half winters,two springs, two summers away...my American cultural was showing. The German folks take their long term thinking very seriously. While most Americans may start thinking of a summer vacation by around January or February. A German family knew last fall where they were going for summer break and it may be camping just a couple hours drive away. These are not good spontaneous folk as a whole. So eighteen months is in the foreseeable future.
But getting back to my ladies' group, I feel so honored and humbled to get that response, they really do see my time with them as short. So in order for me to honor that I need to be aware and not flippant about time...on my watch or on my calender.
Now the other type of time awareness I have discovered recently is the view of chronological time. Last week while in a ladies group, the subject came up of how long our family was going to be able to stay in Germany. I answered that we would be leaving sometime in the summer of 2010. The response was "So SOON?" In my mind I'm thinking, ok that is 18 months away...a lot can happen in 18 months, it is a whole school year and a half, it is one and a half winters,two springs, two summers away...my American cultural was showing. The German folks take their long term thinking very seriously. While most Americans may start thinking of a summer vacation by around January or February. A German family knew last fall where they were going for summer break and it may be camping just a couple hours drive away. These are not good spontaneous folk as a whole. So eighteen months is in the foreseeable future.
But getting back to my ladies' group, I feel so honored and humbled to get that response, they really do see my time with them as short. So in order for me to honor that I need to be aware and not flippant about time...on my watch or on my calender.
Nature at Her best!
This is what Wils and I were greeted with this frosty morning, March 18, 2009. I have rarely seen anything so beautiful as what met our eyes. Enjoy God's gift to us.
I wish I could have the music of the Frost Fairies from Fantasia playing for you.
(click for closer view)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
up the hill past Holl
Our Sunday started off with a wonderful relaxing soak in the local thermal bath at Bad Bellingen; www.bad-bellingen.de/Balinea_Thermen/. It truly was a "take me away Callgon" moment that the advertisers would have you believe happens with their product. Evidently they have not been to many natural hot springs.
The day continued with a car load of girls and a trip up to Neunweg where there was to be an intensive choir practice. Vaden is a member of her school's choir and they were preparing for the Early years' concert.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Thursday with Camera - 5 February 2009
These pics are from previous week ... but it is Thursday, and a camera was used ... so ...
PIZZA! (or soon to be pizza). A Friday night tradition in the Vosteen house for, um, a long time. Paul usually makes the dough, as you see here ...
... and we add sauce and whatever toppings are around the house.
These were obviously before pics. After pics? Well, let’s just say we were too busy eating to take those pics.
A walk with Peter the dog. Heavy rains combined with melting snow produced a lot more water than the drains could handle. Paul tried to find the clogged drain in these pics, and Peter “helped”.
Never found the clog, but Peter loves playing in water - so it was all worth it.
PIZZA! (or soon to be pizza). A Friday night tradition in the Vosteen house for, um, a long time. Paul usually makes the dough, as you see here ...
... and we add sauce and whatever toppings are around the house.
These were obviously before pics. After pics? Well, let’s just say we were too busy eating to take those pics.
A walk with Peter the dog. Heavy rains combined with melting snow produced a lot more water than the drains could handle. Paul tried to find the clogged drain in these pics, and Peter “helped”.
Never found the clog, but Peter loves playing in water - so it was all worth it.
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