There You Go

This was September 1971, the 18th, and I was already on my way.
I´m still here, you´re not and I don´t wanna sound like a drama-queen, but I miss you, Mum.

Your Granddaughter knows "Omi" lives in heaven, and "Opi", whom she never met, lives there, too, that she knows and tells. You are Omi, you were, for not even two years.

She doesn´t want me to live there,far away in heaven, so she decided a few months ago to change my name from Iris to Isa.
You know, the living end on an "a": Mama, Papa, Oma, Opa, Mia. An "o" may count as well, Ingo is still the big man she seems to be afraid of.
Did you know?
She´s as loud as he is, having her on the phone is no fun, she thinks, too, she has to scream to my place directly.
See.
I try to be funny.
All those people I could´t see this Christmas.

"Brüderchen", the guy, my dear(est) Bro, who was with you to the last bit...
He told me you don´t sense people around you anymore and I shouldn´t risk my life in these bad road conditions to see you.
Maybe he was right.
An accident wouldn´t have helped.

This is her, btw, the little girl, that´s so loud and fears Father Christmas so much (and for a reason, I guess), that she got Pressies only. Santa stayed over here. She looks like...

... me, a wee bit? In case you don´t remember. Dad knew early I´ll be Ingo´s some day:

This is me with the real guy, btw:

I don´t have your or Bro´s or Niece´s blue eyes. You know that, certainly.
Dad gave me his.

Miss him, too.

No, that´s not Woody Allen.
And the color is grey-green.
He left when I bought him a cup, so he can have some water by himself.
He did dare, I couldn´d even say good-bye, hey, you two do that to me, huh?
Is there a reason to do that?

Tomorrow, Mum, you´ll be gone one year.
I miss you. I miss you so much.

You remember our weekly phone-calls? Well, I´ll finally get rid of R! When I get back to work - I have two weeks off! - we´ll move and I´ll have my own office, too.

My eyes? Oh, now that you might ask. Still bad. Thanks to Crlt +++... I can do this. There is a new virus around, a "flu", white blood cells who think it´s funny to form clouds and sit down on the eyes.
Yep, me, or mine.

Well. What was this about?
About missing you.
If little Niece is right, you´re in heaven.
Tomorrow I´ll feel bad, so a farewell to you today, Mum. Hope there is a place for you, Dad, (my) Omi and all those we already had to say good-bye to.

Meet George Bailey & Merry Christmas!

"Would You Like To Celebrate With Me? Then take me home. Merry Christmas!"

Says the sign this tree was wearing.

For those who follow via FB... nothing new here, I guess. But there is "magic" to come around George...

On 21st Ingo came home around 4:30. 04:40 I went to fetch some more shopping from his car. When he left, he just saw a girl standing there with her cellphone, I saw this fella. Went home, got the cam to take a pic.
On the way back I felt "sorry" for that little, lonely tree.

So... Ingo got dressed, too, - ya, know, boots, muffler, cap, glovies - and we brought the little tree home.
George now:

George???

What might´ve happened? Maybe he was bought by one person and the partner had had the same idea, two trees for Christmas? So, they sat down and came up with this clever, cute idea?

And the tree,like the love-lock, waited just for me? Ok, I shouldn´t take myself that serious. But... ya know. Being not able to see family due to being sick and contagious...
This tree, who lost heaps of his needles in the apartment on his way to the balcony, makes me - us - smile every time we enter the living room and see him sitting on the balcony-table.

He´s a little crooked and all - often things like that end up in my place.

And yes. In German trees are male.

Well. So the next day - Saturday, Ingo had to work... peeps, things happen!!! But step by step:
After work we went and bought stuff for the tree: Red Christmas ornaments, golden lametta, lights and a silver heart.
When we stepped outside, Ingo realized ... Red and Gold - the colors of the Flaming Heart he presented me with last year.

Last year. When we knew Mum won´t make it.
Now the colors are back.
With an awry, little tree asking me to take him home.
Mum?
Bro believes when you die, you´re not gone, "somehow/something/Souls" stay and watch.

Gold... Actually I don´t like gold.
My Dad was a traditional man, I got a ring of white gold after some fights on my 21st for my 30´s birthday and this has a story, too, concerning his death.

Ingo also told me he learned that day the day before some people were told they´ll loose their job on January 31st.
Really? Do you have to tell them this before Christmas?

Well. Dad used to watch It's a Wonderful Life every Christmas-season. "The film is considered one of the most loved films in American cinema, and has become traditional viewing during the Christmas season." Last one goes for Germany, too. Or for my family.

Germans, like French, Italians, Spanish... have no choice. They get translated everything to their language.
So I bought the DVD and watched it in the original when Ingo was at work - and when Ingo asked me to give "that tree" a name... well. George Bailey it was. So... Merry Christmas from Ingo, George Bailey and I:

Ingo soldered a bit so George, though being outside alone, can have his lights on and the door is closed.

Really. This is a very cute Christmas story. I´ll ring a bell now, so an Angel can get his wings!

Christmas?

This Santa at least has clean feet.
Apart from that it doesn´t feel X-massy much.

Little Niece sure would love this: So sad I won´t see her for the season due to being sick and contagious.

Guess this is for free even.
This is in City-Point, a little "mall" that slowly dies. Shop after shop closes down, so sad to see...
But, as you can see, they at least try their best!

Christmas-Market.
Nah, really.
All got even more expensive - and people keep paying! I refuse to buy a small, thin Tarte flambée for 6 €. Ok, after a week they went down to 5, still too much! I tried Mumme-roast in a breadroll. Was so yummy last year. This year... fatty. Eek.

And warnings in local newspapers that there are heaps of thieves at work, so... I really don´t wanna go anymore.
People just want, want, want. What was Christmas all about?

As my friend P said today, it´s also supposed to be a time where you think of things you refuse to at other times, to come to terms with yourself.
And, that at our age many more Christmas-ses are to come, others that will be better than the last and this one for me.
Guess with "our age" she meant young? ;-)

Something nice to end with: Heart-shaped bread-rolls!

Didn´t buy one, though.
Ingo likes still to convert the prices to our old currency, the good old D-Mark. Would you pay 4,40 DM for a breadroll?
My Mum always rolled her eyes hearing something like that, stating that the D-Mark is long gone.
But actually Ingo is right.
Teens today don´t think of it, certainly, and (as heaps of others) pay any unreasonable price for stuff.

Ingo does not, so it was just another pic of fish in a fish:

Cute, no?

Well, hope other feel like Christmas more than I do!

Guess I maybe try to do some cooking, being signed off sick I have the time.
On the other hand... is it wise to try that when you have such a bad sight?

(Un-)Merry Christmas

A colleague just came over to me the other day to tell me he had heard on the radio there is a mean virus going at the eyes.

Since January 2011 my eyes are super-sensitive and I have eye-drops daily. Hour-ly, actually (yes, things could be worse).

Yepp, guess what. Wed I thought the red glasses are old, that´s why I can´t see. Thursday I had a day off and wasn´t at the PC.
Friday... I couldn´t see - newest glasses I´ve got.

Said colleague greeted me with, "what´s with you?", and when it got light outside ... I saw... even the next buildings are in a blur!
So I hopped in the car (!) and went to see my eye-specialist. Yep, I got that darn virus. "Clouds" of white blood cells sit on top of the eyes, so I can´t see.
Her colleague had fun with this for three months!
My sight is that bad she didn´t tell me how bad but that I´m "actually" not allowed to drive the car ("we didn´t talk about this, if you have to drive - be super-carefully" umm, hello? No!)

I´m signed sick till Friday, between X-mas and New Year´s our boss gives us a holiday and after that I have two weeks off anyways.
If by then I can´t see (working now in a browser and hit Ctrl +++) Bro, aka Optometrist, will make me new glasses "for the occasion".

Still.
With SIL just having had serious eye-problems herself and me being highly contagious... I won´t see family for the season :-(
Two+ is such a fun age, so sad I miss out on it all.
Hopefully I haven´t infected Ingo! He HAS to work - also between Chrismas an New Year´s and he´s working with real small stuff!

Well, went to the doc this morning again.
Luckily she saw me, hence I didn´t have had to wait forever.
She knows me well - nothing to be proud of - and hence knows I want to work and am no one looking for a "free" holiday.
Got signed sick and was released to the street shortly after nine.
Heck!
Most places were still closed!

Most, Graff was open and I found a pic of a pet, I really feel with:

Call me Geek, some of the stuff in that book I really do have at home!
Yeah - nearly 60 bucks later I was home - Graff and Tschibo are dangerous places!

Just.Couldn´t.Resist this clock : Is that cool or what?!
Well, packing that "I love my Pad"-chalkboard and a little microwave-Lion for little Niece (who is a Lion herself by Zodiac-sign and gets these pressies from Braunschweig, town of Henry the Lion) as pressies from Santa.
Added a letter explaining Santa has seen she was a good girl when visiting us. See last post! Still have a dumb smile thinking of her "... nooo", concerning looking forward meeting Santa!
Ha, she´ll hear this often!

Aw, well.

Feel all dizzy, it´s like running around with your glasses off. Or really dirty. All day long, and it hurts, too.
Anyhows, happy Monday, maybe we´ll be off to the city soon (no Christmas-Markets, it makes me sick with people nearly falling over walking that slow!)

Santa??! Oh, no...

Broome, Apex-Park, in 1999 named Lions Pioneer-Club, I guess: "Are there hot showers?" - "Dang!! no..."

Dunno if I told my "Advent-Calendar"-friend P of this episode, but back in 1999 a blue VW Bulli partially took the same route as us. Some Hippies who took a shower only when free... and hot. Yikes. When they opened the doors... aww... smelly! We didn´t make friends...

The coldest showers btw: Albany and Hervey Bay. Free hot showers in Roma, somewhere in the Centre, a bit oily.

Anyhows. My customer is Volkswagen. Who just released Golf VII and with that the Service Factory released the "Golf-Noodle".
So, when I felt my Advent-Calendar-Pressie this morning I thought it was that - never knew there also was a Bulli-Noodle!

"Die Bulli Nudel" doesn´t suggest it should die, btw, it´s just German for "the" ;-)

Sweet memories... and being thankful for thoughtful friends!

Christmas... See link above, I sent a Maus-Advent-Calendar to little Niece.

(Pic from September)

Only yesterday I found two missed calls from Bro and called back - was around 8 pm. Niece was still awake and really wanted (!) to "talk" to me.

So, here we go:

"Are you feeling good?" (due to pre-kindy she is sick often)
"YES!!! :-)" My, where does this screaming come from? This is usually Ingo doing!
"Do you look forward meeting Santa?"
"..... no." LOL!!! She really thought about this!
As she did when Bro asked her if she´s mad at him.

She´s two-and-a-bit and thinks things over even when being on the phone??

Still waiting for Bro to call back and tell me why Santa is no one to be happy to meet! ;-)

She can say "Sleep tight" (Schlaf gut), too cute!
And wanted to show me her Princess-doll through the phone. Nah, I got an old ordinary mobile...
But guess part of my X-Mas-Pressies will be a hit :-)

änglaspel from Pluto produkter was in my Advent-Calendar the other day, too,so dang cute:

Here it is in action: I had to assemble it with my glasses off, boy, I´m getting old!

Addendum: Had nothing to do with getting old.
Went to work today and realised I can´t see. Was that bad, I went to the doc.
Great. The cold that I had was no cold but a flu. That´s nearly over that my body has the flu - now my eyes have You even can see the white blood cells, she says. My sight is that bad, actually I´m not allowed to drive. And it hurts, too. Her colleague had had this, too. For 3 moths!
But, well, it´s at least not dangerous.
Dang, she really scared with the driving. How am I supposed to get to work?! She said, well drive super carefully. Great idea. Well, lets "see" how it is on Monday..

Hehe, Doc said to me, but you´re young and healthy otherwise. Yep, she´s my age, wishful thinking with calling me young, huh?

Dang, see that stupid snow???
Should hit us - if at all!- in February!
Hate it!

Anyhows... happy Advent everyone!

(Magical) Love Lock

More and more of those love locks conquer the city.
Even on our little Gauss-bridge, we walk over every Monday on our stroll to the city, “celebrating” Ingo being alive and kicking and the two of us living together.

Don´t call me sentimental – I really am thankful for this and really do think back of those hard times here and there.

So last Saturday when we went to the white horse “shopping centre”, we got a love-lock, too.

Most locks just come with names and dates, this man can engrave anything you want, he told us proudly, all those locks with the extra are made by him.

We went classical – for hearts :-)

Fun was his expression when we answered his “two-thousand and..?”-question with “1994” :-) Guess he near to never has old blokes like us as customers for a “love”-lock!
Lucky us don´t have a fixed date (to eventually forget and get in trouble for), but simply Pentecost. We even had to look up when that was back in 1994 and ended up with May. Perfect, fits in.

No, we didn´t go for red or green, I liked copper and Ingo liked it, too.

Now, it kinda was a bit magical when I held that lock I had rather randomly picked and found it has the number 72 – the year I was born in – 40 – that´s hence how old I am right now.

Guess this lock really meant to belong to us, no?

We´ll keep it home for a week, next Monday we give it to the Gauss-bridge.

And Ingo already “threatened” he´ll remove the lock to bring it to another place so I get into geocaching with the new navi he bought me.
Hope that can wait till spring (and maybe he forgets about it until then ;-)…)

Welcome To Hell´s Kitchen

Was really slack with blogging, FB is so much easier and quicker, but actually I don´t like it.
This is more diary-like.

What have we been up to, what about that stupid title?
Well, "Teufelsküche", "Hell´s Kitchen" or rather the "Devil´s Kitchen", says the sign above... our kitchen.

And Ingo added some stuff lately:

This new green (!) casserole was ideal to make filled capsicum. So much work, but lasts for two meals:

The filling was a tad too much, but we took care of that...

Here you see the man in question, aka chef, with the final, yummy product:

Yum!

And whilst everyone overseaes goes for slow cookers... guess what a hectical German buys?

A Schnellkochtopf with "schnell" meaning "fast", you call it pressure cooking.
Now potatoes, for example, take only 7:40 minutes via induction field.

The 40 sec it takes to get hot, yah, watch your time ;-) Time is money... aw, well.

Today in my Advent-calender I got another tea-"calender", "Nikolaus", which we "celebrate" today:

And in my "real" Tea-Advent-Calendar was "Santa´s Secret" - will find out when my tastebuds are back, the dang cold still sticks with me.
What a "day off" coughing and all.

Despite this:

... I´ll be off to the city soon to do this:

I really like their work with those invitations. This one says:
"Born 28.08.1960 - donate blood - Born again 01.06.2011"

Happy Nikolaus to you :-)
Hope you were good this year and found some sweets in your boot. If you celebrate the 6th of December, that is.

Addendum:
When I went outside I nearly stepped on chocolate:

Some clever "Nikolaus" put these chocolate-lollies on the door-mat. One in each direction so you see a Santa either way, getting in or out :-)
No idea who this was, can´t say "Thank you"...

Christmas-Markets 2012

Well. So far... from the culinary point of view... have you ever tried cauliflower in a beer-coat? Just don´t.

And don´t argue Germans always use beer with everything (you might be right, though).

Grükohl? Let Ingo do the job!

Salty, that´s all I can say.

Was so looking forward to one of the "most beautiful Christmas-Markets of Germany" - no wonder the link is gone!

Maybe give it another try.

This house? Not the Christmas-Market, but cool, no? A little hectical maybe...

What I Wish You...

... with all my heart...

Advent, the time of yearning for the feeling of security and warmth. A cuppa tea from this Advent-calendar is just about this. Get inspired to take a break and find strength out of good thoughts".

My first advent-pressie, a tea-calendar :-)
Today´s tea is "Hello Sunshine"-tea (no sun, though) made with dog ros, apple, lemongras, crisped mint, hibiscus, strawberry, daisy (!), cornflower (!) and calendula.

Sadly I have a cold, no taste,so I´ll try the tea later.

But a nice development, it also comes with a little "book" with thoughts for my personal advent (well, aww, that´s ok, huh? That 1000 others have the same personal advent I have ;-)...)

Today´s wish: I wish you find the time to bake your favorite cookies yourself.

Ummm,... aw, well, if I replace cookie with pizza or jerky it sure is a good wish!

Really, I took our biggest bowl and not all did fit in, 24th is still missing, my friend P said!

Thanks, dear friend.
Guess it is that pompous due to Mum leaving.
She meant it well. but it makes each day a bit harder, thinking of the day how it was last year.

But maybe that´s a good thing.
Grieving is work.
And with these (not every day) pressies also kinda fun.
Mum, I miss you.
Lots.