tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23832133964139891912024-03-18T09:44:48.912-07:00carola bARTzPhotographer, Mixed Media Artist, Knitter, Gardener, Bread Baker, Wannabe WriterCarola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.comBlogger1286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-76271719848427627542024-03-11T15:08:00.000-07:002024-03-11T15:48:42.387-07:00Short Update<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t5ShyTYYZREp8rB_XUMymGAS9_LPEV2-a3w5c8hJ_FdykHpBGe08HtUulDDNYPh6wX3sFZ8A7U6OfbLz0ilxcHePWDV9gefMvuCzgNQbtWd0XP7VT5UfKmhReFaYbgwLOsL7Os2zYT1MVC0Fpvy3j6Tsqpz7fTJxQs4xddLfpl5MN7tS5EVwSEYYHmM/s850/PXL_20240309_194905157.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t5ShyTYYZREp8rB_XUMymGAS9_LPEV2-a3w5c8hJ_FdykHpBGe08HtUulDDNYPh6wX3sFZ8A7U6OfbLz0ilxcHePWDV9gefMvuCzgNQbtWd0XP7VT5UfKmhReFaYbgwLOsL7Os2zYT1MVC0Fpvy3j6Tsqpz7fTJxQs4xddLfpl5MN7tS5EVwSEYYHmM/s16000/PXL_20240309_194905157.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hello everybody, this is just a short update to let you know that my knee surgery went well and I'm back home recovering. The first couple days were very painful and I was thankful that my doctor had prescribed "happy pills", but by now I need them much less and hope to discontinue them soon. I am able to hobble around and can even get up and down the stairs (it takes a while, though). My neighbor - the owner of the cat who has taken up residence in my garden - gave me her cadillac of a walker and that was a big help during the first two days. But now I can hobble without help, albeit rather clumsily. It will get better eventually. The hospital staff before and after surgery were wonderful, nice and kind, and I felt very well taken care of. Now my husband is taking care of me and he is simply wonderful - a true keeper!</p><p>My sweet daughter sent me the card at the top, it says "Get well" ("Gute Besserung") and I was supposed to find all the items along the edges of the card in the picture. As you can see, a teacup is included and that is my ticket to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/03/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-coffees.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>. Happy T day to all of you!</p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-14353025230470014202024-03-04T14:20:00.000-08:002024-03-04T14:20:59.947-08:00The 366 Project: February<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-NhbTnHKtDYNomEmSzC-tphKJ5KgjrxXxNs_dET2Gr3AsyMEDcw9iS3-6dXHKnPn4251phAufwTrgkm17SptOX0A_g1xPLE5tBuTr_Nkzj5OgTPBpmMXPOXMi0X8YKGdwhvnrSsCn_woO0r7OUmGL8sFxvjoCmwAeJl7Cpr_RY7mtm76Y5DZ10kuy6I/s850/PXL_20240129_175226938.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-NhbTnHKtDYNomEmSzC-tphKJ5KgjrxXxNs_dET2Gr3AsyMEDcw9iS3-6dXHKnPn4251phAufwTrgkm17SptOX0A_g1xPLE5tBuTr_Nkzj5OgTPBpmMXPOXMi0X8YKGdwhvnrSsCn_woO0r7OUmGL8sFxvjoCmwAeJl7Cpr_RY7mtm76Y5DZ10kuy6I/s16000/PXL_20240129_175226938.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br />This <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/03/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-spices.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a> post will only be a short one. On Friday I'll have my knee surgery and there is still a lot to do before that - as long as I can still walk! I have no idea how long it will take afterwards until I will be fully able to walk again (I'm already dreaming of my first hike), but I guess I'll become a master in hopping (just in time for Easter!).<p></p><p>Anyway, another month went by and I continued my 366 project of taking (at least) one photo every day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50v-Xao63JIal5RmpF4fgPKYcZN54dnKWlRhbigjOu0J_ha0nkBoKDZBmRCbID_SWU-GrpuognHQVVCEXSAYNcSE39H9E2ayxponSGX3o8DKCyUtobsPCMzMFpIuJhyphenhyphenQrHcPKAyLVqwZnLq-bV2Tg9EDgDR7foNH3n7Eo8SQm5hh0awo_BBmHZxNk-xg/s850/Februar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50v-Xao63JIal5RmpF4fgPKYcZN54dnKWlRhbigjOu0J_ha0nkBoKDZBmRCbID_SWU-GrpuognHQVVCEXSAYNcSE39H9E2ayxponSGX3o8DKCyUtobsPCMzMFpIuJhyphenhyphenQrHcPKAyLVqwZnLq-bV2Tg9EDgDR7foNH3n7Eo8SQm5hh0awo_BBmHZxNk-xg/s16000/Februar1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWi_f9jCW35IPbwEjdQ_zg7MARlADAR3WYXAeMezV9RGUZYSlHWrnmEZSxRAsVUfNtVKK2usmGPVkLdBxvvI4NEvXwgM7l8EexRe0kfxqUbfEldF07raBnpuKHaCgCiD1Coi-8x99Ivt70N8zOARp4q4ZiML4g7BoVJAirB6Zi-nlllw7mk8X2qmYDPS8/s850/Februar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWi_f9jCW35IPbwEjdQ_zg7MARlADAR3WYXAeMezV9RGUZYSlHWrnmEZSxRAsVUfNtVKK2usmGPVkLdBxvvI4NEvXwgM7l8EexRe0kfxqUbfEldF07raBnpuKHaCgCiD1Coi-8x99Ivt70N8zOARp4q4ZiML4g7BoVJAirB6Zi-nlllw7mk8X2qmYDPS8/s16000/Februar2.jpg" /></a></div><p>There is one photo I want to show you in a bigger size - our daughter sent us a "care package" with lots of delicious German sweets that we like - Aachener Printer (in the paper bag), coffee chocolate, Duplo, nougat, "Hungarian" chips and more. She knows exactly what we like - she is such a wonderful person (I say this completely unbiased of course).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuIIId7ExoYT6OdmFUwaIvp7JNNMI2DfhtC9-_7u0MOtKu4OqmIqrG87l_z_3xdU4_2tm10HRKblUm7-WzFEKv8fVoqfmjgdDs2SDrJkg5JHUut5QUjAaukERsOpJXbI-h6wrVSuophrNRMZz9hmT7WBjrNvj57hCivOakfo4KWvQVMJT1tF4dGP6hjU/s850/PXL_20240227_023844331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuIIId7ExoYT6OdmFUwaIvp7JNNMI2DfhtC9-_7u0MOtKu4OqmIqrG87l_z_3xdU4_2tm10HRKblUm7-WzFEKv8fVoqfmjgdDs2SDrJkg5JHUut5QUjAaukERsOpJXbI-h6wrVSuophrNRMZz9hmT7WBjrNvj57hCivOakfo4KWvQVMJT1tF4dGP6hjU/s16000/PXL_20240227_023844331.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/03/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-spices.html" target="_blank">Bleubeard and Elizabeth</a> I have Italian grapefruit soda from Trader Joe's. Both the Geek and I like grapefruit and this soda isn't too sweet, but in the end I just prefer water. It was a good try, though, and I like the label on the glass bottle.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0Vcr6shrHXjFPZTeFms9Ij3nsNHJ8wjum04PA-QOnWwHIpcsqRuFojX_h94ag6rxrjZFL8u24tmOL0f012bH3JRLAxg7mhE2M0vuO6yozYC4g32DiplwDw2bO947r2T1NRYKwwY8s4UytmaqvKK0eRixJYnS6u9q9I8QktGA1IYt-ff-GswkLfvX6vg/s850/PXL_20240213_170624833~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="716" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0Vcr6shrHXjFPZTeFms9Ij3nsNHJ8wjum04PA-QOnWwHIpcsqRuFojX_h94ag6rxrjZFL8u24tmOL0f012bH3JRLAxg7mhE2M0vuO6yozYC4g32DiplwDw2bO947r2T1NRYKwwY8s4UytmaqvKK0eRixJYnS6u9q9I8QktGA1IYt-ff-GswkLfvX6vg/s16000/PXL_20240213_170624833~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Last but not least, here are the ATC and postcards that I received from Elizabeth. I had wanted to post this before, but somehow always forgot to do it. Finally - thank you so much, Elizabeth! I think you know that I especially like this sweet ATC.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_cyMKdW6o7IFkM5EVyQT89jOHTDc5BtB9JVgnrfbLg3-ly4WnAhFUoftschqynxYXSHUitAAgg5P5ki9O8nCDaktVm5iFS8CeukHyQPoDZL9caup3r_egMC2PNN82-hKsqtoNhh3GZE4NEe0uYc78336UYCIl4veEq9pwnUdeJ-oVns7WzOPAO5XhAU/s850/PXL_20240303_214639209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_cyMKdW6o7IFkM5EVyQT89jOHTDc5BtB9JVgnrfbLg3-ly4WnAhFUoftschqynxYXSHUitAAgg5P5ki9O8nCDaktVm5iFS8CeukHyQPoDZL9caup3r_egMC2PNN82-hKsqtoNhh3GZE4NEe0uYc78336UYCIl4veEq9pwnUdeJ-oVns7WzOPAO5XhAU/s16000/PXL_20240303_214639209.jpg" /></a></div><div><p>I wish all of you a good week and a lovely T Tuesday.</p><p><br /></p><p></p></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-75386250470805201842024-02-26T14:10:00.000-08:002024-02-26T14:17:21.189-08:00Winter Garden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G_rv7Khzd7TRamU9bbSOZkd2RI3kcHAWpo2qFCZlDCVjpL5s-DGRpkTTuWe_TtNrztbNy3sqETS17rdP5UYVYzR69gRS4ETyqxBBEVWTNHua9L2nQCiJmBJ7j1uDGjIEWblfin5ZVMop4qLEdte88f5z4T8fiQjOcLf4iJOhdGL9cvM70VZJ87ewEb8/s850/PXL_20240101_184553212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G_rv7Khzd7TRamU9bbSOZkd2RI3kcHAWpo2qFCZlDCVjpL5s-DGRpkTTuWe_TtNrztbNy3sqETS17rdP5UYVYzR69gRS4ETyqxBBEVWTNHua9L2nQCiJmBJ7j1uDGjIEWblfin5ZVMop4qLEdte88f5z4T8fiQjOcLf4iJOhdGL9cvM70VZJ87ewEb8/s16000/PXL_20240101_184553212.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Strawberry tree (<i>Arbutus unedo</i>) bearing fruit at the end of December/beginning of January</div><p></p><p>We are very fortunate to live in a part of the country where even in winter the garden offers excitement and even some color. While it certainly doesn't display the richness of spring, summer and fall, there still is lots of interest to see.</p><p>African Flag (<i>Chasmanthe floribuna</i>) was showing its starting flowers at the beginning of the year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieXsxJuoffnWpqPXHXtLDlM1YpT3vHh6N7fjf8pWSpkprkUdqpMK8RxAQeyaHKS1wM0rYJtw721V2mp9vDW_NW3vk8T2Ck8DNPBGmphKJI4OGZl4pfSK2Z-W-EF8SbaEy2YyVZZmN7lHu8AILNtNU4jMCN0owkY7T17AAZJq9GpOHiAI-cEPtkkyfTOo/s850/AfricanFlag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieXsxJuoffnWpqPXHXtLDlM1YpT3vHh6N7fjf8pWSpkprkUdqpMK8RxAQeyaHKS1wM0rYJtw721V2mp9vDW_NW3vk8T2Ck8DNPBGmphKJI4OGZl4pfSK2Z-W-EF8SbaEy2YyVZZmN7lHu8AILNtNU4jMCN0owkY7T17AAZJq9GpOHiAI-cEPtkkyfTOo/s16000/AfricanFlag.jpg" /></a></div><p>Now it looks like this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQaXNoGyojSXp-sHyvS-rhNShht6G7n_kJo35gAQHGgPawA1Tz1DHmx3PqDi4bcB8_8GKIG8HK9Nav5ZETmujuxhAyUi4cM9v6JAQhqqQ0C7lC53sfWO56GrIyiMdUP1grv0cTSRIeaPLf2cWWmcEeBB0NldHIFj2JJuvf9ux8gRHyYV4pyTQiAGSzko/s850/PXL_20240226_203237417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQaXNoGyojSXp-sHyvS-rhNShht6G7n_kJo35gAQHGgPawA1Tz1DHmx3PqDi4bcB8_8GKIG8HK9Nav5ZETmujuxhAyUi4cM9v6JAQhqqQ0C7lC53sfWO56GrIyiMdUP1grv0cTSRIeaPLf2cWWmcEeBB0NldHIFj2JJuvf9ux8gRHyYV4pyTQiAGSzko/s16000/PXL_20240226_203237417.jpg" /></a></div><p>This is a volunteer to my garden, I never planted it. I guess some birds brought it in and it has been spreading ever since. I don't mind since it doesn't crowd out other plants and new plants are easy to remove. I rather enjoy these pretty flowers that are such happy spots of color on a gray day.</p><p>There are several pink flowering currants (<i>Ribes sangunieum var. glutinosum</i>) throughout my garden and they usually start flowering in February. In fall, the birds enjoy the berries while the bees love the plant in spring.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51Ud5ufiO59murWb4RdmoJyAijnmplIW29XwpGbJTDXRqnPzYLd70ELT8x2y33SiV4tDOyjQHsGBJ85ItzkboEF1LwawT4td821r5yJb-1BzDDF22cjczpDEK41VTS9axHRFdKm8gO_tqVcf5IlEGrqYx_72N5f6iQpmSZK7toHX2K-G1IcZLIKOSt2Y/s850/Ribes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51Ud5ufiO59murWb4RdmoJyAijnmplIW29XwpGbJTDXRqnPzYLd70ELT8x2y33SiV4tDOyjQHsGBJ85ItzkboEF1LwawT4td821r5yJb-1BzDDF22cjczpDEK41VTS9axHRFdKm8gO_tqVcf5IlEGrqYx_72N5f6iQpmSZK7toHX2K-G1IcZLIKOSt2Y/s16000/Ribes.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My front garden is in the shade during the dead of winter, but when I see the sun hitting some parts of it again I know that spring is not too far away. Here the morning sun lights up the fat ceramic doves sitting in the Wooly Sunflower (<i>Eriophyllum lanatum).</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75lnIqPc9nVO-P8rKMmM5HwNSqeGpMZW4TF8RsLKYTSVV6fjHDUfOOYZYhrJA4VhOfCZMB_cLjyEm8i5Mp5jjP_KcdOZoJWc9swJfOKLIK1AUTUZHIlzm8Rn-dMmk_HB-036kwQh_i84xnu-WDkUXDO_tsqDmBtFS8Q2wUsMSMQDEKcKM-PKnQWJ1YAQ/s850/PXL_20240210_155009128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75lnIqPc9nVO-P8rKMmM5HwNSqeGpMZW4TF8RsLKYTSVV6fjHDUfOOYZYhrJA4VhOfCZMB_cLjyEm8i5Mp5jjP_KcdOZoJWc9swJfOKLIK1AUTUZHIlzm8Rn-dMmk_HB-036kwQh_i84xnu-WDkUXDO_tsqDmBtFS8Q2wUsMSMQDEKcKM-PKnQWJ1YAQ/s16000/PXL_20240210_155009128.jpg" /></a></div><br />The warm light of the morning sun always thrills me.</div><div><br /></div><div>A ceramic bird is hiding in the Forget-me-Nots (<i>Myosotis</i>). These are volunteer plants as well and they spread in the shady parts of the garden. If I don't want them there, I can easily pull them. When the flowers turn into seeds, they unfortunately have the habit to cling to your clothes when you step among them. That's the only part I don't like about this plant. The tiny blue flowers make a beautiful "carpet" in the spring.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxKGZr3XuW7rYzGxbAyZMZwg5AaSrb2Fc2tfYbxYjugXYxrsLYPqLd0wh9w8hkUI2c6qy8BdRrlGtTL7JUQyFnMbOxnSuVWsKnCjrascjlIDBEavfqeJEU1YaAczt1JQEy3Un0xxsPYLhdhBXlD5WEcDCsgbOeE1tdUL2oIwh5F-5Y5s0Ckkifkj5JOs/s850/PXL_20240128_231140177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxKGZr3XuW7rYzGxbAyZMZwg5AaSrb2Fc2tfYbxYjugXYxrsLYPqLd0wh9w8hkUI2c6qy8BdRrlGtTL7JUQyFnMbOxnSuVWsKnCjrascjlIDBEavfqeJEU1YaAczt1JQEy3Un0xxsPYLhdhBXlD5WEcDCsgbOeE1tdUL2oIwh5F-5Y5s0Ckkifkj5JOs/s16000/PXL_20240128_231140177.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>This winter we fortunately have had a lot of rain, and the delicate spiderwebs on the damp plants are easy to see. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjot-aL4syIsgdc5N52nrh1qp1sPhpt2oZE1-JM5SkQAssq9VwnATnq_OOqwDnRzpd_uNhKwNr-6D7DGbEY1vQbSye-pla3h3SxnjvDqzFDoEQE51FlpXhF6xjvlORhjXNWPuzCCg6Ur41-iyxhjjmCJlGsdybeQGFowPbdqQ8qeRS0CWKbe_GViuXbuoY/s850/Spiderweb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjot-aL4syIsgdc5N52nrh1qp1sPhpt2oZE1-JM5SkQAssq9VwnATnq_OOqwDnRzpd_uNhKwNr-6D7DGbEY1vQbSye-pla3h3SxnjvDqzFDoEQE51FlpXhF6xjvlORhjXNWPuzCCg6Ur41-iyxhjjmCJlGsdybeQGFowPbdqQ8qeRS0CWKbe_GViuXbuoY/s16000/Spiderweb.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>This red camellia is in front of my kitchen window. There used to be two more camellias, but we took them out last year because they were too close to the house and therefore a fire hazard. But the red one we left in the ground. It wasn't doing too well while the other - more robust - camellias were there, but I tended to it last year, trimmed and pruned and this year it delights us with a much bigger bloom than all the years before.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSiEJ991j3RKJYWPi7N3OprQyzSq4e5ZZasj-4V5uSAIHuD1vk7ZeaX0yPTjJ3UaGFJ25Tp1Ndk3RJgr_nbQ1ZNHLcY1uIeZYS2VjmDDYF4xVgckP4mixDBphbFf-6kEWd5YKNxs67OufFPuNWVWrneEDc1fZATQhuR-wLbReAHYwEF71_Q4d2XJX-WM/s850/PXL_20240226_003936377.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="736" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSiEJ991j3RKJYWPi7N3OprQyzSq4e5ZZasj-4V5uSAIHuD1vk7ZeaX0yPTjJ3UaGFJ25Tp1Ndk3RJgr_nbQ1ZNHLcY1uIeZYS2VjmDDYF4xVgckP4mixDBphbFf-6kEWd5YKNxs67OufFPuNWVWrneEDc1fZATQhuR-wLbReAHYwEF71_Q4d2XJX-WM/s16000/PXL_20240226_003936377.PORTRAIT~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>I like to keep my garden as natural as possible. That means that I leave some old and dead parts of trees on the ground where they offer shelter to insects and beneficial bugs. Because of all the rain, Turkey Tail Fungus has developed on the trunks. Since this is not on a living tree, I leave them be. When you look at them, you can easily see why they're called Turkey Tail.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGE_i6awIcMbFr7XynqdGenqG-CI-cU2uYlijyu1nN_Ym99Q61k-LD9vt-ZEqiGt7tUGB6peLcXwYYEoNPBgR8OdALoJeRbJiKRPD0bIK0QRFQkmy6H5EP23GuDZiUFuqJEQTXyWxB-E6R0EF3ynAbkB0Gq6Tc3Es1Qhtp2TaNGqROwI79OSrdtmipoc/s850/TurkeyTailFungus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGE_i6awIcMbFr7XynqdGenqG-CI-cU2uYlijyu1nN_Ym99Q61k-LD9vt-ZEqiGt7tUGB6peLcXwYYEoNPBgR8OdALoJeRbJiKRPD0bIK0QRFQkmy6H5EP23GuDZiUFuqJEQTXyWxB-E6R0EF3ynAbkB0Gq6Tc3Es1Qhtp2TaNGqROwI79OSrdtmipoc/s16000/TurkeyTailFungus.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Aren't they beautiful?</div><div><br /></div><div>The past few days have been sunny and a bit warmer. That was all that this calendula needed to display its happy flowers. These flowers always remind me of home where I saw them growing wild and spreading through seeds.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliLQNo_0LuGPZHB5acEpNziad9Kxh94d2T3FvFch80sGIkDoqCvOAR6D1aAaTtt-vC9V_fNq-VxgkSMDneHsEOHKDKuW34W1AHX3yvz9rtfqVmNzq7iCBRy8yRxyfoah-KQxGdqBfTNUj-diBYOukb071v3rWasBST7b70b-o3Kib-yJd60HHQF3QckQ/s850/PXL_20240224_232435717.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliLQNo_0LuGPZHB5acEpNziad9Kxh94d2T3FvFch80sGIkDoqCvOAR6D1aAaTtt-vC9V_fNq-VxgkSMDneHsEOHKDKuW34W1AHX3yvz9rtfqVmNzq7iCBRy8yRxyfoah-KQxGdqBfTNUj-diBYOukb071v3rWasBST7b70b-o3Kib-yJd60HHQF3QckQ/s16000/PXL_20240224_232435717.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>A few days agao I noticed the first blue flowers on my California Lilac (<i>Ceanothus</i>) - this is a huge bee magnet and I could see some bees humming around the tiny blooms.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0X33IXNVMz3xEJsgPPKG3Gwn3YsKG6OsM8MT7NOWhC8sRMTeN09XQrH1vDSAT9HJ79nax63odF7xEm3PA4aDIeOYYo-nkcsiKmQlRiFxDh4pYGjlC8LO3-KYUiZ-wztNLXBsIhlHV1jsd1Wvx3cG7k-kriNtbMifSjpbnlrZdxWAGVOYXqCtMLniWcU/s850/PXL_20240222_203336750~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0X33IXNVMz3xEJsgPPKG3Gwn3YsKG6OsM8MT7NOWhC8sRMTeN09XQrH1vDSAT9HJ79nax63odF7xEm3PA4aDIeOYYo-nkcsiKmQlRiFxDh4pYGjlC8LO3-KYUiZ-wztNLXBsIhlHV1jsd1Wvx3cG7k-kriNtbMifSjpbnlrZdxWAGVOYXqCtMLniWcU/s16000/PXL_20240222_203336750~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Of course you all are familiar with daffodils (<i>Narcissus</i>) - they started to appear at the end of January.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Vu57fsHsdxagOdFTrOyMGWtegAH3b_VDWaaFAeInlT8Ma_E49oGozqQD8S3eHWp9JK5Qy4mAzixhRVeStC-eu7GnitAlqz_wiAN1kW5ZV8_4UXBe_FdxonH2_cYI7BcSVmzt3Kt6VXZ8FwZCwZIBCGUpLhYl2Y0Zlm-q8qffbdXQZaZjUTbFtQvbVjc/s850/Daffodils.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Vu57fsHsdxagOdFTrOyMGWtegAH3b_VDWaaFAeInlT8Ma_E49oGozqQD8S3eHWp9JK5Qy4mAzixhRVeStC-eu7GnitAlqz_wiAN1kW5ZV8_4UXBe_FdxonH2_cYI7BcSVmzt3Kt6VXZ8FwZCwZIBCGUpLhYl2Y0Zlm-q8qffbdXQZaZjUTbFtQvbVjc/s16000/Daffodils.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>The birds are in abundance as well and I have to refill their feeders at least every other day. I enjoy watching them. This one I can see from my kitchen window and it is mostly visited by House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches and Pine Siskins. The feeders in the back garden attract a greater variety of birds because there I offer different kinds of bird seeds and nuts.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9Ju1ZIUJEZBScq2XH82U7MnhBzE_Lo6Vbn8Gj9RKGFEQy1pmhSNRcVRr5GHZS4tgOyZ6qqnpHZt5NAy6K2k8tZG-0QcZDmgRieli1sKwFCYo1kyJ9mVPfGT-oFNuuQE0X6i4KDBJWUWmEuEeBik84WaAorA7ilqKSJpKHjfxyS9yCsch0q5sxFpojOw/s850/PXL_20240130_155128910.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="752" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9Ju1ZIUJEZBScq2XH82U7MnhBzE_Lo6Vbn8Gj9RKGFEQy1pmhSNRcVRr5GHZS4tgOyZ6qqnpHZt5NAy6K2k8tZG-0QcZDmgRieli1sKwFCYo1kyJ9mVPfGT-oFNuuQE0X6i4KDBJWUWmEuEeBik84WaAorA7ilqKSJpKHjfxyS9yCsch0q5sxFpojOw/s16000/PXL_20240130_155128910.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>For Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/02/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-teas.html">T Tuesday</a> I am remembering warm evenings in the garden when we have dinner al fresco and enjoy a glass of wine (or two). Cheers and happy T Tuesday to you.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLgbwnYMpKsKn7raPurIlsesa_SEbwzlPWqkdawCpmHXEG5K-6g_PTzissT_SjDmJ7ol0NzTwLx_xAIn4UAF09DIwOUONtguOgJ5RzXfsJaB_lcN_q2pmNPUBkz6uhd14jLkFmoO1eaPhwwmArxEushKbdBcyULRY06agJczdkjTG2rOLOBpN95TY3vI/s850/PXL_20220720_015917721.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLgbwnYMpKsKn7raPurIlsesa_SEbwzlPWqkdawCpmHXEG5K-6g_PTzissT_SjDmJ7ol0NzTwLx_xAIn4UAF09DIwOUONtguOgJ5RzXfsJaB_lcN_q2pmNPUBkz6uhd14jLkFmoO1eaPhwwmArxEushKbdBcyULRY06agJczdkjTG2rOLOBpN95TY3vI/s16000/PXL_20220720_015917721.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-15658786249300476062024-02-19T16:58:00.000-08:002024-02-19T16:58:42.810-08:00The Art & Soul of Spring<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALY6lNxL4BEth9NM6Moesl5KyJAG_en8dSdrUNRQrS0rSKrAxQen1_wvCPvLazamj1adYBv6QaPawUn4fiYnjjU9IXt8FFb47urT53ZlfmWgswdX83j4O6zlOnv2KW-o4oRfD5NTpoxcU1dQvzNlmFAnPzVEuk4HLSYhqfQh-KNVHmAEa5Kn0Jm3Z9Fc/s850/PXL_20240213_193054735.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALY6lNxL4BEth9NM6Moesl5KyJAG_en8dSdrUNRQrS0rSKrAxQen1_wvCPvLazamj1adYBv6QaPawUn4fiYnjjU9IXt8FFb47urT53ZlfmWgswdX83j4O6zlOnv2KW-o4oRfD5NTpoxcU1dQvzNlmFAnPzVEuk4HLSYhqfQh-KNVHmAEa5Kn0Jm3Z9Fc/s16000/PXL_20240213_193054735.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>After spending most of the past weeks at home with only short walks in the neighborhood because of my stupid knee, I drove to the lake last Wednesday. While I couldn't walk for an extended period, I did a bit of walking and sat on a bench, writing in my journal and just enjoying the view and being out in nature. I had missed that so very much. In March I will have surgery on the knee and I hope that after that I will eventually be able to hike again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5mWxsrWLbjPUognX0jbAIUZ6_uqlGz5pIWDmEnDnn08C42-zNQmbJvJFgG71LJf9ikQR52cPivLPl2vSaIuNz3-Q3g-VGte0VmMZQwdFtzYTGlBkDnmCCpURUwAmfLl_XcP5PQh9NVETnjFZESObzHEfNKC736GHYsNFkU-Rqmi14yDoH-8nzdddfWY/s850/PXL_20240213_195018002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="773" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5mWxsrWLbjPUognX0jbAIUZ6_uqlGz5pIWDmEnDnn08C42-zNQmbJvJFgG71LJf9ikQR52cPivLPl2vSaIuNz3-Q3g-VGte0VmMZQwdFtzYTGlBkDnmCCpURUwAmfLl_XcP5PQh9NVETnjFZESObzHEfNKC736GHYsNFkU-Rqmi14yDoH-8nzdddfWY/s16000/PXL_20240213_195018002.jpg" /></a></div><p>That Wednesday was the only day in the week with some sunshine; all the other days it rained and especially this president's weekend has been quite stormy again. Nevertheless, on Saturday we met up with friends for some wine tasting and this serves as my ticket for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/02/t-stands-for-another-visit-to-spice.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxUn6sxIM4EJZ-fcTP79rETHwCyf-yyZpaQ1Vx-ybEFg2MuzPRwfYUttHzCgA6gvkbPz7H4IOFHaN_4fT8qrXlIodW7ROpOpO1zJJqe0BjZf3ey9IX57boCfLOYQmjI515vdjzf8oPNU11G5jCHGk4K6DMDRzxZzeAY-m3nQ3psfjHbITujV4md_vtow/s850/PXL_20240217_220746345.MP~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxUn6sxIM4EJZ-fcTP79rETHwCyf-yyZpaQ1Vx-ybEFg2MuzPRwfYUttHzCgA6gvkbPz7H4IOFHaN_4fT8qrXlIodW7ROpOpO1zJJqe0BjZf3ey9IX57boCfLOYQmjI515vdjzf8oPNU11G5jCHGk4K6DMDRzxZzeAY-m3nQ3psfjHbITujV4md_vtow/s16000/PXL_20240217_220746345.MP~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>The rest of the rainy days I was working on a new spread in my art journal. I started out with a page where I had already spread some leftover paint and now glued down several torn book pages. It looked rather chaotic and not very inspiring.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZvmXXiZGM7xGci3MOzfKwT2G6HuggbdS0e7CnIiR-O2tZpY9cJw5i9hcr5-EJcvLWc2Kd7kpjdR3o1e778B-355FUslpxjcjcIy6ovZAcBKTRnBA5i6r1MCqEQyAu6YP4nhXKoe7jGZCIv3RbhhstwryAeUTtH4P0d768pSab8-ENspEzz7ZkxA3JsA/s850/PXL_20240207_044516582.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZvmXXiZGM7xGci3MOzfKwT2G6HuggbdS0e7CnIiR-O2tZpY9cJw5i9hcr5-EJcvLWc2Kd7kpjdR3o1e778B-355FUslpxjcjcIy6ovZAcBKTRnBA5i6r1MCqEQyAu6YP4nhXKoe7jGZCIv3RbhhstwryAeUTtH4P0d768pSab8-ENspEzz7ZkxA3JsA/s16000/PXL_20240207_044516582.jpg" /></a></div><p>I had a half-baked idea in my mind and wanted to add some pink or magenta.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6-73unKpnAutAt7o7E_IT6qSEsllKEOLVlkLoFwu1Eq3FEqJHv60ClmdX9KkmG9B3469eLo_7Y9hH7agOzjAGnnVBdEovVX2ouhYlLELOd6uT7k5oOIfmgl_ODLxQJ3My71nzK5gmEjqQWuvKmM9j9FOpG4qrOklQFGnR41aj4YkUovyJf9g_-3WkBQ/s850/PXL_20240214_205007831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6-73unKpnAutAt7o7E_IT6qSEsllKEOLVlkLoFwu1Eq3FEqJHv60ClmdX9KkmG9B3469eLo_7Y9hH7agOzjAGnnVBdEovVX2ouhYlLELOd6uT7k5oOIfmgl_ODLxQJ3My71nzK5gmEjqQWuvKmM9j9FOpG4qrOklQFGnR41aj4YkUovyJf9g_-3WkBQ/s16000/PXL_20240214_205007831.jpg" /></a></div><p>Oh dear! That was a little bit too bold even for me, so I tried to tone it down with some titanium buff.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vrd2XuPrVOZOZkkMrtb3ztI5t4q2aj1tRvl6susRKdzSoLsz1DlUrMIXCJvZkYlv0vI5jxYLvkyl0GjvzuaX1SmZ9ZDEQS4BbFrx6-3YZxl4FHrXxHZAPaeyR6ufAon33CtM4jZUQgc9xxU59hRNdtS8LhCyYMBd-ZgYswQlGHnfcQkdUhOS1V9CCww/s850/PXL_20240214_205531596.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vrd2XuPrVOZOZkkMrtb3ztI5t4q2aj1tRvl6susRKdzSoLsz1DlUrMIXCJvZkYlv0vI5jxYLvkyl0GjvzuaX1SmZ9ZDEQS4BbFrx6-3YZxl4FHrXxHZAPaeyR6ufAon33CtM4jZUQgc9xxU59hRNdtS8LhCyYMBd-ZgYswQlGHnfcQkdUhOS1V9CCww/s16000/PXL_20240214_205531596.jpg" /></a></div><p>I was struggling how to get out of this ugly phase and just left it for a day. When I came back later, I painted the entire page with a layer of titanium buff and added some pictures of mainly pink flowers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYzgVvm_2Y7grJw_icelJfRQcPvBUb4Gtg8sDx41GMws2HlJgHirjW8894KESCO4L24IfUZ82nAoU9rbNH1KbipTEfsDDpnHyMr_TOPFbIVpVlur6zSKrt2XaqWaBXkMmsF3-H3_OJvys9dDt6A8Ym_B7CtlTn5MpwbZKKku0pqMgWPuF2uelJJjfW3I/s850/PXL_20240217_010437450.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYzgVvm_2Y7grJw_icelJfRQcPvBUb4Gtg8sDx41GMws2HlJgHirjW8894KESCO4L24IfUZ82nAoU9rbNH1KbipTEfsDDpnHyMr_TOPFbIVpVlur6zSKrt2XaqWaBXkMmsF3-H3_OJvys9dDt6A8Ym_B7CtlTn5MpwbZKKku0pqMgWPuF2uelJJjfW3I/s16000/PXL_20240217_010437450.jpg" /></a></div><p>That already looked a lot better. I decided I didn't like the look of the titanium buff and mixed white gesso with just a little bit of quinacridone magenta to achieve a light pink color that I painted around the pictures and across the page. I also pressed a heavy fabric stamp into parts of the gesso mix and painted that with watercolor.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMrcHqL91MJHIL4Sbr6Bj0KMq4t65UBgRcyPnqqfM-TwQBJ5QEVjZKqUsuT3TGPJaeHSC6FP9g_cXjzBcAf99o2jtsXTG1k7cDZYRgzByBx8pUYfX268ZgVM5cfFW4v-uDbUOh6jo4Tq1CrUode0AEkk3woEXZOXrxIXAEcBQuy6lG3YsU2YcokoZmbU/s850/PXL_20240218_005105781.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMrcHqL91MJHIL4Sbr6Bj0KMq4t65UBgRcyPnqqfM-TwQBJ5QEVjZKqUsuT3TGPJaeHSC6FP9g_cXjzBcAf99o2jtsXTG1k7cDZYRgzByBx8pUYfX268ZgVM5cfFW4v-uDbUOh6jo4Tq1CrUode0AEkk3woEXZOXrxIXAEcBQuy6lG3YsU2YcokoZmbU/s16000/PXL_20240218_005105781.jpg" /></a></div><p>Finally, I stamped randomly with my French text stamp, called the page "The Art & Soul of Spring", glued down some bits of texts I had cut out of German magazines, framed them with watercolor crayons, added a flower-shaped ribbon and used a stencil with differently sized dots and white gesso - done. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qrj0pwdfaZWT_yB1jCYkgwUDrjJ6XRjdxeuA0nf7gJ8zTa-8d6nJdjrKRV3gXsEbF8MV9NlBy7E7FVRKUZIFRtl78MYKzCnvExk9EWUvhfhfCWSbDtN43WQ2zG1s0a5Amzd48qicxQ8Ow8UOlAb8dMxlU6JojyQnxyo7uJCZ8vzCjdJm1IxMjruaToo/s850/PXL_20240219_182434477.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qrj0pwdfaZWT_yB1jCYkgwUDrjJ6XRjdxeuA0nf7gJ8zTa-8d6nJdjrKRV3gXsEbF8MV9NlBy7E7FVRKUZIFRtl78MYKzCnvExk9EWUvhfhfCWSbDtN43WQ2zG1s0a5Amzd48qicxQ8Ow8UOlAb8dMxlU6JojyQnxyo7uJCZ8vzCjdJm1IxMjruaToo/s16000/PXL_20240219_182434477.jpg" /></a></div><p>I'm quite happy with the result. I hadn't thought that I would end up with this after I had got stuck in the "ugly phase". </p><p>I hope everyone has a good T Tuesday and a lovely week.</p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-78183378955099106492024-02-07T21:27:00.000-08:002024-02-08T21:26:38.905-08:00On an Island Far Away<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53cAV1R9IlR40bdCM2uhhGcbpEqljb3zgmvTZm7EOexV7gH_CaR8Mhe4xcB1MMz_E0kx4tQVCPuUfq4L01qWuNt0OthZkT_l-cwDjtq4MeLdE0ehGQmQTAC4aaC0RtS1dMagM0_9pkaju9Gd1rM_2Tj2no6SFfgtDeiZGQmgjeAc2HKSGM1EX2X6fXWY/s850/PXL_20240208_010410181.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53cAV1R9IlR40bdCM2uhhGcbpEqljb3zgmvTZm7EOexV7gH_CaR8Mhe4xcB1MMz_E0kx4tQVCPuUfq4L01qWuNt0OthZkT_l-cwDjtq4MeLdE0ehGQmQTAC4aaC0RtS1dMagM0_9pkaju9Gd1rM_2Tj2no6SFfgtDeiZGQmgjeAc2HKSGM1EX2X6fXWY/s16000/PXL_20240208_010410181.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>When I first saw Rain's prompt for this week, "Far Away", I thought that I would skip it. But it got stuck in my head and was working its way until I knew exactly what I could write about - an island far far away I had the privilege to get to know a bit better during my study abroad. This is the furthest away I ever got from my home country (Germany) in order to live somewhere else. It wasn't only the furthest away in regards to kilometers or miles, but also in regards to culture.</p><p>It was 1983 when I moved to Taiwan, when it was still under Martial Law. I had just finished my second year of Chinese studies at Tübingen University and thought that now, after my first big and important exam, would be the perfect time to practice the Chinese language that I had learned so far. I had learned Mandarin or Han Chinese, but in Taiwan Fujian dialect is mainly spoken which, after a certain time, I finally picked up. Maybe in some post later I will write more about the Chinese language and its transcription into Western languages that often lead to very weird pronunciation. Let me just say that in this post I'll stick to the Wade Giles transcription which was used in Taiwan and, to my knowledge, still is. It is different to Pinyin which is the official romanized spelling that is used in the People's Republic of China, Singapore and the United Nations. Please keep in mind that these photos are from 1983.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0lj3JGYF34IDn0t-0Znziv20RBd2w0o6bSYkXtNRa0x50xcGEa7Hu3u9q2ijpwZAScIixiWp0Xx-6PhEEADoz5FusKKB7UtL4WT3LWIXJyZYdvepFpEL5elNFshVRTpgU1OsRRXzs0iZ8ODf4opMAJa3NXN69rmbfXDiZyfB-4YdjLNGOJA7kCcIstw/s850/PXL_20240208_005050148.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0lj3JGYF34IDn0t-0Znziv20RBd2w0o6bSYkXtNRa0x50xcGEa7Hu3u9q2ijpwZAScIixiWp0Xx-6PhEEADoz5FusKKB7UtL4WT3LWIXJyZYdvepFpEL5elNFshVRTpgU1OsRRXzs0iZ8ODf4opMAJa3NXN69rmbfXDiZyfB-4YdjLNGOJA7kCcIstw/s16000/PXL_20240208_005050148.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>Above is the dormitory where I was very lucky to live in a single room - true luxury. Fortunately my room was in the back, away from the sun and therefore slightly cooler. I had a fan in my room - otherwise I wouldn't have been able to stand the oppressing, humid heat. I felt constantly like living in a washhouse. I started to sweat when I just moved my fingers and my curly hair became even curlier.</p><p>This is the street I walked along every day - to get to university, to the small supermarket, to the street food booths. You will notice the "cages" in front of the windows - they protect the windows during the heavy and strong taifuns.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OM3Ccxz2H-YHyvMaw-7afGwsN1jd2NyofOiKmUrp3d0YMawOgpxkdn7anwIB8KwCaugSZvjOs9HM1VI3kJAgcaj3wstUhc9JEQDfnjO5rjauxK0rRrBUKFyHFZpuRJ4xvF-eIG9MQhYPrd9e5ILbLYw6XNxN6EkOWzne7Y1mpueGqX_mu4J2jPgly8k/s850/PXL_20240208_004820830.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OM3Ccxz2H-YHyvMaw-7afGwsN1jd2NyofOiKmUrp3d0YMawOgpxkdn7anwIB8KwCaugSZvjOs9HM1VI3kJAgcaj3wstUhc9JEQDfnjO5rjauxK0rRrBUKFyHFZpuRJ4xvF-eIG9MQhYPrd9e5ILbLYw6XNxN6EkOWzne7Y1mpueGqX_mu4J2jPgly8k/s16000/PXL_20240208_004820830.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The dormitory was under the ownership of Dominican nuns with many of the nuns coming from the Philipines. On the first floor was a preschool and I enjoyed watching the kids lining up for the national anthem of Taiwan, San Min Chu-i. In return, the kids were very curious about the "long nose".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gN8Cxae1AHQ5QObJi9iGwWJHmpsPFhNa-a4yxUsMrFTa85hMW1H1WcEiN4QaDTnMYxmCqosmh_PvoTaN1TG3DzwSW-IGG3-SP4yjPV9Fl4DtHrGsyrgWb3wIZJRchpsb2NUzYTzahP1wFFeOCfFK9Z_b9jsOwPmZxrOrhydq4VEMAHnJuvKOGdATuYY/s850/PXL_20240208_005351012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gN8Cxae1AHQ5QObJi9iGwWJHmpsPFhNa-a4yxUsMrFTa85hMW1H1WcEiN4QaDTnMYxmCqosmh_PvoTaN1TG3DzwSW-IGG3-SP4yjPV9Fl4DtHrGsyrgWb3wIZJRchpsb2NUzYTzahP1wFFeOCfFK9Z_b9jsOwPmZxrOrhydq4VEMAHnJuvKOGdATuYY/s16000/PXL_20240208_005351012.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My daily walk to the university passed through rice fields where I would see egrets stalking through the crop. My dormitory was behind those newer buildings to the left in the photo below. Sometimes the street was covered with rice laid out to dry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITC0DdoseoQreaN6AmwGaZHCD0r09nzZYQLOvbb3ILmhuiRKwhOS2XYmXM6UnlL8nXcQuDG1-Zp4lyIvZ_rN-JHAeu65NEWMCq48siJh5s1527AeN5etjPFxtDWrTZtO2N3f_h2i53aPZKXKwyszamt8BAPn4H05vaHDIjrKV7d2dSQeDMoC4v6bspOU/s850/PXL_20240208_005006978.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITC0DdoseoQreaN6AmwGaZHCD0r09nzZYQLOvbb3ILmhuiRKwhOS2XYmXM6UnlL8nXcQuDG1-Zp4lyIvZ_rN-JHAeu65NEWMCq48siJh5s1527AeN5etjPFxtDWrTZtO2N3f_h2i53aPZKXKwyszamt8BAPn4H05vaHDIjrKV7d2dSQeDMoC4v6bspOU/s16000/PXL_20240208_005006978.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhkTpfF_LjKaP11PJP3L6i2-FlYfYoUcP0PT1L9i176tLaPIIFBjhdE7ME6bbEjX5R7-tPROaTzO2XFSh2Y6_Y3O34HL7JFWGCJXkIzyraMkqdx7W9JzMVwIQHvel80Tg7uOf1xd1Og8pBSJjOu9AMTSnoAtSNnkgjNeXn_McMVX7OYTAGJocB2U2dVs/s850/PXL_20240208_005252123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="565" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhkTpfF_LjKaP11PJP3L6i2-FlYfYoUcP0PT1L9i176tLaPIIFBjhdE7ME6bbEjX5R7-tPROaTzO2XFSh2Y6_Y3O34HL7JFWGCJXkIzyraMkqdx7W9JzMVwIQHvel80Tg7uOf1xd1Og8pBSJjOu9AMTSnoAtSNnkgjNeXn_McMVX7OYTAGJocB2U2dVs/s16000/PXL_20240208_005252123.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was just a 15 minute walk to the University. While I lived in Taishan, Fu Jen University was in Hsinchuang, both suburbs of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan (officially the Republic of China). Nevertheless, it was just a short walk there by taking the shortcut through the rice fields. I sometimes got into awkward situations on that road, but that is stuff for a later post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The beautiful campus of Fu Jen University, a private Catholic university, that was founded by jesuits in 1925 in Beijing and re-established in Taiwan in 1961. It is one of the finest universities in Taiwan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIHqy1mwABWgM9hjm1-vUUCo898DmS0gUiWAXvGiMMbm1UOtaxjYhd1EVdgV7PEf7D9rw2QS6jDowQKsQhQQMtThEasOUjNCRw7FYXfsrUUg8OfBlj3qS0M_3_ilVkr8bbs1VKk3NTe80ga-t-jofoB453GO2ko6kghvnOeAX6ssb2OVlkxuG3isfKMQ/s850/PXL_20240208_005237320.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIHqy1mwABWgM9hjm1-vUUCo898DmS0gUiWAXvGiMMbm1UOtaxjYhd1EVdgV7PEf7D9rw2QS6jDowQKsQhQQMtThEasOUjNCRw7FYXfsrUUg8OfBlj3qS0M_3_ilVkr8bbs1VKk3NTe80ga-t-jofoB453GO2ko6kghvnOeAX6ssb2OVlkxuG3isfKMQ/s16000/PXL_20240208_005237320.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mentioned street food booths - street food was my main source of food I had in Taiwan. It was delicious and cheap and I ususally got it both for lunch and dinner. When you live on a student's budget and can get a filling and delicious meal for the equivalent of 50 cents, you don't ask twice. I never became sick, in case you were wondering.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM9WsEcXGnRsy9bBNvB21DgFIaYFE9VEO30F-hw7y_nFgD-TWA_Z7vpS5x7SUJREZHx_NT8vGiOQjbXEXk3bqaCt4ExQav1aSVL7d5o9AE5RB58oGZlAVW30KSUJaUUwCzWxJhX0Zr9RMuv_E3IHrSdU2abSHxcwccFC66rQ7gTAC2nvAvZFMNW7zDB4/s850/PXL_20240208_005021157.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM9WsEcXGnRsy9bBNvB21DgFIaYFE9VEO30F-hw7y_nFgD-TWA_Z7vpS5x7SUJREZHx_NT8vGiOQjbXEXk3bqaCt4ExQav1aSVL7d5o9AE5RB58oGZlAVW30KSUJaUUwCzWxJhX0Zr9RMuv_E3IHrSdU2abSHxcwccFC66rQ7gTAC2nvAvZFMNW7zDB4/s16000/PXL_20240208_005021157.MP.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Street market in Taishan</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6p0mctyXNYyldfEb_ga6LYWyG_rF24VZfhy3XfJ_Wl44NlZJyx906DKMZmm2Kd3K0S1ytj7_OTWIAj5DmVtOe48JRhzuIde7ub10pCAFh4ngQ_epflWkcS5SVaiH52LsguH1Qpr77N7ZZMvU4mgt1etTtmqeOi5D3_qv-3aJ4uMWEGhsEzW1dG9OKOE/s850/PXL_20240208_005745225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6p0mctyXNYyldfEb_ga6LYWyG_rF24VZfhy3XfJ_Wl44NlZJyx906DKMZmm2Kd3K0S1ytj7_OTWIAj5DmVtOe48JRhzuIde7ub10pCAFh4ngQ_epflWkcS5SVaiH52LsguH1Qpr77N7ZZMvU4mgt1etTtmqeOi5D3_qv-3aJ4uMWEGhsEzW1dG9OKOE/s16000/PXL_20240208_005745225.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Street food in Chunghua Lu bazaar in Taipei</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The village temple just up the mountain from Taishan:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoxzo5VHe5FaiUuqqtDnalwXfTiFwBP2d-sbBxBHC51kXNfxX68wYJzFwDODGae6A9b43CQQHyFe03Z7iO9MqAi4H-ew0KA5Oj2aZjG0RBEdDd8thLhm-Hhu0ZAHf8MhChXHopA596n1W863j0VvMKQXqiUR8D-kftgtTchiycsN1879BC7ijsmVu-74/s850/PXL_20240208_005141224.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoxzo5VHe5FaiUuqqtDnalwXfTiFwBP2d-sbBxBHC51kXNfxX68wYJzFwDODGae6A9b43CQQHyFe03Z7iO9MqAi4H-ew0KA5Oj2aZjG0RBEdDd8thLhm-Hhu0ZAHf8MhChXHopA596n1W863j0VvMKQXqiUR8D-kftgtTchiycsN1879BC7ijsmVu-74/s16000/PXL_20240208_005141224.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I often took the bus into Taipei - at that time there was no subway, only buses. Sometimes I splurged and paid a little bit more to ride the air-conditioned bus that was also faster. Most of the time, though, I took the regular bus which sometimes became - interesting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A view of Taipei with the Grand Hotel in the background (which had a disastrous fire in 1995). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwJufDcJpvU4hMlUx32WRBZPmyV9YC2tlBglTsv9-MWeXsezybv4T4PhfJuITRINunFgfS57NExgG2paaGSeU28nHfUjlf4-TpZqHEgsTBf57XJGa-miOkESMtIt5hMkNvgk-YO7GweIdky5XdRc55FexU1Cgu_U7Ifdhs35UZNILbSaLqmbFwPVVtME/s850/PXL_20240208_005419230.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwJufDcJpvU4hMlUx32WRBZPmyV9YC2tlBglTsv9-MWeXsezybv4T4PhfJuITRINunFgfS57NExgG2paaGSeU28nHfUjlf4-TpZqHEgsTBf57XJGa-miOkESMtIt5hMkNvgk-YO7GweIdky5XdRc55FexU1Cgu_U7Ifdhs35UZNILbSaLqmbFwPVVtME/s16000/PXL_20240208_005419230.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTabUhRJimSqR0SMR1Dn8_tEtsp_95znZkckScFNJddQBcCWQV5CM-X8rsoup_NfZHcgLXDKzYnxEnAE2cvkxU7y_LwpPd3-mP0dKVyAYZvLRsWUmrQ58cUG888iVBvQ3uVMVHQjj2SmqF2F6BNCsb27xgvZOmkII4nR1KeI65QE-kV52qxYU7qitayfM/s850/PXL_20240208_005453707.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTabUhRJimSqR0SMR1Dn8_tEtsp_95znZkckScFNJddQBcCWQV5CM-X8rsoup_NfZHcgLXDKzYnxEnAE2cvkxU7y_LwpPd3-mP0dKVyAYZvLRsWUmrQ58cUG888iVBvQ3uVMVHQjj2SmqF2F6BNCsb27xgvZOmkII4nR1KeI65QE-kV52qxYU7qitayfM/s16000/PXL_20240208_005453707.MP.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chunghua Lu with the three-storied bazaar which, I think, is no longer there</div><div><br /></div><div>I loved walking in the parks and watching people exercise Tai Chi.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLmmFSzS4CVH_pJ2uuTHXQ2knsKkvoMXMTR4NcrQz_DlKSL3QPGPwik2Bjmn81jEEfxnyxkSARHL9qTS0fuCvJnHO9hntRoX2QReUTXc1Q5P8FYH61WoOugT6T1HGNUkNhy_-4X6Jb2yErAxCcswZ_D9-HUnA4m6or4AgZ1kD4YFkrBCUGf6uK8RP9HE/s850/PXL_20240208_005630908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLmmFSzS4CVH_pJ2uuTHXQ2knsKkvoMXMTR4NcrQz_DlKSL3QPGPwik2Bjmn81jEEfxnyxkSARHL9qTS0fuCvJnHO9hntRoX2QReUTXc1Q5P8FYH61WoOugT6T1HGNUkNhy_-4X6Jb2yErAxCcswZ_D9-HUnA4m6or4AgZ1kD4YFkrBCUGf6uK8RP9HE/s16000/PXL_20240208_005630908.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHQLuvJMJNYwcb3ub2T4C_JDd3mYQZQkmOA4ghV_j-GlpzZ_7Uz9BsXJxKIFGpq_6NWoPsJXDrvYOrFXi94nt63v3kgmlBHl5jOOGLZ5WnZ5L90yDl05xsGDfJzLBiCfSm7NQod63UJSH_amPknMx58dzuhowK7mRp8z5zs3oWMC-Y1J-eEzH5ZtYC6g/s850/PXL_20240208_005645894.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="646" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHQLuvJMJNYwcb3ub2T4C_JDd3mYQZQkmOA4ghV_j-GlpzZ_7Uz9BsXJxKIFGpq_6NWoPsJXDrvYOrFXi94nt63v3kgmlBHl5jOOGLZ5WnZ5L90yDl05xsGDfJzLBiCfSm7NQod63UJSH_amPknMx58dzuhowK7mRp8z5zs3oWMC-Y1J-eEzH5ZtYC6g/s16000/PXL_20240208_005645894.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>I didn't have much money back then, but friends and I were still able to go on a few trips.</div><div><br /></div><div>Taroko Gorge on the West coast</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNXAUOdN9MuNk-ZrWV9iFLqneR8i7N4sdy9-k1UjQLPSCmnmUTYPcCTzWhilie9NH6j4YsrBDPVafaatJb5Jzn3EsM9kds-EzK_JnGh2YNmT14IMZEAH9H3LX4I56C6lDJFu9X-F9pvzItWj-kg_f5y8__-MOKQ9AUKmvzrTa0duM5L3hAIf7GZ2RC6Y/s850/PXL_20240208_005829790.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNXAUOdN9MuNk-ZrWV9iFLqneR8i7N4sdy9-k1UjQLPSCmnmUTYPcCTzWhilie9NH6j4YsrBDPVafaatJb5Jzn3EsM9kds-EzK_JnGh2YNmT14IMZEAH9H3LX4I56C6lDJFu9X-F9pvzItWj-kg_f5y8__-MOKQ9AUKmvzrTa0duM5L3hAIf7GZ2RC6Y/s16000/PXL_20240208_005829790.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Sun Moon Lake in the center of the island</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90GJ67t2TIhPTv-fKEjmyOyyay3Pgv0IDy7qUzSNiAgI1lYgmCd6lhrB-JHFzupmzPt93HkstlJQpIUayZ-q1pgFbg9a6jkXXrV0FexdsnddvkjU4FbJXpak2vPNXt6w_1olC5hJQQz6K65VuByAc3VBfx4rcy21782ZQ91KvCQJfhDLLzY0feWBBbOE/s850/PXL_20240208_010004966.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90GJ67t2TIhPTv-fKEjmyOyyay3Pgv0IDy7qUzSNiAgI1lYgmCd6lhrB-JHFzupmzPt93HkstlJQpIUayZ-q1pgFbg9a6jkXXrV0FexdsnddvkjU4FbJXpak2vPNXt6w_1olC5hJQQz6K65VuByAc3VBfx4rcy21782ZQ91KvCQJfhDLLzY0feWBBbOE/s16000/PXL_20240208_010004966.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>and a trip to a little beach town on the Pacific.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBA256gK45zgrloOaNTjp6G_r7U8WE1OrIQEa7okh3RKJHBSkDRDp2RTKSKKqYfQcIixdjUPAjuZikFWq8jyVtgupH9yRMtLMNHeHw-tk_TOC9g154l1qtB4epbLvVRq0HLjxlNTKukqDNPp-TqR2qsWGpuPeIWY2b5TkZz7jIPkYQa5j98DPaxEAf1w/s850/PXL_20240208_010151123.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBA256gK45zgrloOaNTjp6G_r7U8WE1OrIQEa7okh3RKJHBSkDRDp2RTKSKKqYfQcIixdjUPAjuZikFWq8jyVtgupH9yRMtLMNHeHw-tk_TOC9g154l1qtB4epbLvVRq0HLjxlNTKukqDNPp-TqR2qsWGpuPeIWY2b5TkZz7jIPkYQa5j98DPaxEAf1w/s16000/PXL_20240208_010151123.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Before I finish this post, I want to introduce you to Bawan, who became a good friend. He is not Chinese nor Taiwanese, but is a member of the Shan-Ti Jen (mountain-earth people), a native people of Taiwan. The first photo of him and myself was taken near Sun Moon Lake and the second one is with his family when my friend Barb and I were asked to cook some European meal. If I remember correctly we prepared something with pasta which was readily available, but what I remember vividly was a wonderful time spent with this family.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9tmcNI3l4Yl8bMQwwNOWrWe2rl7QT3tYyF7XQWJHJfth4YE7tTGZzsvLkKET6umj0DP2Q4hMC7P7xLOcb5Hjzx3r_WTXSgLxgKP7RYJURozxFusqmZG7O93kflvcKnOdlJ1yFWzOcWBHjg7Oga4BZZpMapc6-xwI19vzLJ6eKX0Xg8RfC_75CDmJ0ps/s850/PXL_20240208_010114106.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9tmcNI3l4Yl8bMQwwNOWrWe2rl7QT3tYyF7XQWJHJfth4YE7tTGZzsvLkKET6umj0DP2Q4hMC7P7xLOcb5Hjzx3r_WTXSgLxgKP7RYJURozxFusqmZG7O93kflvcKnOdlJ1yFWzOcWBHjg7Oga4BZZpMapc6-xwI19vzLJ6eKX0Xg8RfC_75CDmJ0ps/s16000/PXL_20240208_010114106.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvLUHrLpb6NKHNU4oQlDOete5V6fQWYsj0icVtsUG9a8-m3A3LmYP0oRD1tdf5-fQ6VNcvY6mvj8Q8WFUxsRso503f6vLna62jPl13S2jcO9vhJ5JR0Tr3r_pgCqYKCApbSiM7vNkPjV0S14AlKBlbDhzSMjv7jgw2Rp3kWChxnW2BCaGzG2RNvGS5xk/s850/PXL_20240208_010354556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvLUHrLpb6NKHNU4oQlDOete5V6fQWYsj0icVtsUG9a8-m3A3LmYP0oRD1tdf5-fQ6VNcvY6mvj8Q8WFUxsRso503f6vLna62jPl13S2jcO9vhJ5JR0Tr3r_pgCqYKCApbSiM7vNkPjV0S14AlKBlbDhzSMjv7jgw2Rp3kWChxnW2BCaGzG2RNvGS5xk/s16000/PXL_20240208_010354556.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>You can see some food in some of these pictures, that's my dinner contribution to Rain's <a href="https://www.rainfrancescreations.com/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-far-away/" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a>. And since there are a lot of faces, I also link to Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2024/02/friday-face-off-feb-9.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-71179252250143024512024-02-05T14:42:00.000-08:002024-02-05T14:42:43.894-08:00A Slow Sunday<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghknnPXDFKYOPP944Qjr-y__LkG7JSTU5X-g7-fSpMEAMhVE18mRocEJMG6Htq59_6_nlaCmaS53iNE29NObyoKFL7RbHoWaMYV-HWZZp3Y2HqjGfK9_rkzQOzx1jMgHvsOJFcZdmn0qoe3NuSziiOAPqAaQHqzd9uGKKis9f9v82G4v8ME0buLDL3oUM/s850/PXL_20240205_000225719~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghknnPXDFKYOPP944Qjr-y__LkG7JSTU5X-g7-fSpMEAMhVE18mRocEJMG6Htq59_6_nlaCmaS53iNE29NObyoKFL7RbHoWaMYV-HWZZp3Y2HqjGfK9_rkzQOzx1jMgHvsOJFcZdmn0qoe3NuSziiOAPqAaQHqzd9uGKKis9f9v82G4v8ME0buLDL3oUM/s16000/PXL_20240205_000225719~2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of my bird mugs for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/02/t-stands-for-another-spice-merchant.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a></div><p></p><p>Yesterday brought an atmospheric river to our region, and this time it rightly was called like that. The torrential downpours started Saturday night at 11:00 pm and wouldn't stop until Sunday night, except for very short breaks. But worse than the rain was the gusty wind that was near hurricane force and only started to lose strength on Sunday night. We kept inside the entire day, spending a very slow Sunday and every now and then watching the rain and wind playing wildly in the garden. Thankfully we didn't lose anything, but there were several fallen trees across the county and also some flooding that closed roads. We also didn't lose power as so many others did.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AYjprSzGf89472NRlo2FiS0G7HR6hK28x3XMPNvsoOU9mue_sPwNVuPlYScKHBFatC1yvgHYfIrsenLZO9GzrQUlshOAEuvmrLCJ0bqSrkbDnyjDIMZvivKSDpPwoGaiAGPb2Uct0b5BiKDxmkYzoLcTRDGMw0T_eak0jFwCz_RxHqrdKF2ntsPCE8w/s850/PXL_20240204_193507459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AYjprSzGf89472NRlo2FiS0G7HR6hK28x3XMPNvsoOU9mue_sPwNVuPlYScKHBFatC1yvgHYfIrsenLZO9GzrQUlshOAEuvmrLCJ0bqSrkbDnyjDIMZvivKSDpPwoGaiAGPb2Uct0b5BiKDxmkYzoLcTRDGMw0T_eak0jFwCz_RxHqrdKF2ntsPCE8w/s16000/PXL_20240204_193507459.jpg" /></a></div><p>Our primary election will be on March 5th (Super Tuesday), so after breakfast I thoroughly read our Voters Information Guide and learned more about the candidates for State Assembly and the Superior Court Office. There are also propositions and measures to consider. I had already made up my mind about the presidential candidate and the candidate for the US Senate.</p><p>The evening before I had made a dough for a whole wheat bread that proved overnight and was ready to be put into the oven. This is our go-to bread when I bake because it's easy to make, and I always enjoy the warmth and the scent of freshly baked bread spreading throughout the house.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTqWJUbDCaLQjaFVtXhdxMOee0KL-aN5CaKbmnXkHIL-2orWIBRzLUfBgMWU16bFAYxOhZ5TydibTanklQDJ36WZbFlTNAKHHk4zyN8FQw_oC2olGMDVlxCeCcZInCmLf8F_8fjAX5uxCK5wObJCAwgd6kkomicg1lrzCW1Q8ppTqj2JD17GVPZ4cyxM/s850/PXL_20240204_231433208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTqWJUbDCaLQjaFVtXhdxMOee0KL-aN5CaKbmnXkHIL-2orWIBRzLUfBgMWU16bFAYxOhZ5TydibTanklQDJ36WZbFlTNAKHHk4zyN8FQw_oC2olGMDVlxCeCcZInCmLf8F_8fjAX5uxCK5wObJCAwgd6kkomicg1lrzCW1Q8ppTqj2JD17GVPZ4cyxM/s16000/PXL_20240204_231433208.jpg" /></a></div><p>The day before I had recevied an order for baby socks in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolaBartz" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>, so I packed them up, ready for shipping. My goal is plastic-free packaging - used tissue paper, baker's twine, cardboard envelopes. I always include a little stamped and handwritten thank you card and a small Moo business card with my photography.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2b2DPnwvZ7tybgj_8ek9DpxyhiEhhcHT4p2kB7Hw1ufC8KC4f7TEKpLCjvOhR0xltDrjVg9_R2o3QsiSewrUqLe2ErgzIk6uSR2ZSOAXpggQYS3oHX0QiTF8EV1SwGkfQuTPee2PqOVrHvNnqUDySZNSdOYEdDtK73Gzb6ajoIGYqisuKm-eDWb8WIs/s850/Babysocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2b2DPnwvZ7tybgj_8ek9DpxyhiEhhcHT4p2kB7Hw1ufC8KC4f7TEKpLCjvOhR0xltDrjVg9_R2o3QsiSewrUqLe2ErgzIk6uSR2ZSOAXpggQYS3oHX0QiTF8EV1SwGkfQuTPee2PqOVrHvNnqUDySZNSdOYEdDtK73Gzb6ajoIGYqisuKm-eDWb8WIs/s16000/Babysocks.jpg" /></a></div><p>Sometime last year I took some of the taster lessons - I can't remember whether this one was for Kaleidoscope or Life Book. Anyway, this was a lesson by <a href="https://www.melanierivers.ca/" target="_blank">Melanie Rivers</a> whose style I like very much. I never finished what I had started and completely forgot what she was doing even though I had jotted down a couple notes. So I just did my own thing which is more fun after all. I experimented with watercolor on a textured gessoed background and liked the result. The dark background color I mixed with Phthalo Blue and Burnt Umber. I need to put down a second layer because it looks a bit chaotic, but I really like this rich color.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwWVA-IA0XP25x2anweHYzgBNnKOEAwd6EHYTz7Q9kN44CyDqePlSa9vDtD_QhFggIBBW7Nlzd-xIGieGyhYm9MvV7uN-LUSlxQ1wJFEn1ucaQY4vb15ji6FW2vF-cAnQTgVA3LukFLCAlV9aO25vsO4VQHXJ0KnBB2v7-vgHz1LzHrT6Y3t_rUwYI0A/s850/PXL_20240204_225714435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwWVA-IA0XP25x2anweHYzgBNnKOEAwd6EHYTz7Q9kN44CyDqePlSa9vDtD_QhFggIBBW7Nlzd-xIGieGyhYm9MvV7uN-LUSlxQ1wJFEn1ucaQY4vb15ji6FW2vF-cAnQTgVA3LukFLCAlV9aO25vsO4VQHXJ0KnBB2v7-vgHz1LzHrT6Y3t_rUwYI0A/s16000/PXL_20240204_225714435.jpg" /></a></div><p>Dorothy wrote a post on her blog <a href="https://thefrogandpenguinn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Frog & PenguInn</a> about <a href="https://thefrogandpenguinn.blogspot.com/2024/01/are-you-lonely.html" target="_blank">loneliness </a>in which she mentioned the organisation <a href="https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/" target="_blank">Letters Against Isolation</a>. Here, volunteers write letters or cards to seniors who live in Assisted Living or Nursing Homes or are served by Meals on Wheels. LAI was started by two sisters during the pandemic when seniors were very much isolated and couldn't receive any visitors. After reading Dorothy's post I went to LAI's website to learn more. Now I have signed up to participate in writing letters/cards to seniors and on this slow Sunday I prepared my first cards for this. Thank you, Dorothy, for writing about this important organisation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w6lvMCZoIgGqdjGSOaV5pSJSvycze_d-K3zmrC2gQ3EUxvMO2rqActiXWU6JJSblh28m3aH0yQxiX_OE8CvSrxRfbI0R_lfa2IhCVqtgUYDC4T1Bjeq4u9wbXbj2hUaiyYoFXGaKJya7z2Mi6S-_le4P0lBeDwZNKmm9KdzOXuqnE5WLa-33rEhjIAk/s850/PXL_20240204_231135244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w6lvMCZoIgGqdjGSOaV5pSJSvycze_d-K3zmrC2gQ3EUxvMO2rqActiXWU6JJSblh28m3aH0yQxiX_OE8CvSrxRfbI0R_lfa2IhCVqtgUYDC4T1Bjeq4u9wbXbj2hUaiyYoFXGaKJya7z2Mi6S-_le4P0lBeDwZNKmm9KdzOXuqnE5WLa-33rEhjIAk/s16000/PXL_20240204_231135244.jpg" /></a></div><p>Finally, after having made a cup of hot chocolate for both the Geek and myself in the afternoon, I settled on our couch and continued knitting this bird hat. Last fall I had a good number of them in different color combinations in the shop, but they completely sold out before Christmas and I didn't have the time to knit more until now. The color stranding looks challenging, but isn't that difficult at all. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeBAy21EuQ6ghwP44PKAfuqAczU_c9o2CGV-P5n11QsZnAqJ_jL7QG6Nn1ruOcUKVQWy3-65kjoZMIs-524w0-qjDmcHh3PrzlLiVMTIYjkPfoABu_BsT7SZPKMHNE1kadE3uzwIQqmMCQ-CuxwLNqiyeGkjLm0EkzN5k-G1-RhR-m54rRkUZ7hhg8x4/s850/BirdHat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeBAy21EuQ6ghwP44PKAfuqAczU_c9o2CGV-P5n11QsZnAqJ_jL7QG6Nn1ruOcUKVQWy3-65kjoZMIs-524w0-qjDmcHh3PrzlLiVMTIYjkPfoABu_BsT7SZPKMHNE1kadE3uzwIQqmMCQ-CuxwLNqiyeGkjLm0EkzN5k-G1-RhR-m54rRkUZ7hhg8x4/s16000/BirdHat.jpg" /></a></div><p>Do you sometimes have slow Sundays (or any other day of the week) and do you enjoy them? I loved our slow Sunday and felt very relaxed and happy at the end of it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-89022504047063127152024-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:002024-01-31T14:24:04.833-08:00The 366 Project: January<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwt74HmYVQtENEGI_GXgx2lsFaIQ-AHTkTPclrzHicC2UilsT-s4k108KqpxRcPE8WA_6DWQY_0byZeOGZ2LhTY7tBLH33EDZAejwbYlRql14AqZ9vsLRNpuNd78SLZ5Br7UNwJ7oz3sf7hKO16BBC1k05dcHp0HBwpeEGFzeJEcBog9-gg93j9FNNUeo/s850/PXL_20240129_175125339_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwt74HmYVQtENEGI_GXgx2lsFaIQ-AHTkTPclrzHicC2UilsT-s4k108KqpxRcPE8WA_6DWQY_0byZeOGZ2LhTY7tBLH33EDZAejwbYlRql14AqZ9vsLRNpuNd78SLZ5Br7UNwJ7oz3sf7hKO16BBC1k05dcHp0HBwpeEGFzeJEcBog9-gg93j9FNNUeo/s16000/PXL_20240129_175125339_2.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>This year I am working on a special project: take a photo every day of my daily life. Since 2024 is a leap year I've called it the 366 project (duh). It doesn't matter what the subject of the photo is - something from the garden or my home, something I'm doing or reading - anything that I see and think that this will be the most fitting photo for that day. When you look at the images I shot in January, you see that it's all over the place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiarJNRUfBZgsqEVdI2uKcsHtOFVhe4afMEKqS7DRaaz9p8E7EnTnqpUSAr4EkHER0_JVECfkCpoF19RDD8b8cHloxxyzx9FLs0hAnjkgIUq5drT3VX5dYAc2KGfRTytDBsA5yoMgeWeKs3_k7SZhjrGWCe2j6EEudK7mNGRP8HAtJ-n48V4BBcB4fGHY/s850/January_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiarJNRUfBZgsqEVdI2uKcsHtOFVhe4afMEKqS7DRaaz9p8E7EnTnqpUSAr4EkHER0_JVECfkCpoF19RDD8b8cHloxxyzx9FLs0hAnjkgIUq5drT3VX5dYAc2KGfRTytDBsA5yoMgeWeKs3_k7SZhjrGWCe2j6EEudK7mNGRP8HAtJ-n48V4BBcB4fGHY/s16000/January_1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkYUasFoArZ-LVBotyJGLEgKqykbhlzLUhwochuaSrBHyU0ivsl-VGTLgsPuGv1lkTf7u-4-lDmEJ7j8SCHVSTViMtzLjnUzjvgIkfwvK9KL49SinNinM9O-PEnecx1ZBfovKIEeZ3Ntl6D9pXWml3oMOwlJ1ZheMsuG371l1y8ZKPqtFW3-V6AxNS0A/s850/January_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkYUasFoArZ-LVBotyJGLEgKqykbhlzLUhwochuaSrBHyU0ivsl-VGTLgsPuGv1lkTf7u-4-lDmEJ7j8SCHVSTViMtzLjnUzjvgIkfwvK9KL49SinNinM9O-PEnecx1ZBfovKIEeZ3Ntl6D9pXWml3oMOwlJ1ZheMsuG371l1y8ZKPqtFW3-V6AxNS0A/s16000/January_2.jpg" /></a></div><p>On January 2nd and 20th I took pictures of candles - <a href="https://www.rainfrancescreations.com/" target="_blank">Rain</a>'s prompt this week is candles, so I'm including them here. The top ones are the candles in our fireplace, and the ones in the second photo were lighted at our friends' home when we had dinner with them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZ6HjM2SsIYoFlm1vFS6-Egql9OXsQwyLX76txMfbvhCrT5nlvDCBME2ZAAywgaPDT4BCNe7iEQ4tIMJwmPV-O2UCD5zT5RjTEFm7vW4vGXDH6LiIGF2Iif9aN9oYruAsdjPh-8Gjsjg7znO4LTOL3DwHTPRTSYoOlKuVkGC7_aOYJ0jVN9XN4eInepQ/s850/PXL_20240103_013416369.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZ6HjM2SsIYoFlm1vFS6-Egql9OXsQwyLX76txMfbvhCrT5nlvDCBME2ZAAywgaPDT4BCNe7iEQ4tIMJwmPV-O2UCD5zT5RjTEFm7vW4vGXDH6LiIGF2Iif9aN9oYruAsdjPh-8Gjsjg7znO4LTOL3DwHTPRTSYoOlKuVkGC7_aOYJ0jVN9XN4eInepQ/s16000/PXL_20240103_013416369.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjIo1zZWUKSM9rlD3rukSNz9QT483YyLLsSdwl-X0jIF3gQpBTkLhRlassx42r1cA-dOPuJW5wYnr5QWfGSlQCbDEqfzxIupkXGqFTDZTxUOcUq_ENRe5Y38NOo7mTHg7BAG74GKmxESwFjVKe861XzU4ChGQ87wX67wLtlQLlW8U58ymmCb-yUtASnU/s850/original_ee5f71c4-f712-4036-94ca-5560ad72ee45_PXL_20240121_044559164.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjIo1zZWUKSM9rlD3rukSNz9QT483YyLLsSdwl-X0jIF3gQpBTkLhRlassx42r1cA-dOPuJW5wYnr5QWfGSlQCbDEqfzxIupkXGqFTDZTxUOcUq_ENRe5Y38NOo7mTHg7BAG74GKmxESwFjVKe861XzU4ChGQ87wX67wLtlQLlW8U58ymmCb-yUtASnU/s16000/original_ee5f71c4-f712-4036-94ca-5560ad72ee45_PXL_20240121_044559164.jpg" /></a></div><p>We need some food for Rain's <a href="https://www.rainfrancescreations.com/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-candles/" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a>. Some evenings I really don't know what to cook. I usually love to cook, but there are always times when I'm less enthusiastic about it. Yesterday was one of those days when I looked into our fridge and pulled a few veggies (broccoli, zucchini and carrots), leftover spaghetti and some cream. I saut<span id="docs-internal-guid-817839e6-7fff-31b0-4926-b2e0e3ca07fa"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span>ed the veggies in some olive oil, seasoned with ancho chili pepper, added the spaghetti and finally poured some cream and let it slightly thicken - simple, but good.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRisqy9dCWlYRl8f033heIxTUWYCtC1YwI_Zi6n4_lxB2_VZ4QH81UgcbtkwHfr-ACRxSnKTtZOYrD3m3RSJXgR7V9a_nGuUN0tSMDS228QvwKdfXhbJtF6D1PKdtD5wn3IDHZKIunDpTNFBm_6eENpxFcYHfQUHapM2c1jAaygzMYmKAyoCtMAkq1pk/s850/PXL_20240131_030208229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRisqy9dCWlYRl8f033heIxTUWYCtC1YwI_Zi6n4_lxB2_VZ4QH81UgcbtkwHfr-ACRxSnKTtZOYrD3m3RSJXgR7V9a_nGuUN0tSMDS228QvwKdfXhbJtF6D1PKdtD5wn3IDHZKIunDpTNFBm_6eENpxFcYHfQUHapM2c1jAaygzMYmKAyoCtMAkq1pk/s16000/PXL_20240131_030208229.jpg" /></a></div><p>We're expecting another atmospheric river (I guess the times of "normal" rain are over), so I went to the farmers market in the morning to get more fresh veggies. While I'm typing this, the rain has started and I've decided to spend the afternoon curled up with a book, a mystery by Tony Hillerman, the first one of his series featuring Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. This is my second attempt - the first time I tried to read it is 20 years ago and somehow I couldn't get into the story back then. Let's see how what this time will look like.</p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-92204437369272469562024-01-29T14:35:00.000-08:002024-01-29T14:35:58.391-08:00Books 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIVX3_zqsDUJpEOyMIfhBkBEy60-jV2u3y3Qt1abqAo1_KycZtuETJoy9yvIPHLk6th2SBrgbw5qDPZQlmfEOhRsa45rptPBdxEfkyY4MacpoCdAINbCsrapAdwvt1NnCahLL1-0Mo42TThkbMeVn37wvYi5C2ZlBjON1CvIMthn3f4fd51XH3ajNjkE/s850/PXL_20240109_174949755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIVX3_zqsDUJpEOyMIfhBkBEy60-jV2u3y3Qt1abqAo1_KycZtuETJoy9yvIPHLk6th2SBrgbw5qDPZQlmfEOhRsa45rptPBdxEfkyY4MacpoCdAINbCsrapAdwvt1NnCahLL1-0Mo42TThkbMeVn37wvYi5C2ZlBjON1CvIMthn3f4fd51XH3ajNjkE/s16000/PXL_20240109_174949755.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Before the first month of this year becomes history I want to write my annual "book post". 2023 has been an interesting reading year in so far that I didn't "award" many stars. In fact, there were only 10 books that received one star, 3 that deserved two stars and only one three-star book. I read 62 books, many of them fiction (I include mysteries in fiction), seven of them were audiobooks that I listened to while knitting. Fortunately there was only one book that I didn't finish because I couldn't get into the story. I also read a good amount of books in German - all but one being mysteries, but the lone one that was not, actually received a star. "Sommer vorm Balkan" by Danijela Pilic tells about the author's childhood in a country called Yugoslavia - remember that one? The family moved to Germany when she was 12, but they still made the pilgrimage home every summer - until the war started. The country she was born in suddenly had a new name - she no longer was born in Yugoslavia, but in Croatia. She tells of a country full of beauty, lively people, politics that could distance itself to a certain degree from the big brother, the Soviet Union. It was a highly interesting read.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-XMYxT5O0qEbdHOuNwYyTMTBpGd3pRwDW_3LkfufNvBuZp5xfbbXWAOwqA3ZfkN5C40AeoAt8f3kH4dj3QPQfh2E5RiigihniqVYIo8go_5MKwJf9dKa5UyS60LHEv1cnWd_7YV5QXn3-PZ7K0iLEDWa0YR94mbXn-rIE7igG1-KvtdmmRfzfxFbM_Y/s850/PXL_20230108_034829180.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-XMYxT5O0qEbdHOuNwYyTMTBpGd3pRwDW_3LkfufNvBuZp5xfbbXWAOwqA3ZfkN5C40AeoAt8f3kH4dj3QPQfh2E5RiigihniqVYIo8go_5MKwJf9dKa5UyS60LHEv1cnWd_7YV5QXn3-PZ7K0iLEDWa0YR94mbXn-rIE7igG1-KvtdmmRfzfxFbM_Y/s16000/PXL_20230108_034829180.PORTRAIT.jpg" /></a></div><p>One of my students was reading this biography of former German chancellor Angela Merkel and she was interested in my opinion about it, so I read it. It is not bad, but it is clearly written for an American audience. Unfortunately, it is very poorly edited and full of errors and mistakes. The author used terms that rubbed me the wrong way and - at least in my opinion - gives a slightly crooked perspective on Merkel's background.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDffWp9kFzSRjMQSpGdueuHM2kig6kP12Q2MUqGWb-IyX-ubIneWoelH1HghRfhX4oN_x4RV__o8hyphenhyphenPq-7G_VBdKVk31i01cirHh5J46y59v3AdU0ISMAyGmkRRwFU9Q4jUXbNDNdhuDb5bd0j-4UukMNnSe7acPEMYfmpVZ6vvQwBf1U5qcJIdp0li0/s850/PXL_20230716_001119685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDffWp9kFzSRjMQSpGdueuHM2kig6kP12Q2MUqGWb-IyX-ubIneWoelH1HghRfhX4oN_x4RV__o8hyphenhyphenPq-7G_VBdKVk31i01cirHh5J46y59v3AdU0ISMAyGmkRRwFU9Q4jUXbNDNdhuDb5bd0j-4UukMNnSe7acPEMYfmpVZ6vvQwBf1U5qcJIdp0li0/s16000/PXL_20230716_001119685.jpg" /></a></div><p>"A Charm of Goldfinches" by Matt Sewell was one of the two-star books. For me it was very interesting since it speaks about the English collective nouns of the animal kingdom. It's quite quirky, but I did learn a lot. I did know about a "murder" of crows and a "parliament" of owls, but an "unkindness" of ravens? A "quarrel" of sparrows makes a lot of sense, doesn't it. But what about collective nouns for "land animals" - </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2922UN57r4ou2XbL_Q1jfVg6uvwV3XO2OT-TghyTn_Nb0RaKxxQ9YpWikqVktzDKpAoGbqrOzp31fMCNSXQ2s0yQYiYMp68KiBrMCHvCuvZoaEDw-PmmKVZM8cqOmREg5KMAQeT_QezONmm6l0iyMU0tfUPIkJAsCoHPpZTnqdrjnQanbLWDjQ2DxwqU/s850/PXL_20240129_194934867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2922UN57r4ou2XbL_Q1jfVg6uvwV3XO2OT-TghyTn_Nb0RaKxxQ9YpWikqVktzDKpAoGbqrOzp31fMCNSXQ2s0yQYiYMp68KiBrMCHvCuvZoaEDw-PmmKVZM8cqOmREg5KMAQeT_QezONmm6l0iyMU0tfUPIkJAsCoHPpZTnqdrjnQanbLWDjQ2DxwqU/s16000/PXL_20240129_194934867.jpg" /></a></div><p>and </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZY_pRZ8RJ3CDwmF7divWXlCe_N42Oezlh7Qvjex68OVl-VIID2x6wKtuKkscl-qL2PuA32PJ1oZBBrG4z55Ehcb2XyBtd_cuF5DDP8v38qcInLtHKyZaZtmcbmRILFTvCNJU_IaqlBHzWw3FQiIqCZn3yJ4J6mx_GR1U8hpMysoUFJ2AhHCvZwrmdyGw/s850/PXL_20240129_194955392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZY_pRZ8RJ3CDwmF7divWXlCe_N42Oezlh7Qvjex68OVl-VIID2x6wKtuKkscl-qL2PuA32PJ1oZBBrG4z55Ehcb2XyBtd_cuF5DDP8v38qcInLtHKyZaZtmcbmRILFTvCNJU_IaqlBHzWw3FQiIqCZn3yJ4J6mx_GR1U8hpMysoUFJ2AhHCvZwrmdyGw/s16000/PXL_20240129_194955392.jpg" /></a></div><p>Here's the entire list - did you know all of these nouns?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgDWHqEOj0UmmvZ4usNpAeHhzEc4vE89pj1hpOeKlzaTqgD_akUWfsV2LZgbcifJTi4L1bSM1eGlRPB06E1kyMsF6BA4DynLbU14T5np_e09esc8JWDIW1gZlc763E4tLyRWj8vwDImjxzyIhGs6jzqupUTZZgQolmOLi9C-S00JhQSIZVhQCKFDlJ_k/s850/PXL_20240129_202428785~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgDWHqEOj0UmmvZ4usNpAeHhzEc4vE89pj1hpOeKlzaTqgD_akUWfsV2LZgbcifJTi4L1bSM1eGlRPB06E1kyMsF6BA4DynLbU14T5np_e09esc8JWDIW1gZlc763E4tLyRWj8vwDImjxzyIhGs6jzqupUTZZgQolmOLi9C-S00JhQSIZVhQCKFDlJ_k/s16000/PXL_20240129_202428785~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>Of course I had my share of garden books...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E7Q5xrBMRun6WJRj7WE8xTZn_jVLqhKAwQHva9l2cvc1acrruBpZehfJrzN7nH7Hxb7pp3hJO4gT9Virvnorm2ZXZkSP37aG4574jr86-I6JssxEImWOs0ONIT-hgWMDXI3Jxvb-W1nHaoMs-fL3D8VsdtwkyLz52LDZQ9xtSWwgWqE-ZNzxlRzPoCw/s850/PXL_20240129_163636294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="731" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E7Q5xrBMRun6WJRj7WE8xTZn_jVLqhKAwQHva9l2cvc1acrruBpZehfJrzN7nH7Hxb7pp3hJO4gT9Virvnorm2ZXZkSP37aG4574jr86-I6JssxEImWOs0ONIT-hgWMDXI3Jxvb-W1nHaoMs-fL3D8VsdtwkyLz52LDZQ9xtSWwgWqE-ZNzxlRzPoCw/s16000/PXL_20240129_163636294.jpg" /></a></div><p>... and knitting books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFAiXQHak7wLOoowk3e7o_j2xseND7S-Fx8VZ7y8xrkXWVPa7zfy7U1heC6lHRR3BL8jh100zL_bp9yarX2oDXQ0F-KQu_sVzgXFiftSPY5GdT2WoLrQjEbyPKVY836qkigCoKhNSIvx_WXysDYIkTdOeANVpoPD51yRI8vbz3QWLPX0RO_Uz-4qjVvk/s850/PXL_20240124_182011710.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFAiXQHak7wLOoowk3e7o_j2xseND7S-Fx8VZ7y8xrkXWVPa7zfy7U1heC6lHRR3BL8jh100zL_bp9yarX2oDXQ0F-KQu_sVzgXFiftSPY5GdT2WoLrQjEbyPKVY836qkigCoKhNSIvx_WXysDYIkTdOeANVpoPD51yRI8vbz3QWLPX0RO_Uz-4qjVvk/s16000/PXL_20240124_182011710.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>Here you also see my drink for this week's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/01/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-12.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>, hosted by <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/01/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-12.html" target="_blank">Bleubeard and Elizabeth</a>. Do you want a closer look of the mug? My daughter gave it to me several years ago.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoKoUR_HuVQp4IVfbCNNl53lWZEcScZQ4rxXnQ3LEEpMSj5hzvLrUks3gf_Ki_p6ZszZuJ1ixMmXbYhB-JU4fRz5phmVDV-3wbMFUcQQZMgo5nhAWTGKZ2zsJsnGTXp-evA6rHxv52swMPyYSDF45K_x-6LxPjv-f-UDsT2MKk5ph_kUDAvFKHVrFbT4/s850/PXL_20240124_182115728~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoKoUR_HuVQp4IVfbCNNl53lWZEcScZQ4rxXnQ3LEEpMSj5hzvLrUks3gf_Ki_p6ZszZuJ1ixMmXbYhB-JU4fRz5phmVDV-3wbMFUcQQZMgo5nhAWTGKZ2zsJsnGTXp-evA6rHxv52swMPyYSDF45K_x-6LxPjv-f-UDsT2MKk5ph_kUDAvFKHVrFbT4/s16000/PXL_20240124_182115728~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>When the California Field Atlas about "The Deserts of California" by naturalist, writer and illustrator Obi Kaufman was published last year, our local paper wrote an article about it. It was so interesting that I bought the book as well as the other two by him, "The Coasts of California" and "The Forests of California".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge25cBg2M2BXM0wDRF9V2170hDqkYnHze_ANnNYvT08xavPeHrAiqck5scMO7A5EMKIcLM8xJ51F_jukxj8vKPm4sipfcw3QuA1TSBGwjUhJVehrZiDFArSrD-tptcTIG3LvjBlT_ygHNHfymKqIeCaJfPqrp9x9OzfL_9Ah03aCuxSVTPUE6k8eVeosg/s850/PXL_20240129_181916000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge25cBg2M2BXM0wDRF9V2170hDqkYnHze_ANnNYvT08xavPeHrAiqck5scMO7A5EMKIcLM8xJ51F_jukxj8vKPm4sipfcw3QuA1TSBGwjUhJVehrZiDFArSrD-tptcTIG3LvjBlT_ygHNHfymKqIeCaJfPqrp9x9OzfL_9Ah03aCuxSVTPUE6k8eVeosg/s16000/PXL_20240129_181916000.jpg" /></a></div><p>These very fat books are full with interesting and worth knowing facts and beautiful illustrations by the author.</p><p>From "The Deserts of California":</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOsF_dO7VEGSa5RKodZH6TBv0h_X2CHvqVK8_jt447bQFlMZUdIdW2Z87C4V00mFOhnVdB0eUlLmX6_apHQd3o1g1ZkJI3ryRbZlOOJ2SHBUwojuY2TSHjC8YnYucbswwfH37gXqLj7zKdOdwakV9C4HDY9c4e6vtawuU7WE5dThJjxvsjE-qy-HjUGQ/s850/PXL_20240129_192726104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOsF_dO7VEGSa5RKodZH6TBv0h_X2CHvqVK8_jt447bQFlMZUdIdW2Z87C4V00mFOhnVdB0eUlLmX6_apHQd3o1g1ZkJI3ryRbZlOOJ2SHBUwojuY2TSHjC8YnYucbswwfH37gXqLj7zKdOdwakV9C4HDY9c4e6vtawuU7WE5dThJjxvsjE-qy-HjUGQ/s16000/PXL_20240129_192726104.jpg" /></a></div><p>From "The Coasts of California":</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7zTuGMjDdS3IqoQ7pJoHWsDgeAKJ2dE2-tDTCblk5nx2XFkox7IMPwOuyQsOjhO6prRNvQ_RV0u5WHk3Ht2FFYwDH_3G68nZKx0zKvflMBQmONhHF_rS2HiQoxAUFFIl1NtHDq9o1i3kOncLfxn_lnaEkRqfmnr6IqDHjtpBT3jDnZyQZA1xB7DLvTc/s850/PXL_20240129_193215952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7zTuGMjDdS3IqoQ7pJoHWsDgeAKJ2dE2-tDTCblk5nx2XFkox7IMPwOuyQsOjhO6prRNvQ_RV0u5WHk3Ht2FFYwDH_3G68nZKx0zKvflMBQmONhHF_rS2HiQoxAUFFIl1NtHDq9o1i3kOncLfxn_lnaEkRqfmnr6IqDHjtpBT3jDnZyQZA1xB7DLvTc/s16000/PXL_20240129_193215952.jpg" /></a></div><p>From "The Forests of California":</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxTB9DhQjgB7Tml-PLC4rpFQE80l91NNddAhXdUqkhhUKWVwRglREbnfSxnEhQUoScKZKlu4Yy-LNcaWHEsdfNOecT_S-1hvaozuns_-opJTrk52MXCCHQgHq_ewqXWSVBq6q9tO9z9hWwZbsQhonSC8I6AenfmtgDBP6pvfjvVWXdb3X0_kTwU72H9E/s850/PXL_20240129_193714002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxTB9DhQjgB7Tml-PLC4rpFQE80l91NNddAhXdUqkhhUKWVwRglREbnfSxnEhQUoScKZKlu4Yy-LNcaWHEsdfNOecT_S-1hvaozuns_-opJTrk52MXCCHQgHq_ewqXWSVBq6q9tO9z9hWwZbsQhonSC8I6AenfmtgDBP6pvfjvVWXdb3X0_kTwU72H9E/s16000/PXL_20240129_193714002.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLV5o9EJEZW_YZLCCFnTXsfXFHKkC_PWzgdOTgEj8fd_ia7kzgYTWRJB7fQKdRWfOo0TD6y8Eu1nd6V_6K_2g4V-a2fl9kI-z58VT4tnj1X11EVRZ2lwH8yWfIcyZ0D-NTWta2HITDOI-pxBtqMRabiKhaMLG_001vKWn-Z-QIlHIvfHhUdSSkpq2ZX4g/s850/PXL_20240129_194521378.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLV5o9EJEZW_YZLCCFnTXsfXFHKkC_PWzgdOTgEj8fd_ia7kzgYTWRJB7fQKdRWfOo0TD6y8Eu1nd6V_6K_2g4V-a2fl9kI-z58VT4tnj1X11EVRZ2lwH8yWfIcyZ0D-NTWta2HITDOI-pxBtqMRabiKhaMLG_001vKWn-Z-QIlHIvfHhUdSSkpq2ZX4g/s16000/PXL_20240129_194521378.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>By now I assume you really want to know which book got the three stars. This gem:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxCvXod3d1QnItATzR_qNVNut9LO9gMpAE5jbZL0S93vq9ZjcDxVWR1WaKPJxFjcgcTppCe7wzi84Ol1mKF0xGNS7kN_LLUIVmQAxtnaMugdximWpGd6q7qH14KtHAsq386denu7HFJtKLUb0A0qWRXQAngEdiJIUkvdTbzLsl8mie2HKZJOM5y6mpnc/s850/PXL_20240124_181114038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxCvXod3d1QnItATzR_qNVNut9LO9gMpAE5jbZL0S93vq9ZjcDxVWR1WaKPJxFjcgcTppCe7wzi84Ol1mKF0xGNS7kN_LLUIVmQAxtnaMugdximWpGd6q7qH14KtHAsq386denu7HFJtKLUb0A0qWRXQAngEdiJIUkvdTbzLsl8mie2HKZJOM5y6mpnc/s16000/PXL_20240124_181114038.jpg" /></a></div><p>This was one of the most interesting, moving and fascinating books I've read in a long time. It made me think about so many things, my relationship to our earth, to the land, to my family (yes, she also writes about parenthood in this book in words that I could fully relate to), to the way we consume. She writes about the garden, about the "Honorable Harvest" (my favorite chapter), the "Three Sisters" (corn, beans, squash). I wrote a lot of passages in my journal - because not only is she full of wisdom, but she also writes beautifully. Here are a couple examples, if you're interested:</p><p>"Knowing that you love the earth chnges you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond."</p><p>"I wonder if much that ails our society stems from the fact that we have allowed our-selves to be cut off from that love of, and from, the land. It is medicine for broken land and empty hearts."</p><p>"People often ask me what one thing I would recommend to restore relationship between land and people. My answer is almost always, 'Plant a garden'."</p><p>And this in particular spoke to me:</p><p>"It's good for the health of the earth and it's good for the health of people. A garden is a nursery of nurturing connection, the soil of cultivation of practical reverence. And its power goes far beyond the garden gate - once you delvelop a relationship with a little patch of earth, it becomes a seed itself."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xQNkX11n_4JqZhQ9NUpKm4xjMBMkEJUJqYulJJmXDUMiS1oCtAeEQaPIw7hyphenhyphengCb-pCVBMmM23sDR5iUyuGHOtv_H_h3uxydIbMzyYeioucoiHpxjwiCiKahJL4c4M2d8sEkAjoka6sgF9cXLOGA4MOImOMMeODVTzzHattDA4oqXcFTZzdi7hM5VmT8/s850/PXL_20230801_205853313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xQNkX11n_4JqZhQ9NUpKm4xjMBMkEJUJqYulJJmXDUMiS1oCtAeEQaPIw7hyphenhyphengCb-pCVBMmM23sDR5iUyuGHOtv_H_h3uxydIbMzyYeioucoiHpxjwiCiKahJL4c4M2d8sEkAjoka6sgF9cXLOGA4MOImOMMeODVTzzHattDA4oqXcFTZzdi7hM5VmT8/s16000/PXL_20230801_205853313.jpg" /></a></div><p>One last thing before I end this long post - the winner of the photo giveaway. These photos were the overall three favorites that you picked:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXRvNQfM_gI-EtHa3O1poTRkElC8lrsqdpMHcHQ3Xdk1jtabV_SvAjcqnhP_gjINRPN7rjHueZUINHHUKEXNw5IsWtvo8LuMXjxD-VQuou5LW9zMCPesGA1s7-HTVtL4Aeh6kK1imPfsT-V4iQ8u8krEJFteRycQoviEsQqPapT5hWM0a8x8uFej25Gw/s850/Winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXRvNQfM_gI-EtHa3O1poTRkElC8lrsqdpMHcHQ3Xdk1jtabV_SvAjcqnhP_gjINRPN7rjHueZUINHHUKEXNw5IsWtvo8LuMXjxD-VQuou5LW9zMCPesGA1s7-HTVtL4Aeh6kK1imPfsT-V4iQ8u8krEJFteRycQoviEsQqPapT5hWM0a8x8uFej25Gw/s16000/Winners.jpg" /></a></div><p>But who gets a set of photo cards of those photos that she has chosen? It is -</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYpFCnHXMgWVXYpf74QtbiYYuT9AldOQpLFKhohsdsFBsVolAGyLtZ6tahwtm_ai-ee_lT7aen1O9yxox2ye244z0WLpCEKl7KHp0sy36uDRmfRai3LSbALZ8xqbaYbaeeyga_uzK4vyyuC_AmINpVG5qlupG_uBNxlGRNHF-z9mk_2hQsdXC61j2xkY/s850/PXL_20240129_210133059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYpFCnHXMgWVXYpf74QtbiYYuT9AldOQpLFKhohsdsFBsVolAGyLtZ6tahwtm_ai-ee_lT7aen1O9yxox2ye244z0WLpCEKl7KHp0sy36uDRmfRai3LSbALZ8xqbaYbaeeyga_uzK4vyyuC_AmINpVG5qlupG_uBNxlGRNHF-z9mk_2hQsdXC61j2xkY/s16000/PXL_20240129_210133059.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Congratulations, Sharon of Foxy Stamping!!!</p><p>Thank you to everybody who played along! It's always interesting for me to see which photos you like. Have a good week!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-34538534620596390952024-01-24T21:35:00.000-08:002024-01-25T17:14:12.643-08:00A Famous Clock<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0aQ1hEJnQ-AaVSgzFUVeItBizPZJ_uZdst-PliwN_TOah-z1C9iLw86SNXKeToZIfl3bJZGlHfilHPtOFoqfYCDHpNPGaGNZoOCiwx8X9lBvQQE8dsmD_sifij5mvYuQfwS5gpsMyCNcmZaaZuPgLRi7Izbd1VEqW1wtnLsUBDgVWGKTdC1ICH9mVmw/s850/CB140608-071240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0aQ1hEJnQ-AaVSgzFUVeItBizPZJ_uZdst-PliwN_TOah-z1C9iLw86SNXKeToZIfl3bJZGlHfilHPtOFoqfYCDHpNPGaGNZoOCiwx8X9lBvQQE8dsmD_sifij5mvYuQfwS5gpsMyCNcmZaaZuPgLRi7Izbd1VEqW1wtnLsUBDgVWGKTdC1ICH9mVmw/s16000/CB140608-071240.JPG" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/" target="_blank">Rain</a> chose the prompt "Clocks" for this week and I immediately had to think of one of the most famous clocks in the world - Big Ben, the nickname of the beloved clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London. It holds the Great Bell and I'm pretty sure that everyone would recognize the sound of the four quarter bells which chime on the quarter hours. If not, you can listen to the quarter bells and the Great Bell <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9wWBjnaEck" target="_blank">here</a>.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNe4NZniHTvN67Pfi3ARthIgpHoD9VZLqp3VuCTpWZgVtmAeVi1K2U2neT2DaOHGkDV0PX7Z0X3rXQhyphenhyphenwI3wRWOo9q4h9OpxY39HjqIc7haI4Q8E1sJ-sOmgWjxVQx4-Zww6YIewNK442EuAgmfTfBkyszcdNKFncK9pPm7bjAogSR63m6_808iX_yoU/s850/CB140608-052628.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNe4NZniHTvN67Pfi3ARthIgpHoD9VZLqp3VuCTpWZgVtmAeVi1K2U2neT2DaOHGkDV0PX7Z0X3rXQhyphenhyphenwI3wRWOo9q4h9OpxY39HjqIc7haI4Q8E1sJ-sOmgWjxVQx4-Zww6YIewNK442EuAgmfTfBkyszcdNKFncK9pPm7bjAogSR63m6_808iX_yoU/s16000/CB140608-052628.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Seen from Trafalgar Square</div><div><p>The clock tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1859. It is 316 feet (96 meters) tall and 334 steps lead from ground level to the belfry. The dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 meters) in diameter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzRo5Hoj9n4aLn9QD0-ioM9ytoCMU5SNsrL0PW0TR9sN6jJH4K0KHujtB8bUZo745DGOkiGzBcKvYtBJvZGuE6N4VDxTNt9lEaBljYSYl1yFpCBZEhyd0_hYskrzkKm_lQnbCZxPi2GTXyD5VIWnuPntt9VqgiWVIpB_vstCFyZGvYqjkeCUosG1iKxE/s850/BigBen%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzRo5Hoj9n4aLn9QD0-ioM9ytoCMU5SNsrL0PW0TR9sN6jJH4K0KHujtB8bUZo745DGOkiGzBcKvYtBJvZGuE6N4VDxTNt9lEaBljYSYl1yFpCBZEhyd0_hYskrzkKm_lQnbCZxPi2GTXyD5VIWnuPntt9VqgiWVIpB_vstCFyZGvYqjkeCUosG1iKxE/s16000/BigBen%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge</div></div><div><p>The clock still uses its original mechanism. It was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and George Airy, the Astronomer Royal at the time, and constructed by Edward John Dent and Frederick Dent. The first Dent mentioned was a famous English watchmaker noted for his highly accurate clocks and marine chronometers. The clock is highly reliable and can be adjusted by adding or removing pre-decimal pennies (the old penny used before 1971) from the pendulum. The Great Bell weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons). You don't want that to fall on your feet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXzjrcQiMPMKJILEcTCaiHW533sAqkGc0c9OFTFXG5Uyl0OkVb0E3Tcq2PMtTmIoMQmaQ5ocM0W87ZNxwAfK6RpEpqWJTrIBbinWUSL_Q7Yn69d3nJ02vKARm0BamXIMUyK0-RdZQkldeDL0fUE1bO169NTrgrH7HK2kz-4yelUZt5ahEpfp4qpfCfZA/s850/CB140610-041552.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXzjrcQiMPMKJILEcTCaiHW533sAqkGc0c9OFTFXG5Uyl0OkVb0E3Tcq2PMtTmIoMQmaQ5ocM0W87ZNxwAfK6RpEpqWJTrIBbinWUSL_Q7Yn69d3nJ02vKARm0BamXIMUyK0-RdZQkldeDL0fUE1bO169NTrgrH7HK2kz-4yelUZt5ahEpfp4qpfCfZA/s16000/CB140610-041552.JPG" /></a></div><p>Big Ben was officially named Clock Tower until 2012 when it was renamed to Elizabeth Tower to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The nickname Big Ben originally refered to the Great Bell, but is widely used for the entire tower. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqsMD8IXGNVHwCqdWkeAY93uOz7LgA8THCDMLzJ1mh1Or3Rhcv-Np2N-Np_Iex5KXuybU2z4Bx818h2M2RvLt2z8fgrN0mzQPhyElYoowEAjQKY60fbgHVrPrtjhjjBpxmWL073KbglY-CGlWadUw_7k-8aIelG9lJQjCb7ZcyTPRpWltEdcs8eKd-yM/s850/CB140608-071305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqsMD8IXGNVHwCqdWkeAY93uOz7LgA8THCDMLzJ1mh1Or3Rhcv-Np2N-Np_Iex5KXuybU2z4Bx818h2M2RvLt2z8fgrN0mzQPhyElYoowEAjQKY60fbgHVrPrtjhjjBpxmWL073KbglY-CGlWadUw_7k-8aIelG9lJQjCb7ZcyTPRpWltEdcs8eKd-yM/s16000/CB140608-071305.JPG" /></a></div><p>Big Ben is a British cultural icon, easily recognizable. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. During its recent renovation, the bells remained silent between 2017 and 2021.</p><p>Right across from Big Ben stands the statue of the greatest British politician of the 20th century, Sir Winston Churchill. You can see Big Ben through his legs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYfaafHZKzSLAhZGaYOLfAA5pvDRnW5ij8Szf_fJB-dCofwrqQjx92auWbkK_V4GtRwH-uCzvUDXy0eCs6xMk14fGvJuHHl1CwgEZ6ig_pTPMS570LqFKF-JNdl5d-SSK6c9nDaUbTGeG3wsGdvZ0rBMuJZOrKeA_YLpb72C6Ra-2pNds5G62yCKuQ4c/s850/CB140608-072123.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYfaafHZKzSLAhZGaYOLfAA5pvDRnW5ij8Szf_fJB-dCofwrqQjx92auWbkK_V4GtRwH-uCzvUDXy0eCs6xMk14fGvJuHHl1CwgEZ6ig_pTPMS570LqFKF-JNdl5d-SSK6c9nDaUbTGeG3wsGdvZ0rBMuJZOrKeA_YLpb72C6Ra-2pNds5G62yCKuQ4c/s16000/CB140608-072123.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWGyweT41X1XmRDNT0uUO-E7JUXbVAzBJGIt0f77PgmQTSA6E7gRgafBT0AFJLfFNY1H4DMVFl5kVw7hQdsSTwys1ps4GodMLnmzToTOrqgwwXquYzVfwa9rZI0iWsYKMyjP7o5j-8jcRTriq14gpRkNPQr4v6wNXrkj1jJNpn9dKYUaUj2fnL85RgIY/s850/CB140608-072105.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWGyweT41X1XmRDNT0uUO-E7JUXbVAzBJGIt0f77PgmQTSA6E7gRgafBT0AFJLfFNY1H4DMVFl5kVw7hQdsSTwys1ps4GodMLnmzToTOrqgwwXquYzVfwa9rZI0iWsYKMyjP7o5j-8jcRTriq14gpRkNPQr4v6wNXrkj1jJNpn9dKYUaUj2fnL85RgIY/s16000/CB140608-072105.JPG" /></a></div><p>And if you feel like it, you can give Big Ben a kiss. Why not?<br />(This face is for Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2024/01/ffo-12624.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqBVUZYzZO7qejwX1FUXZcTIvfbGAdajyzlGD91U48a7z2FHiB6fRLd9mrkfmZ_Yef9_jvrC3bTMUqyF0NWbftZ4qHgsz8ArI0FtvngYkcJqn_3wT4P58Ol6DddkXE_vimD0xYEj3qg7f1iPUm2cbs3DeofyJD4h_eC9JU7xC0Q40Fngqk-_xhCghOQ4/s850/CB140608-071447%20(2023-08-22T20_22_19.140).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqBVUZYzZO7qejwX1FUXZcTIvfbGAdajyzlGD91U48a7z2FHiB6fRLd9mrkfmZ_Yef9_jvrC3bTMUqyF0NWbftZ4qHgsz8ArI0FtvngYkcJqn_3wT4P58Ol6DddkXE_vimD0xYEj3qg7f1iPUm2cbs3DeofyJD4h_eC9JU7xC0Q40Fngqk-_xhCghOQ4/s16000/CB140608-071447%20(2023-08-22T20_22_19.140).JPG" /></a></div><p>Since this is for Rain's <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2024/01/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-clocks.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a>, let's have some typical British pub food - fish and chips with mushy peas. Don't forget a pint of beer to go with it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIucDRwwrSOOW5EBmwF8anH2bTyP7pFfr7fQ5Q67DBF_lMvgaUJdOn1nFVsr7roEWrBCKmoSZjQzkGWaFgEiwxs6_eTjIEX_e2p2NHEk6UAtzRxptPgR_97o3oX46XqkRJRv2krp8SFYCuYClEumviFspw3GLR4wp55yYRsxJEfyEPIS6PQ9YSaRZVg2s/s850/CB140605-111755.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIucDRwwrSOOW5EBmwF8anH2bTyP7pFfr7fQ5Q67DBF_lMvgaUJdOn1nFVsr7roEWrBCKmoSZjQzkGWaFgEiwxs6_eTjIEX_e2p2NHEk6UAtzRxptPgR_97o3oX46XqkRJRv2krp8SFYCuYClEumviFspw3GLR4wp55yYRsxJEfyEPIS6PQ9YSaRZVg2s/s16000/CB140605-111755.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-56276872193021512342024-01-22T14:11:00.000-08:002024-01-22T14:11:26.386-08:00The Photo Giveaway<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YmJeMol1XId12ENnuZcgRmYJrNUUK4YC5vbniCEZfKV7I1XU6IC5R9zLWRShviJIg1F02Wjt6oE5MKVxU4w8LLSaKNw1vXmNiiEITtWvxu5y_mOX22ujTmhTTkuPqOm1vCqJIAoLDP4MSXJ781pptJ1oIbpzMG_ZooQZjdczgiRGDx9ABpVafy2g7vA/s850/2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YmJeMol1XId12ENnuZcgRmYJrNUUK4YC5vbniCEZfKV7I1XU6IC5R9zLWRShviJIg1F02Wjt6oE5MKVxU4w8LLSaKNw1vXmNiiEITtWvxu5y_mOX22ujTmhTTkuPqOm1vCqJIAoLDP4MSXJ781pptJ1oIbpzMG_ZooQZjdczgiRGDx9ABpVafy2g7vA/s16000/2023.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Once again it is time to choose your favorite photos and join my annual giveaway. By now, most of you know the "drill": choose three of the following 15 photos and let me know which ones in the comments (just mention the numbers). By the end end of the weekend I will draw the name of one lucky commenter who will get photo cards of the three photos s/he chose. </p><p>Let's start:</p><p>1. Beach Treasure</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeaMdiwQcbMj_V4urh20OXZJwVn9zezzV2-q5bRbFUpqRfKbxzEHR1wqRsNf4UtNIpirlswiT3a9qywpfhGT9XlA8NOntyS2yoScRTJdMGpNdLD15Km3dJOStB5tVxRNRWCT1-izDhPdz3QdJFivlC1P8QQmCU8IzIMnyCmyKykiL8EZ_7cI1kNImiaE/s850/1-BeachTreasure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeaMdiwQcbMj_V4urh20OXZJwVn9zezzV2-q5bRbFUpqRfKbxzEHR1wqRsNf4UtNIpirlswiT3a9qywpfhGT9XlA8NOntyS2yoScRTJdMGpNdLD15Km3dJOStB5tVxRNRWCT1-izDhPdz3QdJFivlC1P8QQmCU8IzIMnyCmyKykiL8EZ_7cI1kNImiaE/s16000/1-BeachTreasure.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>2. Lace Remains</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhycbfS_AzSSZKQbu57fZGiq_eCsaNUuNDInYLE8T-dg2_ZlObr74uOUoJYoA-tMTEooayYsW4pODW9lpkdTaAEB1Ce2VtoOcOZYT7rBzYLKI9eIPC_47vAHFBjkN4PtV9lALHOpMH5IA2L0DGVA-BBOzKBpKMOaMAT7-_hxRv2ZfWn6iLw04dx_Tjic/s850/2-LaceRemains.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhycbfS_AzSSZKQbu57fZGiq_eCsaNUuNDInYLE8T-dg2_ZlObr74uOUoJYoA-tMTEooayYsW4pODW9lpkdTaAEB1Ce2VtoOcOZYT7rBzYLKI9eIPC_47vAHFBjkN4PtV9lALHOpMH5IA2L0DGVA-BBOzKBpKMOaMAT7-_hxRv2ZfWn6iLw04dx_Tjic/s16000/2-LaceRemains.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Lensball</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhtmhmbOknBJf0HEWsxfwToaHQGmCSg6dfmp8LsktLSVl4umL7GavFTNd22R4QoNGgJOVxYceF3OvIXJgNsJyClgl-QKFON18do2MPrLJkw5T6Bf5vTuolI1UkG9Ntchpo7Mu911fz3ZstOV3abc_pUpEt3pT51NeRMpz4Uk9K-_30lCHBVFCWcfVVqo/s850/3-Lensball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhtmhmbOknBJf0HEWsxfwToaHQGmCSg6dfmp8LsktLSVl4umL7GavFTNd22R4QoNGgJOVxYceF3OvIXJgNsJyClgl-QKFON18do2MPrLJkw5T6Bf5vTuolI1UkG9Ntchpo7Mu911fz3ZstOV3abc_pUpEt3pT51NeRMpz4Uk9K-_30lCHBVFCWcfVVqo/s16000/3-Lensball.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>4. Snail Shell</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y4Sp6LBQ4t1YTXxT2Jepq8M2Q0SrMxJGHzBxPG3W1PAxjU3Voy9UiC7HI73DTbpAl3dPYQxL6Z0raLSVki4xMUL12Z4hfodYhOTxbDaBPEn_v39ZDEuZ2TRXjaEgQUWRL5XV5EXhPdDmH8D_3OcnjDo0lmFNSnJmN2SFU4xqx-7-maXom61ClFe8vvA/s850/4-SnailShell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y4Sp6LBQ4t1YTXxT2Jepq8M2Q0SrMxJGHzBxPG3W1PAxjU3Voy9UiC7HI73DTbpAl3dPYQxL6Z0raLSVki4xMUL12Z4hfodYhOTxbDaBPEn_v39ZDEuZ2TRXjaEgQUWRL5XV5EXhPdDmH8D_3OcnjDo0lmFNSnJmN2SFU4xqx-7-maXom61ClFe8vvA/s16000/4-SnailShell.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>5. Dandelion</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1PhG5eiqf04AIO5zoMyvz6dGNv33wpBKUxJQFyDlScdQEdSGQ174npdioW5k2tLsvnVw7BVYNzOSKAG4u8VMYYvsRvne7jOOZbDrlN8LkYOUFr4b8c5TB9vJY2pEHDP6oCrK9BOYDBbMTNpXQUjdwzr_-JFr-uGJEVaCKwv0K0PCqpD5awdMLOAr39Y/s850/5-Dandelion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1PhG5eiqf04AIO5zoMyvz6dGNv33wpBKUxJQFyDlScdQEdSGQ174npdioW5k2tLsvnVw7BVYNzOSKAG4u8VMYYvsRvne7jOOZbDrlN8LkYOUFr4b8c5TB9vJY2pEHDP6oCrK9BOYDBbMTNpXQUjdwzr_-JFr-uGJEVaCKwv0K0PCqpD5awdMLOAr39Y/s16000/5-Dandelion.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>6. Mendocino</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70V9YxP5yjFvbHmR4xs4ewkVEOpipuvnKyjY_MHmqDBnSFCb4n3Lj4JaIuO9U5lN5CjxSsdZyJS7EiVl7gzeJukgpMgaNLyPIcVRfW6sV1FcdpxhxSMy-PUdOdsUN_ey37yu-lqAJrFelC8zM1N0Qd1vEqShtQLzaFXXxx_hglYNfQfkBB3_xmCdAeGk/s850/6-Mendocino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70V9YxP5yjFvbHmR4xs4ewkVEOpipuvnKyjY_MHmqDBnSFCb4n3Lj4JaIuO9U5lN5CjxSsdZyJS7EiVl7gzeJukgpMgaNLyPIcVRfW6sV1FcdpxhxSMy-PUdOdsUN_ey37yu-lqAJrFelC8zM1N0Qd1vEqShtQLzaFXXxx_hglYNfQfkBB3_xmCdAeGk/s16000/6-Mendocino.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>7. The Feather</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI4CGNT-IGDwI7YsKu969Eko0M_YA-FHBoa9WUEz7HjayYjDsLGGPdZz46VwujxVkTVGSAYeOQbY-Nyg8Y4HZG0XcSbiAPVD38VDdGmcN49sDWW_gzAFeZfxuznEYKj2YEJWB5rFJdujYDhgDKz1_3Xm2RX1AHYMTXmnS7s1GwDWaotVfsVJJHFScvW4/s850/7-TheFeather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI4CGNT-IGDwI7YsKu969Eko0M_YA-FHBoa9WUEz7HjayYjDsLGGPdZz46VwujxVkTVGSAYeOQbY-Nyg8Y4HZG0XcSbiAPVD38VDdGmcN49sDWW_gzAFeZfxuznEYKj2YEJWB5rFJdujYDhgDKz1_3Xm2RX1AHYMTXmnS7s1GwDWaotVfsVJJHFScvW4/s16000/7-TheFeather.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>8. The Crooked Tree</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMVVtxK9MF6tkHY3dKbuK-cFK5wLauWzOQic61gC1Rj42a52VmBhoMOEeYxVldOwE8fb0tW-WJGMSA7x6OcXHfcTOsrtbgECnunKYJofkIz01ecPWJjYKJ8fW-fV1uHVES3HElXKWZK2GVj9LOvMLkM3nm5TGMSUD8s4tmL1PaGLZEi6VltvRKa-j6o0/s850/8-TheCrookedTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMVVtxK9MF6tkHY3dKbuK-cFK5wLauWzOQic61gC1Rj42a52VmBhoMOEeYxVldOwE8fb0tW-WJGMSA7x6OcXHfcTOsrtbgECnunKYJofkIz01ecPWJjYKJ8fW-fV1uHVES3HElXKWZK2GVj9LOvMLkM3nm5TGMSUD8s4tmL1PaGLZEi6VltvRKa-j6o0/s16000/8-TheCrookedTree.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>9. Point Arena</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1NnImJnz06MnDU3xmUAtCBhGb9zYbbW_SphIXHJR32h_sBtZHrV0rTimzHdGRI_3y0lmz1dECAAA8LDbkc2Jqvd49hptSR0qXUCuFxMnFnGumv6eGKd28zjYP8qqmNF07-9yJ6ynNS_xV811fznAgmlGgeGGpdySQz5ZXI8EgXj_mZ9RT6i8srWb3Zc/s850/9-PointArena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1NnImJnz06MnDU3xmUAtCBhGb9zYbbW_SphIXHJR32h_sBtZHrV0rTimzHdGRI_3y0lmz1dECAAA8LDbkc2Jqvd49hptSR0qXUCuFxMnFnGumv6eGKd28zjYP8qqmNF07-9yJ6ynNS_xV811fznAgmlGgeGGpdySQz5ZXI8EgXj_mZ9RT6i8srWb3Zc/s16000/9-PointArena.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>10. Reflection</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLlZx8pRh_8VYqQbM9cWrSVEwoteN07E0Xs_VDkSQzlsQLYiTCf-mZPUsAW3ezxeimoxNwBKMfq0xfvd3raqciy3pTwWUUJw3LHNNjcSZMEQ0gPSUYsa8WUV450d-EsibWP3ZQATQvKK1LnvmeVFgw1sA_NDPrPVgNJ5m8Ze36DBP1t2sbjjtdoZxY88/s850/10-Reflection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLlZx8pRh_8VYqQbM9cWrSVEwoteN07E0Xs_VDkSQzlsQLYiTCf-mZPUsAW3ezxeimoxNwBKMfq0xfvd3raqciy3pTwWUUJw3LHNNjcSZMEQ0gPSUYsa8WUV450d-EsibWP3ZQATQvKK1LnvmeVFgw1sA_NDPrPVgNJ5m8Ze36DBP1t2sbjjtdoZxY88/s16000/10-Reflection.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>11. Poppy</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV4_0w_njkhwWj3CTUAmMOAr904kEVjmULcGrhgA_euompENxqx0bR_YNCORhBjV7nmgV5Mel9jmGZfgzVA62E4GIo_wTs9QTLzB4M1R7miv7BnXZCdiAljPgaOk2dOfQj7P3fBA99CNyZ6sNTVG5a6zGVwZLpQylovM52bzolaFq6zwlYGGzOGZh61g/s850/11-Poppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV4_0w_njkhwWj3CTUAmMOAr904kEVjmULcGrhgA_euompENxqx0bR_YNCORhBjV7nmgV5Mel9jmGZfgzVA62E4GIo_wTs9QTLzB4M1R7miv7BnXZCdiAljPgaOk2dOfQj7P3fBA99CNyZ6sNTVG5a6zGVwZLpQylovM52bzolaFq6zwlYGGzOGZh61g/s16000/11-Poppy.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>12. Rock Arch</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUFdSXjas8XKawi8MO-uBEnobVUCD8Iqag4aTqpE3XC0kgSXIwyVtVqxPDzsx-wnrBeEUznwgmM2aobcHSSi3JJxu06Ghzooh8TpTVv9_xIYbx8M_vQoe1DFbbaZHNFdvL5pfJgZboy46U_mpq9ckrPACQ6eKkk0RHfFbuwTnQcDtED-kvNyLNKehOL4/s850/12-RockArch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUFdSXjas8XKawi8MO-uBEnobVUCD8Iqag4aTqpE3XC0kgSXIwyVtVqxPDzsx-wnrBeEUznwgmM2aobcHSSi3JJxu06Ghzooh8TpTVv9_xIYbx8M_vQoe1DFbbaZHNFdvL5pfJgZboy46U_mpq9ckrPACQ6eKkk0RHfFbuwTnQcDtED-kvNyLNKehOL4/s16000/12-RockArch.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>13. Autumn Glory</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcxnAWtnHU8EULVaqut8n0evUuz84_3p-dYBSSaqisOF7zHvPIJOAMBM-culqRm73xieNOKbiuAzveyzsA1jt7Kl3nNT0YkHHsg9wjOsU2Xh_cc3IWFTiCbZk_HbpsmHv3mxFuwfs1ukWuf8smLcHfKmF30rvUO8lgo4EAL4uGeq3x6q4qrhlz1WIzrw/s850/13-AutumnGlory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcxnAWtnHU8EULVaqut8n0evUuz84_3p-dYBSSaqisOF7zHvPIJOAMBM-culqRm73xieNOKbiuAzveyzsA1jt7Kl3nNT0YkHHsg9wjOsU2Xh_cc3IWFTiCbZk_HbpsmHv3mxFuwfs1ukWuf8smLcHfKmF30rvUO8lgo4EAL4uGeq3x6q4qrhlz1WIzrw/s16000/13-AutumnGlory.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>14. The Swing</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZpQtq_K_BDkonafchDoqsP-N8Wzt2VfT47wp4uhJzVUIhFGZFl0aHF89S5dVRLQLvNIiyt3dsIGiVpDf3TB9kqgpPYlkeH_g9B56jBLMLAVBHaRMRnH143pQCdxe_0n4VHO1u0ZHxWmEAHZIt3MHZjGMxvVzkyJAbP3J4-KZ2-YcrFVWogBryeU4xck/s850/14-TheSwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZpQtq_K_BDkonafchDoqsP-N8Wzt2VfT47wp4uhJzVUIhFGZFl0aHF89S5dVRLQLvNIiyt3dsIGiVpDf3TB9kqgpPYlkeH_g9B56jBLMLAVBHaRMRnH143pQCdxe_0n4VHO1u0ZHxWmEAHZIt3MHZjGMxvVzkyJAbP3J4-KZ2-YcrFVWogBryeU4xck/s16000/14-TheSwing.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>15. Sunset</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAK34s2PXdkKl8KR14oWkuvPB4kGvvcLuOlUAlC5nMfhqHBJLQcW1RAPOTKpXv7P2eMZ2Rw6SaK_OPJDNh7ssuLLysJLHDY08xn02kof8tSRyssJOcWz6rSQUDnz1Y5uzpBFeSgcnhWSil0NL6hB7CSfV1X2hbl9NqRby15jY18QfG9qtC9ilt7p1GmGA/s850/15-Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAK34s2PXdkKl8KR14oWkuvPB4kGvvcLuOlUAlC5nMfhqHBJLQcW1RAPOTKpXv7P2eMZ2Rw6SaK_OPJDNh7ssuLLysJLHDY08xn02kof8tSRyssJOcWz6rSQUDnz1Y5uzpBFeSgcnhWSil0NL6hB7CSfV1X2hbl9NqRby15jY18QfG9qtC9ilt7p1GmGA/s16000/15-Sunset.jpg" /></a></div><p>I hope you find something that speaks to you.</p><p>For Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/01/t-stands-for-college-hill-deli.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a> I'm showing my Tour Eiffel mug that I bought many years ago and have used often as my morning coffee mug. Surprisingly it is still complete, no chips and cracks. You can also see one of Elle's Christmas cards lying next to it (which clearly shows that this photo was taken during the slow week between Christmas and New Year). I hope everyone has a great week!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLwXXQs6MKjy4XkBpZrxNJ7nLndj3Yn6PZjOEm5h9zVPdQBAt7Vy66gsutu3_yuGOc0iac9G7WLNj7UBV6DU8PpHfUo9OORSRUN7Yyzt_cP-nTsOBjm6TPnl4s2v5cZpQo1UlKhkuWRIgVbc4CnDwfOjQnE9samKIHHI9BDgbaadPm1iGLEry5hyphenhyphenyI7Y/s850/PXL_20240107_175850206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLwXXQs6MKjy4XkBpZrxNJ7nLndj3Yn6PZjOEm5h9zVPdQBAt7Vy66gsutu3_yuGOc0iac9G7WLNj7UBV6DU8PpHfUo9OORSRUN7Yyzt_cP-nTsOBjm6TPnl4s2v5cZpQo1UlKhkuWRIgVbc4CnDwfOjQnE9samKIHHI9BDgbaadPm1iGLEry5hyphenhyphenyI7Y/s16000/PXL_20240107_175850206.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-51584218552510596602024-01-18T21:52:00.000-08:002024-01-18T21:52:29.155-08:00Northern Lights<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hgwcL7UKvlpOiCD8AwzbEjoJxXiqkIatg3lllZt4BrtdYBydTb25ITPIGEevY9qhj5Wfx0oTRzMqw5ix8IZdS6c_woSLUHx3d3FVSuOzBcSY2pGTIHE3D4c7oR6_S1XwCl27X7e9lG56ZAZfT-L8PZ0xVsDzKyR38jj7mlp3GezeLExX2o1g2DNR5zU/s850/PXL_20231222_015449307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hgwcL7UKvlpOiCD8AwzbEjoJxXiqkIatg3lllZt4BrtdYBydTb25ITPIGEevY9qhj5Wfx0oTRzMqw5ix8IZdS6c_woSLUHx3d3FVSuOzBcSY2pGTIHE3D4c7oR6_S1XwCl27X7e9lG56ZAZfT-L8PZ0xVsDzKyR38jj7mlp3GezeLExX2o1g2DNR5zU/s16000/PXL_20231222_015449307.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Until last Monday we had a lovely exhibit in the sculpture garden of our Center for the Arts. It was called "Northern Lights".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cYkT5PAcwm1l-_CAiCfUwfUfXYVsSPNJT8MUpAKgM8EaKgfZdbAtb8pWa0gUow74cpQOnTKzMzNRQ2dDrKBPsd_ZsbBv1j_evCOsRjkw7lP0tUqAAh14sZ_oif6DZ-YR6c6BFyMrtoe14eajc3ZQj1H9TSU1cGtqSeI0k67C2K8OH2ryMC9qqSGjTyY/s850/PXL_20231222_015637318.MP~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cYkT5PAcwm1l-_CAiCfUwfUfXYVsSPNJT8MUpAKgM8EaKgfZdbAtb8pWa0gUow74cpQOnTKzMzNRQ2dDrKBPsd_ZsbBv1j_evCOsRjkw7lP0tUqAAh14sZ_oif6DZ-YR6c6BFyMrtoe14eajc3ZQj1H9TSU1cGtqSeI0k67C2K8OH2ryMC9qqSGjTyY/s16000/PXL_20231222_015637318.MP~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>The sculpture garden is not particulary big and it took just half an hour walking through it and admiring all the beautiful light installations that were so fitting for the season and truly "lit up the night" - at least until 9:00pm.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Iz33gZw7YK7984zWxSaYR0SrZCQhTlCN7Qk4p7mCy8NWgKn_GCLbcUsri3FpaWRczEVnZ562tcmCZGc7oCukO0N2khcGHYEyaRQQbTyp0jtNH152MlDPVIOQ-d2QgckTbdifdZ1lVlWzpxBMmprlAwRGNP3RRoHXL5ikU37gSLl9qMa_67z6rvWcWxs/s850/PXL_20231222_020030115.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Iz33gZw7YK7984zWxSaYR0SrZCQhTlCN7Qk4p7mCy8NWgKn_GCLbcUsri3FpaWRczEVnZ562tcmCZGc7oCukO0N2khcGHYEyaRQQbTyp0jtNH152MlDPVIOQ-d2QgckTbdifdZ1lVlWzpxBMmprlAwRGNP3RRoHXL5ikU37gSLl9qMa_67z6rvWcWxs/s16000/PXL_20231222_020030115.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>I don't know how many LED lights were displayed, but since it's LED these lights didn't use much energy. There were a couple beautiful archways and the Geek couldn't resist taking a photo of us in one of them. (First two faces for Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2024/01/friday-face-off-drawing-and-ai.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZkUl7n-YDIaeynaEEAhpZTkqXOKXwHoI2PYjcXqmCsnyT8oXtvEjCwiMy7wzkZ2QNtty8TMwunN8YRTWaD4olxQ3Hc8FVF2UjzlWtKKQdg9YhoW7FKJ0w-FdEtr77CYo3OdQYQyYJYFtyIYGKjF3xPwncfQ4GlU-W-qc529keVthQ7sqWgwohhTXzG4/s850/IMG-20231221-WA0000~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZkUl7n-YDIaeynaEEAhpZTkqXOKXwHoI2PYjcXqmCsnyT8oXtvEjCwiMy7wzkZ2QNtty8TMwunN8YRTWaD4olxQ3Hc8FVF2UjzlWtKKQdg9YhoW7FKJ0w-FdEtr77CYo3OdQYQyYJYFtyIYGKjF3xPwncfQ4GlU-W-qc529keVthQ7sqWgwohhTXzG4/s16000/IMG-20231221-WA0000~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>This one was my favorite display - I liked the sculpture and the way the lights led up to it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC8K6rFZ1qt8FZ9LA8T1Uk1pt9wn8QSP7hVy7gghD1-6u59cPXkgthcTo60mgm5tml2BqupqsobdSOfK_MjP38IfGtSi7LtKqcCT3r7FzP9G6ozcoNoY4DZX-I0Etv2qiBMBgBfikhT5l8PwUxYtZ9O1SBz9ukL28pekhsGxajIhACZdVlKrLN7I45yM/s850/PXL_20231222_020145748.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC8K6rFZ1qt8FZ9LA8T1Uk1pt9wn8QSP7hVy7gghD1-6u59cPXkgthcTo60mgm5tml2BqupqsobdSOfK_MjP38IfGtSi7LtKqcCT3r7FzP9G6ozcoNoY4DZX-I0Etv2qiBMBgBfikhT5l8PwUxYtZ9O1SBz9ukL28pekhsGxajIhACZdVlKrLN7I45yM/s16000/PXL_20231222_020145748.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>And this one was a close second.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfT1v8jbUfYppkFwkaO6mhgjV-2L5HvwMz4kdaBcWRf-BFilIPIR16YG3uVMVksY9VDzwsqRVatb7jR1wayTI0HdpSJWBWhMw29DHECHnd0Cq37J_m7yjM4iyxXBQA7R5mUIbfIwAPOgwKNKy-TC2ymMrMfEtmn2z9WkQPHC8k_BxxUx_1vtVj2QItt8/s850/PXL_20231222_020533380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfT1v8jbUfYppkFwkaO6mhgjV-2L5HvwMz4kdaBcWRf-BFilIPIR16YG3uVMVksY9VDzwsqRVatb7jR1wayTI0HdpSJWBWhMw29DHECHnd0Cq37J_m7yjM4iyxXBQA7R5mUIbfIwAPOgwKNKy-TC2ymMrMfEtmn2z9WkQPHC8k_BxxUx_1vtVj2QItt8/s16000/PXL_20231222_020533380.jpg" /></a></div><p>Do you see the faces? These are the second two faces for Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2024/01/friday-face-off-drawing-and-ai.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNo3mbA2_5_pM0GE8Q1V7GtQ67P7a0UmOyYI9AhMFxoHRC98wB8YyTQI56T8pPHxfHyMEjkVlMxKTeBXG1gnljYGJS9Drv-VWbJHenrZdKmuqHjFQGYZ5kquTW2P6iuOR4rZX9Rx7thwvbr1pv89tllHLn9VUtNJd8-LbF5F9QGPrICKzUExXY7Ulotw/s850/PXL_20231222_015849797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNo3mbA2_5_pM0GE8Q1V7GtQ67P7a0UmOyYI9AhMFxoHRC98wB8YyTQI56T8pPHxfHyMEjkVlMxKTeBXG1gnljYGJS9Drv-VWbJHenrZdKmuqHjFQGYZ5kquTW2P6iuOR4rZX9Rx7thwvbr1pv89tllHLn9VUtNJd8-LbF5F9QGPrICKzUExXY7Ulotw/s16000/PXL_20231222_015849797.jpg" /></a></div><p>Maybe you like some spheres better. They were constantly changing their color.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMy2XZVSpgmMY3Jhugi8h66AYctTL6PzOZuYwuLiWVJfUVAbChqhtGVwwi6t_cJui8jnVHQIiZeVVBC5pLf0tOs2_QZZzWh8k3aSuapnsFns2_pLteRQvIWbFVYYC2-NG68VYSpEA1MqXJvZBpeVwdit1ig-Me7nLCNNhhrPuAWJ3c4t8W52OnaHMwfk/s850/PXL_20231222_020256884.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMy2XZVSpgmMY3Jhugi8h66AYctTL6PzOZuYwuLiWVJfUVAbChqhtGVwwi6t_cJui8jnVHQIiZeVVBC5pLf0tOs2_QZZzWh8k3aSuapnsFns2_pLteRQvIWbFVYYC2-NG68VYSpEA1MqXJvZBpeVwdit1ig-Me7nLCNNhhrPuAWJ3c4t8W52OnaHMwfk/s16000/PXL_20231222_020256884.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>I also liked the lights in some of the trees.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84cIxMrjd-GHfNSMN2mTvDn2Fzs3RLfUBNLbMLesS_gWD2F81Nn6Ci4gJ1ChWgLrdArKymKIpDn9Bu4QowjteJJ4PcM0fAZRv8Pj_suQbVrnW4plEedloHIU_3ok9uqfEgt-YAHC-NzthXG6_Y7oHdEslm7B1KTsCPtTi2qAeOI2Ru7ENhvKT6b_fDbU/s850/PXL_20231222_020737568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84cIxMrjd-GHfNSMN2mTvDn2Fzs3RLfUBNLbMLesS_gWD2F81Nn6Ci4gJ1ChWgLrdArKymKIpDn9Bu4QowjteJJ4PcM0fAZRv8Pj_suQbVrnW4plEedloHIU_3ok9uqfEgt-YAHC-NzthXG6_Y7oHdEslm7B1KTsCPtTi2qAeOI2Ru7ENhvKT6b_fDbU/s16000/PXL_20231222_020737568.jpg" /></a></div><p>It could have been a really beautiful experience, if - parents would have set a better example for their children. Everywhere were signs to please not step into the displays and stay on the path, however, there were quite a high number of parents who encouraged their kids to walk right into the display, trample around the area and behave like the little devils their parents showed them to be. Since when have people become so incredibly entitled and disrespectful?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBSX4Db1cll8X7gK2sF3xgqeOyfj4HKwdtEWO77vI7LQdKL6JFSmpRhnGPaEFOWGBJY_9Kd_-wb0cllqT6_DPGNsWj_QX_lfpz0xpWPlnw3-Q7lBziZ4Kd8IbterCR3r8gBGkHfJbGCLPsWaMy1yKRBRz3Ftb3X1ElsgP40PZlEHdhj4NVQzcqq2nemE/s850/PXL_20231222_020702256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="797" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBSX4Db1cll8X7gK2sF3xgqeOyfj4HKwdtEWO77vI7LQdKL6JFSmpRhnGPaEFOWGBJY_9Kd_-wb0cllqT6_DPGNsWj_QX_lfpz0xpWPlnw3-Q7lBziZ4Kd8IbterCR3r8gBGkHfJbGCLPsWaMy1yKRBRz3Ftb3X1ElsgP40PZlEHdhj4NVQzcqq2nemE/s16000/PXL_20231222_020702256.jpg" /></a></div><p>The Geek and I decided to leave when this behavior became too much. It's so sad that some people have to spoil an otherwise beautiful experience for others.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5EicnblzlLsEBlZFTV6cDAZV6ijshbZRU7bY_s5xz9ht0AuFQlVIgh4ghkMWuF-c_DUBjKhghrIHFiwiV7BAHImzCvGd02Fi_NUuONwMuuBNvoDElzzabZKZ3UJ5-0zTAiqeCSqjPWN1LoH0nzIjNsWmWaAU0UHlhU_VnJSpJR_z-3UfiX0FBGF64Kc/s850/PXL_20231222_015532087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5EicnblzlLsEBlZFTV6cDAZV6ijshbZRU7bY_s5xz9ht0AuFQlVIgh4ghkMWuF-c_DUBjKhghrIHFiwiV7BAHImzCvGd02Fi_NUuONwMuuBNvoDElzzabZKZ3UJ5-0zTAiqeCSqjPWN1LoH0nzIjNsWmWaAU0UHlhU_VnJSpJR_z-3UfiX0FBGF64Kc/s16000/PXL_20231222_015532087.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-53343712124039682402024-01-08T14:12:00.000-08:002024-01-11T22:09:56.468-08:00An Austrian Kaffeehaus<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx_onsjf7CZSx8OJNRIeg4KamBmqVl6TLZijDxTgPgYKJ16wvRvZJYYxPD980-cFFWcot7m0CZ1A_leMvmd3TZPzJKZANhlA5LeDPBDhVYL0WZI2gUTTfPeXGJB1NRawxaJvP4mWgRyWNDdwZp7k6Kun6_necNPfpRyh_-iJGNQrXiL3FfyCcWkD0uoM/s850/PXL_20240108_192911243.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx_onsjf7CZSx8OJNRIeg4KamBmqVl6TLZijDxTgPgYKJ16wvRvZJYYxPD980-cFFWcot7m0CZ1A_leMvmd3TZPzJKZANhlA5LeDPBDhVYL0WZI2gUTTfPeXGJB1NRawxaJvP4mWgRyWNDdwZp7k6Kun6_necNPfpRyh_-iJGNQrXiL3FfyCcWkD0uoM/s16000/PXL_20240108_192911243.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before I tell you about the Austrian Kaffeehaus, I want to show you the Christmas cards I received - I wanted to do that last week, but completely forgot. It's pretty obvious that work has started again and I don't get all the things done I actually want to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Above on the left is the card that I received from Erika and to the right you can see Jeanie's card. Both cards are so beautiful - thank you so much, Erika and Jeanie, you made me happy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am one of the lucky ones who actually received two cards from Elle. Aren't they cute?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJshDEkU5hakEz8VjXLqe8eZJvBB85yNpTfPHThL__b5CQ3EBfQoYKh0TLGFWtYNsanZFqnrngS5aLm7KeJvu7klVNMIwHwilg5dPaqeZ2-w555ychqtinDorVD_ERdwVzbqZPUangtD2UNIH8L-9yPmAGhLm67WxqCzqs51TwyChDpRb-kzZ7c013Y0/s850/PXL_20240108_192935002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJshDEkU5hakEz8VjXLqe8eZJvBB85yNpTfPHThL__b5CQ3EBfQoYKh0TLGFWtYNsanZFqnrngS5aLm7KeJvu7klVNMIwHwilg5dPaqeZ2-w555ychqtinDorVD_ERdwVzbqZPUangtD2UNIH8L-9yPmAGhLm67WxqCzqs51TwyChDpRb-kzZ7c013Y0/s16000/PXL_20240108_192935002.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Elle, I really feel lucky to have gotten two cards from you - thank you so much. I also loved the cat postage stamp she put on one of the envelopes - from one cat lover to another.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4B4Shkw0VDP7x_pxXoxVsRc-_IcPsheBLXGeU1SBFP9z1CMLMC0PGVjAoRVc2ehi6VipsUWgk6U8BjtuD9n3TLxoKZkutPUnwsBcxkkPsagfY80_kOkwJX4_Dcwdq8tF6pkgV-EuoW___2zfbB_TzjJ2QtqOZ61KdaB0TG3gyBd_YB0Q9svFXnxSPgyU/s850/PXL_20240108_193006828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4B4Shkw0VDP7x_pxXoxVsRc-_IcPsheBLXGeU1SBFP9z1CMLMC0PGVjAoRVc2ehi6VipsUWgk6U8BjtuD9n3TLxoKZkutPUnwsBcxkkPsagfY80_kOkwJX4_Dcwdq8tF6pkgV-EuoW___2zfbB_TzjJ2QtqOZ61KdaB0TG3gyBd_YB0Q9svFXnxSPgyU/s16000/PXL_20240108_193006828.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now let's visit the Austrian Kaffeehaus, the Konditorei Austrian Pastry in Davis, CA. Konditorei actually means pastry shop - you can buy your pastry and take it home, but you can also have a real sit-down experience here. A Konditorei doesn't sell bread, it only sells pastries - and coffee, of course. If you want to buy bread in a German speaking country you go to the Bäckerei (which often also sells some pastries).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I visited Kaefer while she was studying at UC Davis we sometimes would go to this Konditorei, either for lunch or for breakfast. It was not exactly a Kaffeehaus the way you would find it in Austria, but compared to other similar places here, it came close. It definitely had much more of the "gemütliche Atmosphäre" than many coffee places in the US.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwESXoMc3PjCXgTdthyphenhyphen9sq-9jVuqEsUMlXLfc0UWu2RJrDUz_5cv5jAmy0J_e7_AxwjUpaW57qyDLD2o1E3iVw8w5S8UkROmV_ti2H-eMJ6dYRthS-7puvkMkuYp4qMizClvH6pdaCMXjI-ocawoQlG5aNMguLFgtXNeR4HSs_ep1r1UkC0SlmsJBjgs/s850/0329181000a~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwESXoMc3PjCXgTdthyphenhyphen9sq-9jVuqEsUMlXLfc0UWu2RJrDUz_5cv5jAmy0J_e7_AxwjUpaW57qyDLD2o1E3iVw8w5S8UkROmV_ti2H-eMJ6dYRthS-7puvkMkuYp4qMizClvH6pdaCMXjI-ocawoQlG5aNMguLFgtXNeR4HSs_ep1r1UkC0SlmsJBjgs/s16000/0329181000a~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The coffee was excellent, strong without being bitter. And of couse they had baked goods that you would find in a decent Austrian Kaffeehaus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmZ97XwYUgo7wsCKGor05bvAtRBRFt1QzdG52YOEDiRrOeWQERZBDZGLzIWOkI7YDitHrdKtk7aKUN2E_9w2S-lhf7RvOLIOTeBmBIs4BdO0NQNF6-bk_f42cBPdEeAqsMtULHd2Z8nZp7V_5rW9wI6ck6r2h6Aud8T3pFdcgERAcQmfsShFUHg7Lfng/s850/SweetFood.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmZ97XwYUgo7wsCKGor05bvAtRBRFt1QzdG52YOEDiRrOeWQERZBDZGLzIWOkI7YDitHrdKtk7aKUN2E_9w2S-lhf7RvOLIOTeBmBIs4BdO0NQNF6-bk_f42cBPdEeAqsMtULHd2Z8nZp7V_5rW9wI6ck6r2h6Aud8T3pFdcgERAcQmfsShFUHg7Lfng/s16000/SweetFood.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Palatschinken (a thin pancake) on the left, something hearty in the middle (I forgot the name of it) and Topfenstrudel (quark strudel) on the right</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The food was delicious and we really liked the special Kaffeehaus atmosphere. It was so different from other coffee shops here - when it comes to coffee culture, there is definitely room for improvement in the US. I tried several coffees during those four college years - here I'm having a Macchiato while Kaefer is enjoying her Palatschinken.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6qsF9gNBJ2CRDdx9MBmSezHRytdmJlEbxj_MKV1ILY2Jq5HU1O47OfKcZEMB1Eo_sTM31aYmcT_wS-LjaZfTqkRZGZqNL-0kbfjYerSvzUoI6x_TFjROhb_tjV8YMHyHznGyeV_NQVhmMV-yhJZvnnaIyllpJUQBuHJiJNBy3DY_01MlWy7ApumigwA/s850/0921181130a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6qsF9gNBJ2CRDdx9MBmSezHRytdmJlEbxj_MKV1ILY2Jq5HU1O47OfKcZEMB1Eo_sTM31aYmcT_wS-LjaZfTqkRZGZqNL-0kbfjYerSvzUoI6x_TFjROhb_tjV8YMHyHznGyeV_NQVhmMV-yhJZvnnaIyllpJUQBuHJiJNBy3DY_01MlWy7ApumigwA/s16000/0921181130a.jpg" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately, the Konditorei closed in February 2022 since the owners retired after 32 years of hard work (Albert immigrated from Austria while Gloria is from San Francisco). </p><p>Of course this is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/01/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-11.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>. Rain's prompt for this week's <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2024/01/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-coffee-shop.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a> is coffee shop and since Kaefer can be seen in the pictures, I also share to Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvHAkCxSsePfmZ1uXlxn6ggMgo2EqAKFLDLDof3LoginUAHetDGhK-nCHRCf1pWnilhl4hb28ELDjrRi3UFjjoD2lhUFCL6XZJ-6bNTj0BwVa7tghPMsp3j55rvyeN0USfnYhnP_Z6xY7NdjIL12TPbMdIC7vi9IftMYUd598cXkdMXVhNyTYYDU8EEU/s850/0921181131%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvHAkCxSsePfmZ1uXlxn6ggMgo2EqAKFLDLDof3LoginUAHetDGhK-nCHRCf1pWnilhl4hb28ELDjrRi3UFjjoD2lhUFCL6XZJ-6bNTj0BwVa7tghPMsp3j55rvyeN0USfnYhnP_Z6xY7NdjIL12TPbMdIC7vi9IftMYUd598cXkdMXVhNyTYYDU8EEU/s16000/0921181131%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-44903170321617916012024-01-01T15:07:00.000-08:002024-01-01T15:07:20.408-08:00Zwischen den Jahren - Between the Years<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6AgIHalAcVcOf_8kAHnQHFf1VqCrP4hNFC8gTCKFES56LXVNZq7qQzcb_TPutFSi_-N2hAvrUQ0FC1CLoP5qFXggh1wauXfjjRv8rWkA2zDmMCxMshGoINO7wBoR_cCaF_KUshRzhzizv2UvGqPEFW83rJFsXcEXDaxZ2gG_nJeTqHUEA5krZNu504M/s850/IMG-20231219-WA0001~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="659" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6AgIHalAcVcOf_8kAHnQHFf1VqCrP4hNFC8gTCKFES56LXVNZq7qQzcb_TPutFSi_-N2hAvrUQ0FC1CLoP5qFXggh1wauXfjjRv8rWkA2zDmMCxMshGoINO7wBoR_cCaF_KUshRzhzizv2UvGqPEFW83rJFsXcEXDaxZ2gG_nJeTqHUEA5krZNu504M/s16000/IMG-20231219-WA0001~2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking for the new year...</div><p></p><p>In German we call the time between Christmas and New Year "zwischen den Jahren" - between the years. It's one of my favorite weeks in the year.</p><p>This time we spent that week extremely slow and lazy. The weather - rainy, chilly and even stormy - supported our lazyness and was a great excuse to stay home. We used the car only once, because I needed to get to my PT appointment.</p><p>We did a lot of reading, puttering around the house and even some cleaning. I baked my "seastar" bread, a hearty whole-wheat bread that has a hint of sage, and I cooked tasty dinners, like this teriyaki chicken with broccoli, green onion and rice (cooked in the wok).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcjxSTTn0N6XrbsxEYpUBLoRaxJ0uHUjBaLcmYPgf3nbKdTtO1avppz5LnPms3Iusv2vacnIhf0fLgohv8spQSA64zCt1QqZgtnx2tsYE5rGvoe8Noc0YnUcsLg9xcbI8uIpI7p2cysxvOahDmzkQOlIUhVexj9R58VS3HXEZ80jiu3I8aCZn1ZUGLmo/s850/original_c73295ef-73b1-4e9f-b5c5-b833c4e99d75_PXL_20231220_222331243.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcjxSTTn0N6XrbsxEYpUBLoRaxJ0uHUjBaLcmYPgf3nbKdTtO1avppz5LnPms3Iusv2vacnIhf0fLgohv8spQSA64zCt1QqZgtnx2tsYE5rGvoe8Noc0YnUcsLg9xcbI8uIpI7p2cysxvOahDmzkQOlIUhVexj9R58VS3HXEZ80jiu3I8aCZn1ZUGLmo/s16000/original_c73295ef-73b1-4e9f-b5c5-b833c4e99d75_PXL_20231220_222331243.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gOJv0nivjwXiGS0Wol20D9l8N3JG34BtvI0WpRvX9zI30TfQXXvTkigblW8T24Ki7jnRxU9wrvtgSDnmlZk_8Kmeu7ignKB4kwfpjdUfc_0YM350MnvLA5KCItarGI3bvC1upc9PxyWOw_3nzMOlTXbg8bl8EOmtwgYwEpfXecQgm_vsMhqdXJ86T5Q/s850/PXL_20231227_031627401.MP%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gOJv0nivjwXiGS0Wol20D9l8N3JG34BtvI0WpRvX9zI30TfQXXvTkigblW8T24Ki7jnRxU9wrvtgSDnmlZk_8Kmeu7ignKB4kwfpjdUfc_0YM350MnvLA5KCItarGI3bvC1upc9PxyWOw_3nzMOlTXbg8bl8EOmtwgYwEpfXecQgm_vsMhqdXJ86T5Q/s16000/PXL_20231227_031627401.MP%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><p>On two afternoons I worked on classroom Valentines for my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolaBartz" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>. When Kaefer went to kindergarten and the first two or three years of elementary school I used to create the little Valentines that each kid could bring for the classroom Valentine's party because I never fancied the cheap and quite dreadful Valentines you could buy. From this the idea was born that I could actually offer different sets of classroom Valentines in the store and it has become a great seller. I'm down to three different styles and I also think this might be the last year of classroom Valentines in my store. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk9mEoRYBK_zfAmqkhGeehgzDDuzI02xr-BdTZcDJ4oW5h9ZnNshO9jTmvkOqh3-AUn3SZ1HV6O5ZNjzLNe1dkguedPTZ3jla2CiPIugGrxNCNJiHwyaNzK8pyuXfkQ5_4NCyQ091LuOyCTCxg40Mt1O4pfeKbZX4bGMdG-_CLvVHoPKMjaqFMTK4E8A/s850/PXL_20231228_000648016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk9mEoRYBK_zfAmqkhGeehgzDDuzI02xr-BdTZcDJ4oW5h9ZnNshO9jTmvkOqh3-AUn3SZ1HV6O5ZNjzLNe1dkguedPTZ3jla2CiPIugGrxNCNJiHwyaNzK8pyuXfkQ5_4NCyQ091LuOyCTCxg40Mt1O4pfeKbZX4bGMdG-_CLvVHoPKMjaqFMTK4E8A/s16000/PXL_20231228_000648016.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQMSH0lKs3TwtpLSDsSCibaT1Af-SpNdq-kSOgdeCNaDVHMP4qqW-ZLogjAeJ0YS6tAO2tC-FZ6fMadwNhxW5Y1NUiafXJMCdIE0VnHPd8ATl65aNlw1M_2qnobEb-i6qT-6nuQ2h9KrfYg4___vuLIDYig1Sihj5PaWkFLwBwStgnYfuRiBvuBoiXqo/s850/PXL_20231229_194550596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQMSH0lKs3TwtpLSDsSCibaT1Af-SpNdq-kSOgdeCNaDVHMP4qqW-ZLogjAeJ0YS6tAO2tC-FZ6fMadwNhxW5Y1NUiafXJMCdIE0VnHPd8ATl65aNlw1M_2qnobEb-i6qT-6nuQ2h9KrfYg4___vuLIDYig1Sihj5PaWkFLwBwStgnYfuRiBvuBoiXqo/s16000/PXL_20231229_194550596.jpg" /></a></div><p>In the middle of the week a storm approached the West Coast and the ocean reacted with some very huge waves that were pounding the shore. We didn't go there because as someone who lives close to the coast we know how dangerous the Pacific Ocean can get in those conditions. I admit that I would have loved to see such big waves, but the reasonable side in me that every now and then takes the upper hand kept me at home. A good decision as we later found out, because there were so many people at the coast and the stupidity of some (mainly tourists) didn't know any limits.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uwewAHE0-z4N_pIwQnHdoQ7W1ZSFbNsroyDGKlOUXthrN9fTOJuUVAkHHLjIDHk27RtNdNxCH-7zVZQJwvBXDvGsAWK3ZvJ2DPCUrQ2dVfsIGO3qxDnogCcJueOrF5G2LI8uoYmR6ecU67JwdTnQNbwxv4GSzs1gH3fwCjIXEvNdhiThPBxb-JmCpZs/s850/PXL_20231229_181514262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uwewAHE0-z4N_pIwQnHdoQ7W1ZSFbNsroyDGKlOUXthrN9fTOJuUVAkHHLjIDHk27RtNdNxCH-7zVZQJwvBXDvGsAWK3ZvJ2DPCUrQ2dVfsIGO3qxDnogCcJueOrF5G2LI8uoYmR6ecU67JwdTnQNbwxv4GSzs1gH3fwCjIXEvNdhiThPBxb-JmCpZs/s16000/PXL_20231229_181514262.jpg" /></a></div><p>Up to almost the last day of the week I didn't get any orders and finally was able to knit my poncho-style sweater again. I had started knitting it last spring, but then the "knitting year" became so busy that I had to put it aside. The yarn is bulky weight, 100% Peruvian Highland wool - "Wool of the Andes" from <a href="https://www.knitpicks.com/" target="_blank">Knit Picks</a>. The color is a warm terracotta that my camera unfortunately can't represent accurately.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwN1jtLul1L8fCRixk523jC1k2fMWLhzuXjgrz-tpNTJDwElcTtNtG3i67JZsWgOecj_fg1m-s0K60olMCDPeyFhxF0MWkqP2VLoXWubM3Fa_e6Cx_O8uo8wR09D6onOufx-zM5Fzp9P0nzSMoKwJJEsVm41qwfnIQhJvlDcdpWMr8iwPqJkggXismPw/s850/PXL_20231231_224450812.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwN1jtLul1L8fCRixk523jC1k2fMWLhzuXjgrz-tpNTJDwElcTtNtG3i67JZsWgOecj_fg1m-s0K60olMCDPeyFhxF0MWkqP2VLoXWubM3Fa_e6Cx_O8uo8wR09D6onOufx-zM5Fzp9P0nzSMoKwJJEsVm41qwfnIQhJvlDcdpWMr8iwPqJkggXismPw/s16000/PXL_20231231_224450812.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>The Geek and I "celebrated" New Year's Eve with a good dinner and a glass (or two) of bubbly. We didn't make it to midnight - he was already fast asleep while I was still reading my book (I love reading in bed and do that every evening; it's my way of getting ready for sleep). The bubbly is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2024/01/t-stands-for-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a> and with it I wish all of you joy, laughter and good health for 2024.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPupVXBufVb0tCagkoACfSkRvVatfF_sUNfDBpoeqnI5SaDI8BYy9NLmHZFBFIMrK63B1zogoWfunKh8Cp9CgkVGC-VhX86K2V3QbGXCexaEVK40L22XIqH1By6IJ3i_1iYjPo1uHpzZHHWP9pJUWmnpLA4jrwk9CpX5I2FHinjDMEXI_CuxeL0DVb-s/s850/IMG-20231231-WA0000~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPupVXBufVb0tCagkoACfSkRvVatfF_sUNfDBpoeqnI5SaDI8BYy9NLmHZFBFIMrK63B1zogoWfunKh8Cp9CgkVGC-VhX86K2V3QbGXCexaEVK40L22XIqH1By6IJ3i_1iYjPo1uHpzZHHWP9pJUWmnpLA4jrwk9CpX5I2FHinjDMEXI_CuxeL0DVb-s/s16000/IMG-20231231-WA0000~2.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-52104999880018304942023-12-25T19:00:00.000-08:002023-12-25T19:00:34.070-08:00Christmas Memories<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dzJheN01TxHCJP4dd-xFI7Z3xJCxhyphenhyphen-JsZ_Bkj4acQW71ntf-fUNr9MMo2b0ptgpTfhd_ka64JHZIwZQjBJlhB3CnOFCGLowKlADkv_ozkw1xZoFFR0OZn6DTRc8ZB5dj4rWgX70Tky6hc3XtDRMGdDZWhgouX89gsT5WcQRQ6ncS8aJ8eZJT-xk5ow/s850/File4216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dzJheN01TxHCJP4dd-xFI7Z3xJCxhyphenhyphen-JsZ_Bkj4acQW71ntf-fUNr9MMo2b0ptgpTfhd_ka64JHZIwZQjBJlhB3CnOFCGLowKlADkv_ozkw1xZoFFR0OZn6DTRc8ZB5dj4rWgX70Tky6hc3XtDRMGdDZWhgouX89gsT5WcQRQ6ncS8aJ8eZJT-xk5ow/s16000/File4216.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve, my brother and me, 1960s</div><p></p><p>Over the past few days I was looking at some old photos that my dad took when we were children. All of them were slides that my father-in-law scanned for me several years ago. The quality of the images is very poor, but they did bring back memories of Christmasses (is that a word?) long time ago.</p><p>Both my parents had lost their homes in World War II. My mother had to flee from the border to Poland at the end of January 1945; my dad was never able to return to his hometown Marienburg (Malbork in today's Poland) after a year as a POW in a British camp in Belgium (his parents and younger sister had been able to catch the last refugee ship out of Danzig/Gdansk). My parents met in a small village in Lower Saxony where they eventually started a family. </p><p>They didn't have much money - my dad had just earned his PhD and was one of two veterinarians in a country veterinary practice (nothing like "All Creatures Great and Small"), but with the little means they had they still made it possible to give us children a magical Christmas.</p><p>There was a tree in front of our rented house, and they put real candles on it. It was so beautiful. My mom also put some Wunderkerzen (sparkler) in it - nowadays they are mostly used on New Year's Eve. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9jL8el_uECpEUQJUsSOMBoN7j9eyVxuKRFZ7wGu8ZSrntqFmGVG4jXTsH9_DnYVvTs_sy2vKE47dDpMiuTREN-_QCu6TLQJwe4YwlEuc2eKbvUmNd9ZXxKRYD6rs9JcrgcL0KksA2WB5S9TXtfoZ5Kyaq5E3GqrAGxWlEsLFZVQ4t34he7dLs9Sdhmk/s850/IMG_0035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9jL8el_uECpEUQJUsSOMBoN7j9eyVxuKRFZ7wGu8ZSrntqFmGVG4jXTsH9_DnYVvTs_sy2vKE47dDpMiuTREN-_QCu6TLQJwe4YwlEuc2eKbvUmNd9ZXxKRYD6rs9JcrgcL0KksA2WB5S9TXtfoZ5Kyaq5E3GqrAGxWlEsLFZVQ4t34he7dLs9Sdhmk/s16000/IMG_0035.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My mom with my brother, late 1950s</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5idi0z-96Bjceg5Yofxm7aAQGPepetRcvbtxd-PLTDObpSFG7KcrmtWHTi9oEcjPClvZF6qGHtmefHTFy6F6Dz8t3CuBRjQR66ZfK2TEz_-ij2ux5e3EkFizVJtfn3SkB7ZL9A5mIOoXY6OD8x_kLlZz2fmSYXo4arou5IcoRKubvGGqicIXg9vjNqUA/s850/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5idi0z-96Bjceg5Yofxm7aAQGPepetRcvbtxd-PLTDObpSFG7KcrmtWHTi9oEcjPClvZF6qGHtmefHTFy6F6Dz8t3CuBRjQR66ZfK2TEz_-ij2ux5e3EkFizVJtfn3SkB7ZL9A5mIOoXY6OD8x_kLlZz2fmSYXo4arou5IcoRKubvGGqicIXg9vjNqUA/s16000/IMG_0009.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here she is lighting the Wunderkerzen; my sister to the right</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Later she would light the tree in the living room. There are not many ornaments on the tree because they didn't have many (there were more important things to spend money on) and the family ornaments were left behind in the war. But there was a lot of lametta (tinsel) because it was affordable.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3NhAivTfUrslzex3GzuuwFvOKahbduIHwQR4bNV3sZ7Bmk7PlFfqiuXHKLIPeK9hefAOBSo2btf5ghCXZW0MbnmHL3yd_gCLEutLvSMi957LjrqLy5CzOF7If0f0W-dvEfS-KiJShJR9Ppiq8edaZiMdwQr7Rm_n982KCPAYkuq139IpWh7SjKI2Kjc/s850/IMG_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3NhAivTfUrslzex3GzuuwFvOKahbduIHwQR4bNV3sZ7Bmk7PlFfqiuXHKLIPeK9hefAOBSo2btf5ghCXZW0MbnmHL3yd_gCLEutLvSMi957LjrqLy5CzOF7If0f0W-dvEfS-KiJShJR9Ppiq8edaZiMdwQr7Rm_n982KCPAYkuq139IpWh7SjKI2Kjc/s16000/IMG_0017.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>A Christmas tradition in Germany is to have a Weihnachtsteller (Christmas plate) filled with chocolates, marzipan, homebaked cookies and nuts. We loved our Weihnachtsteller and I sure was delighted about the chocolate Santa.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGQ1IwVXfQII-Ae5zOeRE399RtRBdz3z2ivfdLhdJtdtWBbNuOGf0YcgpRYC7C0e6f1OhuVWQzzdzJUvICE3yZuwZ0x0VfvpwZPvme2RU6yPlHkqnpO_zr3MrDJ9DdDwQpg6BkjEPZlOJwTDEZW5X9TY8zfKhtLGFW22p8qHJMoNHiPaye__cttzRbhk/s850/IMG_0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGQ1IwVXfQII-Ae5zOeRE399RtRBdz3z2ivfdLhdJtdtWBbNuOGf0YcgpRYC7C0e6f1OhuVWQzzdzJUvICE3yZuwZ0x0VfvpwZPvme2RU6yPlHkqnpO_zr3MrDJ9DdDwQpg6BkjEPZlOJwTDEZW5X9TY8zfKhtLGFW22p8qHJMoNHiPaye__cttzRbhk/s16000/IMG_0022.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpOcXTS6aA8XGCJsxaRNxq1GMEGbT6kSRPqPq3PQdn4ngP2MFonduGz6JuMNgtjXOtm86Wsp2RQijnDwlXfWagDEKfvj4V_Vaf81zyWR8A1NLwTJhVxCSrBlXF3m9CT4dNXN69O7GjRejqAse0jzB9JIm03MxoJHkMhURN2DmmA7BaOnnUPFRpvx5uaM/s850/IMG_0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpOcXTS6aA8XGCJsxaRNxq1GMEGbT6kSRPqPq3PQdn4ngP2MFonduGz6JuMNgtjXOtm86Wsp2RQijnDwlXfWagDEKfvj4V_Vaf81zyWR8A1NLwTJhVxCSrBlXF3m9CT4dNXN69O7GjRejqAse0jzB9JIm03MxoJHkMhURN2DmmA7BaOnnUPFRpvx5uaM/s16000/IMG_0026.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>My brother and I loved to bake Christmas cookies - well, I mainly loved to eat the dough!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx60daqlawSLc2aJ1F1ZI8xG3U5I_SHZ8FfAlhQrS8jNaXu5-zO1Nh8S_clrAKutduNo3o-2fiG3HiQ1j78uWF7B8RcRjWpbtQNyeGfH4VIOzLlwN1DpBmFoHPJFnAhJeE0YkfgMBsEEXIRuk6aUlNA3gS_aayj-Th1vQxGtnjk20mkCG0WIiQxA9P65s/s850/PeterCarolaDez1961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx60daqlawSLc2aJ1F1ZI8xG3U5I_SHZ8FfAlhQrS8jNaXu5-zO1Nh8S_clrAKutduNo3o-2fiG3HiQ1j78uWF7B8RcRjWpbtQNyeGfH4VIOzLlwN1DpBmFoHPJFnAhJeE0YkfgMBsEEXIRuk6aUlNA3gS_aayj-Th1vQxGtnjk20mkCG0WIiQxA9P65s/s16000/PeterCarolaDez1961.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1961</div><div><div><p>Later we moved to the Sauerland, Northrhine-Westphalia, where we lived in a nice flat. My dad had found a position as a vet with the county which is way more sustainable for family life - no more calls in the middle of the night, but still calls on the weekends. My parents lived in that flat for 42 years.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5BuKz3MSMKD58VS25gisW4ZQCUotyAeqUNxXf_MqngQbbt5woANherqhw9mYSF7ELs8wDLppPy2IuM12gXFBFqTlrf2QBHjfaAU7PzKY46262BZ9DJCAQHTcn0L8VJUlDzyDOSZ27IZgnenh45GBH3SyAI-3w50qcC7ntimXhC4BaC20Pc-bkxCLv0c/s850/File4234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5BuKz3MSMKD58VS25gisW4ZQCUotyAeqUNxXf_MqngQbbt5woANherqhw9mYSF7ELs8wDLppPy2IuM12gXFBFqTlrf2QBHjfaAU7PzKY46262BZ9DJCAQHTcn0L8VJUlDzyDOSZ27IZgnenh45GBH3SyAI-3w50qcC7ntimXhC4BaC20Pc-bkxCLv0c/s16000/File4234.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My brother with very short hair, because that was the only way to "tame" his abundance of locks</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Sometime - I can't remember exactly when - we started a new tradition for the time "zwischen den Jahren" (between the years - the week from Christmas to New Year). My mom received a huge jigsaw puzzle of the Alexanderschlacht (the Battle of Alexander at Issus), a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer (you can see the painting <a href="https://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/a/altdorfer-albrecht/diealexanderschlachtschlachtbeiissos.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I think it had arund 1500 pieces and if you look at the painting you can see how detailed it is, and assembling the sky was a real pain. It always took us several days to put it together, but every year we did. It was a family "venture", even my dad, who didn't enjoy puzzles very much, joined in every now and then. I once saw the original painting in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich - it's a truly impressive painting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is my mother doing a puzzle - she always loved doing one in the colder season (this, of course, is not Alexanderschlacht and this picture was taken some other time during the winter).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_fTgd0OMGr7-AoDr1vEM4C-poldf6dOecY1yg2rsPwDuToJq0AZbsChmq8T03KhlY4tXYlES6iBrIv7MY73csyDm1AeUef2hOtWsSTOt4Mba8DeTWFheo8j7blzcRoUm70pe8k_E3Rq1y0znn88jb6OKhIurtV_BGJzIvQX_VK4i6Akb1vRjRBlNxKY/s850/Mutter1982a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_fTgd0OMGr7-AoDr1vEM4C-poldf6dOecY1yg2rsPwDuToJq0AZbsChmq8T03KhlY4tXYlES6iBrIv7MY73csyDm1AeUef2hOtWsSTOt4Mba8DeTWFheo8j7blzcRoUm70pe8k_E3Rq1y0znn88jb6OKhIurtV_BGJzIvQX_VK4i6Akb1vRjRBlNxKY/s16000/Mutter1982a.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>This year I kept up the tradition, not with Alexander, though, but with a fun image of Yosemite, and on a much smaller scale (around 300 pieces only) and it was done within a couple hours on a chilly afternoon right before Christmas Eve.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGxsoah9d2Hcb12irhUAnNszMp9ixmr548D-KOgbWWWEQwVx5jJFu725ozsMz8X0h-rgTpJjienAnVHPxzqy7WUeOgF9Srfyqin1FuflCRQI5FV6Bar5M6DoQsNzX7g-x_SKyCdjpcVtnPs0qs1KMvdgP-0osZSSfzXlg7PGhe8YDqjG2Gu69dfgunAE/s850/PXL_20231222_184634611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="657" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGxsoah9d2Hcb12irhUAnNszMp9ixmr548D-KOgbWWWEQwVx5jJFu725ozsMz8X0h-rgTpJjienAnVHPxzqy7WUeOgF9Srfyqin1FuflCRQI5FV6Bar5M6DoQsNzX7g-x_SKyCdjpcVtnPs0qs1KMvdgP-0osZSSfzXlg7PGhe8YDqjG2Gu69dfgunAE/s16000/PXL_20231222_184634611.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>My Christmas tree in my tiny flat while the Geek and I were dating.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlpj5IUWDGEVRaCqKZiJJSIGnNploziUuWoIrKEY9BU6JoygV5I2752zBipzv6r4lpCfs2N6tnYGF7jfQEgntJ2sjCEYmk4t6MoL_dwTWFtwiOxL92BJ7z-WZWZYm-R3A_IcoLDRNxlpgeynv7fDwvHzjQdoRTY6xXlEEyuf7T7m0TdXTJO6wGnWllCQ/s850/CB_BHW_023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlpj5IUWDGEVRaCqKZiJJSIGnNploziUuWoIrKEY9BU6JoygV5I2752zBipzv6r4lpCfs2N6tnYGF7jfQEgntJ2sjCEYmk4t6MoL_dwTWFtwiOxL92BJ7z-WZWZYm-R3A_IcoLDRNxlpgeynv7fDwvHzjQdoRTY6xXlEEyuf7T7m0TdXTJO6wGnWllCQ/s16000/CB_BHW_023.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Later, we established our own Christmas traditions when we had our own family. First Christmas with Kaefer.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP943rwIPWwa_3UVZ3fegcd0Ob0ttjWDo-TM22rNrgovlBphzpZsWD9TkzbCyQ1sVC3w5S_LCyGcQ3tOZL4fEtp42HT7XuTlke9wdkKMOh8b9uD6rVDFxCkFl7aakFf9CRToeEaz9X_CijKoZDN2023bAF82eTB_-myeIP06_0SB6GebVcTYqFnPtMiyw/s850/epson007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP943rwIPWwa_3UVZ3fegcd0Ob0ttjWDo-TM22rNrgovlBphzpZsWD9TkzbCyQ1sVC3w5S_LCyGcQ3tOZL4fEtp42HT7XuTlke9wdkKMOh8b9uD6rVDFxCkFl7aakFf9CRToeEaz9X_CijKoZDN2023bAF82eTB_-myeIP06_0SB6GebVcTYqFnPtMiyw/s16000/epson007.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Our German traditions mingled with American Christmas customs when we moved to California. Kaefer's letter to Santa:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLou-M4smYeu2A7gTpfBGAHk5mXceGJ22uSbcXvUUZ2INORuzsqjrrTHT6Z2BQy0wSlEaBjLp6rV51Vf4fIhgVt5v-gng1f6cxtJa5eAADethW0LhIsLWOxnodxpELBGNAQte9YhAZCxkChiDoFI-rvpzRxa0lJJto04i4A4rGLp4UXeMEofzInzBLH0/s850/PXL_20211228_023212513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLou-M4smYeu2A7gTpfBGAHk5mXceGJ22uSbcXvUUZ2INORuzsqjrrTHT6Z2BQy0wSlEaBjLp6rV51Vf4fIhgVt5v-gng1f6cxtJa5eAADethW0LhIsLWOxnodxpELBGNAQte9YhAZCxkChiDoFI-rvpzRxa0lJJto04i4A4rGLp4UXeMEofzInzBLH0/s16000/PXL_20211228_023212513.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Nowadays, the Geek and I don't really "do" Christmas. But this year, some neighbors and us started a new tradition - caroling in the neighborhood. We did that last Friday, and we had so much fun together. We caroled for more than an hour, going along the streets, singing in front of homes - it was joyful and so rewarding spreading some cheer. I can't share the pictures and videos because I don't know whether everyone would be okay to be out in the blogosphere.</div><div><br /></div><div>Therefore just an image of our Christmas Eve drink - a delicious ros<span id="docs-internal-guid-2f48d2d7-7fff-4f57-dd7b-c229260945a4"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span> champagne. Cheers to Bleubeard and Elizabeth at <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/12/t-stands-for-christmas-tea.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a> and to everyone who reads this.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcg_oIHCi1yw6x-3rQ5wfbwGqsIIACpHFtTZ4XkR-lCJJjd1K5p-f-fu_52FaxXzcGs5C7b4Ad7mxdlJpDQNLnPB2mBFggfdP8BC8-hQYUpYxx812ImW_OcW_Usg78SuyyXD-_Yu4UYrQr4Ys51DEl1L1D3EWILwlmGx46xkcq0ujX2Jrgrf9vQbr2h7Q/s850/Sekt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcg_oIHCi1yw6x-3rQ5wfbwGqsIIACpHFtTZ4XkR-lCJJjd1K5p-f-fu_52FaxXzcGs5C7b4Ad7mxdlJpDQNLnPB2mBFggfdP8BC8-hQYUpYxx812ImW_OcW_Usg78SuyyXD-_Yu4UYrQr4Ys51DEl1L1D3EWILwlmGx46xkcq0ujX2Jrgrf9vQbr2h7Q/s16000/Sekt.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p> </p></div></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-27371379745187581192023-12-21T22:32:00.000-08:002023-12-21T22:32:35.369-08:00The Silence of Christmas<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Today</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828;"> I share a blogpost again that I already posted a couple times. Last year, </span><a href="https://myjustsostory.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #c70700; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Elephant's Child</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828;"> commented that I can repost this each and every year. I am following her advice.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4s5WmSvH8bBlaG2J-Oyryk4D27Yes85L1hJ350keAYYi9jU1jUu0Nnrp4dbMmZdfAMWy6nyn7L0UBX8Bu-PtrtHEUNEoJIyfgcGBokU_xaCtDtO9nvbkKaIluL89Jfm4icWGe5Q6iLr_rnMWVgTysXMFk-KY0X0aL3375pDIwzxxV1QbmYUdxr_qIEAo/s850/Nativity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4s5WmSvH8bBlaG2J-Oyryk4D27Yes85L1hJ350keAYYi9jU1jUu0Nnrp4dbMmZdfAMWy6nyn7L0UBX8Bu-PtrtHEUNEoJIyfgcGBokU_xaCtDtO9nvbkKaIluL89Jfm4icWGe5Q6iLr_rnMWVgTysXMFk-KY0X0aL3375pDIwzxxV1QbmYUdxr_qIEAo/s16000/Nativity.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Since Mary and Joseph have faces, I'm sharing this to Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2023/12/friday-face-off-122223.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 10pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In Germany, our “big day” is not Christmas Day (and we even have two of them!) but Christmas Eve – Heilig Abend (Holy Eve) as it is called. It usually starts out hectic, often with the last big shopping because all of the stores and supermarkets will be closed for the following two days. But around 2:00 pm the shops (including the grocery stores) close and by 3:00 pm at the latest a magical silence covers the entire country like a beautiful veil. The ideal December 24</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> brings snow in the afternoon and turns the world into a winter wonderland by the time the first church bells start to ring.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oh, the sound of church bells – how much do I miss this! They ring every day (at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning, at noon and again at 6:00 pm), but on Christmas Eve all the bells are ringing, from the smallest, highest pitch to the biggest one with the deepest, loudest sound. It’s a concert of bells that resounds through the silence, calling for mass. Christmas services start in the later afternoon, the first ones mainly for smaller children, showing nativity plays and involving the kids. Later in the evening follow the more “grown-up” services with meaningful sermons and the old German Christmas carols sung by the congregation. Everybody knows these songs and since the churches are always packed on Christmas Eve it is a strong and joyful singing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After church it’s back home – and waiting for Christkind (Christ Child). Yes – it often is not Santa coming through the chimney (there are not that many houses with a fireplace anyway) but Christkind. When I was a child I always envisioned Christkind with golden curly hair and a flowing white dress, an angelic smile on its face. It would place the presents in “die gute Stube” (“the good room” = living room) and magically disappear, unseen by anyone. The children are called in and they stand in awe looking at the Christmas tree – that was brought in and decorated only the day before (or even in the morning) and very often carries real candles on its branches. I have always loved the real candles, it smells differently and the whole atmosphere is – yes, magical. After singing a few Christmas carols everybody opens their presents accompanied by Christmas music on the radio.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And if you’re still awake or missed the afternoon/evening service you can go to midnight mass – always my favorite Christmas service. A huge tree is lit (some with real candles – we live dangerously in Germany!), the atmosphere is festive and peaceful – it is our “Silent Night, Holy Night”.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">May the magic of Christmas touch your heart, wherever you are.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-49947130939877575322023-12-20T22:49:00.000-08:002023-12-20T22:49:59.577-08:00Winterfest with German Christmas Cookies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJ5bwpn4XI6WAtnxY5cwrCwM4Mow08dfPZR72S7LmbNRYh35q8Z27MraddXsEmjK4C5bK-DmD0TlmEwasl5D41WSLYn5bCEeCifS04xSMqI7RKlaD1odhTnwX7pBNLQ8JYKkBdXNRi9PRYb5JlSU3mo3WjaEkI75X1VGYazagThd_dNpF2n47XaGefQ0/s850/PXL_20231209_185327727.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJ5bwpn4XI6WAtnxY5cwrCwM4Mow08dfPZR72S7LmbNRYh35q8Z27MraddXsEmjK4C5bK-DmD0TlmEwasl5D41WSLYn5bCEeCifS04xSMqI7RKlaD1odhTnwX7pBNLQ8JYKkBdXNRi9PRYb5JlSU3mo3WjaEkI75X1VGYazagThd_dNpF2n47XaGefQ0/s16000/PXL_20231209_185327727.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Ten days ago we had our last German class before Christmas and that's when we usually have our "Winterfest". At our big campus in Novato this is usually an elaborate event, but at our tiny campus (only two classes) in Santa Rosa we usually have a "gemütliches Beisammensein" (a "cozy get-together"). Since we are a German language school, the main characters at this gathering are the Christmas cookies - German ones of course. <br /></p><p>These are very special cookies because they are all baked by our admin (her mother was German) who is a first class baker. One afternoon before our last day she stood in her kitchen and baked all these wonderful cookies for us and her husband made the gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds) which are a staple at German Christmas markets.</p><p>There were Raspelberge (coconut macaroons)...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrdp8R8dd4YmqITRBMF33X-g39pCOKgsr574lTnfURePQcSNxWO4BavJxtITlCfGhYmbV1xolD8WbmGiFb9bPJDP7FNpbktQBviiXmTtzcAbOHl-S0v_j8wnsqsSOAnQwFgiRKpszqh5iVohUWDkf1RaOdLXOLhhEzk0vKIipJ2GoYuxbUcgf28LB7sw/s850/PXL_20231209_185352469.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrdp8R8dd4YmqITRBMF33X-g39pCOKgsr574lTnfURePQcSNxWO4BavJxtITlCfGhYmbV1xolD8WbmGiFb9bPJDP7FNpbktQBviiXmTtzcAbOHl-S0v_j8wnsqsSOAnQwFgiRKpszqh5iVohUWDkf1RaOdLXOLhhEzk0vKIipJ2GoYuxbUcgf28LB7sw/s16000/PXL_20231209_185352469.jpg" /></a></div><p>Spekulatius (spiced cookies similar to speculoo) and Nusstaler (hazelnut cookies, some of my favorites)...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsCcBL9Zm7nvpOdn5w8-OMJavnRMDyRGqp9qoGx0_-csDzmKCDkzEqp-b0ZL4TGDDn6VudgkItzTOgmvIXAFZ6UX0IMZU7py_XURQJloHsU74MCp1R6CG4cS5an03o-dXcziq92pqV5l9ZiwNuumURKnPJh23JXbySW3MtJzl8Z_iz-c7RemlX-d8_SA/s850/PXL_20231209_185404880.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsCcBL9Zm7nvpOdn5w8-OMJavnRMDyRGqp9qoGx0_-csDzmKCDkzEqp-b0ZL4TGDDn6VudgkItzTOgmvIXAFZ6UX0IMZU7py_XURQJloHsU74MCp1R6CG4cS5an03o-dXcziq92pqV5l9ZiwNuumURKnPJh23JXbySW3MtJzl8Z_iz-c7RemlX-d8_SA/s16000/PXL_20231209_185404880.jpg" /></a></div><p>Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars) ...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mM9bAgLXnSGntAeKW30ayyUGmMrMNA0T8LuTkPaWHLqjjHdYLIuBBIMo_zy0CakMn1PhgKPZqVLRA6ZRxHRtIv-Aff-VE6ngNvf_z2hyphenhyphen10GWHzS8w3PAECXi0WFTTm4xAD2IPlH6YoMjdZ5BaPiaDLnrq85BDnvFbbXHshcwiRS6AteCD4q3toyAdM/s850/PXL_20231209_185345627.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mM9bAgLXnSGntAeKW30ayyUGmMrMNA0T8LuTkPaWHLqjjHdYLIuBBIMo_zy0CakMn1PhgKPZqVLRA6ZRxHRtIv-Aff-VE6ngNvf_z2hyphenhyphen10GWHzS8w3PAECXi0WFTTm4xAD2IPlH6YoMjdZ5BaPiaDLnrq85BDnvFbbXHshcwiRS6AteCD4q3toyAdM/s16000/PXL_20231209_185345627.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>and of course Vanillekipferl (vanilla almond crescents).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HOTvVjvPmlZVFysHgBXXKeIX1nuPt9fCT16Lpo9aQF_TK7VqOpviohMQUWZVBvwyRghJdSnzWtlf9MSO_DJFBaZhUSERUsJ0a_b_NscvJEqDyaD63SwONYs6jPAtb4v8Qr3vNVnQ2CTQBqTXAUancjycWJZ5t6joRpWg56hJfJM44f1bxjM4J5cbFKU/s850/PXL_20231209_185413071.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HOTvVjvPmlZVFysHgBXXKeIX1nuPt9fCT16Lpo9aQF_TK7VqOpviohMQUWZVBvwyRghJdSnzWtlf9MSO_DJFBaZhUSERUsJ0a_b_NscvJEqDyaD63SwONYs6jPAtb4v8Qr3vNVnQ2CTQBqTXAUancjycWJZ5t6joRpWg56hJfJM44f1bxjM4J5cbFKU/s16000/PXL_20231209_185413071.jpg" /></a></div><p>Some of these cookies you're probably familiar with. Now you know where they come from.</p><p>My personal absolute favorite aren't the cookies, but the roasted almonds. They are loaded with memories. Our admin put them in cute little paper cups.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6zMw6oTNAw9uDq1yibrxODEAnLgU1kb4WuWHDA4-ceKLBRHh4UU1LQ9GXES5sL5dP9kxrY0jI09J-jn5i8EdElK4unVEbroWrWu2Fn1MiORt3LlURXt7UcyrQansdEcFyiFPB8MFeGiH1JwO9Yi06ObaDNuVCFMarMmTojhu9x1hF7v0NvG12KGErnk/s850/PXL_20231209_185337429~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6zMw6oTNAw9uDq1yibrxODEAnLgU1kb4WuWHDA4-ceKLBRHh4UU1LQ9GXES5sL5dP9kxrY0jI09J-jn5i8EdElK4unVEbroWrWu2Fn1MiORt3LlURXt7UcyrQansdEcFyiFPB8MFeGiH1JwO9Yi06ObaDNuVCFMarMmTojhu9x1hF7v0NvG12KGErnk/s16000/PXL_20231209_185337429~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>These cookies fit perfectly Rain's theme this week over at <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2023/12/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-christmas_01395053600.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a>.</p><p>Our get-together was really nice. I liked how students of the two classes mingled and talked with each other. I got to know some of the students from the other class much better - they are beginners while my class is for advanced students. A good mix actually.</p><p>There were enough cookies to take some home. Our admin had provided some cute containers for exactly that purpose (she does think of everything). The Geek was very happy when I came home with a container full with cookies and a cup of roasted almonds.</p><p>By now everything is already gone, of course. Roasted almonds and home baked German Christmas cookies do not survive for long in our home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQ-1mHQcNSV60hZUP-uR_28Ct8DmKm3PjywZqQTi6lWzG2Nbs8XIWWTak3HF6WABDMpmNbvDb5RJQnYFMuoQHnbaxol7egQduwXXUqo_4SasT0RXVZq9GOcTxTKo3vgXDQF7eoMlHOBqxN6G6udWNUIq_IymRGDg2yN09ZlI_rk4LBm4KXMwkedUXerE/s850/PXL_20231209_185419715.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQ-1mHQcNSV60hZUP-uR_28Ct8DmKm3PjywZqQTi6lWzG2Nbs8XIWWTak3HF6WABDMpmNbvDb5RJQnYFMuoQHnbaxol7egQduwXXUqo_4SasT0RXVZq9GOcTxTKo3vgXDQF7eoMlHOBqxN6G6udWNUIq_IymRGDg2yN09ZlI_rk4LBm4KXMwkedUXerE/s16000/PXL_20231209_185419715.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-62461608713175178602023-12-18T16:51:00.000-08:002023-12-18T16:51:24.924-08:00Autumn Meets Winter<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6QrU15oG3c69WIzCf5Xz4vDm9NMFfe9g3TkM5OcDiPVpvmf1bGPWHheL5oUDxkCZ9avECxU3egHu8ybp8Khh9ZH3O9UU7LmUrqREsYbzNSWJM7JtC6CEE08ens_BXgmmLLVXck6rpdGcIljkwmpcwjHu_jHfMrm2vD8whLlemQZ7APfgBTW2FVfS4gc/s850/PXL_20231215_225415682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6QrU15oG3c69WIzCf5Xz4vDm9NMFfe9g3TkM5OcDiPVpvmf1bGPWHheL5oUDxkCZ9avECxU3egHu8ybp8Khh9ZH3O9UU7LmUrqREsYbzNSWJM7JtC6CEE08ens_BXgmmLLVXck6rpdGcIljkwmpcwjHu_jHfMrm2vD8whLlemQZ7APfgBTW2FVfS4gc/s16000/PXL_20231215_225415682.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the comic strip "Peanuts", lived in Santa Rosa for more than 30 years and died here in February 2000. Therefore it's no wonder that many Christmas decorations in my neighborhood depict one or more of his characters, the most popular among them Snoopy and Woodstock. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8j8oWSd2n6e9xdTt_d6oxWryLao1bzc0-LbEW3sKoEpum9CZGeYVt12NXu8LThBU_AD4BIT-hfrNjSK-hWUYdPlTZrf1UA88TP-zTJtuFKTmmLyYBcjZYMok8KQJIKE-KVDJh7UNVsXjcOuSptgHAYhJZKIzOM2WdScW820Sys4M5A7ee5jhI2uNPxVA/s850/PXL_20231215_225431055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8j8oWSd2n6e9xdTt_d6oxWryLao1bzc0-LbEW3sKoEpum9CZGeYVt12NXu8LThBU_AD4BIT-hfrNjSK-hWUYdPlTZrf1UA88TP-zTJtuFKTmmLyYBcjZYMok8KQJIKE-KVDJh7UNVsXjcOuSptgHAYhJZKIzOM2WdScW820Sys4M5A7ee5jhI2uNPxVA/s16000/PXL_20231215_225431055.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYnZcPrWc6iF54scNeJui4CBljHKNmfxkHKiwTHnbWBZhwPzkYpAbGUwzadIHK6JNA4y0jx3qDrt9gKHQ8Waqtzmf7MvOi_ZsKMoPlnNqiedk040AXJ8OgZqWndTzph9O_wvN6hYISpT4ScZiNejLx6Q7UlRxR7Jy7ld2soUacMKW8QK_VEkSgXj0jks/s850/PXL_20231215_225512374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYnZcPrWc6iF54scNeJui4CBljHKNmfxkHKiwTHnbWBZhwPzkYpAbGUwzadIHK6JNA4y0jx3qDrt9gKHQ8Waqtzmf7MvOi_ZsKMoPlnNqiedk040AXJ8OgZqWndTzph9O_wvN6hYISpT4ScZiNejLx6Q7UlRxR7Jy7ld2soUacMKW8QK_VEkSgXj0jks/s16000/PXL_20231215_225512374.jpg" /></a></div><p>Winter has arrived here with heavy rain which, of course, is very welcome. In the higher elevations of the county there are warnings we might see snow on top of the mountains, however, I do think it is not cold enough for that. I'm thankful for the rain, and am enjoying the spots where autumn meets winter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9LxsHnbJc8Y13OyaUL11N1regRxGmzCWoNlC-AhMmGYQRtL-DfxAsVuE04fLhhCr57X1dt-KsG9x2dslAx_LBQnvQurBTgtlc2J3o5yM8_Di8bxUVq8UC8gM_RFqZZXTvP3IjSESKt7o6t5laFPp5DvgFHiO6Nmj66WsmvQYvOxIgJMdx3jiioQHncE/s850/PXL_20231213_193759649~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9LxsHnbJc8Y13OyaUL11N1regRxGmzCWoNlC-AhMmGYQRtL-DfxAsVuE04fLhhCr57X1dt-KsG9x2dslAx_LBQnvQurBTgtlc2J3o5yM8_Di8bxUVq8UC8gM_RFqZZXTvP3IjSESKt7o6t5laFPp5DvgFHiO6Nmj66WsmvQYvOxIgJMdx3jiioQHncE/s16000/PXL_20231213_193759649~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZHZxgi1Nv8MXYbC3o5pICYTFA836TFm3RmN639-gjhD53-vGeFAMBLFtchSsjoNuKcyqPCYwd_dD6XYJpHlHY2Mr1zRrMKWxWZAN9X9vmvg9f-9PDeI-aW5RY5EeTXMems5sgry83jySeaWSZ-yjyiANpUTz5X0xolvKiJHkGyvMSnySjtufGCl-QzY/s850/PXL_20231214_201151043~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZHZxgi1Nv8MXYbC3o5pICYTFA836TFm3RmN639-gjhD53-vGeFAMBLFtchSsjoNuKcyqPCYwd_dD6XYJpHlHY2Mr1zRrMKWxWZAN9X9vmvg9f-9PDeI-aW5RY5EeTXMems5sgry83jySeaWSZ-yjyiANpUTz5X0xolvKiJHkGyvMSnySjtufGCl-QzY/s16000/PXL_20231214_201151043~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxXMVvHSsXZKXydWf8oJYRBgMIHWbfgak0EsPLky4whW4QVMZMxrB0t-31TEHBd-BjbjqJaAyTNMoBTtiPjyJzQd7r1Tw4DnJAo_6Wm12cDMamMUu5PNMuc-CO-mCDBy0qZZEcAXU_q5h9zHqn29PKHxkVV_vr_UgeblGZ-tLiJ9X_wvpSkcmp_HSmAU/s850/PXL_20231214_200638384~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxXMVvHSsXZKXydWf8oJYRBgMIHWbfgak0EsPLky4whW4QVMZMxrB0t-31TEHBd-BjbjqJaAyTNMoBTtiPjyJzQd7r1Tw4DnJAo_6Wm12cDMamMUu5PNMuc-CO-mCDBy0qZZEcAXU_q5h9zHqn29PKHxkVV_vr_UgeblGZ-tLiJ9X_wvpSkcmp_HSmAU/s16000/PXL_20231214_200638384~2.jpg" /></a></div><p>This is the time when the Geek and I often have a cup of hot chocolate in the evening, which is my ticket to <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/12/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-10.html" target="_blank">Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday</a> this week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPS1XPpUkjt40mDDJJCMNHBcDREI0Kk6P024VGNjhKzPzvhJV6KJzR0MO_uBhVcUTEwF-859Khbwwi0feEy8_mxNc3O6fZat4AlErp4rKaUY9JEb0Xf2lzPWVg0EzNndEojQ5ARh8hStHPTQxS-iJenoNsycG44TWGZ3WDciV67kw6RCx3ISpg265sFAk/s850/PXL_20220301_012717850.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPS1XPpUkjt40mDDJJCMNHBcDREI0Kk6P024VGNjhKzPzvhJV6KJzR0MO_uBhVcUTEwF-859Khbwwi0feEy8_mxNc3O6fZat4AlErp4rKaUY9JEb0Xf2lzPWVg0EzNndEojQ5ARh8hStHPTQxS-iJenoNsycG44TWGZ3WDciV67kw6RCx3ISpg265sFAk/s16000/PXL_20220301_012717850.PORTRAIT.jpg" /></a></div><p>This is only a short post and I hope to be back by Thursday with some German Christmas cookies.</p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-63332459870171362412023-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:002023-12-13T21:47:58.572-08:00Christmas Lights<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgmNZsn0ML8dK5a5aGxWrI49qraT4GDdRWErCxF8IM3CviVxLoujjl0lTc9gXy4lKvXSqEouUqrZEieee_ezp4cjgEupr6qodqeG4ED5kyw5wiKYvRE3lnrPG_E486YidIlMykkTrZscim5_XbNqeTN6GRpNYGU9vV5odotedb9DZRZvg7B7GIZ4zTDA/s850/FirstAdvent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgmNZsn0ML8dK5a5aGxWrI49qraT4GDdRWErCxF8IM3CviVxLoujjl0lTc9gXy4lKvXSqEouUqrZEieee_ezp4cjgEupr6qodqeG4ED5kyw5wiKYvRE3lnrPG_E486YidIlMykkTrZscim5_XbNqeTN6GRpNYGU9vV5odotedb9DZRZvg7B7GIZ4zTDA/s16000/FirstAdvent.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Both the Geek and I are not big into Christmas. Of course, as long as Kaefer was with us, we celebrated it and I also used to decorate the house. We had a Christmas tree that Kaefer and I decorated, a Christmas village (that Kaefer later sold for more funds during college) and the traditional wooden figurines from the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains in East Germany) that I unfortunately cannot find anymore. I suspect it's in a box up in the attic and I certainly won't go there anytime soon. We had an entire angel orchestra - it looks like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAH8E5vxz1VcWaT2noVpDqUeYk6Nd6PA8uL7AFfYugsP-gKn15_ui6OI3eIj2ZMr5ZvhrEL455hK8Wstl63Cw7f9Gs7Bbe6MgO0Qlv4ViOKO767uLekCvJ1jo7-bJ8bytEaXPqaFJbegaJs0bcAQfRO5KYigxBR-EQT0bnpCwLY5bdHBujhtzsp352XE/s850/CB101130-120152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAH8E5vxz1VcWaT2noVpDqUeYk6Nd6PA8uL7AFfYugsP-gKn15_ui6OI3eIj2ZMr5ZvhrEL455hK8Wstl63Cw7f9Gs7Bbe6MgO0Qlv4ViOKO767uLekCvJ1jo7-bJ8bytEaXPqaFJbegaJs0bcAQfRO5KYigxBR-EQT0bnpCwLY5bdHBujhtzsp352XE/s16000/CB101130-120152.jpg" /></a></div>. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thankfully I still have the Kurrendesänger (carolers) because they are in our grab-and-go box. These are the ones that we had when I was a child. They were sent to us by a family in East Germany whom we always sent packets during the years when Germany was divided into two countries. This is my favorite Christmas decoration.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrV4zicuSJ6e-RqZ0pZ1UC1hPM0ddWmDxhf9Ci2PO-gD1vN8TdQiUcCnnIWCsGeh9cgGmOwcP_3uj1U00B1_heZz_Xy7a7UNxV3OCNAutEp_3cLMrTOPiM9NE2_EID9onX08316e5gftHPrdQBoaoyecE1mCQuA8a1OqtHE22E-7GqTT0CIal2XPLt2w/s850/CB101130-120234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrV4zicuSJ6e-RqZ0pZ1UC1hPM0ddWmDxhf9Ci2PO-gD1vN8TdQiUcCnnIWCsGeh9cgGmOwcP_3uj1U00B1_heZz_Xy7a7UNxV3OCNAutEp_3cLMrTOPiM9NE2_EID9onX08316e5gftHPrdQBoaoyecE1mCQuA8a1OqtHE22E-7GqTT0CIal2XPLt2w/s16000/CB101130-120234.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was glad that I found the Schwippbogen, also handcrafted in the Erzgebirge. The candles are made of beeswax and almost doll sized, thus very hard to find around here. One of my students gives me a package of them every year, so that I don't run out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j5XP5bRMllQfsgR5XyU3evotgRN44fnel_9Lwl5ykxHxyXZ24oDHqeIsKyeLAk7xIc8nLKcQWrteZyo-HPua2-AQYr5FKxeMxQ8GeM2rI6Rk9eTtyOY8l_otz-3nCMOfpO4tNSw6B0tSrmM1kE9Gx8puyLGguzaHNJnOr3LPAm4USTdiGMn3Ei6lLts/s850/PXL_20221218_030214675.PORTRAIT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j5XP5bRMllQfsgR5XyU3evotgRN44fnel_9Lwl5ykxHxyXZ24oDHqeIsKyeLAk7xIc8nLKcQWrteZyo-HPua2-AQYr5FKxeMxQ8GeM2rI6Rk9eTtyOY8l_otz-3nCMOfpO4tNSw6B0tSrmM1kE9Gx8puyLGguzaHNJnOr3LPAm4USTdiGMn3Ei6lLts/s16000/PXL_20221218_030214675.PORTRAIT.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The only "big" thing in terms of Christmas decorations are the lights on our home. The Geek and Kaefer used to put them up together, but now the Geek has to do it alone. And he does a great job.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0emu7MV35_z2Zy0GS6hSIIacXzNSo9A1eFU8cRR27X_Xeczg8Oy3Ryj9C9Rq7FGZD51wuuxH6ui-e4iv1xheaE7jm63ovQovdRc57M4mgHaz-es_qlLErxlhpSrDCiO58yemqERVHObswQDksS8XwO4cDe7HO19XJ8_qJpmiYoPic0HLB2mcJi7PzEg/s850/PXL_20231125_013118783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0emu7MV35_z2Zy0GS6hSIIacXzNSo9A1eFU8cRR27X_Xeczg8Oy3Ryj9C9Rq7FGZD51wuuxH6ui-e4iv1xheaE7jm63ovQovdRc57M4mgHaz-es_qlLErxlhpSrDCiO58yemqERVHObswQDksS8XwO4cDe7HO19XJ8_qJpmiYoPic0HLB2mcJi7PzEg/s16000/PXL_20231125_013118783.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We don't call them Christmas lights but winter lights since they stay up at least until Valentine's Day. They make our rather dark corner cheerful and people who walk along here really like that it is not that dark in those early winter evenings. At 10 o'clock at night the lights are switched off and turned on again in the morning at six for 90 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYomf1bMroaSQEXz77l6II9Wdp3-B7UvjMR3ray7As60Tb0O1weifESZf4jKchOBCXpRHTRQDdZFfa5TH-Fz9cGFITP0w4qbCaA8ATIzkcPycoxRbLL-p77rEPRTqd_z-zFZkY4fryOYGBz6ewWjzULFfruncagKlm0cN_q-Zwb-prhMLmunIEmqIsveE/s850/PXL_20231125_013227933.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYomf1bMroaSQEXz77l6II9Wdp3-B7UvjMR3ray7As60Tb0O1weifESZf4jKchOBCXpRHTRQDdZFfa5TH-Fz9cGFITP0w4qbCaA8ATIzkcPycoxRbLL-p77rEPRTqd_z-zFZkY4fryOYGBz6ewWjzULFfruncagKlm0cN_q-Zwb-prhMLmunIEmqIsveE/s16000/PXL_20231125_013227933.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Geek really goes to town with these lights - they are all around the fence as well and even grow into the lower parts of some trees. The best part? These are all LED lights and consume about 100 watt of energy (as much as just one of those old 100 watt lightbulbs) and they're all connected to only one outlet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4coGo6JKDY8mzHXDIgtLs9UPXW-eTN9vtTk7jZCck45R3y0HOUiY_ZkcJFQyl6IQQNvuidvIFgmGpFC4q45Iw4o904Ni4DxsCrKpI9a24qdqM5HqgTJccJav3WfCcRbPHnd7qZkI0Q0pBpC-C_Nv3SOirmbzs8iq6OH3EotZjAN0d4v5X9XgeU5rlx-8/s850/PXL_20231125_013458348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4coGo6JKDY8mzHXDIgtLs9UPXW-eTN9vtTk7jZCck45R3y0HOUiY_ZkcJFQyl6IQQNvuidvIFgmGpFC4q45Iw4o904Ni4DxsCrKpI9a24qdqM5HqgTJccJav3WfCcRbPHnd7qZkI0Q0pBpC-C_Nv3SOirmbzs8iq6OH3EotZjAN0d4v5X9XgeU5rlx-8/s16000/PXL_20231125_013458348.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is for Rain's <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2023/12/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-christmas.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a> with this week's prompt "Christmas lights". Foodwise I don't have much to show today. Our wonderful bread baker has been sick for several weeks and we're running out of bread (we always buy several loaves from them at the farmers market and freeze them), so I decided to bake our own bread again. I didn't take a photo of the first one, but remembered to take one of the second, a whole wheat bread with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DWYhsIufFQxMJFKGuvK4rqgBXChdjnFsiTb9Ht6QAVpod-IWIlnYqdyIaGPxj6oeTAmY_EDJJlmsKRBDN38rGF6qqb04jmMaNJlAqOKyyfM8JeM5Zi_Eo_r0Y11srO3wCIrdxjM6QFvmid7U9v02yOzFxFPUivzgIkDP5bk_Z0SxZBL1RBIbRvK9dG4/s850/PXL_20231207_024815242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DWYhsIufFQxMJFKGuvK4rqgBXChdjnFsiTb9Ht6QAVpod-IWIlnYqdyIaGPxj6oeTAmY_EDJJlmsKRBDN38rGF6qqb04jmMaNJlAqOKyyfM8JeM5Zi_Eo_r0Y11srO3wCIrdxjM6QFvmid7U9v02yOzFxFPUivzgIkDP5bk_Z0SxZBL1RBIbRvK9dG4/s16000/PXL_20231207_024815242.jpg" /></a></div><p>I didn't cook any elaborate meals for dinner, just linguine with fresh spinach, cream and cheese. It's quick and delicious.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3QujLXaztsQ52L_n8ZG7m5VJtKYzqM_AQqe7Ssk9LNT01f_EOKGzFjTjtHrjvaK2oN-6R7oJ_kwdNCaff7CEA4O4wn61U2iG96yqnaxH-BWnojKzKOrndefFZ2pePqYPED9F6v_XoJLxPgrG0_i1bVxkUrUDVWr63pflR022xqkaN-2KrKVAA8IkzwI/s850/PXL_20231126_033352034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3QujLXaztsQ52L_n8ZG7m5VJtKYzqM_AQqe7Ssk9LNT01f_EOKGzFjTjtHrjvaK2oN-6R7oJ_kwdNCaff7CEA4O4wn61U2iG96yqnaxH-BWnojKzKOrndefFZ2pePqYPED9F6v_XoJLxPgrG0_i1bVxkUrUDVWr63pflR022xqkaN-2KrKVAA8IkzwI/s16000/PXL_20231126_033352034.jpg" /></a></div><p>My last photo today is my morning view from the window at the top of the stairs. I love when the fog still hangs around and is slow to lift. It has such a lovely, dreamy atmosphere - my favorite morning mood.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBe97yxfics4ASO8WPkyaKAkSYO-SKIfnXL4w6BO0B86ZcbgtThmsUBVgAYaxB7WzjE_zJu_qtUUPd6MDdH2ZKlda55PcykSz2t-GICthHarJOEjaPCRAAPz2tSAEy3tWsLedkkc9bZIiy671gFenAIiC-w577RS4uJEUtTRMtDEp_CWhcVUL5qju8Hs/s850/PXL_20231207_155926080~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBe97yxfics4ASO8WPkyaKAkSYO-SKIfnXL4w6BO0B86ZcbgtThmsUBVgAYaxB7WzjE_zJu_qtUUPd6MDdH2ZKlda55PcykSz2t-GICthHarJOEjaPCRAAPz2tSAEy3tWsLedkkc9bZIiy671gFenAIiC-w577RS4uJEUtTRMtDEp_CWhcVUL5qju8Hs/s16000/PXL_20231207_155926080~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-74346786925892927632023-12-11T16:33:00.000-08:002023-12-11T16:33:22.321-08:00Christmas Market in Tübingen<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYo8AD-9OetR_Ft_fHBm1i24qT7W9jfkjq8KJTvb8-QY7eoqH1XzhXRBuJ-xOz0fsXYMCZoJekJwmmtnxJBlwv8Fr8jSvWtp6o0Ctk62OzQjdoUzt_bl06BIImxYhTOPRSAk7CuJ-ha67G-ITnTGeiqRh4zN8yaf5L1ZrKbjjsaXUixU2-erCCo3Tto6g/s850/CB_Tuebingen_055a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYo8AD-9OetR_Ft_fHBm1i24qT7W9jfkjq8KJTvb8-QY7eoqH1XzhXRBuJ-xOz0fsXYMCZoJekJwmmtnxJBlwv8Fr8jSvWtp6o0Ctk62OzQjdoUzt_bl06BIImxYhTOPRSAk7CuJ-ha67G-ITnTGeiqRh4zN8yaf5L1ZrKbjjsaXUixU2-erCCo3Tto6g/s16000/CB_Tuebingen_055a.JPG" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Advent, those four weeks before Christmas, are a very special time in Germany. In many cities and towns, Christmas markets open their booths, many of them being a part of the place for several weeks. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7b9b2d11-7fff-0670-925f-254b02dcb5fd"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I remember the third Advent-weekend in December back in Tübingen, Germany, where I spent more than twenty years of my life. It's a medieval university town with its typical old buildings that look like they're straight out of a fairy tale by the Grimm Brothers. Narrow lanes wind among medieval timber-framed houses and cars are not allowed within the city center. It's a huge pedestrian zone that makes wandering the old alleys so peaceful.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkfqmxukifAjWVhXfO0Ck4FAcgsleI0yzS4fsFf5BT6w-a_yRDOu8svHDDD3B_zINXuFokppoIO9oHGChqX3LvH2IYwMMX6QMKDFoh_PUWIducWQ1qw1tAu4Kt4qbR5SEhLR45XfPqGlO2vx8doLAEYyJhIhRv3cDWdDRZD-xef_92SbkcHxPOpx6Wvk/s850/CB_Tuebingen_054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkfqmxukifAjWVhXfO0Ck4FAcgsleI0yzS4fsFf5BT6w-a_yRDOu8svHDDD3B_zINXuFokppoIO9oHGChqX3LvH2IYwMMX6QMKDFoh_PUWIducWQ1qw1tAu4Kt4qbR5SEhLR45XfPqGlO2vx8doLAEYyJhIhRv3cDWdDRZD-xef_92SbkcHxPOpx6Wvk/s16000/CB_Tuebingen_054.JPG" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is the setting for one of the most beautiful traditions of the town: the Christmas Market. It's nothing like its big siblings in Nürnberg, Stuttgart or München and so many other cities. First, it only takes place from Friday to Sunday and not weeks and weeks and weeks. Second, it's not commercial. There are tons of local artists who sell their work, school classes who raise funds for their annual end-of-the-year trip, small local environmental groups who fight for preservation, neighborhoods who try to raise awareness and money for people with disabilities - the list could go on and on.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7uZRCHPLDSWzp-zdpAltEdRjk-_gj-kSOKflpwIEsW00tYbWLC60t7Gt4_8DLu2DW_nzZMgac_NJmRzSBLfvWCHFlcD3we26LZAA-OxPU8dTnFR3CgfBOFY04JQfir_Q3WGcUuYsT4zw01XWeOHA7cNS6AjTw6c8RqqQLMNN1xhokTjbhQkTEgiZuIQ/s850/CB_Tuebingen_095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7uZRCHPLDSWzp-zdpAltEdRjk-_gj-kSOKflpwIEsW00tYbWLC60t7Gt4_8DLu2DW_nzZMgac_NJmRzSBLfvWCHFlcD3we26LZAA-OxPU8dTnFR3CgfBOFY04JQfir_Q3WGcUuYsT4zw01XWeOHA7cNS6AjTw6c8RqqQLMNN1xhokTjbhQkTEgiZuIQ/s16000/CB_Tuebingen_095.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So that's the eye-candy. The next is the food - just one word: delicious. The food is mainly local specialities, the best time to eat "Bubaspitzle mit Sauerkraut" (a thin rolled kind of potato pasta with sauerkraut and sometimes bacon), one of my fondest memories in the food department. There was a guy with a complicated portable special oven who made Swiss Raclette that was to die for. Of course there was Glühwein (mulled wine), very welcome in the cold. None of the food or the drink was allowed in any kind of plastic or paper container, everything had to be re-usable! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Most of the plates were eatable - envision big sturdy waffles for apple strudel! No trash! Y</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">ou bought a beautiful mug with the words "Tübinger Weihnachtsmarkt" written on it and this could be refilled at any booth that offered Glühwein or juice punch. I still have a few of these mugs, pictured below, and they are this week’s ticket to Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/12/t-stands-for-happy-mail-and-tea-infusers.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7ZJ8hUtj9jK8oPQ5Ou0JeEIuaQUKiMRwolL8NVun5WFyWHFJOfc3_RI9DWsNs04zHtnrkYowidspxAcS3nrZ6lSWAsAYfBro6GzLB5_T5BWXg93k_wAQAb3gaknxlt-PAH4m8K6uVzQgovs7SwtIyLS4AC7CEB0JoR-41-1HBDIyJuNf-vtp6Hb0uuw/s850/PXL_20231211_200517268~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7ZJ8hUtj9jK8oPQ5Ou0JeEIuaQUKiMRwolL8NVun5WFyWHFJOfc3_RI9DWsNs04zHtnrkYowidspxAcS3nrZ6lSWAsAYfBro6GzLB5_T5BWXg93k_wAQAb3gaknxlt-PAH4m8K6uVzQgovs7SwtIyLS4AC7CEB0JoR-41-1HBDIyJuNf-vtp6Hb0uuw/s16000/PXL_20231211_200517268~2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Throughout the market you could listen to music. Children were singing, little choirs stood at the fountain in the market square, someone played the violin, another one the bagpipe, and again another one the flute. There was a cantata concert in the main church. There were jugglers and clowns. It was a very festive atmosphere. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And of course there was “Paupersingen”. The Paupersingen (paupers singing) is a tradition that originated in the Middle Ages. "pauper" is a Latin word and means poor, and in this case it refers to poor students of Latin who paid part of their school fee by singing during church services and at funerals. During Advent they wandered through the narrow lanes of the town, wearing their black scholar cloaks and singing in front of every house, hoping for some donations.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today it's the children choirs who start out at different parts of Tübingen and slowly, with several stops in between, walk to the market square, all the way singing the old Christmas carols. They all meet at the huge Christmas tree where all of them together sing for another half hour or so. The donations today go to some charity of their choice. (I apologize for the very unfocused photo.)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr4-D-JNwxCckjAUYTzJo6D5AIbRCq6xzCcC98zCaBIuMHSaKUglDwQQ2DIgRFlSLPfSPrmFza_8GmXoqaIavifHRRLQIVp33L_oGPXkF1rMh77r4_1hLaZ52UERBuXC3enIVqWwtyoHdEikuPGRSsx16wNbZG8IfnFoXs7oD9vH-hkZJdza6onskl8M/s850/CB_Tuebingen_091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr4-D-JNwxCckjAUYTzJo6D5AIbRCq6xzCcC98zCaBIuMHSaKUglDwQQ2DIgRFlSLPfSPrmFza_8GmXoqaIavifHRRLQIVp33L_oGPXkF1rMh77r4_1hLaZ52UERBuXC3enIVqWwtyoHdEikuPGRSsx16wNbZG8IfnFoXs7oD9vH-hkZJdza6onskl8M/s16000/CB_Tuebingen_091.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We felt like community, we were community. People spending three days in the cold in order to help someone else. To serve others. To share stories. To entertain children and their stressed parents. To bring smiles on the cold faces, red cheeks from the mulled wine.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">That third weekend in December was spent in the streets among those medieval buildings, no matter whether the sun was shining, it was raining or snowing. It was freezing cold - always. But everyone was there. Community.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;">(This is the slightly edited version of a post that I first wrote for Vision and Verb in 2010 or 2011.)</span></span></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-2307586602628301552023-12-06T21:42:00.000-08:002023-12-06T21:42:16.393-08:00Snowed In<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiNtDeyaI9pdulf23M1wbmNuOTEm782dRSSUdWgP6Pkkzxpj_MqlWdA25vPIy3NXaab_6scx2y_j8RTqTt85eAwCGMMSeXnMHOxVDHtLR2rawjpTXzucK6uPKKDL49XnAJF2KDQcQmrjh4AivfT4EHusnCTCSMqVr96YEwhEjhd4KPLKAnBGbbpSLT5g/s850/CB_Winter_002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiNtDeyaI9pdulf23M1wbmNuOTEm782dRSSUdWgP6Pkkzxpj_MqlWdA25vPIy3NXaab_6scx2y_j8RTqTt85eAwCGMMSeXnMHOxVDHtLR2rawjpTXzucK6uPKKDL49XnAJF2KDQcQmrjh4AivfT4EHusnCTCSMqVr96YEwhEjhd4KPLKAnBGbbpSLT5g/s16000/CB_Winter_002a.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>"Snowed in" is the topic this week at Rain's <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2023/12/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-snowed-in.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a>.</p><p>At the end of last week, the sky dumped an enourmous amount of snow on Bavaria, the most southern state in Germany. There was so much snow, that all the trains were cancelled. This was bad news for Kaefer, who was in Venice at that time and had booked the night train back to Germany which had to pass Munich which was completely closed down. So she stayed another night in Venice (not the worst place to get stuck) and then was finally able to get home on trains passing through Switzerland. It took her 18 hours to finally arrive at her appartment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo91wIDu02ctVIjfHmDxcwDVJbacT3iZSlJo5VaxUi78Cc6OD3amE7DlAto0ZgrOACh742XpXMfYGr_bhZcb6XgtOEx5a3zKazN-zM3ZoynqrpuBE6zBsHdv5ibsql-3E3wTndRjZysVeiw-K6k6gXpRobNx-nZtzihkMMNMZuvzPtBLZds10avA-lcY/s850/CB_Winter_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo91wIDu02ctVIjfHmDxcwDVJbacT3iZSlJo5VaxUi78Cc6OD3amE7DlAto0ZgrOACh742XpXMfYGr_bhZcb6XgtOEx5a3zKazN-zM3ZoynqrpuBE6zBsHdv5ibsql-3E3wTndRjZysVeiw-K6k6gXpRobNx-nZtzihkMMNMZuvzPtBLZds10avA-lcY/s16000/CB_Winter_005.jpg" /></a></div><p>This reminded me of the snowy winters we used to have when I still lived in Germany. Our home was the area between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb and that meant very cold in the winter and often tons of snow. I wasn't particularly fond of driving in the snow, but when you live in one of the last houses at the end of a street up a steep hill which wasn't on the priority list for snow clearing and you had to leave at 6 o'clock in the morning in order to go to work, then you don't really have a choice. Snow was still better than black ice and this way I became a rather experienced driver in snow. I also didn't like snow shoveling - but I did love the beauty of snow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-6rhUZzC8MBwvDNhi-VbTTCxHynEvBF1zFn5LbHTOU24KUi0F-PcnKDu_jon4NBPbX-dZvM3MGu2NPW-b_hdQuJB_BJf_RYZ0CX8gwG5U4mrm0mxLQp2h2MDV2XdBrOV5_SfrjTACZ2Ra94nJOWbvm1jigERan3zgryqSDvTkbqO_jc6hvYfPlr9T_U/s850/CB_Winter_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-6rhUZzC8MBwvDNhi-VbTTCxHynEvBF1zFn5LbHTOU24KUi0F-PcnKDu_jon4NBPbX-dZvM3MGu2NPW-b_hdQuJB_BJf_RYZ0CX8gwG5U4mrm0mxLQp2h2MDV2XdBrOV5_SfrjTACZ2Ra94nJOWbvm1jigERan3zgryqSDvTkbqO_jc6hvYfPlr9T_U/s16000/CB_Winter_006.jpg" /></a></div><p>Therefore, today I want to show you some photos of our winters in Germany from more than 20 years ago. I apologize for an overload of pictures, but am hoping that you will like them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1FeXll0Iyv8_27NAjBCVvgIWkzs36pDU-wnTF3DsFr1GOvjuotJ2EGRmVjnF8w_cMxQGPOeaVVgPhFvWjFaY8Rz-zgNaCfVynO5Cy__ZdIUheYYeVeITkKRRVCtvn5Lw-MYq9rlUdhAUaWHDM-YVIrvS87ouirmGxh8FgLYnj-w6xasuicNDoI6L_bQ/s850/CB_Winter_073-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1FeXll0Iyv8_27NAjBCVvgIWkzs36pDU-wnTF3DsFr1GOvjuotJ2EGRmVjnF8w_cMxQGPOeaVVgPhFvWjFaY8Rz-zgNaCfVynO5Cy__ZdIUheYYeVeITkKRRVCtvn5Lw-MYq9rlUdhAUaWHDM-YVIrvS87ouirmGxh8FgLYnj-w6xasuicNDoI6L_bQ/s16000/CB_Winter_073-2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxswB6bswuek3aCF3qG3a8oHiPulJU1ailDcQheJ8yJNtO2jBJGVIA4UptD05dM0_i_3fBroOEqWc02_9YDcl1KchNhCrvVdTSOV1qStXQ5_7r1fLFq_SPOoSNQGW0ZQsiZz_uf9qSXm-qXtgu_mKhjaC8Q6hEa4Zv9fHTmOk3fzsH3cEc0ck2oHHtqao/s850/CB_Winter_041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxswB6bswuek3aCF3qG3a8oHiPulJU1ailDcQheJ8yJNtO2jBJGVIA4UptD05dM0_i_3fBroOEqWc02_9YDcl1KchNhCrvVdTSOV1qStXQ5_7r1fLFq_SPOoSNQGW0ZQsiZz_uf9qSXm-qXtgu_mKhjaC8Q6hEa4Zv9fHTmOk3fzsH3cEc0ck2oHHtqao/s16000/CB_Winter_041.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKgL5rqLp2oF0pslc8sqisxdoaxANVzZe5dx5R6O28R5_MDFlZqYfJNzwJccCitmSUcuK2enF1gFthhm8jlkNkTjgpAQ_DPYAM4rs6o4J0omo_CgMAoCHN83pU2POmci_uuTWQXoTxAd9yVF0mCJ10NthF0U2Xzh3rn2P9bwFEFqHSGGzDFDH_vHioWQ/s850/CB_Winter_043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKgL5rqLp2oF0pslc8sqisxdoaxANVzZe5dx5R6O28R5_MDFlZqYfJNzwJccCitmSUcuK2enF1gFthhm8jlkNkTjgpAQ_DPYAM4rs6o4J0omo_CgMAoCHN83pU2POmci_uuTWQXoTxAd9yVF0mCJ10NthF0U2Xzh3rn2P9bwFEFqHSGGzDFDH_vHioWQ/s16000/CB_Winter_043.jpg" /></a></div><p>Walking in the woods provided a lot of photo opportunities.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLSZIGwwrPXD9AYSP0nuG2hslygtWJe_85vhyphenhyphenqNimkNAJYOgBKWxnx8r_EIi2aKfbllIAR_UeJpW6vMO1g8IffyoULhusrK1RLOWlZqceowJn3XasFLE7JthiHXd4Gus8cD_mq9EdUuUDJI8Gfc_33aRZ8kWY4s5bYOaGeK_HhA0vxDVoMvkiXBQBAvo/s850/CB_Winter_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLSZIGwwrPXD9AYSP0nuG2hslygtWJe_85vhyphenhyphenqNimkNAJYOgBKWxnx8r_EIi2aKfbllIAR_UeJpW6vMO1g8IffyoULhusrK1RLOWlZqceowJn3XasFLE7JthiHXd4Gus8cD_mq9EdUuUDJI8Gfc_33aRZ8kWY4s5bYOaGeK_HhA0vxDVoMvkiXBQBAvo/s16000/CB_Winter_025.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCzYcQOzsIxUGszMW5xpAsXeTgRfvIh6-UdjJ6hUsbcBf71_kIrCaKYWYZwXLDqnccreIZx9kVoBpjvLppJL5xcX1Ty0ACqL-PmP8ep8gNixQBQV-NrT67qFE5mwMqaSgACFYjDW5dTbsmCaspEGv2lvNZ17FUzS2zZmphg6MEg7PAQj6k4WSanR3a8E/s850/CB_Winter_058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCzYcQOzsIxUGszMW5xpAsXeTgRfvIh6-UdjJ6hUsbcBf71_kIrCaKYWYZwXLDqnccreIZx9kVoBpjvLppJL5xcX1Ty0ACqL-PmP8ep8gNixQBQV-NrT67qFE5mwMqaSgACFYjDW5dTbsmCaspEGv2lvNZ17FUzS2zZmphg6MEg7PAQj6k4WSanR3a8E/s16000/CB_Winter_058.jpg" /></a></div><p>No one was going to sit on this bench...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYNWNWM2J8cu9rkE8GzDHhzpqv4nQ0fphPLOMYFw2OTRMDiqJWHPKiaa7HSATvBmYLXs8QkOH-iagIfADhvXLITTxYJHjQy3_-nU_qyGdbjB2Hj_gy6SNlILGV0Hg0csOdno2wgN6mL_24JYRNEpzSyXjNS_aeIq2buLZksAbZ5myd1eVJ8O5ea7iy08/s850/CB_Winter_060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYNWNWM2J8cu9rkE8GzDHhzpqv4nQ0fphPLOMYFw2OTRMDiqJWHPKiaa7HSATvBmYLXs8QkOH-iagIfADhvXLITTxYJHjQy3_-nU_qyGdbjB2Hj_gy6SNlILGV0Hg0csOdno2wgN6mL_24JYRNEpzSyXjNS_aeIq2buLZksAbZ5myd1eVJ8O5ea7iy08/s16000/CB_Winter_060.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdS2785UPfZ-o9wOHcOkKsJi672ax4tWANecl5IQMaNpR5zOSJW0UEU6NmweRnVP2q3737JD6lksRPGkYiRAOMW5y12l90iQS9YAhRPIIy-5FWFQFWVgRBycrT9hyphenhyphenlI1Poto3C48IeZfOd4ol0zxt4pYppds1ajHsA9rbmbiRHsodqV4sp_uZLyWWQr2o/s850/CB_Winter_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdS2785UPfZ-o9wOHcOkKsJi672ax4tWANecl5IQMaNpR5zOSJW0UEU6NmweRnVP2q3737JD6lksRPGkYiRAOMW5y12l90iQS9YAhRPIIy-5FWFQFWVgRBycrT9hyphenhyphenlI1Poto3C48IeZfOd4ol0zxt4pYppds1ajHsA9rbmbiRHsodqV4sp_uZLyWWQr2o/s16000/CB_Winter_001.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVhgrf65JVXw_o2lhQiTMIVVNIHsqhzhCvSkNC6oFkgkCfJ0gxrNKiFBtzkMwM6rDwmhgr_lHlg-MjUSc_CJPpHiuHrum4NRTGFJiLHdJHJKAmFUDjOVMXt3m_TFQ6j4Ses03mJqxNYWb7Te_4wOSxSq65ePPmmbeqWFec5YF9qDTk2QzjQh5dWGB0kA/s850/CB_Winter_057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVhgrf65JVXw_o2lhQiTMIVVNIHsqhzhCvSkNC6oFkgkCfJ0gxrNKiFBtzkMwM6rDwmhgr_lHlg-MjUSc_CJPpHiuHrum4NRTGFJiLHdJHJKAmFUDjOVMXt3m_TFQ6j4Ses03mJqxNYWb7Te_4wOSxSq65ePPmmbeqWFec5YF9qDTk2QzjQh5dWGB0kA/s16000/CB_Winter_057.jpg" /></a></div><p>Snow on grasses is just fascinating.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZllVjQSpersResSBQKQm2LraHsVvaAcD6V5VFosNpdgs6nvv0_iuguIyMWnBUV2Sey9eySVawrT3wtQVrgHUBK5FrUy78oG5uNHavL7-RND61PTnJicL3-vOYLJTyOsCKq72JBQ0BDLdI2-zVirEM29-Cu4o5pj9kCmgxGYqqjzr6v6oKW3VTcYHV_VU/s850/CB_Winter_064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZllVjQSpersResSBQKQm2LraHsVvaAcD6V5VFosNpdgs6nvv0_iuguIyMWnBUV2Sey9eySVawrT3wtQVrgHUBK5FrUy78oG5uNHavL7-RND61PTnJicL3-vOYLJTyOsCKq72JBQ0BDLdI2-zVirEM29-Cu4o5pj9kCmgxGYqqjzr6v6oKW3VTcYHV_VU/s16000/CB_Winter_064.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymxtqfIh3Jfe9EIuiv1_xMvrOnzzh1WQmIr01F2skPRXhRveTBclQMQlpStA7kQ9Ul6ckWmbPttZfgXvRC-e2GohklVG01bDPxF_UUaOP2OzDy4gia8ifRAcinBdDAPEV05qLpGoznTvEprnktfbZQEW8FQVtZrsgcMCrj_Pj6LQWMf01nHfievhDM_Y/s850/CB_Winter_065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymxtqfIh3Jfe9EIuiv1_xMvrOnzzh1WQmIr01F2skPRXhRveTBclQMQlpStA7kQ9Ul6ckWmbPttZfgXvRC-e2GohklVG01bDPxF_UUaOP2OzDy4gia8ifRAcinBdDAPEV05qLpGoznTvEprnktfbZQEW8FQVtZrsgcMCrj_Pj6LQWMf01nHfievhDM_Y/s16000/CB_Winter_065.jpg" /></a></div><p>Today I don't have a dinner to share with you. Instead, I baked a German Nusszopf (hazelnut braid) a couple days ago. It's from my trusted Dr. Oetker baking recipe book that my students gifted to me several years ago.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYaqhjkWi4yjA7YUvDsLvdORwO8oEmJUGpSgvV521H416s4ytZrLcGuVkOO7iWD-KaghZh6jlh1ClcTejrKfSiIMVNCLCH6OjMpAcq_y7inr_UMMp8EXQIN0AW7grZSK4QHFSPGekO_ClJCTOo_ECCD2o1cWKQ3PCYkRvSImDE2lPzmtodfdbf4A_myM/s850/PXL_20231207_002830772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYaqhjkWi4yjA7YUvDsLvdORwO8oEmJUGpSgvV521H416s4ytZrLcGuVkOO7iWD-KaghZh6jlh1ClcTejrKfSiIMVNCLCH6OjMpAcq_y7inr_UMMp8EXQIN0AW7grZSK4QHFSPGekO_ClJCTOo_ECCD2o1cWKQ3PCYkRvSImDE2lPzmtodfdbf4A_myM/s16000/PXL_20231207_002830772.jpg" /></a></div><p>It's an easy recipe - the only "challenge" is to braid the dough with the filling and then transfer it to the baking sheet. This is what is looks like before it goes into the oven...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbJMqxd1RgHFrvYX_VnylmZDGWZ4CtiR5axxEA6FbnPlrAUqEZlu5jkBLAoZ774jMfgddE9AtzQfT3j7ehl9_Dleq5FIPA5vMrgFPSrOrftxFEBQK9cDK_ro8ycPq57lFIAgrU5Xr53e5-hRliQrniVGTbx2rKxYOrZHKrEftpXd8LrKpUpOwmwcHmfo/s850/PXL_20231204_234126792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbJMqxd1RgHFrvYX_VnylmZDGWZ4CtiR5axxEA6FbnPlrAUqEZlu5jkBLAoZ774jMfgddE9AtzQfT3j7ehl9_Dleq5FIPA5vMrgFPSrOrftxFEBQK9cDK_ro8ycPq57lFIAgrU5Xr53e5-hRliQrniVGTbx2rKxYOrZHKrEftpXd8LrKpUpOwmwcHmfo/s16000/PXL_20231204_234126792.jpg" /></a></div><p>... and this is what it looks like after being done baking (no, my silicone baking mat did not change color in such a dramatic way, only the light had changed).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37C8WZiucRSEpf_paLW0eJZNYzLzxL1sMSeNO3YTsbXXiK6wyEv2XENcuLo6nSSLChngLO2Kgp_RLp4ZDS9uYf496I5TCis_m8vM4y_CNP0Kb9z67wTFYNYbDcpgvwiBFKPJEO2oLBoUk-DocI7ctCfxmdOxv3XfrREx2W8ayuJPDaKXK0dxML_Y81n0/s850/PXL_20231205_004340333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37C8WZiucRSEpf_paLW0eJZNYzLzxL1sMSeNO3YTsbXXiK6wyEv2XENcuLo6nSSLChngLO2Kgp_RLp4ZDS9uYf496I5TCis_m8vM4y_CNP0Kb9z67wTFYNYbDcpgvwiBFKPJEO2oLBoUk-DocI7ctCfxmdOxv3XfrREx2W8ayuJPDaKXK0dxML_Y81n0/s16000/PXL_20231205_004340333.jpg" /></a></div><p>As soon as it had cooled down, we cut a slice and tasted it - oh delicious!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6M8u0YyhU0Gmh1uBL7H6Fz9wUw37eFqRJK-zehiOhEGolMMKXoPLFoQKEIgmV5vlkD9wYIKu1Hhp9vjkZlBsCREbD0H05oVwzS5lhkhTjjFuE72eUbaMaDJJEBAaH-nveNoLclsHd9e9Q9uAggCylECmP2Sv2eKy-lL6XhVOWda7zxSinJqBpZxDSJQ/s850/PXL_20231206_222155545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6M8u0YyhU0Gmh1uBL7H6Fz9wUw37eFqRJK-zehiOhEGolMMKXoPLFoQKEIgmV5vlkD9wYIKu1Hhp9vjkZlBsCREbD0H05oVwzS5lhkhTjjFuE72eUbaMaDJJEBAaH-nveNoLclsHd9e9Q9uAggCylECmP2Sv2eKy-lL6XhVOWda7zxSinJqBpZxDSJQ/s16000/PXL_20231206_222155545.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-35972273274756442422023-12-04T16:47:00.000-08:002023-12-04T16:47:10.036-08:00The Last Two Weeks<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRGIBIYrV1THkKtVEsFGjex2AttzahMfTwBUCkmIDWy6Kh1CuM5EPADwhIqY3sSQvwceVrNxBa_RcpZuG7NFYj9hMyoFhysbl5xR1Y3yDiud07SjMeUqMfvvJM1wiagp9hTVCZ-o14M4xNuyzwYGudN8rwRGacqr-qweT4em1flxhsTczixBZ-VA1ia0/s850/PXL_20231109_181947522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRGIBIYrV1THkKtVEsFGjex2AttzahMfTwBUCkmIDWy6Kh1CuM5EPADwhIqY3sSQvwceVrNxBa_RcpZuG7NFYj9hMyoFhysbl5xR1Y3yDiud07SjMeUqMfvvJM1wiagp9hTVCZ-o14M4xNuyzwYGudN8rwRGacqr-qweT4em1flxhsTczixBZ-VA1ia0/s16000/PXL_20231109_181947522.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>I wish I could come up with something exciting this week, but I don't. Two weeks ago I started PT for my left knee and the sciatica on the right side; I go twice a week and do my exercises religiously because I really want an end to the pain and most of all, I want to take long walks again. While I see some improvement when it comes to the sciatica, I unfortunately cannot say the same for the knee. Some days are okay, but there were moments when I had just started my walk down the street to the mailbox when I had to turn around after only 50 meters or so because the pain was so bad that I knew I wouldn't get to the mailbox (a 12 minute walk one way), not to mention back home. It's frustrating, but I'm determined not to let these things get me down.</p><p>Despite the evil knee, I was able to do a few short walks - I walked at the lake (please note that I wrote "at", not "around" because that's not possible right now) on a cloudy morning and enjoyed the view of the still water and the leaves in the parking lot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0XgL0zKL4tot82qYAXqlGENbbrX1w2xREbr880vPCLiNcp8VQ1388FF9Yohmrh6V2zZ1vp_IHtkpkX0kiHFjCX7Lzq5xtQuKiNPOiHM8DXlnZZ9DRmLNKWg9IEGR41ilo86qmfBDKd9EhE0-Yj7IcA3Vf9CcxM6uV5WIh88uV4v2iwpavwDHhe4D9BM/s850/PXL_20231115_182132639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0XgL0zKL4tot82qYAXqlGENbbrX1w2xREbr880vPCLiNcp8VQ1388FF9Yohmrh6V2zZ1vp_IHtkpkX0kiHFjCX7Lzq5xtQuKiNPOiHM8DXlnZZ9DRmLNKWg9IEGR41ilo86qmfBDKd9EhE0-Yj7IcA3Vf9CcxM6uV5WIh88uV4v2iwpavwDHhe4D9BM/s16000/PXL_20231115_182132639.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCknMD1wghDqBFMMq1PTbtITCBdP5w7Rcl_wDOR9XVNygohSuz_QQNxJvEtr2KgOgCVAq5v4tAqBKO_pEdNOLUm1k5AzV7omxvyM7TE0vTkbJ0tqLXhgPTBsgE41z1rShLmnet5Yd-uCEu1a_vMj4dFALLE8KEBTIjqpdvtRaHwHe7j7Zc9zXGTmqKOCI/s850/PXL_20231115_181332068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCknMD1wghDqBFMMq1PTbtITCBdP5w7Rcl_wDOR9XVNygohSuz_QQNxJvEtr2KgOgCVAq5v4tAqBKO_pEdNOLUm1k5AzV7omxvyM7TE0vTkbJ0tqLXhgPTBsgE41z1rShLmnet5Yd-uCEu1a_vMj4dFALLE8KEBTIjqpdvtRaHwHe7j7Zc9zXGTmqKOCI/s16000/PXL_20231115_181332068.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGCj8QMqvBe0BGIhit7QoMXNTFeLDewzPdxld4rRl9XUMaLFlvb5gd21lvuotuTWo1KtXQyMUesIPcnYV2DMXHe0DEYAOyw-VvhB3X5l6fiorXg9lsDaRiAF09s6cpR0XW2Me835kJ3un8i3NRr2y2MkNSagOR1b1yW9CUnOfp_lGOqMjyfPVAc0-mzk/s850/PXL_20231115_185033192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGCj8QMqvBe0BGIhit7QoMXNTFeLDewzPdxld4rRl9XUMaLFlvb5gd21lvuotuTWo1KtXQyMUesIPcnYV2DMXHe0DEYAOyw-VvhB3X5l6fiorXg9lsDaRiAF09s6cpR0XW2Me835kJ3un8i3NRr2y2MkNSagOR1b1yW9CUnOfp_lGOqMjyfPVAc0-mzk/s16000/PXL_20231115_185033192.jpg" /></a></div><p>I especially liked the stunning color of these oak leaves as well as the beautiful seeds of the Horse Weed (Conyza bonariensis).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBK45kLPj_T_uvdghJLREjr6N5euWLpPgw7F4UH5peoTULf_hkdN1wC0m30vTlD-PDz95HOUmEGNbn44Fnhs9gCT6z0iAqiDRFEJQEijh7O4CSaADsG9zyngt0Eoo4GxPadQjg2q1midNoojPfuL-FHo0kv717KGU_VYZaDKx-hD2-KTsYeQU96DJS_nE/s850/PXL_20231115_190330723.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBK45kLPj_T_uvdghJLREjr6N5euWLpPgw7F4UH5peoTULf_hkdN1wC0m30vTlD-PDz95HOUmEGNbn44Fnhs9gCT6z0iAqiDRFEJQEijh7O4CSaADsG9zyngt0Eoo4GxPadQjg2q1midNoojPfuL-FHo0kv717KGU_VYZaDKx-hD2-KTsYeQU96DJS_nE/s16000/PXL_20231115_190330723.PORTRAIT.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuFXbfIUHWMO47NuUM1t4ufCyvWB2baS5fPxPbSK8-ZQCNW_-cPrxM4eTQyEYJl6ldzMc3Ccfet_dvvHeWELxsU8XvQESw5rWBh_OWi_L32fNn9HYDuPKk625dof1O6XB6xYP5Fgc9zBa6a0bqx2NGfiIs-LV2rexVsW91xmZpkji6Vdxu1leoJZuTdY/s850/PXL_20231109_181432442.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuFXbfIUHWMO47NuUM1t4ufCyvWB2baS5fPxPbSK8-ZQCNW_-cPrxM4eTQyEYJl6ldzMc3Ccfet_dvvHeWELxsU8XvQESw5rWBh_OWi_L32fNn9HYDuPKk625dof1O6XB6xYP5Fgc9zBa6a0bqx2NGfiIs-LV2rexVsW91xmZpkji6Vdxu1leoJZuTdY/s16000/PXL_20231109_181432442.PORTRAIT.jpg" /></a></div><p>In my neighborhood I enjoyed a few leaves withstanding the autumn winds while others swirled through the air, sometimes doing crazy somersaults.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCkZW_6ZhGlrE1DjPab1-4SpwdunqZD-i_2M9wxS-ytDVjhlxIVO98cKDjl2LyeQ6yxE6Ntu2MW4wOo1652WvFA5BQbrKjCkVYJUnw9gcpncBAovnQfGAJVuEV0jl8PN7X-nli4ymiCuLtWo95PSUT-Le6esx_6kXrJ_J1kaMeOtWACrwrkdk4KOG8mU/s850/PXL_20231126_001938304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCkZW_6ZhGlrE1DjPab1-4SpwdunqZD-i_2M9wxS-ytDVjhlxIVO98cKDjl2LyeQ6yxE6Ntu2MW4wOo1652WvFA5BQbrKjCkVYJUnw9gcpncBAovnQfGAJVuEV0jl8PN7X-nli4ymiCuLtWo95PSUT-Le6esx_6kXrJ_J1kaMeOtWACrwrkdk4KOG8mU/s16000/PXL_20231126_001938304.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7_bjySzjFGX4yrdEWle024G3lm-2KIW2sFyoed8aSZXYg5Cva0OWrrlY1nGS_xYI2HYsQrDLwBAtqQpLgQRMmbdpe0dT6YllyCFMDe9DzKGOVk180njrvDCcXstkZrFx6qeSKwCS15rsQCd0oZJWy2oLSgdGE6E9gS6YIMhZjIh7lI0SPsN5DlzhUBI/s850/PXL_20231130_204056844.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7_bjySzjFGX4yrdEWle024G3lm-2KIW2sFyoed8aSZXYg5Cva0OWrrlY1nGS_xYI2HYsQrDLwBAtqQpLgQRMmbdpe0dT6YllyCFMDe9DzKGOVk180njrvDCcXstkZrFx6qeSKwCS15rsQCd0oZJWy2oLSgdGE6E9gS6YIMhZjIh7lI0SPsN5DlzhUBI/s16000/PXL_20231130_204056844.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>The Japanese Maple in front of my kitchen window radiated in beautiful autumn colors and I loved the reflection in the bird bath.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UfwXA8mwOO1CBppC2rC2-bnF8WBWA-F4O0J4bSWNVYOj5eA28xRwvqxmeOOusvOcNQybhyphenhyphen3oP5-Dsr-hbtW3NiuSefaIsBqE7XJRiXps542_Ym1Tml_1K1Rwi0rtqOPe8-bCyM35_oYKQ4V5KVIuPgMdrYjh-L4rBqKotXTpDQ226JTfdi1gjiDRdfI/s850/PXL_20231120_154017113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UfwXA8mwOO1CBppC2rC2-bnF8WBWA-F4O0J4bSWNVYOj5eA28xRwvqxmeOOusvOcNQybhyphenhyphen3oP5-Dsr-hbtW3NiuSefaIsBqE7XJRiXps542_Ym1Tml_1K1Rwi0rtqOPe8-bCyM35_oYKQ4V5KVIuPgMdrYjh-L4rBqKotXTpDQ226JTfdi1gjiDRdfI/s16000/PXL_20231120_154017113.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-HqyzU3hgu59YBwAgw6PCOmcwkJWZf-3UhlvlzkwRrrcHI3J3lK_A_ZgA-Nakj91Rlv8hZx6GfKAYqZwgA7uqEucGQiWvmDMZv5RTGg1yIfKa9dGm7OqBzMEJ-7ArrvcNhzY5Yes66wDxQrUCVXa3QFKbJj5HLXFF2aYShlZMGMvcqOnydPg0DBfOEU/s850/PXL_20231119_184126387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-HqyzU3hgu59YBwAgw6PCOmcwkJWZf-3UhlvlzkwRrrcHI3J3lK_A_ZgA-Nakj91Rlv8hZx6GfKAYqZwgA7uqEucGQiWvmDMZv5RTGg1yIfKa9dGm7OqBzMEJ-7ArrvcNhzY5Yes66wDxQrUCVXa3QFKbJj5HLXFF2aYShlZMGMvcqOnydPg0DBfOEU/s16000/PXL_20231119_184126387.jpg" /></a></div><p>My native California vine "Roger's Red" (Vitis californica x 'Roger's Red') was twisting along my clothesline. Soon I will have to cut it back, when all the leaves will be gone.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cdFw-p98VlCA5zzzcrc-saDa8AOh2iE71KYxgH2rdu6RkZfYrgsKv-cYCQC0XF8KQs6t6nDvC26Tn7JcWOBiGTuemZx9Mo3m_iuvIWoMuLQu7XboQFe_TmarYNi6BKIygWP4dum8RCZulXksHQE8bcdlz8HT-egXq0GNZYYNEXw_NsOX9VTHxuA6nJw/s850/PXL_20231119_163802101.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cdFw-p98VlCA5zzzcrc-saDa8AOh2iE71KYxgH2rdu6RkZfYrgsKv-cYCQC0XF8KQs6t6nDvC26Tn7JcWOBiGTuemZx9Mo3m_iuvIWoMuLQu7XboQFe_TmarYNi6BKIygWP4dum8RCZulXksHQE8bcdlz8HT-egXq0GNZYYNEXw_NsOX9VTHxuA6nJw/s16000/PXL_20231119_163802101.PORTRAIT.jpg" /></a></div><p>My Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) was heavy with fruit this year, so I decided to share with the neighborhood.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPSeGEgGuC0qrPaRjwko4qkVmQ9Ab4pya8c-nmZ-iOgTTH0I_ldiiJYt-BY3plLVuA3Yec6SOTgTICMh9L7XP3Ijz6KUCvOM5Ahyphenhyphen8mL7HrXV-vvQJRz0xJhxhATG3jVlfU2sNuTI5yekzA9fmQRQjhKQABIfPVMKDdDBEvvJCWHg_PpqdVLhFzVmAYyI/s850/PXL_20231116_160827942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPSeGEgGuC0qrPaRjwko4qkVmQ9Ab4pya8c-nmZ-iOgTTH0I_ldiiJYt-BY3plLVuA3Yec6SOTgTICMh9L7XP3Ijz6KUCvOM5Ahyphenhyphen8mL7HrXV-vvQJRz0xJhxhATG3jVlfU2sNuTI5yekzA9fmQRQjhKQABIfPVMKDdDBEvvJCWHg_PpqdVLhFzVmAYyI/s16000/PXL_20231116_160827942.jpg" /></a></div><p>In my opinion, winter sunrises and sunsets are more spectacular than the ones in summer. Maybe it's because the sun is so much lower in the sky or the air is colder - I don't know. This was the sunrise seen from my bedroom window a few days ago, followed below by pink clouds at sunset.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF52HXPvBuSCNFwv1FcNrHji3cKa2r42y4WIMkKIWzNizMOOgYmDwTLdQqRanzOyVXfK1jni8VEtqxNHdQj10TA0x7D1l5-KFhR_Xst5PT2SJKdZUTvGwtas629E54Y9E23MjtM4yaUVOQJoVaZOQWJ5sN771M2kNH_ZfcKKPOqyt7yp_g1u7Eo9jYaHQ/s850/PXL_20231121_144323208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF52HXPvBuSCNFwv1FcNrHji3cKa2r42y4WIMkKIWzNizMOOgYmDwTLdQqRanzOyVXfK1jni8VEtqxNHdQj10TA0x7D1l5-KFhR_Xst5PT2SJKdZUTvGwtas629E54Y9E23MjtM4yaUVOQJoVaZOQWJ5sN771M2kNH_ZfcKKPOqyt7yp_g1u7Eo9jYaHQ/s16000/PXL_20231121_144323208.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDUeBuRoJfwbr8KLuNbda4lbLhJckNsvUzf4jCWub6gOGLQsNmXIyC8iNuHrZWlezboQAzjqW0e-x9joAlwiG-xYQR2BcOcy7dL8Z-klu6Fb0eJO-0LArJP4B1MXD5-BgdVvF6blY73Oz6SxzXErKPiHh4kb60_RgjVZk6sm0F2TkCaDqAnii-zB4KBg/s850/PXL_20231117_145443923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDUeBuRoJfwbr8KLuNbda4lbLhJckNsvUzf4jCWub6gOGLQsNmXIyC8iNuHrZWlezboQAzjqW0e-x9joAlwiG-xYQR2BcOcy7dL8Z-klu6Fb0eJO-0LArJP4B1MXD5-BgdVvF6blY73Oz6SxzXErKPiHh4kb60_RgjVZk6sm0F2TkCaDqAnii-zB4KBg/s16000/PXL_20231117_145443923.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The nightsky during a full moon was pretty dramatic as well.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg9sl12GFbZBAzdzzyyMWpnhze4ABwGas_WdHwaa5ixumM-NuS6ndgP9Xs9QXmYd3RYYjjYe3NIcfAd951zWz0-m8To9f10KhxXRUJXqrvMFr_32YTFIaBwL7Rn746FvsXfV2qanIrrcYD6CnlOnNytEeS11HOy_oAbO654KJAoFCMt21tKDfLrIcl5I/s850/PXL_20231129_034332022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg9sl12GFbZBAzdzzyyMWpnhze4ABwGas_WdHwaa5ixumM-NuS6ndgP9Xs9QXmYd3RYYjjYe3NIcfAd951zWz0-m8To9f10KhxXRUJXqrvMFr_32YTFIaBwL7Rn746FvsXfV2qanIrrcYD6CnlOnNytEeS11HOy_oAbO654KJAoFCMt21tKDfLrIcl5I/s16000/PXL_20231129_034332022.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>We had some rain - always welcome - and also some pretty frosty nights. Perfect for staying inside and knitting some cat and bird ornaments for our German School's winter fundraiser.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aFdpZ6Fhq76IA1U9j9f_LGepHcMgD6f1Il689oe3WWgaCEI9Ymy-0TrLgmxrFpRqxON6vQ95gT2HjbjRWVZk5ufBURQnhPMXchVNiNL0dHWJd5JS9h4F7zQMaHNnmGaktOTPBVD6gG0V5W2IQm7eJOVgXBzCpiGeLc2m8-eQx5nuN_L-FqBnOtKVeM0/s850/PXL_20231114_223420572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aFdpZ6Fhq76IA1U9j9f_LGepHcMgD6f1Il689oe3WWgaCEI9Ymy-0TrLgmxrFpRqxON6vQ95gT2HjbjRWVZk5ufBURQnhPMXchVNiNL0dHWJd5JS9h4F7zQMaHNnmGaktOTPBVD6gG0V5W2IQm7eJOVgXBzCpiGeLc2m8-eQx5nuN_L-FqBnOtKVeM0/s16000/PXL_20231114_223420572.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>While knitting, reading, grading papers and preparing classes I enjoyed my caf<span id="docs-internal-guid-cdf3bacb-7fff-56bf-d1b6-d0da56160078"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span> au lait out of this wolf mug that I bought years ago in Yellowstone (still one of my most favorite places on earth).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcXzdHcr0uQXSNlFQnJey6R9Rud8TgsXMu000XHj1BVALrNF6H87GxJARnaw_eDeDC5tlqx9kVXMHVYY1UD7FD18X0nw1nhTcRTaxP2PVvZ9ZFlalFW_IzfRyNElDnmKE6KRZuN4zcA27zfc4ZvBPVhmBzj3NgzBwQzDOkbWQdPNU2CO0D5WaoJ2pqJI/s850/PXL_20231126_173851474.PORTRAIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcXzdHcr0uQXSNlFQnJey6R9Rud8TgsXMu000XHj1BVALrNF6H87GxJARnaw_eDeDC5tlqx9kVXMHVYY1UD7FD18X0nw1nhTcRTaxP2PVvZ9ZFlalFW_IzfRyNElDnmKE6KRZuN4zcA27zfc4ZvBPVhmBzj3NgzBwQzDOkbWQdPNU2CO0D5WaoJ2pqJI/s16000/PXL_20231126_173851474.PORTRAIT.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This, of course, is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/12/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-9-puzzles.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a> - grab a drink and join us!<div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-61946627804917260982023-11-19T16:32:00.000-08:002023-11-23T21:55:03.682-08:00Another Day, Another Lake, Another Walk<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0Ah7iScXSQ5V7VOylFFaSNKGf4c8eSvH9l6KJAudYeH6HeNN4k25yiUmZ32z-D5pod0Ma_lvreUKlpXOz-c_Vs5dpjg4w4Oc0_RZPqfmhDtPZLDy1ZM7kkCbSERPfX7qX3LTVw-T0o-X_KNTPUCtIXw4tNeMgkFMSF6xgDV7_qicTT1_6O518vWDPxQ/s850/PXL_20231018_165248338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0Ah7iScXSQ5V7VOylFFaSNKGf4c8eSvH9l6KJAudYeH6HeNN4k25yiUmZ32z-D5pod0Ma_lvreUKlpXOz-c_Vs5dpjg4w4Oc0_RZPqfmhDtPZLDy1ZM7kkCbSERPfX7qX3LTVw-T0o-X_KNTPUCtIXw4tNeMgkFMSF6xgDV7_qicTT1_6O518vWDPxQ/s16000/PXL_20231018_165248338.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Most of my walks these days are short walks which among other things is due to my left knee that still hasn't improved very much. My orthopedist suspects that I have a torn meniscus and on Tuesday I'll start PT for that as well as for my sciatica, so there is some hope on the horizon. However, I have to keep my walks short since after about 30 minutes of walking my knee starts to become quite painful. I usually ice it and it will be better for the rest of the day, but long walks like I used to do is stuff for dreams at the moment. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjepkNeynpPqzXR77b_NcQMire6lRO9-vfLRgT6Y7hPxlSfMO3N1Ob3XodK5wLckQ1iWzKe_atWORMq84e4wvVjm_3I_a4s6qCMJ4lPcwRmjOczl93Wt4YLG2VWNGnWUtSO2jbWgjOLeiHYtsH8O1w9m7Ldhzh1MudXd-N50QYMcmgcTPvV8C3Ba31oU/s850/PXL_20231018_171305634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjepkNeynpPqzXR77b_NcQMire6lRO9-vfLRgT6Y7hPxlSfMO3N1Ob3XodK5wLckQ1iWzKe_atWORMq84e4wvVjm_3I_a4s6qCMJ4lPcwRmjOczl93Wt4YLG2VWNGnWUtSO2jbWgjOLeiHYtsH8O1w9m7Ldhzh1MudXd-N50QYMcmgcTPvV8C3Ba31oU/s16000/PXL_20231018_171305634.jpg" /></a></div><p>Close to "my" lake there is another much smaller lake and this time I decided to walk here because I figured that it would take about 30 minutes for a roundtrip.</p><p>There were ducks and a swan on the lake, and on the shore ground squirrel chased around in abundance. Look at that sweet face - this will be for Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2023/11/ffo-graphite-drawing-and-tg.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lBwLXam4OMWA6X9xXTlDJLnUYqUEjHiGQePh2yUqR1D-edqKR_BFMNW3KNMRC5quFXYT5iLa3T-bgEW9IGKi1Zx6pIGiGWOn4619xON08RMn_I7MBaYSoBw56jS1QCtfYAjdEQzATYm5LAgRAW29XwRL7bdiDjjA6Ge7sxhL1CDR9Sn_WGsQ7xjTC58/s850/SwanDucks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lBwLXam4OMWA6X9xXTlDJLnUYqUEjHiGQePh2yUqR1D-edqKR_BFMNW3KNMRC5quFXYT5iLa3T-bgEW9IGKi1Zx6pIGiGWOn4619xON08RMn_I7MBaYSoBw56jS1QCtfYAjdEQzATYm5LAgRAW29XwRL7bdiDjjA6Ge7sxhL1CDR9Sn_WGsQ7xjTC58/s16000/SwanDucks.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5B9o0QFUjNnyyZC1SfyooF8dVIMIQQkAm6EaGKu18YEh1yX10WsoxfM5Ifd-N9YfoWjBy_XhEbXXFKUCC-cf2MMdNP51x5QFsJ8SbAgwy4wltD5wL4A7rJfaRFn4UA4yLt_FTgz1PHgx37aKL6YkR9cfMNTBqIo-_o5GlSPbSq0sARpNYADzRMSZRvY/s850/GroundSquirrel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5B9o0QFUjNnyyZC1SfyooF8dVIMIQQkAm6EaGKu18YEh1yX10WsoxfM5Ifd-N9YfoWjBy_XhEbXXFKUCC-cf2MMdNP51x5QFsJ8SbAgwy4wltD5wL4A7rJfaRFn4UA4yLt_FTgz1PHgx37aKL6YkR9cfMNTBqIo-_o5GlSPbSq0sARpNYADzRMSZRvY/s16000/GroundSquirrel.jpg" /></a></div><p>There are not many people on this side of the lake. The trail passes through the woods and looks rather romantic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakSGVXaKqnPxlEJ4J5kc3gsAHS_o3IJulQMG0EIlsrqgj1EOPLJ2guH9NkQI8oX_Y-rmpWlNORwfpeut8mHmAS0tJKlRtVKK6xPMG_U5x_jE6EL7GlW8WdRIViUw-xp2cSje1a1EVk7T88ln4EEP1mDcrNdJcyVTAi7DPZTvg9wTnCWhHon6Dm17ZhhU/s850/PXL_20231018_170948452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakSGVXaKqnPxlEJ4J5kc3gsAHS_o3IJulQMG0EIlsrqgj1EOPLJ2guH9NkQI8oX_Y-rmpWlNORwfpeut8mHmAS0tJKlRtVKK6xPMG_U5x_jE6EL7GlW8WdRIViUw-xp2cSje1a1EVk7T88ln4EEP1mDcrNdJcyVTAi7DPZTvg9wTnCWhHon6Dm17ZhhU/s16000/PXL_20231018_170948452.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mm3-OMxpLy7zi6zll9xj-1Ti0Kism_g5DEO53MIl300LLTVBRI0LAFi5SRa4fm-Vk4M_UI2ylEnDXnXzOHWhjPR9Q1nImrcxeMcJ5VJf9FQYq69mhyphenhyphenWylojrvGgp3XeBQ2e_yU0qAd6ApZeMajJROS22ODcqZ2qfl68fY2mHDboPTea_aZA6VnJqsEY/s850/PXL_20231018_171056314.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mm3-OMxpLy7zi6zll9xj-1Ti0Kism_g5DEO53MIl300LLTVBRI0LAFi5SRa4fm-Vk4M_UI2ylEnDXnXzOHWhjPR9Q1nImrcxeMcJ5VJf9FQYq69mhyphenhyphenWylojrvGgp3XeBQ2e_yU0qAd6ApZeMajJROS22ODcqZ2qfl68fY2mHDboPTea_aZA6VnJqsEY/s16000/PXL_20231018_171056314.jpg" /></a></div><p>It's also very rough and uneven which might be a reason there are so few people here. I prefer this to the paved and gravel paths, but you have to pay attention.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8Eq34Z3sU19GrxNCuh2mrUVKZ2doJzMlUdUPzh3mXUidsN6Nn0lbu07UVtWEW9AEBppf0bCndSFuGy6-4ipxpJjO4xbQbfJtB6EM3biQRjwFN0aIrHgjH5W9zc1Z-DlLqpRLnLbBhi-_PZZC7WZSujrXIKI3-Ynkly3WDCOL1zJBXGEHyTC6CheHMBQ/s850/PXL_20231018_171313606.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8Eq34Z3sU19GrxNCuh2mrUVKZ2doJzMlUdUPzh3mXUidsN6Nn0lbu07UVtWEW9AEBppf0bCndSFuGy6-4ipxpJjO4xbQbfJtB6EM3biQRjwFN0aIrHgjH5W9zc1Z-DlLqpRLnLbBhi-_PZZC7WZSujrXIKI3-Ynkly3WDCOL1zJBXGEHyTC6CheHMBQ/s16000/PXL_20231018_171313606.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaX0aE6DVupMkhRlmGU8VNuiB36l_sBiOVodp0SmkdIAGOaIySkdXfPzGruTDg7LBU4dSwln2tHZmszr8BCgAmS_6UdX2M3KcOdLvqFxy-0xUJkR09N_YQi-dqSeBOTiv-kknrciHfFjIm8owTNF1qnALH0t5aGTXaEE39uQ5URolzGN2e6iPrbsp7fY/s850/PXL_20231018_171412522.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaX0aE6DVupMkhRlmGU8VNuiB36l_sBiOVodp0SmkdIAGOaIySkdXfPzGruTDg7LBU4dSwln2tHZmszr8BCgAmS_6UdX2M3KcOdLvqFxy-0xUJkR09N_YQi-dqSeBOTiv-kknrciHfFjIm8owTNF1qnALH0t5aGTXaEE39uQ5URolzGN2e6iPrbsp7fY/s16000/PXL_20231018_171412522.jpg" /></a></div><p>There are crooked trees and beautiful views of the small lake through the foliage .</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6XVEshz8Strb0zu_mODfvoYpKpDhnXzqDYxEnsTwLoO36wBP8mij93Hvlu4ZsX6v4kdOxUGbsPQdDswkDYe5USx6p79qGR3Wt2Ksn8CR0b99-msp_8FTTUAzyf45xx8E0A4JiOYnDGMez054pVMcuMWPvSN5esyy8kp4miAvHrT-D3N53o00iNAieOQ/s850/PXL_20231018_170854396.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6XVEshz8Strb0zu_mODfvoYpKpDhnXzqDYxEnsTwLoO36wBP8mij93Hvlu4ZsX6v4kdOxUGbsPQdDswkDYe5USx6p79qGR3Wt2Ksn8CR0b99-msp_8FTTUAzyf45xx8E0A4JiOYnDGMez054pVMcuMWPvSN5esyy8kp4miAvHrT-D3N53o00iNAieOQ/s16000/PXL_20231018_170854396.jpg" /></a></div><p>And the birds were happily singing along! Just listen to this one - it almost sounds as if the Red-winged Blackbirds and the Great-tailed Grackle were in a competition of who can be louder.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwz5rf0rlyyMKOQCBqsXeJtToUILlr4XlzurBgnKgb0VELzmwcuV8t-MyK-ZF-wa1jJaWE-uJ2DJl52usoyLQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>These photos of my walk show some of the beautiful landscape - perfect for this week's prompt at Rain's <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2023/11/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-landscape.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a> which is "landscape". But I also have a dinner to share. A few weeks ago I found this recipe for <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024543-rose-shrimp" target="_blank">Ros<span id="docs-internal-guid-df420222-7fff-d790-a735-3125e77c107e"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span> Shrimp</a> at NYT Cooking and knew that I had to make it. Last Friday finally was the day to make it since just a few days before I had received the piment d'Espelette which gives this dish its flavor. This was the first time that I tried this recipe and therefore followed it to a T, but when I'll do it again I will change it a little bit. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweRJgbmWvCS5UQA_P52YIKgCihkHN-Ew4Fjwa4e7ODsBAI7MjOEAZq8I_0LO__-j1R-Y26A-1zIKmKQeKHrOjrepMCYL2VkNnFDHP0XTCiMouDDIkIFJlqYzK0iLabJmSL4omEZ_ZHehuMe3WbNvVthNMqJr1_xCLCY-Cuus0K2Cfrx5f2C5YhIpA_OE/s850/Shrimp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweRJgbmWvCS5UQA_P52YIKgCihkHN-Ew4Fjwa4e7ODsBAI7MjOEAZq8I_0LO__-j1R-Y26A-1zIKmKQeKHrOjrepMCYL2VkNnFDHP0XTCiMouDDIkIFJlqYzK0iLabJmSL4omEZ_ZHehuMe3WbNvVthNMqJr1_xCLCY-Cuus0K2Cfrx5f2C5YhIpA_OE/s16000/Shrimp.jpg" /></a></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMEkFrnQfHM39yEjxPscc3lxzlOyJZFXbAJPKQDiRyWjagndoB3lZmwEpVFiL4aW3h51vSD3LbymU_HYoa8Ne0M0Ap9D6Wo-aICdkgW9KILxJbeSvGwrhyUB6NSbXododr6qNszN1wHDhR4VMcZ3XOSU0u1CqwuMNeO2WEqQ1Edyltljc4sR2qEJ8xyg/s850/PXL_20231118_033802435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMEkFrnQfHM39yEjxPscc3lxzlOyJZFXbAJPKQDiRyWjagndoB3lZmwEpVFiL4aW3h51vSD3LbymU_HYoa8Ne0M0Ap9D6Wo-aICdkgW9KILxJbeSvGwrhyUB6NSbXododr6qNszN1wHDhR4VMcZ3XOSU0u1CqwuMNeO2WEqQ1Edyltljc4sR2qEJ8xyg/s16000/PXL_20231118_033802435.jpg" /></a></div><p>If you cannot access NYT Cooking, here is the recipe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe5790uoe7yL8BrTrWabwGRM1Fd8Rhq_Y6WkHknp5kFVPwNT9ahJzxbwhilqTny3Vp7u9EI-1uzj-w6H38TofK7QbE6cFZyQMRob1YqfinMhxbvlpHLc-T2VIECoUwlgOGRFtRLDCT4D1-4oAWb3qJfhO01JhGdOC8uNRNjhuAUSZqa623IKSca0iB1I/s850/PXL_20231119_225722709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe5790uoe7yL8BrTrWabwGRM1Fd8Rhq_Y6WkHknp5kFVPwNT9ahJzxbwhilqTny3Vp7u9EI-1uzj-w6H38TofK7QbE6cFZyQMRob1YqfinMhxbvlpHLc-T2VIECoUwlgOGRFtRLDCT4D1-4oAWb3qJfhO01JhGdOC8uNRNjhuAUSZqa623IKSca0iB1I/s16000/PXL_20231119_225722709.jpg" /></a></div><p>Guess what we were drinking with the Ros<span id="docs-internal-guid-d4fa516e-7fff-1e1b-7016-be1ea430ffe6"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span> Shrimp? Of course a nice Ros<span id="docs-internal-guid-00b2a518-7fff-5f82-615a-dc4a132be91f"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span>, a <a href="https://www.sonomacutrer.com/about-sonoma-cutrer/" target="_blank">Sonoma-Cutrer</a> Ros<span id="docs-internal-guid-00b2a518-7fff-5f82-615a-dc4a132be91f"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span> of Pinot Noir.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAh0-4QSdyENNO4h-0x5zjZIY46ecJ4Mtg7y8ktq8rCPqLxm6yjpDbFtfTn7ZzMpnLcq_y-r8EL01jMwTxKB1mpQ07hVuQrFbrBeykvngvQ9eXrB22DRnzPrnxk467egovu_xQt_20cacFqgzzKv71TJHjgAAdqfWqgbbGMncWzNrDOPk45WVci1C7f0A/s850/PXL_20231118_033820350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAh0-4QSdyENNO4h-0x5zjZIY46ecJ4Mtg7y8ktq8rCPqLxm6yjpDbFtfTn7ZzMpnLcq_y-r8EL01jMwTxKB1mpQ07hVuQrFbrBeykvngvQ9eXrB22DRnzPrnxk467egovu_xQt_20cacFqgzzKv71TJHjgAAdqfWqgbbGMncWzNrDOPk45WVci1C7f0A/s16000/PXL_20231118_033820350.jpg" /></a></div><p>Of course you know that this is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/11/t-stands-for-surprise-and-happy-mail.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>. Cheers!</p><p>To everybody in the US, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-34935520524590686402023-11-13T21:32:00.000-08:002023-11-13T21:32:57.085-08:00Short Walk at the Lake<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ayy-RcX1i0WN_XTuxsFNxGAfaYGoA3vmdCYBlw_HwawTPg2kUHecnMfQ9kFW5EYvu19HsqTYd8g_ofDEvQLe7QN8YswO_v_RH1Dmz8UiHLM3EdL1OR98vPgynAO-Frj9YzIzO12ViWdUc2KcZFVXgvCW36QigxTbJIuO5Ww2Gys30Ir0qFR8jMjhFXU/s850/1-PXL_20231005_165002302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ayy-RcX1i0WN_XTuxsFNxGAfaYGoA3vmdCYBlw_HwawTPg2kUHecnMfQ9kFW5EYvu19HsqTYd8g_ofDEvQLe7QN8YswO_v_RH1Dmz8UiHLM3EdL1OR98vPgynAO-Frj9YzIzO12ViWdUc2KcZFVXgvCW36QigxTbJIuO5Ww2Gys30Ir0qFR8jMjhFXU/s16000/1-PXL_20231005_165002302.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>With Christmas just a bit more than a month away, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolaBartz" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a> has become increasingly busy and I'm knitting up a storm. That means most of my blog posts will be shorter for the next few weeks. Today I'm taking you to the lake again.</p><p>Usually I see and hear a lot of birds there, so it didn't come as a surprise that I saw this beautiful Great Egret (<i>Ardea alba</i>) only a few minutes after I had started my short and quick walk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVbMR7JgBCFwZwXG-L42FNG4uxpF-kN-9hwlMOuVwluDsTkJBYZWV97g6J6pQdVYD_2T_DpWtLK-HiF4u4zrLT-CtWDrGU6ykroJy0_tdPanJBQM6l-Ac4SNxRJE-Q92eTwQBWR_NNDE6aGQBOCajgy086EApZ3jCLAOG5qqNaUceVgfHbWiuJyFGlJY/s850/Egret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVbMR7JgBCFwZwXG-L42FNG4uxpF-kN-9hwlMOuVwluDsTkJBYZWV97g6J6pQdVYD_2T_DpWtLK-HiF4u4zrLT-CtWDrGU6ykroJy0_tdPanJBQM6l-Ac4SNxRJE-Q92eTwQBWR_NNDE6aGQBOCajgy086EApZ3jCLAOG5qqNaUceVgfHbWiuJyFGlJY/s16000/Egret.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvIiCDmUgpAW540VOGE_Yt8hxSRfvjPZNFHmFr_KRAuo9t9zmQYdVwtTIfXLJ7-5ddl7FsUE_UjiMf55KM3omcxUVgQ96e6NTp-FUE8hZXHD4Bfo6d8yBMx8kCj9sZukVNKb2xYLvVQhxshmTRnWMOCaTBQwpe-7MdNcZGpHtLN2j-iZHk1WZJjSXvQ0/s850/PXL_20230926_170957573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvIiCDmUgpAW540VOGE_Yt8hxSRfvjPZNFHmFr_KRAuo9t9zmQYdVwtTIfXLJ7-5ddl7FsUE_UjiMf55KM3omcxUVgQ96e6NTp-FUE8hZXHD4Bfo6d8yBMx8kCj9sZukVNKb2xYLvVQhxshmTRnWMOCaTBQwpe-7MdNcZGpHtLN2j-iZHk1WZJjSXvQ0/s16000/PXL_20230926_170957573.jpg" /></a></div><p>I always enjoy this tree which has become a favorite. I love its crookedness and the beautiful view of the lake behind it. The red leaves at the lower part of the trunk is poison oak, so it's a good idea to stay away.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv2WXIInKiF6FFCh7b8tbsHwxGIUOskPsKVBgHlhT3mctfcF03yOKLT7ucHLgNCxZNkgCQ9UN9yH5oqr8vOho9LokGtgB14xfToO8kePQ5SSakj-oszbdwBuizjY2euD-zgV-5IB1wpBEIDRCPRjbRCAd0396sny5RjOl_ftC3v3ugI0WWKTofOLu95w/s850/PXL_20230926_171819674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv2WXIInKiF6FFCh7b8tbsHwxGIUOskPsKVBgHlhT3mctfcF03yOKLT7ucHLgNCxZNkgCQ9UN9yH5oqr8vOho9LokGtgB14xfToO8kePQ5SSakj-oszbdwBuizjY2euD-zgV-5IB1wpBEIDRCPRjbRCAd0396sny5RjOl_ftC3v3ugI0WWKTofOLu95w/s16000/PXL_20230926_171819674.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It didn't take long until I saw this beautiful buck, a proud Black-tailed deer <span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">(</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Odocoileus hemionus columbianus</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">)</span>. He didn't mind me at all, knowing that I was no threat to him. Unfortunately the picture of him is rather pixelated.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QWDyvcJw0bv0qJH0ODxqfYXBz2KNof-DBG6apZIusXzra24uWIwJAswYeGMlSRUvvQlKvFA5wTUGtbA04jlk2VAftkKmeIkw2J972OkLRyUCvv0p_5pZOLxp1VveArHTTOihbKCI3qTihyphenhyphenS9zgp63u_NM9fQxw64H5Ut66Kcyzv8ixdoWSmoX6tbGUg/s850/Buck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QWDyvcJw0bv0qJH0ODxqfYXBz2KNof-DBG6apZIusXzra24uWIwJAswYeGMlSRUvvQlKvFA5wTUGtbA04jlk2VAftkKmeIkw2J972OkLRyUCvv0p_5pZOLxp1VveArHTTOihbKCI3qTihyphenhyphenS9zgp63u_NM9fQxw64H5Ut66Kcyzv8ixdoWSmoX6tbGUg/s16000/Buck.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAms8dNu_2lyxblN1MCCayA2ebidHA7qzleEMHau45laWjqvUL_VgZ72Yb2FZU2bsgkZXA0PWbnqZrgldHZYf-ZKRjaFy5oZp-Pa185BxW1pP3qa6X47BObgoY3yXD_Gtr5dESO8t2Ez-RdoQtcRn0Huzj2sp2ppHXbcVfUXZNL6DalF7ereM86ZEiVM/s850/PXL_20230926_181656827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAms8dNu_2lyxblN1MCCayA2ebidHA7qzleEMHau45laWjqvUL_VgZ72Yb2FZU2bsgkZXA0PWbnqZrgldHZYf-ZKRjaFy5oZp-Pa185BxW1pP3qa6X47BObgoY3yXD_Gtr5dESO8t2Ez-RdoQtcRn0Huzj2sp2ppHXbcVfUXZNL6DalF7ereM86ZEiVM/s16000/PXL_20230926_181656827.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>I always enjoy the lake, even if I just do a very quick walk.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF8GID7RR38vmTKLE5pTXKl5MpRoPS-2BBEK3y0BqmckM-fE4u6TNftlyIs89GytljYOh0vvpJ7xgmdgF6KP1YNOW40Xmh9WoEijSBX-xSWv8gGZW1Rq-P2_WOI-KsbmqgIbom6_1fuVeGsjR8njN8J2Adk9ZNFGmk56rpwu54Ji2fYNgnjmAK9UacX8/s850/PXL_20230926_174033173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF8GID7RR38vmTKLE5pTXKl5MpRoPS-2BBEK3y0BqmckM-fE4u6TNftlyIs89GytljYOh0vvpJ7xgmdgF6KP1YNOW40Xmh9WoEijSBX-xSWv8gGZW1Rq-P2_WOI-KsbmqgIbom6_1fuVeGsjR8njN8J2Adk9ZNFGmk56rpwu54Ji2fYNgnjmAK9UacX8/s16000/PXL_20230926_174033173.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Poison oak (<i>Toxicodendron pubescens</i>) always looks beautiful, especially in the fall when it changes its color to a splendid red, but if you touch it you will regret it because it causes very bad and painful rashes. Better stay away and admire its beauty from a safe distance.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4o9LmCbSe5A-w9UoY4QiaGZVU7XOI9upCbzt2HFUotAjw1kLTVqg_OK2DZqW_opgFECIJr4ZjbL7YkVxLGhIU0Gvyb8yflrwNnvXu2Y-996S-txUa3QLawsBC4ecTPcPLwbyYVg8V0dkp-ZGY_TwTO38XCDifyqvRNrmjtTNEaGulIwANB7m98v4Xk1c/s850/PXL_20230926_182133723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4o9LmCbSe5A-w9UoY4QiaGZVU7XOI9upCbzt2HFUotAjw1kLTVqg_OK2DZqW_opgFECIJr4ZjbL7YkVxLGhIU0Gvyb8yflrwNnvXu2Y-996S-txUa3QLawsBC4ecTPcPLwbyYVg8V0dkp-ZGY_TwTO38XCDifyqvRNrmjtTNEaGulIwANB7m98v4Xk1c/s16000/PXL_20230926_182133723.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Let's celebrate <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/11/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-7.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday with Bleubeard and Elizabeth</a>! Today we're having a Maitai in remembrance of beautiful summer days gone by. Cheers!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLqfbtcLf1s5dpRydZtIvZLxI2ti6IPBG1hajiBJZMQ7TQ0j1K6YgC75ibdewC6uxubhku-oaJHH0rC3qxHmq2tAK_wJ4hz0FL4o8bZNPuAmF6BWUtHlgW3toVdEEV_GzCf8QlHLiSV-ECBVLt-g9ymW6LgDt0gHgH8bNClX1S37AMBrljPvqhjGow_k/s850/PXL_20210530_231433832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="732" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLqfbtcLf1s5dpRydZtIvZLxI2ti6IPBG1hajiBJZMQ7TQ0j1K6YgC75ibdewC6uxubhku-oaJHH0rC3qxHmq2tAK_wJ4hz0FL4o8bZNPuAmF6BWUtHlgW3toVdEEV_GzCf8QlHLiSV-ECBVLt-g9ymW6LgDt0gHgH8bNClX1S37AMBrljPvqhjGow_k/s16000/PXL_20210530_231433832.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-50381496213788449172023-11-08T21:33:00.003-08:002023-11-09T21:59:13.668-08:00Let's Hop on a Train<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEmRSkWosVqu0ovIiI5XXO5ej-OZxKbPLxJJGDyjpsPMa3c5WkxYC4V-b4ylHIrX3zvnNi-gKT2MPubFVZjKKx5nFa3sZn6op0eF599q0se2I1bjeZNDntMnbvQwzw8_Es7hZZftHQP-sD9O2szEK7ZhSL82BQMAwm0Q34qx80pgSIZFgDqo1Lc7kLF0/s850/PXL_20220510_181928534.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEmRSkWosVqu0ovIiI5XXO5ej-OZxKbPLxJJGDyjpsPMa3c5WkxYC4V-b4ylHIrX3zvnNi-gKT2MPubFVZjKKx5nFa3sZn6op0eF599q0se2I1bjeZNDntMnbvQwzw8_Es7hZZftHQP-sD9O2szEK7ZhSL82BQMAwm0Q34qx80pgSIZFgDqo1Lc7kLF0/s16000/PXL_20220510_181928534.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>This week Rain's optional prompt for her <a href="http://www.rainfrances.com/2023/11/thursday-art-and-dinner-date-trains.html" target="_blank">Thursday Art and Dinner Date</a> is "trains".</p><p>How I miss trains! In Germany it is so easy to take the train and get to other places, whether they are close by or far away. They are a joy to ride since you don't have to pay attention to traffic; instead you can read a book, listen to music, sleep or look out of the window and, if you feel like it, wave to the people in cars being stuck in a traffic jam while you zip along.</p><p>When we were in München (Munich) last year in May we rode the trains almost every day. München has an excellent public transportation system of busses, trams, subway, S-Bahn that connects to towns and villages within the vicinity of the city and, of course, the Regionalbahn (connection to other towns and cities further away) and the rapid ICE (Intercity Express).</p><p>If you land at the airport of the Bavarian capital, the S-Bahn is the fastest way to get to downtown München (Marienplatz). It's affordable, clean and fast.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimi5LvmalxEUjuc2YyLI3ZF5kFFEzVzhMvLLICB1FYXZsbNQGJbI8aZzkl49tcffpr7ombZX2k0T0_IypAEoIVlWhemY5P1HcP1hQmPqskDFlyyuzD8B4ejXMnkiJel8DBMYobj_hoEgJETzcJRdSFAlQlLqMKbOqE4IB21vKnYNILhBhdr3hdEwAeHKk/s850/PXL_20220510_153959452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimi5LvmalxEUjuc2YyLI3ZF5kFFEzVzhMvLLICB1FYXZsbNQGJbI8aZzkl49tcffpr7ombZX2k0T0_IypAEoIVlWhemY5P1HcP1hQmPqskDFlyyuzD8B4ejXMnkiJel8DBMYobj_hoEgJETzcJRdSFAlQlLqMKbOqE4IB21vKnYNILhBhdr3hdEwAeHKk/s16000/PXL_20220510_153959452.jpg" /></a></div><p>I wish we had something like this from here to San Francisco and Oakland Airports. The only thing we have is the "train to nowhere" that doesn't even get you into San Francisco (you can get to Larkspur from where you walk for 15 minutes to get to the ferry terminal from where you take the ferry to San Francisco; the whole trip takes 2 to 3 times as long as driving in a car via 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge).</p><p>The S-Bahn is red - here you can see it standing in a station on the way to <a href="https://carolabartz.blogspot.com/2022/06/t-is-for-taking-walk-along-lake.html" target="_blank">Ammersee</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCNop4poYF2apt5mIjcmuFsyDQ7rlFHbzIGFVLhyphenhyphen2_Gta9An5OhOTFQaC-uTRg72kZPiTOeffpInsQ0g6TArx4xhv02AnogUfOpemcxB1Z_86xrpRG_hAEjgD8IYoBzebR-TDURbu_V_wVW9JMqbsWYs4kmx7DvwNrK7jufoXPS3T_Pej4RbVsTat3qg/s850/PXL_20220512_141234656.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCNop4poYF2apt5mIjcmuFsyDQ7rlFHbzIGFVLhyphenhyphen2_Gta9An5OhOTFQaC-uTRg72kZPiTOeffpInsQ0g6TArx4xhv02AnogUfOpemcxB1Z_86xrpRG_hAEjgD8IYoBzebR-TDURbu_V_wVW9JMqbsWYs4kmx7DvwNrK7jufoXPS3T_Pej4RbVsTat3qg/s16000/PXL_20220512_141234656.jpg" /></a></div><p>Another very fast way of transportation is the subway, just as clean as the S-Bahn. They often share the same stations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIniTfYTsEuDYUkmLHOAzaA6ei8QKJuTCAwfH-rB77ZGkkjkZ99NTY0-sJbIWHoHYyei8er3AV0TmTeb8ef5Vz_mNhhO8TYek79H3P1YEY0J5rQu4Ot8_Qk7bvF8AP3RavALLcNSaI0KIOrDmcE-g-3f4jP_x1jHDgXB2_JHPxyQL7EP69-gD82GP1L8/s850/PXL_20220511_123410900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIniTfYTsEuDYUkmLHOAzaA6ei8QKJuTCAwfH-rB77ZGkkjkZ99NTY0-sJbIWHoHYyei8er3AV0TmTeb8ef5Vz_mNhhO8TYek79H3P1YEY0J5rQu4Ot8_Qk7bvF8AP3RavALLcNSaI0KIOrDmcE-g-3f4jP_x1jHDgXB2_JHPxyQL7EP69-gD82GP1L8/s16000/PXL_20220511_123410900.jpg" /></a></div><p>The ICE is the "jewel in the crown" - a very fast train that connects the main big cities with each other. When we went from München to Würzburg for the Bartz Family renunion we took the ICE. It's very comfortable, quiet and, of course, very fast - they can reach a speed of 300 km/h. In test runs the first ICE even reached 406.9 km/h. I'm a big fan of the ICE, however, they are more expensive and, like all the other trains currently in Germany, not always on time. But if you have the "Deutsche Bahn" app, you get all the information you need - the exact time of the delay, your alternatives should you need one, which platform the train leaves/arrives, what and where your connection is etc. It is really convenient, but not perfect.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04Emu0uHA1DT3yf7h_13pvvbjDxYA0Xc_XxvV3P9jb29wKG7j1T6WwLZgyrCtlvtowes6aZjtPMv5ySVUGvLGFtjrreLbTZ7zenh4Bi0kLwNxUTCFlqg9p24NyZ9L_OYvDWqw5T0p_xpbMramps4GX_r1N1aYichWHSmTAXRAQCGcbYua9zG3BzEMPlU/s850/PXL_20220527_085657890.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04Emu0uHA1DT3yf7h_13pvvbjDxYA0Xc_XxvV3P9jb29wKG7j1T6WwLZgyrCtlvtowes6aZjtPMv5ySVUGvLGFtjrreLbTZ7zenh4Bi0kLwNxUTCFlqg9p24NyZ9L_OYvDWqw5T0p_xpbMramps4GX_r1N1aYichWHSmTAXRAQCGcbYua9zG3BzEMPlU/s16000/PXL_20220527_085657890.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>When we returned to München from Würzburg we took the Regionalzug which is much slower since it stops at more places. But it's also less expensive and often has great offers. It doesn't always have a direct connection to the place you want to go to and you might have to change trains in between, but it's still a great way to travel. Here you can see the Geek and I on the upper deck of the Regionalzug (yes, they often have two decks). This is also for Nicole's <a href="https://beadwright.blogspot.com/2023/11/friday-face-off-short-post.html" target="_blank">Friday Face Off</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLBj28xD22ddmvRU5XwHGV4wbwXexqL5vHQmtF19sffNnjGNVD0amzybW4ZGRjOHzcczQHueHWqzZssQrCuoaQcaA3EVk2QFv_MqpsCtF3xhkQ7QgTDHGhrO1l_JBez1JfYC87f9UU4jLpKWIgx-kcTrktTR2JFIRrMRlRKR-ODZ1QRzL-By25xiEAEE/s850/PXL_20220529_094408929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLBj28xD22ddmvRU5XwHGV4wbwXexqL5vHQmtF19sffNnjGNVD0amzybW4ZGRjOHzcczQHueHWqzZssQrCuoaQcaA3EVk2QFv_MqpsCtF3xhkQ7QgTDHGhrO1l_JBez1JfYC87f9UU4jLpKWIgx-kcTrktTR2JFIRrMRlRKR-ODZ1QRzL-By25xiEAEE/s16000/PXL_20220529_094408929.jpg" /></a></div><p>I wish we had an efficient railroad system across the United States. It would be so lovely if I could just hop on a train to visit my close friend Jo in Portland, OR. But instead I either have to drive and spend the night somewhere on the road or, even worse, I have to take the plane.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9ZG8yUf7gNbsZRZDJZDbUZMj_AbA9qOhyEzO-I1RF07R1i7VrN8tX0z-ZH8ciE3eyhS9n4TUKgX7PztvY3mtGJ73_FPYBTGqaWGkrjRUJ2jJJtdJij56oWGuvTHlo0KeTjCa5xxMKo024gGr2zWKLXfeXfZJyUBzekXezIKRQ10c10iHsOJu_EJFC6w/s850/PXL_20220512_172019274.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9ZG8yUf7gNbsZRZDJZDbUZMj_AbA9qOhyEzO-I1RF07R1i7VrN8tX0z-ZH8ciE3eyhS9n4TUKgX7PztvY3mtGJ73_FPYBTGqaWGkrjRUJ2jJJtdJij56oWGuvTHlo0KeTjCa5xxMKo024gGr2zWKLXfeXfZJyUBzekXezIKRQ10c10iHsOJu_EJFC6w/s16000/PXL_20220512_172019274.jpg" /></a></div><p>Before I finish this, I want to introduce you to a very special train that helds big importance for Germany's newer history. In early fall of 1989, many people of the DDR (German Democratic Republic or East Germany), especially younger ones, went to Prague and sought asylum in the West German embassy there. DDR citizens usually were not allowed to travel to any Western countries (it was extremely difficult), but they could travel to Eastern European countries like Czechoslovakia (as it was still called at that time), Hungary or Romania. At the end of September there were more than 2,500 people in the embassy (can you imagine that?). Then foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, after many diplomatic talks and visits, went to the embassy and on the evening of September 30th he stepped out on the balcony and told the German people of the DDR that they can leave for West Germany. This moment still makes me cry, even after 34 years. For those of you who are interested in it, you can see it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzMoRHf71Oc" target="_blank">here </a>(it's only 42 seconds). However, there was a hitch to it - the train with the DDR citizens on board had to go through the area of the DDR. This train was called "Zug in die Freiheit" (train to freedom) and there is a very good movie about it, a mix of documentary and scenes re-enacted by actors. I have seen this movie many times and I can highly recommend it. <a href="https://vimeo.com/107603939" target="_blank">Here </a>it is available with English subtitles.</p><p>40 days later, on November 9th, 1989 the Berlin Wall fell.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJM5dvTYxz5pSNt5YsjJ5JnAtzCQfiMNMjcR3Es6H80-MwKvMHHZ2MhDiAap7UizTst60j8v4UFFCrojwlzZORXEaalOtFMee-JPKT-sxcdFqqgJ_r5adLrw8NVmsVaBazjWhFVbWgVfC9ujTmUkBiFLqA4uoU293_8tuTBdTnmqVy6nAuFhAIli6Pgk/s850/IMG_20191116_072915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJM5dvTYxz5pSNt5YsjJ5JnAtzCQfiMNMjcR3Es6H80-MwKvMHHZ2MhDiAap7UizTst60j8v4UFFCrojwlzZORXEaalOtFMee-JPKT-sxcdFqqgJ_r5adLrw8NVmsVaBazjWhFVbWgVfC9ujTmUkBiFLqA4uoU293_8tuTBdTnmqVy6nAuFhAIli6Pgk/s16000/IMG_20191116_072915.jpg" /></a></div><p>Finally - dinner! A couple months ago I "discovered" Korean beefless Bulgogi at Trader Joe's after another customer had recommended it. Both the Geek and I like it - we use it as a meatless substitute for beef in our meals. It is delicious. I use it in Asian dishes that I prepare in my wok as well as in pasta dishes. Recently I made it with "veggie" radiatori (also from TJ's) and fresh broccoli and carrots from the farmers market.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yn2Tu7EDYDS4rOU4ub4Hc-7H6HFrDRSRR_NKMcFIuNtGIWVR__8LJyoo5chH2WAMb3k7UuU_oBzPpH3WwJ_HbMdtwvdqdjVLVWhqeun2UudrgSn9EjukW_y9sPlr8RUqkAX8fSQogNIKFomxijlTfzwHrS8IN82qQp1eo3uR9oVk9HDHQtwxB27eIpI/s850/PXL_20231021_023346202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yn2Tu7EDYDS4rOU4ub4Hc-7H6HFrDRSRR_NKMcFIuNtGIWVR__8LJyoo5chH2WAMb3k7UuU_oBzPpH3WwJ_HbMdtwvdqdjVLVWhqeun2UudrgSn9EjukW_y9sPlr8RUqkAX8fSQogNIKFomxijlTfzwHrS8IN82qQp1eo3uR9oVk9HDHQtwxB27eIpI/s16000/PXL_20231021_023346202.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383213396413989191.post-37717868377872455072023-11-06T16:46:00.001-08:002023-11-06T16:46:09.803-08:00Visitors of the Feathered Kind<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPEwm87gdovssxKYU1uK-YbrCDjSBEyzBpKYmZz5i3qpZKcIUfJPFOEt1sXJdZsBltZr2EgjW6iZUJp2CLFLtuxgo7efkrKxxEvRN_GfbwQikWsQewWC_9_SOCgiPBY8IX50qcFqWwy9RWOYsXY9G1hXmXL5CFprsN5G0XtfMClGd8Dk8JVWkxgMhWOs/s850/1-PXL_20230925_175945729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPEwm87gdovssxKYU1uK-YbrCDjSBEyzBpKYmZz5i3qpZKcIUfJPFOEt1sXJdZsBltZr2EgjW6iZUJp2CLFLtuxgo7efkrKxxEvRN_GfbwQikWsQewWC_9_SOCgiPBY8IX50qcFqWwy9RWOYsXY9G1hXmXL5CFprsN5G0XtfMClGd8Dk8JVWkxgMhWOs/s16000/1-PXL_20230925_175945729.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Last week I missed T Tuesday - I felt quite depressed about what is going on in the world that I didn't feel like writing anything at all. I spent time in nature - always the big healer - and in the company of good friends. Nothing has changed in the world, at least not to the better, but no one and nothing is being helped if I keep a moody attitude. </p><p>Nevertheless, this will be a short post. A few weeks ago wild turkeys walked through our neighborhood. This is not something unusual, they do that regularly, but this time they decided to visit my garden. I had put a bird feeder in the Japanese Maple this year and that is what was calling them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioasQeafU0mr_3SWsUyDgpGQCuHND_9fU7hGmW2OsVM-vJEgf8hC9ZyMEtL6ZJ3_u2kMFV0lw_MfVPVXAltbo1jeK2KuIE5l_r1n-Ipj4ilgbwJsgMqFqxtZhAC1caVV15zLVsVJ1f7fAgpcgx_Dvv2rDzuy3COF846XNrNijOrdjCI3nZhRd7hqSsZo4/s850/PXL_20230925_175942135.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioasQeafU0mr_3SWsUyDgpGQCuHND_9fU7hGmW2OsVM-vJEgf8hC9ZyMEtL6ZJ3_u2kMFV0lw_MfVPVXAltbo1jeK2KuIE5l_r1n-Ipj4ilgbwJsgMqFqxtZhAC1caVV15zLVsVJ1f7fAgpcgx_Dvv2rDzuy3COF846XNrNijOrdjCI3nZhRd7hqSsZo4/s16000/PXL_20230925_175942135.MP.jpg" /></a></div><p>I don't mind wild turkeys if they walk down the street and I'm even good humored if they attack my car (which had happened repeatedly), but in my garden is a completely different story. They actually have the ability to make a huge mess in a flower garden and can wreak real havoc. Therefore I wasn't too happy to see them turning up in my front yard.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNlX7PZCUNqIz_ICCi5nSytjV93a4pWyWqeiHUO6ko5HF1d9OhGahUViyzynB_GV8FuSTVSzQPISEL-lVxDomzlbo7ZG9AvKoqxWu10GbYbH44qzprQEiDurqE8E31GLd2bECfdfA2MCaT4XKMjefYgND8azNOjnYC2N5Il2Xhj9VpeQ9dbizRdEPb-U/s850/PXL_20230924_202912919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="773" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNlX7PZCUNqIz_ICCi5nSytjV93a4pWyWqeiHUO6ko5HF1d9OhGahUViyzynB_GV8FuSTVSzQPISEL-lVxDomzlbo7ZG9AvKoqxWu10GbYbH44qzprQEiDurqE8E31GLd2bECfdfA2MCaT4XKMjefYgND8azNOjnYC2N5Il2Xhj9VpeQ9dbizRdEPb-U/s16000/PXL_20230924_202912919.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjtlSguWfe_8w4BOJ-CBBwTzWGvJMSAAaAlJeNLcLjZjGO-_Un4hvjADCPRtcF0LHYXQRJ8v5AwCQvB0sBLl8pwASTlNuRIHggCEMILMdpdBCbreyIUVuSmpGWXTYS47S07lbyozgHZSluPewSSRjJJMLqqMKjWaJQi1SPbPWpCDMMFS8uTtAWfiOqV8/s850/Turkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjtlSguWfe_8w4BOJ-CBBwTzWGvJMSAAaAlJeNLcLjZjGO-_Un4hvjADCPRtcF0LHYXQRJ8v5AwCQvB0sBLl8pwASTlNuRIHggCEMILMdpdBCbreyIUVuSmpGWXTYS47S07lbyozgHZSluPewSSRjJJMLqqMKjWaJQi1SPbPWpCDMMFS8uTtAWfiOqV8/s16000/Turkeys.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That didn't keep me from taking pictures. I could see that they were mostly interested in the sunflower chips that the birds had dropped on the ground. However, stalking among the plants did leave a mark, especially since some of them thought they needed to check out the flower garden.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FTOVS0pzghYAGaySsfSERLF051WJNDlpEqhLAWNgi9bZ3HUYtXRi9asQllzMqDOkrIh4fyMs28_W0aDVmNfJGylgRbz7oLLK_0Ifv8RrhS_R_P0VwRvAMMSxj2KnIBzrob4IEisr-g8zps5ymeEoTuCNmnl3tcZHH5q_rFeqjHHvXKMATt8_r8wX-SE/s850/PXL_20230924_203043288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FTOVS0pzghYAGaySsfSERLF051WJNDlpEqhLAWNgi9bZ3HUYtXRi9asQllzMqDOkrIh4fyMs28_W0aDVmNfJGylgRbz7oLLK_0Ifv8RrhS_R_P0VwRvAMMSxj2KnIBzrob4IEisr-g8zps5ymeEoTuCNmnl3tcZHH5q_rFeqjHHvXKMATt8_r8wX-SE/s16000/PXL_20230924_203043288.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess the flowers were not too much to their liking since they quickly returned to the area of the bird feeder and when I finally ventured off the porch they decided to take off and check out the big porperty across the street.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWGieZy6EiKa56r43ngIMDAcWhFOc7zVAvyQTGfIaWPoJjhbBbyr568ClCjvLPtgTBqVnIXyQvwMRtdqMVk60pVN1FBhS2jSid3rL-eZCrwc2Puqlegbhn5y6K-AKmDvQskEM3dZIVKTZEqI7gV7PS_bmkkB-ZrOiLAUkg9FEjJI3e52Zj-a8u0jE9KA/s850/Taking_Off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWGieZy6EiKa56r43ngIMDAcWhFOc7zVAvyQTGfIaWPoJjhbBbyr568ClCjvLPtgTBqVnIXyQvwMRtdqMVk60pVN1FBhS2jSid3rL-eZCrwc2Puqlegbhn5y6K-AKmDvQskEM3dZIVKTZEqI7gV7PS_bmkkB-ZrOiLAUkg9FEjJI3e52Zj-a8u0jE9KA/s16000/Taking_Off.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now let's see what kind of drink we have today for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's <a href="https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2023/11/t-stands-for-spice-merchant-pt-6.html" target="_blank">T Tuesday</a>. Sometime this year a new bakery and caf<span id="docs-internal-guid-707f92aa-7fff-d104-0bcf-c05621906f77"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span> opened in my town and a friend and I met there a few weeks ago. I had their hot chocolate with whipped cream on top - oh, so good. They also make the most delicious croissants - we sometimes have them during break at the German School. This was a good place to go to, but I still miss the lovely caf<span id="docs-internal-guid-707f92aa-7fff-d104-0bcf-c05621906f77"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">é</span></span>s you can fnd in Germany.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSv-_2AUA9LXNoMEAUxLBRHqO-Qn-KOCp4e-XJN-p49vz7SmRZjvKdH3-f_XfkF3QtnZ759TMohlKp1j4-Vjqta1oIv7hnBVUMss3cIICgh9JpN6kFSJN0zQZRWSbfTWNAF83-d1LYpHMrNJdtj4vKn9eiQkMG5vLpiXuSIdAQ0S9cGytb_RQpGj_Oghs/s850/PXL_20230816_170953600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSv-_2AUA9LXNoMEAUxLBRHqO-Qn-KOCp4e-XJN-p49vz7SmRZjvKdH3-f_XfkF3QtnZ759TMohlKp1j4-Vjqta1oIv7hnBVUMss3cIICgh9JpN6kFSJN0zQZRWSbfTWNAF83-d1LYpHMrNJdtj4vKn9eiQkMG5vLpiXuSIdAQ0S9cGytb_RQpGj_Oghs/s16000/PXL_20230816_170953600.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carola Bartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05536486322412234854noreply@blogger.com21