Voyage Cancelled

 

Dear You, 

Here in Bavaria we have many many storks. 

They go south in late autumn, and return in spring to their old stork's nests. 

So yesterday I was surprised to hear very loud clatter (if that word is right): 

one pair of storks has decided to remain here, sent back their tickets for a ride to Africa and thus thankfully reduced their carbon footprint. 

Though, sitting on the best place of town - the church tower - maybe they only were afraid that if they leave others would squatter their nest? 

 

FELDENKRAIS - I favour it!

 

Dear You, 

it might not be the best idea to start writing a post every day at a time when we prepare for the Christmas festivities...

 

Above you see something I do very diligently: 

almost every day I do my Feldenkrais exercises. I have 4 CDs, (back, legs and feet, neck and face, posture) and each one I choose takes roughly about 1 hour.

I do that because since a year (or more) some little pains nag in my back, or my knee, or my neck. 

And Feldenkrais really, really helps! 

As I don't have much free time at the moment, I gave up the 30 minutes of meditation, because, as I do that at midday on my bed meditation often turned into a "power"nap :-) - and though I set the alarm on my cellphone, I often came back to this world feeling a bit grumpy. 

So I substituted it (at the moment) by the Feldenkrais exercises - and feel fit and glow with satisfaction. 

And my body and soul are happy.  

ORGANIZING (Martha Stewart) and SERENITY (Zen Magic, Shunmyo Masuno)

 

A big title for this little post.
Always dashing between two antipodes - that's me.
I admire Martha Stewart, and at the same time she unnerves me, as perfection often does.
The Zen-Priest Shunmyo Masuno spreads calm and serenity - though when I imagine how the Zen-monks really live, I shudder.

(I cannot find the English version of his book: I translate the German subtitle to: "How to tidy up and gain a pure heart through/by it"  Tasker: Please help me: through or by?). 

So: I'm muddling through, not by, and pick those pearls of wisdom that appeal to me. Sometimes I will quote a few. 

I have a new plan: 

As an eager diary-writer (hand-written diaries) I will try here to write a different version online. Daily finger exercises. 

If my name were Martha, I would promise: Every day. 

If I were Shunmyo, I would say: Wu Wei. 

Being Britta, I say: I try to give my best. 

First Sunday in Advent...

 

... and a present from Google! 

I can post photos! Hurrah! 

Seems that somewhere I has refused too let Google read all my mails, snoop in all my photos and send me billions of advertisements... How could I?!? 

Now I throw caution to the wind and just write, well knowing what I do. 

It is rule no. 17:

"Flip the Freebie...and Look for the Hidden Price Tag" 

from a wise little book that I will quote when I found author and correct title. I love it! 

You see: my Advent wreath is sophisticated Scandinavian design. 

The twigs I found on a street of the Bavarian wood, and - if you still have very good eyesight - you see 3 little fir cones in the middle of the wreath. 

I wish you a beautiful Sunday! 

Smoking on trains

 Talking with the triplets (I know it should be "to" but I am on even terms with them) I often discover things from my (very near) past that don't exist anymore and give rise to huge astonishment (to ALL of us). 

Take smoking: 

The children often play "train journey" with me - each of them has grabbed one of my posh little trolleys (two in soft silver pink, one in grey-black -- and the one triplet with a remarkable tendency to luxury and elegance always grabs the stylishly understated grey-black one!), sit on my sofa and present their tickets. 

I am ticket collector and locomotive driver in one person, and - as everywhere in the world staff isn't easy to get - also serve a hot chocolate in the on-board restaurant. 

Well, to come back to the "Once upon a time"- bit: 

I told them that in my youth people smoked in trains. 

I remember that sometimes when one could only get a seat in a smoking compartment after a journey the clothes in my suitcase stank of smoke (some of these compartments were only separated by a curtain, if I remember it right). 

Both, the triplets and I, were very astonished that smoking was allowed in trains, or at breakfast tables in a hotel, or in private households where a guest would politely ask if it is alright to smoke and then didn't even wait for the answer... 

PS: I have a vague feeling that it should be "smoking on trains" - would that be better? 

- Thank you, Tasker - I corrected it from "in" to "on". 

Work-Life-Balance

 I "won" a whole sunny Sunday: 

Google's User Helpdesk (if this is still the right word) doesn't work on Sunday. 

Hahaha: so not only Germany has a problem with "Generation Z", whom most older people insinuate that they will only work on four days a week - (they told us so), because that is better for their work-life-balance (but with the same full payment as before). If it weren't so dreadful and sad we would recommend a look at the VW - people who want to work but might lose their jobs, horrible. 

Google wants a work-life-balance too! 

Totally energised I had decided to resolve the "no-photos-on-my-blog"-problem - today - but: see above. 

So I'll take a long walk, and wish you a beautiful day too! 

It's Not That I Don't Want To

 I haven't written for a long time because I have a problem with Google: these days I cannot show you my photos, because I need more cloud. I am willing to pay - but that is really difficult this time, and I lose interest, hanging for hours in telephone waiting lines. 

I have the feeling that many of you are also a bit tired of posting - or have good reasons not to because of trolls or hate comments. 

I love to write - but I love to add my photos too. 

Maybe I try to write without them, maybe I stop. Though I would miss you - I love your blogs, and I love your comments - sometimes I have the feeling that with some of you I am friends. 

And two of you I have met in real life: Tom Stephenson in Bath, and Susan Scheid in America. And those beautiful towels by Joanne Noragon are such a special gift! 

Let me ponder a while... 

"Don't cross the bridge...

 ... before you reach it." 

These wise words are very often given to me as advice from my dear friend Christine. 

You see: I am impatient. I am a scheduler, I like to make plans. Worry about them. 

Today I got a beautiful example for that vice: how often had I discussed with friends and family whether I should renew my one-year-season ticket for the German railroad - the special offer "BahnCard100" for pensioners and retirees. 

I enjoyed its possibilities: with this ticket I can as often as I want take every train in Germany, on the spur of a moment, going as far in Germany as I want. For one year, "without paying" anymore. 

The only fly in the ointment was the price: 3880 Euros (= 3.319 Pound Sterling) - a special offer for us oldies. 

Quite a lot, I think. But I bought it. Although being at least 3 weeks a month together with the triplets so I had only one week a month - in which I travelled to Berlin, mostly, and sometimes to Munich. 

Mid-September I have to renew this Card. 

             OR NOT. 

As I said: I crossed that bridge often in my head. 

Yesterday I saw: no need for that. 

They do not offer this "special offer" anymore. (One can still buy the regular one - 2.class in the train - for 4.550 Euro. (3.894Pound Sterling)

No need to cross a bridge. I won't. I will buy the tickets I need, every time, and that's it. 

Sigh... It was so comfortable... But...

Wildflower- bunch of July

 

Just in time to post it - you see: the colour of July flowers is mostly purple, pink and lilac-blue. 

Purple lythrum (or purple loosestrife/willowherb) grows here everywhere at the border of little ditches. Red clover, bloody cranesbill (geranium sanguineum)and pink lady slippers (lotus australis, though I doubt australis) make beautiful eye-candy. 

As I was preoccupied with nursing my lumbago (caught me in Berlin, forced me to stay longer, thus missing my flight to Amsterdam and a week in the Netherlands), I could not post the bunch of June. Here it is: 

  

Beautiful Munich

Last week I decided to go to Munich (by train - which in Germany nowadays is a never ending adventure...) 

From my tiny village (1 track!) to Nürnberg the little red train needs only 40 minutes. But then I have to wait at least - and every time - 30 minutes, valuable time well spent on deepening my studies in mankind: the Central Station in Nürnberg is neither beautiful (but full!) nor safe (ranking position 3 in "the most dangerous Central stations in Germany" - running after Köln and Hannover - Nürnberg proudly presented 548 violent offences last year). 

But then - if it comes - the ICE to Munich speeds in 1 hour to its destination. 

This time I changed my visiting routine: nature before culture, I decided - so passing by the the Frauenkirche  

I took a few steps to the Hofgarten, bathing in the bewitching smell of flowering limes, 

crossed through the Diana Tempel: 

to reach the lovely "Englischer Garten" with the "Monopteros" 

and the "Eisbach" - light turquoise icy water, where surfers dash by.  

 I dashed too - and overdid it a bit to snatch up culture. 

In the heat, 31°!= 87,5 degrees Fahrenheit - Yours Truly walked all in all over 15,000 steps - meaning over 10 kilometres in relatively new ballerinas... ouch ... 

Next time I will be wiser, hopefully - otherwise: 

older, but not wiser. 

(Highly elegant position of legs and feet - but what can I expect after that gigantic walk? At my age?) 

Elating surprise in the English Bookshop WordsWorth (Schellingstrasse, university terrain) -  

the owner recognised me after almost 30 years! - and we chatted for a long time - but that is worth a few words in another blog post, I think. 

 

Après nous le déluge?

 

As the Flying Dutchman told me the newspapers and TV in the Netherlands were full of reports on the very bad weather we had especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. And it is not over yet. 

Luckily here we were spared catastrophes - on the photo you see the "Au" - a sort of natural overflow "basin" for a swelling little river. Two years ago I saw different pictures - no green left to be seen, seething water - and in the neighbour village many houses stood for a quarter under water. 

But Augsburg, Regensburg, Passau - they were no that lucky this year. 

Back to the Sixties in a minute

 

Do you remember the eye-make-up we did in the sixties? I still paint my eyes quite heavily - but I do not use baby-blue powder on the whole eyelid anymore, which will give you an instant sixty-feeling. 

And I do not paint the "Twiggy"-eyelashes (in the corners of the outer edge of the lower eyelid (though I liked it). 

But every day I paint - and love it, whether I am alone or going out. It is like a meditation, looks great, and gives me - together with my daring YSL-lipstick - a feeling of protection. 

"My eyes in shining armour" - to malappropriate a song title from the 

Rolling Stones. 

Wildflower-Bouquet of May

 

I sometimes wonder if I use the right word (bouquet) for the arrangement of a few wildflowers which I gather on my walks. "Bunch" might be more suitable? 

Today you find "A Study in Scarlet": dove or pigeon scabious, lucerne and one soft pink dog rose. 

I'm sorry to say that the photo does not show the many colour values of the lucerne, but as May is almost over in the blink of an eye this has to suffice. 

I opt to make things simpler, thus I decided to put the blog about plants and garden into "You are witty and pretty". 

The love of plants is part of my life, and a joy.  

Decision FOR My Happiness

 

I had to think for a while. Or better: feel. Recover from a (mild) shock. 

Then I came to the conclusion that it would be mad to let one person not only rain on my parade, but stop me doing something I love. 

I talk of writing. 

So I'll take a deep plunge and meet (the rest of) my friends again. 

Happy to meet you! 

(The Pegasus is a photo I took from the window of the Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin; the the open-air bath is in Wantlitz, Brandenburg). 

 

"I've got it, yeah, baby, I've got it!"

 

Well, well, well... For days I was in a position that Yours Truly utterly hates: I was "Anonymous" - even on my own blog! 

"You only see those standing in the light/ Those standing in the dark you do not see"wrote our sociocritical poet Bertolt Brecht. 

Have you ever got the impression that I hate standing in the spotlight? Not me. Even while getting older I do not accept to be overlooked. NO. 

The photo above I took a few days ago - here in the early morning you sometimes see only a wall of fog, and a few tree tops. 

INVISIBLE. Bah! I even asked for help in the community, and they kindly answered - Thank you! - in English - THAT was not the problem, no - my problem was their technical jargon - and honestly: if someone does not know what they EXACTLY mean with a browser you have a problem. Which I had.(Though I know how to help myself and scrolled the Internet, which kindly did not start it's answer with "Dear Idiot"... :-) 

Of course I suspected that "cookies" had something to do with it - I avoid them as the devil avoids the the holy water as we in Germany say while you say: "to avoid something like the plague". 

Well - if you see how many users want your and my cookies... 

Long time ago Son explained: "Mama, you either pay with money or with data". 

But here I do not even have a choice. If I want to be seen. 

So: to be able to communicate with you further, also with  Rachel and others who will have very good reasons to close their blog completely against any anonymous commentator I scatter my cookies all around. 

Here, cookie monster: chick, chick, chick: munch, crumble, gobble! 

Back and almost ready for Easter

 

As you might guess: I spent one wonderful week in the Netherlands. 

Now I have a lot of work to do before I can start blogging again. 

I apologize to all of you for not being able to comment your blogs: I read them, but evidently I muddled something contra Google's wish for data - thus I am kept away from commenting. 

I'll try to fix that. 

Till then: I wish you a Happy Easter time. The little village here is already nicely adorned: 

Posture - or: How To Look Slim, Energetic, Powerful and Younger in a second

Posture.              Well, well, well...   "Stand tall!"  "Sit upright!"  mother reminded us. 

I have to confess that my posture never was Very Good - I am a tall woman, 1,78m, and though I found out that this has many advantages (I could work as a model and now silver model, was not overlooked when I entered a room - very important for a committee or as teacher) - it has also some drawbacks. 

When you are 15 years old you want to be as everybody else - so in my peer group I curved my shoulders. 

A tall girl seldom wants a lover who is shorter than her (though there are exceptions: beautiful Carla Bruni and Monsieur Sarkozy). And though I know that this is very shallow, and found out that in bed the flaw disappears, I wanted to wear kitten heels or High Heels and "look up" (silly again).    

"You" - a dressmaker said to me, " will get problems with your hip if you stand like that!" 

I looked at her and thought "Prattle on!" (I was 15) - and protruded my right hip in the typical model angle - très chic. Today I think: she had a point. No big problems with my hip, thank God, but sometimes I can feel it. 

Walking with the then tiny triplets made my not very good posture even worse. 

So now it is really, really time for action. I read some enlightening books , go to the fitness club, do exercises from Youtube - and try to recall it when I stand up from an armchair WITHOUT using my hands (at least I do not say "Phew!", as some friends of mine have started - "phew" when they sit down and "phew" when they try to get up...) 

"Keeping up appearances" - a dress looks so much nicer when you hold your head up tight (young people nowadays slouch over their cellphone - and their posture is as bad as mine...) 

Your waistline looks so much slimmer when you stand tall. 

And you look younger. Definitely. 

But it takes some effort now.  (Phew!) 

I Feel Overprotected! "Dressing Instructions" for your tights

 

We all will have read about "helicopter parents". 

A difficult balance in a world to protect your child - without making it feel helpless. (I was always a supporter of the maxim "Do not support someone by giving him everyday a fish - better give him an angling rod.") 

Nowadays they pamper us, average adults, with suffocating eagerness. Whining they see problems everywhere - today I read that PETA, animal rights activists, in earnest call for forbidding wooden animals on roundabouts - carousel animals would give children wrong impressions how to treat animals. 

Politicians "care" about what you SHOULD eat. Don't get me wrong: I think it is great to eat healthy vegetables - but you should have heard the rage of German citizenry when our Green politicians wanted to establish a "vegetable day" once a week for all of us. (Sugar or unhealthy fast food has a big lobby -  you don't hear much to protect children on that front, though timid attempts are made to implement a sugar tax - so: I am not against protecting children).

And now I found that dressing instructions for tights. 

Honestly: the triplets, now 4 and a half year old, can put on their tights without those instructions, thank you very much. 

What will they try to "teach us" next???