My middle daughter called me yesterday. Would I mind picking up her munchkin, she and her husband were meeting her doctor to check out her unborn. She was having some contractions, and after the difficult pregnancy last time, she wanted to make sure everything was all right. (And it was).
So off I go to get Jackson. I get to daycare, he acknowledges that I'm there, and continues playing. When his caretaker told him, I was there to get him, he questioned me. He is not yet 3 years old! Where is mommy, she is picking him up. No, mommy can't come. Where is daddy? Daddy is with mommy and they asked me to get him. Only then did he agree to go with me.
He showed me where his things were, and as we were getting in the car, he wanted to know if we were picking up the cousins. No, not this time!
We went to his house, and played with the dog. That is, I tried throwing things to the dog, but he wanted to hold them all. Ball, stick, didn't matter. Then we dug in the garden. The rhubarb is coming up nicely, the strawberry plants are still alive, and the sage and thyme are coming back.
Then came the parents, and the other grandma, and we ate together. Pork chops on the grill, potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, spinach and broccoli. And strawberries and cream for dessert. Good!
Would you believe, I forgot to say good-bye to him? I felt so bad! I must have thought he'd gone to bed, I can't think of another explanation. He called me, and we said bye, byes on the phone.
April 9, 2010
April 8, 2010
Reading List
The week is going by unbelievably fast. The last couple of days were very warm. Yesterday even hot, although it didn't feel like August, it wasn't as humid.
I read every day. Lots of times just out of habit and I read a lot of books just because I read. I'm also sort of in a reading club - sort of because lots of times I manage not to find the book that's on deck.
This time I found 'Brooklyn' by Colm Toibin in time, and I am reading it right alongside 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman. The Neil Gaiman I picked up because another blog recommended it. The writer of the other blog is a devoted fan of Neil Gaiman, and I found it at the Goodwill store and thought I give it a try.
I'm not far enough into either book (thank you Claus, for teaching me it's allowed to read more than one book at the same time!) to give an opinion. I am, however further into the Neil Gaiman than I am into the other. I am curious to see where the story is going.
I think I started my reading habit because I was so excited to be able to read. I still remember that. And I still remember the first book I read 'Lieselluempchen', from our tiny village library.
And we didn't get a TV until I was 13 years old. Can you imagine?!
I love TV now, although it's mostly just on, I do a lot of other things while watching TV.
And I tried to give my children TV-free time, we went to Germany every other year, and had a vacation within a vacation. We went to Switzerland a few times while visiting my folks. I still remember my daughter reading 'Heidi' (in English) while we were driving up and down the mountain passes in Switzerland.
The funniest part about our Germany visits? The kids still remember seeing Elvis movies in German. And some bog monster, also in German.
edit: The Swamp Thing. That's what it was called.
I read every day. Lots of times just out of habit and I read a lot of books just because I read. I'm also sort of in a reading club - sort of because lots of times I manage not to find the book that's on deck.
This time I found 'Brooklyn' by Colm Toibin in time, and I am reading it right alongside 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman. The Neil Gaiman I picked up because another blog recommended it. The writer of the other blog is a devoted fan of Neil Gaiman, and I found it at the Goodwill store and thought I give it a try.
I'm not far enough into either book (thank you Claus, for teaching me it's allowed to read more than one book at the same time!) to give an opinion. I am, however further into the Neil Gaiman than I am into the other. I am curious to see where the story is going.
I think I started my reading habit because I was so excited to be able to read. I still remember that. And I still remember the first book I read 'Lieselluempchen', from our tiny village library.
And we didn't get a TV until I was 13 years old. Can you imagine?!
I love TV now, although it's mostly just on, I do a lot of other things while watching TV.
And I tried to give my children TV-free time, we went to Germany every other year, and had a vacation within a vacation. We went to Switzerland a few times while visiting my folks. I still remember my daughter reading 'Heidi' (in English) while we were driving up and down the mountain passes in Switzerland.
The funniest part about our Germany visits? The kids still remember seeing Elvis movies in German. And some bog monster, also in German.
edit: The Swamp Thing. That's what it was called.
April 5, 2010
Easter
And this was our Easter. With home-made place cards, desserts, champagne toasts, playing catch, ring-around-the-rosies, Easter egg hunt, and admiring a pregnant tummy.
April 2, 2010
Thoughts
As I was on my walk this morning, which I still started a little too late, it was already getting light, I stopped and took this photo:
The moon looked just so beautiful reflected in the pond. This is one view of the little pond I walk around most mornings.
And below is the view from the other side, facing East. The sunrises aren't that gorgeous yet, it gets light way before the sun comes up over the Horizon.
This is my new sewing machine. It works great! I am really happy with it.
And this is more material I bought when I was out in PA last weekend. Since we won't know what the new baby will be until it's here, I need to be prepared!
And some little bags I made to be sold on the 1st of May, or at least offered, hopefully to be sold.
The top ones I made at work with a commercial machine, since I'm sewing through the paper backing of the material, and it's heavy upholstery material. The bottom ones I made with the new sewing machine. The applicays I got from a friend years ago, and she found them in her mother's belongings - so they are vintage, which is cool.
And below is the view from the other side, facing East. The sunrises aren't that gorgeous yet, it gets light way before the sun comes up over the Horizon.
The top ones I made at work with a commercial machine, since I'm sewing through the paper backing of the material, and it's heavy upholstery material. The bottom ones I made with the new sewing machine. The applicays I got from a friend years ago, and she found them in her mother's belongings - so they are vintage, which is cool.
Have a very happy Easter, everybody!
April 1, 2010
Green Thursday
Green Thursday is what this Thursday is called in Germany. My mother would make spinach and eggs with potatoes, which used to be my favorite meal for ages. I still love the combination. Easter in Germany is 4 days long, Good Friday is a holiday, and everything is closed. I mean everything! Then Saturday and Sunday of course, and Monday is a holiday as well.
The last time I spent Easter in Germany my father was sick. And it was very hard for me to spend those four days cooped up in the house, with hardly any diversion. My folks lived on the outskirts of a village, nothing going on in town, no stores, and then everything was closed. Oh, I just realized that's not true.
Last Easter I was in Germany! I arrived on Friday, and I spent it with my little brother and his family in the South of Germany. That was lovely. We even attended Easter Services at an American church, in English. Tell me that's not strange.
Anyway, I did meet my friends for sushi last night. And it was lovely. We laughed, almost immediately, about silly stuff, we interrupted each other constantly while trying to catch up, we listened to the accomplishments of each others children, which range in age from almost 40 to a baby about to be born. One of our group is a scout leader, who told us about a trip to the Adirondacks with the scouts where he built his own igloo. We couldn't believe it! Yes, he was warm in it, he said. Would he do it again? He didn't think so. And his kids are also adults. One in our little group told us about her son, who was the technical teacher of the year in the State of New Jersey. Woohoo! And she'll be a grandma for the first time. (And no, she's not the one pregnant!)
That wold be the youngest member of the group. A lovely young lady, she'll have her third son this summer, a total surprise. She had us in stitches, telling us how she thought - was convinced - she was dying of some god-awful disease, when it turned out to be nothing, her husband and her celebrated - and well, you get it.
Jessica and I made place cards for Easter dinner yesterday afternoon, after I picked her up at school. We had fun, and worked on them for an hour and a half. Here is where I found them:
http://skizzenblog.clausast.de/?p=3439
It's a German website, a cartoonist is having a 'giveaway' drawing, to be downloaded and printed.
Thank you, Claus Ast!
We had a lot of fun, and I will take a picture of them. Of course, the 5-year-old's place cards are much prettier than mine!
Hm, and no spinach in my day, I don't think.
Oh, and it's supposed to be a lovely day here in New Jersey. We do need it, did you all hear about the floods in Rhode Island? I saw a woman on TV this morning saying she had fish in her basement. Fish in her basement? (maybe she can catch them and have them for Good Friday dinner ----- that's mean...)
Hopefully we'll dry out!
The last time I spent Easter in Germany my father was sick. And it was very hard for me to spend those four days cooped up in the house, with hardly any diversion. My folks lived on the outskirts of a village, nothing going on in town, no stores, and then everything was closed. Oh, I just realized that's not true.
Last Easter I was in Germany! I arrived on Friday, and I spent it with my little brother and his family in the South of Germany. That was lovely. We even attended Easter Services at an American church, in English. Tell me that's not strange.
Anyway, I did meet my friends for sushi last night. And it was lovely. We laughed, almost immediately, about silly stuff, we interrupted each other constantly while trying to catch up, we listened to the accomplishments of each others children, which range in age from almost 40 to a baby about to be born. One of our group is a scout leader, who told us about a trip to the Adirondacks with the scouts where he built his own igloo. We couldn't believe it! Yes, he was warm in it, he said. Would he do it again? He didn't think so. And his kids are also adults. One in our little group told us about her son, who was the technical teacher of the year in the State of New Jersey. Woohoo! And she'll be a grandma for the first time. (And no, she's not the one pregnant!)
That wold be the youngest member of the group. A lovely young lady, she'll have her third son this summer, a total surprise. She had us in stitches, telling us how she thought - was convinced - she was dying of some god-awful disease, when it turned out to be nothing, her husband and her celebrated - and well, you get it.
Jessica and I made place cards for Easter dinner yesterday afternoon, after I picked her up at school. We had fun, and worked on them for an hour and a half. Here is where I found them:
http://skizzenblog.clausast.de/?p=3439
It's a German website, a cartoonist is having a 'giveaway' drawing, to be downloaded and printed.
Thank you, Claus Ast!
We had a lot of fun, and I will take a picture of them. Of course, the 5-year-old's place cards are much prettier than mine!
Hm, and no spinach in my day, I don't think.
Oh, and it's supposed to be a lovely day here in New Jersey. We do need it, did you all hear about the floods in Rhode Island? I saw a woman on TV this morning saying she had fish in her basement. Fish in her basement? (maybe she can catch them and have them for Good Friday dinner ----- that's mean...)
Hopefully we'll dry out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)