Have you ever tried to completely "eat out" the fridge? Y'know, when you're getting ready to leave for a long holiday and you want to do something silly like defrost the freezer part of your ridiculously small fridge? Well said task is upon us, and being that we're leaving tomorrow (yay!) the challenge is seeming impossible at times. I mean, think about the things you'd have left over in your fridge after eating all the normal "going together" stuff. That's right, we have a bottle of ketchup, ranch dressing, 3 varieties of pickles, 3 kinds of jams, hot peppers, lemon juice, chocolate sauce, and organic maple syrup. Ok ok there's still a bit of milk and also a tomato and cucumber for a salad today, but the rest is all this random stuff! How are we ever supposed to finish everything up without sending our stomachs into ruin?! I'm just not sure and fearing that we'll end up throwing some stuff out (not cool!). Or I could ask to put a couple things in the neighbor's fridge for a few weeks...hmm...
But the good side of all this is that we have this problem because we're going home!! Yay! I mean, to visit--some people have asked in a serious tone if we'll stay, which is weird to be asked when you're sharing news of a wonderful Christmas VISIT home with someone. Anyway-! We PLAN to come back, who knows what could happen (I'm only referring to monumental things like every airline company going bankrupt or the baby being born 5 months early (HA!) or something, please know I'm not serious) but yes, this is a VISIT home. So we're on our way tomorrow and are so thrilled to get to see our family and friends! A bonus is that we'll both see our parents tomorrow night when we land because my parents and sister will also fly into Rochester to spend time with Grady's parents (and us) for the weekend. It's going to be so overwhelming to see everyone and I can't wait!
A fun thing about being pregnant (at least here with a German doctor calling the shots) and preparing to travel is a little thing called (literally translated) compression tights. I got fitted for these lovely ladies yesterday and let me tell you, this culture is NOT KIDDING about certain things! Last week at the doctor's appointment I asked about flying and maybe some tips the doctor had for my pregnant body during the 10 hour flight, and she wrote up a prescription for these compression tights to prevent swelling. Great! I thought. Until getting fitted for them yesterday. I'm sure they'll stop the swelling, no doubt about that, but man, how do they not stop the bloodflow?! They are these thigh-high tight-looking things that at first glance seem like they would barely go up past the knee. Oh no. Frau whoever-it-was who measured and fitted me put on DISHWASHING GLOVES to get the right grip on the hose to gradually yet forcefully pull it up what ended up to be my whole leg-! It is the weirdest sensation to have such an overall tightness (literally and otherwise) around one's leg-! And I'm supposed to wear these for the whole travel day?! There's even a special technique to take them off and I couldn't help but think how much more time I was going to need to get dressed and undressed. I'll keep everyone posted about how tomorrow goes walking briskly through airports on my restricted legs, and if it actually does help the swelling. Here's to new adventures-!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Holiday Treats
Here are my favorite goodies recipes this season:
(all found on http://www.allrecipes.com/)
Enjoy!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
red maraschino cherries, quartered
1. Preheat over to 350 F (175 C).
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, flour and icing sugar. With an electric mixer, beat for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Spoon onto cookie sheets, spacing cookies two inches apart. Place a piece of maraschino cherry onto the middle of each cookie.
3. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated over, or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from over and let cool on cookie sheet for five minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container, seperating each layer with waxed paper.
Bitesize Turtle Candy*
(*this recipe is modified from the original)
pecan halves
individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped and halved
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons shortening
1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Line baking sheets with wax paper or foil.
2. Place pecan half on cookie sheet and place half of caramel on top. Repeat with remaining nuts and caramels.
3. Place in preheated oven ~5 minutes, until caramel is soft but not fully melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Flatten caramel a bit with index finger (careful, they are hot!).
4. Melt chocolate chips with shortening in microwave, or in a small saucepan over low heat on stove; stir until smooth. Spoon over candies on sheets. Chill for many hours, until firm.
Swedish Nuts
2 egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound nuts (walnuts or pecans are best)
1/2 cup butter
1. Preheat oven to 375 F (165 C). Melt butter in 9 x 13" dish by placing in oven.
2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, salt, vanilla.
3. Beat until stiff peaks form and turn glossy (about 10 minutes).
4. Fold in nuts and coat well with mixture.
5. Evenly spread coated nuts over butter in pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring and turning nuts every eight minutes or until there is no more butter in the pan.
7. Place hot nuts on foil and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
(all found on http://www.allrecipes.com/)
Enjoy!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
red maraschino cherries, quartered
1. Preheat over to 350 F (175 C).
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, flour and icing sugar. With an electric mixer, beat for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Spoon onto cookie sheets, spacing cookies two inches apart. Place a piece of maraschino cherry onto the middle of each cookie.
3. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated over, or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from over and let cool on cookie sheet for five minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container, seperating each layer with waxed paper.
Bitesize Turtle Candy*
(*this recipe is modified from the original)
pecan halves
individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped and halved
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons shortening
1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Line baking sheets with wax paper or foil.
2. Place pecan half on cookie sheet and place half of caramel on top. Repeat with remaining nuts and caramels.
3. Place in preheated oven ~5 minutes, until caramel is soft but not fully melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Flatten caramel a bit with index finger (careful, they are hot!).
4. Melt chocolate chips with shortening in microwave, or in a small saucepan over low heat on stove; stir until smooth. Spoon over candies on sheets. Chill for many hours, until firm.
Swedish Nuts
2 egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound nuts (walnuts or pecans are best)
1/2 cup butter
1. Preheat oven to 375 F (165 C). Melt butter in 9 x 13" dish by placing in oven.
2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, salt, vanilla.
3. Beat until stiff peaks form and turn glossy (about 10 minutes).
4. Fold in nuts and coat well with mixture.
5. Evenly spread coated nuts over butter in pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring and turning nuts every eight minutes or until there is no more butter in the pan.
7. Place hot nuts on foil and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Cool New Gadgets
Check it out! Thanks to reconnecting with simultaneously pregnant friends via blogging I have discovered the ultimate cool way for everyone to keep track of the baby and its development with us (see above). And for the record, it's pink to match the website, not because we know we're having a girl-! (Although the question of finding out did come up at the doctor's appointment yesterday--but we were strong! We want to be surprised in the end!) And I'll also take this moment to exclaim how cool it is to be halfway through! Time sure is a tickin!
Sunday, December 3, 2006
A Recurring Revelation...and then some
I love root beer!
That's just all there is to it. No matter how long I go without it I savor every drop when I'm reunited with its fizzy sweetness. I also was recently reminded how much I love store bought eggnog, but that's for different reasons and another post. For now I'd like to share my pure joy when any amount of a root beer-y beverage fills my mouth.
Here are my currently on-hand brands, thanks to a trip to an American military base last month. The IBC is a special treat but the Barqs is definitely my all time fav.
I have to ration them since our only chance to get them is on such military base visits, which are few and far between. I know, I know, life is rough here in anti-root beer Germany-!
But what I'm really excited for is ordering a root beer with my meal when we go out to eat while we're back in North America over the holidays. It will be such a special treat! I tell ya, being away from some things really gives one a new found appreciation. You should try it sometime!
In other news, it's pretty much confirmed (by me) that indeed the baby's kicks are feelable now! Talk about an interesting experience! At first they were so light and sparse that I wasn't sure, but the frequency and intensity have been slowly and steadily increasing to the point that now I can almost say with complete certainty that it is the living child within and not other miscellaneous sensations. Considering that the baby is about the size of half a Subway sandwich and that my belly really hasn't grown much (yet) at all, I'd say it's about time that I'm feeling something--I mean, how does something that big (that moves around ALOT according to past ultrasounds, stretching legs and arms out, etc) fit in there without me being extremely uncomfortable all the time? Another miracle of this whole process I guess!
And on one last but totally unrelated note, we live on the top floor of our building and thus live directly under the roof causing the outer facing walls to slant with the angle of the roof. This creates more of a roomy feel, which we like and is part of the reason we chose this apartment above others, but at the same time it has recently become quite the hassle for our general well-being. Who knows why, but until the last couple weeks our ceiling-eye-head/hand/back coordination was working out just fine, with no actual injuries, just a couple of close calls. But lately, I can't count how many times I've bent down to get something from under the shorter part and stood up before backing out far enough or Grady has innocently raised his hand too high and a seriously uncomfortable collision occurs. The kicker is that the ceiling isn't just painted flat wall, it's practically popcorn stucco that draws blood upon any momentum-carrying contact. No kidding! Grady was actually bleeding last week after skimming his forehead. So as you can imagine, this has been quite a blow to not only our head or hands, but also to our general emotional confidence in being able to correctly judge and accurately adapt to our surroundings which can really cause one to doubt one's personal growth and progression after awhile. Anyway, it's been interesting and the only thing I can come up with is that the sun is starting to set around 3pm these days and maybe the change of light is throwing our coordination skills through a loop. But as for now I'll just keep the bandaids stocked up.
Root beer, baby and popcorn stucco. Hope one of those topics interested you at least a bit!
That's just all there is to it. No matter how long I go without it I savor every drop when I'm reunited with its fizzy sweetness. I also was recently reminded how much I love store bought eggnog, but that's for different reasons and another post. For now I'd like to share my pure joy when any amount of a root beer-y beverage fills my mouth.
Here are my currently on-hand brands, thanks to a trip to an American military base last month. The IBC is a special treat but the Barqs is definitely my all time fav.
I have to ration them since our only chance to get them is on such military base visits, which are few and far between. I know, I know, life is rough here in anti-root beer Germany-!But what I'm really excited for is ordering a root beer with my meal when we go out to eat while we're back in North America over the holidays. It will be such a special treat! I tell ya, being away from some things really gives one a new found appreciation. You should try it sometime!
In other news, it's pretty much confirmed (by me) that indeed the baby's kicks are feelable now! Talk about an interesting experience! At first they were so light and sparse that I wasn't sure, but the frequency and intensity have been slowly and steadily increasing to the point that now I can almost say with complete certainty that it is the living child within and not other miscellaneous sensations. Considering that the baby is about the size of half a Subway sandwich and that my belly really hasn't grown much (yet) at all, I'd say it's about time that I'm feeling something--I mean, how does something that big (that moves around ALOT according to past ultrasounds, stretching legs and arms out, etc) fit in there without me being extremely uncomfortable all the time? Another miracle of this whole process I guess!
And on one last but totally unrelated note, we live on the top floor of our building and thus live directly under the roof causing the outer facing walls to slant with the angle of the roof. This creates more of a roomy feel, which we like and is part of the reason we chose this apartment above others, but at the same time it has recently become quite the hassle for our general well-being. Who knows why, but until the last couple weeks our ceiling-eye-head/hand/back coordination was working out just fine, with no actual injuries, just a couple of close calls. But lately, I can't count how many times I've bent down to get something from under the shorter part and stood up before backing out far enough or Grady has innocently raised his hand too high and a seriously uncomfortable collision occurs. The kicker is that the ceiling isn't just painted flat wall, it's practically popcorn stucco that draws blood upon any momentum-carrying contact. No kidding! Grady was actually bleeding last week after skimming his forehead. So as you can imagine, this has been quite a blow to not only our head or hands, but also to our general emotional confidence in being able to correctly judge and accurately adapt to our surroundings which can really cause one to doubt one's personal growth and progression after awhile. Anyway, it's been interesting and the only thing I can come up with is that the sun is starting to set around 3pm these days and maybe the change of light is throwing our coordination skills through a loop. But as for now I'll just keep the bandaids stocked up.
Root beer, baby and popcorn stucco. Hope one of those topics interested you at least a bit!
Monday, November 27, 2006
"It"
Please excuse me while I rant a bit…
The English language has lost its gender-specific pronouns when dealing with inanimate objects (ok, besides ships which are still kind of “shes”). Well, even “animate” animals are often referred to as “it” instead of “he” or “she.” Not so in other languages…at least in German. This is *major fun* for all of us who attempt to learn said language, as all English training in this area proves worthless. No longer are cards “its,” they are “shes.” My pen is referred to as “he” and little girls are “its.” Nice huh.
Well besides the joy of learning to think like this and apply it correctly in everyday conversations I am now dealing with a sort of opposite situation. “Let me ‘splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.” (major points to anyone who knows where that quote comes from!)
Ok so. Babies and children in Germany *affectionately* fall into this “it” category and one can go on all day discussing about one of them without the other person knowing if it is a boy or girl. Weird, considering the often needed genderization of other English-neutral nouns, such as friend and well, basically any profession or relationship (ie. teacher, cousin, coworker). One can’t just say “friend” here, it is either a Freund (male) or Freundin (female). So here’s the opposite scenario—now I know if your friend is a boy or girl even though I might not have cared one bit!
But let me get to my real point: I have a baby of unknown gender in my belly. When someone asks about the baby in German, it is wonderfully easy and convenient to discuss many things, as I can go on and on technically calling my baby “it” and noone bats an eye. But whoa whoa, switch the conversation into English and suddenly I feel like a horrible pregnant lady, referring to my baby as “it.” And why? Simply because we don’t use “it” in English for anything typically inanimate, as mentioned above. But how annoying is it to say “he or she” all the time?! I’d rather that it just be ok to talk about the baby as “it” and everyone know that it’s not because I’m in some weird state of denial that I have something living growing inside of me, but simply because I don’t know if it’s a boy or girl (and because it’s totally fine to do in the German language). So there you go. Please don’t be offended next time I talk about the baby a-genderally, it’s purely for practicaly purposes. (Plus it gets repetative to always be saying “the baby” [see previous posts “Yeah, Baby!” and “Medical Marvels” for examples].)
Ok great! Now I’m done. Thanks for listening.
The English language has lost its gender-specific pronouns when dealing with inanimate objects (ok, besides ships which are still kind of “shes”). Well, even “animate” animals are often referred to as “it” instead of “he” or “she.” Not so in other languages…at least in German. This is *major fun* for all of us who attempt to learn said language, as all English training in this area proves worthless. No longer are cards “its,” they are “shes.” My pen is referred to as “he” and little girls are “its.” Nice huh.
Well besides the joy of learning to think like this and apply it correctly in everyday conversations I am now dealing with a sort of opposite situation. “Let me ‘splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.” (major points to anyone who knows where that quote comes from!)
Ok so. Babies and children in Germany *affectionately* fall into this “it” category and one can go on all day discussing about one of them without the other person knowing if it is a boy or girl. Weird, considering the often needed genderization of other English-neutral nouns, such as friend and well, basically any profession or relationship (ie. teacher, cousin, coworker). One can’t just say “friend” here, it is either a Freund (male) or Freundin (female). So here’s the opposite scenario—now I know if your friend is a boy or girl even though I might not have cared one bit!
But let me get to my real point: I have a baby of unknown gender in my belly. When someone asks about the baby in German, it is wonderfully easy and convenient to discuss many things, as I can go on and on technically calling my baby “it” and noone bats an eye. But whoa whoa, switch the conversation into English and suddenly I feel like a horrible pregnant lady, referring to my baby as “it.” And why? Simply because we don’t use “it” in English for anything typically inanimate, as mentioned above. But how annoying is it to say “he or she” all the time?! I’d rather that it just be ok to talk about the baby as “it” and everyone know that it’s not because I’m in some weird state of denial that I have something living growing inside of me, but simply because I don’t know if it’s a boy or girl (and because it’s totally fine to do in the German language). So there you go. Please don’t be offended next time I talk about the baby a-genderally, it’s purely for practicaly purposes. (Plus it gets repetative to always be saying “the baby” [see previous posts “Yeah, Baby!” and “Medical Marvels” for examples].)
Ok great! Now I’m done. Thanks for listening.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Polish Picks
It has been awhile since I wrote a top ten list so I'd like to recap the highlights of this past weekend in Poland with our relatives with such a list.
The Top Ten Things that Made our Weekend in Poland so Memorable:
10. When we crossed the border into Poland, Grady was eating a sandwich. The Polish border guard's first words were, "Enjoy your meal!" (in Polish) and then he went on to look at our passports, etc. What a welcoming culture!
9. Driving on the brand spankin' new Polish autobahn with cool reflectors to outline the lanes.
8. Eating PEROGIES, my absolute favorite Polish food!!! (see picture)
7. Visiting the "Panorama," a round building featuring a 360-degree panoramic painting of one of the major wars in Polish history.
6. Attending our first ever pantomime performance. A very interesting type of artistic expression!
5. Seeing Jola, a cousin of my dad's and gourmet cook, try to figure out what was in her Vietnamese mixed vegetable-rice dish and make great faces in the process.
4. Witnessing as John, Jola's husband, ate his Vietnamese soup that was a little spicier than he expected--he ordered two bottles of water afterwards!
3. Hearing Jola, who I had never heard speak more than a couple English words, say to Grady, "Don't eat too much because lunch will be at 12." A perfectly constructed complete English sentence! Amazing!
2. Leisurely walking around Wroclaw with everybody, enjoying the unusually beautiful November day and each others' company. We even heard some way cool live music as we walked through the town marketplace.
And the number one highlight of our trip to Poland:
1. Spending time with such wonderfully hospitable and generous family! We cherish the time with them so much and hope to visit them again in the summer.
some of the family as we stroll around the city of Wroclaw
The Top Ten Things that Made our Weekend in Poland so Memorable:
10. When we crossed the border into Poland, Grady was eating a sandwich. The Polish border guard's first words were, "Enjoy your meal!" (in Polish) and then he went on to look at our passports, etc. What a welcoming culture!
9. Driving on the brand spankin' new Polish autobahn with cool reflectors to outline the lanes.
8. Eating PEROGIES, my absolute favorite Polish food!!! (see picture)
7. Visiting the "Panorama," a round building featuring a 360-degree panoramic painting of one of the major wars in Polish history.6. Attending our first ever pantomime performance. A very interesting type of artistic expression!
5. Seeing Jola, a cousin of my dad's and gourmet cook, try to figure out what was in her Vietnamese mixed vegetable-rice dish and make great faces in the process.
4. Witnessing as John, Jola's husband, ate his Vietnamese soup that was a little spicier than he expected--he ordered two bottles of water afterwards!
3. Hearing Jola, who I had never heard speak more than a couple English words, say to Grady, "Don't eat too much because lunch will be at 12." A perfectly constructed complete English sentence! Amazing!
2. Leisurely walking around Wroclaw with everybody, enjoying the unusually beautiful November day and each others' company. We even heard some way cool live music as we walked through the town marketplace.
And the number one highlight of our trip to Poland:
1. Spending time with such wonderfully hospitable and generous family! We cherish the time with them so much and hope to visit them again in the summer.
some of the family as we stroll around the city of Wroclaw Tuesday, November 14, 2006
A Memorial Weekend
This past weekend we traveled hundreds of kilometers to spend some time with our friends on the other side of Germany, Eric and Jen. On Saturday we toured the ancient city of Trier, and the first picture is us standing in front of the Porta Nigra, one of the original Roman gates to the city from the second century. We then drove into the neighboring country of Luxembourg to visit a American military cemetary and see where General Patton is laid to rest. Afterwards we stopped briefly at the nearby German military cemetary to see the different ways each country honored those who fought to defend them. That evening we took in the movie, Flags of our Fathers, an interesting look at part of WWII on the Japanese front and three men who became overly idolized as heroes because of a single photograph. At the end of the day I had to admit it had been a particularily productive 11th of November, or Remeberance Day in Canada (yay, I didn't forget the holiday!) due to the fact that we spent many hours thinking and witnessing the cost of our freedom. May we never forget.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Medical Marvels
Well it was back to the doctor for Allison and baby (and this time daddy came too) this past Wednesday and to appease our far away families I just had to post the latest pictures. The baby is now 14 cm long and the ultra sound was so clear that the doctor even counted the fingers and toes with us! Everything looked normal and healthy, including a full stomach of amniotic fluid and thumb sucking motions (see the first picture for a close up of the baby's profile with the hand up near the mouth). I am just amazed at the medical technology that allows us to view our tiny child from all angles and watch it move around in real time! We left the doctor's elated and so encouraged by the exquisite design God has put into this whole process. The other realization that continues to strike us is that we are going to be parents! (Aahh!)
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Oahhhhhmmmmmm....
Two months ago I bravely signed up with one of my German friends for a beginner yoga course. Just a few blocks away, we figured it would be a great opportunity to get a bit more fit (bit more fit, haha) and to learn something new. An added benefit was the accountability factor, since we were both doing it together. None of the "not feeling like going" when someone's counting on you to be there!
So everything was off to a great start. Well except that I was a bit nervous on the first day mainly because I wasn't sure how my level of German comprehension would hold up in this new situation. Needless to say, my first two classes of "relaxation techniques" weren't very relaxing considering that I was constantly peeking through my "closed" eyelids to make sure I was doing the exercize correctly. An example of my inner monologue: "Did the teacher just say to continue taking deep breaths while focusing on total body relaxation? Oh no, what if he didn't say that? Aah I don't know what's going on! I'm so stressed! Wait, Allison, stop worrying, you need to be relaxing!...at least I think that's what he said..."
But now that we're nearing the end of the course, I'm feeling pretty confident about my level of understanding and am generally able to catch enough to relax when I'm supposed to. Although now that I've told the teacher that I'm pregnant, he's kindly giving me some tips and help with how to modify some of the positions as to not strain the "child within", so it never fails to catch me a bit off guard when his voice suddenly whispers something in German right next to me (remember my eyes are closed because I'm relaxing...well I WAS until the all-wise instructor quadrupled my heart rate by causing me to go into my fight-or-flight German language mode).
And speaking of being caught off-guard by someone speaking German (please note that this is no longer a common occurance [just for the record], considering that I think my brain's finally grasped the concept that I live in Germany), today at the grocery store the cashier was VERY unusually friendly and it totally threw me off-! She was really nice, just chatting away and commenting on some of the things we were buying, suggesting hamburger sauce and reminding us not to forget to cash in our refund receipts (for bringing bottles back). It was just weird to me to encounter such an outgoing and friendly stranger here-! And then the more I thought about it the weirdest part was how weird I found the whole situation, when back in Canada or the US it is a regular occurance. I'm just used to people being very private here and "down to business" and it was somehow uncomfortable to be put on the spot at the grocery checkout by a chatty cashier. But then again she was speaking super fast and considering that most of what she was saying was pretty random, I don't feel THAT bad for not being able to follow her. Although sheesh, who would have thought a bit of small talk would throw me through such a loop-!
Anyway, taking this yoga class has been great, especially in regards to learning how to focus on each part of the body as its own unit, tensing and relaxing it apart from the rest, and being able to identify the difference afterwards. I've heard that comes in handy during labor-! And for the record, twice each week we sit in the "classic" yoga position, legs crossed and hands out resting on the knees, while we breathe in together and then release the air while saying the word "oahhhhhhmmmmmmmmm..." I forget why it's so important, but it sure makes me feel like I'm getting my money's worth-!
So everything was off to a great start. Well except that I was a bit nervous on the first day mainly because I wasn't sure how my level of German comprehension would hold up in this new situation. Needless to say, my first two classes of "relaxation techniques" weren't very relaxing considering that I was constantly peeking through my "closed" eyelids to make sure I was doing the exercize correctly. An example of my inner monologue: "Did the teacher just say to continue taking deep breaths while focusing on total body relaxation? Oh no, what if he didn't say that? Aah I don't know what's going on! I'm so stressed! Wait, Allison, stop worrying, you need to be relaxing!...at least I think that's what he said..."
But now that we're nearing the end of the course, I'm feeling pretty confident about my level of understanding and am generally able to catch enough to relax when I'm supposed to. Although now that I've told the teacher that I'm pregnant, he's kindly giving me some tips and help with how to modify some of the positions as to not strain the "child within", so it never fails to catch me a bit off guard when his voice suddenly whispers something in German right next to me (remember my eyes are closed because I'm relaxing...well I WAS until the all-wise instructor quadrupled my heart rate by causing me to go into my fight-or-flight German language mode).
And speaking of being caught off-guard by someone speaking German (please note that this is no longer a common occurance [just for the record], considering that I think my brain's finally grasped the concept that I live in Germany), today at the grocery store the cashier was VERY unusually friendly and it totally threw me off-! She was really nice, just chatting away and commenting on some of the things we were buying, suggesting hamburger sauce and reminding us not to forget to cash in our refund receipts (for bringing bottles back). It was just weird to me to encounter such an outgoing and friendly stranger here-! And then the more I thought about it the weirdest part was how weird I found the whole situation, when back in Canada or the US it is a regular occurance. I'm just used to people being very private here and "down to business" and it was somehow uncomfortable to be put on the spot at the grocery checkout by a chatty cashier. But then again she was speaking super fast and considering that most of what she was saying was pretty random, I don't feel THAT bad for not being able to follow her. Although sheesh, who would have thought a bit of small talk would throw me through such a loop-!
Anyway, taking this yoga class has been great, especially in regards to learning how to focus on each part of the body as its own unit, tensing and relaxing it apart from the rest, and being able to identify the difference afterwards. I've heard that comes in handy during labor-! And for the record, twice each week we sit in the "classic" yoga position, legs crossed and hands out resting on the knees, while we breathe in together and then release the air while saying the word "oahhhhhhmmmmmmmmm..." I forget why it's so important, but it sure makes me feel like I'm getting my money's worth-!
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Trick or Treat
Halloween is always a fun time of year, and this year was no exception. After rounding up some (hard to find and ridiculously expensive) pumpkins, we had some friends over Saturday night to demonstrate their carving skills. Can you imagine that some people, adult people, have never carved a pumpkin before? It was fun to teach them and watch what resulted. Check out the first picture to see how well they all did!
Here's to next year when we'll have to coordinate costumes for not just two, but three!
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Out of the Loop
One of the consequences of living abroad is that we miss the Canadian/American holidays. And I don't just mean that we physically miss celebrating them with our family and friends, but that it's very easy to forget all about them until like the day before (if we're lucky) or sadly even sometimes after the fact. It is even more apparent to me as the lone Canadian in our group of acquaintances (many of them American)--acquaintances that will gladly hold a 4th of July barbeque or plan a massive (American) Thanksgiving feast so the invitations to such events conveniently remind us of their celebratory purpose. But I'm all alone when it comes to celebrating or even remembering my Canadian holidays and it's just weird to live through, say, Canada Day (July 1st) like it's a totally normal day either because it's not a special day to anyone else or I've just plain forgotten its importance (I dare say this year I was oblivious on July 1st about my nation's birthday until someone mentioned it to me sometime in the evening..."them: 'Hey isn't today Canada's birthday?' me: 'Uhh, hey, yeah!'...doh!).
It happened most recently with Canadian Thanksgiving. For all you Americans out there, we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the first Monday of October, not at the end of November. It was always one day off school and was always a welcome break after the first month of hard work. Well, this year I TOTALLY FORGOT IT WAS COMING until I called home the Saturday before and my parents mentioned it'd be nice if I called back when the whole family was over on Monday. I was so stumped as to why the whole family would be over! But then it clicked. And I really tried to be thankful that day! But it's just so different being away from a group who is also celebrating. I guess I've learned that's what makes a holiday a holiday!
So if anyone would like to remind me of the other Canadian holidays throughout the year (isn't there Family Day sometime in February? and Victoria Day in May?) I will work harder to be totally aware of them and enjoy them to their fullest. And hey, don't take advantage of being able to naturally remember and celebrate all the holidays with other co-celebrators and rememberers. That we could all be so lucky (and not so forgetful!).
It happened most recently with Canadian Thanksgiving. For all you Americans out there, we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the first Monday of October, not at the end of November. It was always one day off school and was always a welcome break after the first month of hard work. Well, this year I TOTALLY FORGOT IT WAS COMING until I called home the Saturday before and my parents mentioned it'd be nice if I called back when the whole family was over on Monday. I was so stumped as to why the whole family would be over! But then it clicked. And I really tried to be thankful that day! But it's just so different being away from a group who is also celebrating. I guess I've learned that's what makes a holiday a holiday!
So if anyone would like to remind me of the other Canadian holidays throughout the year (isn't there Family Day sometime in February? and Victoria Day in May?) I will work harder to be totally aware of them and enjoy them to their fullest. And hey, don't take advantage of being able to naturally remember and celebrate all the holidays with other co-celebrators and rememberers. That we could all be so lucky (and not so forgetful!).
Friday, October 13, 2006
Yeah Baby!
Well here's the official blogger world announcement: Grady and I are expecting a baby! The picture below is from my doctor's appointment this past Wednesday. It's an unexpected surprise but we are overflowing with joy for this wonderful gift from God. I've had a bit of morning sickness but am just now starting into the second trimester and the sickness (thankfully) seems to be fading a bit. And get this, the baby is due the exact day I was, 25 years ago (April 24). What are the chances!
baby Maass at 12 weeks
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Bamberg
Grady and I, along with our Canadian friend Phil, traveled to Austria last week as this year's "birthday trip" for Grady. We made an overnight stop in the historic town of Bamberg and Phil snapped this picture of us in front of the Town Hall. The fall weather here in Germany has been unbelievably warm and sunny and it's great to have the chance to take advantage of it while it lasts. The darkness and chill of winter will settle in all too quickly when it does!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Weimar Wonders
Who would have thought?!We picked up April and Clint Everhart last weekend on our way west to visit the historical town of Weimar. After spending a couple hours touring the nearby site of Buchenwald Concentration Camp and then posing for a few pictures in front of the MASSIVE bell tower memorial (we are probably close to 100 meters away from it still in the picture) which can be seen easily from the distant Autobahn, we headed into town to enjoy a rare delicacy in Germany.
Authentic mexican food! (well, Clint ordered barbeque ribs, but those are also impossible to find here.)
Weimar's a beautiful town with a rich past--Bach, Goethe and Schiller are three of the big names who lived and worked there. So who would expect an awesome mexican restaurant in the midst of all the formal history?!
I think we'll have to plan a trip back for next month-! Mmmmmm.....
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Double Wedding
Yesterday we had the honor of attending the wedding of not just one couple, but two! Stephan and Daniela (the main couple in the picture) pledged their life to one another as did a younger sister of Daniela and her groom. Having never experienced such a unique celebration, it was a real treat to see how the style and ideas of both couples came together to coordinate into one grand event. We traveled about an hour east of Dresden to the small town of Crostwitz and enjoyed a whole day of eating, entertainment and joy!
Monday, September 11, 2006
To Stay or Not to Stay
Well it's coming down to the wire, Grady and I are pretty much on the very edge of having to make a final decision about where to live come December. The obvious easiest choice would be to stay where we're at now, accepting the one year contract extension offered to Grady by his company. We could keep this cool apartment, maintain already-existing relationships, and despite ongoing cultural stress (ie. language, small differences that pile up) it would be the least disruptive to our current lifestyle and habits.
But...
Here's the thing, we're going to move back to somewhere in North America next year anyway. The new contract is for one year, so it's not like a permanent decision to live here or there. What I mean is, we're going to have to "uproot" sometime, whether it be this year or next, moving ourselves and our accumulated goods to a new home and starting with new friends, a new job, a new place to live, and a somewhat new culture. We want to make sure that if we choose to stay here it's not just to avoid all of this for the time being. Grady came to Germany on a one year contract in 2002 and has been blessed to be able to extend it every year since, but we're wondering if now is the time to finally accept our North American-bound fate and take the courageous step of venturing into something new.
God has really blessed us by providing so many options for us to consider, it's just the challenge now of choosing which of all the good choices to decide on and follow through with (although sometimes I even find myself wishing that we only had one option and no hard decision to make-!). Of course no choice will be perfect, and we understand that God will bless our decision whichever way we choose.
Any thoughts or advice for us on this matter? Even just some words of encouragement would be helpful in this uncertain time-! Here's to trying to live a life guided by the Father!
But...
Here's the thing, we're going to move back to somewhere in North America next year anyway. The new contract is for one year, so it's not like a permanent decision to live here or there. What I mean is, we're going to have to "uproot" sometime, whether it be this year or next, moving ourselves and our accumulated goods to a new home and starting with new friends, a new job, a new place to live, and a somewhat new culture. We want to make sure that if we choose to stay here it's not just to avoid all of this for the time being. Grady came to Germany on a one year contract in 2002 and has been blessed to be able to extend it every year since, but we're wondering if now is the time to finally accept our North American-bound fate and take the courageous step of venturing into something new.
God has really blessed us by providing so many options for us to consider, it's just the challenge now of choosing which of all the good choices to decide on and follow through with (although sometimes I even find myself wishing that we only had one option and no hard decision to make-!). Of course no choice will be perfect, and we understand that God will bless our decision whichever way we choose.
Any thoughts or advice for us on this matter? Even just some words of encouragement would be helpful in this uncertain time-! Here's to trying to live a life guided by the Father!
Friday, September 1, 2006
The Real Responsibility
"My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow." -1 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT)
an excerpt from my latest and final newsletter--some closing thoughts about the mission work here
Two years have come and gone and I am overflowing with gratitude to each one of you for helping me along the way and making it possible for me to be here in
Monday, August 28, 2006
As Requested...
The Top Ten Reasons Why Goetheallee 19* Rocked:
Eckberg Castle from kitchen window10. We could see three castles from our kitchen and wintergarden!
winter sunset9. Every morning I had to check to make sure the neighbors weren't in the common hall that seperated my room from the other half of our apartment before my dash to the bathroom in my pjs.
cherry buds8. There is a HUGE cherry tree in the garden that we could eat from.
our buzzer7. It was our first place to live in with super high ceilings--even small areas look big!
my old room6. Taking out the trash or falling over on our bikes right outside our gate became so much more--the tour buses that drove by regularily with old people gawking made us feel like true ambassadors of the city in all its glory.
Elbe Meadow5. We heard the sound of a piano most every morning and now that it's in the past, it doesn't matter so much that it was before 8am (and sometimes as early as 6).
Waldpark in Autumn4. The Elbe meadow and Waldpark were ridiculously close and just beautiful.
Waldpark in Winter3. Not everyone wonders if this time when they knock on their landlord's door he might greet them in his underwear, again.
rose in Autumn garden2. There is a beautiful flower garden kept up by the elderly couple who lived above us.
broken knife (look close)1. Because when you live with someone you can have fun with, everything rocks! (and especially when it's in EUROPE!)
eating pizza*Amy's and my apartment for almost two years
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Dresden's Top Tens
The top ten most commonly seen things when out and about around Dresden:
10. People out shopping with their dogs
9. Really old women who still go out every day to get their groceries for that day
8. Unusual and bold hair colors (ie. bright red, fuschia, stark blue, etc)
7. A ton of people walking to where they need to go
6. A ton of people biking to where they need to go
5. Bakeries on every corner
4. Naked children playing in the fountains on hot days
3. Someone running to catch a tram
2. People carrying duffel bags instead of backpacks
1. BMWs, Audis, VWs and Mercedes EVERYWHERE
The top ten hardest to find foods in Dresden (or most expensive if found):
10. Tortillas
9. Cheddar cheese
8. Cream of Tartar (for baking)
7. Baking Soda
6. Peanut Butter
5. Pre-chilled still water (whereas coke and mineral water are found in abundance)
4. Any pre-chilled beverage (larger than 0.5L)
3. Condensed canned soups
2. Plain tortilla chips
1. Root Beer
The top ten commonly found groceries in Dresden but not (at least easily, that I know of) in North America:
10. Schmalz (pig fat)
9. Muesli (cereal)
8. Mineral Water (and the choice of Classic or Medium)
7. 101 varieties of cheese
6. Realllly good bread (in many varieties too)
5. Salad dressing spice packets
4. Many many different kinds of liver pates (ie. leberwurst, teewurst, etc)
3. Rucola (bitter salad leaf)
2. A sandwich topping that consists of potentially many different things, including eggs, carrots, and meat, held together by a kind of thick jelly and thinly sliced
1. Quark (cross between sour cream and cream cheese)
The top ten things I love about Dresden:
10. The history of everything! The building I live in is older than the U.S.!
9. How easy it is to get anywhere--by foot, bike, tram
8. The goooood blueberry cake at the bakery across the street
7. Hearing the church bells at 6 and 7pm every night
6. The awesome, thick and creamy ice cream!
5. That I can walk to the grocery store, get enough to carry home, and easily go back tomorrow if I need something else
4. That most people live in apartments--people seem to be content with the space they need and not always seeking for something bigger or better
3. Seeing old men ride their bikes
2. The intricate beauty of so many "normal" buildings, and realizing the time some craftsman must have spent on it
1. The respect people have in general for each other and the sense of community that somehow comes through--probably a reminant of the old GDR times
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Good One
Have I blogged this joke before? If not it is well overdue! (joke provided courtesy of Myra Nickerson via Amy Nickerson)
Frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.
"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday." Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.
Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.
The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed. Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.
She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral."
She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"
The bank manager looks back at her and says...
"It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."Thursday, August 10, 2006
Waving Wal-Mart Goodbye
So it turns out that the great qualities that set Wal-Mart apart from the rest in North America just didn't fly here. Who would have thought cashiers smiling at customers (which Germans find much too socially forward), baggers bagging the customer's goods (why waste all that plastic when you can bring your old or cloth bags from home?), and banning inter-employee romances (common in this culture) would backfire as they did? After reading a few articles on the subject, it's interesting to learn that such a seeming discount retail giant could fail in a country because it didn't have its usual perks to back it up, perks like being open 24 hours (there are laws here governing how long stores can be open), finding everything you need in one place (which turned out to not be such a necessity here, especially because the stores are all located on the outskirts of the cities), and offering the cheapest goods on the market (but in Germany the smaller but more numerous stores of Aldi, Lidl, Wreesman, and Plus have always offered such value and are much more conveniently located). But for me, it's one less taste of what seemed like a bit of familiarity, and although I didn't make it out there often, it will be sad to know in a few months it will no longer even be an option.Auf Wiedersehen Wal-Mart...I'll see you next time I visit North America!
articles:
World's Biggest Retailer Wal-Mart Closes Up Shop in Germany
Retail Giant Humbled: Wal-Mart Admits German Defeat
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
This One's For You, Amy
Well it's official, I miss you!
I mean I have thus far, but now it's for real! We all do really. I think the kicker was when I was helping Marion prepare sandwiches on Monday night and she said, "Ok, who is still to come tonight? Amy? Lynnette?" Man, if only!
Pirates of the Caribbean 2 is out in English this week too and I had to wait until tonight to go see it with people who "had time" unlike if you were here and we could fit it in asap! With a jumbo gemisched popcorn and crispy M&Ms dazu!
There's lots more I could say on the subject, but for now I'll leave it at that.
Just know it's not the same without you-!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Far-fig-noog'n
aahahahahhahahaa!!
It's so funny!
It turns out, the stereotypical "German" word "FARfignoogen" (better said than spelled-!) actually IS a word! How many times have we been joking about a German word we know and used it, knowing it couldn't be so. Well I had been commenting to Grady the other day about what a funny word "vergnuegen" (to find pleasure in or enjoy) is to say, and he joked about it being related to this comic "German" word which lead to today when I had an epiphony about it, realizing he was absolutely right!
dict.leo.org
So there you go. You will know a German word next time you visit here, and although the original doesn't sound exactly like the English ripped-off version, if you say it fast enough I bet no one will notice. The only question remains, what kind of statement would you use it with? Maybe, "How's your fun of driving been lately?" or "Have a nice driving pleasure!" Hmm. Gotta think about the practical application...
It's so funny!
It turns out, the stereotypical "German" word "FARfignoogen" (better said than spelled-!) actually IS a word! How many times have we been joking about a German word we know and used it, knowing it couldn't be so. Well I had been commenting to Grady the other day about what a funny word "vergnuegen" (to find pleasure in or enjoy) is to say, and he joked about it being related to this comic "German" word which lead to today when I had an epiphony about it, realizing he was absolutely right!
 | ENGLISCH | DEUTSCH | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Treffer | ||||
| Unmittelbare Treffer | ||||
| driving pleasure | das Fahrvergnügen |  | ||
| fun of driving | das Fahrvergnügen | | ||
So there you go. You will know a German word next time you visit here, and although the original doesn't sound exactly like the English ripped-off version, if you say it fast enough I bet no one will notice. The only question remains, what kind of statement would you use it with? Maybe, "How's your fun of driving been lately?" or "Have a nice driving pleasure!" Hmm. Gotta think about the practical application...
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Enduring Dresden's Endearing Dreads
It's not fair, really.
Winter lasted a good two months longer than it was supposed to, and then after a three week taste of summer came back for another couple weeks. So by the time summer weather rolled around to stay in the middle of June we were all kicking our heels up at the thought of nice, warm, 25C days.
But no.
For the past few weeks now it has been so unbelievably hot here that it seems that just as winter never ended, the heat will never cease. I'm a Canadian here, I thrive on a mild summer climate! Throw whatever you want at me in winter, but please, there's only so much one can do in an attempt to remain comfortable in 30C+ heat. And as for the cool breeze of air conditioning, let's just say my best hope to bask gloriously in its refreshment is to hang out endlessly at the only mall in town. Not that I don't love reliving memories of being in junior high school, but...
So what can one do to combat the ridiculous heat? All interior designers would be appalled at our temporary solution to avoid buying majorly expensive blinds for our windows--aluminum foil. Yep. And it seems to help too! Our previously successful tactic of opening all windows during the night and closing them early in the morning was sabatoged recently as it stopped getting cool at night a few days ago. So it seems at present that our best bet is to remain as motionless as possible or "minimizing the kinetic energy," as Grady would say. It wasn't like this last summer...why now? Can a person never know what kind of weather to expect in this city?*
Another funny thing about living in Dresden is the construction. Seriously, how many construction projects can one city have going at once? I know there is some sort of mad rush to prepare for the upcoming festivities--in a couple weeks the celebration for Dresden's 800th anniversary commences and the city is expected to flood with visitors--and it also doesn't help that winter lasted so long. But it seems that one can't turn a corner without running into another bunch of machinery and roadblocks. Not to mention that when they are working below cobblestone roads they have to pull up each of the stones individually and then set them all back by hand when they're done. I wouldn't want that job-!
The last dread I'll mention is the air right now. Don't get me wrong, Dresden has nice air. Clean, fresh (mostly) and breathable. Except for right now. It seems to be attacking my heat-weakened lungs with its "extreme allergins" (as the doctor said) at the moment. This didn't happen last year either! And one would think that after living in every-allergin-under-the-sun-Oklahoma for three years and not suffering that I could easily survive anywhere else in the world. Apparently not. I'll let you all know when I can start thinking clearly (and breathing through my nose) again. Excuse me, I've gotta go blow my nose...
*ok ok, I know it's impossible to actually ever know what to expect regarding weather, but seriously, what about weather trends and general regional climates!?
Winter lasted a good two months longer than it was supposed to, and then after a three week taste of summer came back for another couple weeks. So by the time summer weather rolled around to stay in the middle of June we were all kicking our heels up at the thought of nice, warm, 25C days.
But no.
For the past few weeks now it has been so unbelievably hot here that it seems that just as winter never ended, the heat will never cease. I'm a Canadian here, I thrive on a mild summer climate! Throw whatever you want at me in winter, but please, there's only so much one can do in an attempt to remain comfortable in 30C+ heat. And as for the cool breeze of air conditioning, let's just say my best hope to bask gloriously in its refreshment is to hang out endlessly at the only mall in town. Not that I don't love reliving memories of being in junior high school, but...
So what can one do to combat the ridiculous heat? All interior designers would be appalled at our temporary solution to avoid buying majorly expensive blinds for our windows--aluminum foil. Yep. And it seems to help too! Our previously successful tactic of opening all windows during the night and closing them early in the morning was sabatoged recently as it stopped getting cool at night a few days ago. So it seems at present that our best bet is to remain as motionless as possible or "minimizing the kinetic energy," as Grady would say. It wasn't like this last summer...why now? Can a person never know what kind of weather to expect in this city?*
Another funny thing about living in Dresden is the construction. Seriously, how many construction projects can one city have going at once? I know there is some sort of mad rush to prepare for the upcoming festivities--in a couple weeks the celebration for Dresden's 800th anniversary commences and the city is expected to flood with visitors--and it also doesn't help that winter lasted so long. But it seems that one can't turn a corner without running into another bunch of machinery and roadblocks. Not to mention that when they are working below cobblestone roads they have to pull up each of the stones individually and then set them all back by hand when they're done. I wouldn't want that job-!
The last dread I'll mention is the air right now. Don't get me wrong, Dresden has nice air. Clean, fresh (mostly) and breathable. Except for right now. It seems to be attacking my heat-weakened lungs with its "extreme allergins" (as the doctor said) at the moment. This didn't happen last year either! And one would think that after living in every-allergin-under-the-sun-Oklahoma for three years and not suffering that I could easily survive anywhere else in the world. Apparently not. I'll let you all know when I can start thinking clearly (and breathing through my nose) again. Excuse me, I've gotta go blow my nose...
*ok ok, I know it's impossible to actually ever know what to expect regarding weather, but seriously, what about weather trends and general regional climates!?
Monday, June 26, 2006
Last Taste of Singleness
Some shots from the bachelor/bachelorette parties. Good times!
bachelor party at medival restaurant
bachelorette party hawaiian style
bachelor party at medival restaurant
bachelorette party hawaiian style
Friday, June 23, 2006
Scenes from the Big Day
I finally got ahold of some photos of the wedding day. Enjoy!
before the civil ceremony in the morning
the wedding party
photo shoot
before walking down the aisle
"You may now kiss the bride!"
the Maasses
before the civil ceremony in the morning
the wedding party
photo shoot
before walking down the aisle
"You may now kiss the bride!"
the Maasses
Monday, June 5, 2006
Lago di Garda
As the bride I unfortunately do not have any pictures on my computer of the wedding itself so sadly cannot post any of the actual event. I'll work on getting some and posting them soon! But for now here's a couple pictures from the first part of our Italian honeymoon. We first stayed at Lake Garda, an absolutely beautiful area that borders the southern edge of the Alps. We enjoyed eating pizza, taking a boat trip, renting a scooter and discovering our new favorite drink, "Lemon Soda"! Who would have thought that such a generic-named drink could be so lemony delicious!
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