Snoopy undercover

Apparently it is too bright in the living room in the evenings for our ladyship..., so she goes "undercover" :-)

Rain at 9° Celsius

Well, after it started to melt yesterday... and rained all day today with strong winds, no snow is left anymore :-)

Somehow the weather is weird, one day we are running around with our special ski pants and thick jacket, and then yesterday evening I was outdoors late in the evening with just the pullover and my house shoes... warm... Forecast for the coming days: something like this, some snow followed by rain, dry and warmer temperatures... I have nothing against it, would prefer spring to come right now, as that means we can really get started! :-)

Unfortunately, I was a bit to late to document in pictures a really nice sunset, but here are some good shots:

 

I am usually no friend of pigeons, but this poor thing was sitting in the tree, completely soaked and was trying to get dried by the last rays of sun... feeling sorry for it a bit...

Merry Christmas Part II

Well, yesterday there was nothing with relaxed dinner at first... Mum cut herself in the finger during preparation and as I could not find the superglue, we had to go to hospital.

Waiting time approx. 1 hour. For some glue and plaster and then back home... But at least nothing much worse happened!

Dinner was then served with delay. Was still very delicious, also without the taste of blood :-)

In the evening we also unwrapped our gift from Germany. My colleagues of MedNet sent me a CD with pictures of the last exhibition and most of all - with pictures of our cocktail evening! Was just great to see everybody again!


And from Steffie I got a lovely tablecloth and this one here as a remembrance to Muenster and the christmas markets there:

What a lovely idea! The parcel arrived here about 2 days before christmas eve and I could hardly hold back not to open it right away. The smell of it was already like christmas! Thank you very, very much for all this! A warm hug to all of you!

This is the present we made ourselves for christmas this year:

Mum's school has sent us a lovely christmas card and by email a picture of the christmas party at school! How nice when all are thinking about us. A very warm thanks for it!

And - very proud of it - our home-made apricot mustard! Very spicy, but very very delicious!

Merry Christmas!

Knecht Ruprecht

First published in Unter dem Tannenbaum in the (Leipziger) Illustrierte Zeitung 39. (1862). Since 1864 in Storm’s Gedichten.
Saint Nikolaus’s best known companion is Knecht Ruprecht. ‘Knecht’ meaning ‘servant’. Historically Ruprecht was a dark sinister figure clad in a tattered robe with a big sack on his back in which, legend has it, he will place all naughty children. In Storm’s poem, Knecht Ruprecht is featured with a cane with which to chastise such children.

From out the forest I now appear,

To proclaim that Christmastide is here!

For at the top of every tree

are golden lights for all to see;

and there from Heaven’s gate on high

I saw our Christ-child in the sky. 

 And in among the darkened trees,

 a loud voice it was that called to me:

‘Knecht Ruprecht, old fellow,’ it cried,

‘hurry now, make haste, don’t hide!

 All the candles have now been lit --

 Heaven’s gate has opened wide!

 Both young and old should now have rest

 away from cares and daily stress;

and when tomorrow to earth I fly

“it’s Christmas again!” will be the cry.’

And then I said: ‘O Lord so dear.

My journey’s end is now quite near;

but to this town  I’ve still to go,

Where the children are good, I know.’

‘But have you then that great sack?’

‘I have,’ I said, ‘it’s on my back.

For apples, almonds, fruit and nuts

For God-fearing children are a must.’

‘And is that cane there by your side?’

‘The cane’s there too,’ I did reply;

but only for those, those naughty ones,

who have it applied to their backsides.’

The Christ-child spoke: ‘Then that’s all right!

My loyal servant, go with God this night!’

From out the forest I now appear;

To proclaim that Christmastide is here!  

Now speak, what is there here to be had?

Are there good children, are there bad?

Source: http://www.theodorstorm.co.uk/Life/knechtRuprecht.htm

With this, we wish you all a Merry Christmas! We will have you in our thoughts and send you a big hug!

Snow Pictures

Sorry, I am running a little behind already... We were quite busy the last days, just getting ready to organize everything for a nice christmas dinner for the two of us and in parallel get a push to our business. There are a couple of doors opening up at present, I am happy to see what's all behind... :-)

In the meantime, we had a day of snow, followed by one day of rain with everything been gone and today, everything was white again.



Our driveway is pretty long, and we do not have a Snowblower yet. Our neighbour will take care for the snow plowing for us now, he is doing this for other neighbours already, and the fee for it is pretty alright. So he will clean our driveway now. Otherwise I would have to shovel it free (yes, I do have a shovel and a pusher :-)), but when I start with this in the morning, I may be ready by noon, except it starts to snow in the meantime again...

Our neighbour has one of these plowers that you connect to the front of your truck and move this part up and down. With this you can easily clean the ways. Three or four times back and forth and the way is clean... Our road will be cleaned regularly, as it is an official school bus route. The ways that are taken by the school bus will always be cleaned, so we are happy on this aspect :-) See the story with the snowplower.. :-)

And here a couple of pictures, but not of today, as we have been on the road again... :-)

Our entrance to the Irishtown National Park

looks like covered with white icing sugar :-)

Caledonia Road from the Park back home :-)

They are just moving a house... Pic is not sharp, was shot from distance and I tried to zoom in... 

Who wants to have shoes with Rudolph? The nose do not light when walking :-)

Hot Chocolate with Mini-Marshmallows

I did not manage to get any more mini-marshmallows into my cup of hot chocolate! I like it!

Insulating Windows - Window Insulator Kit

As it is too late in the year already for changing the windows, as it simply gets too cold in the house when the windows are out, we decided to go for another alternative in the meantime. This one apparently is done here quite often and seems to really work!

You take a foil and just tighten it in front of the window. You can purchase it regularly in a DIY store and the glue comes with it as well. Just put the glue on the frame, foil on top and seal it by using a hairdryer. After the heating period you can easily remove it again. 

Unbelievable, but it really works! Here a picture of the packaging in which you can buy it. If it helps to save heating costs... and there is no draft since then anymore!