German via Tallahassee week 18 Merry Christmas!!

Germany via Tallahassee week 18 Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas 2011 to all of you

This week has been fabulous.  I forgot how wonderful the weather was here is Florida.  It has been “shorts” weather every day and I have taken advantage of soaking up the sun every chance I get.  I started out the week with a get together at the house. I usually throw a Christmas party every year so I was glad that I did not have to stop that tradition.  I have had to forgo so many other traditions.  I am thankful for the friends who were able to drop by, it was great to see all of you.

The next day I had to pick up some Christmas presents and start the wrapping.  I finally got all of the presents wrapped and bought and that was a big load off of me.  I went out with my sister and daughter and a friend to a movie and that was nice.  It was nice to just get into the car and go.  Something that I don’t seem to be able to do in Germany. It is always an ordeal to do anything.

Yesterday was a busy day seeing relatives and exchanging presents and taking my dad to see the Christmas lights and watching Christmas Vacation another tradition.

Today was a glorious: up at 6am and opening presents, cooking and eating and then to a movie with the family.  Loved it all and the family loved the European themed presents this year.  J

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.  I am thankful for the family I was born into and the friends that are like family.

Merry Christmas to all and have a wonderful day after Christmas too.  I plan on hitting up some after Christmas sales. I have not defiled my credit card enough. lol

Anyway next time I write it will be from Germany. We go back at the end of the week to experience the New year Germany style, but while we are still here I will be soaking up the sun.

With that I will close. Once again, Merry Christmas!!

Hugs to all,

Susan

Germany Week 17- Christmas Traditions and trip back to Tallytown

Germany Week 17- Christmas Traditions and trip back to Tallytown

Merry Christmas:

Week 17 was my last week in school for 2011.  Usually when I sit in the teacher’s lounge and ask what are you doing for break.  I get things like: “Visiting relatives.  Relatives coming.  Family around.” And things of that sort.  When I sat in the lounge this week and asked what are you doing for winter break.  The answers varied from: “We are going to Turkey, Istanbul, Rome, Camp Verde, London, etc.”  It is a different world.

There are other differences too.  Since I am home I thought I would write about a few I noticed about Christmas.  In Germany it is all about the Christmas markets and about craftsmanship.  The things they sell are things that have been made. The markets are open until December 23^rd and then from what I have been told, everything shuts down including restaurants as they kind of hibernate until New Year’s Eve.  No big after Christmas sales.  I won’t be there to see it firsthand so I have to trust my source. Germany is big on the Christmas tree but they decorate the tree on Christmas Eve.  Below is a picture of the Christmas tree at school and the Christmas tree at home that Thomas and Amanda put up for me in my absence.  It’s the first real tree we have had in a while.  I like it.

The German people do not go crazy with outside lights although I did see a few.  They bake a lot. The stocking tradition also came from them.  They put boots out to be filled with goodies or coal.  Below is a picture of a cup made into a boot.

It snowed on the last day but baby car and me just trucked behind a truck that carved our way on the autobahn.  They actually had a few accidents that last morning. Below are a couple of pictures of the snow outside my classroom window.

My flight was long but when the prize at the end is landing at home it did not seem too bad.  My dog is still loving on me and seemed really happy I’m home.

I have lots of plans for my two weeks here and will be spending lots of time with family and friends.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas.  I will write a short bog next week just to keep up my weekly notes. And with that I will close.

Take care.

Hugs for now from Tallahassee.

Susan

Germany Week 16 Dresden, Snow, sleet, hail Yeah it was that kind of week plus of course another Christmas Market

Germany Week 16  Dresden, Snow, sleet, hail  ---Yeah, Yeah, Yeah  it was that kind of week plus of course another Christmas Market ( hey it is the season)

Hello from Germany:

First of the week started out with a talk at school about weather and black ice snow conditions. True to form the very next morning I awoke to a snow covered ground.  Now mind you it was pretty to look at and I looked at it, but it was scary to drive on.  I took the autobahn and drove about 40 mph behind a truck who was carving the way for me.  The worse place was from my garage to the first road after that it was all plowed.  At school it snowed all day until mid day then it all melted.  It has not snowed to stick on the ground since.  I am crossing my fingers it will hold off till after I leave for Christmas.

Wednesday they had a weather watch for 45 mph winds.  It was supposed to last until 4pm or 1600 hours over here.  I decide to do a bunch of errands and fool around on base so it would be over with by the time I left.  But alas that is not what happened.  I ended up coming out of the commissary about 4:30pm or 1630 hours and the clouds were billowing in.  Just about the time I got on the curviest road here-- the hail fell.  Strong hail—baby car kept right on plugging though it.   About the time we got on the straight road we came out from behind the hills and the wind hit us.  So me and baby car had a hairy ride home. Needless to say I took my time getting home that day.  Then Friday I drove home is sleet and snow again.  Guess it’s winter here. Lol

Friday I cooked in our Christmas dinner in my room—part of my class is learning how to cook.  We had manly (it was an on line recipe of an easy dressing) dressing and cool whip cookies and ham slices and I made sweet potato soufflé and it was delicious.  For any of you who know me that is a miracle- I always botch the sweet potato soufflé but I might have to do this recipe for Christmas. Finally, I made it edible.  lol

Sunday I went on the military bus to Dresden one of the biggest Christmas markets in Germany.  I went to the museum about transportation very interesting and went up to the top of the Dresden Frauenkirche,  (see the pcitures below that is from the top of the Frauenkirche) and saw the River Elbe.  A beautiful city that was demolished in the war but they have rebuilt a lot of it.  The Christmas market was out of this world. I guess this will be the last one before I head home.  I had a great time and still came back with a bit of money in my pocket.  See pictures below.
This will be my last entry before traveling to Tallytown for Christmas.  I am looking forward to daylight for more than 7-8 hours and some warmth.  And of course getting to see my family and friends.

I will write next Sunday and let you know how my week went.

Once again--  Hugs from Germany.

Susan

Germany Week 15- Military Police and German movie theater and yes another Christkindlmarkt ( street markets)

Germany Week 15- Military Police and German movie theater and yes another Christkindlmarkt ( street markets)

Dear all:

Monday, since I was by myself, I decided to go the autobahn to work-that was a  good choice for all days, but I decided to go through another gate to the post, bad choice.  I had my first ( and hopefully my last) fender bender, I was impatient about one line and thought I was the last car and the other line had cleared out.  So I proceeded to back up and hit the car behind me.  In my defense, I think he was looking for his ID because he was to my right an odd place to be since the road curved from the left so I did not see him at all.  Anyway, I got out he got out. The MP’s were called and before all was said and done he left before they came ( don't ask  I couldn't figure that one out either) and left me to give all information and go to the MP station to do the police report. An ominous place with a real jail- don’t want to get thrown in there-makes me shudder to think.  Baby car suffered a little scrape that is so minuscule that I probably won’t get it fixed. Since then no mishaps, keeping my fingers crossed.

This past Friday, I went to the tree lighting ceremony at the post.  Arriving by a fire truck with much grandeur were Santa, Mrs. Claus, the reindeer, elves and a little girl who lit the tree whose father was deployed.  With all of the soldiers the true meaning of Christmas shone though. 

Then I went with a friend to a real German theater to see Breaking Dawn in English.  They listed it as the OV  which means Original Version.  It was great and not too crowded.  It was a huge complex and when you buy your ticket you have to select seats so it’s like a football game, assigned seats, no first come first serve.  I kind of liked that but it did slow the lines so I can see why America doesn’t do it.

Yesterday I went to the school’s basketball games, they were lots of fun.  They ran four games in a row, but with that many games, it was a long day.  Afterwards, I went with a couple of ladies from work to another Christkindlmarkt ( street market).  This one had a medieval theme.  Everyone was dressed in medieval costume.  There were camels and ponies and the wares were mostly of the handmade variety.  I have to admit I spent a little money. J  The prices were reasonable and the items were authentic, a combination I find too hard to resist. There was also a reenactment of the nativity story, very interesting and with the costumes and camels it seemed very real. Lots of woodwork and wreaths and things made from natural sources.  There is also the Christmas wine at all of these street markets that you pay for the cup and then get refills over and over again.  The Germans love to drink beer and wine.

I went to the Post's movie theater today.  Lots different, only a couple of previews because they only show 2-3 new movies at a time.  Also you stand up for the National Anthem at the beginning- course I like that part.

I am looking forward to coming home in a couple of weeks. And with that I will close.  Hope you all have a great week.

Hugs from Germany,

Susan