An Education in X

I recently had a conversation with a dear friend regarding the use of “X-Mas.”  I was grateful because I was educated on something that they didn’t teach me at Catholic school.  Until I had this discussion, I was under the impression that “X-Mas” was a lazy person’s Christmas – or worst, taking the Christ out of Christmas.  While my friend’s explanation was succinct and helpful, I am sure mine wouldn’t be, so I am cheating ~ click on the picture below & it should take you to a site that has the detail.

I still prefer that people don’t use “X-Mas” because I doubt the masses are aware that it is acceptable, but I don’t mind it as much from my friend that educated me.

Hello, my name is eldub and I am a ginger-chew-aholic

Recently, someone had offered me a chewy ginger candy. I loved it. It was better than the chocolate covered dates that were given at the same time. Not that the dates weren’t good, just that the ginger chews were awesome.

I have always been fond of ginger. Really any of the “autumnal” spices are my friend, nutmeg, allspice, and of course cinnamon. I consider those autumnal because they are the spices I use in my kick-dupa gingerbread (not the cookies – the bread!). And while I am not a sushi person, when I go to Japanese restaurants with friends, I always eat the pickled ginger that accompanies the sushi that they order and I avoid. Oddly, my friends that like sushi aren’t big fans of the ginger. It works out nicely.

I digress…yeah, I know, I do that often…

So, I was visiting Madison, Wisconsin this weekend. I was going up to bed at my sister’s place and low & behold, sitting in a little candy dish at the bottom of the stairs, she has the same ginger chews that my International guest had brought! She had purchased them at Marshalls. Not really going to help me…Marshalls never has consistent stock. Bummer. But, at least I had the dozen or so of my sisters that I could polish off :).

The next day, we stopped off at a Trader Joes. I don’t have one close, darn it, so my sister let me go in to pay homage to Charles Shaw. I grabbed a snack. They have good snacks there. Especially at Christmastime. As we are standing at the checkout, my sister nonchalantly points and grunts (it’s obviously a family trait…) to some bags of candy hanging on hooks. It’s the ginger chews! Yum. And they were way cheaper than I would have expected. I bought 3 bags.

Once/If you get past the carnivorously oogy logo that is enjoying eating it’s own kind way too much, the pleasure begins. They are sweet and hot. Full of flavor. Holy crap, they are good! If you ask nicely ~ and if I have any left ~ I might let you try one. Better ask quickly though; I ate 2 while typing this short blog…

Here’s the website if you are interested…or want to see anymore illunstrations of tumorous gingerroots: http://www.gingerpeople.com/ginger-chews/original-ginger-chews-3.html

Not an EPIC Fail, but a Fail None-the-less

First, yes, the handles are suppose to be different sizes.  So, no, that isn’t the fail.

This is the Lucy Bag.  The one handle is meant to be smaller. 

I have been so damn proud of the progress I made on this, my first real project since learning to knit.  It is suppose to be a friend’s Christmas present.  She’s going to think I hate her. I don’t.

This is what it’s meant to look like:

I am allergic to wool.  Sorry sheep, I love you, but your lovely coat maketh me itch. And break out. And occasionally make my nose bleed.  But I really wanted to make this fun bag and that required wool.   Problem is, the blue yarn.  Yeah. It was supposedly wool.  While it may be, it’s not as much wool as the brown.  The blue didn’t “felt” as it was expected to.  This is the fail.  I ruined Christmas.

In an attempt to make myself feel better, i was going to post the other projects I practiced with, but they all have some level of fail too.  Oh, what the Hell…I’ll post them anyway.  I’m not too vain. One of the best compliments I ever received was from a teacher that was impressed with my ability to laugh at myself and accept that my failures don’t define me ~ how I react to those failures does.  My reaction, acceptance & usually a lot of laughter. I can handle that I am not a professional knitter ~ for crying out loud, I just took my first class a few months ago.  Now, on with the fails:

 

I am kinda proud of these, but they are a little too short.  I have tiny hands. but if I had only gone another inch or two…

 

 

This one, I was proud of too.  Until I got half way through the thing and skipped a line which ended up flip-flopping the pattern.

I seem to be OK at this thing called knitting, but time will tell if we become anything more than just casual acquaintances.

Holiday Memories…

While I love the Rankin & Bass Holiday stop-motion, my favorite has to be The Muppet Family Christmas.

It has been a tradition (can’t call it a family tradition, ‘cause it’s just me…) to watch the VHS of this while decorating for Christmas.  Sadly, this year, I broke tradition in a few ways.  I put up the decorations earlier than normal (I was kind of taken off guard by it too) and I didn’t watch the show.  I only have the show on VHS and I don’t have a player upstairs where we were decorating.  It wasn’t available on DVD until recently.  Think I’ll have to make the purchase now that it’s available!

It’s just a 30ish minute show with the Muppet venturing out to, unbeknownst to her, Mrs. Bear’s house.  All of the Muppet characters are present – they even incorporate the Fraggles (where they “uh-uh, pass it on!”) and the Sesame Street characters come a caroling and join in on the fun.  Two of my favorite scenes: a reference to foreign language and then a running gag about a slipper spot on the porch.

At the very end, Jim makes an appearance.  Chokes me up sometimes. Such a creative mind…can’t imagine my childhood without Sesame Street & the Muppets.

Oh Tannebaum! Oh Christmas Tree!

My living room was MADE for a Christmas Tree. This is one of my favorite pictures.  One of the foreigners took it.  If you look in the mirror, you can see her, or at least the bottom half of her.

The bay window is a perfect place for the tree.  I can’t put the crèche under it though for fear of the dog attacking – or peeing on – it.  So, it sits up high, safe from the tail and any other temptations that may possess the pupster.

This year, I have an Iraqi living here and he asked to help decorate.  I made him do the stuff I don’t like to do.  I am such a  stinker :)  I “coached” him through putting the lights on the tree and only laughed at his efforts a little.  As I told him, it is the loveliest tree I have had in ages ~ simply because I didn’t have to do it.  Have you ever noticed that? Dinner is tastier, fires are nicer, beds are comfier when someone else makes them?

Usually I don’t put up the decorations until after Thanksgiving, but this year the time was right. Someone made a comment on FaceBook: “eff Christmas.” Broke my heart. They were confusing the commercialism of the Holiday with the true meaning. I politely reminded them that consumerism doesn’t equal Christmas.

Generally, to avoid getting frustrated in the stores, I try to get the bulk of my Christmas shopping done by August. This year, I was a little less organized and money was a little tighter, so that didn’t happen. I don’t have much to buy and I don’t look forward to venturing out over the next few weeks. However, when I do, I vow to keep the true spirit and if I start to get irritable, I will remove myself from the environment and go back at a later date. Getting angry insults the Holiday.

Here are the pics from this year.  The way he put the lights on the tree from this perspective sorta reminds me of a constellation. Regardless, it’s a glorious sight.  And really, that make make it even more beautiful.

All it needs are presents!  I might wrap the couple I have tomorrow.

 

 

 

Getting artsy with the ornament glowing in the foreground…

 

 

 

With the fire blazing…

 

 

 

 

Full shot of the room.  Looks a little cluttered…deal with it.

 

 

I am certain to write more about the Holidays, but for now, I am going to grab my Christmas cards and start filling them out…maybe you’ll get one!  One can always hope!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

I jokingly say “If I am ever kidnapped and they will only release me if you can tell them my favorite [fill in blank], the answer is [fill in appropriate answer].

The answer to what is her favorite bird? The answer would be Kookaburra.  I loved these creatures before I lived in Oz, but loved them even more after I had lived there.

There was on that lived in one of the gum trees in our yard and it would laugh quite often, they typically laugh at dawn & dusk, but they seemed to laugh when it was ready to rain too.  The laugh itself is a territorial thing though.

I think it’s funny because if you watch a movie or cartoon set in the jungle, they often use the laugh of the Kookaburra.  Yeah, they don’t live in the jungle… I think they use it because it sounds a little like a monkey, but also like a bird, so they kind of have a diverse noise to use.

Where Beer is Born

Thought the plant was pretty. Then my German sister told me it was hopps. Then I loved the plant.

A Pair of Schloss

Next to arguably one of the most famous castles in the world, Neuschwanstein (also referred to as the “Disney’s Castle”) is the original castle, Hohenschwangau.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria lived in Hohenschwangau most of his life. And until we went to see Neuschwanstein, I didn’t even know it existed. It’s a shame too because I think this castle is far more beautiful. It was at least lived in…Neuschwanstein was only inhabited for a brief time before King Ludwig’s mysterious death. Yet, Neuschwanstein is the famous one thanks to Walt.

This is one of my favorite pics that I took of places in Germany. Most of my real favorites are of my loved ones. I am not going to share those here on the blog though.

This is a pic of a hallway in the "Disney Castle" that people seem to like. Right after I snapped it, they reminded us that pictures were forbidden. Oops.

A view fit for a King. This is the view out the bedroom window of King Ludwig I in "the other" castle.

Little Cherubs

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In Augsburg, there is a church that has these cute little Cherubs across the front near the altar (I think it was a Lutheran Church ~ do they call it an alter too?).  I just remember as I am walking through looking at these, my German Mom calling me over to one specific Cherub.  She started giggling and pointed out it’s junk.  Too funny. I thought to myself (and I may have even said it aloud) that if those were here in the US, someone would probably try & steal it.

When my parents went to visit the following year, they came back & told me that someone had in fact stole it.  The entire set survived all those centuries and some putz had to go and steal it…

…and no, it didn’t manage to find it’s way in my luggage…

Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Camera at the Table with Your Friends

Carney Horses *shudder*

I now understand how people can be scared of clowns.  On a day out with my girls (real people, not an euphemism for my chest…), we encountered “Espresso the Pony” and well, he was frightening.  See for yourself:

The cute little coffee cup balanced on the psychotic horse doesn't make it cute.  It is still frightening.  We had to play around it and take goofy pictures to make it a little less eerie, otherwise I feared I would have nightmares.

THEN, tonight, while out celebrating a friend’s birthday, we came upon another horse.  Normally, I wouldn’t take a 2nd look at the horse, but after Espresso here, I had to check this one out too.  He didn’t have a name placard, so I named this one Mocha Latte.  Found this one quite frightening as well.

So, now I think I have a new mini-obsession.  I shall seek out theses merry-go-round horses and see if they are all demented and scary.  We’ll see how long that lasts.

How in the WORLD?

Even at a table where my chin was practically in the plate, I still managed to get food on me!

You’ll get “They Get You Coming & Going,” “can’t Win for Losing,” and other famous phrases

Every family has those little inside jokes/stories that never seem to go away. For example, my cousin, who is about 15 years younger than me, couldn’t pronounce “Grandpa.” He said Peepaw. Even though Grandpa had been “Grandpa” for over 30 years by that time, he instantly became “Peepaw.” While the frequency waned after awhile, whenever we were being sappy, we’d call him Peepaw.

It’s fun how there are certain phrases & songs that remind us of people too. Like the phrase “They get you coming & going” will forever remind me of my Grandmother. It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard when I hear it because it is so incredibly pessimistic, yet I also get nostalgic when I hear it.

When I think about it, I can hear both my Grandpa’s voices and one of my Grandma’s. I remember conversations with the other Grandmother, but I can’t hear her voice.

My one Grandpa had a laugh like a donkey. And he pronounced my Mom’s name with a distinct punch on the second syllable. The corresponding Grandma of this set of Grandparents pronounced it the same way. I remember the summer after Grandpa passed away. We spent that summer fixing up my Great Grandma’s house that was across the street from my Grandparent’s house. The reason was 2 fold – added income for Grandma and also for safety. While in a highly populated area, Grandma was oddly secluded, especially with Great Grandma’s house vacant.

When I hear “Only the Lonely” by the Motels, I think of that summer. It played allllll the time. I remember the majority of “fixing up” was stripping wallpaper (using a concoction of hot water and starch) and then, once it was stripped, Mom re-hung wallpaper. It was white with light brown flowers in a sparse pattern throughout most of the house and light brown/tan with white flowers (yes, the reverse) in the kitchen and a couple other rooms.

When I think of that summer, I can smell the “summer" smells and starch mixture we used. It’s amazing how a memory can evoke the senses...the flashes of memory that you feel like you can reach out and touch. I am going to go now and wax nostalgic.

Happy Birthday, Sesame Street

I had a wonderful childhood. We didn’t watch a lot of TV, but I did retain most everything I saw. I can still recite some of the skits from Sesame Street.

Sesame Street & The Muppet Show were staples. They still bring a smile to my face when I see the characters. When I was little, Cookie Monster was my favorite. As I got a little older, Grover. Any surprise? They are both blue after all. The Count always scared me and continues to give me the creeps, but he no longer haunts my dreams like they did when I was little.

Thank you, Children’s Television Workshop, but especially to Mr. Jim Henson. Sesame would be nothing without the Muppets that you and your team created. Thank you Mr. Caroll Spinney for truly being the one and only heart of an eternal 6-year-old Big Bird.

Racing the Sun

I like sitting by the window on a plane.  I have something to lean against and can look out at the world.  I have fun trying to identify where we are at. 

Today, I was looking out the window and noticed the sun was racing with us.  It was beautiful to see the sun illuminating the various ponds, lakes, and streams.  As we cruised along, the sun would explode from a shimmery glimmer to a full on blast of silver.  I enjoyed watching the silvery tone take off like a bullet around the sharp corners and subtle curves.

The video doesn’t begin to capture the beauty and playfulness of it.  Partly because there weren’t as many bodies of water and partly because it’s a crappy video from my digital camera.

It kept me amused and made me feel like God was playing along with some secret game that just the 2 of us knew about – that is until now.

Apparently I Have the Sense of Humor of that of a 12 Year Old Boy…

I passed this a couple of months ago and giggled. I bet they have an ointment that  can help that…

 

 

 

 

Crazy Neighbor!

When I bought this house, all the neighbors were ecstatic that the hermit was moving out. They were hoping that I would actually mow the lawn.  Apparently, Hermit didn’t do that very often.  Seems he only took care of it once he received the final warning from the city.

I am not sure if that is what drove the lady across the street to the point of absurdity or not.  Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum.  My yard looks a lot different than when I moved in. The overgrown shrubs are gone, the dead trees are gone, and I’d like to think it looks better, but it’s still a long way from my neighbor’s house.

She owns her own house cleaning service.  She has enough people working for her where I believe she only does the cleaning herself on a limited basis.  That gives her plenty of time to manage her house. And the yard.

I used the word absurd.  You be the judge:

9:00 – 11:00 am: power up the leaf blower (a ghostbuster-esque gas powered one) to blow the 9 leaves that fell on the yard since this time yesterday.

11:00-12:00: pull out the lawn mower and mow the lawn, that was mowed yesterday, and then use the lawn mower along the street to pick up any clippings or leaves.

12:00-2:00: gas up the leaf blower again and re-blow the yard in case another leaf fell.

Yes, this is the daily routine. Yes, the yard looks nice, but man…I just don’t have that much discipline. 

So, I had to laugh when I came home from lunch last week and I see the Dr. Venkman wannabe gearing up to blow the leaf.  And what do I witness? She blew the leaves into the neighbor’s yard!!  Couldn’t believe it…

I laughed even harder when the wind picked up.  Seems God thought it was funny too.

One Really Old Schloss

I was just looking at my pictures of Weimar.

This schloss (German for castle, but want to use it because it is just plain fun to say) to the left is older than our Constitution. The original structure was built in the 10th (TENTH!) Century (this version was built in the 14th Century after the 1st one burned down). Yeah, either date stamp you apply…it’s a really old schloss! We weren’t even a gleam in our forefather’s eyes yet.

Funny thing about Germany is that you see castles (schlossen? schlosses?) around every corner. It’s like seeing a McDonalds in America. And by funny, I mean sorta sad.

This just happens to be one of my favorites that we saw. This part of it is so simple (the “addition” is ginourmous and, in my opinion less impressive) and the color scheme appeals to me for some reason. It’s probably the oxidized copper tower though. I love copper.

We were sitting on the patio of a restaurant that is just about as old as the castle, but with as ancient as these buildings are, it just gets to a point that old is old, so the building that the restaurant is in may only be from the 14th Century. I still can’t fathom the difference, can you? Exactly. As long as the food didn’t taste like it was made in the 14th century, I was happy. Who wouldn’t be? I was sitting there with loved ones less than 100 yards from this beautiful castle. Much better view than the Golden Arches.

And yes, Weimaraner hail from Weimer.