A Georgia Girl in Germany

In the spring, the Girl Scouts hosted a Father-Daughter dance, and MacKenzie allowed me to take her. About half her troop showed up, and they had fun running around together. Here they are posing with their troop leader, “Ms. Susie.”MacKenzie wasn’t going to be left behind on the dance floor, but didn’t want to dance with me. So, she danced with Emma’s dad (Bob) and Jessi’s dad (Travis). On a few occasions, she and Jessi double-teamed Travis on the dance floor. MacKenzie even approached the school librarian to ask him to dance with her a few times!
Even though she didn’t want to dance with me, she used me as a home-base between dances and snacks.

She also enjoyed taking photos with her own digital camera. Unfortunately, she dropped it and the batteries fell out, thereby causing all the photos to be lost (it's a cheap digital camera). She was disappointed, but soon was taking more photos again.

She and Emma had fun selecting treats from the dessert table.

Many people had already begun leaving, but MacKenzie stayed out on the dance floor tiring Ms. Susie out with more...until the very end!

Labels: Girl Scouts, MacKenzie

Benjamin was excited about going back to Lisa’s today and playing with his friends after having a few days home with Nana & Papa during their visit. However, when I picked him up this afternoon, I had a good chuckle. Lisa’s note stated he had fun “making a collage and drawing on butcher paper.” BUT, the note neglected to mention his most obvious palette: himself!






















If you look closely, you can see he didn’t simply use one color, but instead used (at least) three! Additionally, he chose multiple locations on himself to color: his forehead, his shirt, his hands, his pants and his socks! Yes, even his socks (which went through to his feet)!!At least he was cooperative when I scrubbed him in the tub to clean off his body art. I never know what to expect with this one!!!

Labels: Benjamin

We finally made it to a Christmas Market, and just in time before Mom and Dad head home. Mom was bound and determined to experience one, and enjoyed the sights and aromas we discovered in downtown Ludwigsburg at the Ludwigsburger Baroque Christmas Market. One of her favorite findings was a booth selling snowball pastries. We discovered these delicious treats in Rothenberg ob der Tauber when they visited back in April, and Mom jumped at the opportunity to have another one…before lunch no less! She definitely doesn’t look willing to share in this photo (although she did).Shortly after she finished her snowball, we stopped for lunch of rotwurst and glühwein (hot, spiced wine to warm you up while strolling through the cold Christmas Markets). I don’t think we’ve found a wurst yet that Mom & Dad haven’t liked, and today was no exception. The glühwein definitely warmed us up a bit--Mom claimed she could feel it warming up her innards as it traveled from her throat to her stomach.

After strolling through the festively-decorated stalls, Dad and I decided to sample some pastries as well and selected the helgosländer. We enjoyed them so much, I bought some for the kids to have for dessert. All three of them enjoyed the treats, which didn’t last long!

Of course, MacKenzie and Benjamin had to have their evening dose of eggnog before turning in for the night. Benjamin likes the decorated carton, and MacKenzie thinks this variety tastes much better than the generic one that’s abundantly available in the commissary…and didn’t want to waste even a single drop of the stuff!

I’m not sure which market I’ll tackle next, but I’m definitely looking forward to visiting more this holiday season.

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, Germany, Nana and Papa, Travel

Springtime was once again Pinewood Derby time with Cub Scouts, and Zachary worked hard on his car this year, as always. He started his car with some of the fathers in his den when they took the boys to the Wood Hobby Shop to cut and sand their cars. He came up with the design, I helped him with the painting, and a neighbor helped him get it properly weighted. I think he had an awesome theme this year: Harry Potter...complete with the "HGWRTS" (Hogwarts) license plate, Harry & Ron driving the car (courtesy of one of his Lego sets), and Harry’s distinctive scar painted on the hood.His car made a good showing in the competition (this was one of his better runs--with a clear win over the other car), but was beaten out in the end. But, he had fun making his car and being at the derby.Benjamin also had fun at the derby...with his own cars. He kept inching toward the ropes in an attempt to get at the more fun-looking derby cars, and was disappointed when we wouldn’t allow him to snatch one for himself...although he certainly tried with Zachary’s car once we got home. Guess I have a future Cub Scout on my hands, if for no other reason than to have his own car in the derby!

Labels: Benjamin, Cub Scouts, Zachary

When I first told Mom I was moving to Germany, she oooh’ed and ahhh’ed about the prospect of making a trek to Poland to go shopping for more Polish Pottery to add to her collection. I, on the other hand, had to be educated about the world-renowned pottery...but it didn’t take me long to discover its beauty.
Each ceramic dish is hand-made in Boleslawiec, Poland, of white clay decorated with lead-free glazes, which makes it safe for the microwave, oven and dishwasher (a must for me!). Polish farmers created these traditional designs with inspiration from the proud peacock, and the brilliant colors added beauty and color to an otherwise plain and simple lifestyle. Over the years, the technique of using handmade stencils to create the designs has become a form of art passed on to new generations.
I had purchased a few bowls during the Spring Bazaar earlier this year, but when I saw the USO was offering a shopping trip to Boleslawiec, Poland, while Mom and Dad were visiting, we jumped at the chance to go shopping--in the extreme. It helped that Dad agreed to stay home with the kiddos (they had loads of fun with Papa, and I suspect he truly enjoyed the day as well). So, Mom and I loaded the bus at 9:30 p.m. Friday night to begin our 29-hour trek.
After a brief stop at the border to have our passports checked and stamped, we arrived in Boleslawiec at 5:45 a.m. ready to begin our shopping. Yes, we began shopping that early in the morning! The first two stores were on the edge of town, and they knew we were coming. When the bus honked its horn, lights in both stores came on and their doors were open to welcome us (and our money). On average, we didn’t spend more than 45 minutes to an hour at each stop (depending on how many stores were located together). We even had time to stop at a glass factory (yes, I bought some glass Christmas ornaments--for those of you who’ve seen my tree, you understand). But, the focus of the trip was to shop for handmade blue ceramic pottery.
At one of our first stops, we noticed several bushes were decorated with various pieces of pottery, much like you would find a Christmas or Easter tree decorated with ornaments or eggs. I don’t know that I would be willing to decorate my yard in such fashion, although I’m sure those pieces were not the top-of-the-line ones.

We even happened upon one store where patrons could stamp their own pieces of pottery, with the guidance of a skilled artist. We saw several people working on their own creations, and I thought it was interesting that the colors were rather muted during this phase. I imagine that the true colors come out during the firing process.
For lunch, we stopped in downtown Boleslawiec, and literally ordered our food from a hole in the wall. Apparently, this place is known for its waffles, but we opted for a gyro, hot dog and fries instead.
Since the hole in the wall is a take-out place, we walked down to the Town Square and found a bench to sit and eat. This is the view we had while eating lunch. Sadly, this was about the only spot of color we noticed the entire day (except on the pottery). Not only were the buildings drab and lackluster, but most of the people dressed in similar fashion. But, we were soon traveling from store to store, shopping our way through Boleslawiec once again.
Thirteen shops, six boxes and nearly a dozen bags later (between the two of us), we left the last shop at 5:45 p.m. and were soon on our way home. Yes, that was 12 hours of shopping! After another stop at the border and supper en route, we finally unloaded the bus at 2:15 a.m. Needless to say, we both slept late this morning. We sure had fun unpacking our loot and rediscovering what we had purchased though. And of course, we ate supper tonight on my new plates...how could I resist!?!!
Here's our loot. Mom now has 22 new pieces, and I have 55 new ones. I'd say we were successful in our shopping endeavor!

Labels: Nana and Papa, Poland, Travel

Benjamin is a very active and energetic child, who hardly has time for things that aren't of his chosing...especially diaper changes (although that's beginning to change since we're in the midst of potty training--yeah!!). We went through a time when he would run away from me if I so much as asked him if he had poopy-pants. After a while, he discovered that I couldn't check his diaper at all if he "hid" under the kitchen table.

What really struck me after I took these photos is that he actually didn't have a messy diaper (just gas), but he was still hiding. It had become a game to him, and rather than taking a few moments for me to check and let him go on his way, he grinned as he ran from me, pulled a chair out from under the table, crawled under the table, and pulled the chair back to keep me away. What a kid!

Labels: Benjamin

OK, so I’m a couple days late getting Zachary’s birthday pictures post loaded, and we’re in the waning hours of Thanksgiving to boot, so I figure this update is due.
It’s hard to believe that Zachary is now 11. It seems like just yesterday when I first held him in my arms, with his bottom lip quivering as he cried. My, how time flies! He wanted a bowling party this year, so we packed up and headed to the local bowling alley where several of his friends joined him for the festivities. Fortunately, it didn’t bother him when two of his friends showed up with their own balls and a third started talking about his previous bowling league! They all had a blast, especially Zachary--who commented that this was his best birthday party ever.Benjamin absolutely loves bowling so was almost totally oblivious to the fact that it was Zachary's birthday party (until we brought out the cake, ice cream and presents), and was excited as long as his ball knocked down at least one pin with each throw...which happens most times when playing with the gutter guards. After each turn, he’d hop on the front of the ball return to share his excitement. He also enjoys chocolate cake and ice cream...and did his best trying to clean up when he was done (although he needed a little help with this sticky, chocolate mess).

As for Thanksgiving, we had planned on heading to the Frankfurt Christmas Market today (opening day), and had even enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal last night. But, when we checked the weather forecast this morning, we changed our minds: 80% chance of rain. We decided not to be miserable walking outside all day in the rain. It didn’t rain here, but the weather stats indicate that we made a wise choice since it rained off and on all day in Frankfurt. I’m sure we’ll get to a Christmas market before Mom & Dad leave.

But all wasn't lost--we still got some Christmas shopping in...at the local mall (felt kinda odd shopping on Thanksgiving day, but the Germans don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so it made perfect sense!), before heading out to a wonderful little gasthaus for supper--schnitzels, spaetzle, traditional German potato salad, seasoned mushrooms and pancake soup. Definitely not the customary Thanksgiving fare, but everything was absolutely delicious nonetheless!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Labels: Birthdays, Zachary

While the kids were back in the states with their dad, I took the opportunity to travel every weekend, and soon I was on an “Express” trip with the USO to Verona, Italy. The Express trips are designed as one-day trips to places that take a little longer to drive to. In this case, we left just after midnight, slept on the bus, spent the day in Verona, slept on the bus on the return leg, and arrived back about 26 hours after our trip began. Whew!

I have no idea what castle this is, but thought it was majestic how it was perched atop the hillside. We passed several castles en route, and it amazed me how many there were, just dotting the landscape.

Verona, also known as Urbis Nobilissima, is the second biggest city (after Venice) in Italy’s Veneto region. We started our visit to Verona with a bus tour. As seems to be the case with many large European cities, there’s a nearby river. You can see that this bridge consists of two different types of bricks. It had been bombed, partially destroyed, then rebuilt, hence the difference. My apologies for the odd shadows--they’re silhouettes from stickers on the bus window.

Many cities also have a town wall, or remnants of one, and Verona is no different. This is one of Verona's city gates.

I thought it was pretty interesting that Verona was built on top of the ruins of Roman city streets. What’s even more amazing is that the current-day streets mirror the streets below the earth, and that both are laid out like well-planned modern-day cities with streets running parallel and perpendicular to each other. This was the only section of the Roman city streets that we saw unearthed.

Verona is best-known as the hometown of the most famous lovers in history: Romeo and Juliet. While Shakespeare’s characters are fiction, many scholars believe they are based on real people. Apparently there was a story passed down through the years (many years) about a girl from the Capulet family who had been abducted by the Montague family. The Montague family kept her hostage and eventually she died of starvation. As you can well imagine, a feud began between these two families. Different authors took this story and adapted it from the previous version over the years before it eventually morphed into Shakespeare’s story of “Romeo and Juliet.” While there were no individuals in either of these two families named Romeo or Juliet, the Capulet family has capitalized on Shakespeare’s famous tale of two “star-cross’d lovers” and opened up its family home and courtyard to visitors. Here’s the statue of Juliet. Notice her well-polished body part...apparently it’s good luck to touch her breast when paying a visit (yes, I touched...but didn’t grope).
Here is the beautiful Capulet family courtyard (left) and the balcony (right) where Juliet is supposed to have been standing when she uttered the famous words, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?”


However, the Montague family isn’t as tolerant of tourists as the Capulet family, so I had to take these next two photos of the Montague family home without really stopping.

Unfortunately, and much to my dismay, I thought I had written down what these buildings were, but alas, I can’t find any proof that I did. In any case, these buildings are in the heart of the city hall area. I think the top one is where visiting judges would temporarily live. Apparently judges could not be local citizens, but instead would come from other cities and stay for months or years (a set time) so they would be impartial in rendering their judgments. Kinda line current day military TDYs and deployments.
I’m also discovering that people dress in costumes for tips at many major cities throughout Europe. In addition to people dressed in very elaborate Renaissance costumes, we happened upon a very enthusiastic mime.
The most famous monument in town is the Roman Amphitheater, commonly known as the Arena. This majestic theater was built in the first century outside the city walls, but in the third century the city walls were extended to envelop the arena within the city itself. It is the second largest, and best preserved, theater of the Roman Empire.
Unfortunately, due to an earthquake in 1117, only part of the original facade remains--the outer ring--which is still visible on the Piazza Bra side (the portion of a wall to the left in this photo).
The Arena accommodates more than 22,000 spectators--it is absolutely huge! Here they are prepping the stage for that evening’s performance of Aida. Yes, it is still in use today for operas during the summer season.
This arena is especially well-preserved because the citizens of Verona have always taken good care of it. Already in the 16th century a special commission was designated to restore and preserve it. While it looks majestic and proper today, its original use was for Gladiators' fights. Can’t you just imagine lions entering the Arena from under this arch to fight the gladiators!?!!
I ran into two gladiators outside the Arena. Fortunately, they soon released me (after I tipped them for having my photo made with them).
On my first real trip to Italy, I had to take time to enjoy a delicious Italian pizza at an outdoor café within view of the Arena. Fortunately, one of the ladies who joined me for lunch reminded me to ask for “salami pizza” to get the pepperoni I wanted. If I had asked for a “pepperoni pizza,” I would have received a pizza topped with red hot peppers. Lunch wouldn’t have been complete without the serenading of nearby musicians…it was like I had stepped into a movie: eating pizza in the shadow of a Roman amphitheater while being serenaded by Italian musicians. Wow!

Labels: Italy, Travel