A Georgia Girl in Germany

For MacKenzie’s 10th birthday, we had a mother-daughter outing to see Blue Man Group perform. I’ve wanted to see them perform or some time now, and figured this was a great opportunity. A friend warned me of some of the nuances of the show (don’t dress too nicely in case you get splattered, be careful of paper cuts when the paper towels are unrolled overhead toward the stage -- German paper towels are much more sturdier than traditional American ones).

One thing I didn’t expect, however, was vendors walking through the aisles selling ice cream before the show! It didn’t take much arm-twisting for MacKenzie to convince me to get one for each of us.


At several points during the show, the men walked on the armrests, over audience members’ heads -- one Blue Man stopped for a good 30 seconds, standing on the armrests of the empty seats in front of us and stared at us before continuing his trek over seats and audience members. Oh, how I wish I could have taken a photo during the performance! (These performance photos are from the official Blue Man Group web site at http://www.blueman.com.)

Unfortunately (?), while we had good seats, we weren’t in the “poncho section” of the audience. Audience members sitting in the first four rows are provided with plastic ponchos to protect them from the various food, substances and paint that are thrown, ejected and/or sprayed from the stage.

I didn’t see much actually coming into the audience -- I suspect that’s because Germans don’t traditionally appreciate getting messy like that during the performances. In fact, a friend of mine said the show organizers moved the performance as far back on the stage as possible to prevent much audience-spillage after receiving numerous dry cleaning bills following the performances!



The show itself was great. It included throwing marshmallows (all but two of the more than two dozen hit their target: the open mouth of a fellow Blue Man from across the length of the stage!), splattering paint from drum barrels, spiral painting using paint spit from a Blue Man’s mouth onto a spinning canvas, drumming sequences using PVC pipes that changed from white to a variety of other neon colors when under black light (using a large, static drum set as well as three individual sets worn much like a tuba or sousaphone!), and long confetti streamers and mega-rolls of paper towels being strewn about and filling the auditorium while flexible PVC pipes swirl from the ceiling above -- all under black lights. The use of percussions was constant throughout -- MacKenzie was even given a set of foam earplugs before the performance began because of how loud it was.

Fortunately, afterward, the men walked through the lobby posing for photos, putting blue grease-paint fingerprints on faces, and giving “autographs” by kissing paper for their fans instead of taking pen to paper. MacKenzie was a little timid, but enjoyed interacting with them when she worked up the courage to do so. Yes, we walked away with all three of those extra post-show features!

MacKenzie decided to bring home the streamers that landed near and around us, as a “pet” souvenir from the performance. I don’t expect her “pet” to last long in our house though.

Look at how much grease paint the Blue Men wear! And this is after the intense 2-hour performance and wiping some off their scalps to fingerprint the fans!

MacKenzie’s showing off her two autographs (lip prints), her fingerprinted cheek and her “pet” streamers. I’d say she enjoyed the performance!

One last parting shot before we washed the grease paint off our faces (and before we smudged them any more than we already did!).

Labels: Birthdays, MacKenzie

Since she has a summer birthday, we often have an early birthday party for MacKenzie so she can celebrate with her friends before most of them head off in different directions for the summer. This year was no exception, and we had her birthday party two days after school let out (only one of her friends had left for vacation by then). She decided that she wanted to go to a movie (Nim’s Island) then burn off some energy at the playground. She actually wanted the party to morph into a sleep-over as well, but I would have been batty by then, especially since I helped chaperone her Girl Scout troop’s end-of-year movie outing with 12 girls the day before.

The first photo shows MacKenzie’s tomboy side -- climbing a tree in front of the theater while waiting for her friends to arrive. Of course, they girls decided to sit in the front row of the theater. Naturally, I opted for a seat a few rows back where I could sit with Zachary and Benjamin, yet still keep an eye on the girls.

In addition to designing her party itinerary, she also designed her birthday cake, although I had the dubious honor of actually making it. Yes, it’s a birthday cake of a birthday cake -- complete with 10 candles. Doesn’t Benjamin look like he’s ready to grab a piece!?!!

Here's the gaggle of friends -- Hannah, MacKenzie, Natalie, Chemya, Sammy and Aviana. I was surprised that they all stayed still long enough for me to snap this photo!

Benjamin enjoyed her party as well, especially since it gave him the opportunity to show off his new-found climbing skills. He’s a pro at climbing, and even straddling, the top, but he’s still a little unsure of himself when climbing back down and prefers to have someone stand behind him for reassurance. Not bad for a soon-to-be-5-year-old. I wouldn’t doubt it if years from now he and MacKenzie set off to climb mountains together (I still chuckle at the memory of MacKenzie at age 7 asking me to pull over while driving through the Appalachians so she could climb the mountain out our right window!).

On a “personal success” note, I was tickled with myself when I made MacKenzie’s cake. Usually I have difficulty making the wax-paper decorating tubes, and as a result the frosting oozes out the sides and top as much as it does from the decorating tip. But, I did something right this time, and the tubes worked like a charm! All those years watching and learning from Granny Walker and Aunt Mildred paid off! And the even better news is that I actually know what I did differently this time so I can (hopefully) repeat my success when I make Benjamin’s birthday cakes in two weeks. Woo-hoo!

However, on a “not-so-smart-move” note, I didn’t think through MacKenzie’s design very well until I was well into the decorating process. Notice the 10 individual candles cut out of the cake? As I was attempting to frost the ¾-inch spaces between each candle, I realized that if I had made such a design suggestion to Granny Walker, she would have immediately recognized the difficulty of the design and suggested an alternative solution. Nope, no such luck for me...I didn’t have the foresight to recognize how difficult it would be to frost the sides of nine miniature cutouts. Fortunately, I was able to drop just enough blue frosting into most of the cut-out areas that it wasn’t terribly noticeable, and MacKenzie didn’t care that I missed a few spots. I still count the cake as a success story though, and MacKenzie did too!

Labels: Benjamin, Birthdays, MacKenzie

MacKenzie played soccer again this spring, and she really enjoyed it. She split her time between playing offense and defense, but preferred playing offense. When she played defense, she tended to be more static...on and near the defense line in front of the goal.



Her team played its first game of the season in the rain and cold -- typical mid-April in Germany. Fortunately, the weather cooperated for the most of the rest of the games (one was a bit chilly, but it was still sunny and clear).

She’s making improvements with her game -- keeping up with the ball when it’s near her and chasing it down for some good plays. She’s not overly aggressive, nor is she a star player, but she plays a solid assisting offense.



I love the look of concentration on her face -- complete with her tongue sticking out!

When she wasn’t on the field, she would anxiously await her turn to substitute for another teammate.

Here’s another look of concentration while going for the ball -- also with assistance from her tongue.

The best part of the soccer season, however, was receiving a certificate, a medal and two cupcakes after the last game!

Labels: MacKenzie

Just before the end of the school year, the fourth grade classes put on a short “Reader’s Theatre” based on stories they’d been reading. MacKenzie’s class performed several scenes from Jack London’s book, “Call of the Wild.” MacKenzie played the role of Mercedes, who was part of a team in search of gold in the Yukon.

She looked pretty warm wearing a heavy coat, hat and scarf in late May, but she enjoyed the role. At least she didn’t have to play the part of Buck, the 140 lb Saint Bernard/Scotch Shepherd mix and lead dog on the sled dog team. The boy who played that role did a great job panting and acting dog-like at just the right times though!

What a wonderful acting debut!

Labels: MacKenzie

As much as Zachary enjoys camping with his Boy Scout troop, he opted out of the May campout so he could attend his school dance. It was nice that he worked out a carpool arrangement with a neighbor. Just before I drove him and Jenna to the dance, I had to snap this photo -- and her dad took a similar photo “for posterity.” Yes, they are very good friends, but don’t dare let him catch you using the “girlfriend” word.

The next night, he invited Jenna over for supper. Naturally, they sat next to each other...which prompted Benjamin to repeatedly call out in a sing-songy voice, “Zachary’s got a girlfriend, Zachary’s got a girlfriend.” It bothered Zachary a little that Benjamin used the “g” word, but Jenna just grinned and poked at her food while trying not to draw attention to the statement (definitely not denying it!). Oh, you just have to love little brothers at times like those!

Labels: Zachary

Only in Germany do they serve (carbonated) apple juice in beer steins! No, MacKenzie’s not a lush; she’s just enjoying a drink and composing with Allison while waiting for her spaetzle at a local brauhaus. Unfortunately, she hasn’t taken a liking to the carbonated drinks that are so readily available here in Germany. Even when we request water, we have to specify “no gas.” We know of one restaurant that will serve “tap water,” while just about everywhere else serves bottled water, which is often just as expensive -- or more so -- as soda. So, it pays to hydrate before heading out for a bite to eat.

Labels: MacKenzie

On Mother’s Day, the USO sponsored a free concert by country singer Granger Smith. I was still working 14- to 17-hour days then, but managed to sneak away for two hours to take the kids to listen to the music. Granger Smith is an Aggie from the class of 2002, so I figured it was especially worth it to go listen to him sing (after all, my brother and his wife are Aggies too).

He was pretty entertaining, playing a mix of country classics and his own compositions.



Zachary and I sat on the grass together, enjoying the beautiful afternoon sun and perfect weather.

MacKenzie and Benjamin soon found a sand pile and were digging away -- having loads of fun doing so.

After the concert was over, MacKenzie was adamant about wanting his autograph to add to her collection. The boys ended up getting his autograph also, but I don’t think it mattered as much to them.

Doesn’t he look young!?!! It made me feel old standing next to him.



When we left the concert, Benjamin found a field of flowers (dandelions) and picked a few to give me. He sure does know how to earn bonus points with his mom -- it’s hard not to enjoy freshly-picked weeds from your 4-year-old son!

MacKenzie’s new camera also takes videos -- a feature that Zachary quickly discovered. Here’s a one-minute clip of the song “Five More Minutes,” which Granger Smith said is about some of his friends in the military as well as his grandfather who flew B-24s in World War II. He may be a young singer (although he’s probably a little older than he looks since he graduated A&M in 2002), but I think it’s great that he’s publicly said he’ll always support the U.S. troops and travel wherever they’re stationed to perform for them.

Labels: Benjamin, MacKenzie, Zachary

Back in October, I took a (long) day trip to Ljubljana (pronounced LU-bee-AH-na), Slovenia. Usually USO tours with begin with the official city tour, followed by free time to explore the city on our own, but this time we ventured out on our own first...which meant that I saw some things twice, and didn’t realize the significance of some of them until the second time around.

For example, the American embassy in Ljubljana sits next door to the Russian embassy, which is one of the few places in the world where the embassies of the two largest, and not always agreeable, superpowers, are side-by-side.

The entrance to the Parliament building (People’s Assembly, National Assembly) was rather interesting, surrounded by sculptures of different trades and occupations. It was built in 1960, when Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia.

We then made our way to the old center of town, seen here from a pedestrian zone, with the Ljubljana Cathedral in the background.

The Second World War made its way to Ljubljana in April 1941, when the city was occupied by fascist Italy and included in the so-called Province of Ljubljana. The city became one of the main centers of underground anti-fascist resistance already in June 1941 and, as a result, the Italian occupation authorities completely encircled it with 30 km of barbed wire fence on February 23, 1942. Our tour guide claimed this was “temporary version of the Berlin Wall,” but fortunately didn’t result in the destruction of the city. Nazi Germany replaced the Italians as the occupying force after the capitulation of Italy in September 1943. After World War II, it became the capital of the Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Slovenia, and remained neutral since 1948. Ljubljana remained the capital city of Slovenia with the country’s independence in 1991 -- in which more than 90% of the population voted for independence. After the break up of Yugoslavia and the relatively peaceful 10-day war against the Yugoslav National Army, about 200,000 refugees came to Slovenia -- this represented 10% of the country’s population, and put an enormous strain on the country.

This is the Franciscan church of the Mary’s Annunciation in Prešeren Square with the monument to the Slovene poet, France Prešeren and his muse, in front of it. The square was under renovation when we were there, but it was still magnificent and classic-looking.

This is the view from Prešeren Square looking across the Tromostovje -- Triple Bridge. The Tromostovje is actually three bridges across the Ljubljanica River, all immediately beside each other. The middle stone arch bridge is the central part of the modern bridge, and was extended into the Triple Bridge between 1929 and 1932 with the addition of pedestrian bridges either side, effectively widening the bridge and preventing it from being a bottleneck.

From the Triple Bridge, it’s easy to see the Dragon Bridge further down the Ljubljanica River. By mid-afternoon, there was a market under and beside the covered archway beside the river.

Here’s one of the four dragons of the Dragon Bridge. There is a legend that Jason was the founder of Ljubljana, and he and his Argonauts killed a dragon. Although I didn’t witness such an event, according to local legends, when a virgin crosses the bridge the dragons will wag their tails. Some local people have nicknamed this structure “mother-in-law” because of its fiery nature.

Even the manhole covers depict the city’s mascot -- the dragon.

The market venders set up under the covered archway had beautiful wares. I really liked these colored glass offerings -- and purchased a multi-colored vase and several candle holders. The multitude of colors means they will go with anything while adding just the right splash of color!

I had a wonderful view across the Ljubljanica River during lunch at an outdoor restaurant. It was nice and relaxing to watch people strolling by on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

The fish market area with the golden fountain was just around the corner from where I had lunch. The building on the left is the oldest original building in the city, built in 1528 -- it was not damaged in the several earthquakes that hit the city.

After lunch, we took a ride in a street train up to the Ljubljana Castle. According to archeological surveys, the area of the present castle has been settled continuously since 1200 BC, when the first settlements and later fortifications were built.

The castle was first mentioned in 1144 as a seat of the Carinthian dukes Spanheim. In the 15th century, it was enlarged with a complete wall and towers and a drawbridge at the entrance. A chapel was also built at that time. Because it wasn’t a home of a ruler or another important noble person, and because a fortification in the area was no longer required, the castle started to lose its importance. The maintenance costs were too high so the castle began to crumble. In the 19th century, the castle was redesigned partially as a prison and partially as a military stronghold, making it less popular among the citizens. At the end of the 1960s, the long and extensive renovation works started, and lasted more than 35 years. Once renovations were complete in the 1990s, the castle was used for weddings and other cultural events.

We had a wonderful view of city from within the castle walls. The Kamnik Alps are in the distance but are obscured by clouds in the background (not to be confused with the much-smaller foothills which are visible).

After completing our tour of the castle, we traveled via funicular down to the Osrednja Tržnica -- Central Market -- beside the Ljubljana Cathedral.

Our next stop was the St. Nicholas Cathedral. The side entrance door was made in 1996 on occasion of Pope John Paul II’s first visit to the city and shows the six bishops of the city.

The main door of the St. Nicholas Cathedral shows a detailed history of the city, including broken Roman pottery (bottom right), the Crusades (left), Ottoman raids (right), the farmers’ rebellion of higher taxes and the first written manuscripts in Slovenia. It’s a beautiful work of art and an outline of history, all in one.

The inside of St. Nicholas Cathedral was simply stunning. The cathedral was built 300 years ago in Italian-baroque style with lots of gold and marble.

Ljubljana’s Town Hall was built in 1484 in Renaissance style, but had Baroque features added in 1718. In 1928 the clock tower with the golden dragon was added on the clock spire.

While we were standing outside the Town Hall, the Ljubljana mayor came outside after participating in a wedding. When he saw our group of mostly Americans, he welcomed us and told us we were visiting “the most beautiful city in the world.” Based on the photos of the wedding party, it appeared to be the wedding of someone significant in the city.

The obelisk and fountain behind him mark the center of the city and date to 1751.

Here’s one last view over the Ljubljanica River -- the so-called “Beach of Ljubljana” near where I ate lunch and where residents will also search out a place to sit along the river and eat lunch.

Labels: Slovenia, Travel