tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14748786748594101782024-03-12T19:25:31.707-07:00Sweet LifeCelebrating the joy of lifeLauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-74666971601310493212009-11-08T13:51:00.000-08:002009-11-09T14:46:55.964-08:00Halloween in Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/Svc2b3UyYJI/AAAAAAAAAKA/Bo8Z_aWwEDY/s1600-h/P1080706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/Svc2b3UyYJI/AAAAAAAAAKA/Bo8Z_aWwEDY/s320/P1080706.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Halloween is over. I am a big Halloween fan. And as an American living in Germany, I really miss the way kids and adults get so into this tradition in the US. But never fear, Halloween came to Hannover! We hosted our third annual Halloween party, complete with glowing jack-o-lanterns, tombstones, cobwebs, a giant black ghost hanging in the dining room, and twelve costumed five and six year olds swinging between happy, puzzled, and delighted. The delighted part came especially during the eating-mice-hanging-from-the-witches-broom game, and the beyond delighted came during trick-or-treating. My neighbors were amazing. Twelve homes got in to the spirit - and we organized a trick-or-treating night right on our street. It was incredible. Each neighbor seemed to have their own way of bringing the magic into the night. One had the flicker of a candle flame moving all around mysteriously on the other side of their glass door. One reached out a spider-covered hand when they opened the door. Many answered the door dressed up as witches or vampires. The children yelled trick-or-treat (in English!) and usually the whole gang was invited in! It was very touching to see the neighbors embrace this strange holiday and create such fun and mystery for the kids. </span><br />
</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-82946662168949190862009-11-08T09:02:00.000-08:002009-11-08T09:02:21.823-08:00German flower bouquets from friendsI love the artful bouquets of flowers that are typical in Germany. They are usually shorter in height than the bouquets in the US, with creative but simple combinations of the season's most luscious floral offerings. Recently I received this stunning purplish-blue hydrangea and rose bouquet from my friend Simone. It was covered by an almost industrial silver mesh net, which was perfect for my current love of all things dove gray and purple. You can find these bouquets everywhere- at the markets, the flower shops, on many street corners. It is just another way that beauty is celebrated here. Here it is on my desk, inspiring me while I do my writing and consulting work.<br />
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</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-73517537446773416542009-11-08T05:14:00.000-08:002009-11-09T07:31:20.432-08:00The sweetest of summer for a five-year-old<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/SoUyl5RNx1I/AAAAAAAAAHg/cRawENYlwhQ/s1600-h/P1050313.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369753757318760274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/SoUyl5RNx1I/AAAAAAAAAHg/cRawENYlwhQ/s320/P1050313.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
This amazing summer with my five-year-old was like a stream of joy-moments one after the other - so this entry tumbles out of me much like the memories fly around in my heart. Weekend walks with Daddy and her dog Beau. Planting her Junior K bean plant on the back balcony and watching it climb. Swimming in the clear blue water at Grandmommy's pool to practice for the Seahorse Swim Patch test in Germany. Singing and learning Bible stories in her second annual Vacation Bible School at Grandmommy's church in Annapolis. Mommy, let me tell you about Moses... The daily tea parties on the beach at the Atlantic Ocean with Chloe, Rowan and Grayson. Mommy, here is your cherry pie. Mommy, do you want another cappucino? Learning to pick up pennies from the nice Daddy at the July 3rd pool party in New Jersey. Riding in a wagon with Chloe to night-before Fireworks on the river. Dancing in her long pink cotton Chipie dress in the sand with Chloe at the 4th of July party at the Sands Beach Club in Seabright, New Jersey, reminding Cathy and me of our own beach dancing in the Bahamas when we were 18. Fireworks over the ocean. Driving Chloe's pink motorized Jeep all around the green grass back yard. Playing hockey with Rowan and his dad in the driveway. Eating edamames with the kids. I've got a two-beaner! I've got a three beaner! Seeing first Helmut Crab on the beach.<br />
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Trading bathing suits with Chloe every day. Taking the ferry from New Jersey to New York City with Mommy and Daddy- passing right by the Statue of Liberty on a gorgeous sunny morning. Getting new purple swim goggles from Grandmommy. Diving for rings with swim teacher Karen. Eating corn on the cob at Aunt Karen's with cousin Bella and cousin Ivy. Playing school with Bella, Aunt Karen and Mommy. Catching lightening bugs. Playing Mermaids-in-the-Aquarium with Bella in Aunt Karen's olympic-sized bathtub. <br />
Making a book on her own called "Butterfly Birthday." Painting heart paintings with her face inside to show her love to us. Roadtripping from Maryland to Indiana with Mommy and Grandmommy to see Uncle Mike, Aunt Kim and the whole gang. Staying in hotel/motels and eating American breakfasts on the road. Discovering word-search puzzles. Loving the pancake face plate made with five small pancakes. Mommy, can we get more bacon? Does Uncle Mike know how to make scrambled eggs? (turned out- YES!) Uncle Mike's fabulous French Toast Breakfast. Throwing rocks into Uncle Mike's pond. Collecting flowers for a tender bouquet to give Uncle Mike and Aunt Kim. Discovering the game Candyland. Jumping on cousin Kristy's trampoline for hours with little Hailey. Swimming with Hailey, Angie, Michael and the whole family for hours at a time. Giving everyone Mermaid and Sea Creature names like Coralina, Swimalina, Divealina. Learning to dive with mommy from the ladder. Discovering Tinker Toys and making elaborate designs. A giant family pool party in Annapolis. Swimming with Jeanne. Playing Sharks and Minnows with tons of cousins. Walking to an amazing Art School for a week with Hannover friends Feline and Rosa. Making a sea aquarium collage painting from found sand and objects from nature. Making a life-size self-portrait painting with feathers, beads and glitter on the pink dress. Erecting a puppet theater in her bedroom to host puppet shows for mommy and daddy starring the caterpillar, hans, the princess, the Oma, the dragon, and the frog. First Play: the Caterpillar who turned into a dragon! Dancing with mommy almost every second day in the kitchen. Singing 80s music with daddy in the car - favorites are Let it Whip, Groove is in the Heart and Take On Me. Filling up her new Hello Kitty wallet with coins and photos and hotel card keys. Jumping on Eliane's trampoline for a day. Swimming in Josie's pool for an entire afternoon- diving off of stacked boogie boards. Swimming with Mommy each day at Lister Bad- and earning her Seehorse patch after her test from the Bademeister Jan! Hiking with Mommy, Daddy and Beau and counting 65 butterflies on the way to the top. Laughing through the movie Madagascar and singing "I like to move-it, move-it." Going to the nail salon with mommy and sending mommy i-love-you signs we made up. Getting her hair cut into a sweet-chic style by Dalia. Playing among the rose garden at the castle in Schwerin with eight cousins on the family-reunion tour of Opa's home city. Giving Opa a homemade birthday card and getting a big squeeze in return. Swimming in an ice-cold lake on a hot summer day with our big family of lots of cousins. Writing little entries in her journal about happy times.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-87130678894877298982009-11-08T05:08:00.000-08:002009-11-10T12:21:16.240-08:00La-ter-ne, La-ter-ne, Son und Mond und Ster-ne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/Svg0IGybFeI/AAAAAAAAALI/wgaFUZYhLsY/s1600-h/P1080179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/Svg0IGybFeI/AAAAAAAAALI/wgaFUZYhLsY/s320/P1080179.JPG" /></a><br />
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I just love the German tradition of the Lantern Walk for children with their families. The Lantern walks usually take place in late October and November, although some hard-core traditionalists will tell you that they should take place the Sunday after November 11, which is St. Martins Day. Our international school combined the traditions of Halloween with the Lantern walk and it was a cozy, happy celebration. <br />
<a name='more'></a> A typical Lantern walk is lead by part of a marching band, playing their brass horns into the night air. A long parade of children with families and sometimes dogs follow behind, singing traditional songs and proudly holding their self-made lanterns in front of them to light the way. On our first lantern walk, when our daughter was two, many of the lanterns had real candles in them. Children work hard in their kindergardens (pre-schools) and at home to make their own lanterns, usually out of paper-mache applied to a balloon, and then the balloon is popped leaving a lovely hard and colorful shell. My five-year-old was delighted to show me the purple, gold and red colors on her lantern. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our lantern walk this year, we were blessed with warm weather and a stunning array of yellow and golden colors above, below and around us as we made our way through the trees and along side the river. I was so happy to walk behind my daughter side-by-side with her friends, singing loudly the same songs over and over. We ended up back at the kindergarden, enjoying hot cocoa, pumpkin soup and bratwurst. The lantern walk is yet another German tradition that I have come to love that uses home-made creations, simple decorations, music and singing, and nature as the backdrop.<br />
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</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-60244981977203649942009-11-08T03:25:00.000-08:002009-11-10T05:03:06.445-08:00Hurry up and get marriedWe were eating our fresh "brotchen" from the corner bakery. Beau and I were feeling alive after a brisk walk/trot/sniff through the Eilenriede's brilliant pallette of yellow and gold colors. We snuck past our usual bakery and went across the street to the newer one to get the oat-covered rolls. Back at the house, our five year old was listening to her dad and I talk about early days when we used to go exploring and check out little boutiques in San Francisco and New York. She said "That is when I was (pointing up) up there. I was up there watching you and waiting and waiting. "Hurry up and get married!" I said. "I am getting hot sitting in this big cloud all the time." Ava has always had broad ideas of soul, eternity, and that our human experience has a before and an after. It amazes me to hear the ways her ideas enter into our day-to-day conversations.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-61438844276908437632009-10-27T14:59:00.000-07:002009-11-09T07:29:51.863-08:00Car PrayersWe have a prayer ritual that I have grown to love, and my daughter asks for with a not-yet-awake voice. When I drive the 12 minutes from our home to her kindergarden, right after we pass our favorite white marble statue of the two sisters (princesses) with their arms draped around one another, and just before we pass the music university, we start. The prayer begins with giving thanks for the blessing of the beauty of the day in front of us- today it was the intense golden leaves as we drove alongside the forest, sometimes it is the rain, and sometimes it is the sun. We then ask God to wrap his arms around our little one and guide her through each part of her day - from circle time to snack, from learning Jolly Phonics sounds to music, from lunch, recess to art, PE, to library. And we ask that she is strong on her own, that she stands up for herself with other kids, that she takes deep breaths when she needs to feel calm, that her love shines through her to others, and that she goes to the quiet place inside if she feels frustrated or needs peace. I usually thank God for blessing me with the honor of being her mother, the fun and thrill of sharing each day with her. By this time, we are rounding the corner at Waterloo Platz and driving down the tree-lined alley to her school.<br />
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She jumps out of the car and pushes her arms through the straps of her pink book-bag with her name and a monkey face on the back. We walk together across the school yard to greet her friends, and we have the gracious feeling of being more closely connected to one another and to God.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-49147621398176780682009-10-22T14:02:00.000-07:002009-10-22T14:18:27.741-07:00Closer than closeAva rolled over for the tenth time, complaining that she was just not tired. We had read three books and said prayers, and she sang a beautiful song to me about bedtime and sleeping that she must have learned in kindergarden. She really wanted me to lay down with her, and cuddle in the glow of her pink flower nightlight.<br /><br />I said "Ava, it is really important that each of us know how to relax and fall asleep on our own. There will be many times in life when you cannot sleep, and you will need to know what to do. Close your eyes, and think of special moments in the day today, like when we showered together and blew dry each other's hair, or when we snuggled and watched Mary Poppins this afternoon. We had fun searching for the Halloween box in the cellar and unpacking it. Eating pumpkin soup with daddy, and baking cookies in the kitchen was fun and yummy. Replaying the memories helps them stick better."<br /><br />Ava said "Mommy, I want you with me." And I said "Honey, you have Monkey, Bunny, Biggie Bear, and Gingie." Take turns cuddling with each one until you fall asleep." Ava replied, "Mommy, I want a human."<br /><br />I understood. We were so close today, this cold, rainy October day during her fall school break, that it was just too hard to separate at sleep time. We had not left the house once and we both felt the special luxury of our retreating for a day. We lit red candles during our "girls spa time" and had jack-o-lantern candles glowing while eating pumpkin soup at dinner. Today was a day of deep peacefulness, comfort and joy.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-37099777652295670182009-10-22T13:58:00.000-07:002009-11-09T03:17:09.157-08:00Words at Bedtimeme: ava, you really need to go to sleep.<br />
ava: i am not tired. i ate too much sugar (cookie dough from halloween party prep)<br />
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me: (eyes closed, hands folded, praying) dear God, please help ava to fall asleep. and please <br />
help me to be a writer.<br />
ava: i can help you write. i know lots of good words.<br />
me: that's right. today you said "accessories."<br />
ava: yes, and I also know: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, <br />
wig, and parfait<br />
ava: you just have to ask me to help you, and I will. I have been <br />
hiding these words.<br />
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</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-19207889291100967442009-10-07T14:26:00.000-07:002009-10-07T14:32:03.646-07:00Lightening Over the Church TowerI have front row seats to an amazing lightening show tonight. Looking through our huge old windows at the 100-year-old church tower across the street I am in awe of nature's power once again. When the lightening turns the dark night sky to full white in a flash, the dark steeple points upwards, and the child in me believes it is pointing straight to heaven.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-24278875270491038322009-09-29T05:13:00.000-07:002009-09-29T05:13:46.511-07:00TrampolinesI don't ever remember being on a trampoline as a kid. But now, they are everywhere! Ava has friends with trampolines in their yards, they are at the festivals, the art shows, the garden shows, there is even a big new one at our Hannover Zoo, in addition to the trampoline-net house that she already loved. Ava adores the trampoline- the jumping, the freedom, the soaring, the flying, the risk, the tricks. She was thrilled to discover a trampoline in her cousin Kristy's backyard when we made our big summer roadtrip out to Indiana. She and three-year-old Hailey had fun doing tricks and performances, but then they had to get off and wait their turn while my mom got on! 73 years young and making her way on to the trampoline. Mom was always good at jumping into a fun moment, and she had to loosen up for her big NFL Cheerleading show last weekend- where the original Redskinette Alumni performed on the field during halftime. Go Ava! Go Mom! Keep those high kicks and flips coming!Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-31936847851944443812009-09-28T13:48:00.000-07:002009-09-28T13:48:45.703-07:00Peaceful Piggy MeditationChildren can be so open, so willing. Our stay in California this month with long-time friends Chau and Jim affected us in many ways. We left their house of peace and love with a few special gifts: meditation beads from Vietnam, our Stillness Jar and the book "Peaceful Piggy Meditation." On the next stop, we shared the book with our hosts that have two little girls close in age to our daughter. On our last evening, we gathered in the living room on pillows. The children gravitated to the story of creating a peaceful place in the home. The girls wanted to immediately create the space. Peaceful Piggy suggested a stone for solidness, a crystal for clear thinking, and a flower for beauty. The six year old gathered a crystal, a rubbing stone from her aunt, and a rock she painted for her mother. The nine-year-old brought a crystal glass to use as a bell. My daughter, visiting from Germany, didn't have her own special things with her- so she ran to the art table and made two drawings of hearts to place in the circle. Amy lit the candle and the girls took turns with the bell. After a day full of laughter, tears and emotions, the faces became angelic and still. We breathed together slowly, and in the manner of Thich Nhat Hahn we said words on the in-breath and out-breath, such as Calm, Love, Joy, Peace, Happiness and Kindness. I could feel the energy in our circle, loving and peaceful. We ended with prayers of gratitude. We had another meditation circle the following morning before we said goodbye. Back in Germany, we set up our own special place with our sea shells, rocks, polished stones, and beads from Vietnam. We start our days sitting together in the early morning by candlelight, continuing the circle of peace and love.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-87501444629759412912009-09-28T03:56:00.000-07:002009-11-09T07:10:32.927-08:00Sunflowers, Pumpkins and ApplesA field of very large, yellow faces stood tall in rows and invited us yesterday to share the warm, yellow afternoon sun with them. Indian Summer in northern Germany! Sunflowers of many types, each in their own rows, greeted us cheerfully as bees nibbled on their seeds. Yellow petals with yellow centers, yellow with dark centers, oversized centers, small centers, orange and yellow fire-like petals, flowers that had already burnt up in the sun. The three of us had the field to ourselves, strolling in and around. It was a pick-your-own blooms field, and we assembled a lovely bunch to take back. "Daddy, let me try to cut!" our five year old asked. She knelt down and freed her favorite flowers from their spot, and put them with the others in her little hand. We also wandered through the pumpkin patch. A real pumpkin patch! Did the Great Pumpkin live here? All kinds of pumpkins grew here in rows, the large light orange carving pumpkins for Jack-o-Lanterns, the rich, deep colors of the Hokaido pumpkins we use for our fall and winter soups, the white small pumpkins, the yellow and white squash, and the multi-colored small decoration pumpkins. We selected the shapes and colors that we found delightful and we loaded up the back of the wagon.<br />
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We drove further through the countryside and found a gorgeous, old, stone farmhouse with an apple orchard. We pulled over and took out a large sack and started gathering rich, brown, shiny chestnuts from under large tree.<br />
Little one loved finding chestnuts still in their shells with the pointy, pokey spikes all around. She would carefully open them and pull the chestnut out of the soft inner flesh. We shared a crisp apple from the orchard while we moved on to the next chestnut tree. Husband lifted little one way up into the tree so she could pick the chetsnuts right off of the branches. We laughed and laughed when he would hang from the tree and perform a hanging dance to get the chestnuts to rain down on us. We drove back home with our car loaded with the colors and textures of fall- deep orange, golden yellow, apple red, and mahagony brown. We made "tablescapes" outside and in. We could almost feel the warm sun on our faces when we looked into the sunflowers on the long wooden table.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-91891098825258890962009-09-25T21:29:00.001-07:002009-11-09T07:20:42.101-08:00The Art of SeeingOne of the things I love about photography is that what you create depends on what you see. And how you see! And I see with my heart. I get so excited at the capturing the moment- the emotion, the joy, the sadness, the tenderness. Living with my exuberant, joyful, expressive five-year-old gives me an endless supply of inspiration.<br />
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</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-23973290912718769502009-09-25T20:52:00.001-07:002009-11-09T07:14:28.045-08:00Deep Blue YogaWe began our September California trip in a large, rented house with a view of Lake Tahoe. Four best girlfriends and their families shared the house, with laughter starting upon arrival and providing a backdrop for the entire Labor Day weekend.<br />
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The four dads bonded and talked tech, and the seven children played dolls, swung in the porch swing, played in the sand, made God's eyes from sticks, rode bicycles down the hill, and ate pancakes, watermelon, and shaved ice.<br />
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During all of the energy, love, emotions and laughter, we found an oasis of stillness. We took our yoga mats up to the large deck with a view of the deep blue lake surrounded by the deepest royal blue sky. Side by side, led by Amy through a slow, fluid series of stretches, asanas and sun salutations, we melted our bodies and souls into a moving yoga flow. <br />
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The effect for me was profound. In triangle pose, following my arm and looking back up to the sky, I was inspired by the beauty of the healthy green pine tree loaded with pine cones reaching into blue. During sun salutations I would swing both arms up over my head, pull down the buzzing, loving energy from the universe into praying hands before my heart. The warm, yellow morning sun poured down over us. In mountain pose, I stared at the mountain crest bordering the lake and felt the permanent, unchanging solidness of God's earth. In the balancing poses, we stood still and solid high on our wooden deck, in a synchronous mid-air balance that the mountains and trees provided for us. I centered myself by staring at a tall, old tree on the lake's border, and my body was stable and strong. I was moved by the shared experience with nature and the women I love on that deck.<br />
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I am filled with gratitude for our Deep Blue Yoga.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-2290485236123638392009-09-25T20:51:00.000-07:002009-09-25T21:22:35.538-07:00Serenity in the morningOne morning I woke up very early in my friend Chau's California home. It was 6:00 am and I peaked over the staircase to the large living room below. A mantel running the length of the room was lit by ten candles symmetrically balanced among the buddahs, orchids, photos of zen masters and ancestors. A lovely smell of incense filled the room. Chau sat on her meditation cushion in her dove gray cotton dharma master robe, quietly meditating. I was infused with a loving vibration, a calming energy, and a tingly feeling all over my body as i looked on. The next day, I awakened and discovered the same beautiful ritual taking place. This time I joined in, taking a cushion next to Chau. We have a number of shared experiences over the years in meditation, and I was reminded that it could be such a peaceful place of beauty that could draw me in, open my heart, and still my spirit so I could hear God's voice so clearly.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-18189775789970708992009-08-14T06:37:00.000-07:002009-08-14T06:44:37.500-07:00Summer Night Lister Mile Street Dancing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/SoVpajXu6NI/AAAAAAAAAHo/ZX70gNjd_iY/s1600-h/P1050833.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/SoVpajXu6NI/AAAAAAAAAHo/ZX70gNjd_iY/s320/P1050833.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369814035601483986" /></a><br />We took a walk, the three of us and Beau. San Marco Eis Cafe for Ice Cream cones. La Perla for a pizza. How fun, to eat the ice cream before the dinner! Ava was jubilant in the afterglow of earning her swimming badge. Beau eagerly awaited bread chunks under the table. The owner of the Italian restaurant walked over and told us of his trip to Sicily. Hot, very hot. He has known us since Ava was in diapers. Ava danced around in the warm summer night air, twirling in her light cotton dress. Life is sweet.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-76124918361128207562009-08-14T02:15:00.000-07:002009-08-14T02:17:20.140-07:00Characters Voices from a 5-year-oldLittle chickies going camping. Who is driving the car? Did we pack the fireworks? Do we have the drinking can? Can we all fit in the gold gauze (jewelry bag) sleeping bag? Hey, here are some beautiful roses. Let's climb in and have a rest.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-12159013553869370952009-08-14T02:05:00.001-07:002009-11-09T06:43:41.233-08:00Mealtime RitualsMy husband taught me something that I have come to cherish. Sit-down breakfast. We sit down in our dining room for breakfast every morning, seven days a week. The sun floods our table and the morning air is fresh when the glass door is open. Andreas and Beau bring fresh bakery breads from the corner Bakery Bosselmann to the table every morning, and most days I make a muesli from natural yogurt, fresh seasonal fruits, nuts and seeds. Andreas makes the lattes, and Ava looks forward to her hot chocolate. The ritual of starting each day together keeps us nourished and connected.<br />
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We are lucky that we can sit down together for dinner for most nights of each week. We dine under the watchful eyes of "Gold Jesus" in our dining room or in our cozy kitchen at the cherry wood table, eating on tall bar stools. Ava is learning to set the table using her little sketch map that we made. Fork on the left, knife on the right, blade facing in. Ava says the passed-down family blessing while we hold hands around the table. Our small circle of love, with Beau under the table.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-58373176746957266702008-01-16T08:19:00.000-08:002009-08-14T02:18:35.612-07:00Reflections on our journey abroad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hannover.de/lang/en/index.html"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.hannover.de/lang/en/index.html" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5DYzzMK32I/AAAAAAAAAAs/NJaFmC5ZvxY/s1600-h/DSC_0397.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5DYzzMK32I/AAAAAAAAAAs/NJaFmC5ZvxY/s320/DSC_0397.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156859957765398370" /></a> Pull back and look. I am pausing to stop and reflect on the second+ year of our life in Germany, and try this blog as a way to catch up with special people that we don't get to see very often. We are truly settled now into our home In Hannover, a 1905 art nouveau apartment house, and I love the view to the St. Mark's Church across the street from my desk (photo). We have a different life now. We left our Orinda house, yard and neighborhood, two cars, and now live in the city in large flat with one car. We walk for most of our groceries, errands and social life. <br /><br />It was an intense year. Ava grew into a powerful, dramatic, funny three year old that keeps us wide-eyed and laughing, and sometimes exasperated. <br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IbVDMK4DI/AAAAAAAAACU/hpXKowwj4rU/s1600-h/DSC_0596.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IbVDMK4DI/AAAAAAAAACU/hpXKowwj4rU/s320/DSC_0596.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157214571740192818" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I had a heart scare (all is okay) and I unexpectedly flew home to see Mom after her heart surgery (she is terrific now). Both events had silver linings...they increased our intention to live as if we might not have tomorrow. We want to keep that spirit going. We take a deep breath... all is "in ordnung" now. As a change management consultant, I was intimately familiar with the Change Curve, the five stages of change that one passes through when undergoing transition. Somehow, despite how clear it was to everyone else, I underestimated the enormity of the change that we took on when we left the San Francisco Bay Area. The daily sunshine, a dream job, our friends, our glass-walled home, and the culture and attitudes proved to be quite different than this part of the world. The northern German weather, language, social and cultural norms, and becoming a full-time mom after a rich career all required a lot of energy and optimism to pull me through the change curve. I am happy to share that I am now in the "Hopeful Realism" stage and I am enjoying our new lifestyle. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7LAF4UvYuI/AAAAAAAAAEk/Q9Yn5a423gE/s1600-h/CIMG4755.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7LAF4UvYuI/AAAAAAAAAEk/Q9Yn5a423gE/s320/CIMG4755.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166402929798636258" /></a> I have finally established the network and infrastructure that is needed to get by in life, so we have doctors, babysitters, contractors, etc. that makes daily living much easier. Good friends, neighbors and a walk-everywhere, "gemutlich" (cozy) cafe culture has helped enormously. Yesterday, Ava and I walked to a beautiful cafe with other mommies and daugthers and had lunch. Another friend called and decided to spontaneously join us, and since we are all nearby it can happen. I treasure the other German ways I have adopted... buying handmade, natural and local, buying food from farmers on every day of the week, natural remedies, and slow, intentional living.<br /><br /><br /><br />One reason we moved here was to discover Europe. 2007 gave us that opportunity. We fell in love with Vienna (photo left),<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5DdFjMK33I/AAAAAAAAAA0/jh4CuZv98zo/s1600-h/DSC_0491.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5DdFjMK33I/AAAAAAAAAA0/jh4CuZv98zo/s320/DSC_0491.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156864660754587506" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5JcWTMK4II/AAAAAAAAAC8/S_Ms6diQ3g4/s1600-h/CIMG4006.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5JcWTMK4II/AAAAAAAAAC8/S_Ms6diQ3g4/s320/CIMG4006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157286061470834818" /></a> enjoyed the epicurean delights in Bologna (photo right), discovered Denmark with good friends at their summer house, felt like movie stars beach-front in Cannes, went back to our beloved Siena and stayed with the Griccioli's again, and after a long absence back to the Guessmann family house in Tuscany in the warm golden light of October. We also continued exploring Germany, and this year we spent time in Hamburg, the northern coast at Heiligendamm, hip Berlin, bavarian Munich, classical Leipzig and historic Quedlinburg. <br /><br />We escaped the gray European winter by heading to the cold bright sunshine and blue skies of Maryland, where we had a family reunion and celebrated my niece Kristy's baby shower. We also spent a good part of the summer in San Francisco, which was rich with special times. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ava Grace (Whirly Girl, Gracie):</span> Ava went from a toddler to a preschooler in 2007. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5DowzMK34I/AAAAAAAAAA8/soU_sSL7t4Q/s1600-h/Bilder+07082006+611.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5DowzMK34I/AAAAAAAAAA8/soU_sSL7t4Q/s320/Bilder+07082006+611.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156877498411835266" /></a><br /><br />Ava went from diapers to potties, from time with Oma Gitti (two mornings a week) to an international preschool, and from a tender little one to an active social butterfly.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IcVzMK4EI/AAAAAAAAACc/R4KPGcjpVAU/s1600-h/DSC_0601.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IcVzMK4EI/AAAAAAAAACc/R4KPGcjpVAU/s320/DSC_0601.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157215684136722498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ava went from her baby crib to her "big girl bed" and to a little person who says "Ich kann das alleine machen!" (I can do it alone) to almost everything. Ava is completely bilingual and speaks only German with Daddy, family, neighbors and friends and only English with me, my family and some of her school friends. There is no translation, she just switches back and forth. For her mommy, it does not come as easily.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5ICajMK39I/AAAAAAAAABk/UzgaE44D_nQ/s1600-h/DSC_0525.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5ICajMK39I/AAAAAAAAABk/UzgaE44D_nQ/s320/DSC_0525.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157187178438778834" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Likes:</span> Narrating her day through rhymes, looking at books, singing, old-fashioned carousel rides, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7MkU4UvYyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/qMNKDC30YKM/s1600-h/DSC_0344.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7MkU4UvYyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/qMNKDC30YKM/s320/DSC_0344.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166513138659451682" /></a><br />swinging, jumping, trampolines, oil bath beads and bath salts, face painting; PEZ dispensers (thanks Aunt Karen), role plays (mommy, princess, doctor, teacher) dress up, nature, collecting leaves and shells, baking and cooking with mommy and daddy. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5OtIjMK4NI/AAAAAAAAADk/pp96ZKUhRv4/s1600-h/DSC_0318.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5OtIjMK4NI/AAAAAAAAADk/pp96ZKUhRv4/s320/DSC_0318.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157656360666194130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Playmates</span> (real and otherwise): her seven German cousins (cousin Anna in photo), friends, neighborhood children, Fairy (from Bea), three dolls, Snow White (Ava in photo), Ariel, Princess Lillifee, Sandmanchen (Little Sand Man), Monkey and Bunny.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Favorite Foods:</span> Chocolate, pears, cherries, cranberries, tomatoes, salad, asparagus, bread, oatmeal, yogurt, ovaltine, pancakes, fish, pizza. She especially likes that we have two authentic Italian gelato cafes within a short walking distance. And the favorite of all German children: Haribo Gummy Bears!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Summer Highlights:</span> swimming with Bea, camping in the California Redwoods with friends, visiting Fairytale Land with Eva and Aria, and riding the Berkeley steam train with Kai <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IZoTMK4CI/AAAAAAAAACM/VYTjoLrNQbk/s1600-h/DSC_0362.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IZoTMK4CI/AAAAAAAAACM/VYTjoLrNQbk/s320/DSC_0362.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157212703429419042" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Learned</span>: to ride her bike downhill, how to write her first name, how to count to 16, how to cut, concepts of God, concepts of quantity to numbers, time, geography, persuasive negotiation, especially with mommy. It is so sweet to observe her going through the Learning Themes in her preschool: Me, Wonderful Me, Celebrations, and Numbers and Shapes. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IBEzMK38I/AAAAAAAAABc/E5X8SYVexpY/s1600-h/DSC_0218.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IBEzMK38I/AAAAAAAAABc/E5X8SYVexpY/s320/DSC_0218.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157185705264996290" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fantasy Life</span>. Her fairy is a petite doll with an active life. Ava describes the private life of "My Fairy" daily, from what she ate last, where in the USA she was born, who her friends are, when she is feeling sick, what she dreamed last night, and so on. Ava had a birthday party for her fairy with candles in Ava's favorite food: pancakes! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5H7XTMK37I/AAAAAAAAABU/UzUJjYv3ql8/s1600-h/DSC_0176.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5H7XTMK37I/AAAAAAAAABU/UzUJjYv3ql8/s320/DSC_0176.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157179426022809522" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Turning Three and Becoming Brave</span><br />Ava turned three in May and we had a Little Mommies Party (with two little daddies). The little ones walked proudly around the neighborhood pushing their favorite dolls in strollers. I love the classic wooden strollers that many of the little German girls have. Ava was very excited to be three. Lately, if anyone calls her a three year old, she corrects them to say that she is three and a HALF. After the summer in America, Ava started preschool at an international school. She enjoys going to "kindergarten" as it is called in Germany. She likes the variety of activities and fun, and loves to play with her friends. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5G5BTMK35I/AAAAAAAAABE/uGX2uiq2Sm0/s1600-h/CIMG3271.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5G5BTMK35I/AAAAAAAAABE/uGX2uiq2Sm0/s320/CIMG3271.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157106480298254226" /></a> In this kindergarden she also goes to Music Class three times a week and PE (sports) twice a week. The school has a well-stocked library that they visit each Thursday. It all feels so grown up for a three year old, but we are happy with how it is working out. Ava experimented with field hockey during the summer and started ballet in December. She likes the ballet class but asked me almost before the end of the first class (mom... when are we going to start <span style="font-style:italic;">ballet?</span> because her idea was that ballet was all spins and pirouttes). The ballet school plays to her imaginative bent - they act out being butterflies, ladybugs, frogs, dolls in a shop window that have come to life. Like many things in Germany, the feel is very sweet, old fashioned and traditional, with the little girls in pale tutus dancing to a live piano in the room. Germany is much more relaxed as far as safety on playgrounds and parks. The playgrounds are usually fairy-tale like with huge wooden ships, dragons, playhouses, climbing nets, climbing beams and so on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7IuuYUvYrI/AAAAAAAAAEM/qze3ls17Qzw/s1600-h/CIMG4817.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7IuuYUvYrI/AAAAAAAAAEM/qze3ls17Qzw/s320/CIMG4817.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166243096885682866" /></a><br />It can be scary for me to see her balance precariously high, but Ava is bold and coordinated because of the German lack of fear, which is evident in playground design. It is wonderful that two of the playgrounds within walking distance are in the forest, and they have cafes that serve capuccinos in real cups. The beer gardens have usually have playgrounds as well. Germans make it very easy to sit outside for hours with friends while the kids are happy nearby.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Firsts in 2007</span>: rode in a Viennese horse-drawn carriage, harvested lavender, ate warm chestnuts from a street vendor, rode her cousin Charlotte's horse, built a fairy house, used hand puppets to tell stories, made s'mores on a camping trip, cleaned and shined her own boots for St. Nikolaus to fill on Dec. 6th, bathed together in the tub and shared a room with a special boy friend, Felix. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5HRBDMK36I/AAAAAAAAABM/wIXV7LW1vfo/s1600-h/CIMG2874.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5HRBDMK36I/AAAAAAAAABM/wIXV7LW1vfo/s320/CIMG2874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157132864282353570" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Performer (and "Ham")</span> Ava loves to perform. Our favorite memories from our second year include Ava on stage at a dinner dance while on vacation in the Bavarian Alps with Opa, being a Little Star in her kindergarten Christmas performance; <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7IsgoUvYqI/AAAAAAAAAEE/2USzXnniaA4/s1600-h/CIMG4800.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7IsgoUvYqI/AAAAAAAAAEE/2USzXnniaA4/s320/CIMG4800.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166240661639226018" /></a>singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with Mommy and Grandmommy in our corner bakery, dancing with mommy at a street party in Vienna and at a Flower Power Party in Hannover, and regularly performing Sound of Music dance routines with Daddy in the living room.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Andreas (aka Daddy, Pappi </span><br />Daddy Profile: enjoys weekly hikes and picnics in nature with Ava and Beau, <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5J0qjMK4KI/AAAAAAAAADM/DWNF4Mayurw/s1600-h/DSC_0163.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5J0qjMK4KI/AAAAAAAAADM/DWNF4Mayurw/s320/DSC_0163.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157312797642252450" /></a><br />owns the nightly bedtime routine: bath time, zahnputzen (teethcleaning), pajamas, buch lesen (reading), prayers (with the three of us); makes weekend trips to cousins in the countryside, teachs Ava all things motorcycle, flips her around, perfects Saturday morning pancakes, constructs architectural Lego creations, acts all parts in Three Little Pigs, Rumpelstiltskin and Snow White, and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5JfFTMK4JI/AAAAAAAAADE/b2XWUA6TdeQ/s1600-h/CIMG4045.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5JfFTMK4JI/AAAAAAAAADE/b2XWUA6TdeQ/s320/CIMG4045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157289067947942034" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5J5rDMK4LI/AAAAAAAAADU/AMHJpyjyjCM/s1600-h/DSC_0161.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5J5rDMK4LI/AAAAAAAAADU/AMHJpyjyjCM/s320/DSC_0161.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157318303790325938" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Business Man in the Sharp Suit</span>: Andreas continues to enjoy his job at Continental. The company had a big year of expansion and reorganization, which keeps things interesting. His global projects run fine with fairly little travel, taking him to the US and Malaysia only occasionally. He likes the challenging work and the knowledge that he can walk home in 15 minutes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Harley Rider</span>: the shiny black and chromed Harley Davidson Road King is Andreas' newest passion. After years of dreaming he popped open champagne on the balcony one summer night and told me we were expecting. We celebrated the delivery of his new baby with American-style fanfare at the Hannover Harley dealer. The locals at the shop commented on the fun we had picking up the new bike. Andreas told me that one cannot ride one's Harley just like it comes from the dealer, it must be customized. So, new bells and whistles are what Santa brought him for Christmas. He also had to acquire a proper biker wardrobe. I don't mind the leather chaps.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Laurie</span>: After I got through the daily living challenges (you have to weigh your own vegetables and put on a price sticker BEFORE you get to the checkout) I have come to a relaxed place.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7Lyj4UvYwI/AAAAAAAAAE0/6FmR2QnNbQo/s1600-h/DSC_0312.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7Lyj4UvYwI/AAAAAAAAAE0/6FmR2QnNbQo/s320/DSC_0312.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166458420776100610" /></a><br /> I have embraced the European way of living, I increased my focus on family and art, and we are traveling to new places which keeps me fresh. Moving outside of the US (again!) forced me to reflect deeply on who I am and what matters most. So much is so different here that I could not help but examine questions of value and lifestyle. I have made shifts and I have settled into a new rhythm.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7L0J4UvYxI/AAAAAAAAAE8/qrfPD0sVyhc/s1600-h/DSC_0206.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7L0J4UvYxI/AAAAAAAAAE8/qrfPD0sVyhc/s320/DSC_0206.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166460173122757394" /></a><br /><br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IykzMK4HI/AAAAAAAAAC0/itbext1VEQ8/s1600-h/DSC_0660.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IykzMK4HI/AAAAAAAAAC0/itbext1VEQ8/s320/DSC_0660.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157240131090571378" /></a> <br />Ava's Mom -guiding and observing her, dancing, creating art, reading, cuddling - these are the special activities in my life right now. I handed over leading the International Women of Hannover's weekly Mom and Toddler Group to friend Joanna and picked up being Class Parent (photo: first day of preschool) for Ava's preschool class. There are 16 children in her class, about half are from Germany and the rest are foreigners or have parents that are half German, half foreign, like us. The international composition of the children is already broadening Ava's understanding of how diverse people can be.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5Ie9jMK4FI/AAAAAAAAACk/ISS1yfg_NRU/s1600-h/DSC_0195.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5Ie9jMK4FI/AAAAAAAAACk/ISS1yfg_NRU/s320/DSC_0195.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157218566059778130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">My Year of Art</span><br />I have always loved art but this year (that heart scare) I made it a priority. I was spent a lot of time in art exhibitions, museums and galleries at home and while traveling. It was expansive. At a summer party in an old windmill we fell in love with Donato Diez's graceful bronze sculpture of a woman and now she lives with us in the dining room. A huge angel sculpture of Donato's is in the back garden of the neighbor's house so we get "angel protection" when we need it. I acquired some new paintings that really moved me I love the affect in our home nest. The health deal & steady art diet also gave me the push I needed to go from being an "Artist Wannabe" to an "Art Maker": I started working weekly in the atelier of Torsten Paul, enrolled Andreas' Tante Inge, a talented artist, as an art mentor, grew in my photography hobby, and became inspired by friend Amy's portrait painting.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Music and Good times.</span> Germany has a rich musical heritage and wonderful performances are very accessible. My favorites this year included a summer weekly Beethoven series, Cecilia Bartolli in Hamburg, pianist Mitsuko Uschida right across the street at our St. Mark's church, and the San Francisco Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas here in Hannover. Watching neighbor pianist Markus Becker play Elton John's "Your Song" to his bride at their wedding this summer in the family's centuries-old barn was moving. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5PGATMK4QI/AAAAAAAAAD8/eVpTcDS9oCQ/s1600-h/DSC_0222_2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5PGATMK4QI/AAAAAAAAAD8/eVpTcDS9oCQ/s320/DSC_0222_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157683706722967810" /></a> I enjoyed the sweetness of weekly Music Together classes in English with Ava Grace in our neighborhood, and now I have lasso'ed our music teacher as a special friend.<br />I still love to have parties and for 2007 a highlight was our Halloween party. I couldn't bear to have Ava miss out on Halloween, which is not celebrated here. So, we threw a party and organized the neighborhood to participate in Trick-or-Treating and the neighbors went all out! We had Jack-o-Lanterns, neighborhood moms helped to decorate and bring food, and Andreas and Ava made a huge life-size ghost like my dad used to make out of a sheet. We played games and the kids went trick-or-treating, almost all of them for the first time. After Spiderman, five witches, a king, a genie, Captain Hook, an astronaut, Harry Potter and our little blue butterfly went to bed, neighbors stayed late around our long table in the last flickering glow of the pumpkins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5If7TMK4GI/AAAAAAAAACs/iSZ767a1hSg/s1600-h/DSC_0510.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5If7TMK4GI/AAAAAAAAACs/iSZ767a1hSg/s320/DSC_0510.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157219626916700258" /></a><br /><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What I learned this past year or so:</span> I <span style="font-style:italic;">do</span> I actually love running with music; I prefer an on-foot lifestyle, I like seeing people in the neighborhood often as they are also walking everywhere; I need sunlight to stay happy; German language lessons are much less important than learning "how" things are done in a new culture; less is more; iTunes allows me to be a DJ again; candles at breakfast make my whole day magical; I need to hang in for the long haul when things look hard (I keep learning this it seems!). I learned that it is worth it to invest in long trips to spend time with my close friends in California who know me deeply. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IWKjMK4BI/AAAAAAAAACE/QybOKeeMFzY/s1600-h/DSC_0249.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5IWKjMK4BI/AAAAAAAAACE/QybOKeeMFzY/s320/DSC_0249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157208893793427474" /></a>(photo: wine by the fire at our annual girls weekend on the coast at Half Moon Bay) I also continued to learn from long-time friend Chau how to integrate Buddhist teachings into my Christian practices. A summer highlight for me was attending a weekend Zen Buddhist meditation retreat. Dear friend Elizabeth, my God-daughter Beatrix and Ava Grace were all there. The peaceful setting was a villa in Russsian River wine country and Chau was the leader. I will not soon forget how that experience impacted both Ava and myself. Mindful breathing is a good skill for both toddlers and mommies.<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />The Christmas season in Germany is very different than in the US. The entire month of December is celebrated. Advent wreaths that lay flat with four candles are lit on almost every German table, advent calendars with tiny presents to open each day last for 24 days, and the springing up of the wooden stalls of the Christmas Markets in every town all begin on December 1st. December is full of candlelight, the smell of hot spiced wine, gingerbread in the markets, and little lights on strings. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5PAYTMK4PI/AAAAAAAAAD0/k0FNqqX9igs/s1600-h/DSC_0440.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R5PAYTMK4PI/AAAAAAAAAD0/k0FNqqX9igs/s320/DSC_0440.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157677521970061554" /></a>My mom was here for three weeks which was important for us. Ava wrote one word to Santa: YOYO. He apparently got the letter. I asked Ava what her favorite memories were from Christmas and she said singing in the woods with her cousins around the candle-lit tree, and looking in the stockings on Christmas morning (after she drank Santa's leftover milk). <br /><br />We like living in Germany. It was not an easy adjustment for me at first, but fairly easy for Andreas and Ava Grace. I am now on the other side of the curve and find it hard to imagine the lifestyle that I might have in my future in America. What was it that Chau reminded us of during that Buddhist retreat? Oh yes - just breath deeply and live in the moment.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7IyHoUvYsI/AAAAAAAAAEU/Tya8LjsIFWQ/s1600-h/DSC_0490.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NXTfPVYtHvY/R7IyHoUvYsI/AAAAAAAAAEU/Tya8LjsIFWQ/s320/DSC_0490.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166246829212263106" /></a>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474878674859410178.post-26070047763932982012008-01-04T14:59:00.000-08:002009-11-09T07:15:36.736-08:00Comfort and JoyWe ended this cozy week with the three of us surrounding a delicious roasted chicken. I carried the chicken home from the downtown Market Hall after visiting the Kestner Museum. I wanted to catch the Jugenstil Art Nouveau exhibit two days before it closes. It was peaceful to be alone in the midst of so much beauty. Near the museum is a wonderful indoor market where I can find stands and little restaurants with almost whatever I need... a Hannover version of Harrods. I found a good-looking bird and handed over fourteen euros. Andreas basted and cooked potatoes and I lit the four white candles on the Advent Wreath, which has graced the center of our long wooden dining table for five weeks. The Christmas tree is still filling our rooms with tannenbaum smell. My favorite times are at our table. We had such a loving, joyful week together. December was busy and full, with Advent celebrations, St. Nikolaus' visit on December 6th, Christmas markets, a kindergarten performance and party, and mom visiting from Annapolis for three weeks. We also traveled to Stuttgart for Christmas Eve (Holy Night) and the two German Christmas days. It was a rich and meaningful month, but I loved this week the most. We just finished nine days of delicious free time together... sleeping like three bears in our large wooden and iron sleigh bed, covered by a dark chocolate fur, late warm breakfasts, acting out fairytale stories, playing with dolls, making a gingerbread house, building a lego castle, doing puzzles, taking mommy to the doctor, reading books, singing, rhyming, ice skating at the Winter Zoo... it was so easy, and so relaxed. I have not seen my joyful three-and-a-half-year-old this happy around the clock. Her sense of humor, playfulness and cleverness keeps us all laughing.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668865843879602041noreply@blogger.com0