Friday, December 12, 2008

Thankful Christmas

As many of you know, Stephen and I headed back to Wautoma, Wisconsin recently to celebrate a Thankful Christmas (Thanksgiving dinner meets Christmas presents - yay!!).

We had the pleasure of seeing lots of family and even a few friends. I must take this moment now to apologize to Chrissie and Karla - Ladies, I'm so sorry that we couldn't make it down to Milwaukee. Believe me, I realize what a sh***y friend I am that I didn't even call. Please forgive me!.

Stephen and I made out like bandits! Mom and Dad were so generous! I also have to thank Stephen for loosening the purse strings as we did a TON of shopping...oddly it was really basic stuff (bras, undies, teeshirts). We arrived with one suitcase and left with two!

In addition to Thankful Christmas, we got a chance to visit with my youth pastor, Soozung who was in the area very temporarily - it was fate! Soozung was the youth pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Wautoma when I was in Jr./High School. She recently had her first baby, Robert. He was 8 weeks old the day we met them. SO cute, very good baby. We all took turns holding him - you MUST see the pictures.

I rounded out my trip to Wisconsin by visiting my very good friend Becky, her husband Steve and baby Ian (who will be 1 year old in Feb.). I must say, he is the coolest kid I've ever met!!! Becky is an awesome mom. I hope I can be as cool as she is when the time comes. Again, you must see the pics (when they finally get posted)!

All-in-all we REALLY enjoyed our visit. The weather cooperated (f**king cold and snowing - but to be expected) and we got a chance to visit all the hot spots in Wautoma ("hot spots" - ta hee!). Thank you to everyone who spent time with us and a HUGE thank you to my parents - your hospitality and generosity can not be matched!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

First Snow and Thanksgiving count down

Hello everyone!

We enjoyed our first snowfall this weekend. It's simply beautiful! It started on Friday with just a few inches of accumulation late in the evening, it melted away by Saturday afternoon and snowed a few more inches Sat. evening.

We're supposed to get snow for the next few days so we may be enjoying a white Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am excited to be hosting Thanksgiving again this year! Stephen's parents arrived last Wed. and will come to our house for dinner. Additionally, my mom's eldest brother, Bud, has also recently moved here and he and his wife will be joining us for dinner as well!

Watch out! 2 worlds will collide - The Watsons and The Rasmussens. Don't worry, there'll be pleanty of wine to keep everyone relaxed and festive :)

So I bought my Turkey yesterday (15.9 lbs) and I got the potatoes (1 metric ton - mashed potatoes are pretty much the only reason Stephen wakes up on Thanksgiving...though he's not opposed to the delicious bird and pies!) and I've got makings for green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole (compliments of Ellen). My "Beth's Holiday Relish" is chilling in the fridge already and the pies are slated to be baked today or tomorrow - Thank you MIL!! We will have a feast for sure.

Isn't it interesting how traditions develop? Let's take, for example, my Thanksgiving dinner:

Turkey - the bird will be grilled, yes, grilled. This is the way that Stephen's family has done it for years. It's super easy and it frees up the oven for other yummy dishes. Stephen's Dad does the grilling which frees me up to make other things.

Potatoes - ok, nothing special here, they're just same old mashed potatoes that have been made for generations: potatoes, milk, butter, mash.

Green Bean Casserole - I'm certain this tradition started from the back of a package of French Onions but I'm happy to continue it!

Sweet Potato Casserole - this is new this year...sort of. My family has always had sweet potatos as a part of the Feast...The Watson's haven't. I introduced them last year, but they didn't get the warm welcome that I expected. So this year, I'm trying a different approach, a small casserole rather than a few whole potatoes. Additionally, this dish is being contributed by my friend and colleage, Ellen.

Holiday Relish - perhaps the most delicious side dish on the table, the Holiday Relish recipe was given to me by a good friend from Augusta, Beth. I first brought this along with me when I attend my first Watson Family Thanksgiving to make them fall in love with me...it seems to have worked because it is now requested each year. No lie, i've got 4 quarts of the stuff chilling in my fridge right now and that may give us leftovers for just a day or so.

(M.I.A) Ribbon Jello - anyone who has ever attended the Rasmussen Thanksgiving (my Mom's family) is well acquainted with the Ribbon Jello. This dish is a masterful piece of art! It takes about 2 days to prepare this jello. It is layer upon layer of jello flavors topped with whipped cream. Absolutely delightful - way to much work! I made my first one last year, and much like the sweet potatoes, people didn't warm up to it like I had hoped. So this year, no ribbon jello...at least at my Thanksgiving.

Pies - a delightful finish to an increadible feast and provided by Scootie, Stephen's mom. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for a bit of Pecan Pie...probably since last Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving may just be the answer to everyone's problems. It shows us how to work together as a team while making choices to please everyone - and in the end you either have an increadible meal or a good story...perhaps both.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Trick or Treat?!

It's been a while since I've written, so I just wanted to give you all a mini-update.
NOTHING's GOING ON...

Stephen and I haven't really gone on any advetures lately. Fall has brought us some BEAUTIFUL autumn color, but the weather turns a bit grey, rainy and dreary in late fall.

On a personal note, I have now lost 45 lbs. I'm steaming full force ahead at my first major goal of 50 lbs. I've been working with a personal trainer for the last 2 months and have been loving it! He kicks my ass every week, and I pay him for it.

Last night was Halloween. Sadly, Halloween isn't very popular in Germany - so we thought. So in order to not stand out, Stephen and I didn't make any party plans, didn't carve pumpkins and only bought candy for our own consumption. Additionally, I was working that evening at a special event. So no real reason to make any effort.

Well I ended up getting off early, and was home at about 6:30 pm. On my way in, i accidentally hit the porch light and it didn't take too long for the first kids to show up at our door to scream "Suss oder Sauer!" (Trick or Treat in German). I was VERY suprised. Halloween and Trick or Treating is really an American tradition.

Luckily we had some candy and there were only 2 of them. So I passed out the candy, closed the door, and turned off the light.

Turns out - the light has nothing to do w/ it. Every kid, rings every door bell! So, we closed the shutters (to protect from flying eggs), kept the TV low and ignored the bell. I know, we're a bunch of party poopers, but I was just unprepared to spend the evening passing out candy.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Relax and unwind

Ahhhhhh....a sigh of relief. My wonderful husband treated me to a day of spa luxury!
Stephen and I took the afternoon yesterday (Sat. Sept. 27) and drove to Wiesbaden (about 1.25 hrs. from where we live) to spend the evening in the sauna/spa.

Oh, it was so relaxing. I was very sick this week with a textbook case of a severe cold, so sitting in the saunas-breathing in the infused steam and relaxing in the swirling pools of mineral water really rejuvenated my body and soul.

After our spa day, Stephen took me to his favorite restaurant in Mainz - where he commutes to for work 2 to 3 times a week. This Turkish restaurant treated me to what may have been the best meal I've ever had. I literally have no idea what it was, but I think it was pork. It was covered in a fragrant red sauce and came with a garlic yogurt sauce for dipping. AMAZING. I spent the entire meal nibbling and shaking my head in disbelief! That experience comes too infrequently!

Scrubbed clean by steam and filled to the brim with incredible eats, we drove home and fell into bed where I got my most fitful night of sleep in ages. Unfortunately, now it's 5am and I don't know what to do with myself so early in the morning on a weekend! :) Oh well, I could have much worse problems.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Bad Durkheim Weinfest

Well...actually, it's called a "Wurstmarkt" (literally a sausage market) but Bad Durkheim is the city which brings us the world's largest Wine festival.

Stephen, Patty and I hopped a train on Saturday evening and trekked out to the beautiful city. The weather was terrible, cold and rainy - typically German, but the ride was very nice. Beautiful scenery whisked us east thru the wooded land and into the main vineyards or the Pfalz region.

When we arrived, we jumped off the train and followed the droves of people headed to the fest where we were greeted by the sights and sounds that can only be equal to that of the State Fair. Meat on sticks, in buns, on plates. Candy in bags, boxes and of course on sticks. Beer, Wine and liquor flowed freely. It certainly was a party!

I can't even begin to tell you the number of food stands there were. Offering everything from sausages to cuts of meat cooked over spits. There were delicious, fresh, beautiful offerings from several regions of Germany as well as from around the world.

But, all-in-all, this is a wine fest! And therefore, the wine is served in 1/2 liter glasses (1 bottle of wine is usually .75-1.5 liters). There, again, were a hundred tents set up from all different clubs, organizations and vintners selling glasses of wine from their favorite vineyards (or their own vineyard). Hundreds of people huddled under the tents guzzling the wine and laughing and singing.

Despite the chaos of the people, rides, food, shopping, etc,etc, etc., the whole thing was quite an experience. Be sure you set aside some time if you're ever here the middle of September to visit Bad Durkheim to experience your version of the Wurstmarkt.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Brussles & Brugge, Belgium for Labor Day

This blog comes to you late (as I'm writing it at the end of September) but it's worth sharing any way :).

Very early on Saturday, Aug. 30, Stephen and I got up and out of the house to catch our coach bus at 7am to Brussels, Belgium. The bus ride was a little more than 4 hrs but in the end, we found ourselves in the Capital of the European Union.

The city was filled with historical sites, monuments and beautiful architecture. In a couple of the photos I posted, there is a main square with the MOST beautiful buildings I have ever seen. These are the offices of the labor unions (masons, wood workers and MANY other skilled craftsmen). These buildings were built in the 1400's (I think) and they embodied the belief that from honest work, comes honest wealth - and this WAS the case in Brussels. The people of Brussels were very wealthy and became so on the hard work of a blue collar profession. Quite different from today's standards, eh?

The next morning we were off early again on an hour long bus ride north to the medieval city of Bruges. OMG! This city is filled with even more beauty than Brussels! Back in its Hay-Day (again around the 1400's), Bruges was a major city of commerce. At the time, they were directly connected to the North Sea and were the regional center for international trade. This made the city extremely wealthy. As the years went on, major shifts in political power and environmental factors literally killed the city. The sea port silted in, the people in power made some harsh decisions and the people of Bruges had no way to earn money. The city essentially was preserved by its death. Very few people lived there for a long time and those that did, had no income. Fast forward a few hundred years and the city was discovered by tourists. Preserved entirely in its original medieval state - due to the city's inability to upgrade ANYTHING - the city was infused with new money from tourism. Today, it stands nearly exactly as it did in the days of its most prosperous times. The photos are spectacular but the city is best experienced in person.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

A night on the town…then the next in another…

Stephen and I finally had the pleasure of tasting the K-town night life last Friday.

As it was Cousin Shannon's last few nights in town, we thought we'd fulfill her desire (and our standing curiosity) for the K-town night life. We started the evening out at a lounge called GUSTO. Cool place! Very black leather and chill. Good music, (reasonably) affordable drinks, an air of culture and all-in-all the atmosphere that I most enjoy.

But we couldn't stop there! Next stop was Thirsty Nelly's (TN). Now on the scale of bars, these 2 places were on opposite ends of the spectrum. TN was loud and raucous, filled with Americans and the stale smell of beer on the floor. Definitely a place I would have enjoyed if I were still in my college days. Gosh, if this statement isn't proof enough that I'm getting old!!
Overall, I had a really good time despite my initial reluctance to "go out" (just not a priority for us old married folk).

Now, the following night, we joined friends: Ellen & Matt for a Wine Fest in the city of Deidesheim. Germany is covered in 7 or 8 different wine regions. On a previous blog I mentioned a trip to the Mosel area, this trip introduced us to the area known as the Pfalz wine area.

The city was cute and quaint, the streets were blocked off so that the pedestrians could freely roam the streets (drunk as skunks). The air was filled with the sounds of regional music and folk songs, the smells of German delicacies and people guzzling wine by the gallon. If you are EVER in Germany between April and November, be sure to make plans to attend a wine fest. Any will do! It doesn't matter what size the city or the fest is, it's simply an exceptional time. Especially when you can share it with new friends.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

I’m Bored…lets go to Belgium!

Stephen's cousin Shannon is here visiting! She arrived on Sat. Aug 9. So that afternoon Stephen and I headed over to Patty's house to meet and greet her.

As we all were talking, Patty (Stephen's Sister) mentioned that there was an Antique market taking place the following day. She suggested that we go up and check it out. It was located in Tongeren Belgium.

I said, "well what the heck, let's go tonight, then we can be there and back with plenty of time." Then Patty suggested that we hit Cologne on the way home on Sunday.

So there it was…we were bored and making plans to go to a different country!
We booked a hotel room, ran home and put an overnight bag together and then we were off.
Just 2 hours later, we arrived at our hotel in Liege Belgium (30 min from our destination).
The next morning we checked out early and headed off to the market.

It was cold and raining…relentlessly. We traipsed thru the streets and in and out of stores. Ideally, Stephen and I were looking for a wardrobe (they're called shrunks here). Alas, we found nothing that we loved AND that was in our price range. As the morning of antiquing in the rain was winding down, no one had purchased anything. We couldn't leave with no treasure to show for our adventure!

Fortunately, I had seen something early in the day that had caught my eye. It was a metal (silver brass perhaps) clarinet that was reverse handed. What the heck does that mean? Well, usually a clarinet is played w/ the Left hand on top and right on bottom, this one was reversed! I didn't even know such thing existed.

I had left it behind the first time because 1) it was a bit expensive (marked at 70 Euro = ~$100) and 2) it was still early in the day. Well I decided that if I could talk the guy down, I'd get it. However, I wouldn't spend more than 45 euro ($70). In the end he wouldn't go any lower than 50 euro (even though I walked away) but I just couldn't leave it behind. So I took one for the team and scored a, what seems to be, very rare piece.

I can find NO information on the instrument! As far as I've gotten is it is probably from the 30's and was used in jazz bands. There are no distinguishing marks or maker's stamp and NO ONE has info about a reverse handed horn! So, I'm thinking I've either got a MAJOR dud, or maybe I've really scored some treasure.

Maybe someday I'll have it appraised.

On the way home from Tongeren, we skirted through Cologne Germany. We stopped for lunch and a tour of the Dom (the gothic style cathedral that stands in the center of the city). We then enjoyed ice cream/cappuccinos at a café and then hit the road for K-Town. What a great weekend! Spontaneity rocks!!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Bernkastel-Cues Germany

Stephen and I finally took a weekend trip!

Again, it was thwarted on our first try (we originally signed up for a camping trip that got canceled due to lack of interest … that sounds familiar). But we decided to keep looking and I found a USO Bus Tour that took us to Bernkastel Germany.

Bernkastel is a small city that is joined by a bridge to another small city, Cues. So, it's called Bernkastel-Cues. It's nestled in the valleys of the Mosel River and wine country. The day was beautiful! Sunny and clear, and low 70s. The bus trip took a little more than an hour but the views were breath taking. As we neared the river valley, the hills seemed to climb around us, and then the vinyards started popping up.

You can't even imagine the steepness of these hills! The lush greenness was everywhere.
When we arrived in Bernkastel, the tour guide gave us a quick 30 min. introduction to the city. We walked around the squares, in the oldest church and thru some neighbor hood/shopping areas. Then we were left to roam for about 2 hrs.

Stephen headed the opposite direction as the group, to heck if we were going to get caught up with the rest of those Americans! We walked around, window shopping for a while and then stopped at a Café where we enjoyed cappuccinos on the outdoor patio. We then continued our walking and shopping and in fact, I even picked up a small gift for my best friend who would be celebrating her birthday in a couple weeks.

Near the end of our 2 hours, we sat under a tree overlooking the Mosel River and nibbled on sandwiches. We didn't want to eat a full lunch, because we were next headed off to a winery where we would be served lunch and get to taste wine!

We all got back on the bus at about 1pm and we took a short ride out of the city and into the hills. We arrived at the Rosenberg winery. The owner, the grandson of the founder, was delightful! Friendly and funny and very serious about his business.

He served us 13 samples of his wines…multiply that by 2-3 oz per taste…and you quickly add up to a bunch of drunk-ass Americans! Who then had a hard time taking Herr Rosenberg's business seriously.

Needless to say, the bus ride home was lively and far more festive than the bus ride to Bernkastel.

In the end, Stephen and I ended up taking 18 bottles of wine home! A nice starter for our wine collection.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

What actor would play you?

Have you ever thought about it? If your life were made into a movie (well, just the interesting parts), who would play you?

One of my co-workers has her 16 year old sister visiting her for a month here in Germany. The sister, let's call her "Susie", has been joining my co-worker a couple days a week at work. This way, Susie has something to do during the work week and it keeps her out of trouble.

Well today, she was working on the casting for her movie. No, she's not writing or making a movie, she was simply listing the important people in her life and deciding who would be a good fit to play them.

So... who would you choose to play you in your movie?

Even more importantly, who would you choose to play ME in my movie?

I promise, if you make a suggestion, I will spend sincere effort in deciding who I think should play you.

Personally, I think Kate Hudson would be an excellent choice for myself. No, i don't really look like her. But i do love her way of spinning intellegent and whitty characters...this is how I see myself, whitty and intellegent.

So what do you think? Who should play you? Who should play me? Who should be your spouse/lover? Who would play your parent(s)?

I'm curious! Especially if I know your spouse and parents :)

Please share!

Friday, July 11, 2008

4th of July Weekend

Stephen and I have been in Germany now for 10 weeks now and we've finally given ourselves a chance to travel! We decided that 4th of July weekend would be a great time to go – seeing that it was a 3 day weekend. So I started planning.

Being overseas affords us many opportunities, not only by virtue of location! As overseas employees we have access to some of the military benefits. One of those is the organization that I work for, MWR (Moral, Welfare and Recreation). Well, MWR just happened to be running a weekend tour to Florence Italy. I convinced Stephen that this was something we just had to do for our holiday weekend. After a little hinting and some budget searching, we decided that we could go and that we really wanted to. So I called up the organizers and said "sign me up!" The lady kindly informed me that due to lack of interest the trip was probably going to be canceled by that evening. I asked, "Well how many people do you need?" She informed me that they required at least 16 more people to go ahead w/ the trip, "how many people in your party?" she asked. "Oh, just 2." And that was the end of Florence…for now.

A week prior to my plan B planning stage, we attended a farewell party for one of Stephen's co-workers. It was a blast!! But it was also my first opportunity to my introduction to Bruges, Belgium. Another of Stephen's co-workers recommended it very highly. So I started looking into it. We decided that we were going to take the train west to Belgium and then spend a few days trekking around the medieval city, shopping, sightseeing, etc. Well, I found a hotel, booked it and then started making arrangements for the train tickets.

First I started online. Besides, it IS 2008, everything is possible online…except train tickets to Belgium. After fighting w/ the system for 2 days I decided, "Well maybe they need to see our passports and that's why we can't book online". BTW: The site is in German, and as much German as I speak it was still Greek to me!! So I decided one evening after work I'd drag Stephen down w/ our passports to get our ticket.

We got to the train station, and found a FANTASTIC parking spot. I knew that the whole process was going to be quick so we only plugged the meter for 6 minutes. We walked into the main train station and stepped up to the information desk (there was a line). After some debating and some looking around, Stephen and I finally saw the travel office where tickets were purchased. I walked up to the double glass doors, and the curtain came swinging closed. It was 5:55pm and apparently they were serving no more customers. (Germans are NOT known for customer service).

I turned to Stephen and said, "Well, I knew this was going to be a quick trip". We went to the car and still had about 1 minute on the parking meter.

The next morning, I went into work and talked to my boss about "how the heck to I get train tickets??" She said, well we've got to head out that direction later today, why don't I take you to the station and we'll try together. (She spent the majority of her youth in Germany and is now married to a German – she's sorta "German-American"). So later that day we did. The line was extremely long so I said forget it, I'll come back tonight w/ Stephen and we'll try again.

Later in the afternoon she suggested that my German office mate could help me out by calling to get the tickets ordered. He gladly helped me. But, after much debate (in German between the operator and office mate) the tickets were going to cost us almost $400. This was just too much.
So I canceled the hotel reservation and started looking for a new plan.

It was now the week of July 4th. I HAD to come up w/ something! We don't have international drivers licenses yet (that's why we decided to take a 6 hr. train ride rather than driving about 4 hrs.) so I knew it had to be "local".

We decided that we were going to visit the glorious Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. So, I again, booked a hotel and started making plans.

In the end, we spent a day in and around the city of Fuessen and viewed the castle on Friday (check out the pictures). That evening, we decided that we had time to go to a spa (otherwise known as "bath"), so I introduced Stephen to the joys of public nudity. Contrary to what it sounds, it was quite relaxing and luxurious.

Satruday morning we headed out and took a drive in the country side. Now of course you're up on your world geography so I don't have to remind you that Bavaria (a state of Germany) is where the Alps are (at least a part of them). So we drove thru the beautiful mountain countryside and came across a cable car. So we spent our morning taking the gondola up a mountain side (about ¾ the way up a mountain) then spent a couple hours "bergsteigen" (Mountain Climbing).

I was incredible!! The weather was clear and sunny (yes, we got sunburned). The mountains really were alive w/ the sound of…cowbells. J No photo can ever capture the insurmountable beauty of mountains, but definitely check those pictures out too.

After we came back down the mountain, we headed off to Stuttgart, Germany where we held tickets to a show: The Blue Man Group.

We drove 2.5 hrs to Stuttgart, checked into our hotel, changed clothes and were off to the theater where we enjoyed the show. If you've never seen them and have the opportunity to, make sure you do!! This was my second time and it was still super funny…even in German!

The next morning (Sunday) we set out at about 9am to head back home.

All in all it was a really lovely and magical weekend!

I hope you had a lovely and magical 4th of July weekend too.