A Bit More...

...of my summer so far, and what has been going on here. 
Also, say good-bye to the longer hair with these last two pictures of me from before yesterday, when I've had it cut short (really short), much better for this season.

The one on my parents' balcony was taken Tuesday of this week. Why am I having an Apérol Spritz on a Tuesday evening, you may ask? It was a mini celebration of sorts: My parents have had a balcony make-over, namely the floor. You'll see in the next series of pictures how the old concrete slabs (the original ones from 1988, when the house was built) have been covered in snazzy new decking.

It does not just look good, it also feels nice underfoot, warm and smooth to the bare sole. This was done Friday last week, and when it rained on Sunday, my Mum assured me that the wooden planks are not slippery when wet.

Then there are of course the obligatory sunsets, taken from the allotment of O.K.'s parents last weekend.

Just before the UFO landed ;-)

And last but not least, for the first time in months I felt like shopping, and splashed out on two pairs of sandals, simply because I could not decide whether I prefer the yellow or the grey ones.
Now I'm afraid something is wrong with them and I'll have to take them back... see for yourselves:

Your Votes, Please!

Does it happen to you, too, that you think about something that was "maybe just two years ago" only to find out it was in fact much longer? It was like that this morning, when I was looking up an older post on my blog and found out that I've been wearing my current specs for 8 years, not two or three!!

In April, it was exactly one year since my eye operation. My doctor examined my eyes now in view of new glasses, and gave me a prescription for not just one, but two new pairs: One for computer work and reading (which is what I do most days all day and often well into the evening), and one for everything else.

What with my holidays in May, the bathroom renovation, business trips to Munich and Berlin and various other things, it has taken me until yesterday to finally go to the optician and have a look at frames. As I can not see myself all that well without my specs, I always need someone to help me choose, and my sister is very good at that.

We did not fool around like back in 2011, when I last had to choose a frame (you can see the pictures here if you like), but my sister took photos with my mobile phone so that I could a) send them to O.K. for his opinion and b) look at them at home and think about it for a few days before actually ordering the specs.

Here are our three favourites. Please tell me what you think. I shall go back to the shop on Monday and place my order.

One

Two

Three

Thank you :-)

PS: I didn't realise at the time that my hair was sticking out at the side. It was very warm yesterday, and a bit windy, so I was both a little sweaty and windblown. Oh well...

Home Alone

Last weekend, I was home alone instead of travelling to O.K.'s. 
On Thursday morning, I woke up with a nasty scratchy feeling at the back of my throat, but as usual, I tried to ignore it, thinking it would go away. Well, it didn't. Instead, it developed into a full-blown cold that meant I was able to work on Friday only with the help of drugs (which I usually do not take, but I had to complete a job for a client by Friday evening). It also meant I was not fit for travelling, and certainly did not want to pass my cold to O.K., who has only just recovered from his own first cold of the season, while at the same time in the middle of rehearsing for the village band's annual concert.

So, home alone it was. But don't worry, I was not alone all the time. My sister did a spot of shopping for me on the Saturday and stayed to watch an episode of a series we both like, and my Mum came for a cup of coffee on Sunday. We lit the candles on the Advent wreath, and she kept me company until it was time for her to go home and administer the next round of medical care to my Dad.
And of course, O.K. and I talked on the phone both days. Hooray for flat rates!

You are all so kind, asking about my Dad. He is doing better but still needs a lot of help, and my Mum's life revolves around him right now. All the more important it is that she gets to be out and about every now and then on her own, and do nice things for herself.

The weekend before last (the 1st Advent weekend), I was at O.K.'s. Therefore, I did what cleaning and decorating I wanted to do on the Friday evening, so that I would find my flat nice and cosy on my return.

We had planned a day trip to Lake Constance with a group of friends for the Sunday, but it rained all day, so we cancelled that trip. This resulted in an unexpected quiet and relaxing Sunday at O.K.'s home - very nice for a change!

He cooked Shakshouka for us that evening - so delicious, and a "first" for us. A colleague of his had told him about this dish, and we'd been wanting to try it for ourselves for ages. Now was the time, and O.K.'s version was very nice, hot and spicy, and very filling. This dish has its own wikipedia entry right here.

Because of the day trip that had originally been planned for the Sunday, I had taken Monday off work and returned home that morning; O.K. dropped me off at the station on his way to work. I went to lunch at my parents', also to see my Dad of course, and last but not least to pick up "my" tin of Christmas cookies made by a close family friend who is like an older brother for me and who was trained as a proper baker when he was a young lad.

On the Monday night, I was scheduled to host the "Living Advent Calendar" (see my previous post). The weather was awful - that much needed rain was coming down in buckets, and not one single person showed up! Good job I had not needed to invest much time and effort into the preparations, and I made the most of it by enjoying another unexpected quiet time to myself.

The rest of the week was busy work-wise, and as I said above, I spent the weekend nursing my cold. 

Today I am much better, although not yet 100 %. I used the time alone at home to write my Christmas cards (hand-writing takes me AGES) and wrap my gifts, and get the parcels ready for family and friends in England. When I finish writing this post, I'll take the parcels and cards to the post office - venturing out for the first time since Friday! It is sunny and cloudy, probably won't be raining, and not too cold at currently 4C.

Sorry - this was a bit long.

Get Ready...

...for a LOAD of pictures from last weekend's Horse Market! If you type "Horse Market" in the search box in the upper left hand corner of my blog, you'll find a post (or even a series of posts) about this annual event for almost every year since 2012 or so.

Last year, I was not here for the parade (which is the highlight of the three days this event lasts), but this year, with O.K. spending the weekend at my place, we went to join the crowds lining the streets of my home town to watch.

The parade always lasts at least one hour. This year, it took nearly twice as long, with many groups that had never participated before, in addition to the traditional ones we have come to expect. Why? Because this year, not only is Ludwigsburg celebrating its 300th anniversary as a city, but also it was the 250th Horse Market.

We met my parents among the spectators. Aren't they lovely together? I was reminded of what is probably my favourite photo of them, the one I took (also at the Horse Market!) back in 2012 - click here if you wish to re-read that post.

Yesterday was sunny and hot, close to 30 Celsius in the sun. I did not envy the men, women and children (nor the horses) for walking the entire parade of almost 2 km in the blazing sun, in full costume or uniform, some of them playing music, dancing or otherwise performing while walking.

It was a pleasure to watch, a truly festive atmosphere, and we made up for standing in the sun so long by sitting down at an outdoor table at the nearest ice cream parlour for large bowls of delicious ice creams afterwards.

What do I mean by "get ready"? Well, I took 211 pictures - but don't worry, I'll only show you 129 of them, as I have discarded some that were redundant or not as good as I was hoping. I'll not post them all in one go, of course, but you may expect some themed posts over the next days (or weeks!).


Oh, and to fill this post with a few more pictures, here are some reminders of spring - our spring was VERY short this year, we almost went straight into summer! All of these were taken on the 20th of April. The dress was a birthday present from my sister, and the tulips were given to me after I came home from hospital.

The cherry blossoms in front of my kitchen window did not last long - and by now, not a single cherry is left on the tree. Never have I known them to be ripe so early! The few I managed to pick from the window were delicious, sweet and juicy and almost black-red.

Cats and Pancakes

Some of you will know that today is/was Shrove Tuesday in the UK, and that it is celebrated as "Pancake Day" in some areas, last but not least in Ripon. I learned about this and the traditional pancake race only last year from my friend George Pickles, former long-time Hornblower of Ripon, and told you about it in this post.

Admittedly, there was nothing happening in my life today that reminded me of Shrove Tuesday until I came home from work about an hour ago and did some ironing. Huh, I hear you say, what has ironing to do with Shrove Tuesday, or pancakes, for that matter? Nothing at all. But it has become my habit to listen to BBC Radio Four or BBC Radio York via the internet while ironing, and just as I was giving my beloved petrol green/blue Monsoon dress its hot steamy treatment, there was a short piece about Ripon's pancake race, held today. The Dean of Ripon's Cathedral was briefly interviewed, and here he is - photographed on Shrove Tuesday in 2016, the picture finding its way to me via George.

I hope everyone who was there to race or watch had fun! Three young members of the Chathedral's choir were also interviewed, and one very young sounding boy said that "it isn't a competition, but it's all about the community". I wonder whether he came up with that himself. When I was a little girl, I certainly would never had thought or said anything like it - when there was a competition of any kind, I would only feel like joining in when I was at least half way sure to win (and I could run real fast as a kid).

Speaking of me as a little girl, and it being the last day of Carnival in Germany today, here is the reason why "Cats" appear in the headline of this post.

As children, my sister and I used to love dressing up in carnival costumes this time of year, like all the children in our neighbourhood. Usually, there were carnival parties for children at schools, kindergardens and village or town halls. Our parents let us choose what we wanted to be, and you can imagine that Princess, Indian Squaw or Gypsy Lady were popular costumes for little girls.
When I was three and my sister four years old, I was determined I wanted to be Gestiefelter Kater (Puss-in-Boots), a character I knew from the fairytale books my parents read to us. A hat with cats' ears, a tail, a pair of black trousers, black top and little vest, all made to look like the stuff Puss was wearing in the books, was acquired. I wore my red wellies and felt absolutely great, like The Real Thing.

Until...
...yes, until I saw my sister's costume! She had opted for Sleeping Beauty, and our Grandma had made her the most beautiful princess dress I had ever seen in my life, out of glittery gold-pink fabric. She had a little crown, and a golden ribbon around her waist with tiny pink plastic roses tied in.

I am sure my jaw dropped when I saw it, and then of course, I wanted to look like her, be like her! Immediately!! Gone was my thrill at looking and feeling like a cat - now I wanted to be a princess, too.
Alas, there was only the one dress; we had made our choices, after all, and our costumes had been provided according to that.

I pulled all the stops, doing what a three-year-old can do so well: Throw a tantrum. Tantrum with a capital T! I cried, I refused to go out, I was nasty and angry and unpleasant and thoroughly horrible until...
...until my Mum unearthed an old, shabby petticoat from her wardrobe, one I am sure she had not been wearing since the late 1950s herself. It had tulle (even though it was REALLY shabby) - I saw the tulle, and pulled the old petticoat over my black pants. For a three-year-old, it came at floor length, and so it became my princess dress! I stopped crying, the cats' ears hat was taken off, the tail followed suit, and peace reigned again.

Seconds before The Tantrum

47 years later, I chose to be a cat again. This time, it was for the Costume Prize Ball at O.K.'s village. We went there last year, too, and it was my first carnival event in decades - carnival isn't a big thing in my part of the country, but it is MASSIVE where O.K. lives.
Last year, the motto was Fun Fair. This year, it was Walpurgis Night - so all things to do with witches and witchcraft were in order.

O.K. and I decided to go as Warlock and his Black Cat. I chose a very, very stylish and cool green satin robe for him, and he wore a pointed black hat and black clothes. My cat costume consisted of my usual black running pants, a black long-sleeved t-shirt I often wear, black fluffy knee socks and black shoes. I wore a black wig, black cats' ears and a black tail (which could have been longer, I think).

We had a lot of fun at the dance, and I never lost an ear or my tail - and I did NOT throw  a tantrum :-) But it was really very hot underneath the wig, especially when dancing. Now Carnival is as good as over, and I honestly won't miss it.

Between Christmas and New Year

View from my office window on 12.12.

The few days between Christmas and New Year usually find me in a strange mood, and this year is no exception. I am happy - Christmas was beautiful, with each of the three days (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day) having its own character and activies; I do not have to work (and I really can do with some rest, much as I like my job), and everything is right in my little world. But I am also a bit sad to let go; similar to the way I feel when summer comes to an end and the leaves start to turn.

Our Christmas tree (at my parents'), with REAL candles, of course

The new red dress I bought earlier this month to wear on Christmas Eve

Singing Christmas carols at my parents' on Christmas Eve

Anyway, there is plenty to look forward to! Apart from not having to work until January 8th, there will be New Year's Eve to celebrate (the decision as to who will host the party this year has not yet been made), New Year's Day at O.K.'s parents, then a whole week off together. January also sees my sister's and my Dad's birthday, plus there will be a start-of-the-year celebration dinner with my boss (still the same RJ) and colleagues at a restaurant during our first week back at work.

Yesterday, I spent a very lazy day. No household work with the exception of doing some washing and of course making myself something to eat and washing up afterwards. I spoke to my Yorkshire family on the phone, which was very nice. Other than that, I spent the day reading, playing my favourite computer game, watching TV and relaxing. I ate up all the remaining Christmas cookies my Mum had made, looked at my beautiful presents and cards and thought of all the lovely people in my life who gave or sent them to me.
Not once did I step out of doors.

Can you detect the general theme? :-)

Today will be a bit different. I have no fresh food left in my fridge and need to do something about that. Also, there is ironing to do, maybe a walk to my parents' later, and/or a long overdue visit to the gym. But I'll do it all at my own leisurely pace; today and tomorrow, the emphasis is still on relaxing. I was very busy the last half year, working more and harder than I'd done in some years, and it is catching up with me now; my body tells me to REST, which is exactly what I'm doing.

On the weekend, O.K. will be here (he has to work this week) so that we can celebrate New Year's Eve together. It will be fun, and I am going to wear the beautiful new earrings he gave me for Christmas - they match my silk shirt perfectly, don't you think? They are made of Murano glass and to me look like tiny worlds with golden continents on light blue oceans.

I hope all of you have had a lovely Christmas and will bring in the New Year just the way you like - either with a big party or quietly -, and that 2018 has only good things in store for you and your loved ones.

Old and New Favourites

My last fashion post is a long time ago - the last time I posted anything clothes-related at all was more than four months ago! Does this mean I have all of a sudden become less shallow? I'm afraid not. I still really like clothes, and can not resist getting something new every now and then.

Have I bragged about the yellow dress (my third!) I bought earlier this year? I can not remember! Anyway, here it is; it was still warm enough for wearing it in September, and it is good enough to be worn at the office and elsewhere:

My latest acquisitions are two knit dresses*. I love knit dresses! These two only differ in colour, as you can see. They are a mix of cashmere, viscose and some other fibres; very, very suft and really lovely on the skin, cosily warm without making you sweat, and I love how simple they are. The fawn one I have already had in the washing machine; no problem at all. That's the advantage of the mix - a 100 % cashmere one would not have been so forgiving.

Winter has not yet fully begun, but it is already cold enough for me to wear gloves and a coat. Right now, I very much like my warm woolly things. But I know I will reach the point where I won't want to see any more woolly things - usually some time in February or early March. Until then- happy late autumn and early winter to all of you!

*Guess where I found them, and what I paid!

June is Over

June was a proper summer month here. We had mostly sunshine, and quite a few days above 30 Celsius (high 80s to 90s F). Typically, people were moaning and complaining about the heat, and as soon as it cooled down last weekend, they were doing the same about the rain and chill.
Yesterday, the sun came back; we're in for another hot week, and I can already hear the fresh complaints - the weather just can't get it right for some of us, can it ;-)

Admittedly, I did not sleep all that well during the hottest nights. Hardly anybody here (nobody I know personally) has A/C in their homes, and a lot of offices and shops are not so equipped, either. But, hey, it is summer, and the cold weather returns soon enough, so let's make the most of it while we can!

Here is a typical outfit I wore to the office last month. As a woman, of course I can adapt my clothes better to warm weather than the men can; they are required to wear long trousers, shirts and (mostly) ties which I imagine can get a little uncomfortable above a certain temperature.

See my handbag? It was a birthday gift from my sister-in-law in Yorkshire. The dress is old; I've had it for 7 years or so. But the shoes are new and good enough for the office while at the same time allowing my feet to breathe on hot days at our A/C-less office.

Most evenings during the week, when I am home on my own, I want something to eat that is quick and easy to make, filling but not leaving me feeling so "stuffed" I can't sleep. Salads are the answer; I simply toss in what I've got, make a little vinaigrette, and have a good meal ready within 10 minutes.

 
Here is one I've made last week, with a green and yellow pepper, radishes, spring onions, and a handful of soft dried tomatoes. Adding bits of cheese makes it complete, and just a few chopped peppermint leaves (grown on my window sill) add that extra freshness.

Last but not least, June offered some fantastic skies. I could have taken pictures nearly every morning and evening, but here are two that show the views from my living room and kitchen window respectively on the evening of the 28th. Later that night, it rained, if I remember correctly. It was very welcome, as the entire month was very dry.

 
That was only June - now it is July, and the fields look as if they are ready to be harvested already, about 2 weeks earlier than most years.

On Sunday, my sister and I are starting our annual Yorkshire holiday. Like last year, O.K. kindly lends me his MacBook again. Therefore, you can expect some "live blogging" :-)

Looking My Age

It's been years (5 1/2, to be precise) since I last wrote about the topic of self-perception and how it differs from what others see when they look at us. If you are interested in my 2011 post about the topic, click here.
Maybe this post from two years ago is also interesting in context.

A few weeks ago, I had an appointment at a photo studio where all sorts of professional photos are taken. People go there when they need pictures to apply for a job, for a new passport, or simply for fun; they can have their pictures taken either as a family, couple, group of friends or on their own.

Last Christmas, my parents gave me a voucher for a photo session at that studio. I was unsure what to do with it, as I do not currently need pictures for any particular reason. So I simply went there to see what was going to happen.

The very young lady who was "my" photographer took about 15-20 minutes to apply make-up. We had agreed on a simple day-make-up, nothing too over the top, no smoky eyes or any particularly fashionable stuff. She chose lipstick and eye shadow for me, and soon we were in the room with the lamps and different wall backgrounds.
I gave her free range, since I had no particular wishes. She was quite happy to let me try various postures in different lights and in front of several backgrounds.

About a fun half an hour later, our session was over. She let me choose my favourite pictures out of the 60 or so she had taken, and showed me which one was her personal favourite of the set.

I am not unhappy with the results, but I agree with my sister, O.K., RJ and others who have seen the photos and said I look older in them than usual; the general agreement seems to be that I look my age.

Well, I have wrinkles - perfectly normal at 49 -, and I agree that I do not look like this normally; for one thing, the only cosmetics I own and (occasionally) wear are lipstic, mascara and eye-shadow. No make-up or "foundation", as it is often called.

Now I wonder what you think. Also, have a guess at which was the photographer's favourite, which one my Mum chose to have framed, and which is the one I personally like best. And no - this post is not really about vanity. It is out of a genuine interest in the topic of self-perception v. how others perceive us.