For Every Day or Special Occasions?

It was this post on Monica's blog which gave me the idea for today's post: I'll show you some of the china in my family, and tell you a bit of its history.

Ludwigsburg used to have a porcelain manufactury from 1758 (as by decree of Wuerttemberg's Duke Carl Eugen) until the end of last year. After ups and downs in its more than 250 year history (during which the manufactury was founded anew in 1948 and sold to a Russian investor in 2009), its insolvency and following closure was officially announced in October 2015.

My Mum loves Ludwigsburg china and has a nice collection, displayed in a glass cabinet in my parents' living room. She has kindly taken these pictures for me and given me some detail as to how the various pieces came to her:

Let's begin with the roses: My Mum received the first one as a gift in the 1960s. Back then, the price for one rose at the manufactury was 25 Deutsche Mark, which would be around 12,50 € today. Meanwhile, the price for one rose has increased more than tenfold - when the manufactury still operated, it was at 140 €, and who knows how the price could develop now that they are not being made anymore. 
Also, the newer ones aren't quite as pretty as the old ones; they are smaller and have less petals. Actually, they are made of leftovers from bigger pieces of china. A nice way of using scraps!
Some years ago, my Mum found two more roses at an antiques fair in Ludwigsburg. It was raining heavily that day, and the traders were glad to sell anything at all. The person offering the roses had no idea of their actual value, and my Mum was able to get two for only 30 € - a real bargain. 

The pieces in the upper picture are traditional Ludwigsburg shapes and patterns. My Mum received them as gifts from her mother, one by one over many years. The coffeepot, milk and sugar dishes were painted according to my Mum's wishes, to match her Meissen china, shown in the next photo:

Can you see which flowers on the cups match the coffeepot, milk and sugar dishes?
The collecting of Meissen pieces started around 50 years ago when my Dad's grandmother in northern Germany started to give away her own collection, cup by cup, as gifts for any occasion such as Christmas, my parents' engagement and wedding, and birthdays, until she died.

Meissen and Ludwigsburg are not the only makers of china represented in my Mum's collection. She also has this pretty set of Herend (Hungarian) porcellain:

The blue-white dishes on the festive table in the above picture are Rosenthal, another fvourite of my Mum's. This particular design is called "Romanze in Blau" ("Blue Romance") and was a wedding gift for my parents in 1965.
When my Mum celebrated her "Golden Confirmation", she offered food and decorated the table all in the style of the 1950s, when she was 14 years old at her first confirmation. 

Now to my own china, which I am using every day:

This ivory or cream coloured set with gold rims was quite the thing in the 1940s and 50s! My grandparents bought it, as you did back then with such important purchases, on installments. They were very proud of it, and it was not taken out for everyday use, just on Sundays and special occasions.
Also only on Sundays, silver cutlery and a proper table cloth were used. The rest of the week, it was a waxed cloth on the table, and cutlery with brownish bone handles. 

When my grandmother (Mum's Mum) died in 2001, the house had to be sold and emptied of its contents - accumulated over a lifetime and from many different people who had lived with the core family over the years; lodgers, in-laws and so on.
The beautiful dishes, simple and elegant, as well as the silver cutlery came to me, along with the 1960s coffee table, 1930s sideboards and 1950s armchair I have in my living room.
Of the dishes, I have only 5 large plates and 6 soup plates left, but a large number of cake/dessert plates, coffee cups and other items. Every day when I eat from these dishes, the meal feels like something special. I know there are many modern and stylish sets of dishes and cutlery around, but I am very happy with my old-fashioned "Grandma"-stuff.

Read in 2016 - 6: The Life of Captain Reilly

"The Life of Captain Reilly" by J.T. O'Neil is something between a novel and a work of non-fiction. Actually, it is the real-life account of a day in the life of a pilot who works for a low-cost passenger airline, interspersed with chapters that explain various aspects of flying, less technical but more from an organisational point of view.

The overall tone of this book (of course it was a free ebook in Amazon's kindle shop) is rather cynical, and it makes me wonder why the author has not quit his job a long time ago, when almost everything about it is either hateful or ridiculous. It can't be the money that makes him stick to the job, as he complains about that as well.

Readers gain some insight into what it is like to be on a plane not as a passenger, but as the person responsible for the whole flight. It is interesting to learn about how many different areas and people work together to make it all happen, and what rules exist (and are sometimes bent) in the world of international air traffic.

So far, I've only been really close to an aircraft's pilot when a friend of mine took me on a trip by ultralight plane, as described here.

Of course, that is no comparison to what is involved in flying (and landing) an airbus. But the two types of flight still have some things in common: both need some planning for takeoff, travel and landing, communication with ground control, and some necessary steps after the trip is over.

Where I fully agree with the author is when he has a go at the behaviour of some passengers. There really are inconsiderate people around who think nothing of leaving their seats - and everything within a certain radius - a total mess, or treating cabin crew members as second class human beings.

Allover, this was an interesting (rather short) read, but left something of a sour taste (probably fully intended). What originally attracted me to the book was of course the captain's name being so similar to my own. J.T. O'Neil has written some more books, but I won't download them, not even if they are for free. They just weren't that good, or gripping.

Birthdays, Funerals and more

Sometimes nearly all different aspects of life come together in one day, don't they? This was the case for me yesterday.

Work was the first task of the day, and it was pleasant working from home after I'd been at the office for four full days, with many meetings and lots to do in two very different projects I am working for these days.

Late morning, I went to the post office to get a birthday parcel for my mother-in-law Mary on its way to Yorkshire. In 2012, I posted about putting together a birthday gift for her, too; you can read that post here.
Not having posted about similar parcels in 2013, 2014 and 2015 does not mean I forgot Mary's birthday - it just means I didn't mention it on here. (Contrary to popular belief, I do NOT blog about each and every little detail of my life.)

This year, I have tried once again to include her favourite colours, and decided on this spring-like top I found in one shop, and the jewellery in another. The glass "stones" are called "cat eye", according to the labels, and I hope Mary will like them.
(Yes, the wrapping paper is the same I used in 2012, and I still have plenty left - it's rare that I use this type of paper for gift-wrapping.) 

After my quick nip into town I had another hour or so at my desk before I left the house again, this time to attend a requiem for a friend's father who had died on the 1st of March. I have known my friend Inge for 38 years, ever since we started "big school" together in 1978. 
In November 2014, her mother died. I attended the funeral and shall never forget the look of utter bewilderment and helpless grief on her father's face. That old man (he was in his 80s) sitting by the open grave, tears streaming down his face with him not making the slightest attempt to wipe them away... Even now, just thinking and writing about it, I am getting a little tearful.
Inge's parents were about 10 years older than my own. Her father missed his wife very much and I like to think that, whatever we believe, they are reunited now.

This requiem was the first I ever attended, and I was puzzled by a lot of what was going on. Everybody else seemed to know exactly what they were doing - getting up, sitting down, answering the priest either speaking or singing the right words at the right time. I've never been Catholic, and throughout my life have attended less than a handful of Catholic services/masses, so I didn't have a clue and was more an observer than participant.

It was also the first time I've been inside that particular church. It is the very same church I have mentioned here, less than 2 minutes to walk from my house.

The church is a modern building; I've never liked its looks from the outside. For me, the concrete bell tower has the aesthetics of a 1970s parking garage. Inside, it doesn't get much better; although I usually am all for empty walls and large clutter-free spaces, this minimalist approach takes away the warmth I expect in what is supposed to be the house of God.
Don't get me wrong - I do see the point in focusing less on the material and more on the spiritual world when it comes to churches. It is just not my personal taste, that's all.
(All photos taken from the official homepage of this community.) 

After the requiem, I was freezing and hungry. Inge and her family went on to the cemetery where the funeral service and laying to rest was taking place. I went home and had a mug of steaming hot vegetable broth to warm up.

I worked some more and then, late afternoon, went to the gym. Only then did I feel really warm again!
Back home, I put in another hour of work, until one of my friends came to pick me up. We'd been invited to her sister's for dinner and enjoyed her great lasagne, red wine to match, delicious ice cream for dessert and a fun board game that I had brought along.
It was nearly 1:00 am until I was home, and switched the lights off just before 2:00.

A long and varied day it had been. Inge and I soon want to meet for a good comforting chat among friends. She and her brother are very close, and I hope they can be of comfort to each other during this difficult time.    

First of March

How much I like the first day of a month has been mentioned on my blog a few times already. This morning, though, I was certainly not hoping to wake up to Winter Wonderland:

I took this picture about half an hour ago... It has been (or at least felt!) colder the past few days than all winter. Well, it is not spring yet, not really! Flowers, birdsong, sunshine - that's what I am longing for, not snow. But of course I'll just have to take it as it comes, and although it sounds like I am whining like some spoilt brat, I am determined not to let this influence my usually good mood too much. It is going to be a long day at the office anyway, so I am not missing out on anything.

In contrast, look at this picture from November:

That day was so warm I kept my (very light) jacket off for most of the afternoon, and I wouldn't have been too cold in short sleeves.

Keep warm, whereever you are, and appreciate the sunshine if you have some in your area!

Read in 2016 - 5: Seagulls in the Attic

The second book by Tessa Hainsworth about her family moving from London to Cornwall and starting a new life there was as enjoyable as the first one.

By now, we find the author fully settled in her work as a postwoman. Her children have made many friends and seem to go through their daily lives entirely trouble-free. Her husband still works at a café to make ends meet, but has also found work as an actor again. This takes him away from the family home for months, with only brief visits in between, but that does not cause any major problems, either.

In her spare time, Tessa works on her allotment, raises a baby seagull, tries to find her son's pet snake* and helps with the planning of a wedding.

There isn't a minute boredom in her life, and she greatly enjoys Cornwall's wonderful landscape and being so close to the Sea.

The reader meets again some of the characters that were introduced in the first book, but new ones also appear - some less pleasant than others.

In the first book, I liked the division into chapters according to the months of the year. This one is not quite so "neat", but we still follow the family for a whole year. They even manage to have a camping holiday together, but the year's highlight is certainly their friends' wedding, which is described in amazingly little detail.

Of course, the book leaves room for more, and I will soon read the 3rd one of the series.

*In my opinion, snakes don’t make good pets. I am just not convinced that the average family home can offer a suitable environment for a snake, in order for it to live its life the way a snake is supposed to. Also, as recommendable as it is from Tessa to try and overcome her snake phobia to make her son happy, maybe there would have been other ways to help a little boy developing his sense of responsibility and indulge his love for animals.

Read in 2016 - 4: Future Agenda - The World in 2020

A free find in Amazon's kindle shop, this book kept my mind busy for weeks during my trips to and from work. There is real food for thought there, and I recommend at least looking at the future agenda website to get a better idea of what it's all about - and maybe get "hooked" and start reading... and thinking... and doing something.

For me, it was particularly interesting to know that the book was published in 2010, looking at probable and possible scenarios of our world in 2020. We are more than halfway there. To look at where we stand now in so many areas touched by the book, and compare it to what the future agenda team thought most likely to happen in mid-term developments, was fascinating.

So much of what will undoubtedly change things forever and shape the future of millions (if not billions) of individuals just as much as of organizations, countries and whole regions, had not yet happened in 2010. Just think of the terrible war in Syria, of the Ukraine conflict, the Ebola outbreak or the refugees crisis in Europe.

There were some new insights for me in it, too, although nothing too surprising, since I already do read quite a lot about many of the topics put up for discussion in the book.

What I liked very much was that each topic is presented factually and neutrally, not moralizing or judging, and not even preferring one point of view to the other. On the contrary, the authors acknowledge diverse perspectives on the same problem and admit that there is not necessarily a "right" or "wrong" way of doing things.
Of course, some things are not arguable - we ALL know, no matter where we live and how wealthy or poor we may be, that the way humanity is going about wasting the planet's resources is not good and can not go on for much longer. But there is no pointing the finger at one nation or region to be more "at fault" than others.
It is not a political book, although each and everyone of the topics covered has political implications.

Again, if you can, take at least a look at the website. Unlike with many other books on my kindle, I have not deleted this one after reading it. I am sure I am going to refer to it again in the future.

Cookies and a Love Story

Do you remember this post from last summer? If you don't, and have no time or inclination to click back to read yet another old post on my blog, here is a brief summary:

Last year in April, my Mum wrote this guest post with her recipe for Easter Bunny Cookies. They were a big hit with someone living on a different continent - you could almost say these cookies (or at least their recipe) travelled the world.
One very kind lady in Canada, herself a fellow blogger, shared the recipe with a friend, and they both decided to give it a try and made the cookies for two events: First to offer them as welcome nibbles to visitors at their church, and then in the shape of eighth-notes for a fund raising event at a women's music club.

On Monday, just after Valentine's Day, I received a special Valentine in the shape of a very kind email from the same lady. Once again, I shared it with my Mum, who loves how much her cookies are being appreciated - and that someone takes the time to let her know. Just like with the email I received last summer, again I asked the sender for permission to turn it into a blog post, along with the photos that were included in the email. And once more, the answer was "yes".

Here it is:

Hello Meike (and Meike's Mum),

Another word on your cookies: they've had another outing. This time they were on the dessert table at a reception following a concert (13 Feb.) in the ballroom of Winnipeg's historic Moss House. 

The high-ceilinged ballroom runs the full width of the house; light streams in through the front and back arched windows, and a very large bow window (not visible in the photo) area that accommodates a gorgeous grand piano on the east side.  

Meike, you take your readers on tours - allow me, please, to take you on one. Moss House has a bit of a romantic history, and, I think, a notable love story - perhaps more than one, and I hope the brief history herein will light your imagination as it has mine.

Moss House (1901) was built for the entrepreneurial Walter P. Moss, who had done very well for himself with one of the first department stores in the city in the 1890s. It remained in the Moss family until it was sold in 1956 to Max Kantor who similarily did very well for himself in the insurance business. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Max was a Canadian champion runner in 1938. (There's a story here of an athlete - one of many the world over - whose career was foiled by the War). 

Max and his wife, Mireille Grandpierre, met in Paris, where they married following the liberation of France, and forthwith established themselves in Winnipeg. Mireille Grandpierre-Kantor was a world-class dancer who first performed at the age of 5. At the age of 8, following a performance of La Mort du Cygne, she came into acclaim as a protegee. She danced for the President of France at age 9, joined the Paris Opera at 11, and the Russian Ballet at age 15. In 1939, she was a world gold medal winner for France, and went on to become Prima Ballerina at the Marseille Opera.

In Winnipeg, Mme. Grandpierre converted the ballroom of Moss House to a barre and set up her Conservatory of Dance in a city that, despite its rich cultural history that included The Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1939), The Winnipeg  Symphony Orchestra (1946), The Royal Manitoba Theatre (1958) and The Manitoba Opera Association (1969) (among other cultural institutions), must have challenged her to the n-th degree! She and Max were married for 61 years until his death separated them in 2007. Mme Grandpierre-Kantor died the following year. 

It was a lovely bit of synchronicity to be in Moss House in time for Valentine's Day, in the ballroom of a house filled once again with the sounds of dance by a Russian-born violinist with the heart of a dancer (himself a violin and piano protege), who opened the concert with a Tarantella, and later played Russian dance music as well.

That house caught my imagination the first time someone pointed it out to me, so after being there, I wanted to know a little more about it. Having decided to send the photos of the cookies, what could I do but give them context? I am now looking forward to reporting on the next outing (May or June) for which I will once again make the cookies in the shape of eighth-notes. Maybe photos, though, as few venues will have the history or romance of Moss House! 

- - - End of guest post - - -

I very much enjoyed not only receiving such kind words of appreciation, but also learning about a place I am most likely never going to see for myself.

Thank you, dear K.! My Mum and I are also looking forward to reading about "our" cookies' next outing :-)