New Blog

Happy New Year!

Due to the limited photo options on blogspot, I have started a new blog.

You can now find my thrilling adventures at www.halfassedhausfrau.weebly.com

See you soon!

November 1

Yikes.  November.

I just found out that I will not longer be able to have private tutoring for German next year.  This is sad because I really enjoy meeting with CJ but I also think I may be better suited for a classroom environment.  So now I need to find a class that fits my needs & schedule.

I finally made it back to the gym!  It was almost the last day of October but I still made it!

We have been planning a lot of trips.  We are headed to Paris for Christmas, Strasbourg France for the Christmas markets, a long weekend in Berlin in May & still working on our summer plans.  Thanks to my friend JV we are headed to the Black Forest in August & hopefully we will catch up with some friends in Sweden in July.  I am also planning a long weekend in Barcelona in March with some friends from Michigan (and a few others).  I believe I have been fully promoted to President of my travel agency.

I have a friend who started her own business in September.  I am very proud of her & would love to support this adventure but since we live in Germany it isn't feasible.  So instead I supported her exercise & purchased her a card for her favorite workout - EcoTrek.  She was thrilled & I only wish I could see her face when she tried to pay for her next card.  

And again I managed quite easily to be social.  France had the added bonus of having AG join us so everyday felt like a playdate.  The occasional breakfast & lunch out with friends.  And a very sad goodbye to my friend KH who is going traveling for 4-months & then moving to Amsterdam.  My social life might slow down a bit...

One more month to figure it all out!

October 1

Really?

I can't get my head around how quickly time has gone since we arrived back in Germany from our trip to Michigan.  Maybe it is the back to school buzz or the somewhat decent weather we had in September... But time is going quickly.  I am not really a live every moment or cherish the time kind of person so this feeling is a bit shocking.

I might just be trying to justify how lazy I have been lately - no gym, no vitamins, nothing out of the ordinary as for being extra thoughtful, no extra hours studying German, no photos - NOTHING!!!

Except being social.  Which is very important to me.  To feel connected to my neighborhood & the place we call home.  And I do & am happy about it!  We had plans both days of the weekend for most of the month.  We had some new people over for dinner, went to a festival, enjoyed the weather with a BBQ & I went out one night with some mom friends. We also attended a Festival with Hugo's Kita - we even met some neighbors who attend the school.  And I also joined the American Women's Club of Düsseldorf & an English speaking group Moving Circles.  I went to my first event - a tour of a local spice shop.  Lots of info & samples.  I also met up with the older kids group with Hugo & set up a FB page.  This has the potential to be really fun.

I have been busy with travel plans.  We leave on the October 12 for Provence.  We had originally planned to fly but the flights were really expensive before we went to Michigan & when we got back the flights were no longer available.  I went to the travel agency to see if I was missing something but was told the flights I was right, no more direct flights.  So we are driving.  It is an 11- hour drive & we can't leave until the middle of the afternoon on Friday so we will spend the night in Dijon on the way there & in Nancy on the return drive.  I have been told this is a beautiful drive.  We will see, I am not a big road tripper.  We have also booked our Christmas holiday in Paris.  I am organizing a trip with some friends from Michigan to Barcelona in March 2013.  It will be a great trip but it is much easier when I am the sole decision maker.  And thanks to some friends I will go to the Black Forest area in Germany in August 2013.  I feel very organized!

I found some old postcards in one of my many piles of stuff & decided to send them to some friends I don't connect with very often.  Hopefully it will bring a smile to their face.  I would love some mail, hint hint.

And lastly, I am a professional city bike rider.  In fact, I am usually not very happy if we are going somewhere that I can't bike, unless it is raining.  Riding a bike in the rain is not fun.

September 1

My favorite time of year!  I love the fall.  Even without the cider mills & donuts.  I like that it can feel like a new beginning - similar to the New Year.  

I think all of my planning for Michigan paid off.  We were very busy but had a ton of fun & saw everyone I wanted to see with a few exceptions.  I even saw some people I hadn't planned on seeing (yeah, Boona!) & got to see some friends more than expected (WK & JD).  We spent two weeks at my parent's cottage, a week in Midland & a week near Todd's parents.  For us, it was a lot of driving.  And guess what?  I don't like it one bit.  I am a public transportation snob.  So now I move on to planning the rest of this year.

I had two German lessons & was amazed that I didn't loose much.  Don't get me wrong, that first lesson was a very long hour & a half but better than expected!

I was browsing in a book store in Michigan (sigh) & saw a magazine a friend loves.  I know she stopped getting it a few years ago, so I ripped out the subscription card & signed her up for a year.  Surprise RG!

I took lots of photos in Michigan & did okay the rest of the month.  I carry my camera with me but seem to forget it is there most of the time.  Which is unfortunate since I come across a lot of funny stuff in Germany!

Never made it to the gym or managed to open my vitamins...

Continued to be social.  This seems to be the only thing I am good at!  Went to the Netherlands to visit some friends we haven't seen since we lived in Boise in 2007 - for more info see the blog from August 18.  We are so excited they are living closer. Todd & I went to Brussels (blog post August 25) for the night & then my usual book club & breakfasts with friends.  

Off to drink some Federweisser!

Oh Belgium, How I Love You...

Our wonderful babysitter, MD, is moving to CT next year.  I am crushed to lose a wonderful, reliable babysitter but also my friend.  She is also an avid American football fan so once fall starts we have limited options for availability.  We decided to take advantage of her services before the season starts & booked a night away.  We choose Brussels because it is close, affordable & well, in Belgium!

We took the train on Friday afternoon so we arrived in time for dinner.  Had a lovely meal here.  Todd was thrilled to have escargot as a starter & we had fabulous entrees too.  Todd had a friend in town from the US for work so she met up with us for the later part of the evening.  

The smallest tables with the biggest menus

Mouth watering good

Hello JG!

The next day we wandered around the city checking out some familiar sites (Todd has a thing for the Manneken Pis Boy) & once again enjoying the beer & food.  Brussels has a Comic Strip Route which is incredible.  I am not a big comic geek or anything but to see them on the side of a three story building is cool.  We spent a fair bit of time walking around finding them & then guess what?  Another amazing snack & some beers before heading back on the train.  

Oh how I love all things Belgium...

Thanks, MD!!

For more photos click BRUSSELS

A New School Year

Here we are starting our second school year in Düsseldorf.  Rita is starting Grade Four & Hugo is still in Kindergarten.  Rita will go to a new school next year - yikes, high school... Hugo will enter Grade One the fall of 2014.  Thankfully, both kids still love school & the first day is a happy one for all!

Could this be a goofier folder?  He picked it out...

Hugo's classroom

View from the classroom into the eating area

The Williamson Family!

I received a very cryptic email from my friend RW a few months ago telling me she wanted to talk to me.  I met RW in Boise ID in 2006.  She was my first friend I met there.  The reason she wanted to talk?  She wondered what it was like to live overseas.  I was thrilled.  They moved in the beginning of the month to Eindhoven, NL -- are you ready?  Only an hour & a half away by car!  Since we left Boise we have moved twice & this makes three moves for them.  We had a lot to catch up on.  The day was beautiful if not a bit too hot for me.  We started our journey heading to Belgium so we can replenish our beer supply.  I have no idea why I just typed our, when it is clearly Todd's.  We spent a lovely day with our friends & the kids acted like long lost friends.  It was wonderful & I can't wait to spend more time with them.  Welcome to Europe!!

Hugo waiting for Todd to bring the car around.
For those folks who don't believe we live in the city,
this is right outside our apartment - graffiti & all

Not much makes Todd happier...

L & Rita

Fast friends - Hugo & J

The last time we saw each other there were no boys!