tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42463216635805993132024-02-07T12:16:27.139+01:00EXPATS AGAINEXPATS AGAIN!Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-82603574375009496122012-03-14T18:19:00.000+01:002012-03-14T18:19:04.547+01:00Wednesday's Hodgepodge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"> <a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;">1. St. Patrick's Day will be celebrated this coming Saturday...what's a favorite article of clothing you own that contains a touch o' the green?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;"><i><b>I have a bright green blouse with a V-neck and pretty little embroidery around the neck in the same color of green. It is comfortable and green is one of "my" colors, so I love it. Unfortunately, we won't be celebrating this year. Last year a dear expat friend of mine lost her 27 yr. old son after he drove home from a night's celebrating. It was a horrific accident and his parents have since repatriated back to the states to be with their remaining son who just graduated college. We are donating to a cause he felt strongly about, a food pantry, and skipping the prerequisite imbibing in alcohol. I have no regrets on this decision.</b></i></span></span><br />
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<div><div style="color: #333333;">2. What's a favorite 'green space' in the town, state, or province where you live?</div><div><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Ahhh, in München it is the Englisher Garten. It is a large public park (1.4 sq. miles), bigger than Central Park in New York! And guess what? You can surf there!</span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk_-4pvij9sljJGd232PJVdhaT-3ekgIkGVHxAWQlu9EYCVegimosV8J7Rdey2is2ExwQ_SwlKDNd0eVpmlRHchCvFlB4kJ8fjrpk9irVestCSXJqpYo7TPrlEMMnfUOCPWC3oXYNosM/s1600/240px-Kleinhesseloher_See_ORA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk_-4pvij9sljJGd232PJVdhaT-3ekgIkGVHxAWQlu9EYCVegimosV8J7Rdey2is2ExwQ_SwlKDNd0eVpmlRHchCvFlB4kJ8fjrpk9irVestCSXJqpYo7TPrlEMMnfUOCPWC3oXYNosM/s640/240px-Kleinhesseloher_See_ORA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; text-align: center;">The Isar River runs through it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaDhxttZQt76Q8k_NynSrA-IPFKU5POmBnC03p-KsJnPR0IplXR1Fxz1pwi25eBI6VNZa7FQy10DMXfeO-DzrTFt89H0pND8E86C5TlEGEwi_ORqxtcht5c3wt_egm4Uy9zAHg1Rykew/s1600/250px-Chinesischer_Turm_Munich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaDhxttZQt76Q8k_NynSrA-IPFKU5POmBnC03p-KsJnPR0IplXR1Fxz1pwi25eBI6VNZa7FQy10DMXfeO-DzrTFt89H0pND8E86C5TlEGEwi_ORqxtcht5c3wt_egm4Uy9zAHg1Rykew/s640/250px-Chinesischer_Turm_Munich.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333;"> The Chinese Tower, a biergarden!</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">3. Do you wish you were taller, shorter, or think you're just about right in the height department?</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><span style="color: blue;"><i><b>I am fine in the height department.</b></i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">4. What's the surest way for someone to pick a fight with you?</div><div><span style="color: blue;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></div><div><span style="color: blue;"><b><i>Insist that you're correct when I have information that says otherwise. Just because you "say it's so" don't "make it so."</i></b></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">5. Broccoli-Spinach-String Beans-Peas...of the four, your favorite green veg? (Or the one you dislike the least if that first option's too hard. I just know there's some veggie haters out there.)</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><span style="color: blue;"><i><b>At the moment, hubby and I are juicing so I am eating TONS of vegetables. Of this group, my favorite would have to be string beans, if they are fresh. (No canned or frozen veggies for us anymore.)</b></i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">6. March is National Women's History Month...besides friends, neighbors and the women you're related to, who's a woman in history you admire and why?</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><b><i><span style="color: blue;">I admire Mother Theresa for her selflessness and her willingness to devote her life to helping the less fortunate.</span></i></b></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
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</div><div><span style="color: #333333;">7. Keep Calm and __</span><span style="color: #333333;">__________on.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">You fill in the blank. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b> Bless</b></i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">8. Insert your own random thought here.</div></div><div><b><i><span style="color: blue;">As the facts seep out, I am stunned by the soldier that crept out in the middle of the night to slaughter innocent citizens of Afghanistan. I know this will have to go through all of the channels, but I am afraid they will find him mentally incompetent and he will not have to face the death penalty for his crimes. How do you feel about this sad turn of events?</span></i></b></div></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-4750003938190101572012-02-22T13:58:00.000+01:002012-02-22T13:58:39.091+01:00WEDNESDAY'S HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #442d6a; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/2012/02/proud-to-answer-wednesday-hodgepodge.html" style="color: #442d6a; display: block; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol 67</a></h3><div class="post-header" style="color: #333333;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8762209181460260131" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" style="color: #310e6a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1. February 22nd is National Be Humble Day...what makes you proud? What keeps you humble?</span></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Interesting, my grandson's, Wadiah, name means "humble" in Arabic. He makes me very proud as do my children and grandchildren. </b></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
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</b></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>What keeps me humble is the fact that in an instant I know all that I am proud of can disappear. I would rather be thankful than proud.</b></span></i></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">2. Where is the catch-all (aka dumping ground) in your house?</span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>This is a big "No, no" in our home. I am constantly removing my hubby's keys and wallet from the countertop in the kitchen. He has a dresser and a desk for that stuff!</b></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">3. Do you make it a point to visit State/National Parks when you travel or even in your own hometown? What's your favorite?</span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Yes, and once the hubs retires, we plan to visit as many as possible. Yosemite is my favorite and I cannot wait to return. </b></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">4. How would you define honor?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class="post-body entry-content" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div><div><div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>As far as being honorable, I would say a person who stands by his/her word, tells the truth, doesn't curse or swear or wish bad upon others, and treats everyone fairly. My father was all of these things--and more.</b></span></i></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">5. Angel's food or Devil's food-which cake do you prefer?</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>No choice when it comes to chocolate. Devil's food it is.</b></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="color: #333333;">6. What's the most recent road trip you've taken? Where did you go and how many hours did you spend in the car? Do you like to zoom to your destination without stopping or leisurely wind your way there with stops along the way? What is your car snack of choice?</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>Since we are now living in Europe and traveling from one country to another is like traveling from one state to another back in the U.S., car trips are very frequent for us. The last one took us to Venice, Italy. I refuse to go non-stop. I'm a photographer and everything is new to us so we are often stopping along the way. <u>It's the journey, not the destination! </u> So we plan for frequent stops.</b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>Car snacks for me are apples or pretzels and the prerequisite diet Pepsi, of course.</b></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">7. Recent headlines told how a preschool child in NC had their packed lunch from home taken away and a school lunch substituted by a school inspector who deemed the homemade lunch unhealthy. Reportedly the parent was then billed for the school lunch (chicken nugget meal) although an update to the story says the parent was not billed. The inspector was conducting a routine inspection of the classroom-he/she was not there solely to peek in the lunchboxes.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class="post-body entry-content" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div><div><div><div style="color: #333333;">The packed lunch contained a turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple juice box, a bag of chips, and a banana. You can read the story <a href="http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-usda-preschoolers-meal-update-200120216,0,4228866.story" style="color: #310e6a; text-decoration: none;">here</a>. Your thoughts?</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>All I have to say is, "Big Brother." How can this justify the salary of a school lunch inspector? Next, we will have them in our homes.</b></i></span></div></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">8. Insert your own random thought here. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I will spill the beans as Joyce did--our next trip in March/April will be on a high speed train from Munich, Germany to Vienna, Austria, Kracow, Poland and then on to Budapest, Hungary. One by one, I am ticking off my bucket list of travel destinations. These are cities are ones I have long awaited to visit with my hubby. We are so anxious to do this. </span></i></b></span></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-11218821651199464052012-02-19T20:51:00.000+01:002012-02-19T20:51:55.228+01:00THIS ONLY HAPPENS ONCE EVERY 7 YEARS!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Schaefflertanzer</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRGj2tNVccKurBEc8cIgogYVsreMg4Kxcr22zIR898AXZmhf5MnlBC1INTcHLcF_ha363rhD4JhDaR9QNFx9j0G7h7AUonZHHWrxhkxqYp6JZQ5-renG2PJgn7RmJPUTk-KwbQxzZcV0/s1600/IMG_7482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRGj2tNVccKurBEc8cIgogYVsreMg4Kxcr22zIR898AXZmhf5MnlBC1INTcHLcF_ha363rhD4JhDaR9QNFx9j0G7h7AUonZHHWrxhkxqYp6JZQ5-renG2PJgn7RmJPUTk-KwbQxzZcV0/s320/IMG_7482.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span>Sounds like a typical Bavarian dish, doesn't it? Something along the lines of Schnitzel, perhaps? Not even close! This word was not in my vocabulary a week ago until a friend here in Munich clued me in. Schaefflertanzer refers to a Bavarian dance done by a group of Coopers, or barrel makers. If you don't want to wait 7 years, you can see the next best thing in the Glockenspiel (clock) in the Marienplatz (main square) in Munich. At the strike of 11:00 am,daily, the Coopers, or their painted figure resemblance, do the Schaefflertanzer for the crowds to view.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> The tradition of the Schäfflertanz dates back to the year 1517 when Munich was suffering the plague. Almost half of the city’s 20,000 inhabitants had succumbed to the dreaded disease. When the Plague ended, the Schäffler (coopers, or barrel-makers) journeymen, took it upon themselves to raise the spirits of the people of Munich by dancing through the streets with hoops wrapped in greens, accompanied by lively music. As Munich’s residents heard the commotion, shutters opened, faces appeared and slowly it was decided it was safe to go out into the streets. The Schäffler clowned with the crowds, bringing smiles to those who had suffered so </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">much grief.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Today, the barrel makers make their way throughout our fair city at designated time and locations. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">he Reifenschwinger has the most difficult job. He holds a wooden hoop with an indentation on the inside rim for a small glass filled with wine. Standing on the keg in the middle of the circle of the dancers, he twirls his hoop over his head and between his legs, being careful, of course, not to spill one drop of wine from the glass. At the end of his performance, he drinks the wine and tosses the glass over his shoulder where one of the<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" />clowns catches in his cap.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> This event grows large crowds of people of all ages. We went to a local department store at 2 pm on Saturday and nearly didn't get an opportunity to watch it the crowds were so intense. I wish I had an actual photo of the dance itself, but I was four or five deep in the crowd and astounded by how tall the German's are! Truly! Getting a decent photo was impossible, but I hope the ones I did get will do for now.</span></span></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-71493906943541420132012-02-17T19:23:00.001+01:002012-02-17T19:27:51.704+01:00I AM BACK!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Can you believe it was way back in November when I blogged last? I have been a bad, but busy girl learning German, Christmas travels, and post Christmas travel and participating in far too many of the Munich International Women's Club's events. Where to begin? <br />
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I can tell you that I spent most of November and December struggling with the beginner's level of German (I-A) and I am now ready to move up to the second level (I-B) level in March. Taking classes every day for four hours isn't called Intensive German for no reason. It had me spinning in circles and then came the big hiatus--Christmas and travel back to Ohio to be with the family. I so enjoyed having my family, both sons and their wives and all 8 grandchildren together. Here are the grandchildren and the tiny one on the left is our first great-granddaughter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTu2AGeENE7yqQSqtQQzi5fHYadZrZw8Rvqid266HGKT242mQWVm1Crs71cikszYMdICbEBOhbby13OH6-fAoz8_pyuTs2nTUdXV_SyxmkXlh13iNhr0FFTRCZzm6qwlH0pheXhtNkHM/s1600/IMG_1171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTu2AGeENE7yqQSqtQQzi5fHYadZrZw8Rvqid266HGKT242mQWVm1Crs71cikszYMdICbEBOhbby13OH6-fAoz8_pyuTs2nTUdXV_SyxmkXlh13iNhr0FFTRCZzm6qwlH0pheXhtNkHM/s320/IMG_1171.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I divided my time between Toledo where our home is and Cleveland where my oldest son lives. Then, during the second week of January, I went south to Ft. Myer's, Fla. to spend some sis time with my only sister.<br />
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This photo is us, but about ten years ago. I guess we both need to spruce up and have our photos taken again. I think I will make that my x-mas 2012 project. It would make a great gift for my sis and myself (and if you're reading this, sis, be prepared!)<br />
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Once back on German soil, the hubs and I decided to travel to one of the cities on my "Want to Travel To" list, Istanbul, Turkey. We spent four days visiting the former Ottoman Empire and the former city of Constantinople. From the Sultan's Harem, to the Blue Mosque, we were immersed in Turkish culture. The photos below will give you an idea of how we spent our time in this sprawling cosmopolitan city of 15 million people.<br />
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For the very first time, I forgot to take the battery to my trusty Canon 40-D and ended up taking photos with my iphone. Hence, the quality is not the best, but you will get the idea of what Istanbul has to offer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWkFKxZc-48NnH12UBt1jnlXKZkJobqdGq_Qtq4XV9wVqOPNBt5AFPQ-nU7eHXOpdk2_dQIkT-l9ATeGx4Xpo_WzybYhDaS3AbtE3pw9V3dEab5R8DQyHtdnpK-CoPX0uYmD6nCTrITE/s1600/IMG_0653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWkFKxZc-48NnH12UBt1jnlXKZkJobqdGq_Qtq4XV9wVqOPNBt5AFPQ-nU7eHXOpdk2_dQIkT-l9ATeGx4Xpo_WzybYhDaS3AbtE3pw9V3dEab5R8DQyHtdnpK-CoPX0uYmD6nCTrITE/s320/IMG_0653.jpg" width="308" /></a></div> Typical Turkish Tea served at the Grand Bazaar<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzNowU5B9r0rtVz2VgWUJDvAMj_WJqHOcB8BWK8n4qwhRqTsF-VxxX0CfxtzYkRSPnCb7WmqMahRFazj0Vo6OiCh_geWrfL5nDy8zr-eZyURvxnnYWncASajIigfO3kt4RAchOjNCPZ8/s1600/IMG_0704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzNowU5B9r0rtVz2VgWUJDvAMj_WJqHOcB8BWK8n4qwhRqTsF-VxxX0CfxtzYkRSPnCb7WmqMahRFazj0Vo6OiCh_geWrfL5nDy8zr-eZyURvxnnYWncASajIigfO3kt4RAchOjNCPZ8/s320/IMG_0704.jpg" width="265" /></a></div> Fortress Wall surrounding Istanbul<br />
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Fresh produce in the outdoor markets.<br />
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Hagia Sophia, once the center of Christianity before St. Peter's<br />
was built, before the great schism. Later to become a mosque after<br />
the Byzantium conquer of Istanbul.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPWxNljr46-wMRKO78kiJu7ZT0M99EKwsvOAV8QCXDffnuZa_EqjMj6kbzYRB0LyMP06TJXB71aw2jU941-UfTHJdtA23JYSKP8hGiWWNYDfahaORe9MBY90HuUsFZ6_eZFRdxkP3g48/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPWxNljr46-wMRKO78kiJu7ZT0M99EKwsvOAV8QCXDffnuZa_EqjMj6kbzYRB0LyMP06TJXB71aw2jU941-UfTHJdtA23JYSKP8hGiWWNYDfahaORe9MBY90HuUsFZ6_eZFRdxkP3g48/s320/IMG_0767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The Blue Mosque<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfqQMUHhyphenhyphenubYc0n3GWhR-QWHj3UZokPiW8-4KNGQ0KKUBA3nnCvmwlAGwqEdeiMpGqhvGvogRwX-QfoaAQ7ivUs6LwsVdXOBH3XSxfJr4vDlp9ej9X3SL_6cFzP8Qjq0G3o7xTU5Xlgg/s1600/IMG_0721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfqQMUHhyphenhyphenubYc0n3GWhR-QWHj3UZokPiW8-4KNGQ0KKUBA3nnCvmwlAGwqEdeiMpGqhvGvogRwX-QfoaAQ7ivUs6LwsVdXOBH3XSxfJr4vDlp9ej9X3SL_6cFzP8Qjq0G3o7xTU5Xlgg/s320/IMG_0721.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Unbelievable array of spices from the Egyptian<br />
Spice Market<br />
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Dolmabaci Palace on the Bosporus<br />
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I could go on and on about Istanbul and tell you how much I love the lifestyle, the history, and the culture. I loved it so much that we have already booked a return trip in early May, when the weather is much better and we can sit and while away an afternoon sipping Turkish coffee and soaking up the warmth of the sun on the shores of the Bosporus.<br />
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For now, it's good to be back in Germany and to enjoy the snow and the Alps. We are just beginning the tradition of Fasching here and if you're not familiar with this custom, check back within the next few days to learn more about it. It's good to be back and I hope I will see you here again soon!</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-40746090831297420912011-11-02T12:53:00.001+01:002011-11-04T00:13:40.847+01:00WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" style="color: #310e6a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><b>1. Who taught you how to cook?</b><br />
<div><i>Anyone who was willing to give me a lesson. My mother, mother-in-law, her mother, my daughter-in-law, a new mother-in-law, my sister and sister-in-law, and two new countries. My first mother-in-law taught me Hungarian dishes, her mother taught me Jewish dishes. My daughter-in-law is from Jordan and is a wonderful cook and has unbelievable patience with me in her kitchen. Her dishes are truly indescribably delicious. My mother-in-law, now, is from Australia and is very generous in teaching me what her son likes, except for the whole Vegemite thing. They can just keep that in Australia (hope I didn't offend any Aussies here, sorry.) Now, living in Germany, I have a plethora of willing teachers, both German and from all around the world. The International Women's Club of München, to which I belong, has an activity called "Clever Cooks" where members invite other members into their kitchens to learn how to recreate their favorite homemade dishes from there respective countries. This has proved to be a great way to learn ethnic dishes. I'm a cook learning in progress...</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i> My beautiful, Jordanian, daughter-in-law & son</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5i3N1eyYdybRvPUq6vnB7fILFNSOZMIhKpSS5AsnvHw_5LVQyJta_g0t2EA0ii-RYCW2nSx3PlGVEde7oDiK5JkztnVRNQGM-5R6g020QKF6tc7_rDOOSzQo7RM3-OIQ0q8KkUc-AZuI/s1600/203300_1094107589_3644355_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5i3N1eyYdybRvPUq6vnB7fILFNSOZMIhKpSS5AsnvHw_5LVQyJta_g0t2EA0ii-RYCW2nSx3PlGVEde7oDiK5JkztnVRNQGM-5R6g020QKF6tc7_rDOOSzQo7RM3-OIQ0q8KkUc-AZuI/s320/203300_1094107589_3644355_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span><br />
<div><div><i> </i></div><div><i> My beautiful, Urguyayan, daughter-in-law with son and grandson #2</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1pNsnDLELCZzvV6SmSr-mHwzKnXqHcipF0-vmE8bi8Y7w7b7sbxGmnyMumvEaQEBSXyYIAOVCpxTSDFsLKexQygaYxvTecMNkqFjZ8FgNVeWEH0C9-WQRJriuvyNbPZiZibtGkuEzE8/s1600/IMG_5353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1pNsnDLELCZzvV6SmSr-mHwzKnXqHcipF0-vmE8bi8Y7w7b7sbxGmnyMumvEaQEBSXyYIAOVCpxTSDFsLKexQygaYxvTecMNkqFjZ8FgNVeWEH0C9-WQRJriuvyNbPZiZibtGkuEzE8/s320/IMG_5353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i> My lovely sis and myself</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwEUgYa40y2_-Rmjk-l09l83ZXBqbPdRjaqOmyIMHtA7vrqzCldnnC_xnYpRNCxsgChsb6WNCjEsy8frfHptJr71ALXMoqcZq1lvTMB-zRrfm10SkufLUNZUSoXLdjQZZM8d_7-WONlM/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwEUgYa40y2_-Rmjk-l09l83ZXBqbPdRjaqOmyIMHtA7vrqzCldnnC_xnYpRNCxsgChsb6WNCjEsy8frfHptJr71ALXMoqcZq1lvTMB-zRrfm10SkufLUNZUSoXLdjQZZM8d_7-WONlM/s320/IMG_5586.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>Australian mother-in-law and my American uncle together in Munich (were we trying to matchmake or what, just kidding.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqk2DsCt7xnmChyYKux8vzZiarzkxPkEFTnU9XYjypK6a3YEuYKpGf4WAQ3cFWqpoz3vgiT6VGnkRTkW7PoKhTiIK8dSTeS_9sxFDyjdT_rzTrA55InTXPlcg4sEFIQVqBpMUBiB5RO4/s1600/IMG_5885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqk2DsCt7xnmChyYKux8vzZiarzkxPkEFTnU9XYjypK6a3YEuYKpGf4WAQ3cFWqpoz3vgiT6VGnkRTkW7PoKhTiIK8dSTeS_9sxFDyjdT_rzTrA55InTXPlcg4sEFIQVqBpMUBiB5RO4/s400/IMG_5885.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><div> </div><div>2. <b>Have you been told you think too much? Are too much of a perfectionist? Are too sensitive? Were they right?</b></div><div><br />
</div><div><i>I don't have to be told that I think too much. I'm still searching for the darn OFF button.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOLpAEyc4fLwnj3qQposrufRyJ2BWcZ3OKUxuSpWzH5DBzyLqhbnU4app79b7trbI3uqqrKkB-bpdhy0fgGynPuPjiXwy28CPGA0bW-5IowljmvVqsouyw6yD5xcCoSE25mVzg7nBcf4/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOLpAEyc4fLwnj3qQposrufRyJ2BWcZ3OKUxuSpWzH5DBzyLqhbnU4app79b7trbI3uqqrKkB-bpdhy0fgGynPuPjiXwy28CPGA0bW-5IowljmvVqsouyw6yD5xcCoSE25mVzg7nBcf4/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><b>3. As a child did you have a favorite blanket or toy? Tell about it.</b></div><div><br />
</div><div><i>I did, but I haven't thought about it until Joyce posed this question. It was a doll that was soft and it was my height as a child of four or five. She actually was a Raggedy Ann doll with strips of elastic under her feet. I would put my foot into the elastic which would make her shoes go over mine. I held her hands outstretched and her head (soft doll) would flop on my shoulder and we would dance together the way I would dance with my dad while placing my feet on his feet. What a great memory (tears here). Thanks, Joyce, for conjuring up something I had long forgotten about. Why don't they make that kind of doll for little girls now a days? Would they like them as much as I did?</i></div></div></div><br />
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<b>4. What 'institution' do you have the most faith in?</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span><br />
<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtKL6FDzIhBoQ2fSgCRNrFmntPf6GVtU3g1zZu3uDX1em11JCC-D2VlGZW6CXhz5uwlPS3lTZv2Ws3cnMPdY1VS6m9OymwGn46mlHGiRm69LaKQUyvFnTt0l7eDaNVHskP89KGvjhdVQ/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtKL6FDzIhBoQ2fSgCRNrFmntPf6GVtU3g1zZu3uDX1em11JCC-D2VlGZW6CXhz5uwlPS3lTZv2Ws3cnMPdY1VS6m9OymwGn46mlHGiRm69LaKQUyvFnTt0l7eDaNVHskP89KGvjhdVQ/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">When I think of "institutions" I think of these guys, prisoners, because I once worked at an institution for the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation for the State of Ohio at this place, The Toledo Correctional Institution. I don't know how much correction we did there, but I did teach and many convicted criminals (think medium-maximum level facility that houses 1,850 prisoners in the city of Toledo.) did get their GEDs while I taught there.</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpLkznqJ67k7HT0BQL_Obg7TUVeZ9xXLeEQtPvRWHY6Zb_8XnzFJqpJtQb6IzrdfcmM7s8KGUNcUikRMc9qcG71GW_5CX7utvZTyWoCTK-A8vVLfquJ3E0o0LeV8Zld3M0-p5x9wVqqs/s1600/ToIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpLkznqJ67k7HT0BQL_Obg7TUVeZ9xXLeEQtPvRWHY6Zb_8XnzFJqpJtQb6IzrdfcmM7s8KGUNcUikRMc9qcG71GW_5CX7utvZTyWoCTK-A8vVLfquJ3E0o0LeV8Zld3M0-p5x9wVqqs/s320/ToIC.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Oh, that word institution is fully loaded, isn't it? Not a fan of institutions so I guess I will have to say none. Unfortunately, they are necessary in our society and have been forever. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">No, I prefer to put my faith in Him who will not disappoint or abandon me. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">5. <b><a href="http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Gardening/Top-10/Seasonal-Gardens/Top-10-Fall-Color-Plants" style="color: #310e6a; text-decoration: none;">Chrysanthemums, pansies, burning bush, ornamental cabbage</a>...your favorite in an autumn garden?</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>Oh....the burning bush, for sure. I just love them and fortunately I have them in the states. We will go back in April to do a lot of new plantings and I am sure I will stock up on these beauties for the fall season.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>6. What superpower do the kids in your neighborhood seem to posses?</b></span><br />
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<div><div><div><i>We have a girl, age 3, and a boy, age 2, above us in our apartment complex here in München. They are adorable little towhead blonds who keep their mummy and daddy very busy. As far as the city of Munich goes, we are fortunate to have a large garden (yard for the Americans) so the kiddies are out of doors as much as possible. They appear to have superpowers of unlimited energy as I look out to see a wearied set of parents. Perhaps I ought to offer to help out/babysit once in a while and give these two a break!</i></div><div><i><br />
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<div><div><div><i>Mostly for it's medicinal purposes or as a a companion with vodka and lime on a sunny beach somewhere. But my sister-in-law (see #1) gave me her killer cranberry relish recipe for our Thanksgivings and I really do enjoy this dish.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8. Insert your own random thought here.</b></div></div></div><div><b><br />
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</b></div><div>Hubby and I have decided to to do the "Love Dare" that was so popular a few years back after downloading the movie "Firepoof" with one of my favorite child actors, Kirk Cameron. We are not a marriage in trouble, but we have been married 12 years (second time for us both) and have learned how important it is to "Maintain" a marriage. Sensing a need to revisit what is important in a marriage and what work (yes, I did use the proper word) daily is needed to keep a marriage strong and beautiful, we decided to try it. We are on day four and it really is<strike> exhausting</strike> challenging to remind yourself each day of the things we often neglect in our busy lives that contribute to a wonderful marriage. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Although it is difficult, we are so happy we are doing this for us. Here is what hubby sent me today in an email from his office reminding me of our past four lessons:</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Hubby is oversimplifying this a bit. </div><div>Day 1 meant biting your tongue when you wanted to say something you shouldn't have. </div><div>Day 2 meant doing an act of kindness towards your mate, even if you didn't feel like it or felt they didn't deserve it. (See what I mean about tough?)</div><div>Day 3 meant going out of your daily routine to pick up a phone and check on your spouse just to see how they are doing. (We do this a lot anyways, but if you weren't into this habit, it could be easily interpreted as "checking up" on your spouse--a touchy area as shown on the movie, "Fireproof." Did I tell you we were both in tears at the end of this movie?)</div><div>Day 4 meant actually going out and buying something worthy of how much you love your mate, not something chintzy or cheap just to fulfill that day's challenge. (Sorry, I won't reveal what he got me, but I will tell you it took a lot of thought and was just what I needed! He did good! Oh, I will tell you I bought him two 100% cashmere sweaters to keep my loved one good and warm in Munich winters. He loved it and it was a great pleasure to see how happy it made him,:-)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Today, we are to tell our spouse 3 things that we do to cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with us. (See what I mean about exhausting and difficult?? Can you imagine the work it takes to write this in a kind, loving, and not offensive way? Prayers needed that we don't have to decide who gets the house and kids after this challenge today!!)</div><div><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">He is really taking this seriously and so am I. ( Only good can come of this 40 day challenge, right?). Pray for us....please. It really is work people and we will need all the prayers we can get to get us through this challenge. I promised not to look ahead in the workbook, "The Love Dare," and I haven't, but God have mercy on my soul if it gets harder than this. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span><br />
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</span></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-6152772845812232842011-11-02T10:19:00.001+01:002011-11-02T10:21:09.624+01:00INTENSIVE GERMAN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSaSj0RPR56nbgLKJhtaLy0KtCFr6FBxg6YlLgH_sK36DxUkgQ3_5tLHhjFBtNib9c-hoEnL-J1bU4UN-DXvOKvIiFAEJYqEDOVo4nVjUdzVc8Fcqx39VSxGuBXDpIQt6viVLm0wuNik/s1600/SB_4175236115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSaSj0RPR56nbgLKJhtaLy0KtCFr6FBxg6YlLgH_sK36DxUkgQ3_5tLHhjFBtNib9c-hoEnL-J1bU4UN-DXvOKvIiFAEJYqEDOVo4nVjUdzVc8Fcqx39VSxGuBXDpIQt6viVLm0wuNik/s640/SB_4175236115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <b> KRAÜTERGARTEN</b> (Herbal Garden)<br />
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<b>Monday, Nov.7th, I begin Intensive German classes, alas. I say that with foreboding because of all of the horror stories I hear from expats about their forays into German language and culture. But, not to be daunted, I will venture forth in my blissful ignorance of the myriad errors I will likely commit and do my best to become educated. My classes are every weekday from 9 am until 12:30 pm. Just enough time to rattle this old brain and challenge it's ability to still learn a new language. (Most of the Mandarin I have learned has disappeared and is only used in Chinese restaurants. I hope our lengthy years of living in Deutschland will imprint this language on my psyche so that I will not have it disappear as my Mandarin has.)</b><br />
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<b>I am looking forward to being able to <strike>speak without pantomime</strike> communicate effectively with German speakers while also learning how to read in my (fourth?) language. I don't feel you can truly assimilate into a new culture without being able to speak and read the language. Only then will I feel a part of this country and not just a bystander. Also, I will learn the correct spelling, pronunciation, and names for the things I know have to "Americanize" for my family and friends to understand.</b><br />
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<b>Wish me luck on this new adventure and cross your fingers that I will be able to pass the test that will allow me to travel overseas and guarantee that I will be able to re-enter Germany. The necessity of this validation is what has spurred me on to this quest, but now that it is imminent,I am looking forward to seeing how I do. </b><br />
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<b>I will update you and share with you what will certainly be a difficult, yet rewarding, challenge.</b></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-44807386712008810772011-11-01T23:08:00.000+01:002011-11-01T23:08:53.575+01:00SCHAFTLAND ON THE ISAR RIVER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgCq1fB9B2FHTTkSBdfmY0CPM2-6dHGzUdpTQj6T3WiSQLvL5uEM2qsGCrtAD9C2ykVo1UpqwdpGQNC4iDQfvgBcARgwmVVzHrXtaIY0KerYZB6i11wvz26jy4dSutZJajdLsoGH85oA/s1600/IMG_0737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgCq1fB9B2FHTTkSBdfmY0CPM2-6dHGzUdpTQj6T3WiSQLvL5uEM2qsGCrtAD9C2ykVo1UpqwdpGQNC4iDQfvgBcARgwmVVzHrXtaIY0KerYZB6i11wvz26jy4dSutZJajdLsoGH85oA/s640/IMG_0737.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It was a glorious day today in München and a holiday too! Temperatures hovered around 55° and the hubby and I could not wait to enjoy the great outdoors so we headed about 20 miles south of us to walk along the Isar River. Alongside of the river is a canal and we found much firmer footing there than along the side of the river that is made up of large stones.<br />
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Autumn is in full here in Bavaria and as you can see, we were not alone in wanting to feel the crisp air and admire the panorama. People were walking, riding their bikes, roller blades, and horses. We even saw a guy on skates using his ski poles to push him along!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKXRhmNlwmuEPbl1VhA4naHo76T74KAu-ptVdVwAv8RgPnEzjJyZtB-1n4DKV4TBymjd5q25tpGAmAzU-fwr0xdx88r4ArcFdjOhJ3PlghHTCcB_5qW1YPUTEpO93w1qfdHKWpQb5RGE/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKXRhmNlwmuEPbl1VhA4naHo76T74KAu-ptVdVwAv8RgPnEzjJyZtB-1n4DKV4TBymjd5q25tpGAmAzU-fwr0xdx88r4ArcFdjOhJ3PlghHTCcB_5qW1YPUTEpO93w1qfdHKWpQb5RGE/s640/IMG_0754.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took along a bottle of Wolfe Blass Australian Shiraz, a few wine glasses, cheese and apples for our mid-day snack. Tossing a blanket next to the river, we sat down to enjoy the scenery while feeling the sun on our faces.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzGUFWOFYgSf5S-7Y0MazeZx_Mnlqa3zfPeQ9K6Dzigrib56DP3rBn7VAPbW5Rjg5HTABMPSrm0WSFw7rNimgt1M03DR6S0eZlPgLVW6FgqoYuGGMjqDQ4kW32wHbWKr12hq3K9wyqk8/s1600/IMG_0741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzGUFWOFYgSf5S-7Y0MazeZx_Mnlqa3zfPeQ9K6Dzigrib56DP3rBn7VAPbW5Rjg5HTABMPSrm0WSFw7rNimgt1M03DR6S0eZlPgLVW6FgqoYuGGMjqDQ4kW32wHbWKr12hq3K9wyqk8/s640/IMG_0741.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After a few glasses, we continued our journey along the canal until we came upon a Gasthaus with a bier garden. The aroma of Nuremberg sausages and apfelstrudel was teasing us and it didn't take much for us to succumb.<br />
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Looking at this lovely salad, you might think I was being very healthy this afternoon, but this was just the starter. Along with the salad, I had roast pork, a knudle (dumpling), and warm sauteed purple cabbage (think of sweet and sour cabbage). Hubs had the sausages and then generously shared his warm apfelstrudel with cream sauce. YUM!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU0pneHJ1sUFyq1LAU0BMZ9B9AlRZ4t01wNDrY25Rp3N3sTHc6SSCu-lKgZuI-kAZRRKhsmk17BADW-gpfo0s8FMsyHrSuPU9qN01qjo69NnVqUJ29UCJxdUyy-1hFoMBDbRZmXutGA0/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU0pneHJ1sUFyq1LAU0BMZ9B9AlRZ4t01wNDrY25Rp3N3sTHc6SSCu-lKgZuI-kAZRRKhsmk17BADW-gpfo0s8FMsyHrSuPU9qN01qjo69NnVqUJ29UCJxdUyy-1hFoMBDbRZmXutGA0/s640/IMG_0761.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I hope we have more of these weekends before winter arrives. This week it will be sunny and near 60° so we plan to make the most of our days outdoors. Crossing my fingers that the leaves stay on the trees and we can continue to see their vibrant hues for a while longer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCyU7ESjZsNA32PFpXk2MMF8hv_VgGgOZfS3T_9wdilydE9a015Lv6PX1LKPwKKSiwAK9U95aBVO64TI1URBGi0BQmeRyf95Freydb4Yv4Ittd0nUYV4hLShQn0NKh0nrdhuNCfJaDuo/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCyU7ESjZsNA32PFpXk2MMF8hv_VgGgOZfS3T_9wdilydE9a015Lv6PX1LKPwKKSiwAK9U95aBVO64TI1URBGi0BQmeRyf95Freydb4Yv4Ittd0nUYV4hLShQn0NKh0nrdhuNCfJaDuo/s640/IMG_0751.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-40689515748480490472011-10-31T09:46:00.001+01:002011-11-01T22:39:26.661+01:00PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Before 1917, in the U.S., you could send a postcard for only <b style="font-weight: bold;">1¢. </b>After 1918, the price went up to<b> 2¢,</b> because of World War I. These postcards then became called "Penny Postcards."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJzrkcA2xQqfhE9u1THuWcWtxt_gcbrh0_B8hjoq7tlsslaR11KV9D_AoKd-Sp7C_N8-k1hBbwjGBONe6c-k9msJ13NSMQJ9SaamkYoCxx32IxLL3Kyiph5ym90dBwnhlM4znIKgCWP4/s1600/carbch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJzrkcA2xQqfhE9u1THuWcWtxt_gcbrh0_B8hjoq7tlsslaR11KV9D_AoKd-Sp7C_N8-k1hBbwjGBONe6c-k9msJ13NSMQJ9SaamkYoCxx32IxLL3Kyiph5ym90dBwnhlM4znIKgCWP4/s640/carbch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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The one above are of California, but each state, in fact each county in the U.S. is represented by a number of these historic "Penny Postcards."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mXDFCD2-uySRjkSPKJDNWdJfMdn_xzohojgfK8W85aoNkmLHVeaIHf-QTNBN1y3YoTBJ8cyaTUKyQO3G9JTXkEY9LZK3eYowj_4ubO4rPyZrDetnCdWuqz1Ug-TGxSA1S_3YhKGVG6o/s1600/budbbq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mXDFCD2-uySRjkSPKJDNWdJfMdn_xzohojgfK8W85aoNkmLHVeaIHf-QTNBN1y3YoTBJ8cyaTUKyQO3G9JTXkEY9LZK3eYowj_4ubO4rPyZrDetnCdWuqz1Ug-TGxSA1S_3YhKGVG6o/s640/budbbq.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This one of Buds Barbeque, Hilliard, is from Nassau County in Florida.<br />
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And from my hometown of Toledo, Ohio:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WlyuPj2aYVm9vc5Kn7ZK7c0_D4Ba8NTfHVV94sdJ9Ua9VmcMWblmYgGbs7TRKyMCmxuKF3UNROUovIAIA9k9ikZQoYaaKRy88jmXFVCk4arFLrW5-_6G927Z0O5l2IOsZJxrYHOdTRg/s1600/yacht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WlyuPj2aYVm9vc5Kn7ZK7c0_D4Ba8NTfHVV94sdJ9Ua9VmcMWblmYgGbs7TRKyMCmxuKF3UNROUovIAIA9k9ikZQoYaaKRy88jmXFVCk4arFLrW5-_6G927Z0O5l2IOsZJxrYHOdTRg/s640/yacht.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Yes, believe it or not, we DO have a yacht club and yes, it does have a marina today with proper yachts that sail in Lake Erie, along with other water craft.<br />
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I have spent the better part of the morning (shame on me) perusing this website:<br />
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<a href="http://www.usgwarchives.org/special/ppcs/ppcs.html">Penny Postcards</a><br />
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If you would like to see how your hometown (or any town/city in the U.S.) was pictured and posted for a penny, click on the link above to see the website. These postcards are not for sale, but they do take scans from collectors to add to their library if you are a collector or just happen to have a few of these beauties in your possession. <br />
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I warn you, it's a time guzzler but well worth the look!<br />
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</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-37524436309836030012011-10-29T02:34:00.003+02:002011-10-30T23:43:32.539+01:00SCHLEIßHEIM PALACE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckTfIh0Bq7j5e0_lAA_SNFRIYdNgPoodLz9QDZf2namkRMD_z1UsUFjOtzdzrREeN84jKs7Np4il3RLP0iJfLaLI5lCGkJI9qcBEus3WcFBDuH-jsk126Ejv0yAVNfuueiUMxgH6m8sM/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckTfIh0Bq7j5e0_lAA_SNFRIYdNgPoodLz9QDZf2namkRMD_z1UsUFjOtzdzrREeN84jKs7Np4il3RLP0iJfLaLI5lCGkJI9qcBEus3WcFBDuH-jsk126Ejv0yAVNfuueiUMxgH6m8sM/s640/IMG_0489.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would like to apologize for the quality of these photos. I didn't take my trusty Canon to the Schleißheim Palace so I was at the mercy of my iPhone. I thought it would work for me, but clearly the photos could have been much better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Palace started with a country house in 1598 and hermitage founded by William V close to Dauchau Palace. His son extended the buildings between 1617 and 1623. After heavy destruction during WWII, it was reconstructed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A baroque New Palace was built in 1701-1704 as a new residence. However, Bavaria was lost in the years of the War of Spanish Succession and the construction was interrupted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkd29Rb3pJlj2rsako2cSRUteEGfMap_dlrOtQNvE5vSPSG0CRDGZC46HDH__H0lckhztbNvlVU-bJFg5GBE9TZcf0ds-dSwgj7J-Wxy8ntS2RJE5BYLqOg009ImHOx3EnSUuK9e3sUXc/s1600/IMG_0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkd29Rb3pJlj2rsako2cSRUteEGfMap_dlrOtQNvE5vSPSG0CRDGZC46HDH__H0lckhztbNvlVU-bJFg5GBE9TZcf0ds-dSwgj7J-Wxy8ntS2RJE5BYLqOg009ImHOx3EnSUuK9e3sUXc/s640/IMG_0473.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Important works of art owned by the Bavarian State Picture Collections is exhibited in several rooms. Famous Flemish Baroque painters such as Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck are here as well as the Italian artists Guido Reni, Alessandro Turchi and Carlo Dolci, but the Germans and Spanish painters also are represented.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNxr5pwNC6bJqRw7MiTRtdkcQ8PvVUI9nWtf-WoJiASIdxXetmuWmmvM5Eyfy6AkRo0yqR-jEbFSIFkjHV9-UZUnV3X6w0BaGjQI071_PrGwRgtDFs2TwXKlitY43X6F-Q6-wNvkTD6E/s1600/IMG_0513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNxr5pwNC6bJqRw7MiTRtdkcQ8PvVUI9nWtf-WoJiASIdxXetmuWmmvM5Eyfy6AkRo0yqR-jEbFSIFkjHV9-UZUnV3X6w0BaGjQI071_PrGwRgtDFs2TwXKlitY43X6F-Q6-wNvkTD6E/s640/IMG_0513.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The New Palace's East Side overlooks a spectacular park with a rare preserved baroque garden. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVutRR2vqn4vcq1Hu0LSbrnh5UvHVUV9QNZNJ61-KN4hFRxFZOeflZnQm_SsNjSxZE2WSK4UbUUVc60fb4iXYFUswa9z3fwOuHzWNThjXr48OuvxPRXTJaJQNSrbQf0-2adVuExIAn-6s/s1600/IMG_0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVutRR2vqn4vcq1Hu0LSbrnh5UvHVUV9QNZNJ61-KN4hFRxFZOeflZnQm_SsNjSxZE2WSK4UbUUVc60fb4iXYFUswa9z3fwOuHzWNThjXr48OuvxPRXTJaJQNSrbQf0-2adVuExIAn-6s/s640/IMG_0484.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Schlrißheim Palace has been used as a location for several motion pictures. The 1951 film, Decision Before Dawn, 1957 "Paths of Glory", and in 1961 "Last Year at Marienbad."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVV_IgvcVL-NSCfpLx-AZ5LhumQHYmHwYrO7HTQwD0mL04lOyjMeBNL6dK8BjcTi9KFUv9dthvv8BF0XwTDJO1LiM7iswWDFJOOMXfbYkDkiCpXA0f0nrW_mJ34c7L0XZNFaBT8oR00kQ/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVV_IgvcVL-NSCfpLx-AZ5LhumQHYmHwYrO7HTQwD0mL04lOyjMeBNL6dK8BjcTi9KFUv9dthvv8BF0XwTDJO1LiM7iswWDFJOOMXfbYkDkiCpXA0f0nrW_mJ34c7L0XZNFaBT8oR00kQ/s640/IMG_0493.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuf5LEtrayq0MfzbR5c_b5cUh0UCiEfcdogMu4pgQRy9hN-CTN6-u4kMeZXA32tYvGGmiPLlO4h02RpNrI5XpSruo1iaLHNE7fGvqny-p81Ax-LH1WFH8DzfnA-UgjAbu5h3uXpi2sKI/s1600/IMG_0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuf5LEtrayq0MfzbR5c_b5cUh0UCiEfcdogMu4pgQRy9hN-CTN6-u4kMeZXA32tYvGGmiPLlO4h02RpNrI5XpSruo1iaLHNE7fGvqny-p81Ax-LH1WFH8DzfnA-UgjAbu5h3uXpi2sKI/s640/IMG_0501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the tour of the Palace we gathered for a lovely Bavarian Lunch at the Palace grounds. It was a great day in Munich.</div><span id="goog_1834889561"></span><span id="goog_1834889562"></span></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-57617203000072402042011-10-26T11:23:00.000+02:002011-10-26T11:23:09.733+02:00WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4864497048236475940" style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a><br />
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1. What gives you goosebumps?</div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4864497048236475940" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Misjudging a step on the escalator, my husband's hand touching the skin on my lower back, hitting the brakes to miss a collision, swallowing pills that stick in my throat, an unusual noise in the middle of the night, an unexpected hug from a sweet grandchild, my son's telling me how much I have influenced them, John Mayer's, "Come Back to Bed," and the perfect Chardonnay.</span></i><br />
<div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">2. Halloween-are you a lover or a hater? Okay, that sounds harsh...Halloween-yay or nay?</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Nay all of the way.</span></i></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">3. Can you respect someone you do not trust, and can you trust someone you do not respect?</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Absolutely not. Neither can I love someone I don't respect--let alone trust them. Been there, tried that. It doesn't work! .</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="color: #333333;">4. Apples or oranges? Yes, you have to choose.</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Oranges, mandarins, clementines, tangerines, Minneola Tangelos, etc. Yum!</span></i></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">5. What is something you wish was in your town? (shop, restaurant, attraction, etc)</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>A good bagel shop.</i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">6. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>Sorry, all food. European refrigerator space is too precious to waste on anything but!</i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">7. Are you at all superstitious?</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>No, but I do believe things happen for a reason and we cannot always chalk it up to coincidence. (This drives my husband crazy, but I find meaning where he will only see chance.)</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i> But I do not believe in black cats, ladders, or a Friday the 13th kind of superstition. </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i> I do, however, think there are signs and we need to be perceptive enough to understand them--premonitions of things to come. I have many circumstances in my life that I have documented that arouse thoughts that something good/bad will happen in the future and whoa.....then it does. </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>I'm not psychic, rather, I think some people are just attuned to their surroundings while others are not.</i></span></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">8. Insert your own random thought here.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>I have taught about 8 gals the game of Chinese Mahjong and we meet every Wednesday afternoon to play. We have an open chair policy and published an invitation in the "Munich International Women's Club Newsletter" for next month. Four can play a game at one table and we now have two tables of players. I hope we can accommodate everyone. It is so fun watching the girls learn the game and the strategy. I'm looking forward to an active Mahjong group like we had in Shanghai with as many women who wish to play and a large enough venue. Wish us luck!</i></span></div><div style="clear: both; color: #333333;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="color: #666666; font: normal normal normal 78%/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em; text-transform: uppercase;"></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-4504104680348513452011-10-19T00:39:00.000+02:002011-10-19T00:39:27.300+02:00WEDNESDAY'S HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<div id="main-wrapper" style="float: left; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; width: 410px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="main section" id="main"><div class="widget Blog" id="Blog1" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="blog-posts hfeed"><div class="date-outer"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 1.5em;"><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8339308161251773407" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" /></span></a></div><div><br />
</div>1. How do you typically react in a sudden, extreme, pressure-filled crisis? Would we want you nearby in an emergency?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3uoIFjhwN-RHCcoQ8l-dABG_Zk9bukMvjI7CcKrRVPuly6e-XD2J94N9SeE6fFKuJt-r9YqPbz-RIo_V4mvX68lsX5BKnvw1Q13nE5_oSlueSc7ZxW51GALNcGqDSFp45MlzLOyD1uc/s1600/emergency.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3uoIFjhwN-RHCcoQ8l-dABG_Zk9bukMvjI7CcKrRVPuly6e-XD2J94N9SeE6fFKuJt-r9YqPbz-RIo_V4mvX68lsX5BKnvw1Q13nE5_oSlueSc7ZxW51GALNcGqDSFp45MlzLOyD1uc/s400/emergency.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>No, I don't think I qualify as the best candidate in an emergency. I panic, quite honestly, and then I go into shock mode. Not the best in a bad situation</i>.</span><br />
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<div>2. Caramel apple-caramel sundae-caramel corn-caramel macchiato...of the four, which carmel treat would you choose?<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Caramel sundae, yum!</span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJwHOB8TCP0g5MwZMROhqpsqyucaCXTFEKHP02T3bNlUwzCBCyfNErcrJqzSEJscpjrEXfmrLOUxpYCmLWmPnofG9l2emMGaYSVRYs59Volg2KD03YCES54M_5Q8Fy8HMNmpWSCfIfXM/s1600/sundae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJwHOB8TCP0g5MwZMROhqpsqyucaCXTFEKHP02T3bNlUwzCBCyfNErcrJqzSEJscpjrEXfmrLOUxpYCmLWmPnofG9l2emMGaYSVRYs59Volg2KD03YCES54M_5Q8Fy8HMNmpWSCfIfXM/s400/sundae.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></i></div><div><br />
</div><div>3. Is there such a thing as destiny? Explain.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>Biblically, yes. Our Lord knows our future--it is a part of His plan. I do believe in predestination.</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqnam2ZVEq2eYlN603lyX-7-rH4zIILlXGCrSG4miA8JIJsrJq4Ki9KjiPHfNe5ji-YUqgW8B9lel-rr46bauFDNaCQa6rf4eSDaSJJwsgeb-GL28jYZgIZrrqQmxkEO1Vr7LLcbTwBg/s1600/destiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqnam2ZVEq2eYlN603lyX-7-rH4zIILlXGCrSG4miA8JIJsrJq4Ki9KjiPHfNe5ji-YUqgW8B9lel-rr46bauFDNaCQa6rf4eSDaSJJwsgeb-GL28jYZgIZrrqQmxkEO1Vr7LLcbTwBg/s400/destiny.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div><br />
</div><div>4. What's your favorite piece of furniture? I'm referring to something currently in your possession as opposed to something on your wish list.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gjpqiY3EwTTaAZ2IPDdiMJGNSfrfjwD-t9LSv0IEI8_aV-yTtGIm6lC1axJYWO-GY8bSF06GivN-H_dje5EvTYg3azbYdSZ0bS8u0AwvNLfMfGpUD5TRtt4cEqx_JxYDwxnUcgXIBv0/s1600/IMG_7272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gjpqiY3EwTTaAZ2IPDdiMJGNSfrfjwD-t9LSv0IEI8_aV-yTtGIm6lC1axJYWO-GY8bSF06GivN-H_dje5EvTYg3azbYdSZ0bS8u0AwvNLfMfGpUD5TRtt4cEqx_JxYDwxnUcgXIBv0/s400/IMG_7272.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The lamp you see in the photo is one of a pair of floor lamps. The other one is on the opposite side of the cabinet. When we turn on the lights it gives the room a soft glow. I would say they are one of my favorite pieces. I purchased them in Shanghai when we lived there and they remind me of that time in our lives.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></i></div></div><div>5. Wednesday night marks the start of the 2011 Baseball World Series. Did you know? Do you care? Will you be watching? Ever been to a professional baseball game? If you're not an American do you find the title 'World Series' annoying or amusing?<br />
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</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Sorry, baseball is not something I follow.</span></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOcdNdHF4FDUhyK3HK5RShvuFfWEjpwtK-DppEObrSOjnt-0_rPpRHH5GxoAZCuFMe91C6tjKuSAtl6nLczj_FSr-4RTyeJ9YfQ_GBeSqB1x73u7CxJUHsqKhM-zVyhRiTNaumUIHjWU/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOcdNdHF4FDUhyK3HK5RShvuFfWEjpwtK-DppEObrSOjnt-0_rPpRHH5GxoAZCuFMe91C6tjKuSAtl6nLczj_FSr-4RTyeJ9YfQ_GBeSqB1x73u7CxJUHsqKhM-zVyhRiTNaumUIHjWU/s400/images.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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</span></i></div><div>6. A sound that takes me back to my childhood is____________.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>An ice cream truck. Instantly, I'm a kid again. (I'm beginning to see a pattern here.)</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LQIzFFRGDPWW7ln7IuCVPVwE-yMzFeYxG50w562QOh2UY9Bmt_VfhbIQqUzj4rBrCVd65A5vxNsYG1-wdWWONJyVTOT0nIT0D83NPhQWHDQ7ADiWi_zcO49qCxgjw9g_EMIx4lNJ7C0/s1600/Truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LQIzFFRGDPWW7ln7IuCVPVwE-yMzFeYxG50w562QOh2UY9Bmt_VfhbIQqUzj4rBrCVd65A5vxNsYG1-wdWWONJyVTOT0nIT0D83NPhQWHDQ7ADiWi_zcO49qCxgjw9g_EMIx4lNJ7C0/s400/Truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><br />
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7. On average, once you've linked your hodgepodge post to mine how many other participant blogs do you visit? Do you ever come back to the Hodgepodge later in the day or even the day after to read posts?</div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>I really do make an effort to visit each and every one. It is my goal to know each blogger. I am finding it much more interesting when I know a person's personality and circumstances in their life. It makes their blog a personal experience for me. I am retired, so I have the time to do this. Also, I figure that if a person takes the time to participate in this, the least I can do is appreciate the effort they took to do so. Guess that's the English teacher in me coming out. I really do appreciate it.</i></span></div><div><br />
</div><div>8. Insert your own random thought here.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZyiQvJmiecj_Zw_F4Z7J8XgddB5JviWiBzjgb2LRpebjGeUiKbNpSIp6uaFVd2ILDrSomN4-3_O62nL1jVDMZOhCNR9T2EzJooN1woLiyGEHiVc6a-Pjn2EQZ-RMFdmmgTVxM0zgLWA/s1600/culturalchinadda7c25bd4160e90d39c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZyiQvJmiecj_Zw_F4Z7J8XgddB5JviWiBzjgb2LRpebjGeUiKbNpSIp6uaFVd2ILDrSomN4-3_O62nL1jVDMZOhCNR9T2EzJooN1woLiyGEHiVc6a-Pjn2EQZ-RMFdmmgTVxM0zgLWA/s400/culturalchinadda7c25bd4160e90d39c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Tomorrow I am teaching a group of ladies here in Munich how to play mahjong. There will be eight women, enough for two tables. Four of these women have never played before and I am hoping that they enjoy the game enough to want to continue playing with us. We play weekly and it is a great game to play while having fun with your friends while complex enough to be challenging. We have a great group of gals and a good competitive spirit. I'm hoping all goes well tomorrow as it is a difficult game to learn at first, but then it becomes addictive!</span></i><br />
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</div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="color: #666666; font: normal normal normal 78%/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em; text-transform: uppercase;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-23444164667156208662011-10-18T18:08:00.000+02:002011-10-18T18:08:14.951+02:00HER EYES, HER EYES...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTLOLIXqEsXK-ZaRHyuPMLqKzW_NUvKiV6OI-c8w15zZtvwVQjNoY0ZjzwOjfZMoFYD51BESxBBOSFk_J8ZnNN3YV7TxA4Otvgl9pmdwLH31145yQTuVe7QwSAEQRbkK78qr_bV7Y4YA/s1600/3346129562_85643e4f24_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTLOLIXqEsXK-ZaRHyuPMLqKzW_NUvKiV6OI-c8w15zZtvwVQjNoY0ZjzwOjfZMoFYD51BESxBBOSFk_J8ZnNN3YV7TxA4Otvgl9pmdwLH31145yQTuVe7QwSAEQRbkK78qr_bV7Y4YA/s400/3346129562_85643e4f24_m.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is our little Miss Nee Nee, our 6th grandchild, photographed by me when she was four years old. She has just turned 7. It is one of the few closeups I have of her and her lovely eyes. This gal will never have to wear eye makeup as nature gave her all that she needs.<br />
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I am told by her parents that she is a burgeoning soccer player. This makes perfect sense to me because I have never known her to w-a-l-k anywhere, she is a natural born runner and loves to make haste wherever she goes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHfzrSSritKuryMQ3zh7ExvitslC_B-OFRGs45iwdR4s7fbdJpPAAyCknDMaNR1FSVLqIbJYi8a7IUf5Jy_ly7UnCPzpfg-5cgntle77UuzCIabVtA7ULABPftN7pFQchGAnMVwDMJK0/s1600/IMG_8340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHfzrSSritKuryMQ3zh7ExvitslC_B-OFRGs45iwdR4s7fbdJpPAAyCknDMaNR1FSVLqIbJYi8a7IUf5Jy_ly7UnCPzpfg-5cgntle77UuzCIabVtA7ULABPftN7pFQchGAnMVwDMJK0/s640/IMG_8340.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Here she is in action! Our little Nee Nee with the wind beneath her feet (at age 6). It's a real job slowing her down. After all, she has things to do and people to see, you know.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNuKVQaWp9C4u_1sRi3Pllr6DMoihVnfi4EgT-fbf30gjDbDUXr6L8WsZ9_daXgPBnB_9FxhQvlfaTZLkNkIKrUBuEU1d0m1w-Guz4PFZkIKHKRKxBWp05NbjRh1FE3u1dBXLOGhq2iY/s1600/IMG_8555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNuKVQaWp9C4u_1sRi3Pllr6DMoihVnfi4EgT-fbf30gjDbDUXr6L8WsZ9_daXgPBnB_9FxhQvlfaTZLkNkIKrUBuEU1d0m1w-Guz4PFZkIKHKRKxBWp05NbjRh1FE3u1dBXLOGhq2iY/s640/IMG_8555.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
She's a climber too! Actually, she is fearless and I would be two if I had a twin brother and another brother 11 months older like she does. The boys are twice her size, but that doesn't stop her from holding her own. She may be tiny, but she is scrappy and tough. Both boys have given up on trying to coerce her to do anything, physically. She spins, she tumbles, and she weaves herself away from their grasp. She stands her ground and will try any way she can to get her way, including batting those lovely eyelashes. (Hey, a girl has to use all of her gifts sometimes!) I've never seen such determination and competitive spirit in one so young. She wants nothing less than being the first at whatever she does. Nothing will keep her from reaching her destiny-- if she has anything to do with it.<br />
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But as rough and tumble as she is, she still likes to be the only little princess in the family. And that is a good thing too. I know she has captured my son's heart. He never had a sister and this little girl has got him wrapped around her little finger. Daddy's little girl all of the way.<br />
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Here she is last Halloween in her costume in the classroom offering her father a Halloween treat. <br />
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This picture says it all. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgFmfNoWnUWirX0THTNiHWbNY4kkNU-MnoDKUfNFXUurQBCA62rTJAfHHRx0QGbQhe3V3ilvHpVHHiCMiLLLiiS0aeKNyCNsnSDT7GWI4VgO-VqbbD7ulC-OSGNLUA-thcVPXaes2sY8/s1600/IMG_5070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgFmfNoWnUWirX0THTNiHWbNY4kkNU-MnoDKUfNFXUurQBCA62rTJAfHHRx0QGbQhe3V3ilvHpVHHiCMiLLLiiS0aeKNyCNsnSDT7GWI4VgO-VqbbD7ulC-OSGNLUA-thcVPXaes2sY8/s640/IMG_5070.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-21924159083127633322011-10-18T00:18:00.001+02:002011-10-18T00:20:28.157+02:00"DIRTY DEEDS, DONE DIRT CHEAP."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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<tr valign="top"><td class="alt2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #eeeeee; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" width="175"><div id="postmenu_13631768"><a class="bigusername" href="http://forums.macrumors.com/member.php?u=629341" style="color: navy; font-size: 11pt;">ThomasMetz</a></div><div class="smallfont" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">macrumors newbie</div><div class="smallfont" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<div>Join Date: Oct 2011</div><div></div></div></td><td class="alt1" id="td_post_13631768" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #fafafa; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; color: black; font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="smallfont" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Divorcing wife. Thanks iPhone 4s and Find My Friends</strong></div><hr size="1" style="background-color: #bbbbbb; color: #bbbbbb;" /><div id="post_message_13631768">I got my wife a new 4s and loaded up find my friends without her knowing. She told me she was at her friends house in the east village. I've had suspicions about her meeting this guy who live uptown. Lo and behold, Find my Friends has her right there.<br />
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I just texted her asking where she was and the dumb b!otch said she was on 10th Street!! Thank you Apple, thank you App Store, thank you all. These beautiful treasure trove of screen shots going to play well when I meet her a$$ at the lawyer's office in a few weeks.<br />
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thankfully, she's the rich one.</div></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Whoa!! The above post was posted to "MacRumors." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I have an old Apple 3-G and I am very happy with it, except I would like a camera upgrade, but that is no reason to buy the new 4s. I don't know if the app "Find My Friends" can be put on any phone, but this poor guy uploaded it to his wife's new iPhone that he bought her and then used it only to find her in a lie.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ouch!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Some people have commented that this may be a fake post, but it easily could be the truth in many people's lives if they use this app.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Technology sure has opened the floodgates. It boggles the mind to think of how something like this innocuous app can be used for stealth. I can see it used by prosecutors in the courtroom. "Your honor, we have evidence from the accused's iPhone app that he was at the location of the crime at the very time the crime was being committed." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It gives me chills....</span><br />
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</span></span></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-63121975317553369132011-10-15T22:29:00.000+02:002011-10-15T22:29:56.883+02:00THE REST OF THE STORY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxGzfODr7PwyY5PFCld3243NB2_eMAT_mCE6P38pYTaLqUW1qTGxm8j9GTfsVkCmpAcwMETw0IDo_6GDk_5XTjbRv2SENPzPamHq7GUht_nEcdwlONo3Nu5ehi1HiyMhgEt4SOz_igfg/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxGzfODr7PwyY5PFCld3243NB2_eMAT_mCE6P38pYTaLqUW1qTGxm8j9GTfsVkCmpAcwMETw0IDo_6GDk_5XTjbRv2SENPzPamHq7GUht_nEcdwlONo3Nu5ehi1HiyMhgEt4SOz_igfg/s640/IMG_0064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Leaving Italy and driving north to Germany requires driving through the Dolomite mountains. In summer, this is usually a rather safe and scenic drive with some perilous twists and turns, but overall very enjoyable. In autumn, it's anyone's guess what the weather will be like in higher elevations. Good road travelers can get the early weather forecast and plan accordingly. But as we were due back from our week's vacation, we had to deal with whatever Mother Nature gave us, and she was in a foul mood on our return. Look carefully at the left of the picture above. That is not a large cloud. That, dear readers, is a mountain covered in SNOW! I know, right? Beautiful green grape vineyards in the foreground, and the Arctic in the background. </span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmFoRXCb3A7mkS9XoyVS4Pjcl90q9kpyBQ11DQAa5qfiB325EC-3SUzX27agTcauTrpG8CXig9qw_K_QXTtIYMD2kui5as-hxmXDw30jHQN7dr8l1miEV2uQOYyuL0b_1L7zm5mdun4s/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmFoRXCb3A7mkS9XoyVS4Pjcl90q9kpyBQ11DQAa5qfiB325EC-3SUzX27agTcauTrpG8CXig9qw_K_QXTtIYMD2kui5as-hxmXDw30jHQN7dr8l1miEV2uQOYyuL0b_1L7zm5mdun4s/s640/IMG_0080.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>The more we drove, the more evidence there was that we had left the land of sunshine and sandy beaches in Sardinia and were headed towards the snowy mountain caps of Innsbruck, Austria and were were just barely four hours into our drive home!</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjjvf75c-2OkJ8mzf2kgqOEnMkRudbaNlNqIBJvBMhNv3DLTHJ9_VbYu8XzXzswH015pbnpDeeCjPFHbeYooKYfD06gNerLLZc6KVkkd2kTb5r4YNbF5ogT-Ys6Ju1lp2xZJGbfbNlXk/s1600/IMG_0090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjjvf75c-2OkJ8mzf2kgqOEnMkRudbaNlNqIBJvBMhNv3DLTHJ9_VbYu8XzXzswH015pbnpDeeCjPFHbeYooKYfD06gNerLLZc6KVkkd2kTb5r4YNbF5ogT-Ys6Ju1lp2xZJGbfbNlXk/s640/IMG_0090.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>A few miles up the road and the vineyards disappeared into mountains covered with evergreens. Evergreens, covered in snow!</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRwfXcJdCBVVpL5tUlFNaJAFTbTRIR4PUIUD9eh1up_NPyVa9b0OngjQV6VAlEA-PS5vEWjRanJcu5aG4Kgw9x1UVl41p1fuPK0G7ifBo2WWlpKVYWHwpuP4coxh1fNe9aEoFyIhaGfQ/s1600/IMG_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRwfXcJdCBVVpL5tUlFNaJAFTbTRIR4PUIUD9eh1up_NPyVa9b0OngjQV6VAlEA-PS5vEWjRanJcu5aG4Kgw9x1UVl41p1fuPK0G7ifBo2WWlpKVYWHwpuP4coxh1fNe9aEoFyIhaGfQ/s640/IMG_0097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I am talking about LOTSA snow! Check out the tire on the back to the SUV and look on his roof top! This is some serious snowfall for the end of September.</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyE9E2NrgCivJdBC6YAjqfqB9O3bzx8kqUqTD99EzpO7OUHfgUm-H7qtWJ_OQwJ2uNtaDPjhxOCeLsTVGSrU43oDYFoRCPqMhrVNou5vHfqWcSvdZ2slgUnlugdgN5g9FdOpnXzGa0tw/s1600/IMG_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyE9E2NrgCivJdBC6YAjqfqB9O3bzx8kqUqTD99EzpO7OUHfgUm-H7qtWJ_OQwJ2uNtaDPjhxOCeLsTVGSrU43oDYFoRCPqMhrVNou5vHfqWcSvdZ2slgUnlugdgN5g9FdOpnXzGa0tw/s640/IMG_0096.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">We clearly weren't prepared for this. I was still in my capris, tank top, and sandals from having breakfast poolside in Sardinia. How was I to know I would need a parka and boots by afternoon?</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuU2VwtOlm8z0NtM9lSc1ZZgrAHj3WDqEWqS-HUEA9y5QPzqSgIy2H-Qgc7B8LFp8fw33ZdeGP6QbPXGb0K4RI_TpdtuGtG_YTyrhtEuNWSTGbcJvlL-FD5lt9sB8suISURghyMmDFXA/s1600/IMG_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuU2VwtOlm8z0NtM9lSc1ZZgrAHj3WDqEWqS-HUEA9y5QPzqSgIy2H-Qgc7B8LFp8fw33ZdeGP6QbPXGb0K4RI_TpdtuGtG_YTyrhtEuNWSTGbcJvlL-FD5lt9sB8suISURghyMmDFXA/s640/IMG_0093.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>So long sunny vineyards, winding brooks, and olive trees. Hello winter?</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW1XrwD-7jc74TnlWFvpZxXPKdMS2vA59iLFVUbtxCJvIyh0hIFFb08p4Xzg4_qrO8XEKiM4b5v5FufTDtcP6jI47RSUhyphenhyphen3QxnlPEyLvOXF-_zhM5UbkjEvAM85OzIUAAn5IHtqWBjHI/s1600/IMG_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW1XrwD-7jc74TnlWFvpZxXPKdMS2vA59iLFVUbtxCJvIyh0hIFFb08p4Xzg4_qrO8XEKiM4b5v5FufTDtcP6jI47RSUhyphenhyphen3QxnlPEyLvOXF-_zhM5UbkjEvAM85OzIUAAn5IHtqWBjHI/s640/IMG_0110.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>I am so happy that we didn't relocate to the mountainsides of Austria. Imagine having to see this outside your door and look into the valley and see people in shorts throwing a frisbee!</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6A6XpFZcTAXY6if_EMrDxiUbJuzM0AMC7qJHOElaH8oTcciUK7hyxKHgGbMUwYGtp-RfXK620sSIVq_XOhtV9L6wc6p3RxZ8Vw7H1qtThTAIVdOYCmBHMyNiB-vmfES9nmnhvIRvFhw/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6A6XpFZcTAXY6if_EMrDxiUbJuzM0AMC7qJHOElaH8oTcciUK7hyxKHgGbMUwYGtp-RfXK620sSIVq_XOhtV9L6wc6p3RxZ8Vw7H1qtThTAIVdOYCmBHMyNiB-vmfES9nmnhvIRvFhw/s640/IMG_0115.JPG" width="610" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Unfortunately, the snow fell harder the closer we got to Innsbruck and as the sun was setting, it was turning into a white knuckle drive for my husband (I refuse to drive through the mountains. Fly over them,ok, but driving through them is not going to happen.) As you can see, things are getting less visible by the moment.</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmI2BXDhEy1Ly1rLaooj7Z8wWFcOINdAbs-PDtnWZNCCRWQli-aDwGS6OdciZJdcGnUuK5NPU479cSk4hnNO878jIuRTgTmiADqLl0RE9oMOVkWeoP24wxFBJtnvNYtfntRYgoR2pM-E/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmI2BXDhEy1Ly1rLaooj7Z8wWFcOINdAbs-PDtnWZNCCRWQli-aDwGS6OdciZJdcGnUuK5NPU479cSk4hnNO878jIuRTgTmiADqLl0RE9oMOVkWeoP24wxFBJtnvNYtfntRYgoR2pM-E/s640/IMG_0123.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>This shot shows you that we are not just in a snow storm, but above the clouds that are making our drive more frightening each second. This photo reminds me of many I have taken from an airplane, it's that high up!</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h3z8VSaZsIBa0oYCHkzG_C6Ecp3G4RGcteu_kDJqBRtn55heHh1-qQyusQz2sUmUcztUsInkNFxJPYIXoXtdQwtB61k0PQ5DgMlGY81S4U4XTGn-iYO5bv7DPOb6thE5KMn2VgfxgAo/s1600/IMG_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h3z8VSaZsIBa0oYCHkzG_C6Ecp3G4RGcteu_kDJqBRtn55heHh1-qQyusQz2sUmUcztUsInkNFxJPYIXoXtdQwtB61k0PQ5DgMlGY81S4U4XTGn-iYO5bv7DPOb6thE5KMn2VgfxgAo/s640/IMG_0119.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">There is no choice but to push on and pray that the closer we get to the German border, the clearer the weather will become. So on we go, leaving Innsbruck and heading for München, weather be damned! Rally the troops and forward ho!</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDhxz3BsuE4gOgrvJioqDexqFN4dVYoJ9RNxAnGkTY8pbhl7S4bducuDVhlvlJz-830B-dW62hVwxZocHT4Cn5yV9O0m8GXayahnfXFiO0sVZ4nEnaSIhz5510Q7fT3CcWSMHHvQ7GiU/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDhxz3BsuE4gOgrvJioqDexqFN4dVYoJ9RNxAnGkTY8pbhl7S4bducuDVhlvlJz-830B-dW62hVwxZocHT4Cn5yV9O0m8GXayahnfXFiO0sVZ4nEnaSIhz5510Q7fT3CcWSMHHvQ7GiU/s640/IMG_0127.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>This is a look back out of the rear view mirror on our descent from the last tall mountain. So long snow, fog, clouds, and big mountain tops. We are on our way home and all of the scary driving is behind us.</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5CGeteoM8ThRTyi8X0sRl2yXBEjP_s4Yuy4Kf4uBP6WRARqoCY511Sh6QL0crXf04HjSSmK7LZkhKnNcXCczCKQ5L8Ob38xW38VDJx3sg2LRXnUhalEoyh9gc1o92ZF-bwLV7n-L2Ss/s1600/IMG_9347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5CGeteoM8ThRTyi8X0sRl2yXBEjP_s4Yuy4Kf4uBP6WRARqoCY511Sh6QL0crXf04HjSSmK7LZkhKnNcXCczCKQ5L8Ob38xW38VDJx3sg2LRXnUhalEoyh9gc1o92ZF-bwLV7n-L2Ss/s640/IMG_9347.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>And to think that we had left this just hours before...Next time, I will bring along my mittens and my muck lucks.</b></span></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-602696080444584012011-10-15T13:42:00.000+02:002011-10-15T13:42:37.591+02:00REAL or FAKE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">You gals are good! About yesterday's post, Choice B is the real deal, but I agree with G in Berlin. It matters in the least. We opted for the Italian handbag in cream because my mother-in-law is Australian and they are heading into their summer season. I know she will love it and we loved the savings. It isn't considered a knock off, but I couldn't believe the similarities. Thanks for playing. Just shows you don't need to spend the BIG bucks to get a nice handbag, IMHO.<br />
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</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-15029363228204319692011-10-14T09:01:00.000+02:002011-10-14T09:01:29.295+02:00CAN YOU TELL THE REAL DEAL?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwFx50-dDTJczCfijQbnqPT4eN6mRKETuUrXiLcyuoeO6MI7DdPkqS5BMHQEPXolNv1r_rAYRC-bZtVrzzF_qMO30JSjDCb-8SW0HsRLr9019eQkI3yFAhLmeHY8RVHEGmmgzMiJdA5s/s1600/IMG_0458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwFx50-dDTJczCfijQbnqPT4eN6mRKETuUrXiLcyuoeO6MI7DdPkqS5BMHQEPXolNv1r_rAYRC-bZtVrzzF_qMO30JSjDCb-8SW0HsRLr9019eQkI3yFAhLmeHY8RVHEGmmgzMiJdA5s/s400/IMG_0458.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br />
CHOICE A<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8SHEFQZyJLEwW3-uPteHGGjAqtOMnMerwZYI_jYTun1iKEdvIuBK_blvRBhqsq0etHzhnmvNOipww7ecZxqoVy4kICfUQkXAXbw6ctEqEP2SsV9BeJdKUF8fO_n2abXJLpzpNvucg5U/s1600/IMG_0454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8SHEFQZyJLEwW3-uPteHGGjAqtOMnMerwZYI_jYTun1iKEdvIuBK_blvRBhqsq0etHzhnmvNOipww7ecZxqoVy4kICfUQkXAXbw6ctEqEP2SsV9BeJdKUF8fO_n2abXJLpzpNvucg5U/s400/IMG_0454.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
CHOICE B<br />
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While in Italy on vacation, I did a bit of Christmas shopping and purchased a handbag for my mother-in-law. One is a real Salvatore Ferragamo which retails for €1050.00 ($1,441.00). The other is from an Italian designer at one-quarter of the price. Can you guess the Ferragamo?</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-91950139345836927962011-10-12T08:04:00.000+02:002011-10-12T08:04:15.171+02:00WEDNESDAY'S HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am thrilled about being back home and being able to participate in Joyce's Wednesday's Hodgepodge. I so enjoy responding to her intriguing questions, reading the responses of fellow participants and finding that we have so much in common. What I like the best is being able to follow the other bloggers who I am beginning to know. Please join in the fun and click on the badge above to access this week's Hodgepodge. I guarantee you will enjoy it!</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia;"><b>1. Have you ever been 'asked' to report for jury duty? Were you chosen to serve? If not, were you happy or disappointed?</b></span><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I was summoned to jury duty and was informed it was a capital offense, a double homicide where two men were stuffed into a trunk of a car and it was set ablaze. It was over a drug deal gone bad. At the time, I was the drug coordinator for the high school I taught at. The prosecutor really wanted me, but the defense team had me tossed off. Good thing too because before I was tossed off I had to go into the judges chambers and answer a question in front of the defendant. The question was, "Do you believe in capital punishment?" I never anticipated the question and having to answer while the accused looked me straight in the eye was unnerving. I kept thinking, "What if he gets off and comes looking for me if I said I could pull the switch?" I know, too many Hollywood movies, but I was scared out of my wits. Nevertheless, I answered as honestly as I could. I was not happy or disappointed. I was relieved not to have to decide this man's fate. Although I think jury duty is our civic duty, it is also something that takes you far away from your comfort zone and I do not relish ever being in a position where I determine whether a person lives or dies. To me, that is God's decision. Not mine.</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>2. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very), how mechanically inclined are you? Give an example to back up your answer.</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>I am more mechanically inclined than I would admit to, surely. When push comes to shove and I have to do something mechanical, I seem to find a way. I will Google the procedure, study it, ask questions, and then tackle it. I surprise myself time and again with my ability. I guess I underestimate my competence in things mechanical.</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>3. Beets-cabbage-cauliflower-butternut squash....of the four, which is your favorite fall vegetable?</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Butternut squash.</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>4. What do you recommend to overcome self-pity?</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have found that extending myself to help others, less fortunate, takes away all of my self centeredness. There is no time to wallow in the mud when you are too busy helping others. An added bonus is that you begin to feel good about yourself and what you can do to make others feel better. A win/win situation.</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>5. Do you enjoy classical music?</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yes, I do, although I am fairly ignorant about it. Recently I have put a folder of classical music on my ipod. I have no idea what is good or not so good, so I just chose by listening to it on i-tunes and then downloading it. I like to listen to it when I walk or when I am sunbathing. I find it very relaxing. I also love symphonies and fortunately we have a very good one here in Germany and many outstanding orchestras throughout Europe.</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>6. October is National Book Month...what's on your reading list this month?</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am currently finishing <u>The Lotus Eaters</u>, by Tatiana Soli, and loving it. I need to finish it next week for my book club. Then I will begin, <u>The Wedding Office</u>r, by Anthony Capella, for December and <u>A Pale View From the Hil</u>l, by Kazue Ishigure, for January.</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>7. What is your idea of 'cute'?</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Oh, boy. As a former high school English teacher, I would chastise my students for overusing this word. Instead, I asked them to be more specific. What was it that they found "cute" and to elaborate on this quality. So, heeding my own advice, I would say that my idea of "cute" would be anything I could pet (like a dog or cat) or pinch (like a baby's cheeks or my husband's dimples). Other than these examples, I would have to use better adjectives like "charming," "dainty," or "delightful."</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b>8. Insert your own random thought here.</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>This evening we listened to CNN and learned about the National Security Forces, the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, and police force foiling the assassination plot, paid for by the country of Iran, intended to kill the ambassador of Saudi Arabia on American soil. It was to happen in a restaurant that would have had members of congress in attendance and would have likely killed and injured a large amount of people. Our government is holding Iran responsible. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> I say, "Job well done, America!" How fortunate are we to have a vigilant security force! We have an awesome track record so far of keeping danger far from us. Thank you, United States of America, once again!</b></span></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-90616651006955145812011-10-11T21:12:00.000+02:002011-10-11T21:12:44.629+02:00BONJOURNO!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXjrRjiTHJ9ts2NIN1IBhVSCQreV-v9lIsWCY8OMLPRrBmtvfASTe4OhT0yTjXEVahnqYP4WwFJgKTZyqLbuw29Zx038v_bg4nQQZl58N842527aQlULYNORGDpJTxCKtWBkHBdqZKr8/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXjrRjiTHJ9ts2NIN1IBhVSCQreV-v9lIsWCY8OMLPRrBmtvfASTe4OhT0yTjXEVahnqYP4WwFJgKTZyqLbuw29Zx038v_bg4nQQZl58N842527aQlULYNORGDpJTxCKtWBkHBdqZKr8/s640/IMG_0407.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">While I love Venice and all things Italian, I could never bring myself to play with these birds (pidgins?). Call me paranoid, but I lived in Shanghai, China during the SARS epidemic and the fear of avian flu is just to strong to deny. Brave souls seem to throw all caution to the wind to have their moment in the sun with our feathered friends. Me? I just love to photograph them!</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCUrMj7A7xUiottqexMyINi5JiYIg9MAAdpR8tBbuVKGTT3zxjB1HQpxZIezkmc2It1Z-y5dAJHAsgLZeODFRskp4iexELC9z_6wFhPYdGbW-vhxg31Qp56Y2hPYmBLqjNtbIRj87EOs/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCUrMj7A7xUiottqexMyINi5JiYIg9MAAdpR8tBbuVKGTT3zxjB1HQpxZIezkmc2It1Z-y5dAJHAsgLZeODFRskp4iexELC9z_6wFhPYdGbW-vhxg31Qp56Y2hPYmBLqjNtbIRj87EOs/s640/IMG_0368.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Ewww! Just what are they thinking? And it isn't just the few and far between that love to cavort with these avian creatures. At any given time in the Piazza St. Marco you can see dozens of people pretending they are human perches. Freaks me out. </span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7QBjhtawADvSMC8j_ueNbvr4ORg6sFk712_FvmA6-_4KDulcGonmCO93_eW1tja8NsQ6fjtsCH0cFlWefvGNmD1a9cQtUKwk9vKenvkofbj0vOmmdpcj21q7cSbkRcutWpeXlZ0mG6Q/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7QBjhtawADvSMC8j_ueNbvr4ORg6sFk712_FvmA6-_4KDulcGonmCO93_eW1tja8NsQ6fjtsCH0cFlWefvGNmD1a9cQtUKwk9vKenvkofbj0vOmmdpcj21q7cSbkRcutWpeXlZ0mG6Q/s640/IMG_0289.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The last time I was in Venice was two years ago. I took my mother-in-law from Australia and we spent a few days sightseeing before we met my husband flying in from Portugal. The next day we left for a long anticipated Greek Island Cruise (highly recommend this one!). I didn't do the gondola ride because, well....I was with my mother-in-law and as much as I like her, in my mind, gondola rides are supposed to be romantic. Nuff said.</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> Eleven years ago I went with my son, then 19. I didn't ride with him for the same reason. So, this time I was with my husband and was looking forward to the ultimate romantic gondola ride in Venice....until I heard the price! Eighty euros for a half hour. If you're not up on your Euro/Dollar conversion, that is $109.00 per half hour. Sorry Giovanni, but I would rather soak that amount into a Louis Vuitton or, in my case, 60 ml of "Eau de Soir," by Sisley of Paris. Which I did the very next day. Hey, a gondola ride for one-half hour versus a lasting and elegant scent? No contest, right? </span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12EuU-ob0m9-U2hbzL6NWz8W4ET_e7QjkPK_w2lFKxEzmlT3PXUiO8rEI6f_WhUtSApE2k4zw41p2i0buzpmFBrLJSdAmJAUvEbPXy84AfdlRifJk3HvNnXKdW2QJIsJ7kqjyq85G5nU/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12EuU-ob0m9-U2hbzL6NWz8W4ET_e7QjkPK_w2lFKxEzmlT3PXUiO8rEI6f_WhUtSApE2k4zw41p2i0buzpmFBrLJSdAmJAUvEbPXy84AfdlRifJk3HvNnXKdW2QJIsJ7kqjyq85G5nU/s640/IMG_0452.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Next on my agenda was purchasing a Murano glass piece for my living room coffee table which is quite large.</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWELBIDjc1LRjan-Pb8f5F5hILCUYpmDThCYsP6rv-Xass3M6fJ1zPXvRHKlMCDf9OB9PwaCziEF65g_RtGWZfQi6wfRR4oZbWJ9MuA35JjoqHIygJamMtnKAKwsIzRVJ9sh2swW0MBCU/s1600/IMG_7521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWELBIDjc1LRjan-Pb8f5F5hILCUYpmDThCYsP6rv-Xass3M6fJ1zPXvRHKlMCDf9OB9PwaCziEF65g_RtGWZfQi6wfRR4oZbWJ9MuA35JjoqHIygJamMtnKAKwsIzRVJ9sh2swW0MBCU/s640/IMG_7521.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>We purchased this coffee table in Jakarta, Indonesia and it is made of coral stone. It is rather large at approximately 4 ft by 4 ft. It has survived countless moves and five different countries (Malaysia, Australia, China, United States, Germany). We love it, although it is extremely heavy to move and coral stone can chip. So far, we have been fortunate to avoid any chips. Since our move from east Munich to south Munich last April, I have changed our decor from red and gold to navy, cream, and shades of teal and violet. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Finding a decorative piece that will fit nicely onto a 4 ft by 4 ft coffee table in the right shade of blue is not an easy task. (No, I did not choose the piece I photographed above. It is a Merano sculpture on the island of Merano in Venice.) Although I did my best scouring both Venice and the island of Murano, I came up empty handed.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>This was the intended color:</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>This was the intended shape (or something similar) but it needed to be very large:</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>So far, no luck. But I am online searching Murano, E-bay, or wherever I can to find the piece I want. But there was no such animal in Venice or Murano and believe me, I know because I dragged my poor husband into every shop there was to look. The poor soul. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>In spite of my shopping disaster and abhorrence for any setting that reminds me of Hitchcock's, "The Birds," I have to say that our visit was everything that we had imagined.</b></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span id="goog_709350652"></span><span id="goog_709350653"></span></span></b></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-89653561385439298502011-10-09T23:41:00.002+02:002011-10-09T23:45:13.154+02:00THE REST OF OUR SUMMER HOLIDAYS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtiG5Z7M_M3JdL40A2LMfWoxg-gu5IZCD-gY90PdiVUsORJudLAhCtvrIwE1XmxkgD1Y92yhGyjM_ukP0vqHU3m3rvMGHDElMLrwAjZcWVXWr5yuUHVU_zhyphenhyphenQDCRpCpJYLXXK1btBumc/s1600/IMG_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtiG5Z7M_M3JdL40A2LMfWoxg-gu5IZCD-gY90PdiVUsORJudLAhCtvrIwE1XmxkgD1Y92yhGyjM_ukP0vqHU3m3rvMGHDElMLrwAjZcWVXWr5yuUHVU_zhyphenhyphenQDCRpCpJYLXXK1btBumc/s640/IMG_0142.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Two weeks ago we were basking in the sunshine in Sardinia (see previous post, 9/27/2011) and now we have just completed a week in Padua/Venice, Italy. How we were fortunate enough to have the weather gods looking down on us, I have no idea, but we had a solid week in the low 80's and significant sunshine. (Note my tan above, whoo hoo!). At first, we were unhappy about the prospect of breaking up our holiday into two separate weeks, but we couldn't have asked for better weather as a result.<br />
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A post about Venice, Italy would hardly be worth it's salt without the indigenous gondola and gondoliers. In the photo above, the two gondoliers are hoping a tourist will engage him to take them through the sunlit waterways. At approximately € 80,00 for a half hour's ride, the gondolas primarily sit empty while tourists choose to walk the narrow lanes and streets. Haven't they heard about the recession?<br />
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While I am out looking for photos, many artists are painting al fresco capturing the last of the sun's rays in an array of hues in oils. Paintbrush in hand, this man is working on the shadows on the cement. <br />
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During my stroll through Venice I noticed that not all gondolas are the same. Some look a bit worse for the wear and tear and others have stylish accoutrements such as the one in the photo above. I couldn't help but overhear a tourist comment on this particular gondola by calling it"Princely." What an appropriate adjective to describe this means of transportation.<br />
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We chose to sit near the Rialto Bridge and have lunch at a nearby restaurant. They advertised homemade lasagna and it was truly delicious. It wasn't anywhere near this large of a portion. I think my resizing has given you the wrong impression. It looks absolutely mammoth in this photo.<br />
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People walking up and down Venice's charming canals forget that this is a living city where people go to work, the supermarket and the cleaners. The photo above was taken as a man leaned out of his window to water his window boxes. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Venice has to be one of the world's most romantic cities. I have been there twice before. Once with my 19 year old son in 1995 and once with my 78 year old mother-in-law. Both times I wished to return for a romantic look at Venice and this was the perfect time to do it. My husband had never seen Venice and was struck by it's beauty and charm. Together we spent nearly 9 hours on one day and another 4 hours the following day. We did a bit of shopping (I'll save this for another post) and enjoyed the delightful weather. As evening came we looked for a romantic place to have a few drinks and dinner near the water. I'm sure we will return to Venice in the future. It is truly a unique city.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-49832381836663782832011-09-28T08:35:00.000+02:002011-09-28T08:35:50.988+02:00WEDNESDAY'S HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<div class="date-outer"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 1.5em;"><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-9217885417952070289" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" style="color: #310e6a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333;">I have been vacationing and it has been difficult to keep up with Joyce's mime, but this week I am back and I intend to give it my all. If you care to join, just click on the badge above and give it a go. I'm sure you will enjoy it.</div><div style="color: #333333;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>1. It is officially fall here in North America...I realize not everyone who participates in the Hodgepodge lives in North America but if you do, what's your favorite memory of Summer 2011? If you're <i>not</i> </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>in North America, what's your favorite memory of the season just ending on your side of the world?</b></span></div></div></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>My favorite memory of the summer of 2011 would have to be the time I spent with my son's and their families back home in the U.S. Because I live far away from the family back in Ohio, my best memories are of the times I can be with them.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>2. Your favorite nut? You know I mean the edible kind, right?</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<div class="date-outer"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 1.5em;"><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-9217885417952070289" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>I am not a nut person, but of all of them, I would say cashews.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://32237CC4-9A67-410F-AEBA-A379CB98677F/image.tiff" /></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="date-outer"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 1.5em;"><div class="post-body entry-content" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>3. What activity puts your sense of balance to the test?</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Anything having to do with descending stairs, hills, or mountains. I've torn my meniscus in my left knee more times than I want to admit to and this is the activity that puts me off kilter the most. Other than that, I'm game to try anything, at least once.</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="webkit-fake-url://1803F0E3-FF70-413E-8FAC-97F5B0C23E28/image.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="webkit-fake-url://1803F0E3-FF70-413E-8FAC-97F5B0C23E28/image.tiff" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>4. How would you describe your sense of humor?</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Hum, I tend to find humor in slapstick and love it when people don't take themselves too seriously. I'm awful at telling jokes, but as a former high school teacher, I am pretty good at finding humor in almost any situation. Laughing is good for you!</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="225" src="webkit-fake-url://DED54E14-7908-4C9B-BA15-7C37E778FEC3/image.tiff" width="320" /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>5. September 28th is National Ask a Stupid Question Day...what's your stupid question?</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Always wanted to know why there is Braille at the drive thru ATM's?</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://FDEE141A-4580-4501-909C-BFEC9E6B3E68/image.tiff" /></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>6. Roller skates~hula hoop~jump rope...which activity would you most enjoy? <i>Yes</i>, you have to choose.</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Most certainly hula hoop--the meniscus thing again.</b></span><br />
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</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://210D07DC-24F0-4F1A-8DA9-66C089C26FD9/image.tiff" /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 16px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 16px;"><b>7. What's your most sentimental possession?</b></span></div><br />
<div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Any piece of jewelry my husband buys for me as a surprise is going to qualify. These pieces mean so much to me because he gave them to me from the heart.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://C0A708A9-FCDD-4ED7-9100-3485D99EBEEF/image.tiff" /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 16px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 16px;"><b>8. Insert your own random thought here.</b></span></div><br />
<div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Can the Christmas holidays only be 87 days away? How did that happen? OH! Happy Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) today to all of my Jewish friends!</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font: normal normal normal 78%/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em; text-transform: uppercase;"><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://EBE53932-66F9-4069-9FB7-EFC77C65B5CD/image.tiff" /> </b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3" style="color: #666666;"></div></div></div></div><div id="latency-9217885417952070289" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"></div></div></div><div class="date-outer" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-82408944914999361542011-09-27T13:23:00.000+02:002011-09-27T13:23:12.045+02:00SARDINIA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFdhhT0cy_e3gSKxAod_whmlDqysm9xskNQ9E1KKG71KBl7MslMeiFbHAoNI2jWlgqbzYEViRabGg8Jb-pI6SQrlm7zPBa7X2n7oPsKdRGmW5dHsVwzR7yDOZvun-kIbteeeHqWE7Dw4/s1600/IMG_9341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFdhhT0cy_e3gSKxAod_whmlDqysm9xskNQ9E1KKG71KBl7MslMeiFbHAoNI2jWlgqbzYEViRabGg8Jb-pI6SQrlm7zPBa7X2n7oPsKdRGmW5dHsVwzR7yDOZvun-kIbteeeHqWE7Dw4/s640/IMG_9341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We've returned from our week in Sardinia and we're both sporting a lovely tan and the smiles haven't left our faces yet. This vacation was meant to be all about sun, surf, and sand and it did not disappoint. We have not had such a relaxing vacation in years and it was just what we needed. No appointments, no agendas, and no deadlines. We woke when we felt like it, beached when we wanted to, and stayed until the sun went down. The temperatures were in the high 80's each day and a gentle breeze off the Mediterranean allowed us to bask in the sun as long as we wished. A better week we could not have picked.<br />
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Our trip began when we drove from Munich, Germany to the port city of Genoa, Italy. We spent the night in Genoa and took the ferry to Sardinia the following night. The photo above is Christopher Columbus' house (on the right of the towers). He was born in Genoa and they take great pride in his accomplishments.<br />
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The ferry took our car and we spent the night in a cabin. The ferry was actually a cruise ship with four dining rooms, two large bars. a play room, a movie theater, and a pool! We arrived in Sardina 10 hours later at 7:30 am rested, showered and fed and then got in our car and drove out of the ferry into the town of Olbia.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Our hotel was in Esmerelda, Cale de Volpe; a section of Sardinia where all of the beaches are. You can see the hotels begin on the left top of the photo.<br />
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The beach was just behind our hotel and as you can see it was a beautiful shade of aquamarine with a white sandy beach. The water was so clear that you could see the bottom of white sand. I believe the water and the air temperature were nearly the same. It was refreshing without being a shock to your body when you entered the water. <br />
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Sardinia is known for it's red wines which the Italians call "black" wine. Much has been written about the longevity of the Sardinian folk and they attribute their long life span to this wine. Must be the high anti-oxidents. We found it delicious. The photo above of the grape arbor was taken near our hotel. Vineyards are everywhere.<br />
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Because of it's many inlets, Sardinia is considered a favored spot for many who yacht. At almost every turn along the coast you can see all sizes of boats or ships, but sailing in this part of the Mediterranean seems to be the most popular activity.<br />
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We are not sailors, but if we were, this would be a sailor's paradise for sure. Plenty of places to set anchor or dock your boat with loads of cafes, restaurants and hotels nearby to set your sea legs. Although, by the look of the watercraft in the harbors, I would venture to say that many of them have facilities on board to accommodate their needs.<br />
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However, if they are in the least bit short of bathing suits, towels or, I don't know, let's say champagne...Sardinia has shopping to equal any in any part of the world.<br />
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We are not shoppers on vacation and try to use our time to enjoy nature and relaxation. But we are not opposed to enjoying the fruits of nature and we found plenty of opportunity for that.<br />
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After all, isn't this what vacations are for? We think so!</div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-11843577233103441412011-09-07T10:40:00.000+02:002011-09-07T10:40:35.399+02:00WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" style="color: #310e6a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(20, 1, 70); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;">It's been a strange week in Munich. The weather has been all over the place. Today it is raining intermittently throughout the day. A perfect day to catch up on all of my correspondence and participate in Joyce's mime, "Wednesday Hodgepodge." Interestingly, her questions had me thinking about fall, the weather, and even natural disaster preparedness. I hope you can participate with us. Just click on the "Wednesday Hodgpodge" badge above and it will take you to Joyce's site where she explains the procedures. Have fun!</div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>1. What is one piece of advice you would give a 'just-turning' 21 year old adult?</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>Speaking from experience (both of my sons who turned 21 many years ago) I find it difficult to give them advice that they a) want to hear, and b) will heed. That being said, I suppose I would suggest that they reach for the stars and not let anything or anyone put them off their course.</i></span><br />
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</i></div><div><div><div><div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">2. Besides cooler weather (or warmer weather, depending on your hemisphere) what is one thing you are looking forward to this fall?</span></b></div></div></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>Our vacation to Sardinia next week and then a week in Venice in October. We didn't take a vacation this summer and preferred to wait until all of the kiddies are back in school.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div><div><div><div><div style="color: #333333;"><i><br />
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</i></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>3. What sound lulls you to sleep?</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>I have trouble falling asleep. If I could be near the ocean, I'm sure that the sound of the waves would be lulling and sleep would come naturally.</i></span><br />
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</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">4. September is National Preparedness Month...does your family have an emergency 'kit' and/or disaster plan in place?</span></b></div><div style="color: #333333;"><i>Our home in the states is in Ohio and in the spring tornados watches and warnings are quite frequent. Everyone knows to go to the basement immediately. We have fire alarms throughout the house and a plan for evacuation. </i></div><div style="color: #333333;"><i><br />
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</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>6. What's something you've recently learned to do on the computer?</b></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>My computer, a MacBookPro, does just about everything. My 12 year old grandson showed me how to make a movie, a slide presentation with music, and to make music. Still, I can't say that these activities are that useful to me other than preparing a video for a special occasion. I wish I had this kind of technology when I was teaching high school. I could have made lessons much more appealing.</i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>7. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.</b></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>One from an experienced, professional photographer or artist that understands his craft can even be better than words. An image, done the right way, can evoke emotions in a way prose cannot. Here are two examples that say all that can be said about the subject of war.</i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE83ejcM_MGWqSLrf_-Ljb1nFLRLMGMBXfh_yacwf4IyvwXlfWayqo0hh4ElRJ4G3VtDGNs61xk80IKTdtGC3pg-GaVyOPvk83Gq1OqMzy8KKtG58hRribNpN5dZm4gzpizSR-OrUmCXs/s1600/Viet+Nam" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE83ejcM_MGWqSLrf_-Ljb1nFLRLMGMBXfh_yacwf4IyvwXlfWayqo0hh4ElRJ4G3VtDGNs61xk80IKTdtGC3pg-GaVyOPvk83Gq1OqMzy8KKtG58hRribNpN5dZm4gzpizSR-OrUmCXs/s1600/Viet+Nam" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCE7E0YNE-hcK9z3ek1IXPMBj2TBQAMdkbsnZLXzlVPMymuMNzeVAQpoBx7rzEt96gh9gOhvKzAjrF8ZWVv_g71FyGNWGJ_3z0QfZprH5EJxLrcJMrHGlULFqED553k10fBOnf6BTL2w/s1600/girl" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCE7E0YNE-hcK9z3ek1IXPMBj2TBQAMdkbsnZLXzlVPMymuMNzeVAQpoBx7rzEt96gh9gOhvKzAjrF8ZWVv_g71FyGNWGJ_3z0QfZprH5EJxLrcJMrHGlULFqED553k10fBOnf6BTL2w/s1600/girl" /></a><i><br />
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</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>8. Insert your own random thought here.</b></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i>We are in the midst of making some important decisions regarding investments and business ventures. I am on needles and pins. I wish I had a crystal ball so I could predict the future. Life is so unpredictable now, economically. I hope we make the right decisions. </i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i> After meeting with our financial advisor, researching stocks and bonds, reading all that we can about investments, it still feels like we are being blindfolded and tossing a dart at a picture of a donkey taped to the wall.</i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><i><br />
</i></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-56574075582583041182011-09-06T00:51:00.003+02:002011-09-06T01:02:08.634+02:00West Family Adventures: Liebster Award<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Liebster Award</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Liebster Blog Award</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kathy from <a href="http://fraukmwest.blogspot.com/">West Family Adventures</a></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> has nominated me for a </div><div>Liebster Award!</div><div>Kathy is a follower who once lived in Germany</div><div>and called herself "Frau."</div><div>She was one of the first people I blogged with</div><div>when I moved to Germany</div><div>two years ago.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Thanks Kathy!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDCKa7gqfAnFBOZJQ08ewNio3BQbLWqvYextjFcNz4Gdgc9XMp7qotXjr-CX3YUhUFG0zh4pHMlqwTMSR-Mt_6wImopiM2cEVnIqv-vjEBJaZR3CFZEa38FZp3PKM90t8FiJN8oxANIs/s1600/Liebster_Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDCKa7gqfAnFBOZJQ08ewNio3BQbLWqvYextjFcNz4Gdgc9XMp7qotXjr-CX3YUhUFG0zh4pHMlqwTMSR-Mt_6wImopiM2cEVnIqv-vjEBJaZR3CFZEa38FZp3PKM90t8FiJN8oxANIs/s320/Liebster_Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><a href="http://fraukmwest.blogspot.com/2011/09/liebster-award.html#links">West Family Adventures: Liebster Award</a><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The idea of the Liebster Award is to recognize and share blogs with less</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> than 200 followers.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So, you both receive it (go check <a href="http://fraukmwest.blogspot.com/">Kathy</a> out too!) and then award it</div><div>to 5 blogs that you enjoy.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Here's my 5:</div><div><br />
</div><div>Michelle at <a href="http://jeweledconcrete.blogspot.com/">Jeweled Concrete</a></div><div>Jul at<a href="http://www.zurika.com/"> This International Life</a></div><div>Nana at<a href="http://nanato4ts.blogspot.com/"> Empty Nest but Full Heart</a></div><div>Betsy at <a href="http://bverhe01.blogspot.com/2011/09/chateau-de-marquis-de-sade-lacoste.html">Blog Ness Monster</a></div><div>Betz at <a href="http://blog.betzwhite.com/2011/09/introducing-stitch.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BetzWhitesBlog+%28betz+white%27s+blog%29">Betz White</a></div><div><br />
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</div></div></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-57663893887867343872011-09-01T20:21:00.000+02:002011-09-01T20:21:43.983+02:00SLEEP LIKE A RAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<table id="yiv151783406itemcontentlist" style="border-collapse: separate; display: table; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><tbody id="yui_3_2_0_1_1314897423679325" style="width: 796px;">
<tr id="yui_3_2_0_1_1314897423679324" style="display: table-row; vertical-align: inherit;"><td id="yui_3_2_0_1_1314897423679323" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; display: table-cell; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/amusingplanet/~3/0uEorWKbgSg/das-park-hotel-built-from-giant-sewage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email" name="1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #000099; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Das Park Hotel Built from Giant Sewage Pipes</span></a></div><div style="color: #555555; display: block; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 9px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLU85aUjEyenWRSNKBu5zuHf92_xvgkHxOKlPBgrkhcsQ7XnEF9vx8fjvklNHIph5gdppRdGACnK0Ur4mX2xqnzbxJ8tJzx5yTX-B_1FPKZoFZ3Lqx7879OU65RRAOkAIAmDmRxY9zbgI/s1600/das-park-hotel2%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLU85aUjEyenWRSNKBu5zuHf92_xvgkHxOKlPBgrkhcsQ7XnEF9vx8fjvklNHIph5gdppRdGACnK0Ur4mX2xqnzbxJ8tJzx5yTX-B_1FPKZoFZ3Lqx7879OU65RRAOkAIAmDmRxY9zbgI/s640/das-park-hotel2%255B2%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #555555; display: block; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 9px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div id="yui_3_2_0_1_1314897423679322" style="color: black; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If your idea of a holiday is to live inside a sewage pipe, then have I got the place for you! Das Park Hotel in Austria is just you kind of place. There are 3 concrete drain pipes in a public park in Ottensheim. The rooms are two meters across with storage, light, a bed, and blankets. Sorry, no windows, but there is a sky light and a small window for air. Andreas Strauss built these in 2004. The designer had Austrian artist Thomas Latzel Ochoa put the paintings on the far wall with a coat of varnish to protect them. Voila! Living space!</span></div><div style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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I could see many uses for this type of living area. Backpackers come to mind, youth hostel, campers and curiousity seekers. The space stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer so there is no need for air con. <br />
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The hotel is located in a public park so you wouldn't have to go far for entertainment. They give you a key after you have made your deposit and the room is yours, just like in a real hotel. It has an advantage in that you wouldn't be disturbed by your neighbor with paper thin walls. My only question is this: "Where do you go to the loo?"</div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Expats Againhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179740220723589771noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246321663580599313.post-27955254404966539322011-08-31T23:31:00.000+02:002011-08-31T23:31:30.866+02:00HODGEPODGE WEDNESDAY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="320" src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or are we just more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?</span></b></div><div style="color: #333333;">It is more dangerous to us in the sense that tragedy has come to OUR soil. No, my life is not that affected by it.</div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #333333;">My father was the Dean of Boys in charge of discipline at my high school. I lost the battle before it began.<br />
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</div><div style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #333333;">Today is my birthday!</div><div style="color: #333333;"><i><br />
</i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?</b></span></div><div style="color: #333333;">No doubt complicated.</div><div><i style="color: #333333;"><br />
</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?</b></span></div><div style="color: #333333;">Hot pretzels are my fav whether they are at a stadium or a carnival.</div><div><i style="color: #333333;"><br />
</i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which do you think would be the scariest?</span></b></div><div style="color: #333333;">An earthquake in Indonesia. I slept through it. </div><div style="color: #333333;"><i><br />
</i></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">7. Labor day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores. If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not? </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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Are you kidding? An allowance for me as a child? What is that?<br />
My two boys never got one either. They did chores because it was their duty.<br />
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</div><div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">8. Insert your own random thought here.</span></b></div></div><div style="color: #333333;">Birthdays on the other side of the world from my children and grandchildren are not ideal, but the important ones in my life remembered me and contacted me to wish me a happy birthday. I am thrilled that I have so many loving people in my life.</div><div style="color: #333333; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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