rekindled spirit

the other neighbors, happy cows

one our walk this afternoon we discovered

yard art for sale in someone’s front yard …..

a sweet old house,

and a small field of apple trees, so secluded, coming upon it was magical.

the very first time we saw our house, we were astounded by how the sun shined in from all directions because it faces the south. we were also overwhelmed by the kindness and warm welcome that we received from the family that had lived here. they gave us a tour that included the history of each room, the best position for the sandbox that it is visible from most windows, and stories filled with very sweet memories of raising their five children. as we talked about the visit later, we discovered that we were both left with a desire to continue what they started in this house: a joyful home full of special traditions, unconditional love and acceptance. in this spirit, we have started the process of belonging to this house which has been filled with wonderful discoveries and little celebrations of many “firsts”. we have been outside all week enjoying gorgeous weather which has been conducive for exploring and getting to know our new surroundings. i have said before that we are in the middle of nowhere but it is a charming middle of nowhere.  this quaint, little village sits surrounded by green fields that are one to two kilometers wide from the forest in all directions. two farms are located at the north and south ends of the village. one is a private and the other is a working farm owned by camphill, a community and worldwide organization serving children with disabilities. our new neighbors are gracious and have made us feel very welcome here. the delightful family next door invites the sun to play with their rabbits everyday. this made for a very fun egg hunt this year as she thought they were reciprocating her kindness.  it was the moon’s first hunt. my sister-in-law bernadette and her family paid us a visit and helped me prepare for the gardening season . we planted the first seeds including cilantro! (more to come soon )

and…the sun, moon and i had tons of fun baking our first cake of this spring: kirsch crumble kuchen (cherry crumble cake), mmmmm…it was delicious!

“to commemorate the end of our two weeks of moving madness, i’m taking you to the frühling (spring) concert. i was moved. tall dark and handsome had just co-managed the big move, handled all other daily usual business, and thought to arrange for a babysitter and plan an evening out to please me. i am so proud of him and feel like the luckiest woman on earth. i was presented with a beautiful spring bouquet, whisked off to dinner at our favorite and very fine restaurant and then off to  The Southwest German Philharmonic Orchestra of Constance spring concert. the music was mesmerizing, (smetana, beethoven, and dvorak), the conductor was amazing, and the evening was magical. sitting in the sixth row was ideal for watching the conductor lead the musicians. i love to watch their eyes follow his stick and respond to him as he sways in their direction adding, mixing, or separating instruments to make beautiful music.

here the arts or kultur as they call it in deutsch is at your finger tips. it is everywhere and very affordable. there are orchestras here in every town. if people don’t attend as spectators than there is a very high chance that they are in the performance. even tall dark and handsome played the bassoon in an orchestra until we moved. where i lived in texas, it was not usual to frequent the symphony or opera. first of all, it is significantly more expensive and if you did go, you were either a music teacher, a student attending for extra credit, truly had a passion for the classics or had a friend to support in the event. sadly, sometimes one could be considered pretentious or a snob even for enjoying such performances (frazier comes to mind). it’s a shame because the germans say that classical music is good for the soul. it is so very true. it is also a wonderful way to welcome this very special spring: 

~ coco, a very dear friend from texas was in the area and paid us an unexpected visit on moving day. it was so good to see her (such a gracious guest, she didn’t mind the improvised accommodations one bit!).

~ i have recently re-connected with very old friends and am enjoying renewing our friendships. i am grateful for these special people and the memories they bring.

~i have especially been thinking about the ones that are welcoming this spring in true classic form: madly in love. they are all in the center of my heart.

~ i also have had the two in the golden state in the center of my heart. they know who they are and why.

~ building a new nest for our family full of love and joy. it feels so good. what a way to welcome the spring!

our new home

the big move is this weekend. our new home is on a higher altitude, approximately 2,250 feet (755 meters) above sea level. this and that it is in a tiny, isolated, village is causing us to lose our dsl and cable connections. it is disappointing but the house is worth it and the views are priceless. for a couple of weeks or until our sky/satellite dsl is installed, i will be absent and very busy settling in. please enjoy the brilliant minds that i have discovered online and will miss while i’m gone. 

1. globalization is a fascinating subject. you will love juan gonzalez, creator and editor of global culture. book mark it

2. she is living in, and loving france. be enchanted by the wonderful storyteller and her french antiques

3. adventures of an artist and jewelry designer: jenny vorwaller of true nature is following her bliss, unshelving one dream at a time offering doses of creativity and inspiration.

4. keeping it real is the pioneer woman’s motto. an unconventional comedian, boy is she keeping it very real. get you some belly laughs while learning about life on a working ranch

5. soulemama is really a supermama. she seamlessly incorporated her talents with mothering. must see, she is simply wonderful. i want to be soulemama, i mean supermama too.

6. for the latest, greatest, hottest, visit oh joy. i am up-to-date out here in the country.

7. finally, my dear friend and technical assistant tony geer will be giving my site a face lift while i’m gone. trust me, if ever you need any technical help, he’s the man.

happy spring!!!