rekindled spirit

anniversary

it is the most beautiful time of the year. my favorite time of the year. everything is green, flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining. it shined all day today with the wind blowing just right. not too strong, not to cold. perfect weather for a special day. even the kids were merciful and unusually extra coopertive today. and all day it seemed as though my chores were getting mysteriously done: dishes washed, plants watered, laundry folded, floors cleaned, kids changed and fed. like magic. he is a gentle husband, a fantasic father and spoils me when i least expect it. it was also a holiday so we all enjoyed sleeping in, a luxurious breakfast, and simply being together. 

time flies. it feels just like yesterday that i met the love of my life. as many wonderful things in life happen, our meeting was so random and so unexpected that it took me by surprise to realize he was the one. sometimes when he is standing next to me in one of our many relays with the kids running circles around us, in the middle of having a meal or in the process of getting the babies ready for bed, i pause for a few seconds and look at him and the babies. i look at them carefully knowing that they are all mine. I make sure to notice how they look, what they are feeling, what they are saying, and what they are doing. i study them carefully wishing i could store in a bottle every moment. i am humbled and ever so grateful to know love. it is an amazing feeling. 

~

today was made extra special by the arrival of my cousin daniel, the king of kings from stockholm. i always refer to him as my favorite cousin but i should call him my brother. we have not seen each other in several years but living in the same time zone has made it easy to talk almost daily. feels like we were never apart, it is wonderful to see him. here he is with the moon this afternoon.

“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!

taking the trash out for your husband.

everyone is required to recycle in germany. many here see this as their civic duty and are proud to be soldiers in the global battle for the enviornment. this very sophisticated and a little complicated system is one of the most successful recycling programs in the world. it is a system that requires sorting and organization; we separate our trash into 5 categories.

first there is the trash that is picked up from our home:

1. gelber sack (yellow bag trash) is collected once a month. you put it on the curb outside your home like i have done here in the photo above. this contains cans, plastic, materials like beverage cartons, deo or spray bottles. you have to rinse everything before you put in the bag.

2. biological waste, goes in the brown bin and is collected once a week. considered bio trash is kitchen scraps, peels, leftover food, coffee filters, tea bags and garden waste. nobody has a food disposal here. nothing goes down the drain but water or liquids. we put our bio trash in paper bags (never plastic) and then in the brown bin outside. the end result of bio recycling is either energy through the natural fermenting gasses or garden compost.

3. the blue bin is also collected once a week and is trash known as “other“.  this includes diapers, tissues, other personal hygiene items, broken ceramic, pens, old pans, textiles and pantyhose, paper too dirty to recycle, etc. everything in the blue bins is incinerated.

then there is the garbage that we take to the recyclinghof:

1. glass that we recycle includes wine bottles, jam/preserve jars, oil bottles, juice bottles and even bath-salt bottles. Glass is sorted by color. There are different slots for depositing clear, green, and brown glass.

2. paper: all packaging made of paper and cardboard, newspapers, and magazines.

hazardous waste such as batteries, cans of paint, disinfectants, and insecticides are treated and disposed of as “hazardous waste”. at the end of every year we recieve a garabge calendar from the county office or rathaus. this calendar lists the scheduled times and places where they accept such waste (although we take our batteries to our local grocery store at anytime).

when we move next month and we have furniture or household electrical items to throw away we must schedule a sonstige  (miscellaneous items) pick up order from the county office. in our county, each household is allowed 2 of these orders a year at no cost. items such as sofas, chairs, building materials, can be put out on the front of your house or building only after you provide a complete list of what needs to be picked up.

our trash system here is more than merely putting a bag outside. it is a chore and a half. deep down inside it does feel really good to be ecologically friendly. and sometimes when i remember how happy it makes my tall dark and handsome, i do a little bit more than my share and take it out for him. just like he does for me everyday. 

the birthday party, my treasures

for having you. for inspiring me to be a better person. for your endless reserve of patience with me. for choosing me to be your life partner. for your parents having you and raising a sensative, thoughtful, loving and responsible man. for coco introducing us. for persistently asking me out-i’m so glad i said yes! for your wonderful parenting skills. for the late night complete sentence conversations. for knowing me so well and still liking me. for your confidence and amazing intelligence. for taking me on my first cross-country motorcycle trip. for your fine objectivity- uncanny ability to see both sides of every story. for climbing my first mountain with me. for being such a wonderful father to our children. for teaching me to stand up for myself, to defend myself, and be true to myself. for the moments that you reach for my hand when we are walking with our babies or late at night when the house is quiet and still. for all the memories that we have created. for the time i have shared with you. for the life i have the honor of sharing with you. for your love with no conditions. happy 41st birthday sweetheart.