Language barrier...

Ok, so we've lived here almost 6 years...plus counting our tour to Germany when we were first married, and it's nearly 9 years. And, I still can not get the grasp of the German language. It is so difficult for me to understand, plus when they add words to words that changes the meaning entirely...I just don't get it. I have taken classes, too. Even Dennis has taken college language courses, and he still can't read our electric bill. It comes down to vocabulary for him. I have, in all this time, been able to eat and shop...

But, I can't tell you how excited I am to go back to the land of understanding my repairman...

We have an OLD house...with OLD fixtures...and OLD appliances. So, when something goes "kaput" (I've got that word down...) I tell my landlord that speaks barely any English, with lots of hand gestures and am not quite sure what will translate to the repairman.

Enter clogging toilet. For the past few weeks we have been required to plunge even the smallest amounts of toilet paper. It's a little embarrassing when company uses the toilet, so I told the Landlord. She sent two guys...one of which barely speaks English, the other none at all...that flushed and hosed and removed the toilet, then put it back on and it worked. For 1 day.

So, I called back...said it's still clogging and leaking around the base "It's good?" she asks (She has no idea what I just said...) "NO! NOT GOOD!" I tell her. She says she'll send them back on Monday.

So, they show up and proceed to flush, and say..."see, water goes down". I balled up some toilet paper and flushed, said "see, toilet paper still there..." So, he holds the flushing handle a REALLY long time, and it all flushed (they are different here...the longer you hold them the water just keeps flowing...not like tank ones back home)...ok. if my kids held it down that long, I'd yell at them to stop playing in the bathroom.

They think I'm crazy, I can see it isn't completely blocked, but obviously some flow problem if the "stuff" in there doesn't disappear. I look distraught so they took the toilet off again, did some more hose work and said it was fixed when they left...see....(flush) 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi....18 mississippi...toilet paper all gone! Imagine that! They said they'd come back today...he motioned around the floor, so it seems they are coming back to mop the bathroom? I have no idea....

Spring cleaning and a surprise...

You may recall an earlier post about a cruel trick by Mother Nature...snow after a tease of spring. Well, I'm so glad the real thing seems to be here. I was telling my dad how nice it was that it was 60 degrees yesterday, and unfortunately he had a chilly 29. Poor thing! I thought we had it bad!

But, it's spring...and to me that means spring cleaning...bustling, organizing, brighter days and capris. With the impending move and the kids on Spring Break, I am in full clean out mode this week. It's good timing to switch out wardrobes and pack away the winter clothes for three (ghast! Will I even want any of it by then?) years. That has kept me from making this overdue post.

Every year when we do our taxes, we are glad to get some back, even though we have it worked that we don't have lots of extra taken out through the year (why give Uncle Sam need a tax-free loan?). But, it is nice to make a double bill payment and maybe get something fun. This year, with Dennis gone, I made a decision to get something big and surprise him.

We were grateful to get my parent's dining room set when we needed one years ago. It was a sturdy oak pedestal set with 6 chairs. But, over the years, I have grown to dislike the oval shape (can NEVER find table cloths) and it seems to take a large amount of space for the seating available. So, we talked about leaving it here and getting a new set at our next station.

Well, I was told that furniture selection isn't so great, so I started to look around here and found this set...I liked the idea of a bench seat (you can slide a lot of kids in on that one) but had not pictured this set in my mind at all. I had imagined cloth seats with wood backs, a more solid color, medium stain table. This is so completely not my style. Way more modern than I imagined. I did, however, fall in love with it instantly. Especially those deep chocolate high back chairs. I got 5 of them, plus the bench...that's a minimum of 8 seats (and more if your hineys are small!). I found it on the German economy, was able to use a VAT-relief form, and got a GREAT deal. I've received good feedback from my girlfriends...here it is:

Plus, doesn't it look pretty with the polish pottery settings? And, with a spill already of strawberry milk by one daughter and gum between the legs of another daughter (I'll let you guess which is which) that I was able to clean off of both chairs, I am so glad I found these! I hope Dennis will be too! Surprise! What do you think, hunny?

A beautiful Spring day...NOT!

I was ready to sing the praises of Spring...the last week has been getting warmer...mid 40's usually in the day and a few sunny days. You don't see many of those during winter in Germany. So, that means spring is arriving, not to mention the calendar does say the 25th of March. It's really time. What a tease Mother Nature is. Here is what I woke up to today:

Now, in December, January, OK...no problem--bring on the snow...but, March 24th? Really? After 5 of these winters...I am so ready for some sun! Don't get me wrong. Germany is beautiful...really beautiful...lots of lush and green. It was the first thing I noticed when we arrived the first time around in 1994. I soon realized it's all this wintry, drizzly weather that prepares that lush landscape. It's long, and it's cold, and it's gray. So, when we get those few beautiful days of real warm summer sunshine...enjoy them while you can. They are fleeting here.

So, I'm just realizing, when the weather is gray my mood is different, my energy is different...I think I'm just one of those people that thrive in the sunshine. Having grown up in California, I don't think I realized this before...that my moods could be tied to the weather. But, it's something that has been so reinforced here, especially lately...I'm so glad to be getting back to some sun! Kinda makes these last throes of winter a little more bearable...just a little. Come on spring!