Anna :: project in progress

naomi has been expressing the wish to sew for a while and has also done a few projects in the past months. Now she has her own sewing machine, the one from my oma. well it's a sturdy bernina with not much "schnigg schnagg" but can do what ever you want her too, and it has a strong motor.

we are not yet there, the pattern is copied and cut out and so is the fabric. the pieces are almost all cut and soon there will be lots of sewing going on. the bag called "anna" is a more or less easy pattern from the book "tolle taschen selbst genaeht" and with a bit help from me, naomi will be able to mostly do it on her own. we will see, as she want's to add a little inside pocket with a zipper...
i'm sure i will be able to show you more and tell you more stories how things develop.

stuffed patisson and raking leafs

a wonderful autumn lunch of stuffed patisson, has been served today.
the filling consisted of ground beef, red lentils, fresh tomatoes and of course onion and garlic is a must, some wonderful herbs and spices from the garden and toward the end i added a good bit of grated parmesan (under the lid). the patisson was cooked in all the above mentioned ingredients for about one hour in the cast iron pot on the stove top. and i served it with red rice, a wonderful kind of rice which we all like as it has just a bit more taste to it.
well even my kids who do not like the pumpkin kind of foods didn't mind it too much and loved the meaty sauce a lot. maybe this has been the last of my patissons, though pumpkins are just coming in here in switzerland, as we have had a very mild october and no frost was in the forecast at all (we really didn't have frost yet, which is surprising). the past two years we already had the first snow by october 27th!

and then, we wentured on, out into the garden to rake the leafs, what more do i want then this! sunshine, and happy helping kids! the best thing for a midweek day at the end of october.

Rabattenmischung

ich hatte auch diesen vergangenen Sommer immer wieder Blumensamen aus meiner Rabatte vor dem Haus gesammelt. Natuerlich nicht ganz ohne Absicht, doch so ganz klar war es mir noch nicht, was ich mit der bunten Mischung Blumensamen machen werde.
Nun hat sich die so einfache Idee entwickelt und ganz schnell hab ich sie auch umgesetzt. Kleine Dankeskaertli, fuer ein paar liebe Menschen, so hab ich die Gelegenheit gepackt und bin vergangene Woche an das kleine Projekt rangegangen.

Kleine Tuetchen falten und kleben, Samen aussortieren und einfuellen und natuerlich sollten sie auch angeschrieben werden. In meiner Box hab ich ein schon lange gefertigtes Papier gefunden, das Naomi irgendwann mal aquarelliert hat, genau das Richtige. Schneiden anschrieben und ankleben, das ganze auf die Karte montieren und mit lieben Worten versehen. Ab die Post und hoffentlich bereiten diese kleinen Ueberraschungen Freude bei ihren Empfaengerinnnen.

Natuerlich bin ich diejenige, bei der die Freude am groessten ist! Das kann mir niemand nehmen, denn selbstgemachte Dinge schenken ist wohl soetwas wie von Sonnenschein und warmem Wind erfuellt zu werden.

end of october weather

we had a wonderful weekend, lots of sunshine, lots of leafs falling and all the autumn colors are warming my heart. i forgot how wonderful autumn is, with what force it comes down to meet us. it's not just the cooler weather, i really like the hot summers. it's all the color, the painted leafs that fly all around me. of course mostly dark yellow and brown, but that too is wonderful, it does brighten up our walk to the library (the library just got a new coat of paint too).
this setting will not last long, one or two strong storms and all the leafs will be gone (hm we will have to rake them and collect them into our compost bins for the city to pick up and bring all the glory to "stinkberg" that's how we call the compost collecting area east of the city. i also didn't know that the city is offering a service to cut all the branches and woodcuts into chips. just call and they will show up! we will be cutting down a few of the chestnut branches toward the end of winter, as the canopy has become very broad and is providing too much shade.

maybe it is the last time, when i'm drying laundry out doors, the wind is wonderful, within a couple hours, my laundry will be dry and i will be able to take it down and fold it out side. i like such work done, much better out of doors as in the windowless laundry room in our basement.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.Inspired by SouleMama

es ist so schoen da draussen

heute ist es zu wunderbares wetter um lange zu schreiben und ich war draussen am laufen...
ich hatte jedoch die kamera zu hause gelassen, drum also keine bilder. und dann hab ich noch einen moment oder zwei in der zeitung gelesen und das hat mich gefreut: "der urbane imker von lausanne".


und dann konnte ich es nicht lassen und hab mich noch etwas umgeschaut, bestimmt gibts noch ganz viel mehr, hier einige:
in zuerich
in berlin
in hamburg

the apple cozy

over the weekend at my parents, there was that moment, when i realized that i didn't bring my knitting...
i don't really know how it happened the needles didn't come along and that was it.
one thing i did take along, the august issue of "molly makes" in german (i didn't know that exists, until i spotted it at the local library last wednesday.
and that one thing looked so happily at me, that i grabbed wool and a crochet hook out of my mama's crafting closet.
so here is that very easy description to be followed for beginning crocheters and just get your kids "pausen apfel" dressed in the very cute looking cozies...

thea by the way is super excited and absolutely loves it to take an apple along for morning recess! no more wantings of sweet candy bars or even just granola bars, the apple with it's cozy is the latest and greatest...

october sun

right after lunch, the kids were playing their instruments and what more is there to do. really nothing more, sitting on my front steps, having lots of music in my ears and watching the sky, soaking up the warmth and light of today's october sun.

i'm making this a short post today, as there is really no moment wanting to be missed of being outdoors. thea with her kindergarten class, went for a walk to the community gardens. their stated goal is, to count the pumpkins, all those orange beaming "balls" in the many plots around mattenbach and gutschick.

i take the free moment to sit in the garden and guess what, do nothing, just sitting and plotting some new ideas, sipping with an iced coffee. yes it's that kind of weather today.

and her, the big girl is heading out for afternoon school. a quick ride and taking along lots of excitement. it's good to see her so enthusiastic on her bicycle heading for school. not that i wanted her out of the house, though i'm so very glad she likes school.

lot's to celebrate

it has been the big party, my mothers 70th birthday celebration this past weekend.
getting ready was a big deal for us as an extended family, on my brothers farm was lot's going on until that party could happen. the first thing was happening a couple months ago, when he had to take down an old barn, as it was no longer save to use. that spot has been the planning grounds, putting up a tent and decorating it for a big party to enjoy a wonderful brunch together. o so many details had to be planned and we are all so very thankful to our sister in law, the lady of the farm who has a good idea about the big picture and loves the detail.
of course we all were involved in one or the other way, cutting out that big chicken and bringing it to my house for the paint job last week, baking apple cookies and o so many other delicious foods.
thank you j & d for hosting all of us, and a big thank you to all the family, especially the kids in lending a helping hand when ever needed.
and you know what, the lord provided a couple of wonderful days, lot's of sunshine and warmth, the perfect party weather in october. in such moments, i feel especially blessed and well, very much at home. people i love and a place so common to me, and still there is excitement and new wonderful life on this farm with my brothers family working it. and over all that makes me even more happy.

yes new and more newnewss is going on there.  a big cow barn is being built, and you know what, even better it's a cooperative barn, two farmers sharing their resources and their love for the animals. i'm very much looking forward to what is being built.
we all enjoyed a somewhat special after party, getting the big tour of the construction site.
not just interesting facts and ideas, lots of fun for the kids of all ages, climbing around such a site...

and as anyone can imagine, the kids were all plastered upon returning! mud fights, are a must on such digging grounds.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.Inspired by SouleMama

apple and pears for cider

as in the past couple years, october also brings the apple harvest. not that we have a big orchard, we are city folks, though i would love to be a bit more a farmer...
we have those four apple trees and one pear tree, every year a different tree has a the big load of apples, this year it was the pear tree. and we scheduled well, yesterday was a gorgeous day to go out there into the field and shake those trees down. amos and naomi climbed up and we others picked the fruit from the ground.
even better, my parents came to help, this is such a good adventure, doing the work together and as some of the crowed needed to be pushed and pulled to come along, at the end, everyone was happy and naomi loved to go along to bring the seven crates to the press.
the coming monday is the "fetching the cider" day, i'm looking forward to it. we do expect about 120 liters. such a good sun loaded drink in the dark days of winter will be brightening up my days!

viareggio the 2nd

as you might have noticed with this second post, we spent a lot of time at the beach. it was the one thing all the kids agreed, was the best of our week! wonderful, for me too, as it was still warm and sunny enough to just sit and read, and paint and be. being was good, it was a bit forced, as i'm not a beach person at all, and even less a person who actively chooses to just sit and do nothing. though i had to, and it turned out to be very relaxing, and doing nothing was not boring. soaking up sun and some wonderful sea breeze, lots of little bits of the kids conversations and interactions. observing and learning and enjoying all of the above...

one day we went to pisa, how exciting was that! just the plain sight of the tower with the amazing cathedral and baptisterium was all so much to enjoy. it truly is what it is called piazza dei miracoli
most of us climbed up the tower, i did not feel like i needed that, i was already blown away with what i was seeing. it has been wonderful to visit and maybe tuscany is getting a hold of me, it just feels like it wasn't the last time, wandering and enjoying this wonderful spot in southern europe.
and one more thing i didn't know about this place, it's a unesco world heritage site

viareggio the 1st

traveling for eight hours by train was a breeze. wonderful and even better if you know, that you will be arriving at a wonderful little city in tuscany, italy.
of course first things first. a quick stop at the local mercato and the first few fresh items were quickly brought home for tomorrows breakfast. italy has some wonderful cheese and salami and even the bread we found in the bakery around the corner was a dark whole grain loaf which we all loved. honey and tomatoes and fresh apples and grapes, just lovely to start our vacation.

of course the first day was spent at the beach, more of that tomorrow...
then a day in lucca, a little historic city with a wonderful dome, san martino the boys decided early on, that they didn't want to come along to see the magnificent cathedral. well, the three of them together found their way to the piazza santa maria, where we planned to rent bicycles. well i think they missed out on that wonderful architecture and historic site. never the less we definitely enjoyed the wonderful sight and the girls were able to overcome the first cultur-anxiety and stepped inside the cathedral after a few encouraging words.
of course riding on the fortified city walls was very special and doing so in a "multiple biciclette" was even better. and then, it happened, we missed the train to go back, though it just got better, spending almost an hour sitting, running, painting and climbing in a park near the train station was wonderful and doing so under a blue sky and lush sunshine, vacation at it's best, if you ask me.