a sign

a wonderful little reminder that spring is around the corner. maybe it will take an other month, maybe we get an other load of snow, even cold weather would be fine, but spring is not going to let us down. this little twig of sunshine is perfect in the still dark and long evenings.
i have been mending a few pairs of pants, a cherry pit bag (for warmth at night), knitting on my scarf, and school work has been absorbing a lot of my time. it will go on like this until the end of march, just about until easter. it's a bit much, but fine. i love the lessons i'm already teaching, the kids are great and give me a lot of joy.
there is a short run, some dinner prep ad a budget meeting on for this afternoon...

see you then, what ever then means... ( it might be friday :)

anfternoon walk

it's almost the end of january, no snow in sight (though other parts of switzerland got more than wanted in the past three weeks)!
we will see that snow soon, as ski vacations are just ahead. and yes we all long for the two week winter brake. a weeklong trip to the mountains of switzerland is a nice prospect and makes us all go for the next few days. the younger kids will be out of school by the end of this week, joel and elias are still at work for two weeks and my school days are also spread out over the next two weeks.
with that in mind, i enjoy every walk and every bit of green and sunshine i get at the moment.

the week :: through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. construction site in the heart of zurich, extention of the "Kunsthaus" 

:: 2. cozzy and comfy

:: 3. a bit of color in the livingroom

:: 4. lovely painted undersite of the roof on a house on rindermarkt in zurich

:: 5. and just looking up once more at the towers of prediger church

thank you

after many days of gloomy weather, the sun is out and the living room wonderfully bright and warm. this makes me thankful and happy to the bone.

stitches

the boy was wearing his hat for the past two weeks....
he had an exciting scooter accident with a quick visit to the ER after 10pm, without the parents even knowing of it all. reason being, they were not reachable at their evening out, because of a place not covered by phone signals. yes it is possible in our days and time to be off the grid, so to speak.
the boys handled it all very well and their collegue drove them, thank you y.

and then this weekend elias took out the 5 stitches. the patient was calm and quiet. the big brother acted as the stitch remover, he handled it very professionaly and enjoyed it. of course mama watching over the whole process.

knitting machine

we had a very slow weekend, which was so needed, at least on my end.
thea of course had to try her new knitting machine. she bought it with her own money, i could not keep her from it. all the wonderful wool, she really likes the colors and then the process of knitting working so fast and so excitingly. her scarf was "knit" in no time. and we could figure out how to take the piece out of the frame and finish it up at both ends.
while thea was cranking the handle on her knitting machine, i was also knitting, just a bit, not very focused but steady and with one eye on the girl.

i love watching her, both of us sitting by the fire and just being...

the list for 2018

the list writing has become atradition, it's a good way to start my year. to transition from the old to the new and getting aquainted with the unfamiliar. not that it is too foreign, but a new slate to be written on, to be painted and colored on. some splatters might be looked at as stains, unwanted accidents and unintentional. but it will all blend in and become my own, the way i'm formed and lead ahead into the time to come. so writing this list is a feeble way to give my year a notch in this or that direction.
some good reminders what i hope for, what i'm leaning toward and maybe a new thing i want to try and need to remind myself of...

this years list is a bit different, but not so much. just trying to keep life in check, be ready for surprises and of course list writing. it is fun to work with lists and be able to cross off what is done, write a note how it's worked out or not worked. last years list is not finished by the end of december, but i left it with the up date in november.

:: applaude my children when they accomplish what they have set out to do. and also when they
              bring home good grades. i have been very hesitant to take notice of their grades, as i don't
              think that they are very important. but the kids kind of think so...
:: balance the tasks and things i want to do, so it doesn't push me to hard and i feel rather constrained
              and pushed in the corner by the things i commited and must do's.
:: choose to buy second hand clothes and if not possible fair trade, even for hard to find items.
:: devote an hour a week to taking better photos, reading the book "sehen lernen" by banek banek
:: eat out with friends. maybe just with joel, i think i would very much enjoy that.
:: fermenting has become a bit of a magic process for me. in this respect i want to keep the
               kombucha going and in general try some more recipes on fermenting and conserving food
               like eggs in vinegar or belle peppers and making herbed vinegar myself.
:: go on an adventure with naomi
:: hand-stitch some kind of project, a new tiny series would be a wonderful challenge
:: insist and be consequent on the issues of an earth friendly life stile, like buying bulk and bring my
              own mug to the coffee shop
:: jogg maybe i could say run 4 times a week, this would be perfect 3 short runs and a long one
:: knit one item a month, be it mittens, a shawl or a hat, maybe the linnen tunica liesl which i got
               started on and stopped and unraveled again...
:: look at natures beauty once more. take the moment to observe the bird playing with the wind.
:: maybe just be brave to not set every thing and every plan in stone, but be flexible and bendable
               with scheduling and enjoy the freedome in that
:: nurture my spiritual life with still and times of prayer on a regular basis
:: organize a little house concert
               this was on my list for the past couple years, and i'm so excited about the event in planning,
               i will keep you posted
:: protect the space and needs of our children in our community household. this is sometimes a bit of
               a challenge, as we live in community and share our kitchen table and living room space with
               8 more people in our household. it is important to me and i need to remind myself to very
               sensitive of this issue.
:: quilt the granny square quilt
              i want to keep this on my list and check off until the summer
:: reading for enjoyment, pleasur as well as education
                The Children Act by Ian McEwan
                A Spool of blue thread by Anne Tyler (a bit boring)
                Daring to drive by Manal Al-Sharif
:: sew a few baby kimonos
:: teach with lots of enthusiasm and joy in my reglion classes at the church. i want to put my
               knowledge and passion into this new challenge.
:: utilize my energy and the space i live in to hoste gatherings and have people come and visit
:: visit friends abroad, the plan is for summer: go to london and visit the b's and travel to schottland
               too, this is in planning and so super exciting
:: watch a good movie in the theather with a friend
              this didn't happen last year, but maybe after ski vacation there will be an evening...
:: relax a bit more, not everything needs to be handled and talked through with the urgency and high
              flying emotion it is being brought to my attention.

:: yearn for the peace that God puts in my heart and the every day rythm of things
:: zeroing in on the important stuff and let go of every thing else

the week :: through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. lighting up the darkness

:: 2. details like to be seen

:: 3. a delightful picture book about heaven

:: 4. floating through the day, it's pretty to look at

:: 5. very special light over zurich, on thursday afternoon

wednesday

after much wind and rain the snow came down this afternoon. though i could not go out and just enjoy it, as i had to teach 4th graders at our church. and it was not just any teaching, it was my exam lesson.
and i passed!
hurra!

celebrating :: enjoying the light

we had a few sources of light and fire and warmth the past few days. of course celebrating birthdays are occations we just don't let slip by, wihtout lighting at least one candle or 14....
a friend of ours has the tradition of lighting a volcano on her birthday, and as we celebrated together, of course we all enjoyed the spectacle too. lighting up our garden for a few moments, standing in awe and just stare at the sparkles.

after the party, there is the clean up, lots of yummy desserts, not much left. just enough for the people living with us, not having been around at our delicious moment. perfect, never really are any left overs left behind for long. and for certain not a chocolate mousse, a cookie platter and a delicious chocolate cake.

:: ramblings ::

all saturday i was teaching a class of 4th graders in our church. at home were all kinds of activies scheduled, naomi left the house early for a soccer tournament. while we others enjoyed an additional hour in bed (certain brothers a couple more hours...). thea left the house a bit before i had to head out, she was picked up by a friend to go climbing at our local climbing hall 6a+. she was nervous and super excited about the climbing.
this is still new for me, and i have to tell myself, that it is absolutely fine this way. i will get used to the fact, that my family is absolutely able and very well capable to manage themselfs without me montioring and keeping everyone accountable to my standarts. they fend just fine and i found them all to be happy and content, as i came home at 6pm.
there was even an unexpected visit of a friend and her kids, and noone was turned away from the door but rather served tea and got the needed attention.
of course i knew all would be fine and it has  not been the first time, but it will be more frequent for all of us, that i'm gone all day long. so it is up to me to get used to it and to let go of my set and strucured form of parenting. i know my style is far from perfect and so i actively let go and give them all the freedome they love and need. and this will lead to new growth and character in all of us!

thank you, my family to take me as i am and for giving me the opportunity to let go and grow in this area.

the week :: through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. kombucha is in the making, i like the process. a workshop was all i needed...

:: 2. lot's of hot tea in mid winter

:: 3. back in school, a quick walk from the station to, loving the feel of a busy morning

:: 4. dark evenings need lighting

:: 5. the last of christmas decoration has come down on thursday

life is a mobile...

twirling and balancing it all...
i knew, that january will be busy and that i had to juggle a bit much on my calendar. it was forseeable that i would be scrambling a bit through the coming weeks. so far so good, the first meetings went well and some more activities had to be added to my calendar. like a funeral on thursday afternoon, a birthday party on saturday for lunch amd i'm sure there will be more changes to my schedule.
and that is the balancing act of my life.
i'm not a haiku writer nor long verses or stories come to my mind in snipp. it is work and sometimes hard work, to sit down and start writing. and it's not poetic or pretty at all, it's life it is the way i see things and live them. it is a bit of processing my doing to understand it better. maybe to shell out the beauty of the daily doing and being. and so it all is moving, readjusting and equalizing itself, or sometimes even a wee a bit of help, leverage, willpower on my behalf...

just rambling on and finishing today with those words, after a moment of knitting in the still of a sleeping house.

starting into 2018

this one was taken by joel

this is how joel and i started into the new year. the sun was out and the bench just put into the right spot, the wind not too strong but just fine to sit and take it all in.
a bit of knitting for me, i started a plain stright forward shawl. a good project to be around people, keep the hands busy while having some deep thoughts and also not so deep once, going. i like this kind of being and especially with good company.

the good company, was not just up for talking and listening but, i did a lot of listening...
well good music is always good to start into a new year.

and this my friends, is the way i got startet into the 2018...

the week :: through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. the sunlight floating through and all over

:: 2. color for the started year

:: 3. a smile, a joke added to the first week of 2018

:: 4. enjoying and and loving this mint-ginger tea at jack & jo

 :: 5. the painting to revelations 21

playing games...

it already started right after breakfast. and we had early breakfast, as elias and joel went to work and amos felt like working too, so he got up for the breakfast at 7am. thea too, which surprised me a bit. never mind, it was nice to have company for the first meal of the day.
and then it went right on, thea and amos started their game of monopoly before it was 8am. i was astonished to say the least, but of course i absolutely encouraged them in their play. served some more tea and a cookie for a treat as the game went on and on...

and the same after lunch. of course i also played with thea, introduced her to the board game called "halali". we played it frequently with elias, there is a bit of strategie and of course some luck involved. she quickly got the hang of it and then had to play a few more rounds after lunch.

as you might think, we had a droopy day, not cold and no snow, but rain and rain and wind. no reason to go outside, not even i made it for my run. instead i went to the basement, did 5 loads of laundry and also 30 minutes of rowing on the machine...
(not my favorite, but maybe january is rowing month)

the word

"pauper misericordia"
- the poor with mercy and compassion - der arme und die barmherzigkeit

taking this as the "word" of the year. being led and guided by it. i have not done this in the past, so it's a new thing for me. but i want to give it a try. i didn't seek this, i guess the word found me. while wandering in the stairway of our retreat house.
taken by the visually intriguing depiction of "lady" mercy and compassion.
may i be led by this down and up the paths of the coming year. be changed and imprinted with the mercy and compassion provided by the Lord God my provider.