Gründonnerstag

 maundy thursday - Gründonnerstag

it's that very special time of year, three days before easter. we are in the middle of holy week - karwoche and tonight we go to church for a meditation and the last supper. i'm very much looking forward to the sequence of the services of this week.

dinner tonight is going to be special too. a house mate of ours is cooking "grüne sauce und kartoffeln", a traditional meal where she is from in germany (franconia).
it is simple and smelled deliciouse as she prepared all the herbs (parsli, chives, basil, oregano, dill, rucola and wild garlic) all chopped up finely and mixed with sour creme. cooked and cut eggs, some oil and vinegar are added for flavor. this is served over boiled potatoes.

and tomorrow we remember the crucifiction of jesus, a sober day and traditionally connected to egg coloring for easter sunday. a day i treasure to spend at church and crafting at home, of course some kind of nature walk is usually in it too. a season i really enjoy.

bossa nova

slowly but steadely, the two of them finding the rhythm together. it is a wonderful thing to be working in the office and all of a sudden realizing, that there is something wonderful going on in the living room. it's just music, and music is happening more and more in our house.
of course there is the regular practice hours (not 60 minute hours... just a saying), but when some of the practicing is being done not just by one self, this is when the "rubber hit's the road". with amos having picked up the E-bass a bit over 6 months ago, a lot started to shift. for one or the other reason, elias started to sit at the piano, just to play and figure out how the instrument worked.
now, he still almost daily sit's down and sings along while playing (no, it's not classical piano, of coursenot) the hymn singing as well as more modern pieces are coming together with the lyrics. filling the house with a new kind of "tunes".

but this time it was joel and amos playing some new and fresh bossa nova... and it's coming together with a deep fresh passion for it.

it's golden

with a simple "head's up" the world looks bright and golden. the air is still fresh and smells of moist soil. some shrubs are in bloom and the sky is blue. all new and fresh, after the melting of this last snow we had just a week ago. the nights are still freezing but as soon as the sun comes up, we enjoy a rise in temperatur, it's already in the forties and that seems the real spring has made it's appereance.

the little walk was perfect, after thea had to be patient and could not go to her friends house, the two of us tied our hiking shoes and took the ball along for a "kick'n" hike. not long, not far, but a hike, we decided needs good shoes and so we went. good conversations and absolutely enjoyable landscape. new fresh flowers, little blooms all over the place. it was really nice.

and so is the landscape just out of town, still kind of bare, but it will not be long, before the fields will appear dark green and lush. the same to the forest, the beech trees, the mapel and what ever else is growing, not long and the sun light will not be able to float through as it is for now. running today was wonderful, the birds are easy to spot, different kinds of wood peckers as well as some of the song birds are already building nests. such a good time of the year.

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. behind the church, in the city of zurich, someone must like to make a fire...

:: 2. the lonely bike, just with it's shadow.

:: 3. in full bloom, even a bit more than that, all so full.

:: 4. irish soda bread, it looked wonderful, tasted a bit too much of baking soda.
 

:: 5. and the snow is right back for the start of spring!

spring is here

maybe not yet...

two 4 joy

last friday was our house concert, dedicated to all irish music, played by joel (flute and concertina), christina (guitar and singing) and gülbün (bodhran, bouzouki and singing).
i wanted to have such a little concert for a while already and it just never happened by itself...
two months ago i announced to joel and christina, that i want to have a concert in our living room and i invited them to be the band. now it took shape, the two of them had to find a name for themselfs...
we quickly found a date and put a guest list together. of course there would have been many more people on that list, then was suitable. but it is a start and it will be followed up by an other little event, i'm sure...
it was a coincidence, that it was the eve of st. patricks day. we didn't bring it up, though just for the band and me, of course it was heart warming to think of all the gatherings happening too.

there was irish beer, pulled beef sandwiches, scones with tripple creme and jam, little bites of cooked beet with roquefort cheese and wallnuts, and mini pizzas for appetizers. welcoming the guests was the mussicians job, offering drinks and food too. a first session with lively music was played and then it was time for the sweet food, a big plate of cheese cake and a type of brownies covered with ganache (a wonderful tripple chocolate delicatesse). it all was received happily and more music was wellcomed by all. thea was liking all of it too and enjoyed having so many people in the house. the older kids all "ran away"... well i guess they all  have their own events and some times also need to distinguish themselfs from us odd parents :)

spring bloom

and it's all gone now, the aching head the slowness in my body was gone this morning. and with the sunshine around me, already in the morning, it's pulling me out of doors, out to sit and linger, out to run and enjoy the freshness of it all, out to breath and inhale the lightness of spring.

i enjoy it and look forward to the coming weeks. 

looking to the mountain

the fresh green and the spring flowers i posted yesterday are nurishing and getting me all excited about the change of weather. the season of spring to come...

and then there is that migrane...
it was getting a hold of me on sunday and with some ibuprofen i was able to fend it off on monday, though had to call it an early evening. it is very unusual for me to be in a dark room, pretending to sleep, but not finding the sleep. not that the migrane was very bad, it was just there and dirsupting my life. taking away a fun evening chattering and enjoying my life in the kitchen, with the kids and other people. finaly i was able to fall a sleep and wake up at 4am with still that nagging pain. this got me up and take something. as i not usually take pain killers, the smallest ammount helps and last night, that was all i needed to go back to sleep.
gladly i had an easy day, time to just be still, to read and not run from one place to an other. a short morning run, into the city to get my favorite dinkle cereal from "bare ware". and community dinner was fixed parallel to lunch. that's what freed me up this afternoon. the vegetable lasagne is in the oven and baking on it's own. a salad is quickly being tossed together and the kids will set the dinner table for 12 people.

"When you stop thinking

happiness is always

somewhere else - you

start to find it right

where you are"

Ann Voskamp

spring green

 i got taken by surprise at this sight. it's in the middle of the city and this bouquet of tulips was just sweeping me off my feet. i had to stop and enjoy it. just an other look and a moment of still. so much color, so much spring feeling. a good start into the coming weeks.

and then over the weekend i went on a walk with the girls. it was not a sunny day, but not raining yet. and so we really enjoyed the fresh air. the freshness of those little spring flowers got us going, searching the corners and sheltered places those early flowers have chosen to spring up.
i take it with me into this started week, it is a full week, with lots of little things to think of. with the house concert coming up this friday "two4joy"!

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. a house full of H's friends to celebrate his F, a wonderful saturday night dinner!

:: 2. taking a little brake and pause, "sunday rest"

:: 3. spring is in the air, in the living room and outside it's just around the corner

:: 4. lunch at the river, an other sign of spring on thrusday

:: 5. the chickens are full of life and started to lay again

day 21 of lent

we are half way through lent, it has gone very fast, those 3 weeks. the days seem very real and clear. some days flee quickly, others are enjoyed long into the night.
i'm very aware of my commitment to not eat any chocolate or meat, to not talk bad about other people. of course i try to not talk bad about other people (slander). this one makes me think, as i'm frequently chatter and talk freely, it is never intended to slander about others, but so very quickly it ends up that way. i want to think and be more thoughtful in that regard. catch the bad before it gets out of my mouth. it makes me pause and be still, in moments i would have just rambled on...

it makes me think, also think about God and how i thirst and want more of him. realizing, that is me, giving him space in my every day and not him being absent. he is here, with me, with us people, at all times, in every space and moment of time and is freely giving. as he has given all for us to be redeemed with him through his son Jesus Christ.

Lent, the time to reflect, become aware and be filled, by letting it happen and making space.

the books we read

what i'm reading:
Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees
500 Paleo Rezepte by Dana Carpender
St. Thomas Aquinas for everyone by Dave Palmer
Just Courage by Gary A. Haugen
a few books to get organized for our summer vacation to england and schottland...

on Joel's tablet:
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley

Amos list:
The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley
The Giver by Lois Lowry, this is a book he has been reading again and again
not quiet his love, but is in high demand regularely, the french dictionairy


Naomi reads in spurts, on and off...
what i feel said about it is, that she still refuses to read books in english.


Elias is not reading besides his assigned books from school, though he does read the news paper online. for that i'm glad, but i am certain about

Thea loves books, she is very much into comix and everything Globi

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. such brightness in the white city

:: 2. tracks and benches, all white

:: 3. and on it goes: white and icy and cold

:: 4. amidst all this, a bright spot! the visit of a friend from abroad. we didn't see each other for six
       years, o thank you for stopping by and we absolutely loved your company!

:: 5. march approached and my florist friend stopped by with a bouquet of tulips...