May 24, 2010

Egypt Part 1 The Resort and the Red Sea...

We had an amazing time in Egypt. I have been thinking about what I would say when it came time for this posting, but it is very difficult to put into words. Yes it was hot, yes it really is all desert, yes the driving is insane, yes it's predominantly Muslim and it shows, yes Cairo is an enormous city of 18 million with a poverty level of 40% and that shows as well. And yes, the water and food will make you sick no matter how careful you are. We knew most of these things going into the trip and yet, actually experiencing a fraction of Egyptian culture was very eye opening and educational. We were shocked and awed and sometimes afraid at the reality of their lifestyles. It is a beautiful and desolate country all at once. One can picture how great a civilization the ancient Egyptians were and modern day Egypt still thrives based on the rise and fall of the Nile. There is literally nothing in the landscape the further from its banks you travel. Hopefully the pictures can portray some of what we experienced. This posting includes pictures of us and our friends, The Albees, who came on the trip with us, as well as pictures from the Red Sea and the resort we stayed at.

May 10, 2010

Spring in Germany...

So far this Spring has alternated from fabulous weather to crap, which is where we stand right now. However, it hasn't prevented the sprouting of young crops, the return of the birdies singing and amazing flowers blooming in all colors. The new heading photo shows one of the many fields of mustard flowers. The picture doesn't do it justice...these fields can stretch on forever and the bright yellow flowers are at least as tall as I am. The other photos are from around my garden. I've also planted strawberries and grapes, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant and basil. There is an enormous rhubarb plant that grew from seemingly nothing. Judging by the looks of it, it should be a fruitful harvest this year.

As many of you know, April 30-May 1 is the celebration of Spring and fertility, Beltaine, or more commonly known as May Day. The pretty young ladies in Germany may be blessed on the eve of May Day to have a Birch tree tied to their house and strung with colored streamers, a gift from their boyfriends or admirers. Here I have taken a few pictures from around the villages of this cool tradition. The first one is of my landlord's house, the tree is for her daughter Eva.

Lastly, in keeping with my gradual conversion to greener living, the kids and I have spent some time this week preparing our herbal bug sprays and weed killers for the garden. They work amazingly well and are made from a mixture of vinegar and dish soap for the weeds, and garlic, oil and peppers for the bugs. We have also ventured into the world of jelly making...last week it was Jamaican Banana Jam and this week, Dandelion Jelly! See you all next time. You won't want to miss the next posting!

April 26, 2010

"Hello, my name is Brad. I like to wear gardening gloves to bed. In fact, I will most likely wake up every night after they fall off during my sleep and bring them downstairs to my exhausted mother, whereupon I will whisper in her ear gently to disturb her slumber and request assistance in putting them back on."

"It doesn't matter that I have a few little quirks though because my mom told me that I am her favorite, sweetest, most loved little boy on the planet. I am so lucky to have her and Daddy and Rhi!"

Yes I have painted a question mark on my nose!

April 16, 2010

Rhiannon has only had 3 haircuts in 6 years.
Today we got the fourth...

Not gonna lie to you. It turned out a little shorter than I was comfortable with. But we both love it. She looks so much older, and it will be amazingly easy for us to take care of now. I know it will grow back, and I have a souvenir, because I am a crazy sentimental mom.

April 4, 2010

Kinderdijk, Netherlands and Rotterdam

This weekend we went to a windmill town in the Netherlands. The town itself has 19 operational windmills that people still live in. One is open to the public for tours. We brought the kids' bikes and they had a great time riding up and down the road along the canals. It was incredibly windy there and we enjoyed a nice hot chocolate at the end of the day before heading over to Rotterdam for dinner.




















Rotterdam is a beautiful big city with crazy architecture. We didn't get many pictures since it was already late in the day when we got there but it is definitely a trip we want to do again, maybe without the kids.




This weekend I prepared the traditional Easter dinner and spent all day Saturday in the kitchen so I wouldn't have to on my birthday. The food has all turned out great even though I had to make cannoli shells using a few carrots to get them to hold their shapes, and we can't wait to eat all of it. The house on the other hand, suffered the loss of a glass door, and the kitchen exploded in hot oil and beer. We now have a nice collection of glass behind the house awaiting transport to the recycling bins.

The Easter Bunny came right on time this morning. There is nothing sweeter than laying in bed listening to your kids sneak around trying to find the eggs and expressing their awe and excitement. We even had a "real" bunny deliver some chocolates to the front door. It's a mystery to me who it could have been.


So here I sit trying to relax in the calm before the storm of chaos that will ensue with much loved company later...sipping my mimosa and eating sweet bread there isn't a better birthday present in the world than being with my family and watching...Brad running through the house with only shoes on...Rhi and Jim playing WAR and arguing...Brad still naked...waiting for my pictures to load...so I can get on with the day. Happy Easter everyone! Frohe Ostern!