A Stormy Start To The Day.

Oh, and jolly early too.

There was a time when I was thrilled to get a text message from the insurance company and only because it made me belong. Stupid really when you think of it. Surely there are better things to spend thoughts over? I remember once sitting around a table and being the odd one out. A storm was brewing and within seconds all the mobile phones started beeping, vibrating or singing. Never mind that it portended a horrible hailstorm.

Anyway, next time I had occasion to talk to my insurance agent which I am always happy to do
( it helps that he is well mannered, nice young man who moonlights in a band on weekends... ), he straightaway added my phone number to the list.

When Bob got home from work he informed me that he'd have an early start to his day. At a quarter past six he had to be at work, which of course translated to the alarm clock being set for 4 am. Things to do, coffee to brew and lunch box to fill and decorate. Well, we were given an extra hour to faff about.

Just after 3 am, the text message came through and as I had heard the thunder roaring while fighting for dominance with bolts of lightening, I knew what it would say. ...next half hour or so there will be a chance of thunderstorm, heavy rain and hail... The celestial argument was fierce, the rain seemed torrential but luckily it was over within fifteen minutes.

Bob and I had just planted a whole lot of window boxes and were worrying if they had withstood the onslaught from above. Only yesterday I visited one of my elderly ladies and she wisely had chosen to keep her plants indoor, as the weather person had warned of a bout of nasty climatic conditions ahead. Good for her and I am glad her flowers, which are to go and adorn the family grave, are fine and well.

Visiting her is quite fun and entertaining. She is a seasoned spinster and as per usual we were discussing food. She loves soups but living on her own prefers packet soups. Look, she's well into her 80's, lives alone in a house with a huge garden and still hauls the wood in every day during winter. So, I wouldn't dream of telling her the nutritional deficits of packet soup.

Her favourite flavour is chicken noodle, which poses a conundrum for her...a packet lasts her two meals and she divides the contents equally. Except the dried noodles in the packet make it almost impossible to split the content equally. Never mind Dinner for one, I think Knorr should launch a Chicken noodle soup for one.

Biggi

A Flashback To Yesteryear.

Secret socks are obviously a well kept secret...

Meeting for our weekly walk yesterday morning was rather a fun affair apart from the walk itself. Yours truly tends to wear the same togs and eschew any attempt at fashion. A workout should be comfortable after all. My compatriots do tend to wear stylish outfits rather than sporty togs. Perhaps I should make them walk faster so that they perspire and feel as if it's been a workout.

Anyway, one of the ladies had on new shoes. Trainers of a sort with a trendy name. We set off on our route and as we got going she asked us to slow down, as she couldn't keep pace. We were merely ambling about and we all turned to her in concern. Had she hurt herself perhaps?

" Oh no, nothing of the sort. I am wearing my new trainers but they are a bit too big. My bare feet are sliding about. "

We all heard only one thing. Yikes, no socks! Quelle domage. Instantly I shivered just thinking of the feeling of walking barefoot in my trainers. Ouch, and even worse, eventually those shoes must be stored outside. Agh, imagine the aromas brewing there.

The gal in question was happy to get a pair of socks for our next walk and that was the end of that. But to me, a flashback of the 80's occurred with alarming speed and accuracy. Who can forget the infamous Don Johnson look, the look of suits with bare feet in shoes.

Back in Pietermartizburg, most of the trendy guys followed suit. Yikes, don't forget that the secret sock wasn't known of then, or was it? Well, the Bobster is fond of these socks and if one has gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle of socks ( laundry basket ) he improvises by taking a normal sock and folding it back over the heel. My deluge of fashion info, such as...

" Honey, the secret sock look is so very 80's. Nowadays one wears proper socks to show their label. "

...falls on deaf ears. Do husbands ever listen to a word their wives utter? Or is it only mine who doesn't...

Biggi

A Blue Start To Monday.

Not as blue as it sounds.

At the end of my Sunday round, I was still followed by the most beautiful blue sky. My route took me atop the hill, there where you see the string of houses touching the blue sky.

Rather a nice blue, and one can't imagine feeling bedeviled and sad while seeing blue...

Almost halfway into my walk, I thought I'd show you the view. The hill looks deceptively gentle but is as steep as can be.

Can't forget the blue...from all sides these poppies are amazing.

Could this be Miss Ambrosia?

Wonderfully blue, wonderfully relaxing.

Finally, it is only a path lined by long grass, but to me it epitomizes summer, country life and feeling good. Often I walk along and let my hand skim the top of the long grass. A great way to stay grounded.

Biggi

A Monumental Breakthrough At Our First Barbeque Of The Season.

I married well...!

My folks came over for a BBQ and it was a smashing, great and fun afternoon. Of course there was a breakthrough of note before they arrived. In fact the first part of this occurrence happened while Bob's parents were here last month.

During their stay we had organized a potjiekos / Afrikaans for a pot of stew dangling over an open fire for hours at my parent's house and the men had volunteered to make it. You know, no woman worth her salt will ever volunteer for these outside culinary adventures of a husband's mind, as she knows who'll end up doing the work.

Bob had been deputized by his father while we ladies gave it our best effort to imitate those three clever monkeys ( we heard, saw and said nothing.) To make a long story short, most afternoon the following was heard:

" My Boy, just run and get me the: salt / tongs / knife / plate / beer / chair / napkin. "

Poor Bob had been expecting an afternoon of leisurely parking off next to the fire, perhaps stirring the pot a bit now and then while in reality he spent a few hours on the trot...That night he admitted to me that he finally saw our point of view with the whole Men offering to make dinner in the guise of a BBQ while we had to do all the running about... At the time I wondered how long Bob would remember this!

Yesterday, a half hour before we were expecting our guests to arrive, Bob was busy getting the fire going while I was organizing the table. Our table is next to the barn and involves a return trip of about 50 meters from our kitchen. One thinks ahead! On my third trip I was returning to kitchen when I heard my beloved holler out:

" Honey, please can you get me some...oops, no, never mind I'll get it myself. I remember how it feels to be at the BBQ'ers beck and call. "

Oh, my goodness. I think I heard the celestial choir start up a Hallelujah. What had happened to my husband? Usually he'd have sent me on at least 5 return trips for arbitrary stuff ( beer and so forth ) but now, he was the one running around and even filling up my wine glass in between.

What a man, my man...I married very very well indeed!

Bob's the man...isn't our recycled washing machine ideal?

Biggi

A Picturesque Saturday In Burgenland.

It's summer despite not being summer yet.

Red roses dotted beautifully around the emerald green rows of vines. A visual feast.

Not to be outdone, these yellow roses almost steal the scene.

Doesn't this image make you want to walk in a field, sit under a tree, pick a bunch of flowers or just imbibe the magic of nature?

A red poppy gracing the view toward a Deutsch Schützen vineyards.

Gosh, a mere ten meters further I heard the most delightful tweeting from this blackbird. Amazingly enough he stayed to pose. He knew I wouldn't climb this tree.

There is one special soul keeping this war memorial beautiful. Each time I walk or drive past it catches my attention.

Eisenberg...tickles me pink!

A yellow diva holding the stage...an epitome of summer, don't you think?

Biggi

A Public Holiday On A Thursday Can Only Mean A Long Weekend.

Are companies still open?

Schools are closed today and even though the shops are open, I won't speculate on the state of offices and official places. I wouldn't have wanted to be on the road out of Vienna on Wednesday afternoon, as it must have been chaotic. On most normal weekends, a lot of commuters return home ( eg. Burgenland ) and one can imagine how crowded the roads leading out of Vienna must be at the start of a four day long weekend.

Most of our villagers also do a weekly commute and only get to spend weekdays ( Monday to Friday ) at home whilst on holiday or on a public holiday. It boggles the mind to think that often over a work life spanning 40 odd years, most have never spent a week at home apart from the above exceptions. A foot in both worlds and a case of never the twain shall meet as life is always lived for the other place.

The weather is gorgeous today and many holiday makers can be spotted around our village. It's the mode of transport that helps one distinguish. Cars with foreign number plates ( foreign such as Vienna W, Linz L or Graz G ), bikes or running shoes. Coming here for a short holiday is refreshing for city folk...the wine is fabulous, plentiful and affordable, the roads are bereft of traffic, opportunities to exercise ubiquitous, locals are laid back and the complexities of big city life are nowhere in sight.

Often a few days of living la dolce vita in Eisenberg is enough to unwind, relax, unload and for some lucky ones also enough time to realize that this lifestyle should and more importantly, could be permanent.

Biggi

A Bit Of A Safari This Morning.

The usual suspects.

With the sun already up and beaming there was little choice but to walk early. No, it is a privilege to go for a walk and the earlier the better. Apart from wildlife not much is astir at this hour ( just after six ) and the divine solitude of walking is exponentially so.

As a creature of habit I tend to choose the same route and yet each time I do I see something new. Walking the same route takes the brakes off thoughts and lets them fly to the proverbial moon and back. No need to mind your step nor the P's & Q's. Just divine.

Around the corner from the Schützenhof is a small stretch of trees complete with bushes, undergrowth and wildlife. Once I saw a little kitten scanter out of it but until today not much else. I heard it first and in fact the sound made me stop and for a moment contemplate turning back. A buck was roaring like a lion. Well, at least like an angry hound. Loud, ugly and never ending.

Clearly he was angry or perhaps randy. Both sides of the road are forested and as I quickly walked on, I heard rustling on the other side. Oh dear, a deer was listening, and goodness me, responding. When the buck heard my footsteps, he jumped out from the cover of the forest and luckily for me, not toward me. I must say, the braying of a donkey sounds nicer than a buck's roar.

People pay a lot of money to see wildlife and here I can simply stumble over it at my leisure. Life has an adventurous side attached to it, when one takes the time to be a part of it. As for the safari, hopefully the next animal I see will be a little lamb being born into the flock of sheep that mow some of the vineyards.

You can just see the buck hopping there in front of the house.

Biggi

And Then The Rain Came.

Two mornings in a row when the clouds burst.

Firstly, nobody is complaining about this big amount of rain. Rain has been rather scarce recently and if the weather forecast predicted rain for our region, the celestial umbrellas were opened over our area. Everywhere but here seemed to be the credo.

Well, yesterday it rained so much that by nine o'clock in the morning the roads were awash. Driving back from St. Kathrein the car dispersed many puddles and almost aquaplaned on the road. The rain kept falling and it felt more like autumn than summer. Perfect reading weather indeed one would think...

By lunchtime the blue peeped through and at two o'clock we had perfect summer weather again. Apart from the barrels of rainwater in our garden, nothing gave witness to it having rained. One day split into two different halves. Sadly, the sunny weather was detrimental to the bees as the lawnmowers could be heard in the neighbourhood, lawns being manicured for the weekend tourists.

Does anyone ever consider that tourists might actually enjoy seeing a normal, wild flower populated lawn? Let's be honest, those don't exist in urban suburbs anymore. A rural safari, just like when we were children... sounds rather enticing.

Early this morning the day hadn't made up its mind as to what it would do. The pendulum could have easily gone to sunny and nice but rather chose the rainy and miserable side. Perhaps it will be a repeat of yesterday but if not, a day of rain is not bad either. If I don't have to be outside in it, the sound of heavy raindrops falling on the roof is extremely soothing and much better than the raindrops falling on my head...

Biggi

Who Needs A Rolex When You Have A Cat?

Cats do surprise one constantly.

As you know we've, while intoxicated with the new-kitten-parent syndrome, mistakenly set the feeding time for our princess at six bells. Morning and evening. Madness in winter for sure when it's still dark outside.

Recently, Bob has taken to also giving our Tigger ( who is permanently out on our ledge ) a serving of extra food at the same time. Rather funny to see the two cats colluding on the issue of time keeping or rather the issue of reminding Bob about it.

For good measure our Mausi reclines regally on the couch facing Bob ( he who is glued to his computer at that time ) and doing her best to catch his eye. Well, should that fail she lets out a series of heart wrenching meouws, feigning hunger. Usually the computer wins and that means a different tactic...she gets up, and jumps gracefully on the back of my couch and walks onto the computer desk, specifically the keyboard ( not stupid is she? )

" Oh hello love! Gosh is it so late already?

this morning she timed this interlude to the second. The news was counting down and as six struck so did she.

Yesterday I saw another amazing cat awaiting the arrival of his mummy, a school girl who more or less comes home at the same time each day. I was waiting to do an extra lesson when I saw him sprint across the road, meouwing with happiness and resembling more a canine than a feline. Too cute indeed and it goes to show that cats do make fabulous pets.

Forget about buying a fancy watch...just go to your local pound / SPCA and give a lonely cat a place in your heart and hearth.

Biggi

A Sunday Filled With Knives And Forks.

...only in Eisenberg of course.

Luckily it only happens once a year and yesterday was it. The annual Frühschoppen of the local volunteer fire department was held and as a wife of one of these dashing firemen, I volunteered to help out. On the principal of last one in gets the yummy jobs, I was busy putting the shine back into the knives and forks. Or to put it more correctly, I was the designated dishwasher minus the dishes. Knives, forks and coffee cups were my metier.

It doesn't sound so bad on paper but when I turned around to purvey the field ( tables filled with hungry customers intend on eating with knives and fork! ) the numbers mount. To me it felt like I washed thousands but perhaps five hundred each is more like it. Roughly three hours non stop fun which I came prepared for like a pro. No, on the contrary, this was my third time...

Yellow washing up gloves which thankfully stopped me from morphing into an amphibious creature. Don't take my moaning too seriously as my little job made me part of the team and there were many team members who had to do worse jobs for the day.

The first hour of my shift was not very busy as the Schnitzels were still being ordered and so I could peruse the hall and the various groups in it. One man had the air of a politician about him. Perhaps it was his smart suit and tie where everyone else of import was dressed in the brown uniforms or it might have been his habit of walking through the isle waving a greeting left, right and center but not really stopping to chat. Quite an art form to please the masses and surely exhausting as well.

Again, standing there at my sink and at times looking at this never ending heap of cutlery blinking up at me through the break in the suds, it made me thankful that I don't have to do this full time.

Well, at the end of our shift, Bob and I sat and had a nice Schnitzel with potato salad, cabbage salad and tasty rice...of course eaten with a freshly washed set of knives and forks and complemented with a cold beer!

Biggi

The Delightful Nuances Of The English Language.

Fascinating beyond measure.

Rare word endings...-gry
can you believe that there are only two? hungry and angry.

Counterfeit
once meant a legitimate copy.

Manufacture
once donated something made by hand, derived from the Latin root of hand.

Asparagus
a term created due to mishearing and thus spelling it wrong roughly 200 years ago. It was meant to be sparrow-grass.

Bolted
two meanings: bolted a door / the horse has bolted

R.S.V.P.
lent from the French language and not even used there anymore. If like me you forgot what it really stands for...repondez s'il vous plait.

Mayday
adapted from the French cry of " m'aider " , meaning " help me "

Exception proves the rule
only makes sense when you realize that the earlier meaning of prove was to test.

Many
always a plural except when followed by an a...Many people were there but many a man was there.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.

Biggi

Too Good To Pass Up Nature.

Another gentle Saturday in Burgenland.

Romance, mystery and simplicity. An image to spurn most imaginations.

A red rose cloaked in leaves. At the moment our bit of paradise could double as a florist's.

This rabbit ( or hare? ) posed too beautifully for me..." I hope she gets my good side! "

Amazingly these rabbits often only notice me when I am almost upon them. This one finally did a runner, and I wish I could look as graceful running.

Another house among vines. Just imagine how divine that first cup of coffee would taste, sitting and overlooking the vineyards.

Sad to think that in a few weeks the petals will have dropped.

Biggi

Distinct Sounds Of A Village Afternoon Heading Towards Evening.

Pair them with summer, and they become a sheer pleasure.

When Bob went to mow the lawn, I decided to join him and keep him a bit of company. Many repeated offers or should I call them requests to show me how to mow the various lawns seem to keep on falling on deaf ears. Goodness, how hard can it be when I see many a grandmother pushing the mower gracefully about? I've come to the conclusion that Bob loves to do the mowing business, as it does entail a symmetry which appeals to my man. Truth be told, it's much more fun for me to sit and read my book and wave at Bob when he passes me by.

Anyway, there I was sitting reading outside on a picture perfect end of a day. Blue skies with a few white vapour trails, green trees, ripening cherries, birds exchanging the news of the day and the distinct motor of a lawnmower. The perfume that permeated all around me had a magic all of its own. Cut grass, is there anything nicer? ( Even the Bodyshop used to have a similar scent on offer ).

Once or twice I went to stand closer to Bob when he stopped the mower to empty the grass container and that's when I heard the cheerful sound a bus load of tourists made while visiting a local Buschenschank. For some reason I think that they were Bavarians... I could hear someone singing beer tent ditties with gusto, happy conviction and slightly off key.

A big party was on the go and about half an hour later I noticed a local car circling ever so carefully until a parking space was found. Of course everyone knows everyone else's car and the guy in question is a ubiquitous party goer...I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was invited.

That is the beauty of small village life, one gets the time to sit and enjoy life, spending time with family and learn to appreciate something as simple as a late summer's afternoon for what it is....a present.

Simplicity can be beautiful.

Biggi

A Poppy-lar Thursday In Eisenberg.

Don't they look amazing?

I wish you could have heard the buzzing going on. Bees as far as the eye could see. A most relaxing spot atop the vineyards.

Depth and perception on so many levels. Simplicity is beauty.

Mustn't forget the daisies alongside the row of poppies. A whole bank in fact and the perfect spot to recharge the mind and soul.

A happy mingling of wildflowers. While I was taking these photos, the chortling of a tractor was the on the periphery, and somehow it enhanced the whole experience of standing amid this splendour.

There is always the one...a daisy pretending to do a selfie...

A cloak of mystery around the local poppies...

Biggi

Beautiful Nature.

The essential to life...

This one is for the wonderful colour combination and good for my soul.

This stately bird of prey was almost waiting for me to take a few snaps, as when I had finished the second photo, it took off to loftier heights...or to catch a mouse or two.

Gosh, you almost want to tie a yellow ribbon around this tree....

A seemingly wild rose growing on the edge of a vineyard. I love walking and seeing the various elements that make up our area. Vines, Kellerstöckls, flowers and many paths.

We met a dog and his owner along the way and it afforded me the time to take in the view and to show it to you. Green pastures covered in wildflowers, forests as far as the eye can see and of course the blue sky.

Another favourite of mine. The distinct barns scattered about the neighbourhood. This one is unused, but has seen many episodes of someone's life. If only walls could talk.

Biggi

A Nice And Typical Tuesday In The Village.

Tuesdays and Fridays are Vampire days.

It wasn't me that coined the phrase but one of the men who I at times ferry about. Each Tuesday and Friday the local doctor's rooms are packed to the rafters as blood tests are done. Or rather blood is taken to ensure that the chronic medication given is properly dosed. Another reason why our two doctors are revered by their peers all over Burgenland and beyond. They are so thorough and meticulous in solving the body's mysteries.

This morning I had an appointment to fetch a couple in order to drive them to the doctor's. Their appointment was for 8 am and I was there at 7.55 sharp...shoddy timekeeping is a red flag to most retired folks. Once, a few years back I was two minutes late and the lady in question phoned my cellphone three times and gave me a blasting when I got there literally a few minutes late. Lesson learned.

We were there at eight sharp and as it turns out so where many others and he had to wait a bit for his turn. By now most villagers know my car and me in it while I sit in front of the doctor's rooms waiting. Today was special because one of the local lasses ( who had wheeled her own mum there to participate in vampire day ) spotted me and came out to chat for a minute. Village life is priceless.

After I had dropped the husband off for his appointment, his wife and carer asked me to drive them to the local village shop. Shopping instead of waiting wasn't a bad idea and when they went into Wachter's, I ran across the road to see my folks for a few minutes.

Eventually I had collected everyone from the various village institutions and driven them back home. They invited me in for a coffee and a chat. As with most conversations, it turned to food or maybe that is just our family's main interest! They told me of a nice restaurant in Deutsch Tschantschendorf which serves a divine buffet most Sundays. When they started to list the individual dishes there, I started to get hungry.

Hungry enough to stop at Wachter's on my way home to buy some freshly baked rolls. Even that was enjoyable as it gave me a chance to greet a few villagers and shoot the breeze with them. You know, meeting people in a village is not that difficult yet, surprisingly, everyone keeps to themselves.

Biggi

Happiness, Don't Underestimate It.

A nice way to start the week.

" Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. "
Jim Rohn

" The secret to happiness is freedom...And the secret to freedom is courage..."
Thucydides

" Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. "
Nathaniel Hawthorne

" If you want to be happy, be. "
Leo Tolstoy

" The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts: therefore guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. "
Marcus Aurelius

" Happiness depends upon ourselves. "
Aristotle

" Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul. "
Democritus

" Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be. "
Abraham Lincoln

" There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. "
Epictetus

Biggi

The Vagaries Of Rural Bliss.

A high-bed fit for felines.

Bob and his dad laboured for days to create the perfect high bed in our front yard. Even as we speak there are the green shoots of future one pot wonders popping through the soil in the various green shapes. Both Bob and I are equally nebulous on final outcomes.

" Schatzi, what is this going to be? "
" Eh, let's be surprised. "

at least we are sure the many shoots aren't weeds.

Yesterday we braved the garden center and I purposely used the word braved, as the signs of irritation were there before the start...no parking, all the shopping trolleys in use and barely room to move around the spacious isles. But, Bob wanted tomatoes and I couldn't believe it when he queued up as gentle as a lamb even eschewing my offer to ditch the trolley and come back some other time. Just goes to show that when men want something, patience becomes their virtue.

We finally purchased a whole selection of tomatoes, chillies and herbs which has my taste buds watering already thinking of the many colourful salads I'll be making. Well, there is just a little fly in the ointment or rather a stubborn member of our family!

Divine Tiggi ( our first introduction to the wonderful feline world ) might look demure when sitting there with her tongue between her fangs, but she has developed taste and style.

Tiggi has had a front row seat watching the two men create this strange contraption in her garden. With each progressive day she must have thought herself more and more regal. A throne was being built right in front of her eyes and the fact that it was being built atop her former loo, didn't worry her overly much. Why should it when our garden, her realm is trump, oh sorry, huge.

Cunningly, she only perches on or rather in this throne, a.k.a, a high bed, when Bob's not looking. Glancing out the window yesterday afternoon I almost burst out laughing. There she was, reclining comfortably amid the mystery vegetation, soaking up the sunshine and being happy with the world. Bob, when I told him, nearly had a hernia and tasked me with " de-throning" our feline queen.

Easier said than done...it must be the most comfortable place to view the world with one eye open while a meter off the ground, closer to the tweeting birds and right bang in the middle of a smorgasbord of delectables.

Biggi

The colours would lure me too.

They've really done a fabulous job with this high bed. Can't wait to grow our vegetables....

The top right hand corner is favoured by Princess Tiggi.

Confirmation Everywhere...

A rather industrious undertaking.

Wherever I look these days, somebody is getting confirmed. A big deal to the kids and often a bigger deal to the parents. Not so much the spiritual aspect but rather the logistical and aesthetic one.

Either way one approaches it, a confirmation is a big party. A party planned months in advance and rather reminiscent of a curtain call for a future wedding. Gosh, has it always been so intricate, showy and expensive?

A lot of the local children or should one call them young adults are being confirmed in May. Teachers have even changed the date of exams in order for the students to prepare for confirmation. Parents are organizing the difficult part of inviting people. Won't do to forget aunt Dotty or a neighbour as it could raise that green eyed monster tout de suite. Table arrangements, catering and special outfits do remind one of weddings.

Why does one confirms? Confirmation is a final step to belong to the faith your church provides. Suddenly teenagers are fully fledged member of their congregation and it is a good thing to belong somewhere in this uncertain world.

Apart from the ten commandments there are also a few common sense ideas that should be part of life after the confirmation. Things like being kind, being respectful of parents, being forgiving, being thoughtful, being helpful to those who are less fortunate and trying to be a good person.

Somehow I do fear that all those sentiments being rehearsed and learned in order to get confirmed might fall by the wayside rather quickly. The actual party will be immortalized with the help of Facebook, the presents will be enjoyed, counted and spent but only a few young adults will apply those pointers from the clergy and alas, the rest will resume life as before...

Biggi

A Few Quotes.

...someone else said it first...

" Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind. "
William Shakespeare

" Give thy thoughts no tongue. "
William Shakespeare

" Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters. "
Albert Einstein

" Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. "
Oscar Wilde

" If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "
Oscar Wilde

" My wife can't cook at all. She made a chocolate mousse. An antler got stuck in my throat. "
Rodney Dangerfield

" Fettucini alfredo is macaroni and cheese for adults. "
Mitch Hedberg

" If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. "
Mark Twain

" Cricket is basically baseball on valium. "
Robin Williams

Biggi

Walking, A Frivolous Pastime?

Living in a village does require a strong backbone...

Everyone in our village knows that I walk at the drop of a hat, snowflake or raindrop and they've somehow written me off as a bit batty. Fair enough yet I do see the envious glances of those who perhaps would like to join me on my meanderings.

For a while now, I have been walking with a friend to help her overcome a bout malaise due to various stresses ( happily sanctioned by her doctor ) and even I am surprised at how she has taken to walking. When I first suggested for her to come along for a walk to banish the odd doldrums, I thought she'd chicken out but she has taken to walking like a duck to water. More importantly, she is feeling better in body and mind.

On Tuesday we ran into an elderly and dare I say, slightly cantankerous villager who demanded to know;

" Don't you have any work to do?

as he views walking as a frivolous activity which should be stopped to work on house and home. Well used to these sarcastic conversation stoppers ( no fun sticking around for a chat, is there? ), I forgot his comment the minute he'd uttered it.

As they say, the plot thickened because yesterday my friend told me how she'd done a thorough spring clean the minute she got home from our walk and when I asked her if it had anything to do with the former exchange, she guiltily nodded her head.

Isn't it amazing how we gear our lives to the odd hecklers even though we know we are living our life in a genuine way? In my friend's case, walking is for medicinal reasons with the added bonus of enjoying it thrown in yet she still felt she had to justify her going for walks.

The irony of it all is that today there will be a talk given in the village hall by a nutritionist on the ever popular and perennial topic of losing weight...! The hall will be packed but the roads will be devoid of walkers regardless...

Biggi

Handwriting Experts.

A spark of interest is lit.

A few of the kids that I help with English happened to have been in the same class at the local village school. In fact, they've been together since Kindergarten days and tend to know each other jolly well.

This year they've gone their separate ways depending on which school their parents have chosen for them. The first few years of the English language ( or as they call it, the torture ) is the same in most schools and thus I have study aids that I use for all of them. Sometimes they write in the book itself and sometimes not.

Vocabulary test involve a lot of writing on their part as I make them write an unknown verb at least three times. Moans galore I tell you and in the beginning I tended to fall for that old excuse of:

" I know the verb and don't need to write it down. "

No more!

Scrap paper to write on is often not there so I have an exercise block that I take along. Whilst looking for an unused page the kids often see each other's handwriting and of course instantly want to know how so and so is doing...

Not wanting to divulge anyone's business I have to side step many a youthful demand of:

" Is he / she better than me? / Does he / she have to learn the same stuff? / How can you read that handwriting ? "

The last one is a bit rich indeed, as the only reason they mention it, is the fact that they can't copy the answers from the study aids. Don't worry, I do make them use either a humble pencil
( which is so old fashioned they don't like to use it ) or a space age pen. To my mind at least, as it writes like a ball point pen yet it can be rubbed out like a pencil. Rather expensive yet, to keep up with the Jones' I splashed out and bought three of these pens.

The only problem is that it takes double the time to rub out the answers from the study aids and often the feint outline is visible...luckily for me only of the unreadable handwriting.

Biggi

Colourful Eisenberg.

A brightness that even transcends an overcast day.

Ironic how these flowers only bloom once a year and with pulchritude yet when they don't, they are just a bunch of long blades of grass wilting in the hot sun.

A weed to some, a beautiful flower to me.

All that's needed is a glass of wine to sit and imbibe the view. Let's not forget to enjoy life...we only have the one.

It's poppy time again. Lovely to see the side of the lanes spotted with these red sirens.

I did say that Eisenberg is steeped in colour...the man of the yard.

What a fantastic silken looking petal. Nature, awesome and amazing.

Last but not least...we are getting new neighbours and seeing the red arm of a crane frame the view was to good not to record.

Biggi

The Simple Things In Life Tend To Be The Nicest.

Our long walk.

As you saw in yesterday's blog post, the Bobster and I went on a mammoth walk. Well, for us at least. With cunning and ingenuity he planned every step ahead of time and luckily I only became aware of his route along it, as there were rather a lot of uphills back to back. Even he got wary of them.

Walking, one of life's pleasures is so easy and cost nothing except the will to get out of bed. Sunday mornings don't see many villagers out and about, unless they are returning from the joys of Saturday night. The whole time of our walk we weren't met by any other walker, runner or cyclist. Where were they?

We did encounter the odd car and managed to jump to the correct side of the road. Oncoming traffic and so on yet, one woman gave us the evil eye while skimming past us at great speed. Either for daring to be in the road or for daring to make her feel guilty for not walking herself.

Walking together is a nice way to catch up as there aren't any distractions about. It gave us a chance to reflect on the history of our area and at times we both wondered if and who has walked this way before. Romans, soldiers, farmers or children on their way to school back in the days when there wasn't public transport.

How often does one get a chance to actually look at the path we tread? Aren't we usually so busy engaging with folks on all corners of the world ( despite knowing we might never meet them we put all our effort in to try and impress them...a touch of insanity? ) Bob and I noticed the leaves of the trees, the rustling of the leaves, the slightly hidden pond along a road we've driven on many a time, the sound of chickens and how nice some of the gardens looked.

I'll add the link of a video the Südburgenland tourism office took of this wonderful part of the world and then you will understand why I am so addicted to walking in and among it...

Biggi

Eisenberg-2-Eisenberg Via Badersdorf, Kohfidisch & Csaterberg.

A delightful walk in rural bliss.

A mere two weeks ago we took the folks for a drive and while we were sightseeing from the comfort of our car, Bob announced his plan to walk this route. Well, today was the day and we set off at 6.30 am.

Bob hasn't walked for a while and I honestly thought he wouldn't do it, but I stand corrected.

Aren't they cute? Just outside of Badersdorf is a deer sanctuary and they were the only witnesses to our long walk.

Next village and we weren't even halfway. We walked from our house past Eisenberg Weinberg, took the Badersdorf road through the forest and the little lane alongside the forest to Kohfidisch. Wonderful scenery.

Fast forward a few hills and suddenly we were in Csaterberg. A magical place filled with Kellerstöckls.

Bob knew our route perfectly but just in case I took the phone with us...although, I am not so sure that anyone would have been happy to fetch us this early on a Sunday morning.

Nice, isn't it? Almost like a little gingerbread house.

The latter part of our walk was through the forest. About 3-4 kilometers in fact. Definitely the road less traveled. At the moment the forests are abundant in green hues, clean air and plenty of wildlife.

I was thankful to see this bit of emerald green peeping through at the top of the picture. Our house is a mere 800 meters away.

Bob had planned this route carefully and measured it beforehand on Google...15,5 km and it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Biggi