A Bookish Saturday At Home.

Again, for the love of reading...

" So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your tv-set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall. "
Roald Dahl

" Think before you speak. Read before you think. "
Fran Lebowitz

" Reading one book is like eating one potato chip. "
Diane Duane

" Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life. "
Fernando Pessoa

" We are of the opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read. "
Jules Verne

" Wear the old coat and buy the new book. "
Austin Phelps

" I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library. "
Jorge Luis Borges

" Reading is the basic tool in living a good life. "
Mortimer J. Adler

" I am old-fashioned and think that reading books is the most glorious pastime that humankind has yet devised. "
Wislawa Szymborska

" A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies...The man who never reads leads only one. "
George R.R. Martin

Biggi

A Divinely Colourful Friday Morning In Burgenland.

Most beauty is found early in the morning...

I was walking this way by pure chance as I had heard a some tree felling happening on my usual route. Wouldn't do to have a log fall atop of me. But what a stunning reward nature has provided. Colours to gladden the heart.

A vista rather unique to rural Burgenland. Open spaces and plays of light.

A restive season for the vines...time to devour last year's vintages.

Straw bales dotting the landscape and I have to say, from a distance they did look like a parked car!

Again a church spire is peaking out behind a bunch of trees. One can almost smell the snow that is supposed to visit us next week. A special air prepares the way...

Biggi

When Your Husband Cooks, Go To Another Room.

Learning to be quiet...

How often do we yearn to drop tools for a few meals at least and let the men of the house take over. Yes, let them cook meals and see how much effort it takes...or doesn't. A dream come true when husband announces that he will make a soup, curry or batch of biscuits.

One would think that, wouldn't one? Well, Bob decided earlier to make a batch of vegetable soup. One he has made a few times and one that always tasted top notch and this one did too. But the fly in the ointment was that I was sitting at the kitchen table working on the computer while he was slicing and dicing a mere meter behind me.

It was the slicing and dicing that made me commit the ultimate no-no. The sound of anything being cut on the wooden board is almost ingrained in us so it was with some surprise that I heard the process of cutting taking place atop one of our dinner plates and with our bread knife too!

Oh, I shouldn't have said anything, but in the heat of the moment I jumped up and fetched the wooden board and an even sharper knife ( Bob likes our bread knife for some reason ). Naturally, the whole process was accompanied a few words of eh, wifely wisdom!

Well, I know now not to interfere and quite right he was for telling me off. Instead of being happy to have some time out, I was busy trying to shoo a fledgling and perhaps more than part time chef out of the kitchen with my nagging. How stupid can one get? But, I venture to bet that I am not the only wife trying to give helpful hints ( ie. orders of how we want things done ) to an overwhelmed husband. Suffice to say, that from now on I will sit in another room, put in earplugs and sweetly await whatever Bob has created in the kitchen...

Biggi

The Comfort Of The Known.

At home in Hofer.

Bob got back today and I went to pick him up from the bus stop in Pinggau. A long trip-in Eisenberg terms-of about 40 km each way. Yikes, to the end of Burgenland and the beginning of Steiermark.

When we drove there last week in order for Bob to catch the bus to the airport, Bob repeatedly pointed out which way I should take and to please take note of it. I dare say that he was a bit concerned in case I would lose my way and he would be stuck in Pinggau on his return! Honestly though, one can hardly get lost as it is a more or less along a straight road all the way.

Naturally I was early but had planned it like that. Last week I had espied a branch of Hofer / Aldi on the outskirts of Pinkafeld and as it is only place that sells divine soy milk ( tastes amazing in coffees or teas ), I wanted to buy up their stock. Oh yes, more often than not most of the branches are sold out.

The moment I entered the store I felt at home. Strange how the fact that everything was similar to our one in Oberwart made me feel comforted and at home. The outside world ceased to exist as I meandered along the isles. For a moment I even forgot that I was in Pinkafeld. Brilliant.

Luckily for Bob, I found my way to the bus stop and only had to wait half an hour for his bus to arrive. Being encased in a warm car while watching traffic flow all around me was rather nice. Personally, I think there is nothing nicer than to watch people go about their daily activities and colour in a mental image of what their life might be like...

Biggi

An Overcast And Tad Bit Cold Day.

Nothing to complain about as it is the end of November after all!

The type of weather that lends itself perfectly to recline on a sofa with book in one hand, cat on one's lap and tea in the other. Fog has settled over our area and seems to like it so much here that it has yet to show any inclination to depart.

Cooking comes a close second when its grey and damp outside. Be it a lovely porridge for breakfast, a hearty winter soup for lunch or some delicious dinner dish. Why shouldn't we enjoy a miserable day as much as a sunny one? These are the times that give us a mental absolution that buying an elaborate warm jacket was worth it and not a mere fashion must have.

Last week I bought two balls of wool ( well, not wool but rather an acrylic replica. Bit of a conundrum how to purchase knitting supplies ) and knitted a long scarf. Knitting scarves are a perfect foil for watching television. No counting rows or stitches required and even knitting without adequate light is fine.

Wearing said scarf is a pleasure and warm as toast. As I chose beautiful pale blue colours, I feel quite spiffy wearing it. Not bad for two euros worth of yarn. Must get some more of it and knit one for Bob.

Not so easy trying to do a ' selfie ' with an ordinary camera. Also, knew that a flash would go off so I tried my hardest not to blink, plus, arms not long enough! Anyway, happy with my scarf.

Biggi

A Royal Monday.

History has many fascinations.

" The most important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them. "
Queen Victoria ( 1819-1901 )

" Bring me a cup of tea and the 'Times'. "
Queen Victoria ( 1819-1901 )

" We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection.
With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock. "
Queen Elizabeth II ( 1926- )

" One not only drinks the wine, one smells it, observes it,
sips it and one-talks about it. "
Edward VII ( 1841-1910 )

" You can tell when you have crossed the frontier into Germany
because of the badness of the coffee."
Edward VII ( 1841-1910 )

" Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy. "
George IV ( 1762-1830 )

" My father was frightened of his mother. I was frightened of my father and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me. "
George V ( 1865-1936 )

" I do not rule Russia. 10 000 clerks do. "
Nicholas II of Russia ( 1868-1918 )

" It is my great desire to reform my subjects, and yet I am ashamed to confess that I am unable to reform myself. "
Peter The Great ( 1672-1725 )

" You are in a mood to quarrel.
Please inform me once the inclination has passed. "
Cathrine The Great (1729-1796 )

Biggi

Second Hand, The New Norm.

Good on so many levels.

The other day I was at the local shopping center and took a turn about one of the ubiquitous cheap clothing chains. They carry the identical stock in every town they preside in and no wonder most people one encounters look like sheep, dressed alike. Finding boutique style shops is jolly difficult unless one is a size zero adorned with money.

I get it, shopping when clothes are made in all sizes and are so inexpensive as to cost less than the price of a Schnitzel, makes saying no and turning one's back on it rather difficult. If not impossible in today's climate. Was there ever a time when we were such a public commodity? A sort of public viewing 24 hours a day.

Comes in the genre - second hand clothes - and a whole new way of looking at life. Second hand clothes are at least one season old if not more which makes it rather trendy again as no one else will wear it! Strange logic, I know. Clothes that have been around the block so to speak, are more robust, sturdy and far too precious to be thrown on the dump.

The true magic of anything second hand is that it represents a mindset of saving;

• Saving an item from needlessly being thrown away after all the resources it took to make it.
• Saving the resources to make a new item which would have been bought instead.
• Saving a lot of money because second hand is that much cheaper.

So, after resisting the lure cast out by the various fashion chains and emporiums in Oberwart I stopped on the way home at the newly created Second Hand Shop, Schatzgrube, in Grosspetersdorf and managed to find a pale blue jersey for 5 euros. A steal that looks good and makes me feel good for all the above reasons...

Each one of us can make a difference if not all the time, at least some of the time!

Biggi

Feline Love Goes Through The Stomach.

A caring neighbourhood.

As you know our former feral tomcat who dines with us most evenings is also accustomed to lunching down the road at one of our neighbours. We found out our shared feline enthusiasm purely by chance but honestly, both of us should have seen the evidence! He is portly to say the least. Clearly not from chasing mice!

Our neighbour's beloved cat has taken a liking to our ( we now call him ' Sunny Boy ' ) and even goes so far as leaving half her food, stepping aside and watching while he eats it. True love goes through the stomach even for cats. Once a week, as I have just found out when my friend phoned me, her cat gets a helping of fresh chicken livers which she in turn shares with Sunny Boy.

My friend phoned and wanted help with the problem that faced her. Her cat had left half a plate of livers but Sunny Boy is nowhere in sight ( of course not, as he is waiting to be fed here ) and it is too cold to leave the door ajar for when he decides to saunter over after dinner! Well, I said to her, it is time to show a bit of tough love and set parental boundries. Put the dish outside the door, lock it and let him eat it later on.

She was more worried about upsetting her cat but in the end we both agreed on tough love being the best. The left over livers are now cooling off outside her front door, Sunny Boy is still waiting for me to feed him, and hopefully, next time liver is on the menu he will have some manners and arrive on time...oh, what one does for the love of animals.

Biggi

A Few More Words Of Wisdom.

The Scandinavian way.

" Life can only be understood backwards;
but it can only be lived forwards. "
Soren Kierkegaard ( 1813-1855 )

" Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts. "
Soren Kierkegaard ( 1813-1855 )

" Life is the most wonderful fairy tale. "
Hans Christian Andersen ( 1805-1875 )

" Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever. "
Karen Blixen ( 1885-1962 ) )

" A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed. "
Henrik Ipsen ( 1828-1906 )

" Hollywood is loneliness besides the swimming pool. "
Liv Ullmann ( 1938- )

" Home life ceases to be free and beautiful
as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt. "
Henrik Ibsen ( 1828-1906 )

" God made the world round so that
we would never be able to see too far down the road. "
Karen Blixen ( 1885-1962 )

Biggi

Feline Entertainment.

A marathon of effort and dexterity.

As all ikey things, this one happened rather early in the morning yet late enough for Bob to have already left for work. He was in the clear, not having to report for ikey-duty.

As with all things this one also involved our little darling, Maus. First I heard an almighty ruckus from the back room and next I saw her strutting to the vestibule with an air of pride. What now? Thankfully I followed her - up to a point - and was just in time to see her drop a live mouse on the floor, ready to start playing the infamous cat & mouse game.

This wasn't my first mouse, so I didn't scream like a girl and jump up on our couch, but nonetheless, I chose my path wisely. Of course, by the time I returned with a container suitable to catch and transport this mouse outside, it had used its head and run for the bedroom, knowing full and well that Maus couldn't fit under the wardrobe.

Well, it has been a day and a bit of mouse hunting in our house with nary an end in sight. Our cat is a super trooper and keeps avid watch at all those places where she hears or has heard the footfall of tiny claws. As she is only eh, human, she does have bouts of hunger and tiredness, which makes her take enough time out to make sure to nourish herself ( hard work indeed ) along with taking little catnaps to recharge her energy.. Life with a cat, can't beat it!

Biggi

The Art Of Cooking When You Short Of Ingredients.

The adventurous spirit raises its exciting head...

Is there anything nicer than looking at other people's creation and imagining that one attempt to copy it? Often one can taste it before even making it. The use of YouTube cooking tutorials is a great help as it brings the written words to life. And, it does look less complicated when action replaces theory.

Living in the sticks means that often I don't have this or that bit that most chefs deem necessary for their dish. All well and good if you live in a well stocked kitchen equipped with all the mod cons they tend to use to whip up this or that at the drop of a hat!

But anyway, this morning I did the rounds of YouTube cooking videos and found a dish that made me want to cook it straightaway. A sweet potato and red lentil curry. It looks easy enough to make and I have put it on tonight's menu. Nothing nicer than when Bob loves my cooking enough to lick the plate clean. Yes, that is top marks from him. Conversely, when he leaves bits behind, I know to cook it again when we have a tiff!!!

One of the ingredients I need is coconut cream and alas I don't have any which prompted me to enter our local village shop to look for a can. When I asked the owner if he had any, he looked at me in bewilderment and said; ' no '. Oh well, there could have been a can lurking in the corner somewhere. Never mind, tonight's run will be a trial and if it passes the lick-test, I shall get coconut cream on Friday.

Hold thumbs that my curry is going to turn out well. There are a couple more ingredients that I don't have but with a bit of imagination one can substitute lots of other things. Isn't that what makes cooking so exciting, creative and subjective?

Biggi

Happy Statistics.

A calculator with a difference.

Bob worked his numbers out yesterday and it got me thinking. Why shouldn't we share those numbers? They are truly awesome and mark such important facts. Apart from feeling fantastic we can also boast statistical evidence of our help to slow down climate change. There might be a few skeptics out there but, what if only half of it is true?!

Bob and I have been vegan / plant based since March 2018. The following numbers are per person, so that Bob and I collectively have saved double that!!!

• Liters of Water saved: 2,519,160 ( Two million five hundred and nineteen thousand and one hundred sixty liters )


• Square meters of forest saved: 1,694 ( One thousand six hundred and ninety four )


• Kilograms of grain saved: 10,951 ( Ten thousand nine hundred and fifty one )


• Kilograms of CO 2 saved: 5,506 ( Five thousand five hundred and six )


• Animal lives saved: 605 ( Six hundred and five )

You might not want to go vegan, but why not eat vegan one or two days a week? Try it, it is easier than you think...

Biggi

Some Thoughtful Quotes.

In memory of a cousin.

" Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'. "
Alfred Tennyson

" Well, everyone can master grief but he that has it. "
William Shakespeare

" If there ever comes a day where we can't be together,
keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever. "
A.A.Milne, Winnie The Pooh

" The song is ended, but the melody lingers on. "
Irving Berlin

" The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. "
Marcus Tullius Cicero

" It's not the length of life, but the depth of life. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

" Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them. "
George Eliot

" Mostly it's loss that teaches us about the worth of things. "
Arthur Schopenhauer

" The highest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude. "
Thornton Wilder

Biggi

The Ones That Got Away And Those That Didn't.

Another case of marvelous nature.

Bob and I were in the garden a moment ago when we heard them at first. A cacophony of yearning for the wild yonder perhaps? A flock of wild geese on the run. Fly before you fry. At the moment a collective madness of eating geese is happening. How sad to think that they take about a year to grow from chicks and then just take half an hour to devour....!

Our chayote tree ( it has grown so vast and this is just an outlier ) is being chopped down for the winter. These vegetables hanging off them are darn heavy so that just goes to show how strong a vine can be.

Bob is cutting everything away and is collecting the fruit of his labour on our lawn. To count it of course. So far only a quarter of the tree has been cut down to size. Guess what we're having for dinner?

Aren't these wild geese amazing? A perfect squad and a perfect flying formation egged along by frequent orders from the head goose. Or so I like to imagine it to be.

Nature is truly awesome. Only a mere six months ago Bob planted one of these chayote in our kitchen garden. How prolific and how abundant it has proven to be. For the last two months we have been doling out our chayote to all and sundry while eating them as well. Nature, I am in awe of you...

Biggi

A Leafy Suburb.

Eisenberg, what more can I say?

All around are stunning portraits arranged by nature although sadly they are often ignored if not destroyed by our collective mania for neatness.

Bearing up bravely under an onslaught of raindrops.

Each and every year a little bit of farmland transforms into an image worthy of having the stroke of a brush applied by an old master.

A mesmerizing green vortex beckons. A tree along the main road between our two Eisenbergs heralds the way with its marvelously crimson foliage.

There you go...nature lends a spot of colour to an otherwise grey and bland day thereby brightening anyone's mood.

This awesome maroon tree is stunning from whichever angle one looks. Who'd have thought that a mere lot of leaves could brighten one' day and mood?

Biggi

An Afternoon Of Raking.

Oh how time flies...

As nice as walnut trees are, they do have a few down sides once or twice a year. Yes, they love to shed their plumage and often are abetted by gusts of wind to scatter them nice and far. Never a nice and neat pile of leaves.

We've had a lot of rain lately and that translated to soaked and heavy leaves. As we've had two days of no rain I thought I would rake up the lot before tomorrow's expected rain. Not sure if I prefer raking dry or wet leaves but regardless, three hours of raking and carrying it was.

It was on the other side of the village at a friend's house that I was raking and even though it was jolly hard work, there were plenty of joyful moments in between. Firstly, raking anything is rather meditative and healing. And secondly, in our neck of the woods garden work, visible garden work that is, tends to be a magnet for friendly chats.

At least three different villagers stopped to admire my work, talk about the weather and general pleasantries. Nice. It gives a feeling of belonging. Plenty of slow drive-byes too but as I didn't have my glasses on, I couldn't recognize anyone but smiled nonetheless.

One daring chap actually stopped, wound down his window and shouted:

" Hey gorgeous, what are you doing? "

which normally I would have ignored but as it was my darling husband, I was thrilled that he noticed me and the raking I had done...

Biggi

Feeling Grateful.

A feeling of gratitude for the small things.

A moment ago I was wondering what to make for dinner and had the fortune to look at the various choices on offer in either fridge, freezer or cupboard. With so many option waiting to be picked I couldn't help but feel grateful.

Not so long ago we didn't have the luxury of choosing what to cook but had to cook what was there. Often just pasta and a can of tomatoes. Food which was filling but how much nicer to be able to enrich those dishes with other ingredients and perhaps even a starter too? How many take food for granted and never give it another thought apart from whether they liked it or not?

We have so many things to be grateful for, yet we tend to want what we don't have and shrug off what we have. Having more than a change of clothing is a luxury, having a roof over one's head is too. Does it have to be bigger and better than the infamous Jones' thereby leading us down a path of unhappiness and discontent with the perfectly adequate house we have?

Feeling grateful for what we have and being happy with it takes a whole lot of worry, stress and discontent out of our lives. More time can be spent with those things that are really important, such as family and friends. In our present climate of instant everything, it makes rather a refreshing change to be content with one's lot and not to have to compete with what is considered the latest must have, must visit and must be...

Biggi

A Missed Call.

The imagination abounds.

My old, let's call it analogue ( pre smartphone a.k.a. texting and phoning device ) phone has many uses. Pocket warmer, time keeper, alarm clock and occasional telephone. Like last night for example. I had been out in the afternoon and had taken my cell phone with me, like one should. But herein lies the problem. When I got home I left the phone in my bag which in turn was left in the front bedroom. Out of sight and out of mind.

Hours later, when we turned in for bed I took my phone out in order to set the alarm. Oh dear, a missed call. A local lass had phoned early evening and of course I didn't hear it ring. As I only noticed this missed call at ten o'clock, I couldn't return it until today.

Early this morning I told Bob about missing this lass's call and both of us started on a train of thought with three different options in regards for her reason for phoning us.

1. She wants me to help with the Christmas bazaar as she is one of the organizers.
2. She needs some help with computer stuff.
3. She wants us to help her cook vegan. Her husband was talking to us about it a while ago.

So there we were, speculating on why she phoned. Bob tended to go for option 1 while I was giddy with excitement about option 3. Off to work Bob went but it was still to early to return her call. When nine o 'clock beckoned I deemed it a polite time ( have you noticed how most people don't care what time of day or night they phone ) to phone her. Which I did, albeit with a bit of nervousness about perhaps being roped into lengthy craft preparations.

Weeeellll, how about that. When she answered my call and after I had explained to her my tardy return call and also asked her how I could be of help, she started to laugh ( with some embarrassment ) while telling me;

" Oh hi Biggi. Thanks for phoning back, but sorry, I pressed the wrong name in my address book. I hope you are well though? "

Oh, doesn't that just highlight both of our very lively, active and elaborate imaginations...

Biggi

Walking In The Rain.

Autumn pleasures.

The rain has shown a very tenacious streak lately. Rain and more of it has changed our rather dried out landscape into a moist and glistening one. Puddles are appearing, roads are topped by a layer of water and roofs have turned into water slides. The sound of water being turfed off the tarmac by wheels is omnipresent and rather nice to hear.

Walking when it rains isn't for everybody but that makes it all the more enjoyable to have roads, paths and byways to oneself. Blissful solitude only interrupted by a woodpecker knocking away, sheep noisily grazing in vineyards and the odd dog unfortunate enough to have been turfed out of a warm house doing a mediocre job at barking for protection.

The local geese have taken to huddling together outside on their meadow yet dwindling in numbers daily. Why can't they just flap their wings a bit harder and make a run for it? I can't tell you how often I have been tempted to cut a whole into the fence...

This latest bout of rain has tucked itself in for the next few days and why shouldn't it. It is a rite of the weather passage after all and many places in the world would be thrilled to have a week of rain.

The best part of a rainy week is of course the pleasure of witnessing it whilst looking up from reading a book...

Biggi

A Bit Of Humour To Start The Week Off.

For a bit of a laugh...

" If you think that women are the weaker sex, try pulling the blanket back to your side. "
Stuart Turner

" I tell you what always catches my eye. Short people with an umbrella. "
Gary Delaney

" I grew up with six brothers. That's how I learned to dance - waiting for the bathroom. "
Bob Hope

" Honolulu - it's got everything. Sand for the children, sun for the wife, sharks for the wife's mother. "
Ken Dodd

" I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder. "
Steven Wright

" I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes - and six months later you have to start all over again. "
Joan Rivers

" In those days the best painkiller was ice; it wasn't addictive and it was particularly effective if you poured some whiskey over it. "
George Burns

" Nothing spoils a good story like the arrival of an eyewitness. "
Mark Twain

" The shinbone is a device for finding furniture in the dark. "
Anonymous

Biggi

Gentle Sunday.

A bit more food for the soul...

" I love you the more in that I believe you had liked me for my own sake
and nothing else. "
John Keats

" There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart. "
Jane Austen

" The only journey is the one within. "
Rainer Maria Rilke

" There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle
or the mirror that reflects it. "
Edith Wharton

" Very little is needed to make a happy life;
it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. "
Marcus Aurelius

" When we are no longer able to change a situation -
we are challenged to change ourselves. "
Viktor E. Frankl

" If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you. "
A.A. Milne

" Every conquering temptation represents a new fund of moral energy.
Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before. "
William Butler Yeats

Biggi

Feline Telepathy.

The mental word has spread.

If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it. Only a few moments ago I happened to glance out the kitchen window expecting to see our feral boy sitting patiently underneath our car awaiting mummy to bring him food. Well, he was near the car but in a stance that clearly meant business. A defensive stance as only a feral boy could pull off.

Knowing that something must have upset him enough to strike the pose, I peeped out the lounge window expecting to find a big crow or some such sticking out their tongue at him. But no. Far from it. Another cat almost identical to him was in our yard, clearly on the hunt for the now infamous spread we provide.

Where do these cats find out about us? Clearly they must communicate in some way to help each other out. Winter is coming and I suspect that nature's buffet for felines has also dwindled. Birds are dwindling, mice are somehow outnumbered and with that the chances for feral cats to survive the upcoming winter are not that great unless they find their way into our yard!

As all the feral trespassers seem to have been male, it could perhaps have more to do with catching the eye of our Mausi sitting pretty in the window casting enticing glances at passing males...A sort of Dinner and a glance!

Most of us don't give animals enough credit for having feelings and intellect but the more time I spend with cats, the more in awe I am of them and animals as a whole.

Biggi

The Yearned For End Of The Week.

Just like that Friday is here again.

Do you also find that the minute you've acknowledged a Monday and having navigated it with aplomb, Friday is here. The magical three days in between are strewn upon the altar of everydayness. I call them magical as they are at times difficult to recall and at other times gone before we've snapped our fingers.

Monday's and Friday's activities are almost imprinted on our memories with of course Friday taking the top prize. Fridays are the last hurdle before two fabulous rest days. Fridays are mini vacations from the norm. Suppers are so contrary to our usual norm that by itself they've created a new predictable routine.

Friday and supper evoke a return to childhood and happy-go-lucky attitude that goes along with it. All cares are thrown out the window and replaced with youthful favourites of either pizza, burgers or decadent pastas. As long as it's cloaked in nostalgic feelings of fun and enjoyment along with a cold beer or two. What better way to ring in two days of leisure.

Naturally Friday evenings are ideal for movie viewing. Not being restricted with getting up early one can go wild watching movies back to back...truthfully though, most movies are snored through elegantly whilst reclining on couches. Never mind because with the beauty of Netflix, movies can be rewound at one's leisure.

Thank goodness for Netflix which is an upgraded version of the old video shop of yore. Remember scouring the isle trying to still get hold of a newish movie to rent out only to land up with old has beens? Or trying to fight another customer for a movie tape? Or having to be told that one has taken a particular movie ( Die Hard comes to mind!!! ) out several times before?

I read a while ago that we should be happy with normal-ness instead of always striving for an unattainable lifestyle and its inherent feeling of disappointment . Isn't it great to be happy with the ordinary, happy with the normality of life and let's face it, is there anything more fabulous or normal than a Friday night spent at home?

Biggi

Some More About Happiness.

Again, learning from history.

" For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson ( 1803-1882 )

" It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living. "
F. Scott Fitzgerald ( 1896-1940 )

" Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. "
Guillaume Apollinaire ( 1880-1918 )

" There are two ways to get enough.
One is to continue to accumulate more and more.
The other is to desire less. "
G.K. Chesterton ( 1874-1936 )

" Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived. "
Eleanor Roosevelt ( 1884-1962 )

" The greater part of our happiness or misery
depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. "
Martha Washington ( 1731-1802 )

" Woman is not made to be the admiration of all, but the happiness of one. "
Edmund Burke (1729-1797 )

" Why should we build our happiness on the opinions of others,
when we can find it in our own hearts? "
Jean-Jacques Rousseau ( 1712-1778 )

" He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star. "
William Blake ( 1757-1827 )

" Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it,
but to delight in it when it comes. "
Charles Dickens ( 1812-1870 ), Nicolas Nickleby

Biggi

Some More Quotes.

Aren't they rather comforting?

" An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind. "
Mahatma Gandhi

" Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade
since it consists principally of dealings with men. "
Joseph Conrad, Chance

" If you don't know where you're going,
any road'll take you there. "
George Harrison

" I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success,
but I can give you a formula for failure;
Try to please everybody all the time. "
Herbert Bayard Swope

" Never memorize something that you can look up. "
Albert Einstein

" You have enemies? Good.
That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. "
Winston Churchill

" In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. "
George Orwell

" Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value. "
Albert Einstein

Biggi

Our Local...

Catching up on life and those living it.

Tuesday afternoon is a great time to get prescriptions refilled at our local doctor. Usually it isn't that busy and waiting times are slashed accordingly. Even today when I took the chance to get Bob's eye-drops, I thought I would be the only one there as it was raining buckets outside and we all know that doctor's visits are in cahoots with the weather. Who wants to sit in a waiting room when the weather makes it uncomfortable to step outside one's own house?

Not today. It was so busy that I only just happened to squeeze inside the waiting room. The door was awfully close! The next person would have to wait outside in the freezing cold. Well, I thought that this might translate into a long wait ( and it was ) but honestly, today there were such nice villagers waiting alongside me that it was a pleasure to spend time in the queue.

We joked, asked about each other's work and exchanged those easy pleasantries which grease any conversation and are rather nice to bandy forth. Nothing more fun than an easy conversation that flows wherever it goes. Sadly the art of conversation has been swiped away by that darn smartphone. Emoticons and abbreviations aren't comparable to the real deal, are they?

Time became unimportant and I couldn't tell you if I stood in line for ten minutes or half and hour as it was an enjoyable sojourn from the usual daily grind. Hearing the odd tidbit about this one or that one doesn't go amiss either. Oh the joy of living in a small community...

Biggi

Knitting A Baby Blanket For An Appreciative Being.

A change of plans...

It was meant to be what its name says, a baby's blanket but as I took rather long to finish it, the plan changed. Or it was changed for me. Knitting anything in a household with a cat is far from easy dare I say at times, impossible.

Miss Maus happened to believe that the act of pulling a thread continuously through my fingers was purely designed to keep her entertained and enthralled. I cannot tell you how often I had to use parental strictures on her;

" No biting the wool. This isn't for you but for the little baby next door. "

Well, so much for that.

A few days ago I actually took note how much she loved this blanket being created. If she could have she would have rolled in it, slept on it and cherished it. Well, not so much cherished as I have no illusions on that subject and the length of this little blanket will stay in one piece. But, regardless I told Bob and of course Mausi that this was going to be her little blanket for the winter. Her security blanket so to say.

As soon as I had set this intention, she made a point of sitting on my lap while I was crocheting the squares together and cuddling underneath the budding blanket. Oh yes, right decision.

Today proved to be the day that it was finally ready. I put it onto her favourite chair and before I could invite her onto it, there she was making herself comfortable on her new blanket. I don't care what people say or what they think about the fact that we talk to and with our cat, as she is extremely intelligent and takes in more than we might think thus proving her intelligence and establishing her deserved place in our family.

Our happy cat!

Biggi

A Beautiful And Mysterious Start To The Day.

Eisenberg cloaked in misty robes.

Scenes like this makes me glad to have hopped out of bed that early. The fog kept circling about casting a spell over Eisenberg.

Wherever one turns a church is there. The spire does seem to have orientation abilities and perhaps has been used as such throughout time...

A quick step outside the grey zone to lighten the mood...the last few days of gorgeous autumn weather.

A delightful find this morning in one of Eisenberg's gardens. Bright, refreshing and soothing they stand for all to notice and take in. How many will though?

I love those days when nature imitates a film noir letting one's imagination run wild with ideas, plots and history. The magic about those foggy days is that within couple of hours more often than not the fog lifts to reveal a most stunning day in Eisenberg...

Biggi

South Africa, Rugby World Champions Of 2019

What a brilliant achievement.

We have been watching from the fringes and the other side of Japan and South Africa yet, we couldn't have been more excited, supportive and proud of how this tournament has turned out.

The game still holds moments of mystery for me but the net result is what counts and today, the champions proved to be just so. A pleasure to watch and honestly, a pleasure to watch accompanied by German commentators. They called a spade a spade but gave liberal praise wherever and whenever it was due. Nice. Even Bob has taken to this particular channel and quite likes listening to his rugby in German.

The South African Captain's acceptance speech was amazing and awe inspiring. It wouldn't surprise me if he were to enter politics after his playing career is over. For today at least, his words of wisdom have pulled a nation closer together.

Rugby is a game of strength and at times brute force but somehow, it also sparkles with manners and a gentlemen's code of conduct and behaviour. A place where a handshake still counts for something and where friendships are forged. Refreshing and important in these times.

It will be another four years before the next World Championship but I am hoping that we will get to see many more matches in between, as I think that Europe has caught the Rugby fever...

Well done South Africa for winning yet again!

Biggi

My Husband Bakes A Batch Of Vegan Biscuits.

The smell of baking fills the air.

Cunningly I stocked up on all those yummy ingredients needed for making a batch of biscuits. Vegan ones which for the last few weeks both of us were yearning for. Every morning with our first cup of coffee we almost simultaneously mumble about how nice it would taste accompanied by a morsel of sweetness.

This morning before I set off for my walk, Bob said he would make a batch while I was walking and would I show him where the coconut flakes and co were. Ooh, how divine I thought until I realized that we were out of baking paper which I could only buy on my way home from walking. Which meant that Bob didn't start making the biscuits until I got back.

On Bob's previous and frequent forays into our larder and fridge on his hunt for contraband crisps, he has become well acquainted with what is on our shelves waiting to be used. One would think...

" Honey, where's the vegan butter?
" Honey, I can't find the sugar. "
" Where's cinnamon? "
" Is this oven hot enough? "

...saw me hovering about the kitchen being roped into the making of these mouthwatering morsels while I know for a fact that Bob is more than able to make them without any help from me. In fact he is much better than me. Just more convenient to have a sous chef at hand.

Even before they were done, the aroma wafting about our house was too wonderful. Bob is great at baking and I have decided to make him the official baker in our family...oh, and to try and be out of hearing reach when he does bake...

Men can create the most fabulous culinary creations but they need to be given the encouragement by us women to do so. Better to leave them in peace instead of our usual tendency to offer irritating advice and shortcuts. I can't wait for Bob's next batch of baking...

Biggi