T.G.I.F.

...and not a day to soon...

For some reason this week seemed extremely long and tiresome despite having a couple of days off in the beginning of it. Or because of it. Getting back into a work rhythm isn't so easy especially when coupled with extreme temperatures.

Anyway, Friday is here and thank god for it. Bob is glad too and at the moment his work week continues with a nice staff lunch to celebrate his boss's birthday. Only a few moments ago he came home for a quick shower and change out of his work togs. Due to having to do some extra work he was running more than fashionably late, but took extraordinary amounts ( to my mind! ) of time to find the right colour pen in order to label the present while I was getting stressed for him;

" Schatzi, I usually love you dearly but right now...! It doesn't matter what colour you use!!! "

Don't we all have those marital moments?

When I went to the shop for deliveries a moment ago, I had a little chuckle to myself. Well, a chuckle and a shiver! The chuckle was due to a whole bunch of young guys standing in a long line ( social distancing on the go ) waiting to pay and one of them had not put on a mask. Gosh, did they point the error of his ways out to him. Hope he learnt his lesson...But, my faith in youth is restored!

As to the shiver...don't know how to describe it really. There is a local man in his fifties who is almost as tall as he is wide. Well not quite, but hefty he is and there is the rub. He persists in going top-less to the shop. Just his shorts ( thank the lord they are Bermuda ones ) and nothing else. Honestly, I don't know where to walk and or where to look. Masks and shirts should be a given. Village life, got to love it!

All in all, this Friday is not too bad despite the week having been long. All is set for our short holiday, a.k.a. the weekend and the many adventures it might bring...

Biggi

Beating To This Marvelous Village Drum.

A new calmness.

It dawned on me today that life and my perception of it has changed. Magically, wonderfully and irreversibly. Yeah! I was privy to the other end of a phone call ( with those smartphones nothing stays private ) and thus worked out the gist of it. A holiday being planned. A mini break to be precise...two whole days.

Two days in Eisenberg for a pair from Vienna in fact. Two days into which they are planning to cram as many activities as one can imagine and frankly, we wouldn't do that much in a year. Cycling tour here, eating out there, visiting two or three towns in between and viewing anything resembling an opportunity to cement it digitally in eternity for all to see. Yikes, just listening to it made me tired. Big city folks are so used to rushing here and there whilst doing a thousand chores ( shown off on Instagram of course ) that that is their pace of life. The fast lane.
The get-old-before-your-time lane and the lane where only destinations counts and not the journey to them.

That used to be us ( not so much the digital side ) before we moved here. The perception of having to do and see everything no matter how you cram it into the 24 units of opportunity we get given daily. Well, not anymore. The more I was listening to this phone conversation and the various plans being bandied about, the more I thought about what I would do with two days of leave.

A nice long walk, a leisurely breakfast followed by a semi-snooze on the sun-lounger interspersed with several pages of a good book and the odd glances up into the divine blue nebulous free yonder for a bit of wool gathering. Lunch would almost be a repeat on the sun-lounger but this time with a nice chilled glass of local wine while doing the most important part of a holiday...taking stock of life's bounties and being glad to sit and contemplate the sheer beauty of life, a slow life with priorities attainable, comfortable and wearable.

We can't do it all no matter how hard we try and once we realize that the beauty of life is in the detail, than everything slots into place and life begins to unfold its awesomeness...

Biggi

Nature, The Best Green-Grocer.

Abundance galore.

All of a sudden the dangling fruit is starting to look ripe enough to eat. There comes a point when insipid greens change to cherub red or shrill orange signalling to all and sundry ( especially me who likes fruit-load while walking ) to pick it. Apples are round and big enough to peep through the plethora of leaves and some daringly drop to the ground although that holds more attraction for ground dwellers like bugs, insects and deer.

The other day I picked a newly darkened purple plum of a tree but it was still lingering on the tart side and needed a few more sunny days attached to the tree. Bob is adamant that plums are only ripe come November yet might change his mind when I bake him a plum tart or cook up a batch of plum jam next week. I read the other day that colours are the key to health, the more vibrant and darker the better. Plums and blackberries slot right into that train of thought and the more the merrier.

We tend to conveniently forget that mother nature was the first pharmacy around and many an old remedy could outshine the cloned version of pills and tablets. We are so quick and happy to swallow any pill prescribed that we don't take the time to read up on nature and its many healthy treasures that could have the same benefit without any side effects.

But, to each his own. Some prefer to swallow handfuls of pills each and every day so that they don't have to change any of the eating and lifestyle behaviour that got them to that stage in the first place while others roll up their sleeves and eat the delicious smorgasbord of nature that has the ability to get them back to their perfectly balanced and healthy state...

" It is easier to change a man's religion than to change his diet. "
Margaret Mead

Biggi

Ingenious Building Style.

Eternally grateful...

Despite or rather because of not having electricity and all the mod-cons we lot are want to use, the person who built our house was way ahead of many a generation and penny wise too. Our house has walls that are about 60 centimetres thick and those do the trick.

On top of everything else we are having a horrendously ( to me at least ) summer with today being the hottest day so far. A hefty 36 degrees so far and no signs of abating. Bad luck for those who usually seek oceans to cool down, but good luck for our local economy as everyone spends their roubles at home.

Bob and I spent the morning in Oberwart for odds and ends and came back home about an hour age. Oberwart wasn't designed to counter the heat as finding big trees along the road or in parking spaces is near impossible. The ubiquitous addiction to having everything look aesthetically neat and tidy has made shopping in tropical temperatures a nightmare.

Well, the moment when we got back home and stepped into our house the cloying heat was left behind. It almost felt as though we had an air conditioner set at full blast. Wonderfully cool and comfortable enabled by our thick walls and airing our house twice a day. During the day I close most of our curtains and that aids the coolness even though they are not lined and rather see-through.

Our house must near its centenary soon and that makes this feat even more admirable. Back in the day it was built hardly anyone would have had electricity in our village and thus they used their common sense while building houses. Our neighbours who have built a modern house two years ago have had to install an air-condition as the heat was unbearable. Two words...thin walls!

There are many instances when we tend to scoff at the habits and customs of the older generation but, as I am realizing more and more, they knew their stuff and lived long and happy lives without our mod-cons...instead of tearing older houses down they should be cherished and held in good stead for the next few generations who will battle living with the hotter weather more and more.

Biggi

Does Anyone Still Know What Day It Is?

Loosing sense of time and I fear, reality.

March seems eons ago. That month when all normality changed. Oh yes, of course we all followed what was happening in China back in January but more with the gleeful feeling that it wasn't happening to us and never could! Well, there we are, part of the whole after all.

Those weeks of lock-down went achingly slow yet unbelievably fast what with all the daily news of gloom and horror. Often I think back and wish I had relaxed more during it.

End of July and almost back to square one. If it weren't so serious it would almost be funny. You know the reaction of people to the fact that going away on a holiday might cause one to bring back more than a tan and souvenirs. Gosh, any woman could have told you that. Cause and effect. Let's hope that they reign it in again.

Daily onslaughts of not so great news, lead by the shenanigans going on across the pond or rather, being allowed to happen there, makes not such great fodder for our psyche. Yet, watch it I do interspersed with refreshing sit-coms or books. The date is a number at the bottom of my computer screen, time gets judged by feeling or the odd glance at the phone ( haven't worn a wrist watch in nine years ) and days have often been swapped without any major problem. Tuesdays morph into Wednesdays and Saturdays into Sundays.

Maybe it isn't such a bad thing to be slightly disconnected from timely reality and in fact it might hold the key to traversing turbulent, vicious and strange times. This too shall pass and I hope we will all have learnt from it so as to not repeat it...although, 1918 proves that wrong.

Biggi

A Floral Sunday Indeed.

Nature, always there to cheer us up.

Atop our Eisenberg Weinberg...bird's eye view of a lush vineyard accentuated with purple flair.

Our wonderful village in the valley surrounded by green forests, fields and shrubs as far as the eye can see. Even greener after a weekend of rain.

Who doesn't love sunflowers? A yellow as bright as sunshine, a height so tall as to lift it above the ordinary fray and a brilliant blue sky providing the perfect canvas.

The stillness of a Sunday morning almost jumps of the photo. The birds enjoyed a lack of humans and the bees were getting ready to collect their daily ration. Bliss.

Our neighbourhood, our home, our haven.

I have to end off with another look at the troupe of sunflowers. Refreshing, stunning and reassuring.

Biggi

So Much For Imagination...

A good lesson learned.

Last night or rather yesterday evening I was watching tv with my third eye when Bob woke me up by saying:

" You phone is ringing. "

Jeez, who on earth would phone me in the middle of my night. Eight o'clock is a ghastly time to phone...especially when one has arisen at three on that morning. Apart from anything else, I was as groggy as could be and it took me so long to realize where I was that by the time I had made it off the couch, the ringing had stopped.

Modern technology is a marvelous thing in that no caller is a stranger, but this particular person had last called me over a year ago and thus I was a bit confused as to why she'd call me so late. Deciding to phone back in the morning ( if it was urgent, she would have left a message or phoned again ) and went to our front room to put the phone back when I saw her car reversing out of our driveway. Strange indeed. A long time no hear and hardly ever a visit. But off she drove.

Bob thought I should phone back instantly but I wasn't awake enough to phone. Well, we decided to phone in the morning to find out what the call might have been about. And that was our silly conundrum. Both of us were spinning yarns in our minds as to the reason for the call. Anything from a cat having run under her car, to a computer to be fixed, to an English language school emergency or perhaps a special birthday invitation. Our minds spun and spun like crazy and couldn't wait until it was a decent enough time to return the call.

I have to say, when I eventually phoned back I was a touch nervous as to what might have happened the night before. Silly, as it turned out that she wanted to give me old books in case I would have a use for them. How kind of her and how silly of me to let my imagination run wild.

But isn't that what we all tend to be experts in? Time for me to learn that lesson and time to switch off all phones after hours. Oh for the good old land line days...after hour phone calls were as rare as ever mainly because phoning people wasn't such a big thing and also because it involved walking to the where the phone was and not merely pulling it out the back pocket...

Biggi

Friday, How Nice.

Another week done and dusted.

Fridays have taken on such a different feel since I don't work Saturdays anymore. For many years my weekend only started at about two on a Saturday afternoon. Despite that I cherished even such a shortish weekend but now, that extra half day makes all the difference.

Even suppers tend to have a holiday flare come Friday. Usually pizza or pasta and wonderfully late as we don't have to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturdays. Never mind that we do anyway as it has become habitual.

This Friday is also the day that the wearing of masks in most places has become compulsory again. Not before time too. The case count of corona has increased again and I cannot understand how this could be a surprise. Tourists, lack of masks and a healthy portion of covid malaise should account for it. Just because you don't see the virus doesn't mean it is gone.

Fridays are the springboard to a two day holiday with endless possibilities. Be they spent in leisure pants lounging on the couch, book in one hand and freshly brewed coffee or tea in the other, or a day neatening up a garden or a day spent in the pursuit of spending money in the local center. Yes, despite corona or in fact because of corona one does need to spend some money albeit on hopefully local products and services.

There is a wonderful peacefulness about the gentle pace of life from one Friday to the next. The surety of continuity provides a much needed anchor to life during our current turbulent times. One day we will all look back and give ourselves a pat the shoulder for having made it through...

Biggi

Great Advice From Dr Micheal Greger.

Bits and pieces that may help.

" The best way to minimize your exposure to industrial toxins may be to eat as low as possible on the food chain, a plant-based diet. "

" Popeye was right about spinach; dark green, leafy vegetables are the healthiest food on the planet. As whole foods go, they offer the most nutrition per calorie. "

" Studies on cherries, raspberries and strawberries suggest that most of their nutrition is retained when they are frozen, so it's a good idea to keep some in the freezer. "

" For women, just eating two handful of nuts per week may extend their lives as much as by jogging four hours a week. "

" Physical activity is considered a promising preventive measure against breast cancer - not only because it helps with weight control but because exercise tends to lower circulating estrogen levels. "

" Ounce for ounce, herbs and spices have more antioxidants than any other food group. "

" The benefits of a healthier diet are far-reaching because they also equate to fewer animals being bred into inhumane factory farm conditions and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. "

" A plant-based diet is a one-stop shop against chronic diseases. "

" After following more than 60 000 people for more than a dozen years, University of Oxford researchers found those who consume a plant-based diet were less likely to develop all forms of cancer combined. "

All quotes from Dr Micheal Greger

Biggi

The Beauty Of Rain.

The harder the better.

One wouldn't have thought so after the most stunning morning we've had. Sunshine, blue skies and nary a cloud in sight. Bob told me before he left for work that the day would bring plenty of rain and storms. Ja, ja, in one ear out the other...until the heavens opened up and dumped what seemed like a weeks worth of rain on us.

I was on a mission to find anti-horsefly muti for Bob as tomorrow he is going to brush cut for most of the day in an area famous for the pesky yet rather large flies. Before I left to go to Oberwart I was lending a hand to my parents with garden work. Still sunny and nice by then, enough so that I decided to wear my comfy Birkenstocks to town. Not so good as it turned out when it rained later on.

My main aim was to find some tea tree oil as this was touted by most on Google to repel horseflies. The first place I tried was sold out ( ah, on to a winner there! ) and the only other shop that would carry it would be a pharmacy. Okay, on to the pharmacy down the road I went and was lucky to get a parking space right outside and the oil to boot. But then, the heavens opened with a vengeance.

It poured so madly and badly that the pharmacist even offered for me to wait in her store. Never mind, I'm not made of sugar and with that in mind I raced to the car. Is there anything better than sitting in a car nice and dry while rain pummels down on the roof? Driving through town was an adventure to say the least. To top it all I had to wear my optical sunglasses as my glasses were at home. Didn't I look like an idiot!

My final stop had to be at a Hofer and luckily the branch I picked had an almost empty car park. Unheard of here. Clearly it pays to shop in the rain. I even managed to garner a parking space right outside the front door. Once I had finished my sojourn in Hofer I managed to pack everything into the car without encountering one raindrop.

The storm was moving slowly across our area and I could literally see the band of dark blue sky move bit by bit over the countryside leaving roads flooded, fields awash and grass happy. As it was only a summer's storm, all is well again and our sky has resumed its cliche of brilliant blue brocade woven with the odd cloud or two...Ah, the vagaries of weather.

Biggi

Flower Power.

Literally growing on the side of the road.

Street art...there is a bank of wild flowers growing next to our main road that gladdens my heart every time I walk past it.

Despite appearances, there is a road between the bank of flowers and the hills of Eisenberg.

Orange berries beckoning many a bird to sample. The whole shrub is so luminous early in the morning when it basks in the sun's touch.

Old but new. These flower pots at our war memorial are always kept in tip top shape and are just a treat to look at. Every year the same but I never grow tired of them.

Joined by a yellow friend...there is something about the strong primary colours that soothe my thoughts...

Last but not least...another street art scene. Sadly our local chiefs love to chop everything to uniformity. Lawns and bejeweled banks never get a chance to be seen by many. One day they'll stop the constant mowing and leave these delectable tidbits for bees and insects.

Biggi

A Bit Of Inspiration.

Lovely and thought provoking.

" Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared. "
Buddha

" It is during our darkest moments that focus to see the light. "
Aristotle

" If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured or far away. "
Henry David Thoreau

" The best way out is always through. "
Robert Frost

" Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls. "
Joseph Cambell

" Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap
but by the seeds that you plant. "
Robert Louis Stevenson

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

" Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around. "
Henry David Thoreau

" If the doors of perception were cleansed
everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. "
William Blake

" What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. "
Plutarch

" Mankind is made great or little by its own will. "
Friedrich Schiller

Biggi

Thank Goodness For Our Freezer.

Delightful and yummy combinations to be had.

Who hasn't felt the odd craving for ice cream or something of that ilk on a Sunday afternoon, an afternoon where all shops are closed and the prospect of anything ice creamy means hopping in the car and driving for many a mile to find an ice cream vendor? Yes, much too complicated and usually not worth following up on such a craving.

Well, that is where our freezer is worth its weight in gold, frozen gold! I wanted something sweet and cold. Bananas were a bit scare ( only three which I needed two for Bob's breakfast and lunch tomorrow ), chocolate had left the building last night during movies and biscuits would take to long to make. Luckily I remembered a packet of frozen blueberries that I had bought on Wednesday.

For form's sake I asked Bob if he was interested in a frozen something knowing full and well that he would never decline and put most of the blueberries, one banana and several dashes of soy-milk into the blender. It didn't take more than a minute and the most divinely smooth dark blue soft serve emerged. Oh my god, I can't believe I have never made a blueberry ice cream before. It was so nice that it took all my self control to be fair while dishing out the servings. Equal measures and of course the one who made it was allowed to ' clean ' the mixer bowl.

Often I forget how easy it is to make the most wonderful dishes. Be they curries, pastas or in today's case, ice cream. The added beauty of it is that both of us had a bowl full of an antioxidant shot, more than likely ironing out a wrinkle or two inside and out. Well, one thing is for sure...next week I am going to stock up on many more packets of frozen blueberries.

Biggi

The Odd Difference Wearing A Mask Makes.

Ahead of the curve or laughably nerdy?

Stoically I keep my mask with me at all times when I am out in public. At times my mask is a bandanna of sorts and other times a proper one with ear loops. Honestly, it has been months since anyone has seen my whole face instead of two eyes trying to convey emotions ranging from joy, happiness, aghastness to despair.

The powers that be in our government have let the general public off the mask and wouldn't you know it, the very next day after the announcement, even highly educated individuals who should know better, ditched the mask and merrily went about life as close to normal as can be. Social distancing whilst out shopping was soon overstepped and get together with friends cushioned in the ' there was a breeze so the virus couldn't take hold ' excuse, which could very well have been but how to be sure to be on the right side of it?

These last few weeks I have been given the weirdest of looks, plenty of raised eyebrows and the odd double take along the line of ' drat, why am I not wearing a mask anymore? '. A few of the younger lot have given me mocking glances clearly not believing or not caring about the usefulness of wearing a mask in order to not spray all and sundry with virus droplets.

So far the world over it has been shown and almost proven that the wearing of masks ( along side social distancing and hand washing ) can break the freakishly fast way the corona virus hops from host to host. Actually, common sense proves that point because why else have we throughout all of our lives covered our mouth whilst coughing or sneezing?

We've had a couple of months of general lock-down here in Austria resulting in many job losses and economic disasters. Yes, the economy is up and running again but with the prospect of a second wave crashing over most of the world in autumn, is the dire prospect of a possible return to lock-down not reason enough to wear a mask regardless of if it is mandated or not? In the scheme of things, donning a mask for those moments out shopping etc is a small price to pay for keeping our jobs and a semblance of life as we are used to it...

Biggi

A Rainy Start To The Weekend.

Still beauty to be found everywhere.

The elegant way the flower droops under the pressure of the added weight caused by a few sticky droplets of rain is absolutely stunning.

Kind of resembles a moon landscape such as the ones we saw when television just had two or three channels. Of course this is just the reflection a big puddle made of the burgeoning sun...

A troupe of floral trumpets brimming in the rain...

After the morning rain the sun beckoned many a bumble bee for a lovely breakfast buffet of lavender. Wonderful buzzing could be heard.

A bit of context...the flower shrub standing alongside one of the roads in the Deutsch Schützen vineyards.

No wonder that lavender helps to soothe one's nerves and helps one sleep better. A sort of image one could loose egocentric thoughts and revert back to the real us...

Biggi

A Bit About Money.

Love it or hate it, need it we do.

" It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. "
Seneca

" That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest. "
Henry David Thoreau

" It's not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money.
It's the customer who pays the wages. "
Henry Ford

" I made money the old-fashioned way.
I was very nice to a wealthy relative right before he died. "
Malcolm Forbes

" Never spend your money before you have earned it. "
Thomas Jefferson

" Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. "
Will Rogers

" You can be young without money, but you can't be old without it. "
Tennessee Williams

" Of all the icy blasts that blow on love, a request for money is the most chilling. "
Gustav Flaubert, Madame Bovary

" Money often costs too much. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

" Those who know the true use of money, and regulate the measure of wealth according to their needs, live contented with few things. "
Spinoza

Biggi

Understanding And Interpreting Feline Behaviour.

A bit of cat whispering...?

Both of us are very intuitive with regards to Mausi's behaviour, idiosyncrasies and tantrums. A mere hint of a lift of her paw, tail or head is enough for one of us to understand what she wants or doesn't want and idiotically we pander to her every such whim. Crazy indeed, aren't we? What can we do when she holds our hearts in her little paws?

Mausi and I have a certain routine during the day when Bob's at work. She sleeps and I don't. Only the rustle of a plastic packet ( and possible snack ) rouses her from her sleep. Almost a mirror image of night time... we sleep, she doesn't and we wake up when we hear her flitting about like a mad cat on our wooden floor!

An hour ago I came back from a morning spent grocery shopping and at first she gave me a warm welcome, followed by a sniff around the shopping baskets and then a return to her daybed of choice. In front of the laundry basket this time. Perhaps because it is cooler on the tiles but I suspect it is more a case of a game of cat & mouse.

When carpets, and pillows are out of place, and the laundry basket shifted a few inches I know that she has been entertained and challenged by a little rodent who has chosen the wrong place to stay the night. She has got the patience of a saint ( although the playing with rodents can't be called saintly by any means ) when it comes to laying in wait for the little rascal. Hours on end she can sit and stare into a space between furniture and the wall, only to pounce at the most opportune moment. Not so opportune for this poor little rodent.

When she is on the hunt she only has a token show of love for us.
More of a " meow, now leave me alone. "... Let's hope she is successful before we go to bed, because otherwise there will be a cat & mouse show for sure and sleep will be out of the question. Oh, the things we do for our little ones...

Biggi

From A Pumpkin Seed Field To A Stork.

All in the neighbourhood.

Nice to see the pumpkin field dotted with yellow blossoms everywhere and nice to see a local farmer being proud to put his name on it.

At the moment these yellow stunners, a.k.a. weeds, are attracting bees galore and glances too.

Another weed standing oh so pretty at the side of the road. Isn't nature amazing? Look at how detailed this flower has grown. Wouldn't go amiss in a bridal bouquet.

The veins are highlighted to perfection in this vine. Hard to believe that mere months ago it wasn't even there and that mere months from now, it won't be either...

Wild garlic barely hiding among the reef of wild straw swaying elegantly with the breeze.

A lone stork looking for bits to eat while high-stepping it through the recently cut wheat field. There are a few stork nests high up on chimneys in the village.

Biggi

Chard, Banana & Blueberries.

The luck of a vegetable garden.

I was strolling through our garden yesterday and re-noticed our chard section in the vegetable garden. We only planted six little shoots ( given to us by a friend ) and these have developed into a veritable chard colony. Some are orange stemmed, some normal and some red stemmed. As it wasn't even close to lunchtime but I did want to eat a few stalks, I decided to make a smoothie.

How marvelously easy it was to step into the garden and cut several stalks, as well as a few strands of rocket, a handful of herbs from Bob's hanging herb collection and throw it all together into the smoothie mixer. An apple, a banana, a handful of frozen blueberries, a spoonful of flax seed, water and a few ice cubes made the most divine smoothie. Sweet enough not to taste of health although I absolutely love the ' healthy ' taste of vegetables.

The beauty of these types of smoothies is that one can smuggle in the oddest bits of healthy vegetables without it altering the taste too much. Ideal for stubborn kids who refuse to sample from the fruit and vegetables offerings without ever having tasted them. Okay, the green colour might be a clue but even that could be explained away by leaving a bottle of green food colouring next to the smoothie.

Bob explained to me how I should harvest ( cut ) the chard- a stalk or two from each plant - so that it continues to regrow. That it does as despite me robbing it of a few stalks most days, the plant has increased in size. Brilliant and a nice bit of salad and smoothie future ahead...

Biggi

Someone Else's Thoughts.

New thoughts, new outlook.

" It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credits. "
Harry S. Truman

" If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results. "
George S. Patton

" That best portion of a man's life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. "
William Wordsworth

" It's best for the wise man not to seem wise. "
Aeschylus

" What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

" Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts. "
Sigmund Freud

" I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. "
Michelangelo

" There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds. "
Gilbert K. Chesterton

" The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless. "
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Biggi

And The Heatwave Breaks.

Burgenland, the new tropics.

It was hot yesterday. Boiling hot. Exhausting hot but thankfully broken by a respite during the night. Sleeping with an open window is a must and it made me appreciate our mosquito netting yet again. Not so much for mosquitoes but more for keeping Mausi in and burglars out.

Family is coming to stay for a night and that meant a big trek to the back bedroom and a lot of linen changing, buying and organizing for the front bedroom. Our cat just sat in the lounge and watched mummy carry endless armloads of clothes, bedding and bathroom utensils. At least a dozen trips and still I didn't think of everything.

Why change you might wonder? The main part of our home is open plan and if we weren't to switch bedrooms with any and all visitors, we would have to wait patiently in bed until they are up, in order to make our first cup of coffee. Well worth switching when you consider that both of us woke up at two this morning! That's more or less our schedule during summer. Moving rooms is a nice opportunity to do bits of forgotten spring cleaning and discover hitherto forgotten stuff....

Back to the weather; a wonderful tidbit from the weather folks describes how after lunch today a cold front will arrive alongside with much needed rain but then a revert to tropical summer temperatures. I shouldn't complain as it makes going on holiday mute. We have everything right on our doorstep; stunning vineyards, tropical weather and a laid back lifestyle.

Biggi

Our Encounter With Neuro Socks.

A pain in the back no more...

Months ago I saw the advert late night on tv. That alone should tell you that it was an infomercial which promised the earth and no more pain of any sorts. Somehow one is more receptive at that time of the day and I for one thought it was brilliant. Brilliant enough to tell my parents.

A pair of magical socks ( at a hefty price ) had people throw away crutches etc. Well, not quite, but you get the drift. Being an enthusiastic believer I quickly told my parents as they are prime material for sock-transformation. Suffice to say that they thought it was an expensive con and the subject was put to bed. Until this week.

Albert was feeling a pinched nerve to such an extent that he couldn't walk properly without pain and that is when I decided to go ahead and purchase a pair of these socks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is my motto and with that I drove to Oberwart, got the last pair available ( fate! ) and gave the socks to Albert that same afternoon. Keen to try anything to ease his pain, he put on the socks straight away in our driveway and ...within three hours phoned to tell me that most of his pain had disappeared. Can you believe it? Marvelous.

The infomercial mentioned that they can be worn during the night as well and that is what he did. The next morning at an unheard of early hour ( for my folks ) the phone rang;

" Biggi, please we want to order another pair! "

Yeah, how magic. A mere pair of socks as well...

Suffice to say, the order has been increased to three pairs. One for Bob and one for me and my knee. Bob came home from work just now, a day of almost 40 degrees in the vineyard, and told me that he had felt a positive difference. More energy, less tiredness. Love the fact that it helps him too. So, this family from now on walks on Neuro socks...

Biggi

A Day Of Chalk, Limestone & Fun.

Another milestone for me...

Like it or not, the reality of living in a cold northern country means the odd bit of mould growing on ceilings and walls. Especially our house which is delightfully old, authentic and rather rustic. Love that fact and with each year Bob and I are becoming more adept at airing the house during winter, the heating phase. Honestly, it takes a lot of courage to rip open each and every window in the house for at least ten minutes while outside it is minus something or other. But air we must to give all the moisture a chance to escape.

Anyway, our back rooms were a tad bit inflicted with mould and I thought that a lick of paint might do it a world of good. About two years ago we painted the outside of our house with limestone / chalk colour because it is environmentally good, has hardly any poisonous chemicals and is much cheaper than any other paint. The best thing of all is that even now we have a huge container with several plastic bags which are filled with the wet leftover colour ( It sort of looks and feels like play dough ). Colour just waiting to be used for odds and ends on walls inside and out.

Reactivating it with water was the difficult bit. At times it was too runny and then to thick, but I managed in the end. So, this morning I fetched a dusty ladder and got cracking on a few bathroom ceilings. Had rather a lot of fun painting although Mausi wasn't that thrilled to get a dusting of paint on her...

At first when I painted the area it felt as if nothing was being covered. Watery and see-through, but after about an hour it dried into a beautiful white. A white that covers everything perfectly. It didn't take as long as I thought to do all I wanted to and in the end I felt good to have achieved something. Something of a milestone for me as I am not usually fond of D.I.Y.
Mum, your prayers seem to have been answered...

Biggi

Some Flowers On This Beautiful Wednesday In Burgenland.

Flowers, the darlings of nature.

A simple pot of petunias do transform into something magical when the sunlight hits it just at the right angle. This particular ensemble was spotted at the edge of St. Kathrein village.

No guesses what this is...my love for lavender never fails.

Again, an interesting and stunning pot ensemble, in St. Kathrein at a picnic table. I sat there while waiting for our car to undergo its service and it was so much better than sitting inside the garage.

Not really a flower but at times when I walk early mornings, the sun's messengers can be seen descending to earth. As beautiful as a flower!

Those rich hues are simply amazing.

To end off, a nice gathering of wildflowers gladdening any heart, spirit or day. Nature, truly breathtaking, awesome, stunning and wonderful...

Biggi

Good Old Porridge.

The new buzz word in Austria's cereal aisles.

Having lived for so long in South Africa, the term porridge is as ubiquitous to me as Bretzen and butter was during my formative years in Bavaria. Porridge, it's just what one eats or ate. A boarding school staple, not saying that it was always a favourite, it belongs to the breakfast landscape alongside tea, toast and jam.

Of course, to make porridge is dead easy and all one needs are plain oats ( cheaper the better ), water, milk and perhaps a pat of butter. Easy peasy. No great shakes and honestly, a good solid breakfast that fills you up till lunchtime.

The wonderful side effect of it is that it is amazingly healthy. It lowers blood sugar, has much fiber and is fat free. Brilliant and that's where the buzz comes in. Everyone has cottoned on to the health benefits of porridge and thus the oddest of porridge creations ( with bits of dried fruit etc. ) are being sold at supermarkets. At incredibly expensive prices I might add. Goodness me, whereas a plain packet of oats ( 500 g ) costs about 40 cents, a fancy porridge creation ( ie. add boiling milk or water ) several euros.

Is it because people are fundamentally lazy and couldn't be bothered to haul out a cooking pot and wait five minutes for the oats to thicken and cook or is it a case of rather having the trendy packaging and labeling?

Well, I wish those folks who eat those fancy instant oats would get a taste of real home cooked porridge with nothing but oats and milk ( it even tastes great with plant milk ). Once they've tasted that, they would never go back to the instant type. New, not always better...

Biggi

Revelations On Facebook.

Truth be told?

Love it or hate it, use it we all do. Facebook that is. Yes, nothing better than to have a gleaning glance among the various postings. Even that takes time nowadays due to the many sponsored ads. Cunningly they are honed to our own tastes and needs ( so much for privacy ) and thus often get mistaken for a piece of interest.

At times when I read what someone I know has posted I wonder if their account has been hijacked because surely they would never post such idiotic nor hate-filled words! Sadly, they often aren't hijacked and like an onion being peeled, the true personality of friends and family gets revealed. The book of revelations!

Of course Facebook is also used to post commentary on local events-always nice to look at photos to see who's with who, who looks tipsy and who was there. The later had me rather stunned; Since the advent of corona I have been delivering groceries to local seniors so that they are kept nice and safe inside their own home.

Even now, when the masks have been thrown out like old advice, I stay masked and keep a big distance when dropping off the groceries. Out of respect and out of knowledge of what could happen if I didn't. Contrary to popular opinion the corona virus has not gone up in smoke and disappeared. Far from it. The local numbers are increasing and from the looks of it, most holiday destinations around Europe are also seeing a boomerang effect. Why can't everyone just holiday in their own country? That would make it so much easier and safer for all.

Back to my online discovery. There were photos of a local event and who was in the thick of it, sans mask or social distance? Yes, many of the older crowd ( even some I deliver to ) who could be most affected by the corona virus. Officially nobody has to wear a mask but unofficially, the government has asked everyone to do everything necessary to protect themselves. Well, perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill but I care for the well being of everyone and I wish more would take this crisis seriously in order to help end it...Another lock-down would really hurt businesses and livelihoods not to mention the sad loss of people.

Biggi

A Bambi Along The Way.

No day is ever the same.

Sunday morning, Sunday walk is a ritual for me and often it tends to run along similar lines if not also geography. Yet, there are the subtle differences to each and every walk.

Naturally the scenery is stunning and beautiful regardless of season or weather but the people and animals encountered are what causes this uniqueness. Take this morning for example. At almost the start of my route I noticed a couple of runners in the distance. Who could they be? They weren't the ones I usually see. Turns out they were a young couple back home for the weekend trying their hand ( or feet ) at keeping fit. Just for good and safe measure I quickly pulled up my mask as they ran past. You can never tell where that little virus is hiding.

A few words on the fly later and off I went to basque in the pulchritude of a budding summer's day. Lost in my thoughts I didn't notice the next encounter until it was upon me. If I had, I would have taken my camera out and into position. At first I thought a young puppy had lost its way. Quivering legs, quivering nose and trusting big eyes stopped ahead of me in the path.

How cute. A very young deer stood there in front of me. Both of us got a huge fright and stopped for at least half a minute to consider our next move. The young deer ( not much bigger than a small dog ) moved as if it wanted to come towards me and in my mind's eye I already worked out a plan as to how to take it home. Wouldn't Mausi have enjoyed a small playmate! Trying not to scare it any further I made beckoning noises which obviously were the wrong choice as it started to hop to safety past me into a wheat field.

It was so precious to see this little creature. All the spots on its fur similar to those seen in childhood fables, movies and paintings. No parent followed and I do hope that this little one was merely making up the tail end of a family excursion and is now safe and sound next to its mum. Seeing this deer made me so proud that I don't eat animals anymore. How could I have ever eaten venison, meat, pork or fowl full and well knowing that an animal had to give up its life for my vagaries of taste...

Biggi

A Magical Saturday Afternoon.

Enjoying life.

It has turned out to be another hot day, surprisingly after a cool and rainy one yesterday. It being summer and so forth everyone expects hot weather until they have to endure blatant sunshine, heatstroke and no energy. Amazing how quickly autumn is wished for.

Bob's been working extremely hard this week and is ready for this weekend. Despite feeling exhausted he has been heard to utter thoughts of doing some brush cutting in our back garden, which promptly led to me laying down the law! All that he's allowed to do this weekend, is to relax and recharge. Nothing more.

Luckily, we have a stack of unread books which for us is akin to Christmas. Like little treats waiting to be devoured. Nothing like diving into another life and following various fictional people while they deal with whatever life has thrown at them. Preferably a murder or two. Sleuthing is our preferred genre.

After lunch this family set off on their literary adventures. Bob likes reading in the bedroom as it is more comfortable when he dozes off, I prefer reading on the couch as I don't doze off and our little Mausi chose to keep Bob company on the bed, reading between the lines. Yes, she cuddles right alongside Bob while he is reading knowing very well that it only takes a few pages until he settles in for a long afternoon snooze with which she has a strong affinity. Nothing she likes more than dreaming the day away snuggled next to us, her most important people.

Reading has so many levels of being good for one. New and different thoughts ( vital in our currently dire times ), time away from social media and a chance to relax and unwind. The latter is rather neglected by many until it is too late and their body rebels. Weekend should be taken by its word. An end to the week and a chance to reset to zero before Monday rolls around...

Biggi

A Bit Of A Change.

The wisdom of others.

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

" Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change. "
Confucius

" Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature's delight. "
Marcus Aurelius

" Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes. "
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have. "
Margaret Mead

" Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are. "
Berthold Brecht

" The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. "
Soren Kierkegaard

" What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. "
Plutarch

" Things do not change; we change. "
Henry David Thoreau

Biggi

Oats Eaten A Different Way.

Turning breakfast into supper.

Oats, makes you think of a hot bowl of porridge or perhaps a muesli bowl of sorts. Yes, that is what we have all been raised on but recently, I discovered oat's versatility. Firstly, here in Austria they sell oats before they've been rolled ( groats I think they call them ) and I love eating them. They sort of taste nutty and are nice and crunchy.

If I have them for breakfast than I soak them overnight and add them to my muesli bowl, but I have found another great way to include them in our day. We usually have either wholewheat pasta or brown rice accompanying our mains. Curries, stews and stir-fries to name a few. Well, the other day I ran out of rice and came across my groats. Honestly, I thought they were the rice as the light must have played tricks on me! So, one cup of groats, two cups of water and a dash of salt and simmer away they did.

Now, I do try and casually slip new food creations onto Bob's plate without him knowing, but this time there was no mistaking that it wasn't rice. But, we both thought it tasted oh so nice. Often I get so set in my cooking ways that I forget to try new things. This oat-rice is great on so many levels. It tastes nuttier than plain rice, it is cheaper and it is ambrosia for our gut bacteria. Plus, any leftovers can be tossed into a salad, used in a stir-fry or as filler for veggie burgers.

Try it sometime and if you like it, branch out a bit further and use rye grain, buckwheat , wheat or barley instead of rice. Your gut will love you...

Biggi

An Angel On My Shoulder.

Oh deer me!

Thankfully I tend to drive slower than is normal around here and get overtaken often by locals in a hurry to somewhere or nowhere. Life is too precious to drive fast and eh, our chariot doesn't have the oompf to fit into the fast lane.

Anyway, so there I was driving home after having mowed a few lawns with a trailer in tow. If for nothing else, than this trailer afforded me the right to drive more leisurely. Which is what I did on a long stretch of the road when suddenly out of the corner of my right eye I caught a fast movement along the edge of the budding cornfield next to the road. Before I could do anything I realized that it was a deer and I must have startled it.

It sprinted onto the verge and straight for the car. Well, not on purpose but what a frightening and horrific moment. I put on brakes ( thankfully there wasn't anyone behind or opposite me ) and the deer missed me literally by an inch! I can still clearly see its muscles pumping while bucking across the road.

My heart rate increased tenfold and it dawned on me how very close I had come to be in an accident. You never expect it do you? How quick life could change if it weren't for guardian angels. Surely mine had been there and alert enough to let me firstly drive at my usual pace ( any local pace might have been calamitous ) and secondly timed the encounter to avert disaster. Our whole area is deer country and often one hears or reads about accidents involving deer running into a car. A big thank you to my guardian angel and here's to driving more sedately...

Biggi