A Bit Of Positivity.

 Finding comfort from others.

" A good laugh is sunshine in the house. " 

                  William Makepeace Thackeray

"  Find a place inside where there is joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. "

       Joseph Campbell

" Correction does much, but encouragement does more. "

      Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

" Today or any  day that phone may ring and bring  good news. " 

                           Ethel Waters 

 " In  every day there are 1 400 minutes. That means we have 1400 daily opportunities to make a positive impact. "

                           Les Brown 

 " I am pretty positive, optimistic, so I always expect the best. "

                         Jürgen Klopp

"  A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. "

                         Wade Boggs

Biggi 

 

Some More Glimpses Of Home.

 Beautiful nature.

Bathed in a layer of fog makes this  romantic image seem quite serene and relaxing. The Eisenberg is hidden behind the fog.

Sunshine trying to peek through a cloudy sky.

For some reason vineyards have that special beauty about them and are surrounded by stunning scenery.

  White roses...need I say more?

Well, white roses framing a beautiful image.

Another perfect morning despite the cooler weather.

   I couldn't believe my eyes when I turned the corner and found myself being watched by some goats from a neighbourhood garden. Nice pets, aren't they? And most certainly a nice and loud alarm clock for the neighbourhood...

Biggi

There's Nothing Like Cutting Your Husband's Hair...

 ...until you cut it badly!

This has been the third time that I have attempted to cut Bob's hair. Today I even got advice from Albert ( best hairdresser there ever was ) of how to use the different clipper attachments.

Well, I obviously didn't listen well enough or too well. Suffice to say that Bob's hair is shorter than normal and to make matters worse unevenly so. But that is why they pay hairdressers so well; how to fix those shorter pieces without making the whole problem go on a loop. 

Bob is not new to the world of hairdressing and with lazer-like precision he honed in on where I made a mess. One side is shorter than the other and according to him because I had used a different attachment. Could be true, but what can one do?

This slightly less than aspicious haircut happened less than ten minutes ago and thus far he has been to show me a ' supposedly ' shorter part twice and I wouldn't be surprised if he will point out the error of my clipper skills a few more times.   Obviously I am not going down that road but rather pointing out the good sides instead!  Thankfully hair grows but when I mentioned to Mausi that Daddy was in a mood over my haircut, he replied;

 

" Wait until I cut your hair  different kinds of short! " ....

oh dear, best I sleep with one eye open for the next few days or until someone compliments him on a spiffy haircut...

Biggi 

Autumn Is Definitely Here.

 A nip is in the air.

It snuck up on us rather quietly but quickly. Autumn with more then its pretty coloured leaves. Early this morning the air felt close to freezing and it almost was. When I met my trusted fellow walker-he in the comfort of his car- he stopped to tell me that it measured an unbelievable 3 degrees this morning. Yikes, cold indeed.

The walk was on the edge of bracing and more freezing but nice nonetheless. Nothing better than to come home after a walk when its cold knowing that a hot cup of tea and breakfast is on the cards. Simple pleasures.

A little while ago I went out to collect the washing from the line as more rain clouds had started to gather in the sky. Never a break lately! Taking the washing off the line made me realize that soon that pleasure is over until late spring. Indoor bathroom decorating will be the order of the day. 

Winter does have its not so great points and one of them is  hanging  laundry on those spindly little ever so easily collapsible drying racks. One t-shirt too many and the whole structure collapses in onto itself. Most annoying but I still won't get a tumble drier. Once I get used to the winter laundry routine it gets easier and the norm. At least there is something to look forward to summer to.

Wine harvest is well on the way and there are about another four weeks to go. Hopefully the weather is going to behave itself accordingly and give our wine farmers a chance to get 2020's vintage into the cellars. All said and done, I do look forward to the cooler half of the year as it balances out the warmer half. Let's hope it will be a good few months ahead.

Biggi

Will It Be Conquered By Next Year?

 The quest at corona's behest.

At first most of us thought it might be a couple of months, three at the most to have it all under control. Far from it and now that I think about it, the only constant in all the pandemic was and is human behaviour.

By rights, if all of us were on lock-down for such a long time, it should have broken the transmission chain, but then not all of us were on lock-down or adhered to it. Not to mention the lure of summer holidays. Where on earth  is it written that we need to have a holiday away? We should have been thankful for any chance of a holiday and then  spent it in our own four walls, our own gardens or our own countries.

Europe is looking at the unwelcome arc of the pandemic's pendulum swing and frankly, aren't we to blame? Holidays abroad, many demonstrations, many family functions ( oh, it's just our family and we are all fine!!! ), illegal parties during summer and lack of the easy three precautions. Keeping distance, wearing masks and washing hands.

What got me started on this line of thought was seeing a memo on Facebook about how to behave at Deutsch Schützen's soccer game. Yes, this afternoon a league match is being played with spectators allowed. How many I am not sure about, but be there they will. 

Vaccines are on the horizon but will they be efficient enough to counter this pandemic? If all of us would take more care and be more in tune for  a few months, then surely we could put the lid back on the bottle and carry on. 

Soon most European countries will have their autumn school holidays and I just hope and pray that people will stay at home. Just this once...

Biggi

Grocery Delivery, The New Social.

A way to keep in touch.

Corona measures  mean so many changes and one is the lack of social gatherings. It is what it is and one has to just get on with it. On some level it is a good refresher of the basics of life and what really is important. Not stuff, now is it?

Anyway, since the middle of March I have been driving about doing grocery deliveries for our local shop. Mainly to those who need to protect themselves from the public, those who don't drive and those who enjoy a more leisurely approach to shopping. Not everyone is willing and able to shop online, and this sort of seems the perfect balance between going to the shop and shopping online. At least I think so.

Through the months I have got my ' regulars ' who like clockwork order on specific days and usually the same lot of groceries. (  The shop packs it in open boxes so I honestly can't help but look ) Fridays usually means three deliveries in the afternoon and each and every one is a treat for me. 

Those few moments, during the hot summer months never more than a few minutes as my car isn't air-conditioned, taken to ask how they are, how their live is and what's new in it are priceless. Often I wonder if those few people I do deliver to actually enjoy having someone to talk to and caring about their day and them? Hopefully I bring a bit of brightness into their day.

Isn't it always those seemingly casual interchanges that make one's day? This morning while waiting at the bank I ran into several people I know and had a little chat with each of them. Nothing earth-shattering but merely those mundane odds and ends which make up  conversations. Health, family and work...and just like that one can learn what makes other people tick.

Biggi

Visual Bits & Pieces.

 A small slice of Burgenland yet again.

A hazy morning frock thrown over Deutsch Schuetzen with only the church spire to be seen.

A bit of a floral greeting to the day. Aren't the colours and cheer of these daisies lovely? A most welcome sight so late in the year.

  An abandoned trailer putting its stamp on the meadow it lives in. A slice of country life and a gentle reminder how peaceful and safe a life we are allowed to lead in our bit of Burgenland.

The famous sunflowers of Dorfstrasse still reign tall, cheerful and proud. A different glimpse to the start of a day, one on the opposite spectrum of news, gloom and corona.

  The daisies might be blurry but that cements the attractiveness of the vineyard behind. Clear and clean lines makes it almost seem like part of an English garden or even a maze. Nice.

Finally, another look at my favourite sunflowers. This particular trio of flowers are stuck together for their adventurous live through summer and bits of autumn. 

Biggi

Learning To Cook At School.

 Another way to help food wastage?

Austrian parliament has been having many a televised sitting and I must say, some of it is rather insightful and worth listening to. Take today when I listened to two speeches by first a Green Party parliamentarian and then the Environmental Minister, who happens to be of the Green Party.

Often it tends to be those bits of information which appeal to us that we remember. Same for me. Part  of this speech focused on a new way to reduce waste, food waste in that instance and suggested the  reintroduction of  Home-Economics into each and every school child's curriculum. Brilliant and so simple that one wonders why the subject had been taken out of the curriculum to begin with. When the parliamentarian mentioned it she got a huge round of applause!

Imagine that each child who then grew up to be an adult, would know how to cook basic meals. Cooking, the simplest and most relaxing thing to do,  yet so many don't know how. Instead of having to rely on cheap buffet of fried fast foods, junk foods and being inundated with added chemicals, fats and salts, everyone would know how to make scrambled eggs, toast ( well that's easy ), porridge, homemade sandwiches for lunch ( you'd be surprised how many don't know how to do those ) and a stew, boiled potatoes or pasta for supper.     

 

Would this also help in stopping the morbid obesity of so many young people?

Home cooked meals most equate to less packaging and plastics used. Have you ever noticed how much wrapping and packaging is on frozen and ready made meals? Ghastly.

 Having Home-Economics at school could also be another way to teach children how to grow their own vegetables. Once the mystery is solved the barrier to growing one's own food is lifted and more importantly, by knowing how much tender love and care went into a carrot, broccoli or tomato it wouldn't be wasted or thrown away.

Small changes could mean big results, but of course the best way to stop wastage of food or anything else is to stop buying so much. Yes, I can do better too...

Biggi

Digging Up The Garden.

 Opening the gates some more.

Funnily enough, our front gates used to be electric. Easy as pushing a button whilst lounging in the car but sadly due to an unforced error-Bob mistook the electric wire for part of the weeds he was brush cutting when we first moved in- it is now a manual gate. Oh well, added fitness can't be wrong! By the way, when he cut through the cable it wasn't plugged into the grid!

The two wings of the gates at times take on a life of their own or rather they acclimatize to the adjacent flower bed and depending on how many flowers ( at times admittedly weeds ) there are, the less of an opening arc it has. Side mirrors of cars are often a mere smidgen away from being scratched or bent. Somehow through the years the two of us have learnt how to get through the open gates without touching them. Once or twice I have stood beside one part of the gate in order to hold it back.

Well, Bob's boss has bought a couple of new company vans and Bob is getting a new one to drive. Oh, he was so excited this morning as he was handing over his old company chariot for this new one. Six gears, he happily told me late last night. Gosh, I mumbled, that sounds like a racing car...

This new van is slightly bigger than his old one and thus our gates might pose a problem. A problem I am going to try and sort out in a moment. My plan is to dig a few inches of soil off each side and hope that each wing of the gate decides to behave and move over. If not, I see a future of hearing a hoot and rushing out to do gate-keeping duty. Ah, the gentler side of life is rather nice...

Biggi

Cats & Dogs Do Brighten Anyone's Day.

Helping others.

Honestly, I can't get enough of these wonderful cat or dog rescue clips. Dodo seems to be a nice video platform that hosts plenty of little videos about the less fortunate animals that were rescued. Tears galore.

The world is full of things that aren't what they should be and can make us feel sad. Seeing a stray cat or dog being taken in and pepped up  makes me realize that there are many wonderful people out there who take time out of their lives to help those less fortunate. Nice.

The other day I was delivering groceries to man in Eisenberg who loves cats and helps many of the local feral kind. Stray cats seem to instinctively know that he is to be relied upon to give them a good meal. I know because apart from anything else I deliver  oodles of cat food  to him most weeks. 

Our combined love of cats gives us plenty of material to chat about and often he tells me how feral cats bring their little kittens to his shed for a few nights, days or weeks in order to rear them. After a while they carry their kittens back to wherever, one at a time. Honestly. How cute.

Well, as I was starting to unload the boot he beckoned me over but asked me to be quiet. I looked over his fence to where he was pointing  ( we always keep a healthy two meter social distance ) and couldn't believe it when three young kittens were staring at me. Cuteness overload and honestly, I had to stop myself from taking one home. There was one who was a carbon copy of our princess and I could just imagine her playing mummy.

But there is the crux of the matter. Will Mausi play mummy or will she become jealous and nasty towards any other house pet we bring home? She is rather spoilt, you know! 

My motto is that if it is meant to be, a stray cat, kitten or dog will cross my path and follow me home.

As I know that Bob also loves watching these cat and dog rescue videos, I don't have to worry about sneaking any new pet past him...Animals, little angels among us.

Biggi 

A Sudden Nip In The Air.

The last of the Summer's days yield to the start of Autumn.

It crept up on us rather slowly or did it? The nights have helped cool us down quicker than during those  scorcher days of July along with their tepid nights. September nights are nice and obliging making it necessary to use a blanket yet again. Lovely and a jolly welcome change from the warm stagnant evening  air that summer held. 

Mornings are another marker of autumn's arrival. Walking without a jacket is out of the question as even this morning it must have dropped below ten degrees. Or at least it felt like it and was a nice way to reconnect to most of my jackets.

Sun's up much later too and somehow it seems as though all buck, deer and rabbits have followed suit and got up a bit later. Not so many about recently which makes me shudder when I connect the dots between the odd shot echoing from the forest and the dwindling number of deer. Not nice.

As it is the case all over the world, our temperatures have also been off kilter to their norm and thus the start of  wine harvest is still up in the air for many farmers. Some grape varietals are ready for picking but the main one for our area is still gaining enough sweetness to warrant being squeezed into wine. Too much rain I've heard but then again, one can never have enough natural water in store.

Today proved to be a lovely winterish sort of Sunday. Nice and mellow, cool enough to wear a sweater and use a blanket and lazy enough to catch up on books and sleep. Thankfully it is frowned upon in our area to do any work around the house or yard on a Sunday and far be it for me to go against this unwritten rule!

Autumn is a real stunner in our area as we are surrounded by oodles of forests and once the leaves start turning to  magical yet soothing yellow and orange, not much is needed to be content with life. Honestly, the spectacle of witnessing leaves turn colour should be on everyone's list of what to do on holiday or any other day for that matter...

Biggi

Early Morning Glimpses Of Eisenberg.

 Or rather of Eisenberg's nature.

The window to a new day in Eisenberg. There are days when the start of it is more awesome than the one before. Seeing the sun peeping through  a curtain of clouds made everything more ethereal and magical.

An early morning congregation of birds awaiting their departure for greener pastures. If only you could have heard their tweets and twats...

Are those three doves at the end of the row in charge? Everyone seems to be listening and lining up in perfect formation.

Circling the wagon...the local geese farm does have some cute moments bearing in mind the bitter end in store.

The corn will soon be ready although it isn't meant for us. Indirectly perhaps as most fields in our area are planted for animal feeds. Corn and soya being the most common. Wish I could just take a couple of corn ears but of course that is done.

A last glimpse of the corn field and its adjacent neighbours, pond & co. A mere pastural scene yet, a most spectacular frame for any walk...

Biggi

Other People's Thougths.

Always interesting to see their perspective.

 

" I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving someone I wasn't. "   

               Marilyn Monroe 

" How hurtful it can be  to deny one's true self and live a life of lies just to appease others. "  

     June Ahern

" Give out what  you  most want to come back. "

     Robin S. Sharma 

" Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost. "

               Erol Ozan  

" Your time is too valuable to be wasting on people that can't accept who you are. "

              Turcois Ominek

" The energy of the mind is the essence of life."

              Aristotle 

" Every man has  his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and oftentimes we call a man cold when he is only sad. "

              Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

" Now and again it is good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. "

              Guilliaume Apollinaire

" 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 

Biggi 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Interesting Season Ahead.

 The suspicious sniffle & co.

As it is we are all on tender-hooks and slightly suspicious of anyone who dares to sneeze or sniffle next to us. Not unheard of for me to surreptitiously turn away or if that isn't possible, hold my breath until out of reach. Yes, everyone is a suspect!

If anything, a reminder of hearing a sniffle nearby makes us adhere to social distancing again. How often does the distance shrink or how often do we have to walk past someone in the supermarket aisles, not even giving each other a half meter of social distance?

Well, colder weather is on the way and here to accompany us for a further six months at least. Cold weather means being indoors, an indoors heated to the n'th degree. A hotbed for colds and flus and sadly also corona.

They have been recommending an hourly airing of the room one is in which is all well and good in summer but have you ever tried to open a window in someone else's house during winter? One would think we'd broken it...especially Austrians are addicted to having a house heated to between 20-24 degrees during winter. Even before this current corona time I hated being in such a warm room. Cloying and stuffy. Much better to heat less and wear jerseys and sit with a nice warm blanket.

How are we going to handle the onslaught of the coming cold and flu season? How are we to know if it is just plain old flu or the vicious little bug? In fact, how do we deal  with getting a sore throat, or a runny nose? Can't go to the doctors so perhaps it will be best to just stay home at the first sign of a cold.  An interesting winter ahead for all of us.

The upside to all our renewed social distancing, hand washing and face masks might just be that it will keep a lot of the seasonal colds and flus at bay and  thus make this coming winter easier to navigate in a healthy state.

Biggi

Best Informed On Local News.

 No need to read the news.

I can't remember a time where news of all sorts was so prolific and frankly also frightening. Corona, wildfires, wars and recession tend to circle constantly. Often best to switch off except when it comes to real local news...

The end of last week saw a horror scenario come to life. Yes, the first confirmed corona case in our village. Yikes, it didn't make for a good weekend as the mind wandered and spun its various threads of interpretations...as it tends to do.

This particular news was published in a local newspaper and online ( so definitely not hear-say ) but after the initial bombshell nothing further was published. Too soon, too much  or nothing to tell? Those of you who have had the fortune of having lived in a small place know the best way to find out anything...

Without being too obvious, or plain nosy, the best source is of course the local shop but only if there happens to be a gathering of locals exchanging info. Outright questions never gets a good answer but being on the peripheral of a gathering will lead to a lot of info, in fact local info overload. Who was where, with whom and when!

Most mornings on my walk I meet one or two villagers and exchange a quick greeting whilst passing them but naturally, since this corona bombshell everyone takes the time to stop and chat about  this local corona drama. And drama it is! Yesterday I heard of those who were tested and awaiting results and this morning I heard about those results. It seems that luck is on our side as nobody else seems to have contracted the virus.

The beauty of having a village chat is that it never is cut and dried. No, it can navigate many bends and turns to get to the real meat of the story but those bends and turns are really the lifeblood of village life. Only this morning I found out where to get   running shoes with custom made insoles ( at no extra cost ), where to donate money and who is on the mend after a short illness. Those tidbits are rather priceless when it comes to village life and they are never published anywhere but available whenever we take the time to stop and have a chat...

Biggi

Some Salient Facts.

 Helping out Mother Earth is not as difficult as we imagine.

However you feel about it, Climate Change is here and playing out in front of our eyes, if we are lucky, and in front of us, if we are not. There by the grace of God go I...how terrifying and devastating it must be to live in and among that part of America that is burning right now.

Yes, it is  drought and lightening and a gender reveal party that have sparked it, but apart from the latter stupidity, everything else is the cause of our combined actions. The result of the earth heating up due to the ozone layer  slowly becoming more porous because of our combined love of consumption. A change is needed or to put it another way, not an option but a must.

Personally, I find it ironic and slightly short sighted of parents that do everything within their power to give their kids a great education yet they don't realize that continuing the way they live their lives means that the future for their kids is anything but certain. At the moment it is California that is hard hit but who's to say that it won't be you, you or you next?

Slowly but surely Bob and I are changing the way we consume stuff by asking ourselves if we need what we want to buy. Looking around our house I can see plenty of examples where we have failed...what we thought was indispensable now lays about gathering dust after being used once or twice. Shameful, but we are trying to become more aware of our actions.

The one area where both of us have done well in terms of doing our bit for climate change, is our diet. Vegan diets should be the norm not the exception when you consider how much one person can achieve.

The Vegan Calculator has given these results for one person being vegan for 30 months.

Liters of water saved:                       3,789,149

Square meters of forest saved:               2,548    

Kg of grain saved:                                  16,471                       

Kg of Co2 saved:                                      8,281                  

Animals saved:                                            910

As I have said before, even if only half or a quarter of these numbers are correct, they amount to a huge saving and it goes to show that each and every one of us can make a difference...and should.

Biggi

All About The Cat.

An endless array of goodies.

In a possibly misplaced spurt of panic I headed off to Oberwart to do get plenty of vegan staples for the next few weeks ahead. A confirmed case of covid has been diagnosed in our village and who knows how prolific it has been. Village life does equate to many a social occasion and meeting. Let's hope it hasn't spread much but just in case yours truly went and stocked up. Of course in the advent of a serious village curfew / lock-down they would deliver food parcels but with our luck they might contain bacon, beef and eggs!

On the way to town I remembered that our princess needed a few more morsels ( yes, the local shop does stock her brand but at 30 cents more per can ) with which she could be tempted to eat. So I planned my route around her. The first pet emporium I entered had half the shop dedicated to cats and their obviously numerous needs. From potty to soft cushion. Never mind all those yummy treats. Leberwurst cream, duck and blueberry sauce etc, etc.

Clearly we are not the only ones who adore and spoil our cat. There were oodles of food choices to be had and each one more expensive than the next. One would think that a gourmet chef had developed most of these ranges but sadly our cat doesn't like them. Lucky for us though. With her it is a mere whif that decides the fate of the plate.

In all honesty I do at times wonder if what they put in the can does in any way resemble the enticing photo they put on the can. We can't really taste the various meals now can we? Perhaps there is a reason she refuses to eat some of the food we dish for her. Cats do have a keen sense of smell and can pick out any offensive odour!

Anyway, the larder is stocked and whatever comes our way will be okay...

Biggi

Thoughts On Nature.

Ancient wisdom interwoven with now.

" Autumn is a second spring where every leave is a flower. "
Albert Camus

" The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure. "
D.H.Lawrence

" In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. "
Aristotle

" To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. "
Jane Austen

" For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. "
Martin Luther

" Happy is the man whose wish and care a few paternal acres bound, content to breathe his native air on his own ground. "
Alexander Pope

" I love not man the less, but Nature more. "
Lord Byron

" Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. "
Hans Christian Andersen

" There are always flowers for those who want to see them. "
Henri Matisse

" For I have learned to look on nature, not as in the hour of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes the still, sad music of humanity. "
William Wordsworth

Biggi

An Assault On The Senses.

The least of the midlife-crisis splurges.

Saturday, shopping day. Bob came with me to town this morning and not only to do groceries. As you know we have a well oiled routine and seamlessly flit between the various shops where we can get our staples. A drug store being the first on the list.

DM-Drogerie Markt has a lot of vegan staples from oats via flaxseed to peanut butter as well as all those essentials to keep us youthful. As I was hovering along the skincare aisle, Bob was off to explore the back aisle, a.k.a. the smelly lane. Yes, the perfume area which is filled to the rafters. How many smells can there be?

I was reading a label when I heard my husband call my name. Isn't it funny how attuned we are to our other halves? Even if they were to whisper our name we'd hear it. As I looked up I saw him walking towards me with both wrists held up in front of him;

" Boo, which smell do you prefer? "

after which he held up each wrist for me to smell. Not that I smelt anything through the thick mask I was wearing and I wasn't about to take it off in the middle of a possible corona hotspot. One arm smelled more potent than the other and I nodded to it;

" The left one. "

It was just a try out and not a buy although when we were back in the car Bob made me take another whiff of his wrists sans mask. Yikes, how much had my husband spritzed on? Both were so potent that when I was shopping at the next shop I could smell the scent clinging to me and as it was a macho cologone it garnered me a few odd looks from some of the men I was passing in the shop.

On the way home I was asking Bob where he would even have the opportunity to wear it...can't wear it to work and we don't go out often especially now due to corona. All my reasoning bore no fruit as Bob has made up his mind to get it next time we are in town. No if, when or buts.

Jolly good. I know the onset of a midlife-crisis when I see one and if all it takes is a bottle of potent cologne to hurtle through it I can count myself lucky. As it is his older brother seems to be going through it right now and his choice of splurge will be a big drum kit...just to be on the safe side I might talk Bob into getting two different lots of colognes and nix any thought of an earsplitting drum kit in the bud!

Biggi

Grape Harvest Almost On Our Doorstep.

Vineyards are teeming with activity.

Well, early mornings the rows of vines are mostly quiet awaiting whatever their day holds for them while bunches dangle invitingly in the budding morning sunshine. Most of their foliage has been removed to give the sun more room to imbibe them with nature's energy. The red bunches are growing in size although to me the actual grapes still look smaller than last year at this time.

It is only a matter of days even perhaps a week before the white grapes get harvested. A game of chicken with the almighty weather often ensues as each successive day the grapes are left on the vine, the better tasting they get. A nailbiting and nerve-wrecking two step with any possible storms or early morning frost. Yes, summer is on its last legs and the mornings are delightfully chilly and often chilled. Nothing nicer than to sip a strong cup of coffee on a crisp and chilly morning.

Winecellars are another hive of activity right now. Equipment of all shapes and sizes is being given a thourough clean ( water or citric acid only ) and arranged in the order it will be used. Every move is planned ahead of harvest as it is often a very stressful time, but also a happy time as the fruits of the year's labour are revealed.

Harvesting nature's bounty of all sorts ( grapes, apples, plums or pumpkins ) is a wonderful reminder to us of how abundant nature is and how fortunate we are to be able to live of it. Let's hope this year's harvest will run smoothly and be extremely successful for everyone...

Biggi

Pumpkins & Flowers.

Sighted and seen around Eisenberg.

There is always a belle of the ball and in this case a belle of them all. This particular sunflower has been beckoning me for days to come and take its photo. A wonderful sight on the side of the road.

The reminants of a bout of rain brought a special shine to those red roses guarding the health of a row of vines.

Most of the pumpkins are ready to be harvested and as you can see, they have been lined up in order to be better collected by tractors.

It almost seems a sin to only use the pips of these magnificent pumpkins. Soon the fleshy parts will be littering the fields as most of the separating is done right then and there.

...' Whatever blows your hair back...' Isn't this just funny? There was no wind yet the petals of this yellow rebel are arrainged in a manner reminicent of a beau from the nineteenth century. Nature, who doesn't love it?

Biggi

A Bit About Our Precious Environment.

Without it we are history.

" A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. "
Franklin D. Roosevelt

" It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve
and to tend to the world in which we all live. "
Dalai Lama

" If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth,
man would have no more than four years to live. "
Albert Einstein

" If you are fearful of the destruction of the environment,
then learn to quit being an environmental parasite. "
Wendell Berry

" It's the little things that citizens do. That's what will make the difference.
My little thing is planting trees. "
Wangari Maathai

" What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on? "
Henry David Thoreau

" We are in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone is arguing over where they're going to sit. "
David Suzuki

" We are being made aware that the organization of society on the principle of private profit, as well as public destruction, is leading both to the deformation of humanity by unregulated industrialism, and to the exhaustion of natural resources, and that a good deal of our material progress is a progress for which succeeding generations may have to pay dearly. "
T.S. Eliot

" We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin to shift from a ' thing-orientated society ' to a ' person-orientated society . "
Naomi Klein, This changes everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate

Biggi

Tales About The Hoff & The Coiff.

Bob's musical nemesis.

Before you think I divulge too many Bob stories, be assured that I pass each one for his inspection and this particular one he insisted that I write it for you...

Almost everyday there is mention of The Hoff a.k.a. David Hasselhoff on the telly. Honestly, Germany and Austria are enamoured with him. Either he is singing about looking for freedom or he is in a popular ad about sports betting. Regardless, The Hoff is ever present and thus also this story from long ago!

Before I had met Bob, he went to a popular hairstylist recommended by his mum. He had just returned from a couple of years in London and thus was as groovy as can be. His indie phase, music, style and attitude. This hairdresser must have been in her mid 40's while Bob was in his mid 20's. Bob's hair is extremely curly and thick and often it is best to keep it short regardless of the fashion at the time. Once Bob grew his mane out to almost resemble a lion's but his family weren't that keen on it so off it came.

So there is my trendy husband sitting in this stylist's chair and she does what every good stylist does; look at the hair type and what one could achieve over time with it but obviously forgot to notice what Bob wore;

" Bob, your hair is fabulous. It is so thick and wavy that I think it would look great if we shape it so it can grow into a David Hasselhoff style. You know, Knight Rider. "

" Eh, um, I am not so sure. I'd like it short please. "

Bob is polite to a T. Even though he wanted nothing more than to hop off her chair, he stuck it out to have his haircut finish. Needless to say that was the last time she saw him and before Bob even got home back then, he went to another salon to have his semi-hoff style nixed in the bud...Rest assured, both of us have a good giggle each and every time we see The Hoff on telly.

Biggi

Lotions & Potions.

Marriage, a laugh a minute.

Most men are like children when it comes to taking potions and lotions. In this case I was trying to get my dear husband to drink a healthy potion of hemp and hibiscus powder. Mixed with water it doesn't look that good but I was short of time and couldn't glam it up. Over the course of our marriage Bob has learnt to live with the fact that I love nutrition and health and often sees me reading various books on the subject, taking notes, eventually mixing stuff for him to try!

Yesterday morning was one of those moments where I had this dash of liquid health ready to be drunk by Bob. Like any suspicious longtime husband he chose to be wary. Not that I had asked him to sign odd pieces of paper recently which would have been a dead giveaway!

" Aghl, what the heck is this stuff? I don't want it! "

nothing for it but to go into sales mode;

" Schatzi, I drink this every morning and can't you see how my skin is glowing and looking more youthful? "

to which my formerly darling husband replied without hesitation or batting an eyelid:

" Obviously you didn't drink enough for the skin on your hands. "

Blimey, kids, animals and now husbands...after bemoaning the state of his own hands he bravely downed the cup and had the grace to look a tad bit sheepish. We compared the backs of our hands and I wouldn't be surprised if from now on we compare the look and texture of our hands. I must say, Victorian ladies were extremely clever by always wearing gloves...not a bad idea.

Biggi

The Ease Of Making A Strudel.

A new culinary discovery in our house.

Sauerkraut is so very versatile and of course so very healthy. Great nourishment for those beneficial bacteria living in our gut. Honestly, Sauerkraut is one of the best foods for them and it is tasty too.

Sauerkraut is extremely cheap and easily available in most shops and I keep at least one spare packet in the larder. The other larder staple-well actually fridge staple-is ready made strudel pastry. Yes, I know it is processed but honestly, who has the time or patience to make their own strudel pastry? Usually there are four extremely thin pastry sheets in the packet and those can be transformed at the drop of a hat into apple, cherry or Sauerkraut strudels.

For lunch today I opened a package of the fermented cabbage and drained out any of the liquid whilst arranging the pastry sheets on an oven tray. One or two pats of vegan butter among them and they were ready for the cabbage. I put the lot into the middle, flattened it into an elongated shape, put some spices on top and then rolled the whole lot up into an oblong sausage shape. Into the oven and that was it.

About fifteen minutes later it was ready and I didn't even have to call Bob to get his slice as the aroma of a freshly baked strudel was wafting about the house. Nice, and so was the strudel. How quick and easy to make and so little fuss. Brilliant. A new edition to my menu roster which has cracked the nod of approval from Bob...none left.

Often the simplest things are the tastiest and in this case also healthy. Try it sometime, you might be pleasantly surprised and your gut bacteria will thank you.

Biggi

Magic Mornings.

Rural routine.

In a way it is a good thing to walk the same route every day, well most days, as it frees my mind up to wander and discover left brain stuff. The tranquil side of our brains?

The whiff of horse manure must be one of the most pleasant rural perfumes about. Not the pig variety though...that is beastly and makes me shudder to think of these poor trotters stuck in their own manure. A horse and several donkeys live along the main village road and one or the other must have been responsible for the perfumed air. Nothing makes one feel more rural than stumbling upon anything horsey. Especially us girls as we tend to relive our youthful obsessions with riding horses.

A couple of paces further along two stellar red roses were valiantly standing their ground despite being close to wilting away. Summer is their heyday too and while birds are lining up to travel to their summer home, roses fade away after a mere season.

Most of the telephone wires have started to moonlight as platforms for troupes of swallows organizing their roll call for an early departure to warmer climes. Brave little souls, aren't they? At least this year they don't have to compete overly much with a gazillion planes. Corona does have some good points.

Today was the first Saturday of the month and that meant a barrage of tractors purring along to Höll in order to get rid of a whole lot of bulky rubbish. Gosh, there seems to be an never-ending supply of old mattresses, sofas and nightstands in our village. Without fail each and every first Saturday of the month the trek to the rubbish dump ensues. Hope they didn't forget to check if the mattresses had been used as banks.

Saturdays have such a nice and relaxed feel about them as most households fire up their engines an hour or two later then normal affording time for leisurely family breakfasts, lingering over newspapers and generally catching up and reconnecting with each other. Makes everyone more friendly when I run into them!

Mornings like today are wonderfully grounding and a great way to escape all the paraphernalia associated with 2020...

Biggi

Choosy Chickens.

Cabbage anyone?

This morning a whole stack of wood was on the cards. Four cubic meters of chopped wood
( I hope I got that right ) was delivered. Well, they were actually dumped unceremoniously in the middle of my parents' yard and thus I was headed there to help stack them. A yearly event although I am still not brave enough to attempt the actual stacking. How on earth does my mum stack them so perfectly when each and every piece of wood has a different dimension? Much better for me to be the gofer!

My parent's neighbour is the owner of a troupe of chickens and often mum pops over vegetable peels etc. An almost whole head of cabbage has been whiling its fate away in our fridge for almost two weeks now - somehow the right moment to use it never came up - and had morphed to that tangy phase. Best to give away and the chickens seemed a perfect choice. No waste and no guilt...or so I thought!

Cunningly I had cut the cabbage into pieces before handing it over to my folks to give to the chickens. A whole head of cabbage wouldn't have looked good. Kind of wasteful...better to disguise it as a treat for the chicks. Little did I know that contrary to popular opinion, Chickens are choosy creatures.

" Oh, the only food those chickens won't eat is cabbage! "

Just my luck! A friend was sitting at the table listening to the cabbage-chicken saga when he suggested to use the cabbage for a salad and to add more vinegar to disguise any ripeness. Thank goodness I had the forethought of chopping it up roughly before as there was no way it could be made into a delicate salad.

Who knew that chickens could be so choosy? Goodness me, what next? Well, at least there is an alternative use for my head of cabbage...mum's compost pile along the fence, which will ensure that at least the whiff of decomposing cabbage will drift into our choosy chickens' nostrils.

Biggi

A Bit Of Nature.

Early bird does catch the worm.

Even walking past the church and adjacent graveyard has moments that are breathtaking.

Once the sun puts in an appearance everything lights up and more importantly, cheers up.

A few avian friends making the best out of an early morning get together and perhaps trying to coordinate the direction of today's flight.

Enveloped by puffs of fog almost makes the top of our Eisenberg into an island of sorts. Lake side properties!!

A bit further along the local council has decided to make a rudimentary canal next to the fields. Awesome reflection of the adjacent corn field. Let's hope that this canal does the trick as we have been having a lot of rain lately.

Nature of sorts...our princess has a knack for choosing soft and comfortable snoozing spots. I had left this basket there for not even an hour when it had cracked the nod from Miss Mausi. Don't worry, I'll wash the towel again.

Biggi

Another Funeral Is Had.

Unfortunately it has been a busy season.

Coming back from my walk I heard what was clearly a conversation between women somewhere along the street. Oddly enough I didn't see anyone and just assumed that my antenna had picked up a conversation from someone's lounge. Happens more often than not as most of the houses are build close to the road. A few moments later I saw the source...a couple of older ladies, neighbours, where walking down the road dressed in black. Yes, clearly on the way to a funeral.

As I walked past, one of the ladies hurriedly turned back towards her house because she had forgotten her mask. Yeah, at least masks are worn. A few steps later I saw her doubling over. Yikes, thinking that she was hurt I rushed to help but it only turned out to be a missing coin. While looking for her house key, she had dropped the coin in her hand and at a certain age one doesn't kneel on the ground to look for stuff but bends over at the waist.

A most important coin as halfway through any service a church elder walks around with the collection basket and everyone's ear is tuned to the sound of coins dropping upon other coins! Believe me, I have at times forgotten to bring some coins and have felt the weight of raised eyebrows. The two of us tried to find the missing euro but to no avail. Thankfully it was just a dropped coin and nothing more serious. One never knows.

Isn't it ironic that funerals are places to meet friends and family? A place to get together obviously to pay homage to the person departed but also a place to remember those convergence points where your life had crossed theirs. Funerals are great reminders of the fragility of life and even though we all feel invincible, we really aren't.

The local priest usually ends his prayer at the grave site with a blessing for the next person among the mourners to knock on heaven's door. Markab, isn't it? The first time I heard it I nearly had a heart attack...nice way to put the fear of god into your parishioners and make sure the pews are filled. Every time I go to a local funeral I make sure to blend out this final priestly message.

Funerals despite their sad meaning are surprisingly life affirming for the ones who attend. Many a vow to enjoy life and slow down the madness of a hectic life are made and hopefully upheld.

Biggi

September Again.

A fond farewell to the sweltering summer heat.

It was just the other day or rather felt like it was when the lock-down was sprung upon us and now, a heady six months have galloped by each one packed with its own saddle bags of change. Yes, our world has changed in this time although most of us haven't realized it yet, still tenaciously expecting a reunion with life as it was before.

Fittingly for the first day of September our weather has decided to put on a cloak of drama starting with a rainy morning and ending with strong winds and thankfully cooler temperatures. Now and again the wind displayed such vigor that I was loathe to look outside in case roof tiles were flying about. No joke that as one of our out buildings has a roof beyond repair and filled with an almost perfect view of our neighbour's garden.

September and its new norm includes some chuckles. Only today I was in a Supermarket in Grosspetersdorf and walked past a lady I thought I recognized. We both were wearing a face mask and thus only the top of our heads showed. Hers was in need of a serious root touch up which made me a bit hesitant about saying hello as it looked like somebody much older than her. Ah, how vital hairstylists are to us!!! Well, when I had walked around to her other side I greeted her ( by name ) and thankfully I did because it was her and she had wondered along the same lines with me. Hopefully minus the showing of grey roots. A nice little chat and that was that.

September heralds the last bit of the journey towards year end and sadly also an end to going about without jackets or coats. Winter is waiting in the wings and I for one am glad as it is one of my favourite season. Yes, it will be cold and gloomy but also cozy and romantic. Hopefully it will also be the last winter that we have to share with that little devil, also known as...Corona.

Biggi