Monday, Last Day In November And A Full Moon!

 Sighting of crazies explained...

Today is another one of those bitingly cold days. Deceptive as the sun has decided to grace us but still, iciness prevails and gloves aren't really an option.

This afternoon I was out on my errand run, by car of course, and couldn't believe my eyes when I turned around a corner in the village. In fact for a moment I thought it might be late summer. There was a woman wielding around her lawnmower outside her house, on the verge. Not even sure if it is her verge but nonetheless she decided to mow the lawn. No thought to how ridiculous she looked, never mind making some of us feel as if perhaps they too should do a turn around their lawn.

Being slightly quizzy I slowed down enough to do a flying inspection of this lawn. Yikes, it was a perfect length yet she was busy cutting it some more. Snow is expected from tomorrow and there she is giving brush cuts. She has also recently succumbed to corona and I must say, she did look a bit pasty faced. Goodness, how dilly some people get trying to impress their neighbours. Couldn't be for any other reason, could it?

Of course today of all days is full moon. Not a bad explanation for her extraordinary behaviour. Come to think of it, there were more than the usual villagers about at the Bank and the doctors but that might just be due to month's end and the fact that our Bank only serves customer Mondays and Fridays.

Our princess seems also afflicted with a touch of moon madness. Earlier on  she was dashing about like a mad thing, running from one end of the house to the other and kind of touching each door post like in a relay race. Doesn't bode well for tonight!

Full moon, apart from dragging out the crazies (  me too! ), has a nice feel to it. The light at night is different and slightly more cheerful or light enough to spot any werewolves sneaking about...

Biggi

Rediscovering A Love Of Baked Potatoes.

 The perfect spud.

Potatoes are so versatile and usually I add them to a curry, boil them and now and again make  mashed potatoes. Chips not very often as it is a tad bit more work, slicing and dicing a gazillion potatoes. They do taste nice though. Thankfully I have managed to stay away from crisps, the bought kind, as that might prove fatal. Who can stop at a few?

So today being a cold Sunday I was pondering what to make for lunch. Something quick and easy and obviously tasty. Veggies could wait for supper. We wanted tv food. By pure chance my eyes fell on a net of potatoes and that got me thinking about doing them a different way. In the oven, as baked potatoes.

I took five big ones, stabbed them numerous times with the tines of a fork and popped them into a hot oven along with a cup of cold water. Don't really know the why only that I remembered reading about that bit of water making a difference to the spuds.

Making baked potatoes took me back in time to when I was working in Scotland. Gosh, then I must have prepared hundreds of them working at a Cafe. There they were favoured with a generous helping of baked beans and cheddar cheese.  A few ventured out into dollops of tuna mayonaise but, too much of a good thing perhaps?

About 40 minutes later the spuds were ready and it didn't take long before I had splayed  them on my plate with a generous helping of vegan butter, salt and pepper. Oh my goodness, what a taste sensation. Crispy skin, soft center and flavour to die for. Yummy indeed.

Bob's preparing his as we speak and if he also loves them as  much as I, they can become a prolific staple on our weekly menu roster. Cheap, nutritious and oh so divine. Now and again we might pop some baked beans on top but not that often.

Good culinary times ahead...

Biggi

The Frozen Tendrils Of Nature.

 Eisenberg bathed in a frozen sheen of beauty.

It was worth going for a long walk up the Eisenberg this morning. Only the top echelon of forest were surrounded by pulchritude of frozen dew.

The many colours dangling alongside my path were sheer amazing and stunning. Little beacons of hope and cheer in an otherwise altogether dreary foggy morning.

Isn't it almost miraculous how tender the leaves are  encased in an icy setting? Only the edge and never the whole leaf...A sheer pleasure to behold.

A feast of colours to brighten anyone's day. 

The lovely hibiscus shrub creating a lattice of frozen beauty to put a spot of colour alongside the road.

Pale green works of art...  today it more than likely dissipated only to reform  a bit later during the night in perfect time  to bring cheer for tomorrow morning. Just love to walk among such a splendorous bit of nature...

Biggi

Insights At The Recycling Bin.

Everybody likes their wine.

Bob had to have an ultra sound done and as it is the time of covid, I had to while away the time in our car outside. A long wait as it seems that everybody had to have their insides looked at. Bob's reason for the visit is a tedious and sore tendon which to add insult to injury, the doctor told him was an usual affliction of middle aged men! Don't know what hurt more....It will get better though.

So, there I was in our car watching the world pass by ( and into the Radiographer's rooms ) in Güssing which caused me to count my lucky stars that both of us are hale and hearty.  Next to where we had parked a hive of activity was taking place. At least I was kept entertained.

Güssing's recycling bins are on the parking lot premises and boy, every minute another car drove up to discard cans and bottles. Two distinct yet different sounds. Cans being dumped clink musically together whilst empty wine bottles crash the party and break with that distinct sound.

It was nice to see others  availing themselves of eh, wine and recycling. All and sundry drove up one at a time, hopped out of their cars, opened boots and proceeded to clean up any evidence of a party. Brilliant. Those that had quite a few extra empties did that furtive look around and as soon as they noticed me watching them pretended to nonchalantly ditch the leftovers of their excesses. Must remember to copy that look when it's my turn at the recycling lot.Nice though, to see a whole town do their environmental bit and also enjoying Burgenland's favourite tipple.

Often it is good to sit and ponder the world around one. A chance to notice and appreciate all that we have and are...

Biggi

A Day Well Suited For Biscuits & Soup.

 When the cold beckons...

A miserable day today. Misty, dreary and bone-chillingly cold.  These days are part and parcel of the wintry months and at times quite nice but today far from it. Agh well, halfway through already.

Isn't the thought of what to eat for lunch often a ponderous one? The stuff one yearns for isn't there and the stuff that's there isn't quite what we'd like. Often I go through freezer, cupboard and fridge to check what might be on offer even though I mentally have already itemized most of it.

Today the thought of fruits & co. was far from appealing and after having started off my breakfast on the wrong foot - wanted to try a maize porridge with maize meal we found at the back of the cupboard that had run out of date a few years back but still looked fine - despite my lack of taste I could discern an unwanted edge to the maize concoction and had to chuck it and the rest of the maize flour! Hold thumbs I didn't do harm by trying a few spoon fulls...

So, lunch had to be something warm and yummy. Found a packet of frozen spinach balls and made a soup with it and an onion. The blender we bought a few years ago for making smoothies has come in handy as it is a sheer joy to blend vegetables into a soup. It only takes 15 seconds and voila, a smooth and delicious soup is had. Brilliant for using leftovers and brilliant for being able to throw everything into a pot in the knowledge that it will be blended together later. Soup has never been that easy and as I said, perfect for today's miserable weather.

Cold afternoons seem made for biscuits along with tea and they are in the oven right this minute emitting that delightful aroma of baking all over the house. My sense of smell must be coming back as I can detect the most awesome baking aromas. Yeah!!!

Food plays such an important part in our lives and often a little treat of homemade biscuits ( only oats, sugar, oil and soy milk ) and soup can lift the spirits instantly whilst making us feel warm, comforted and happy with the vagaries of life.

Biggi

When Not To Cough.

 More about corona.

Isn't it funny the way  life has changed. The ordinariness of winter is a thing of the past. Corona has pushed itself into every aspect of our lives.

Earlier on I was on the phone with a friend ( due to corona that is the only contact we can have ), asking her how she was. Just the normal How are you? that starts all of our conversations. Well, her voice sounded groggy and scratchy which she confirmed by a hasty cough and explanation.

              " No, no, no, I don't have corona. It's just an ordinary lung infection. "

The stigma of corona has taken a hold of us. Most are afraid of having it and having to fess up to it if they do have it. A sneeze is explained by an over dusty room, a cough by an imaginary smoker in the room and a lung infection by dent of it being that time of the year.

Standing in a supermarket and doing either of the above almost is akin to declaring oneself a leper. Have you noticed how people surreptitiously ( or blatantly )   dash away at the first hint of a sneeze, cough or nose blowing? Rather sad, isn't it? I wonder if it will persist into a post corona world and if many of us are suspecting the next pandemic round the corner?

This morning I was walking and it was so bitterly cold that naturally my nose was as red as could be and those that met me along the way were secretly not too sure if I was still under the spell of corona and to be on the safe side they too gave me a wide berth. Truth be told, I might have done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot.

This too  shall hopefully pass and in a year's time we can have a good laugh at our collective silliness. 

Biggi

A Huge Weight Has Been Lifted Off The World's Shoulders.

 A new normal again.

It felt as if it could have gone the other way but thankfully it hasn't. This morning I heard that the political gate keeper has passed over her keys to Mr Biden and co. At last. Finally and unbelievably late.

The world seems to have turned a corner. For the better of course. Problems of yesterday have shrunk in size now that a different team's in place to take over. We can go back to believing the world to be a good place. 

How on earth could we have let one person shed a cloak of hopeless negativity over our world? Well, the cloak's being lifted and life can go ahead on a new adventure. 

( Personally I can't wait to see the Green New Deal take place )

Today it was a great day all around and even the radio played the most upbeat songs. Oldies of course but they are the best at getting our feet to tap along and our voices to chorus through open car windows.

Kids and even adults can return to a gentlemanly behaviour. A life where manners count. Swearing, bullying and shouting are not what we are about. Perhaps this little sojourn into a world of it has shown us how we want to converse  and behave with one another. One can't understand lightness without darkness, heat without cold and now, a gentlemanly way of life without one of bad manner....

Biggi

A New Pied Piper Is In Town.

 All in the name of shopping.

One can't escape it. Days with colour or rather without it. When did Fridays and Mondays suddenly turn black? And why not red or green while we are at it! Major holidays tend to bring them to the fore and so far they have pied pipered a whole lot of shoppers.

A moment ago as I was scrolling through my news feed I couldn't help but notice yet another Black Friday special deal. The way the discounts are heading it won't be long before they give us some money along with our purchase. 

Seeing those 50% or more discounts makes me a bit suspicious as to whether the stuff is genuine and whether all along they have been horribly overpriced. The irony of it all is that at the moment hardly any of us need nor want stuff.  Okay, stuff to make staying at home more fun definitely. You know, books, wool, wine and chocolates!

New clothes - Who's going to see them? Ditto for new furniture, cutlery, dinner sets and more. Our enforced isolation has shown us how little we really do need. New clothes are hardly any fun if we can't show them off.  It takes special strength of character or should I say ego to dress up each and everyday one spends in isolation. Much easier not to mention more comfortable to don the old sweatpants. 

Back to those bleak and black shopping days. Now that Christmas is approaching they are as prolific as ever if not more so. Consumption has dropped quite a bit (  an awesome win for Mother Earth ) and with this second lock-down it has morphed into our collective DNA. Shopping for the sake of shopping is so last year. 

Our collective economies will change, if they haven't already, and find  new ways to create jobs that aren't based on everyone shopping for arbitrary stuff that only ends up on landfills a few months later.  Transitions aren't easy but the outcomes might just positively surprise us...

Biggi

December Is Almost Upon Us.

 Sadly, a year to remember.

Who would have thought that 2020 would have been anything but another nice and comfortable passing of time. A year of many things but none of us in our wildest dreams would have created such terrible times.

Well, at least we are more than half way through this pandemic based upon  the promise vaccines brings. A year when businesses were closed for months on end, all over the world. A year where schools embraced our living rooms instead of class rooms. A year where a lot of us actually found out what the word quarantine means. A year where perhaps the thought of committing nefarious deeds has evaporated from many a mind once the real impact of social isolation sank in.

Christmas is lurking around the corner and despite most shops being closed the reminders of shopping for it are everywhere. Online seems to be the place to shop now, come hell or high water. Do we need yet more stuff? Isn't it a present enough to have come through this pandemic as unscathed as possible. Whatever happened to saving for that rainy day or at least saving something.

Christmas traditions have a special place in our community and it will be quite strange not to go and take part in it. By now local volunteers would have got together to create Christmas wreath and window decorations. Always jolly fun and a way to mingle in the village.  Glühwein evenings will be cancelled and again an opportunity to catch up with friends and neighbours missed. But, rather that than catching the dreaded covid.

Well, this December will surely be different for all of us. Christmas is going to be a very quiet and solitary affair but perhaps it will help us focus on what is really important in life. Family and time spent together...

Biggi

Cold And Awesome Mornings.

Snow is in the air.

 A cold start to the day. Typical in winter and awesome to behold.

A bit further along and the rising sun is casting vivid colours among an otherwise stark stream.

A family of deer keeping me company. By now they should be used to me but still, they hop and dash as far as they deem safe...

Still water and its magical quality of mirroring everything close by.  A pebble would distort the clarity as well as a bird taking a sip of water...

Along my route that takes me to the edge of Hungary. One half is still cloaked in early morning mist while the other half is kissed by bright sunlight and cheerfulness. 

Almost the same image, but I just love the crispness of it. A true reflection of a cold day and its crystal clear air...

Biggi

Some More Quotes.

 Fascinating insights.

" Natural forces within us are the true healers of  disease. "

         Hippocrates

" Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. "

         Hippocrates

" The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. "

         Plutarch

" What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. "

         Plutarch

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

        Aristotle

" Leisure is the mother of philosophy. "

        Thomas Hobbes

" We are what we think. All that we are arises from our thoughts. 

With our thoughts, we make the world. "

        Buddha

" You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe,

 deserve your love and affection. "

        Buddha

" However many holy words you read, however many you speak,

 what good will they do if you do not act upon them? "

        Buddha

" A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. "

        Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Biggi

Mice, Men And More.

 Every winter again.

We've pulled out one side of our couch and sort of made it into a day lounger. Most convenient during a lock down and most comfortable to watch tv on. Also makes a jolly fun hiding place for mice. Hollow structures perfect for hiding from local cats. Eh, little Miss Mausi.

For the last few days she has taken up mouse watch. At times nothing can deter her but so far the pesky small creature( s ) has eluded capture. Doesn't stop me wondering if during my sleep I am being used as a rodent's jungle gym. 

At the moment the princess is asleep on her blanket. Passed out more like. She is exhausted from her attempted rodent capture workload and has taken a break from it. The mice not from us though. I can hear  squeaks and pitter patter of little feet as we speak. Hopefully they'll become more visible once Bob's home as he is far better at picking them up and taking them outside.

This morning's walk ( oh, I am so grateful to be able to walk again ) proved rather funny. There lives a man with his dog in one of the block of flats down the road. Now and again our paths cross whilst out exercising but since the start of the pandemic he has taken to turning the other way the minute he sees me.

Well, this morning he couldn't as there was only one direction to walk and I was twenty meters behind. He quickened his pace, whilst glancing behind him. Gosh, didn't that make me feel special! The moment he could he found a little corner to hide and when I eventually passed him, he actually turned away from me. Honestly, as if I would stop to chat or breathe on him. 

Everyone copes with this pandemic in a different way. At least he is ultra careful which is not a bad thing at all but rather funny when he tries his best to evade me. The other side of our country seems to be not so vigilant. News reports have mentioned that since Austria's hard lock down, quite a number of people have taken to driving to Germany ( Bavaria ) in order to shop. Words fail me on that front except to hope that border controls will be reinstated asap....

Biggi

A Happy Discovery At Penny's.

 Veganism moving mainstream.

There is one type of fast food or rather food that can be eaten fast, here and now, that I love getting whilst out shopping. Most supermarkets have them and so I am never at a loss in this  regard.

Freshly baked bread rolls or bretzen are just amazing to devour in the car on the way home. Shopping for food is hard work and creates appetites galore. Usually the prospect of the half hour drive home is too long to endure without any vittles and thus Bob and I tend to gravitate towards a fresh bread roll or two. 

This morning as I got into our car I couldn't help but notice a whole slew of breadcrumbs littering the seat. Ah, Saturday's shopping adventure! Fresh, crumbly and moreish.

Austria has a very strict code when it comes to fresh ingredients. All supermarkets and bakeries have a list of ingredients printed over the item in question. Each bread roll, bretzen or loaf of bread from the bakery departments have a list of what's in it. Often not that much and thankfully some are without the dreaded E-numbers. What all those lists have in common though, is that they are printed in tiny writing and seeing that I do use reading glasses ( at home only! ) it is a constant battle to read this fine print looking for anything resembling dairy or animal protein.

You would be surprised how much of the above are added to rolls and co. Well, this morning saw me at Penny's reading the label over a wholewheat roll dispenser.  Oh my goodness was I happy to see that Penny's have taken the bull by the horn and come straight out with it....They have put in bold print the label Vegan on  fresh rolls, loaves of bread or bretzen that are vegan. What a wonderful idea, what a great help and what a fabulous way to embrace veganism. 

More and more people are embracing veganism and these different supermarkets provide the proof thereof by the number of vegan items they carry and the helpful labels they provide.

Biggi

A Plate Of Onions.

 There is a plus side to loosing one's sense of smell & taste.

Look, I don't wish it on anybody as it makes eating rather bland, but there are some benefits to it. Yesterday I was listening to a radio program and on it a professor ( not sure of what ) mentioned the benefits of leaving raw, roughly sliced onions around the house.

Good for absorbing the odd bacteria floating about and hopefully neutralizing it. Also it may help some cold and flu symptoms so it might just come in handy during our current dilemma. I had forgotten all about it until very early this morning when both of us were sipping our first cup of coffee and feeling a bit stuffy.

When I told Bob what I'd heard he was all for it and so I headed off to the kitchen at a quarter past five to cut up two onions. Not something I would normally volunteer to do whilst drinking my beloved cup of coffee but seeing that I can't smell a thing, I didn't hesitate.

Funny not being able to smell...I tend to assume that nobody else can either. I put a plate next to Bob on the computer desk and one on the windowsill. Looked very pretty but when Mausi refused to walk over it, I realized that the aroma must be a bit overwhelming. Bob bravely soldiered on but mumbled about it not being a nice smell to face this early in the day.

So far the two plates are still about and I can still not smell a whiff of an onion. Brilliant and it makes me wonder what else I could put around our house in the name of health. Home remedies: fun, interesting and affordable...let's hope this works.

Biggi

Paper Inspection.

 All about the paper bin.

It usually, no actually always, falls on a Monday. Paper bin collection. Waste paper that is. Once every five weeks or so they come to collect all of our accumulated papers to be discarded. And a lot there always is. What isn't wrapped in firstly a layer of superfluous plastic and then sturdy cardboard or paper? Everything it seems and thus the paper bin is mostly overflowing.

Walking on those days is extremely interesting and informative. All about the neighbours!! Paper days reveal the oft amazing buying habits of those close by. Bulky boxes ( ie, tv, computer, furniture or household appliances ) don't fit into the bin and thus have to be put next to it.

Hardly any packaging comes without a logo, picture or big letter name and so it is easy to piece together who watches television with a wall sized tv, or who has again upgraded their laptop, who has a fancy fridge in their kitchen or who now sits on a nicely cushioned work chair to name but a few. Nothing is hidden from prying eyes. Mine for a change!

It astonishes me to witness throughout the various collection-Mondays that mostly the same families buy as if there is no tomorrow. Boxes upon boxes stacked up next to already overflowing bins. How much does one need?

Today is the last day before Austria's hard lockdown and  news reports showed chaotic  scenes at shopping malls and hardware emporiums. The big shopping chains weren't doing this crisis any good by giving a 50% discount on shoes and furniture etc. An invitation for the virus to spread among the queues of waiting customers, not to mention the obscene amount of packaging that will be thrown away next paper bin collection day.

Collectively we need to curb our enthusiasm for arbitrary needless shopping. A tv reporter brought this fact home when interviewing an older ( risk category ) lady outside a Vienna Shopping Center;

                          " What did you buy before tomorrow's lockdown ? "

                           " A wallet and some other things. "

                           " Oh, are you going to use this wallet during your lockdown? "

                           " No, but it was half price! "

Sad how the lure of a half price wallet is worth putting yourself in danger of catching this horrid corona virus....

Biggi 

The Last Of Autumn's Colours.

 Gorgeous leaves, whatever their colour.

 They come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Devoid of nourishment they turn a most warm russet hue. If it hadn't rained last night, they might even look a bit more wrinkly, dry and fragile.

A row of birches alongside our main road never fail to cheer me up. Amid a rather dull, misty and grey day the white bark signals a time when sunshine and warmth are back...

The acorn tree with its distinct shape of leaf...

A yellow tutu circling a big strong tree. The colour combinations are stunning and awesome to behold. A breath of fresh air and a reservoir of energy.

I love looking up and seeing the intricate veins come to the fore when dissected by light. Nature is simply amazing.

There are still patches of vivid green grass, and by the looks of it growing abundantly. The cycle of nature....the dropped leaves help nourish the grass over the winter and provide shelter, nourishment and bedding for a number of insects and wildlife whilst ensuring  healthy lawns for next year.

Biggi

First Day Out.

 A changed world...

I felt like a child at Christmas. Excited and a little bit apprehensive at the same time. Almost three weeks at home without stepping a foot outside our yard. Shoo, at least it is over now.

So, there I was early this morning ready for my first walk in weeks. Apprehensive really as there were so many awful stories buzzing about the internet in regards to lung capacity after corona. Well, so far so good and a little route accomplished in one piece and regular breathing. Still fit.

As I was setting off I noticed that our neighbour two houses down had chopped and cut part of his hedge, garden and trees in it. Everything suddenly looked so bare and different. How long was I inside for? Then I remembered that their daughter is moving back home with family and building a house. Yes, a new house on the street. Very brave in these uncertain times and also considering that the parental house is big enough for three families!

Every house I passed on my route looked different. Some had cut their flowers, some had cut their trees and some had added a story. Yes, yet another house where they have decided to put an additional story on top. With these new wooden instant houses everything is possible...until a strong storm comes along.

Along the way I met three other people, a cyclist, a runner and a man chopping down his hedge. The weather was misty, grey and dry. Perfect walking climes and hopefully that means that this winter will be a bit less cold and a lot more cheerful. Let's wait and see.  Anyway, I am extremely glad and grateful to be able to go for walks again...

Biggi

...And The Hoarding Resumes.

 A stricter lock-down is looming.

Haven't we all thought it might happen? Leaving the onus on individuals to behave according to the common good is never really the way to go in a pandemic, with lives and livelihoods at stake. Unfortunately there are always enfants terribles or black sheep and lately, rather too many of them.

Austria has had over 9000 cases of infection in a day, two days in a row. That is just too much. So, the lock-down is going to tighten. Except for essential shops, all other might close ( still to be announce tomorrow ) and that is the kick start to a spate of hoarding.

As if you'd be surprised to hear that toilet paper is top of the list once more. What on earth do people do at home? For me the only stuff I would hoard are books and perhaps wool. Still waiting for my knitting bug to reappear but the mere fact that I am considering means it is out of hibernation.

Bob and I need to do a shop tomorrow as we are down to the bare minimum in our larder which even for me is proving to be a challenge creating tasty dinners. Tomorrow, oodles of people will head to town for a bit of grocery hoarding and just our luck that we have to do a major purchase because we sadly will blend into the hoarding crowd.

At least we won't be subjected to angry glances as quite frankly, vegan staple food is far from a crowd favourite. Won't be denying anyone their food. In fact, it is rather handy to be vegan as our food choices are available everywhere. On the other hand, Schnitzels and frozen pizzas will be the first to sell out, followed by bread, milk, chips and chocolates.

All joking aside, I do hope that these next few weeks will do the trick and that the numbers of daily infections are going to go down again. Together, even if mandated by our government, we can move mountains so getting rid of this pesky virus should be a piece of cake...

Biggi

November Revisited.

Down memory lane...

These two lovely  geese are surely a memory by now, but this picture of them captures perfectly how much character geese or any animal have.

These two could very well be perambulating whilst exchanging the latest tidbits and news...( November 2017 )

Also a shot from the past, November 2017. Even though this looks like Mausi, it isn't. A cat in the local vineyards laying in wait while posing very prettily.

A couple of roses from the same era...I just love how vibrant and magical they are. Looking at this photo has a soothing affect on me..

November a year later...

At our local pond in front of our house. Nostalgic indeed.
 

A spot of colour on an otherwise grey November's day.

Another tranquil pond scene...

If it weren't so rickety, I could very well imagine sitting at the edge and letting the legs dangle back and forth. A spot to leave one's troubles behind and rejuvenate one's energy and elan....

Biggi

Why Don't You Just Set Them A List Of Books To Read?

 How to keep kid's brains active during corona stay-at-home.

Honestly, I don't really understand this constant worry being voiced by teachers and parents that their kids will have lasting knowledge damage by being at home for a few weeks or months at a time. Is it really that dire and are our children so beholden to a classroom in order to grow their grey matter?

Yes, school is important but surely, a few months missed shouldn't make a life long impression? At the moment there is a heated discussion here in Austria, about whether to keep kids at home or send them to school. Apparently, those that want to send them to school don't think that they will pick up any corona bug. Eh, I wouldn't want to be at a school right now. Every household does have multiple sources of possible infection unless parents are at home 24/7.

So, what to do when pupils are at home? Why not set them homework that will benefit them for now and the rest of their lives? It might even set the pathway to a better learning outcome in future.

Reading. Reading for pleasure has been waylaid with the advent of smartphone and co. Not many kids read books for the sheer pleasure of entering another adventure, or of learning historical facts in an exciting format. 

Set a book ( by book I mean at least 300 pages ) per week to read for each kid. Any book. Stories that will ignite their interest, keep them interested and keep them occupied. After the first few books the habit will have formed and the love of reading sparked. Perhaps not for everyone but for the majority. For the rest it will be the best exercise in language and comprehension. 

It has been said that reading four or so books a month in lieu of doing  homework  has improved grades in most subjects. Isn't that what school should be about? Let's reignite the reading spark for this generation of youngsters and we all will reap the benefits in the future. The kids today will be our leaders of tomorrow....

Biggi

A Slow News Day....

 Others  say it best...

" Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, 

and those who matter don't mind. "

           Bernard M. Baruch

" In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:

.....it goes on. "

           Robert Frost 

" A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water. "

          Eleanor Roosevelt

" Dreams are the touchstones of our characters. "

          Henry David Thoreau

" In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity. "

          Albert Einstein

" If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. "

          Mother Teresa

" There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact. "

          Arthur Conan Doyle

" All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope. "

         Alexander Dumas

" Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. "

        Voltaire

" Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. 

 Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. "

         Marie Curie

Biggi

Ginger Does It.

 The joy of tasting ginger.

Loss of taste is just too terrible for someone like me. Love of food and therefore love of taste are vital. Well not vital but a major part of daily life. Cooking without tasting the food  is rather tragic and sad. 

Now for the last few days I have purposefully  eaten foods that normally would make my eyes water and my toes curl. Sunday morning saw me slice a whole raw glove of garlic onto my toast with tomato. And, nothing. Extra salt, nothing. Well, all day long I worked odd taste sensations into my food to no avail.

This morning a taste movement. I tasted salt on one part of my tongue and was overjoyed. I actually dance around the room and for the next few meal morsels favoured that side of the mouth. In my mind I picture the various taste-nerves to be relit in the same way pins and needles follow a slept on hand.

Each progressive hour I tasted more boldly and a moment ago I ate the piece of fresh ginger floating in my tea. Yikes, my tongue burned in that peculiar ginger style we all know from eating sushi and of course all I can say is, thank god!

Many different opinions are circulating in regards of length of this loss of taste, but I am confident that all will be back to normal in the next few days. Can't wait to cook properly again and can't wait to taste the food in the way it should be...May that have been the worst of my problems...

Biggi

Sounds Of Rural Bliss.

 With bits of silence.

Sunday afternoons gently ease us into the new week and if the weather plays along there is nothing more soothing. That is until two ferals start to clash outside.

Our two resident tomcats are at it again. Both of them are quite aware that there is always ample grub for them yet they can't stop fighting like a bunch of girls. Yes, when they fight their voices turn into high pitched arias of suffering. All for a can of questionable meat.

If it weren't so annoying it would be almost funny. Honestly, it sounds so dreadful that I wonder what the neighbours think and more importantly, that they know that horrid noise is emitted from the throat of cats and not us!

Due to the corona restrictions there are less people about, which is a good thing. Let's break the chain of transmission. The odd sound of a child playing can be heard but mostly we are inundated with the wonderful sounds of birds tweeting and catching up. Isn't it nice to know that tweets are coming back to birds and that the twitter tirades might be coming to an end.

What a fantastic bit of news to wake up to after those last four days of electoral  suspense. Finally a bit of peacefulness and normality back in the offing. The moral compasses seem to be working again and I can't wait to see how this will translate to climate change.

Biggi

The Sun's Out And No One's About.

 Another lovely autumn weekend.

The weather has been smashing these last few days almost baiting us to go outside. As if we'd dare! Mornings are now newly laden with charming frost although, it isn't that charming when the window is open and a breath of rather  fresh air streams in.

Days are morphing into each other and it amazes both of us how quickly a day spent indoors can go. Somehow measuring the day in increments helps and for me those are mealtimes. Far too many of those. 

Only this morning I discovered that my sense of smell and taste had taken leave. How dare they! Don't they know how hard it is to cook food without tasting any of it? Trying to fob off the cooking to my darling husband was met with a wise;

                   " Oh you don't need me for that. Just do what you normally do and it will taste great. "

So much for that and for good measure I added a liberal pinch of salt, in fact too liberal as even I tasted it. But Bob never mumbled a word. Let's see if he volunteers for supper's creation...

It really is an odd sensation not being able to smell or taste. The mind is rather powerful as I have noticed that eating an apple brought back the old familiar feeling and joy of it and I swear I tasted the sweetness of it. Imagination, so powerful.

In the scheme of things it is a minor hindrance and nothing to be worried about. Next few days should see me come to my senses again!

Biggi

A Bit About Manners And Etiquette.

 The world of examples.

" The world was my oyster but I used the wrong fork. "

           Oscar Wilde

" Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners. "

           Lawrence Stern

" It is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude. 

To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility,

 is just as insane  a proceeding as to set your house on fire. 

For politeness is like a counter--an avowedly false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy. "

          Arthur Schopenhauer

" Life is too short, but there is always enough time for courtesy. "

          Ralph Waldo Emerson

" A man's  manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait. "

          Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" Good manners are not merely snobbish ornaments, 

as Mrs Lippett's regime appeared to believe.

 They mean self-discipline and thought for others, and my children have got to learn them. "

          Jean Webster

"  There is not a man of common sense who would not chuse to  be agreeable in company;

 and yet, strange as it may seem, very few are. "

         The Town and Country Magazine. vol 11, 1779

" Fine manners and dignity are taught by the heart, and not the dancing master. "

         Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

Biggi

Deja-vu November.

 Second hand is fabulous. Images from last November.

Wasn't that a beautiful morning? More romantic a scene one couldn't find...

A happy bunch of cosmoses hanging about down the road. Marvelous how a mere hint of colour can lift anyone out of the doldrums...

...and the mind wonders....

Sometimes a spot of colour is just what the doctor ordered. The deep red is as mesmerizing as it is stunning.

 A bit more funkiness to end the day. As this was taken last November I am a little bit at a loss where exactly I took this photo, but perhaps soon I can do a re-shoot if I find that cosmos bunch again...

Biggi

The American Cliffhanger.

 A new era is on the way...

At the moment we are too scared to turn on the telly. Imagine if they announce a further four years? Not that I live there but the actions not taken affect all of us. Climate action that is. Doesn't bear thinking about and come to think of it, what could or would have happened if back in 2000 Al Gore had taken the helm? 

Granted, all the international news channels have to show continuous coverage of the election but now, even the Austrian news lot are doing a 24/7 coverage. Enough already. Just bring us the results and let's have some normal news for a change.

Personally, I firmly see Biden winning but last time I looked, they hinted at a result being weeks away. Fair enough, but can you put on something else?

Should there happen to be another four years of the status quo, Bob and I will perhaps cease watching CNN, because these last four years of daily politics has been utterly exhausting. Day in, day out. Not that it isn't entertaining, but at some point enough is enough. Sanity should prevail. 

This election almost equates to that famous fork in the road of humanity. It is worth praying over to ensure that we as a people chose the right turn and get started on healing and repairing our planet, not to mention our psyche.

Biggi

A Day On Which We All Need Some Inspiration.

 Darkness can only be overcome by lightness.

" Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. "

          Martin Luther King Jr.

" I don't think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains. "

         Anne Frank

" However many holy words you read, however many you speak, 

what good will they do if you do not act upon them? "

          Buddha Siddhartha

" Life has no remote...get up and change it yourself! "

          Mark A. Cooper

" Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. "

          Edmund Burke

" You can't shake hands with a clenched fist. "

          Indira Gandhi

" I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence,

 but it comes from within. It is there all the time. "

         Anna Freud

" Adversity introduces a man to himself. "

         Albert Einstein

" To those who, in spite of everything, still choose goodness. "

         Mary Lu

Biggi

Thank Goodness For Windows, Tea & Netflix.

 Glimpses of life.

Not even a week indoors and already a major bit of excitement is that proverbial glimpse out of our window. Neighbours beware!!!

Luckily just for our entertainment our neighbours on the left are most obliging by having their facade done. Oodles of entertainment for those stricken indoors. Most mornings a lot of banging can be heard. That is the banging of teaspoons against an army of mugs alongside a loud rendering of Radio Burgenland. Visually not much seems to have changed. The walls are still a nice off-white colour and the scaffolding is still holding up the sides.

Other than these moments  of the world outside taken appropriately when we visit our respective bathrooms -only windows looking that way - we tend to shy off the roadside windows. Can't be seen glaring at the road. Longingly as well.

Being inside gives us plenty of moments to complain about boredom but strangely enough that boredom does't stretch as far as applying itself to all those odd jobs that need doing. Even hauling out the hoover is fraught with excuses;

                 " Do it tomorrow morning. You know how Mausi hates the hoover! "

      and who am I to question Bob? 

Time, surprisingly goes pretty fast when staying at home. We wake up at an unreasonably early hour of four o'clock, tend to think that nine o'clock feels like noon and are honestly amazed when suddenly it is supper time. It helps that we hurry the day along with numerous mugs of tea, plenty of reading and the odd Netflix show. Soon we will be able to go outside again and yearn to have  our quiet time at home together...

Biggi

 

A New Norm.

Habits, there to be broken.

Another exciting F1 Grand Prix today and I only say this because nobody was hurt, it had a few accidents and run offs. That is what keeps us glued to the screen after all, because watching perfect racing isn't that much fun for us, the spectators.

Thankfully they can race in these trying times and I think  they were the first lot to start up again after our first encounter with the virus. They do it in a proverbial bubble and with hardly any spectators. Admittedly, the first time I saw them race around a bare course ( amazing how we take the colourful facade of people sitting in the tribunes for granted ) it took some getting used to. Wasn't sure if I actually wanted to watch  but then, after a few laps, I got used to it.

Now, it almost seems the new norm and okay. Goes to show how we as humans can adapt to any situation if we have and want to. There are so many areas in our lives that we can approach with a different mindset and learn to adjust.

Often we are mostly scared of change because of changes sake but not for what's in store. Somehow once we have created our patterns we are loathe to adjust or ditch them, feeling secure in the motion of a habit.

Corona has shown us that life can be changed and that we have the strength to do so. Okay, at time we have to be nudge along but regardless, a change might be just what the doctor ordered...

Biggi