Vegetarian Isn't Vegan.

Sometimes it would make more sense to just serve vegan.

Being vegan one gets used to going out to go without. Restaurants are slowly changing and adapting but  raised eyebrows and odd looks are part and parcel of going out to eat. That's fine with me as I prefer to cook myself and forgo that particular hassle.

As it is my choice to live the vegan way I don't expect any special treatment or considerations. I am quite happy with a boiled potato, slices of bread and the odd lettuce assembly knowing full and well that at home I eat a balanced and exciting whole food plant based vegan diet.

At the moment most of the local restaurants and Buschenschanks are advertising a new form of take-away food. Click and collect. Hopefully that will help them over the financial drought and also lets people have at least a feel of life beyond corona.

What I find silly though is that restaurants ( even the top ones ) put a few vegetarian dishes on the menu clearly not thinking about the new phenomenon in the culinary department-veganism! A moment ago I read about a veggie-burger and was almost tempted to order it until I clicked on the detail.  It began with good bits such as chickpeas, carrots and yellow beet but sadly fell into they usual trap of adding goat's cheese and cheddar to make it more artsy and to their mind tasty. There goes the vegan contingent with their euros. 

Wouldn't it be easier to create a vegan burger which both vegans and vegetarians can enjoy? There are a lot of vegans living in our neck of the woods and for those vegetarians who aren't vegan, it won't kill them to forgo a portion of cheese now and again. Vegans have a lot of spending power and especially in these precarious times restaurants should go with the times and adjust to a changing clientele.

The irony is that almost all those restaurants who were brave enough to make a big part of their menu ( if not all ) vegan, have grown their business and profit. I live in hope that soon those young guns of our local culinary scene will awaken to the joy of veganism be it for the money, environment or health aspect.

Biggi

Water In Its Many Guises.

 Reflecting...

There is a little stream that developed from an overrun of the local fields which boasts the most vibrant green foliage that are a treat to walk past most mornings.

A bit further along where the sun doesn't quite reach on its daily appearance you can see another guise of water...ice and snow. A perfect combination to do a bit of detecting. These footprints might be from a hare, fox or deer.

 The footprint left by human hands is a bottle of Puntigamer....People, please stop littering!

This photo was taken on another extremely cold morning. It was so cold that the stream had its best reflection of its surrounds. For some reason the degree of coldness reflects in the clarity of nature's images.

A view of the whole....a most romantic looking stream that sort of reminds me of a Jane Austen film.

An ordinary water scene yet so much more. It reminds me of how powerful and necessary water is to life. Can you see how vibrant, healthy and alive the blades of grass within the water are compared to its sad looking cousins on the side of the stream, looking on...

Biggi

Tales Of An Insomniac.

 Never a dull night...

As you know I am extremely prone to sleep procrastination, also known as insomnia. That's just the way it is and there is no use crying over lost sleep. The mere thought of it drives the idea of sleep even further from my mind and opens the door for nefarious negative thoughts. Much better to accept insomnia than to fight it.

Over the years I have acquired the skills to handle insomnia. It's not all the time but when it appears I  migrate to the lounge to doze along the various sit-comes prolific at that time. My favourite is of course the notorious Medical Detectives which seems to run non-stop for all of us insomniacs between the hours of midnight and six a.m.. As I have seen bits and pieces of most episodes I can easily close my eyes and doze on and off thus squirreling an extra few hours of sleep.

My personal highlights of not sleeping so well during the prescribed hours is the fact that not even ten minutes after supper I can snuggle on the couch to watch a show only to nod off for a few hours, dead to the world. Honestly, nothing will awaken me during tv slumber.

My husband is fabulous. Despite being clued in to my after supper tv routine ( pretty sure he can hear me sleep! ) he still lets me decide on what program to watch. Often I fight tooth and nail over seeing a certain movie only to nod off five minutes in. 

Bob has learnt and the minute he hears a little snore he changes the program. Our little debates over our tv viewing or only proforma. Now and again I like to surprise him by not falling asleep and when he has to watch a whole movie of my choice he does the next best thing and promptly falls asleep....ying and yang!

Biggi

Waiting For The Handyman.

In need of a plumber.

Isn't it the worst when a toilet goes awry? Those tick-tock sounds of water dripping that really shouldn't. Frightening especially when for some reason we had to be modern and have one of those hanging toilets. A cistern out of sight, out of mind and sadly out of reach for home repairs. 

Oh what I wouldn't give for an old fashioned toilet with a removable lid over the water container. How easy was it to fix water drips? Well, now a drip is signal for the plumber. Two days ago they dug up the pipes outside our house and when the water was switched back on, the pressure must have proved too much for this toilet's pipes. Bob was aghast and pictured the whole built in water-closet ( it is actually one ) buggering up our walls and floors with a deluge of water while I was quite content to carry on using it and living with the drip. At least until the end of lockdown.

But, the seed was planted and a phone call made to our plumber. The usual story; I'll be there as soon as I have a gap brought back so many memories of hearing those exact words. Plumbers are the same the world over and also in such demand that one has to hang in there and bide one's time.

Before I phoned him I did a thorough clean of the house or rather the bits he might walk around in. Had to do it before phoning him in case he could have come straight away, seeing that he lives in the village next door. Well, two days later I am still waiting for his arrival and bless our lucky stars that we have the luxury of owning two toilets. Imagine the disaster if we hadn't? Never mind having to get used to sharing toilets again. No more taking books in there...

Aren't we strange the way we clean like crazy for handymen who grace our home once every few years or so? Not like they care how we live or perhaps they do and have great stories to regale their friends at the pub? Or they might have a list ranking the tidiness of their clients? Quite sure that I would be on the lower ranks. I hope he gets here soon because with each day that he doesn't arrive, the chances of having to re-clean grow...

Biggi

A Bit More Wisdom.

 Quotes from the past.

" Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. "

Napoleon Bonaparte

" The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

Socrates

" The pessimist complains about the wind;

 the optimist expects it to change;

 the realist adjusts the sails. "

William Arthur Ward

" We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think.

 Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. "

Swami Vivekananda

" Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. 

Dance like nobody's watching." 

Satchel Paige

" My father said there were two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers.

 The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better. "

Marlo Thomas

" It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. "

Henry David Thoreau

" With pride, there are many curses. With humility, there are many blessings. "

Ezra Taft Benson

" The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention. "

John Burroughs

" Beware, as long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance. "

Jean de La Fontaine

" Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking. "

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Biggi

Vital Water.

 The proverbial piping gets dug up.

Amazing how quickly one forgets. Water or rather not having any takes some getting used to. Be it for a few hours, days or god forbid, more. A decade ago Bob and I were getting to be at the top of our game when it came to preparing for the inevitable water disconnect. Yes, South Africa had many occasions where pipes were burst and without warning the water would be turned off.

One adjusts. Filling buckets of water and leaving them scattered around the house, never leaving a kettle empty ( did that this morning before going for a walk and now am sitting yearning for a cup of tea ) and flushing loos whenever possible. As I said, that was a decade ago and I am more than rusty in this water hoarding department.

So, I came home a moment ago from my walk and saw them working outside our house, digging up mounds of road in order to get to a dripping water pipe. Even before I asked about the chance that water was still flowing through these pipes, I knew. Actually the grin on our local water-czar gave it away.

No big deal but still, no shower, no chance to wash my hair and no chance to relax with a cup of tea. I remembered that Bob had left a crate of full water bottles in the shed ( leftover from last harvest ) and I quickly went to get one...only to realize that it was sparkling which might not go well with tea. Now I know why they are still in our shed.

At least they work quick and efficient when it comes to repairing pipes and I think the water should be back on before lunchtime. We are so used to merely turning our taps to get our water never even giving it a thought to where it comes from and how incredibly precious it is. Water is a finite product and this has reminded me to be a bit more careful and less wasteful with it.

Biggi

An Ordinary Monday.

 A quiet start to the week.

As for yesterday's haircut-affair...not so sure how Mr Bob feels about his haircut since I have yet to see him sans beanie. Even last night when we went to bed he sported it. Ditto for dinner and breakfast this morning. Doesn't bode well for me, does it?

I did my best although his chair was a bit on the low side because I kept on measuring the success of my haircut from a bird's eye view!!! Short on top and long on the sides which might explain how the original mullet came about. An experiment of spousal haircuts endeavours...At least he is still talking to and with me!

Today is the start of longer social distancing. At least 2 meters and the FFP2 mask in all public spaces, supermarkets, banks etc. Those two meters are jolly difficult to enforce. This morning I had business at our local bank and as there was a couple already inside, I waited in the anti-chamber. No other way to call it because it is a small enclosed space between the ATM outside and the tellers inside. Not big enough to swing a cat and most definitely not big enough to have two people wait in the queue. 

I was in the anti-chamber when a local man pulled up in the car-park  and battled up the steps. A slightly older and very overweight man, the sort who would be an attractive host to the little corona bug. The minute he opened the door in order to step inside, I stepped back and tried to make a joke about how hard it is to fit in the two meters. That stopped him in his tracks, halfway into the door. 

When I offered to change places with him to get him out of the cold, he told me that I couldn't catch anything from him as he gets tested three times per week. How to explain to him that that is besides the point and in any case, I was more worried about infecting him. No, don't think I've got corona, but one never knows especially with this new British one. Just takes the one contact.

He considered my explanation for a moment and decided to do another errant in the meantime. Shoo, that was close because I don't want to start an argument over the need to social distance. Contrary to popular belief it isn't the chance encounter with strangers but the familiar interaction with friends and family that provides nice and warm lodging to this jet-set virus. Interesting times ahead...

Biggi

Thank Goodness For Clippers.

 A dashing husband...

One of the lesser important aspects of the year of corona are hairstyles, or rather the lack of them. Honestly having golden locks and precision haircuts aren't the be all and end all of life...yet, there are times when I do hanker after some highlights and a proper haircut. 

Especially the other day when Bob let on how surprised he was when he noticed a few grey hairs on my head. Natural highlights he called them-ha, he's just lucky that his abundance of grey strands look good on him. Silver fox, extremely dashing. Men, they do have it made when it comes to hair colour...

Since the start of the pandemic I have stepped into Albert's footsteps and have cut Bob's hair. Not easy at all and just my luck that Albert is a stylist of the first order who even trained stylists couldn't come close to. Anyway, today I will attempt yet again to give Bob a reasonably nice haircut.

Now I know why most stylists keep client record cards. Can't for the life of me remember if I used a number 1, 2 or 3 for the last haircut. Despite watching a great many haircuts through the years it still comes as a surprise to run the clippers over a life head of hair. Clipper guard is a must as I couldn't outlive nicking Bob's ear or neck. He'd remind me on a continuous loop about the error of my ways.

The good thing is that our bathroom has only got one mirror so that Bob's unlikely to see the back of his head and as he only wears beanies during winter, none of his friends would notice nor mention a wifely mishap! 

Early on we bought a clipper set and I must say it was a great investment. Bob's hair would now be down to his shoulders if we hadn't and as the set included a pair of cheap hairdressing scissors, I have been chopping bits of my hair every now and again. Not great for hairdresser's coffers but, better than to run about like Rapunzel at my age... Wish me luck for this upcoming haircut.

Biggi

Our World Gets Back To Normal.

A long four years.

It kind of feels strange to watch news now. Nothing inappropriate, nothing outrageous and nothing to shake our heads about. One man held sway over all of us.  Makes me wonder how we let that happen and more importantly, why did they report so prolifically about him?

So now a new sheriff's in town and a kinder and gentler one at that. How marvelous to wake up to gentleness, to new opportunities and to a ray of sunshine from the resurrected climate change accord. That is the best of all. Can they make up for time lost-not sure. At least attention is focused once more upon the issue and after living through horrendeous wildfires, hurricanes and other unexplained natural disasters, people might finally realize that their everyday habits and consumption is responsible for it. Holding thumbs that it is enough to stop the runaway climate crisis train.

Words are coming back into focus. Words are important and do have an impact. Words formed into proper sentences, without abbreviation and emojis, words not put into a 144 character straight-jacket. Wasn't that young poet at the inauguration marvelous? Honestly, finally poetry made sense. She will make it fashionable to carry a dictionary in our handbags. She has made English fashionable again. None of those grammatically questionable tweets. 

Days keep melding from one into the next and like everyone else we too are waiting for the lockdown to be over. Not long now, but long enough to read some more books and witness the magic of words put together in a certain sequence to allow us entry into different worlds, lives and possibilities...

Biggi  

A Bit About The Start To Weekends.

 A Friday, not an ordinary day...

" Friday sees more smiles than any other day of the week. "

Kate Summers

" Making food is a wonderful way to spend a Friday night. "

Chrissy Teigen

" A wild and crazy weekend involves sitting on the front porch, smoking a cigar, reading a book. "

Robert M. Gates

" Friday afternoon feels like heaven. "

El Fuego

" If my boss knew how unproductive I am on  Fridays, he wouldn't want me there either. "

James Johnson

" I challenge you to let every day be a Friday. Give yourself permission to be happy every day. '

Joel Osteen

" There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life. "

Tara Brach

" If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday. "

Noel Coward

" Cozy+smell of pancakes-alarm clock=weekend. "

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

" I am always happy to meet my friend, and my friend is weekend. "

Debasish Mridha

Biggi

When Sissy Turned Into Lilly.

 A funny morning encounter along the Eisenberg Boulevard.

This week it seems that reminders of warmer times ahead are being beamed to us. The snow has melted into the soil, the sun must have been tired of hiding away and a few more locals were out and about early this morning.

 I only decide upon my route once I have trod on the road's surface. Today for example, despite it being warmer there were parts of the road ( the shady part not to be confused with the shady part of town!!! ) covered in tricky and treacherous bits of ice. A detour along the Pinka was called for. A most magical walk in itself. Fields and deer as far as the eye can see.

Most days, depending upon where I walk, I meet different people although, some days none at all. Twitchy curtains don't count. Today I met my first fellow villager on the back path towards Eisenberg's church and sadly he hastened along still frightened of me because I mentioned in November that I had been afflicted with corona. Can't blame him. Did keep a two meter distance when we passed and also pulled my scarf over my face. Oh well, perhaps once his's been vaccinated he'll revert to his old friendly self.

When I walked up to the cemetery ( have to pass it to get home ) I notice another local finishing up the watering of bits on the family grave. He came out of the gate the same time I passed and we exchanged a friendly greeting-yes,yes, from a safe distance- while his dog came rushing toward me with happy expectations of a tummy rub. 

               " Oh look at you, Lilly. Aren't you the sweetest? " ...at least a minute's worth of tummy rub and endearments ensued. Lilly seems to have taken a shine to me - her owner told me so - and quite rightly so because once or twice I have brought her back home when she decided to investigate the main road. I am sure she remembered or else I have a friendly aura.

The three of us walked a short while together and exchanged the latest on-dits. Always a source of entertainment and information. When I decided that it was time to head off on my own I said my goodbyes and also made a point of addressing Lilly by name. She was happy to be singled out  and made a fuss of and with that in mind I took off. 

About two minutes later it hit me. I have done what old aunts and uncles do the world over... I had invented a new name for her. This was Sissy and not Lilly. Very tactfully her owner hadn't corrected me but honestly, perhaps he didn't hear me either...Memory and hearing, a sign of the passing of time.

Biggi

And A New Era Begins.

 Yin & Yan, Good & Bad, Nice & Rude.

" Toto, I have a feeling we're not in  Kansas anymore. "

L. Frank Baum

" One can begin so many things with a new person! - even begin to be a better man. "

George Eliot, Middlemarch

" Morning not only forgives, it forgets. "

Marty Rubin

" In the oddity or maybe the miracle of life, the roots of something new

 frequently lie in the decaying husks of something old. "

Craig D. Lounsbrough

" From the end spring new beginnings. "

Pliny the Elder

" If something great is going to happen in your tomorrow

 there are certain things that need to end today. "

Sope Agbelusi

" It was as if the land opened its lips and breathed again, and was made anew. "

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gods of Jade and Shadow

" You can do the impossible, because you have been through the unthinkable. "

Christina Rasmussen

" Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes. "

Carl Friedrich Gausss

Biggi

Handing Out A Bunch Of Flyers.

Well, actually calendars courtesy of our village.

Just as I was heading out for my walk the phone rang. Most unusual in this day and age. Anyway, it was the deputy mayor asking me to hand out these flyers. The annual calendar with village fetes and highlights marked in. Of course I said yes, and anyway, how hard could it be?

His wife dropped off these calendars ten minutes later and being optimistic I decided to hand them out instead of going for my walk. Well, that changed when I saw how heavy the pack was and how cumbersome they were to fit into postboxes. Yikes.

Becoming a bit more reasonable I shelved that idea and decided to just take a handful of these papers along to hand out on my way. Oh my goodness was it cold. My fingers literally froze and become like bananas. Useless. Trying to pry one sheet of paper from the next was nigh impossible never mind folding it to fit into the paper holder at each house. Gosh, I have never had such cold fingers and never made such a mess of a simple task. 

People were peeping through their curtains and wondering what I was up to outside their gates for such a long time. ...trying to not make a mess of folding their calendar so that they can still pin it on fridges or walls!

As the weather will become warm and sunny ( hopefully they didn't fib about that! ) tomorrow I have decided to do the lot then. During the day. When the sun can caress my fingers and make them work. And no, wearing gloves won't be of help as mine are all made of wool and how on earth would  I work those papers then?  Oh well, a nice bit of adventure ahead for tomorrow and a chance to shoot the breeze with whoever I meet along the way....masked and distanced of course!

Biggi

 

A Longer Lockdown, New Rules.

 Almost there...

Somehow we all kind of expected it. The signs were there, the writing on the wall and of course the numbers to prove it. Somewhere, somebody or everybody hasn't been playing along the collective corona rules and thus we all have to adhere to them a little while longer.

You get them, those idiots who think that corona isn't real and can't understand how a a little flu can stop the world. Over the weekend some of the corona opposers got together for a demonstration to decry the use of masks and everything associated with corona. Quite a few sans masks too! Silly fools, take a rain check on exercising your personal freedom and think of the collective health.

So, never mind masks. Now the Porsche edition of masks has to be worn by all and sundry when out shopping etc. FFP2 / N95. Great, I am happy and all for it but for some odd reason our government has only mandated this from the 25th of January onward. Why not now? Surely if these masks are so much more effective at curbing the spread of viruses, they should be mandated as from now and not only in a week's time. Crazy and a bit stupid, don't you think?

A woman at the helm of government would have conquered this dastardly virus long ago. All this dilly dallying about would not have been allowed. When a new and better method to master corona is discovered, it would be applied straight away and not a week or two down the road once all legal avenues had been crossed. Surely laws and personal rights should take a back seat to actually ending this pandemic. At the end of the day, the quicker it is tamed, the quicker we can go back to a normal life, one where personal laws can apply again.

 Well, wasn't New Zealand lucky to have elected a woman Prime Minister? I wonder why not more heads of state take a page out of her book...

Biggi

Waking Up To A Blanket Of Snow.

A touch of magic, a touch of winter.

 A hidden lane into the heart of the forest complete with feeding station and magic.

Lately a whole lot of trees have been ruthlessly cut down and I felt that I should pay homage to those ancient and stunning witnesses of time that have evaded the chop!

Who wouldn't love to take a walk amid this snow covered bit of nature? The snow in front of me hadn't been touched by any feet apart from a few hoofs and it was fun to interpret the various indentations in the virgin snow.

At a local apple orchard birds were flocking together trying to pick the odd morsel off the ground. Be it worms or dried apples....

A real touch of winter magic about. Walking in snow is a sheer joy even if it coincides with icy feet! Only those bits of the road where the snow plow had done its deed ( he started at half past five this morning, shaking us all awake ) were slippery as ice and far from nice to walk on.

A sleepy hollow! Deutsch Schützen in the distance and Eisenberg in front. Well, only a few houses can be seen but they constitute the start of our village.

I hope that folks will stop cutting down trees because as you can see, trees and forests make the magic of Burgenland happen...

Biggi

A Growing Sign Of Trust.

 Small steps, major accomplishment.

Late afternoons are when I feed my two feline fighters outside. Can't forget as they make a point of parading outside our kitchen window and on those days that I run late, they put on a show of fighting like cats and dogs. A screech that I hope the neighbours won't blame us for.

A certain routine has evolved which tends to be important to them. Both cats revere in my system and know which bowl to eat from. Accompanied by a lot of meouiwing the whole feeding process takes less than a minute. Dish out here and over there while both boys shy away. As I often tell them; do they really think that the person that feeds them is going to hurt them? Dilly lot.

The older of the two has a hoarse voice and only squawks and squeaks in his anticipation of dinner but at the same time jumps over his own shadow when I get too close. That is until this afternoon. He must have been very hungry ( although yesterday I found out that my friend down the road feeds him twice a day too ) because before I had finished dishing everything from the can, he was next to me eating. Still keeping a beady eye on me but eating.

 In euphoric pleasure I haltingly put my fingertip over his back to give him a friendly hello but that freaked him out to such an extend that he hid under the car. But not for long as the lure of his dinner proved to much. He inched forward, throwing me the odd look of warning until he was at the food bowl and next to my feet.

Wow, he ate, I was pleased as punch at this newfound trust and stood as still as can be for him to get used to me whilst talking up a nonsensical storm. Cats have their own time frame and leisurely way of getting to know us. He is rather old and I hope this new trust isn't a sign that his time has come. Regardless, I hope that soon I will be able to give him a cuddle and  piece of mind knowing that humans are kind people too.

Biggi

And Just Like That Friday Is Here Again.

 Yeah, it's the weekend.

Bob's been back at work for a full week and both of us can't believe that it is Friday again. Two whole days of rest ahead and two whole days of sleeping in. Sort of. At least ten minutes more...

Earlier I drove to our Lagerhaus to buy ten bags of pellets. Easier that way because the thought of buying bulk and having to carry a ton of bags ( literally ) to and fro the car hasn't taken hold yet, not to mention that it feels kinder towards my lower back. Ten bags it is and they should last about two  weeks. Enough time to replenish during it.

At the store I patiently stood aside and apart awaiting my turn. Gosh, there were a bunch of men in there - couldn't tell you who it was as they were masked to the hilt - buying the various odds and ends to keep busy in their garages, gardens and homes. Business was booming.

While I was waiting my turn I perused their wares and saw a nicely stocked pet food section. Alas, nothing my Mausi would like, eat or look at. Spoilt brat! On the lower shelves they had a whole slew of bird food. From the hanging balls of goo via the usual sunflower seeds to a packet of raisins. Yes, I too double checked that package. A type of raisin loved by birds everywhere...although, to be honest these raisins looked exactly like the ones we buy at Hofer. Would we know the difference or even taste it?

The other day I did buy a 5 kg bag of sunflower seeds still in their shells for our avian lodgers. Not much food about for them in winter and they do so love sunflower seeds. Our driveway is littered with the opened and emptied shells. Nice. At least I know they won't go hungry.

While I was walking Mausi this morning outside our front door I noticed a squirrel edging down the walnut tree across the road. Thankfully Mausi  was enthralled by the flock of birds waiting for a clear shot to dive for food, so that she didn't even register the squirrel across the road. A lovely little squirrel that my neighbour feeds every day. 

Yes, our neck of the woods seems to be a collection of animal lovers, who go out of their way to feed all and sundry. Just love that...

Biggi

In Fear Of A Need To Sniffle.

A new norm indeed.

Early afternoon I drove along to our doctor's in order to pick up medication for one of our villagers.  Lately I have been doing this particular run at least three times per week and thus I have been privy to the inside of our surgery amid this corona crisis.

We all have to keep extreme distance, with mostly only one person inside while the rest queue up outside with a reasonable distance between us. Easy in warm weather but when it is howling gales ( at least that what it felt like today ) with an icy windchill, you know that waiting outside is far from nice. Added to that the fact that we have to walk a bit from the parking lot, and it is understandable that the odd running nose might translate into a sniffle.

Thankfully we all wear full battle gear and thus noses are covered. Red nose nicely hidden and dare I say it, the odd runny nose kept a secret. One doesn't even want to attempt to clear one's throat or even attempt to blow one's nose. Instantly people are aghast and fall back, not without sending a few daggers along. Gosh, I might do the same.

God forbid a sneeze is in the offing. What to do, where to turn and where to hide? What we used to take for granted now makes us ultra paranoid and ultra mean. Whereas before we would have offered a kind bless you along with a tissue, we now turn a cold shoulder and shelter our faces. Not every cough, sneeze or sniffle is a sign of corona infection.

A mandate to wear those N-95 masks could be in place soon and that might be a saving grace. The experts tell us that these masks have a 95%  reduction of catching the virus as opposed to 10-20% for our ordinary face masks. In fact, these masks have been hiding their might of prevention in plain sight and we have not cottoned on to it. Imagine if we all wore these masks when out and about, we could stop 95% of the virus getting through....isn't that what our vaccines are doing?

Come on governments, issue these masks for everyone so that we can get this pandemic under control until we are all vaccinated.

Biggi

Rediscovering My Love Of Celery.

 How come it's been so long?

For some reason and thankfully so, the supermarket chains are now cottoning on to the fact that getting their clients healthy is the name of the game and an assured future revenue source. Or maybe they managed to get a special deal and passed it along to us.

Certain fruits and vegetables have been marked down considerably and of course I couldn't resist. As you might have guessed, celery was one of the vegetables in question. Stick celery previously only enjoyed by dieters around the world from Mondays to Fridays in lieu of chocolate, chips or bread. Why is it that going on a diet was mostly equated to filling up on celery sticks, although somehow it may have been a correlation to  those endless adverts in magazines of  thin women munching happily on sticks of celery.

Regardless, I like celery and the only reason I haven't been eating more of it recently is that it is jolly expensive. Shouldn't be but there you are. Strange how fruit and vegetables seem to be more expensive than meat, dairy and eggs. Sadly the very affordable vegetables ( ie. cheap & full of chemicals ) are often the blandest tasting of all. Tomatoes being a case in point. Doesn't pay to buy the cheap ones as they tasted like cardboard with a dash of food colouring thrown in for optics. The good ones on the other hand are often priced like gold.

Anyway, yesterday I bought my celery ( I say mine because Bob doesn't like it ) and have been happily munching on it. Organic too. Wow, what nice flavours it has. Raw or cooked. Somehow it adds an extra dash of taste and flavour to most dishes while being ultra healthy too.

I hope that from now on fruit and vegetables are going to be as cheap as can be because the more people eat from that genre, the more healthy they become. And healthy is what we need to all be right now. Imagine if collectively we could reduce the underlying health conditions of nations as much as possible thus denying the corona virus a fertile hunting ground....

Biggi

An Ordinary Tuesday, But Yet Not Really.

 History is a nice place to hide from current reality.

" Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit attrocities. "

         Voltaire ( 1694-1778 )

" Common sense is not so common. "

        Voltaire ( 1694-1778 )

" A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. "

        Francis of Assisi ( 1182-1226 )

" Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. "

        Francis of Assisi ( 1182-1226 )

" 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 ( 1867-1934 )

" It's easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top. "

       Henry Ward Beecher ( 1813-1887 )

" A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.

 It's jolted by every pebble on the road. "

        Henry Ward Beecher ( 1813-1887 )

" Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. "

        Robert Green Ingersoll ( 1833-1899 )

" Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. 

The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so. "

        Robert Green Ingersoll ( 1833-1899 )

" When we are no longer able to change a situation-

we are challenged to change ourselves. "

        Viktor E. Frankl ( 1905-1997 )

" Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. "

        Rudyard Kipling ( 1865-1936 )

" A woman's guess is much more accurate than a man's certainty. "

       Rudyard Kipling ( 1865-1936 )

Biggi 

A Kindle In The House.

 Finally took the leap.

I have been hamming and hawing for years now. To Kindle or not to Kindle? Would I use it, would the expense be warranted and would it be fun to read with it?

Christmas has been more than kind to both of us and after debating with myself for about two weeks, I finally got on board or rather got the Kindle board. Bob is a staunch old fashioned style reader and will stick to his real books, although, once he has a try at electronic reading he might change his mind.

The main selling point for me was of course the access to Amazon's library, which is of course included in the Amazon Prime packet. Normally I wouldn't succumb to the giant's lair, but you know, having the use of an English library is great. Savings on future books bought and the lure of getting lost in the portals of a library. Is there anything better?

Reading on my device takes some getting used to. The screen is small and the pages have to be turned constantly. In that regard I do miss books as there a page had a decent length to it. Losing the plot is also not that great because flicking back through the book takes effort and I am not even sure if I knew how to end up where I was before.

With each new day I am getting more in-tune with my Kindle and one of the best aspects of it is that I can read at night, without any light on. Wonderful to keep sleeping spouses asleep. The lightness of it was a nice surprise though. Books can become heavy after a while so it is a pleasure to hold such a lightweight in my hand.

Here is to reading, however and whenever....

Biggi

A Cold Start To Most Mornings Recently.

 Nature, our first temperature gauge...

Some rare apples defying winter and staying put or rather up. As these are too publicly placed, all I can do most mornings is to admire them when instead I just want to devour them...

The lovely red of the local hibiscus shrubs look elegant with their covering of snow and ice. Really nice...

See, one doesn't need a thermometer to see that it is below freezing. What a stunning morning to go for a walk. Air icy, road dry and nature stunning.

A lone sprig of leaves daring the cold to come and get it...

Yellow frozen apples lending some colour to an otherwise quite dreary landscape. Mind you, the white dusting of snow lends a bit of magic even though it portends colder temperatures ahead.

Who needs a thermometer when nature shows us the way....

Biggi

A Saturday Morning Excursion To A Bakery.

 A surprising in our choice.

We were on the road to Bob's work earlier on because we had to fetch his work chariot. Thankfully it has had a three week rest but now, back to the grindstone. Cunningly I had put the idea of  fresh Bretzen into my Schatzi's mind the night before.

            " You know, tomorrow morning we might as well stop at that bakery on they way to your work. Support locals etc! "

Didn't take much more persuasion than that. Before I could even remind him this morning, he had already slowed down to look for parking. Goody, nothing nicer than something freshly baked on a Saturday morning.

One young man was  outside the shop ( corona manners ) and waited for someone to leave the shop before entering. When my turn came ( I am always the chosen one to enter shops! ) I stepped in with the anticipation of having to chose between yummy offerings. The aromas were grande and when my turn came, I was ready with my choices.

As I had seen the shop assistant take the previous guy's money with her hands, I hastened to ask her to please put on gloves before picking my things. Long experience has taught me that bare fingers are the favoured form of equipment, although it often is a case of  take it or leave it.

Except that corona has given me some ammunition to argue, which I had to do when she gave me the hairy eyeball and crossly picked up a pair of pincers.

           

         "  Sorry, but you did just pick up that chap's money. Corona, you know! "

Anyway, I chose, she picked, I paid and off I went. Not sure she would like to see me again soon though and luckily I don't live anywhere near there! Once in the  car, I told Bob of what had transpired inside and with the happy thought and knowledge that each bread roll creation ( they  are great ) had a pristine hygiene background, we headed off.

About an hour later, back home, we had our little snack laden with oddles of fresh vegan butter 

( the Danish one ) and they tasted fantastic. I finished mine without leaving more than a breadcrumb but Bob of course had a special time of it;

        " Eeuh, there is a hair baked into my bread roll !!!!!! "

thankfully that offending hair was not my colour nor length so that I was off the hook. Although, Bob being quick off the mark, hit the nail on the head;

          " Seems that the shop assistant has had the last laugh after all. " 

Biggi

A Bit Of Goethe And More.

 Old fashioned inspiration and admiration.

" Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen. "

        Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. "

        Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean. "

        Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation. "

       Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" Into each life some rain must fall. "

       Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

" In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. "

       Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

" Youth comes but once in a lifetime. "

       Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

" If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. "

       Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

" No nearer the dawn, the darker the night. "

       Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Biggi

Veganuary.

 This January many are giving veganism a try.

It started in 2014 and so far over a million people have participated. Isn't that great? For a whole month all these folks ate mostly vegan and hopefully a few of them carried on after the month was up. Yes, it was a way to introduce people to veganism ( for environmental, health or kindness to animals ) and show them that it is way more than they imagined. Mostly carrots and lettuce leaves no doubt!!

A month isn't a long time in the scheme of things and even now, the first week of it is already over. By now many are beginning to realize that eating in this way actually  makes them feel good, sheds a pound or two and introduces them to formerly untried foods.

Since it has become apparent that veganism is unstoppable, many food manufactures have introduced different vegan options and thus the shelves of supermarkets everywhere are bulging under the weight of ready made vegan options. 

Those options serve a purpose....the commonly held idea that vegans eat only lettuce, carrots and beans gets replaced by the sheer unlimited possibilities of cooking vegan. Gosh, there are so many delicious sounding options out there that often just reading the description makes my mouth water. 

     Bol Fire Roasted Cauliflower Tikka Masala Dinner Box-----Tesco

     Wicked Kitchen Rockin' Ravioli

    Gosh! Sweetcorn and Quinoa Bites

    Fry's Meat Free Pepper Steak Style Pie

In a way I am jolly glad that these delicious sounding options are only available in Britain ( at least I haven't seen them here in Austria ) so far but I can very well foresee a future where the mainstay of supermarkets all over the world are these various vegan options and by then, staples.

Here's hoping to another few hundred thousand vegan enthusiasts joining the team...

Biggi

All About Pets.

 Beautiful souls.

" Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. "

          Roger Caras

" Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticism. "

          George Eliot

" The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. "

          Andy Rooney

" Cats are connoisseurs of comfort. "

           James Harriot

" There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. "

           Albert Schweitzer

" I believe cats to be spirits come to earth.

 A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through. "

          Jules Verne

" Before you get a dog, you can't quite imagine what living with one might be like; 

afterwards, you can't imagine living any other way. "

           Caroline Knapp

" There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. "

            Bernard Williams

" I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not.

 Mine had me trained in two days. "

           Bill Dana

Biggi

           

           

And Just Like That, My Sense Of Smell Is Back!

 Thank goodness for cats!!!

It has been almost three months since I have detected the tell tale sign of our cat using her lavatory. That distinct odour that only a cat mother could love. Pungent, potent and portent yet, for the last few months, absent.

Coming back home earlier this morning I went into our back room, not far from our Mausi's lavatory and in mid stride it hit me...my girl had been to the loo for a number two. What would ordinarily have me raise my eyebrows and wrinkle my nose had me jump with joy. Finally, smells are being sensed again and if I can smell feline offerings, than surely I can smell anything.

One doesn't realize how much we rely on smell and taste. Eating is half the fun without it but strangely enough it didn't stop me from it. Many a smell I fetched from a far flung memory bank and somehow it worked. At times I rubbed my hands in a bushel of rosemary, lavender and co only to be disappointed by the blandness of it. 

Being able to sport a t-shirt that says; 

                               Corona, seen it, drunk it and had it

might seem fun but honestly, despite having had it mildly ( apart from the smell and taste affair ) one does wonder if the other shoe might drop or if the senses would come back at all. Well, that's been put to rest and hopefully this is the end of my affair with corona.

The order of the day is still and foremost...mask up, distance out and wash hands. Let's beat this bug together with as few cases as possible.

Biggi

Adoption Of An Orphaned Dog.

 A perfect relationship ensued.

A bit over a year ago the owner of a cuddly cute dog died suddenly and just like that, this pup was orphaned. Well, pup not so much but rather a distinguished older dog with many a grey whisker.

There were two options for this dog. Pound ( and perhaps a fate of being put down ) or adoption. Thankfully the lady who lives a couple of houses up the road stepped up and took him in. She lives alone and isn't in the first blush of youth either.

By chance I happened to visit her back when she first took in this dog and it wasn't a perfect start. The dog was frightfully sad, missing his owner. How does one explain to a dog that his life as he knew it was gone? The lady too, still felt a bit helpless around a new dog, a new companion and a new house mate.

Before corona took hold I went to see her twice more  and noticed that they were becoming more of a family. The dog still stopped when they passed his previous house and the sadness wasn't yet gone from his eyes. Gosh, he used to joyfully lean into me in order to get a jolly good back rub. Cute.

Corona and the various lockdowns have made me loose sight of these two, until today that is. Bob and I were working in the vineyard when I heard  a greeting aimed at us. It was extremely foggy and miserable this afternoon so that I had to walk closer to where I had heard this greeting. Great, it was the lady and her dog.

There they were, going for a long walk looking as happy as can be. We chatted for a while and she proudly told me that her dog doesn't stop at his previous owner's house anymore. Isn't that fabulous?

She mentioned to me that it was a year ago that she adopted this dog and that it was the best thing she had done. No more loneliness, plenty of walking and seeing a sad dog gradually get better and happy.

How many unwanted, orphaned or older dogs like this are whiling their days away in a small space at an S.P.C.A. not understanding why life has changed so horribly and also wondering if anyone will ever take them home?

When the time comes for us to get a dog, it will only be one from a pound. One can't save all the unwanted animals, but one can save one life at a time...

Biggi 

Back To Normality.

Who'd have thought that the festive season would go so fast?

It seemed like ages before this new year would be here and already we are three days into it. Time, where does it go? I suppose we are all very relaxed and ready to face the normal minitue of our lives.

Bob and I are extremely excited to head into town tomorrow. A spot of grocery shopping has us agog at the possibilities of it. Can't very well shop for anything else and after the many lockdowns, we are getting used to not thinking too much about buying anything besides groceries. But these grocery excursion offer a touch of excitement and a chance to restock of all those delectables we tend to gravitate towards during lockdown. We all have our favourites, don't we?

 

A trip to the optician is on the cards for Bob though, as his two pair of glasses are literally hinging on a hinge. One false put down and my husband will have to resort to masking tape. Yes, nothing for it, he'll have to forget about looking trendy...or maybe start a new one.

The opticians are only allowed to open again on the 18th of January and the way the corona cases are going, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole of January might be closed. Let's just get this corona virus under control and then carry on with life. Oh, and hopefully Bob's glasses will hang on until then...

Biggi

And So The Year Starts...

 A blank page that we can decorate the way we want it.

Suddenly 2020 is talked about in the past and so it is. Seems strange to have inched into 2021, but why not and what a great opportunity to change the discourse.

What we think we ink and just as we can view our glass as half full or empty, so the perception of our year ahead  shapes it. Odd years are always fabulous in any case and why shouldn't this one be? Yes, corona, but that too shall pass ( if most of us adhere to the guidelines and not start to shout about our personal rights...you can be right or you can be healthy and happy! ).

 Can you believe the irony...six months ago everyone couldn't wait to have a vaccine developed and now that it is here, many don't want to take it. Yikes, do they rather want languish for weeks on end in  overcrowded hospital wards because of the fear of possible side effects  from a vaccine? Without any contact to their family?

This year will be the most exciting yet and full of opportunities to live a great life. Doesn't mean one has to travel the world, own a big house and have it furnished like a show room. No, again, it is in the little things that we can achieve the most accomplishment, enjoyment and happiness.

Reading a good book, cuddling the cat, cooking a meal, baking bread or being content in each other's company...and of course the most important, being with family. 

Here's to a great year ahead.

Biggi

A Lovely And Bracing Walk To Start Off The New Year.

 A magical winter day.

Somehow this picture tells a thousand words or rather in a few glances of how cold this morning was. Bob and I were on the road before eight and what a great way to start the New Year...

We weren't alone in welcoming in the 2021.  A buck keeping a watchful eye on us...never mind that he is close to danger himself, what with the hunter's stand next to him.

It seems as though it is night time but in reality it is the changing light that a moving sun creates. A magical atmosphere for sure...

Almost at the end of our walk, thus the bright sunlight. An abandoned cottage surrounded by fruit trees and romance. Sad that nobody lives in it. As long as I have lived here, there hasn't been anyone in it.

Glancing back from the place I took the previous photo, a sleepy Deutsch Schützen is enshrined in mist and fog.

Another glance at the majestic tree that bears witness to many decades of life in Eisenberg. A real beauty that I hope will stand for a long time more.

Biggi