Bits And Pieces To Brighten The Day.

Time to look at the pretty side of life...

 The awakening of  blossoms is a breathtaking affair...

Whichever way I turned, nature's beauty followed. Unbelievable to think that mere weeks ago these branches and shrubs were bare as dry twigs...

All day long we are bombarded with more and more corona news, which can dampen anyone's spirit. Just thought I put a visual smorgasbord of images up...

Budding new life seems to be everywhere, although this one has had a helping human hand...Pretty in pink, don't you think?

Not to forget the yellow Linwood Gold Forsythia, shaped into an obelisk of sorts....

Last but not least, a reminder of the raison d'etre of our bit of paradise...again, highlighted by a lovely Linwood Gold Forsythia.

Biggi

The Last Few Days Of March.

 Lovely spring days ahead.

The tranquility of any stream, especially this one, helps to focus our minds in the present.

The acres are starting the growing cycle yet again. As pretty as it is to contemplate, it is as terrible for birds and insects due to its mono-culture crop.

Quiet reflection of a bridge....stones as old as the hills?

A sort of stream-art...nature has a way of organizing its colour schemes to brighten and lighten any day.

One of my favourite rural scenes because it has the quintessential bits of farm life.

The branches are breaking out in bright colours, making it a joy to look at as well as attracting the many insects that are so essential to the chain of life.

Can you see the bumble bee? 

A happy buzzing could be heard from meters away. Yes, spring is here and summer near....

Biggi

Some Thoughts On Meditation.

 Finding a way to awaken.

" I have lived with several Zen masters--all of them cats. "

Eckhart Tolle

" Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you. "

Amit Ray

" Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. "

Voltaire

" The Way to do is to be. "

Lao Tzu

" Quiet the mind and the soul will speak. "

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

" Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there - buried under 50 000 thoughts the average person thinks every day. "

Deepak Chopra

" Of our thinking it is but the upper surface that we shape into articulate thought;

 underneath the region of argument and conscious discourse lies the region of meditation. "

Thomas Carlyle

" Spiritual awakening is like unfollowing who you think you are. "

Frode Gåsland

" Never neglect to do two important things during the day:

 Find time to think and find time not to think. "

Mehmet Murat ildan

" The cause of misery is not lack of something but excess of thoughts."

Shunya

Biggi

A Bit About Time.

Time changes.

" Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. "

Marthe Troly-Curtin

" Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. "

Coco Chanel

"  Time is an illusion. "

Albert Einstein

" You may delay, but time will not. "

Benjamin Franklin

" The strongest of all warriors are these two - Time and Patience. "

Leo Tolstoy

" Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do. "

Jean-Paul Sartre

" The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, 

whatever he does, whoever he is. "

C.S. Lewis

" There is more to life than simply increasing its speed. "

Mahatma Ghandi

" It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone. "

Andy Roony

" Modern man thinks he loses something - time - when he does not do things quickly.

 Yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains - except kill it. "

Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving

" The right time is any time one is still so lucky as to have. "

Henry James

Biggi

 

Bits & Pieces Espied On My Walk In Eisenberg.

 All that makes up a wine region.

Amid the renovated and modernized Kellerstocks one can now and again find  parts of an old building. A door that I found rather striking and which evoked a whole train of thought as to who lived behind it over the decades and perhaps centuries...

A lot of our local wine farmers still farm traditional crops such as maize. Even all dried up they make an artful imprint. Nice to see juxtaposed all the rows of vines.

A striking pose of this yellow bird - could be a yellowhammer or Eastern Yellow bunting - showing off its fine plumage.

It was most obliging by turning towards the camera. Hidden beauty in plain sight...

A stack of logs awaiting  their fate...the one in the middle made me think of a lucky clover.

A very old Kellerstock seems to have been unearthed or rather de-forested recently. I would love to know how old it is but at a rough guess, I would put it into the nineteenth century...

A view from the front where you can see all the shrubs and branches that were cleared away. This Kellerstock is on the edge of Eisenberg Weinberg overlooking the valley. Perhaps an old guard hut? Again, if these walls could talk...

Biggi

A Little Bit Of Inspiration.

 A change is as good as a holiday applies to our mind too.

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

Robert Louis Stevenson

" We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one waiting for us. "

Joseph Campbell

" Change your thoughts and you change your world. "

Norman Vincent Peale

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

Henry David Thoreau

" Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. "

Nathaniel Hawthorne

" The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have. "

Vince Lombardi

" What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality."

Plutarch

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

Francis of Assisi

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

William Blake

Biggi

The Most Finicky Birds In The Neighbourhood Happen To Be Ours.

 Our own fault, really!

We love feeding our birds. A growing flock of all sorts - the other morning Bob noticed a red robin breakfasting with elan - hanging out in our garden. Most wonderful concert all day long, especially before feeding times.

Last year we conservatively fed them sunflower seeds - only food available at our local shop - and they were happy with that. Seeing that they were so cute when they pecked for those sunflower seeds, made us buy more eclectic bird food. From dried worms via a lard dripping stick to shelled peanuts. And those shelled peanuts are the nouvelle cuisine that they all go mad over. Within half an hour of putting ample out, it has disappeared.

We ran out of bird food on Monday so on Tuesday I drove to our local Lagerhaus to get some more. They don't stock the fancy kind so the basic it would have to be. But as they only have big bags of either sunflower seeds or peanuts ( at outrageous prices no less ), I opted for the cheapest bag on offer. A bag of avian raisins. Yes, I think I got conned because they look like ordinary raisins which is surprising seeing that they were much more dearer!!!

Anyway, I thought I would create a new must-have-menu item for them but alas, the raisins are becoming more dried out as we speak. Still out there and even the crows leave them behind. Spoilt lot, aren't they? The last two days I have adhered to the motto of; you'll eat when you are hungry enough  and it seems to have backfired. Must head off tomorrow to get their beloved vittles again!

Of course the other reason they might not eat my raisins is the fact that yesterday morning the local village elders had two big old trees across our gate chopped down. A most elegant and proud walnut tree has gone. When I asked them before they fired up the chainsaw, why they had to cut them down, I was told that the two trees were so dead inside that the mere hint of a storm would knock them over...big fat lie.

Today there is only a five meter tree stump of the walnut tree standing and it shows that the tree is in perfect health. The other tree was cut down to its base but as I don't want to stir the pot by inspecting it too closely, I have to assume that it too was in perfect health. It makes me so sad that they had to go and I suspect that it was at the leisure of someone's personal preference. Haven't they heard of climate change?

Our birds must have been traumatized by the loud noise of the chainsaw, not to mention the two resident squirrels. Humans, we never learn...

Biggi

Lovely Spots Of Colour Everywhere.

 Could this really be the start of spring?

A reassuring sight...bright yellow drowning out the last of winter's grey.

The yellow shrubs seem to be adjacent to most Kellerstocks in our area. Coupled with a blue sky one can almost call it soul food.

Colour of a different sort...clearly Easter is on the way. Wouldn't it be nice if they were to put out danging bits of chocolate on Easter?

Yellow tulips of sorts greeting the day with inherent cheer and goodwill. Lovely to walk past them.

Purple delights delighting the neighbourhood. Nice hints of what's in store. 

Perfect colour combination. Nothing beats a blue sky highlighted by sunshine.

Biggi

Saving The World One Jacket & Wilted Vegetable At A Time.

The many aspects of second-hand.

There is nothing nicer than to do one's bit to stop climate change. An easy one is shopping at second-hand stores or accepting hand-me-downs. Once we get over our ' oh no, I could never wear someone else's stuff ' the hard bit is done. 

About nine year's ago I was given a quality winter jacket of The North Face variety ( a hand-me-down ) that is as warm and comfortable as can be. I love it and wear it every day in winter. My walking jacket and because I love it so much it sets me apart from most others. They tend to wear two or three different winter jackets per season and often I catch them speculating why I still wear the same jacket year in and year out.  If only they knew how many resources get used ( and therefore wasted )  for a jacket alone...is it any wonder that the weather is so out of kilter? Floods and wildfires don't happen just for the sake of it. There is always a cause.

My other new find is a beige tweed jacket from the Caritas shop. It cost 2,5 euros and is absolutely divine. In fact as you might have guessed...I wear it all the time and I have seen speculation in folks's eyes about the state of my finances. At least everyone knows that it's me!

Today was another milestone in saving the planet. At Lidl I managed to get two of those rescue boxes at 3 euros each. One for mum, one for us. There were so many goodies in it that I was thrilled to bits at my purchase and as I was standing at the till, the couple behind me looked enviously at the variety of this box. When they found out that it only costs so little, they were amazed and cross they hadn't  seen it earlier. Next time, they told me, they will buy it too.

               Stupidly I have forgotten to take a picture, but our box contained the following:

                   A net of red onions, a big white radish, a bunch of small red radishes, two organic                                     aubergines, a yellow pepper, red  & green pepper, twenty mini bananas,

                   two punnets of mushrooms ( 500g each ),  

The world can be such an overwhelming place (  especially now with corona etc ) that focusing on the small and easily done things makes all the difference. One step at a time makes me feel better and hopefully helps in changing the trajectory we are on...

Biggi

The Story Of A Cat And A Rug.

 The power of signs.

Every now and again I the mood takes me to hoover and wipe the floors. A gargantuan undertaking - in my view at least - and one that  I am not the only one who abhors it.

We have a two rugs, one in the lounge and one in the vestibule, that are my first port of call when a dose of hoovering is in store. They get bundled up and taken outside for a proper shakedown. Lord knows that our cat is far from happy to hear the old hoover being fired up and she knows the signs of when it is.

Take today for example. It was so horribly windy outside  ( gosh, almost stormy ) that I cut short my walk and made the decision to substitute a bout of cleaning instead. Once I got home Miss Maus performed like a toddler wanting to go outside for her walk but as a parent I deemed it too hazardous. The buoys of wind would twirl her around like a toothpick.

 Meaouw, meaouw, meaouw....

...until I bent down to pick up the first rug. Gosh, I have never seen her dash so quickly into her hideout. Ears back, tail tucked in and off she went. As if the hoover had ever come close to her! Clever as she is, she has worked out once the coast is clear and her nemesis put into the corner. 

The cord isn't long enough for all the rooms so that halfway through my bout of hoovering I have to unplug and re-plug at another plug. Even though there are a few moments of silence she will only reemerge once the second lot of noise is over.

  Don't worry my sweet gal, this hoover incident won't be repeated for a long while!!!!

The joys of housework with a cat for audience...

Biggi

It's Official, Spring Is Here.

 Let's see if the weather takes note.

Today is one of those milestones of any year. The 21st of March sets a full stop behind cold and wintry climes and let's us realize that warmer time are ahead. Today is also a day when often time gets changed, or is it?

We both woke up this morning not sure whether the clocks had to be changed. With all those corona-breaking-news both of us had forgotten to focus on the mundane of life. Daylight saving time, being one such item. When, where and how?

The day started off lighter than normal and by six o'clock it was light enough to go for a walk. Not that I headed out that early. Much nicer to savour another cup of coffee, crochet a bit and spend time gradually greeting this new epoch of the year.

From yesterday's snowy start to today's more sunny one. Suddenly the snow has melted and earlier on the sky was blue and the sun out. Still a bit nippy out there but visually it was magic to welcome the day with a walk.

Certain spring flowers are making a sporadic appearance and beautify the countryside reminding us of what an awesome flower season lies ahead. Paradoxically, the late entry of snow yesterday helps further the growth of these flowers as we have been having a rather dry spell lately. And not so much snow during winter either.

The next six months or so are going to be nice and comfortable for all of us.  Spring and summer will make us feel miles better after the dark winter toll of corona. Sitting outside again, ditching most layer of clothes and getting up at the crack of dawn to beautiful summer days. Good times ahead.

Biggi

An Unexpected Touch Of Snow.

 Waking up to the last remnants of winter.

Due to the slippery road I chose my route along the forest's edge braving hunters and the odd boar. Stunning reward.

So many different paths leading into our forests...certainly won't take any on my own. After a while all paths look alike and forests resemble maizes.

The vineyards are clothed in a snowy blanket which is very much needed as we've had rather a dry spell recently.

Eisenberg Weinberg at its finest...

A tale of two countries....the vineyard at the front of this photo is in Austria and the one in the background is in Hungary. Living so close to another country is great and teaches us about different cultures, habits and history.

The sedate vines enjoying a bit of snow and savouring the nourishing water on the way...

Biggi

And The Weekend Has Left Its Slippers At The Door.

A much needed two day visit.

Fridays are really the best and especially when they beckon with oodles of sunshine and bonhomie. At least this morning bucked the national trend of rain and icy cold. Walking again was a pleasure and wouldn't you know it, I happened upon my sweetheart at his office. 

I was so lost in thought meandering up a gentle hill that I didn't realize it was Bob until I was almost next to him. He was busy aligning the wires and making all those tweaks needed for the vines to blossom. Couldn't ask for a nicer office.

The weather held up its contraire stance until just before lunch when the first little bit of snowflakes twirled about whilst gently landing on the ground. Thankfully they didn't linger despite now and again escaping those dark and cold clouds. And there I thought that winter had left our area. Of course we will get through the next few cold and miserable days. That is what ovens and books are for and we still have many to catch up on. Heavenly.

Fridays set a nice comma after a week of either gentle nothingness or turbulent happenings. Friday evening is movie night in our house thanks to Netflix but truth be told, there haven't been many times where I actually saw the end of a or any movie. As much as I like to be part of the choosing what movie we watch, realistically it is a mute discussion as I fall asleep within ten minutes of opening credits. 

As I sit here and look out our kitchen window I can happily deduce that we will be reading all weekend because the few flake of earlier have bundled into a full set of sleet, rain and the odd snowflake. Yes, a cold weekend ahead but hopefully the last one for a while.

Biggi

 

Lidl Takes The Lead.

 A great way to save fruit & veg.

It isn't a novel idea yet it is to the big three. The big three of supermarkets that proliferate most towns. Lidl, Hofer & Spar. 

Most of us have the best intentions when it comes to preventing food wastage but it isn't often as simple as that. A forgotten cucumber in the vegetable crisper, onions that couldn't be chopped in time, lettuce that was just too much to eat and potatoes that suddenly sprouted green shoots all because we couldn't cook them in time. It takes military style planning to use up every single bit of food one has in the house without wasting any. Sadly, I haven't mastered that style of kitchen management yet.

So, I was thrilled to espy a new invention at Lidl.(  Stupidly they had placed it on the way out after having paid, so I had already stocked up on enough fruit and veg for the week.  ) 

An open box with a selection of single item fruit and vegetables that are still okay but might be slightly discoloured or dinged or been taken from a packet where some had gone bad. They aptly named it the 

          Save Me Box

This box has contents ( never the same ) that weigh between 4,5-5.0 kilograms and at the mere price of Euro 3.

How wonderful is that? The price is amazing and the feeling of helping the planet even more so. Thinking about the contents reveals another plus point...cooking ad hoc depending what's in it!

I am under no illusion that the big chains are good for climate change. Merely the thought of all that wrapping material and plastic is beyond comprehension yet I do shop there and create my own plastic footprint.

Sometimes the little good deeds we sandwich between the not so good ones are what shows us the way. Feeling good about rescuing vegetables from a life grown in vain might spurn many on to more adventurous ideas to countering climate change and who knows, perhaps all the other supermarket giants might also join in and ensure that food wastage is kept to a minimum.

Biggi

Bits And Pieces Of Local Landscape.

An invigorating walk at the start to the day.

On the outskirts of Deutsch Schützen stands this magical early edition of a tiny house. Missing doors and windows of course but elusively exclusive nonetheless.

I chose to walk a different and longer loop this morning and it garnered me wonderful images of this magical bit of paradise in Burgenland.

The patched up bits of the road add to its allure and make it fun going for a walk upon it. Eisenberg is over yonder in the far off distance...

The fields are lying fallow ready for planting and the possibilities are endless...but knowing our area and the affiliation with the EU, it will either be maize, wheat or soy.

The sturdy yet awesome chapel that served Deutsch Schützeners for many decades if not centuries before the larger church was built in the village's center. If these walls could talk...

These particular band of trees always remind me of an Out of Africa movie.  Those dots of houses in the far distance resemble bits and pieces of Rechnitz.  

Isn't our area beautiful?

Biggi

A Little Bit Of Spring Goes A Long Way.

 The season heralding warmer times ahead.

" Spring is the time of plans and projects. "

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

" It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart. "

Rainer Maria Rilke

" From the end of spring new beginnings. "

Pliny the Elder

" Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know. "

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Ingleside

" You are reborn with the roses, in every spring. "

Juan Ramon Jimenez

" Spring is the best life coach; It gives you all the energy you want, 

all the positive thoughts you wish and all the boldness you need. "

Mehmet Murat ildan

" Spring is the time of the year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade. "

Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

" Daffodils are yellow trumpets of spring. "

Richard L. Ratliff

" The point is that the pleasures of spring are available to everybody, and cost nothing. "

George Orwell, Some Thoughts on the Common Toad

" There's nothing more beautiful than watching trees getting dressed up for Spring and Summer. "

Charmaine J  Forde

Biggi

The Elusive Hunt For A Simple Pedometer.

 A step by step affair.

I had one years ago but when it started to blink strange number I threw it away. Should have kept it because now all I want is a pedometer after hearing a professor talk about the panacea that is simple walking. The more the better.

Bob had a look on the mighty Amazon and of course they sell plenty of them but I wanted to support local and have it sooner rather than later. This morning I walked all over trying to find a step -counter. Here and there, this shop and that one with no avail. 

Honestly, one would think I asked for the moon the way shop assistants looked at me. I felt as if I was doing a stint of charades the way I had to use my hands to show what I meant by a pedometer / step-counter.

Eventually I was directed to a sports shop ( another estimated 500 steps! ) and felt jolly hopeful that this would yield results. Should have known...

      " Hi, I am looking for a simple step-counter or pedometer. "

      " Ah yes, another elderly gentleman wanted one the other day. Let me have a look. "

Well, that put me in my place and age category. Another elderly indeed! She went to a computer screen in the middle of the shop to scroll down the category of pedometer. There were oodles of them. All varieties of the kind I don't want. Every single one was connected to a smartphone. Does anyone still operate without a smartphone? Does everything need to be recorded for eternity or shared on social media?

The sad fact of it is that at times the only option left is Amazon. Try as one might to shop offline, they do have the goods.

Walking is such a universal cure-all and the more the better which to my mind can be achieved by keeping track of daily steps taken. I'll let you know how it works out...

Biggi

All About Authors.

 Quotes are so to the point.

" Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reason. "

Robertson Davies

"  Quiet people have the loudest minds. "

Stephen King

" It was one of the dullest speeches I have ever heard. The Agee woman told us for three quarters of an hour how she came to write her beastly book, when a simple apology was all that was required. "

P.G. Wodehouse, The Girl in Blue

" Books are for nothing but to inspire. "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

" It's better not to know the authors personally, because the real person never corresponds to the image you form of him from reading his books. "

Italo Calvino

" Authors  were shy, unsociable creatures, atoning for their lack of social aptitude by inventing their own companions and conversations. '

Agatha Christie, Mrs McGinty's Dead

"  Authors are partial to their wit. "

Alexander Pope

" Without writers, we would never dive into the depths of other lives. "

Mehmet Murat ildan

Biggi

Raw Oats, Not Just For Horses!

 A new breakfast favourite.

Who knew that proper raw oats tasted so good? Nutty and oh so more'ish. For a long time I thought that rolled oats were raw oats but not so. Rolled oats have been heated up and of course rolled flat. They are still extremely healthy and tasty but the real raw kernels take the cake in flavour and nutrition.

The raw oats are mainly fed to horses and health-mad people like me. Eating raw oats takes a bit of work as they need to be soaked overnight if you want to put them into your muesli bowl and often the hardest bit is remembering to do so.

Eating them the next morning is an adjustment because they are quite chewy but incredibly tasty. A sort of nutty taste sensation. Knowing that it is the pinnacle of nutrition doesn't hurt either.

When it is cold outside or on those days I realize that I have forgotten to soak them overnight, I simply put the oats into a blender and make oatmeal for a quick porridge. Yes, five to seven minutes tops and a creamy porridge is ready.

Not every shop carries these raw oats ( should perhaps look at feed emporiums ) so I was happy as can be when I spotted a big packet of them at a health shop in Oberwart. Packaged in environmentally friendly paper, cheap and locally grown.

Yes, they sell oats from a farmer in Schachendorf ( about 10 km from us ). It isn't often that I get to buy so close to source and I must tell you that it feels great. No long transport, money spent locally and a farmer who gets to make a profit without having to give most of it to numerous middle men.

If you ever get the chance, try these proper oats and see if it also reminds you of a childhood spent at stables feeding horses with just those type of oats...

My oats...

So happy about supporting a farmer so close to home...

Biggi

Another Beautiful Morning In Burgenland.

 Nature and celestial clouds.

My magic tree marking the dimensions of picture, life and everything else!

New beginnings...the strength of mere blades of grass wanting a share in the bountiful sun.

In the stillness of water lies the calmness we all seek. Could stand there for hours to look at the gentle refracted reflections of sky, grass and passing clouds.

As I turned around I was awed by these angel wings in the sky. Protected from above! Wonder which angel they belong to? Regardless, they lent a divine sense of peace.

A more closer look was called for...magical tendrils of vapour making up these angel's wings. Celestial magic to greet my day. 

Biggi

Something's Afoot Across The Road.

Banging, sawing and bashing.

Our road seems to have turned into a beehive of building activities. So much so that often Mausi is afraid to go for her morning excursion due to all the loud noises of cranes, trucks and sledgehammer. Must say, it isn't much fun for me either!

Slowly a new routine and normal has set in. The road is generally blocked by big and ugly vehicles spewing mud on the road whilst offloading building materials. Can get rather treacherous when mixed with rain. Anyway, that's the way it is going to be for the near future of either the house standing spic and span for ribbon cutting or when the dosh runs out.

One might think that one building site would suffice...not so. The last few days our proper next door neighbours have been tidying up a big piece of land across the road ( not far from our bedroom windows ) by felling down trees and digging up grass. What on earth are they making there?

I am too scared to ask because I might say the wrong thing depending on the answer. Thoughts of another swimming pool, perhaps a covered garage or a granny cottage have crossed my mind. Even now, the whole family ( grandkids and kids ) are busy measuring out that piece of ground. Whatever it will be, it has the hallmarks of being noisy. We will have to wait and hear...

Driving in and out our street has become a nightmare. More often than not the top end of our street is blocked by big trucks. Fair enough, that's what happens during building of anything. The nightmare starts when I drive up or down the other end of our road because it has a curve which is rather a blind spot for anything coming around the corner.

 And that is the trouble...the man living up the road drives a public bus and often takes a detour via his house and obviously via our little back road. Meeting him in his big bus would spell trouble because someone would have to reverse up and around a corner and that someone would be me. Ah, life in the country is full of excitement and fun...

Biggi

Getting Over Life's Hurdles.

 Quotes, somehow fitting.

" In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on. "

Robert Frost

" Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. "

Seneca

" If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment. "

Carlos Santana

" Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard. "

Dave Mustaine

" The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love. "

Hubert H. Humphrey

" The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey. "

Sarah Fielding

" Healing yourself is connected with healing others. "

Yoko Ono

" I think a spiritual journey is not so much a journey of discover. It's a journey of recovery. 

It's a journey of  uncovering your inner nature. It's already there. "

Billy Corgan

" Don't brood. Get on with living and loving. You don't have forever. "

Leo Buscaglia

 " Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of  security only as he is moving forward. "

Maxwell Maltz

" Feeling sorry for ourselves is the most useless waste of energy on the planet. It does absolutely no good. We can't let our circumstances or what others do or don't do control us. We can decide to be happy regardless. "

Joyce Meyer

Biggi

The Word Has Spread About Our Feral Food Bank.

 A nice way to avoid throwing it away.

Those of you who are the proud owners of cats know how fickle they can be when it comes to their culinary tastes. Never mind the adage of-  at least try it- cats can take on look perhaps coupled with a whiff and turn their noses away in disdain. Never mind how hungry they are. Honestly, so much for trying to guilt them with all those starving cats out there. Miss Mausi would rather wallow in hungry self pity than to give some new vittles a go.

So anyway, yesterday afternoon my phone rings and it is an acquaintance from the village who has one of these finicky felines at home.

       " Birgit, you know I tried to spoil my cat by buying a premium brand instead of the house brand and wouldn't you believe it...he won't eat a bit of it!!!! "

Ah, at least it isn't only Mausi nor my upbringing of her ( mum take note... ) because it seems to be universal. Anyway, this friend remembered that I told her about our two feral males outside who basically are so grateful that they eat anything, Darlings, aren't they?, and asked if she could give me her stash of premium cat food. Of course, these two boys outside eat heaps of food and it's always nice to get a helping hand. Tonight these two will be in for some luxurious dining...

As for the word spreading; a few weeks ago another friend who lives down the road and who coincidentally also feeds one of our feral daily, asked me whether she or I should de-worm him 

( due to him eating for three and seemingly being hungry all the time ). Isn't it nice that we have established a club of cat fans? And isn't it even nicer still that we can give back some existential TLC to a few feral cats, cats who have had to fight their own way through life without a daily helping hand. Love feeding them and love making their old age easier...

Biggi

Almost A Feast For Our Birds.

A Monday morning in Oberwart.

I hadn't planned on going into town today but Bob wanted me to pick up his glasses and thus the weekly shopping day was moved one forward. Not a bad idea as town was sort of quiet which was magic for my parking spots. Found one every time.

On the way to town I made a mental shopping list and also a mental shopping map. What, where and why! My main aim is to avoid the shopping center as there are just too many temptations. Apart from the supermarkets I did most of my shopping at locally owned shops. Felt good to support local until I stumbled upon a sour-face and mannered and shop owner.

The healthy shop was great, ditto for the glasses but getting Bob's tin of tobacco was a lesson in how not to serve customers. The owner was bolshy and almost revolutionary as she didn't wear a mask. I kept a long distance but was seething on the inside...with her and me. She shouldn't be in her shop sans mask ( once before the same problem ) and I should have just dropped everything and left. Ah, but one is so conditioned to play nice!

Anyway, the Indian spice shop down the road was a show in contrast. The owner ( masked of course ) was friendly, helpful and happy to have me spend money at his shop. He should teach that other lady how to win and influence people.

Anyway, next stop was the pet shop. Mausi needed her special food ( no supermarket fodder for her ) but while I was in there I stumbled upon a shelf filled with delights for wild birds. Oh, such nice stuff. Peanut butter jars ( apparently one puts them out as is and the birds go crazy ), oats mixed with peanuts, insects and fat coated seeds. Magic. I stocked up taking my time reading the various labels and ingredients, eventually making it to the till.

I was pleased as punch to do good for our avian lodgers until I found out that today the shop's credit card machine was broken. Cash only which of course I didn't have on me. The sales lady was quite keen to send me around the block to an ATM, but as this was close to the major traffic circle, I put my foot down and my purchases back. Birds will have to wait another week for luxuries while eating peanuts and sunflower seeds. 

It is going to be strange once we are back to normal. Shopping without worrying about getting too close to others or about which shop is or isn't going to be trading will be a huge adjustment for most of us. So many are shopping online, and it has been an easy way to buy things, but somehow we mustn't forget that brick and mortar shops feed many a family...

Biggi

All Ado On A Sunday.

The bits and bobs that make up a blissful rural life.

A view of note and a view showing how spring has finally arrived in Burgenland. The grass is green, vines still bare but promising another fabulous season ahead.

Isn't nature amazing? The inherent knowledge of nature turns a bare branch into an annual feast for the eyes with these intricate and delicate blossoms welcoming in spring...

A happy family of geese marching gaily around a neighbourhood garden.

A true mother hen issuing a summons for these teenage geese...which they dutifully followed albeit muttering all the way. A happy garden indeed.

Meantime in our garden a resident is contemplating going for a swim....

Living straw alongside a part of the road I happened to be trotting on today. A touch of gold that warms the heart and soul...

Last but not least, a view from one of Bob's offices. It was amazing to stand there this morning and take in the whole area from atop the Eisenberg vineyards. A great reminder of how lucky we are to be able to live here amid such splendour and abundance.

Biggi