Cooking The Dash Way.

The birth of a favourite burger patty.

Bob's not one for overdoing it on praise. Either he likes it and almost licks the plate clean or he politely says it tasted nice but that I had dished so much that he couldn't possibly eat any more. Fair enough, and on days that I cook meals on the fringe of likedness, I make sure to dish him more than usual.

But I like that much better than fake compliments as it does leave one basking in a pretend bath of glory. Making meals is an art form thus comments are kind of looked on subjectively. Back to Bob. We are going to a BBQ this afternoon and even though mum told us not to bring anything, we are. The usual BBQ fodder of chips and salad are a breeze but today, Bob's upped the ante for me;

" Please can you make those burger patties you made on Tuesday. They were divine. That'll show folks that vegans eat more than carrots. "

Gosh, wow. Being vegan has meant that people make either fun of us, try and change us or are eager to point out that we only eat boring vegetables which is why they could never be vegan. Yeah, right! For Bob to be an ambassador for veganism is fabulous, brilliant and one of the reasons I love him.

Alas, a slight conundrum...I never write anything down and never cook according to a recipe. Combinations pop into my head and I make them. Creative and often successful. The only system I do adhere to is the dash one....a dash of this and a dash of that.

The pressure of making these burger patties is ample and I have a feeling that they are a dash-degree different to their original. Let's hope they taste okay and aren't the last ones chosen from the serving table.

Biggi

Off To Hungary For A Bit Of Dental T.L.C.

Our nice dentist in Hungary.

The chipped tooth had to be seen to and when I phoned on Tuesday I was never in a million years expecting an appointment two days later. But, peppering the phone call with parental name dropping seemed to have done the trick and even today as I explained who was who, the dentist broke out in a smile and said:

" Oh, your parents are my favourite clients. "

Aagh, nothing better than a happy dentist before dental work.

I don't like x-rays and don't see the point of having them for the teeth unless it is for identification or some such. Yes, problems might show up but they will do so anyway because nerves don't stay quiet. Less looked for less found not to mention saving additional exposure to radiation. Personally I don't believe doctors when they make radiation sound like a medical must-have that does no harm at all.

My dentist couldn't have been nicer nor gentler although mere moments after I mumbled that I don't want x-rays done, she casually but with a glint in her eye said:

" You know, I don't think you need to have any numbing injections. This won't hurt much at all...! "

Eh, what could I say but okay?

The forty minutes or so that I was meditating on not swallowing that atrocious suction pipe went rather quickly and painlessly. Brilliant to have a dentists leaning towards minimalism and fixing what can be fixed instead of always replacing with new ones.

As she had done a manual check of my teeth and hadn't uttered cleaning advice or censure, I was happy getting up from her chair knowing that I had followed her previous teeth brushing directions correctly. And so I should have as I run her instructions through my head each and every time I brush my teeth...

Biggi

And The Rain Keeps On Dropping.

A May slightly wetter than normal.

Honestly, I don't really mind the rain as much as all the hindrances that come with it. Laundry doesn't dry either on the line or in the house. Yes, a few pieces are still soaking up the rain as I don't know where else to hang them and I am an eternal optimist expecting sunshine behind every cloudburst.

Cats are fed up at being cooped inside and our dilly Tiggi is bent on confusing a wet driveway with a sandy beach. The other day mum came over and picked up a bedraggled cat and all we saw was a happy cat with thin spindly legs dangling from mum's arms.

Cleaning anything when it is raining continuously is stupid as shoes are often caked with mud and dirt. But, that is country living. Hair, defies all pleas to look decent. A sniff of moisture in the air is ample to cause my hair to go haywire. Literally. I should be careful next to cows lest they mistake my hair for a morning snack.

Tomorrow is yet another public holiday with more rain on the cards. You know that might be just the ticket for a relaxing day inside reading and chilling, although yours truly has to first sit bravely in the dentist's chair to repair her tooth.

Friday should be the first bit of sunshine and a temporary end to the rain, enough to quickly do a few loads of washing before next week's rain schedule kicks in. On the plus side, nature is lapping this rain up with glee and reflecting its happiness by bright emerald greens and growth spurts worthy of a newly minted teenager.

Biggi

Something To Ruminate On.

Pearls of wisdom.

" 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

" A room without books is like a body without a soul. "
Marcus Tullius Cicero

" You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. "
Mae West

" A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you. "
Elbert Hubbard

" Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. "
Marilyn Monroe

" The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. "
William Shakespeare, As You Like It

" I have not failed. I have just found 10 000 ways that won't work. "
Thomas A. Edison

" If you judge people, you have no time to love them. "
Mother Teresa

" If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever. "
Alfred Tennyson

" Go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company. "
Benjamin Franklin Wade

Biggi

And The Greens Have It.

An amazing result that deserves some green images.

Sort of as an reminder about what the Greens stand for. We tend to forget what a healthy environment is...lushious meadows, fields and grasses.

A meadow where wild flowers are happy to grow, glow and show.

The green stalks of future food. Faithfully they grow for us to eat, provided we don't go overboard at poisoning their habitat.

Europeans have moved a bit more towards caring and preserving our planet. More is needed but at least it is a good start.

Pretty as a picture. If only you could come along for a walk with me in the tranquil surrounds of our vineyards and fields.

A bright meadow beckoning forth a bright future...

Biggi

Election Sunday.

A village on the move.

Long awaited and finally here. European elections were approached with mixed feelings by many. Would a vote really make a difference to the perceived mismanagement in Brussels or would it make things better. Well, the only way to change is to cast one's vote. For whatever one believes but vote we must.

The last few weeks our television viewing was dotted with short videos about this and that party and what they would do. Confusing but if one follows one's convictions and blends out those Hollywood moments , it should turn out well.

I was pleased to see so many villagers ( possibly all ) go to the voting station. Each of our district's villages had one. The village elders or should I say chiefs were sitting on one table and what I can only presume were the oversight'ers were gracing a table facing the first. Nothing was left to chance and the slot where the actual envelope with the vote was dropped, was better guarded than Fort Knox. No slight of hand possible.

Now we need to await the results and hope that reason prevailed and that the good of all and not the luxuries of a few were voted for. Interesting times ahead, times that will cast our collective futures for better or for worse.

Biggi

The Things They Teach The Children.

English with a kick.

Just having returned from some extra lessons I am still a bit speechless at what the kids have to learn. English all well and good, but English about love and relationships can get a bit iffy and tricky to explain.

The girl I was helping has just reached her fourteenth birthday and when I looked at the text she ( and I suppose we ) had to study, my heart sank. Terms like cheating, having an affair, having a fling. chat up, passionate, intimate had me in a spot of bother at how to explain them. Honestly, is that the English foreigners need to learn?

Some of the sentences were so casual and almost normal, such as

John went to Italy on holiday and had a fling.

that even my pupil looked at me and said:

" You know, it isn't right that they normalize having a fling. They should have had a ' gosh ' or something like that in the sentence. "

Well, how precious is she? The whole chapter about relationships and the ups and downs that go with it is honestly not quite the thing to approach as a second language. At least we can be thankful for one thing...young Austrians travelling overseas to widen their horizons will be able to converse about such intricate issues which are a hallmark of many relationships.

Again, I am so thankful to have gone to school in South Africa and learned the appropriateness of issues in all sectors of life.

Biggi

A Dose Of Village Cheer.

The magical universe.

I was parked outside the local doctor's surgery waiting for my two freshly minted septuagenarians to have a check up. It being an extremely sunny day today, I parked a bit further back in the only spot of shade the road possesses. Ironically it is my South African roots which make me shy away from the sun almost as much as that dishy vampire Edward did. Europeans thrive and flock to any and all spots of sun as if their lives depended on it. It might look great before they are forty but after that, that excessive sun-worshiping will come home to roost.

For some reason I was feeling a bit down today- any wonder when a bit of my old tooth decided to part ways with me last night. That age already? Aagghh! - and was stewing in my thoughts whilst sitting in the car. Not for long as first one Eisenberger came over to talk to me about this that and her mother but suffice to say, that our ten minute chat did me the world of good and reminded me of the many tender roots I have grown here and that they are getting anchored nicely. Other locals drove past me and gave me cheerful nods, waves or mouthed hellos. By now our fire engine red car is a well known sight around the village.

Of course driving two eminent personalities freshly over the threshold of the tenth decade of live, with their cheerfulness and wisdom is priceless and lifts anyone out of the doldrums. Being over ninety makes short thrift of silliness and puts everything into perspective. The best bit is how each and every time I drive them about the village, he makes a point of stopping at Wachter's to buy milk, bread and a whole slew of stuff not on the list and his flowers for his wife...two or three instant lotto tickets which she said she prefers to real flowers because they wilt so quickly! Now isn't that romantic?

Biggi

An Odd Man, An Odd Taste.

The mushroom magic it seems.

Lost in my thoughts I was stepping lively towards Eisenberg when I noticed a car slow down on the main road next to me. Still having an intrinsic South African caution, I slowed down and looked for an escape route until sanity returned. Gosh, this is the cradle of safety after all.

Although, I have to say that I was a bit on edge when I noticed the car reverse on the main road and drive into Adaxl road only to then stop, more or less in line of my walk. An admirer perhaps? Without my glasses I would have had to get a bit closer to see but luckily, he reversed back into the main road ( an idiot for sure! ) and proceeded to drive five meters and than park on the side of the road. On a solid white line too.

Intrigued and slightly nosy, I walked closer. The car door opened and an elaborate exit from the driver's seat was made, one that only older folks do to perfection. Who on earth was that? Naturally I looked away in case he wanted to start a conversation with me. ( I did make sure that there wasn't any sign health problem on his side ) Well, I needn't have worried. The man studiously walked into the meadow next to his car and bent over. Oh my god I thought. Please don't let him relieve himself in front of me. That would have been too much, but not unexpected really.

When I got closer I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he had picked up something from the field. Oh my, two giant mushrooms that were growing on the side of a busy road, more than likely doused in petrol fumes.
Well, tastes do differ as they say and all I can say is; ' Bon Apetit, I hope those magic mushrooms taste nice. ' Ah, the quiet country life is far from boring and mostly funny...

Biggi

Tiggi, Slowing Down Traffic.

A hoot a minute.

She's deaf but not blind. I only know that because the minute she sees either one of us, her eyes light up and she comes trotting towards us in her odd old lady gait. Walking up behind her makes no difference to her because she can't hear. Sad, but that's life.

Her common sense seems to have left hand in hand with her hearing because she enjoys lounging languidly in the middle of our road. Yes, whenever I happen to glance out the window she's either sleeping soundly, rolling on her back or cleaning herself. Of course when I do see her I rush out like a mad hornet to carry her to safety. To little avail as she strolls back out the minute my back is turned.

The road is tres dangerous what with all the mad speedsters living in our road, but there is just no way for either Bob or I to keep guard outside our gate all day long. Of course when we do see her, we spring to action and carry her into our yard..

This morning saw me cutting our hedge ( or at least a small part of it ) into shape and whilst I was emulating Edward Scissorhands I heard a hoot, followed by another one. Yes, a car had stumbled upon old Tiggi and of course she didn't budge. I sent up a silent prayer that she'd be alright and not much later the car in question drove up to me and stopped .

Before he could even voice his ire over our cat, I hastened to explain our predicament to him. Luckily he is a lover of cats and I have heard via the grapevine that he almost spoils his feline family as much as we do ours.

" You know, you should get one of those Kangaroo pouches
and carry her around with you. "

...as much as he was giggling ( he is well into Grandfather age ) at his suggestion, the idea wasn't new to me and if he thought of it, one less villager would think me mad as a hatter if they'd see me strolling about with Miss Tiggi dangling dashingly from a Kangaroo pouch!

Well, at least now he will take the stretch around our house more slowly and at least from him, Tiggi is safe.

Biggi

Neighbourhood Watch.

The twitchy curtain brigade.

As we don't have curtains per say, we somehow don't quality for the above although honestly, both of us like to have a good furtive look out of the window. Keeping up with the Jones' as they say.

This morning Bob asked me to get him his eye drops from the doctor's ( they are a dispensing pharmacy which saves a lot of travelling ) and so, that is what I did. As it was a Tuesday morning the wait was a bit longer than normal. Tuesdays and Fridays are the ' blood letting ' days where almost everyone has their bloods taken for testing. But waiting in the doctor's rooms is never boring and always informative.

One of my parent's neighbours was in front of me in the line and as one does, we had a short conversation about the general state of affairs. ie.

" Hi, how are you? Hopefully nothing wrong with you? "

one has to ask, as the older generation enjoys nothing more than listing their accomplishments in regards to dis-health. At times, waiting in line one can't help but hear a verbal duel over who has a more serious health problem. Many times I have been sorely tempted to suggest a more healthy menu plan, but when in Rome...

Anyway, about a minute in, she said to me;

" Don't you go and see your parents anymore? I never see you drive up. "

Weeeelll, how would she know and more to the point, does she have a chair next to her window? Assuring her that I wasn't ignoring my family, I quickly changed the subject but was saved by another of her cronies coming in and taking the focus off me and my filial visits...

Biggi

Red Poppies, Clover And Chamomilla Too.

After the rain the flowers sparkle.

The clear and clean image of a bunch of chamomilla flowers also known as daisies, is a staple on our fields and meadows.

A red poppy gallantly whipping with the wind and thereby evoking a feeling of nostalgia and romance...not that Bob ever brought me a bunch of poppies!

The red clover is out and about between many a row of vines and it makes me wonder if this isn't what makes our Blaufränkisch so delightfully tasty?

This morning I discovered a whole field of daisies bobbing in the wind high above Deutsch Schützen. What a beautiful field almost waiting for any of us to sit in it with a book in hand...or an easel at one's side.

Daisy clusters abound in our area and driving in ' daisy-season ' is fantastic and more soothing than a cup of chamomile tea.

Biggi

The Plastic Dilemma.

Are we ever going to win that battle?

Plastic is everywhere and most alarmingly a ' not given a thought ' commodity. Where does it all go once we've unwrapped a product, eaten a box of biscuits or bought a variety of organic cling wrapped produce? Here in Burgenland we put any and all plastics into our yellow collection bags and hope for the best that it doesn't land up floating across oceans or being eaten by fish. Still, it is most alarming to witness our daily pile of discarded plastics.

Why is almost everything edible still cosseted in plastic? Are the plastic producers in cahoots with the supermarkets? That old excuse of people complaining about others having touched the produce etc is stupid. Yes, some will complain bitterly but one always does get the hecklers, doesn't one? Unwrap the stuff already. Why use plastic around an already encased box of biscuits, pasta or tea?

Perhaps they should pass a law that every town must have a packaging-free supermarket. Imagine having that choice. Imagine bringing your own glass containers and buying beans, pasta or rice from a bulk dispenser? Most towns or even villages will have enough customers to make such a shop viable and entice other shops to follow suit.

As much as we like to put blame on our politicians and producers, we are too blame. Each and every one of us has the power to vote for what we believe in and stand for with the way we spend our money. Each and every time we open our wallet we make a choice for something, even if it is abetting the destruction of our planet.

Biggi

A Bit Of Political Thinking.

Never a dull moment.

" In our age there is no such thing as ' keeping out of politics '.
All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia. "
George Orwell

" Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. "
Groucho Marx

" I really rebel against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you are constantly focusing on scoring hits against each other. Yes, we need to be a robust democracy, but you can be strong, and you can be kind. "
Jacinda Ardern

" Many individuals are doing what they can. But real success can only come if there is a change in our societies and in our economics and in our politics. "
David Attenborough

" Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives. "
John Stuart Mill

" There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable, for in politics there is no honour. "
Benjamin Disraeli

" Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. "
Otto von Bismarck

Biggi

The Happy Colours Of Friday Herald In Yet Another Weekend.

Simply nature.

The sun illuminated this particular batch of what some call weeds to such an extent that just like that a green bouquet was born.

Ah, that time of the year again...like clockwork these particular poppies make their debut and more beautiful with each passing year.

Actually I am far from being fond of creepers but in this case I have to admit that the sight of this house evoked a feeling of romance and a vineyard in the south of France.

A happy coexistence of reds and oranges does wonders for the observer. Moments of bliss indeed. Is that a wild spinach leaf behind them?

I wonder if it is edible because seeing it like that has made me want to eat a big salad with it in it...

Biggi

A Clever Old Gal.

The Tiggi saga continues.

It has been raining buckets the last few days and along with horrid gusts of wind lasting all day and night, we have had less than nice May weather. At least we could be indoors which is more than can be said for our outside lodger, Tiggi.

The little cozy house that Bob has made for her stood empty. We speculate that she has a touch of forgetfulness about her or she just doesn't like the new blanket in it. Suffice to say that she decided to rather sleep underneath some shrubs, in the driveway and most shockingly of all, in the middle of the road. Suffice to say that both of us have been running around carrying her into her house ( in case she remembered its warm coziness ) many times to no avail.

Last night she never came home and added to the fact that she refused to eat breakfast, Bob and I were distraught at the thought that she might have entered the celestial portals. Off course we do realize that nature will take its course but still, she has found a little place in both of our hearts right next to Mausi.

When we woke up at five this morning we were overjoyed to see Tiggi sitting on the windowsill, looking slightly bedraggled and hungry. Overjoyed I rushed to find some food for her, put on shoes and ran outside. When she saw me she was besides herself with happiness and couldn't stand still for a second. Knowing she must have been hungry I bent forward next to the sill in order to put food into her dish. Well, luckily I am not faint hearted because all of a sudden Tiggi jumped onto my back and made herself comfortable. Bob, who was watching this through the window, shouted for me to be aware...as if I didn't feel her!

She wasn't trying to hurt me at all but merely wanted to be close to me. As I couldn't stand up without hurting her, Bob had to come out to dislodge her from my back. We eventually got her to eat and settle down a bit...that is until Bob went back out a bit later for a smoke.

All I heard was a big scream from Bob. Turns out she had sidled up to his legs and before he knew what she was planning to do she had literally jumped up his legs trying to be in his arms, using her claws to get leverage. Rather funny if the same wasn't on the cards for me. All she wants to do is be on my lap or in my arms for a cuddle and thus her new place to rest is in front of our door, so that we can't escape her attention...

Biggi

Evolving As A Vegan.

Changing tastes leads to culinary experiments.

They predicted it but in the beginning I didn't really believe it. Yearning for veggies as one did for steak and co? Once the quest to healthy living via the vegan-wholefood road starts, taste buds go along and discard old and jaded feelers and emerge new, vibrant and clean. A rather yummy discovery as suddenly food tastes of food. Blueberries burst with sweetness, avocados melt on in the mouth and mushrooms are a treat to look forward to. I wouldn't be surprised if Bob and I could blind taste for an organic cherry tomato, although to be frank, any tomato not organic tastes of nothingness and water. Ah, soon our garden will be dotted with cherry tomatoes.

The first few months of our vegan adventure we were transitioning ( gosh, we sound like extras in Vampire Diaries ) from the SAD diet ( Standard Austrian Diet ) to the vegan one where ham, eggs, milk and co were gone. Hofer sold various vegan ' hamburger ' patties and we did eat them a lot during the change over. Easy as pie and they did taste good, as any processed type of food does.

This afternoon I was shopping in Oberwart and could have had my pick of a dozen pre-cooked hamburger patties but despite the extra work involved, I decided to make the patties from scratch. Each time I make them they are different because it depends on what veg I can find and what beans I have idling their time away in our fridge.

Once you start to experiment and aren't afraid to have the odd culinary failure, cooking the vegan way becomes great fun. Tonight's main ingredient will be white button mushrooms along with cooked beluga lentils, wholewheat couscous and a medley of onions, spices and garlic. Keeping it all in a hamburger shape will be my secret addition of soaked flaxseeds. Binds like glue and doesn't alter the taste...

Biggi

Are We Already Living The Tiny House Way?

A sobering thought indeed.

The other day Bob and I were watching an episode of Tiny House and of course we liked everything we saw and with enthusiasm planned a purchase or two of tiny houses once we'd saved enough or the lotto finally decided to send fortune our way. Cool, I thought, what a great way to live.

Bob was already apportioning our friends and family on their future visits into them. A tiny house or two on our property would would give everyone their privacy and look cute in the process.

When I espoused the whole romantic notion of living in a tiny house ourselves, my husband baulked at the idea. Living in such a small space without rooms to retreat to was a no-go for him. Ha, if and when we do have one in our yard, Bob would be the first person to move in and love it.

But, it got me thinking about how we use our spaces at the moment. As big as our house is, we usually only use half of it. The lounge, kitchen and bathroom are where we spend most of our time and happily so. No, it isn't as small as a tiny house would be but not far from it. We are merely burdened with extra rooms which we have filled to capacity with stuff we don't use and may never need again.

I think that that must be the appeal of tiny house living. No spare rooms for collecting stuff. Bob and I arrived here in Burgenland eight years ago with only boxes of books and a suitcase of our clothes. One would imagine that we are living clutter free but sadly no. For some reason we have collected a lot of things that we might use one day. Not necessarily bought either. A lot of stuff we hoard has been given to us by those who have cleverly decided to go clutter free.

I do hope the concept of tiny-house living catches on because when I look around I tend to see a lot of home owners only using half the space of their home for living and the other half for storage...

Biggi

For The Love Of Reading.

They said it best.

" Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them. "
Lemony Snicket, Horseradish

" ' Classic '- a book which people praise and don't read. "
Mark Twain

" Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. "
Charles W. Eliot

" In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. "
Mortimer J. Adler

" I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

" People can lose their lives in libraries, they ought to be warned. "
Saul Bellow

" To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. "
W. Somerset Maugham, Books and You

" Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading. "
Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebook of Malte Laurids Brigge

" Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. "
Henry Ward Beecher

Biggi

A Toothless Tiggi.

A new discovery.

I only noticed yesterday whilst cuddling her on my lap that her mouth sports a gap. Yes, our darling Tiggi has lost her teeth and as sadly there are no cat-dentures on the market, yet, we have to make a different plan with regards to meals.

Both of our cats at times get a treat, a treat they seem to love and one that resembles a slim salami, nicely flavoured but though as nails which I discovered this morning when Tiggi battled like crazy to eat one of the little pieces I'd broken off for her. Shame, poor darling.

Not that I have looked for them but I am sure there must be treats for senior cats on the market. As I said to Bob earlier on, the next lot of food for her will have to be the soft, no-need-to-be-chewed kind. Mausi has a small selection of pates in her food larder, which I know she at times refuses to eat ( maybe she'd rather wait until old age when she's got no other choice ) so they have been designated for our toothless gal.

With every passing day this gal keeps melting my heart further and further. She now jumps onto my lap when I sit on the front door step and the two of us sit like that for at least ten minutes. Her purring and cuddling into my lap and I glad to give her a feeling of being loved towards the latter half of her life.

This morning when my folks came over for a Mother's day breakfast, Tiggi was as usual outside in the driveway and the minute she spotted mum, she rushed up to her to be picked up. So, when I came to the door to give mum a hug, she was already busy giving a long hug to an ecstatic Tiggi...

Biggi

A Few Moments Of My Friday.

Walking and mowing lawns yields a treasure trove of images.

As I turned the corner at Schützenhof, I was awed at the sight that met me. The sun was at the right angle, the clouds scattered appropriately and of course the wildflowers were posing divinely in front of big rolls of straw. Isn't that a fantastic start to any day?

A moment to reflect on Deutsch Schützen sitting pretty at the bottom of the hill and another to appreciate the last hill walked. Downhill for the rest of the way.

Early afternoon saw mum and me give some lawns a trim and seeing this green shrub clinging elegantly on a brown pole was fabulous. Colours make or break a day.

Purple bells of the ball? Glimpses of beauty while navigation a loud lawnmower.

A few rebel flowers on the edge of a local field. Dew drops and tiny spider webs in the background complete the theme of rural romance...

Biggi

And Just Like That The Weekend Is Here.

All in the blink of an eye.

What makes Fridays so special? Everyone is excited, happy and friendly. Two days of not working might have something to do with it. A Friday evening is not to be scoffed at after all. Knowing one hasn't got to get up at the crack of dawn changes the whole outlook. Movies can be watched, soccer matches seen ( don't get me started on our misfortune of not having watched those two epic, once in a lifetime, games. Klopp, my new favourite soccer coach ) and elaborate suppers made.

Bob should be home any moment and like a good wife I have chilled a couple of bottles of beer for him. Well deserved ones. The weather has been warm bordering on hot despite threatening clouds encroaching on the horizon and working in hot humid conditions walking up and down the vineyard is not for the faint of heart. A real fitness challenge.

Tomorrow a cold front is yet again gracing us with a visit albeit and thankfully a shortish one. Once it has vacated the premises we can get going with planting in our vegetable garden. No more frost in store for a while. I for one can't wait to eat home grown tomatoes. Absolutely fabulous to be able to step outside to pick one's vegetables.

Let's get the weekend started...

Biggi

Some More Nature, Naturally.

Colours abound and moods do too.

The poppies are out again and turning heads despite this one's hanging low. Poppies have become a marker of time and herald in the summer season.

At the moment I am garnering evidence of a few wild fields having escaped the tractor. Why would you want to chop these delightful yellow flowers?

Not as natural but awesome all the same. A hanging purple diva can't keep the eyes away from it.

A slight breeze indeed. A great looking fringe on the purple flower, don't you think?

A bit of our own garden glistening after a bout of rain. The woman who lived here before us was known for her medicinal tinctures and I often wonder whether part of our garden isn't a treasure trove of medicinal plants?

Biggi

Driving Miss Tiggi.

The plot thickens...

As you know, our little wildcat has become a pussy cat. Sweet and cuddly with a mind of her own. Just the other day she decided to grace our new neighbours with a visit that lasted all night. Yes, I found out that she shivered on my neighbour's veranda and thus has managed to procure a second home. A shelter from us?

Mum says that she was looking for me and got lost but for whatever reason she left for the night, we are glad that she has somewhere to go to. Although I did ask Stephanie not to feather Tiggi's nest too well as I would miss her terribly if she changed residence.

Having missed her so much this one night ( she is back home again ), I now take extra care to make her feel at home. Bribing her with a new lushious blanket in her lair and a vitamin paste for dessert. I know, I know!

A few moments ago I came home from work and was faced with a cat lounging on our driveway waiting for my return and when she did see our red car, said cat jumped up and ran towards me and the car. Any thought of driving swiftly up to the garage was negated by her constant return to the middle of our driveway even though I did get out three times to carry her to the windowsill, flower pot and doorway. Anywhere but the car's path.

Apart from looking like a fool for any neighbouring eyes watching our red car inch backwards and forwards in the driveway there was only one solution. I got out, picked up the gal, got back in the car with her on my lap and leisurely drove up our driveway. Miss Tiggi was as good as gold, happy as a camper and looked into my eyes as though to tell me, that this is now the new norm. Oh dear, I haven't told Bob yet...

Biggi

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes...

A stunned husband indeed.

Bob had a medical check-up day today and we coordinated it with a bit of grocery shopping culminating with the coup de grace, flea medication for our feline kids from the local pharmacy. Yes, in Austria many ointments and pills which one can buy over the counter in South Africa can only be obtained from a pharmacy here. Headache tablets included!

When we got to the parking lot, Bob did what any self-respecting husband would do...he sent me in while he waited in the car. Who wouldn't be happier out of germs' path? Gosh, the few minutes I was in there at least three people bought cough medication and one person a course of antibiotics. A flue spike perhaps?

Eventually it was my turn and after the obligatory banter across the counter, I went outside, and got into the car. Driver's side as Bob had had his eyes tested and wasn't up to driving. Not often I get the chance of sitting in the driver's seat...

Well, Bob was pale and had a slightly shocked expression on his face.

" Honey, are you alright? "
" No, I am in a state of shock! "

Now I was alarmed and seriously thought something bad had happened...

" Oh my god, you won't believe it. I was watching a young family with a baby in the pram and a girl of about four walking past me into the pharmacy when the little girl smiled, waved and said to me:

' Hallo Opa ' "

Enough said, suffice to say that Bob is considering cloaking material for his slightly greying hair...

Biggi

A Bit More Wine.

What else after a weekend of wine tastings?

" Always carry a corkscrew and the wine shall provide itself. "
Basil Bunting

" They travelled for thirteen hours down-hill, whilst the streams broadened and the mountains shrank, and the vegetation changed, and the people ceased being ugly and drinking beer, and began instead to drink wine and be beautiful. "
E.M.Forster, Where Angels Fear To Tread

" The only way of rendering life endurable is to drink as much wine as one can come by. "
James Branch Cabell, Beyond Life

" What's foreign one can't always keep quite clear of,
For good things, oft, are not so near;
A German can't endure the French to see or hear of,
Yet drinks their wine with hearty cheer. "
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

" A vine bears three grapes, the first of pleasure, the second of drunkenness and the third of repentance. "
Diogenes Laertius, The Complete Works

" Wine is the nurse of old age. "
Galen

" Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Biggi

Day Two Of Weinfruehling On The Cards.

A successful first day for all the wine farmers.

Despite the rain it was a good start for all our wine farmers. To me it felt as if there were even more partakers than last year but maybe I based this on seeing the bus filled to capacity. Many expectant faces rearing to taste their first sip of the good stuff.

Rechnitz was on form again what with the ease of transport. If the bus didn't drive there, the local taxi would, free of charge. Funny thing about the taxi. It was a new owner/driver and the only words I spoke with him was the polite " Thank you very much for driving us " as I got out the back seat and straight away he said:

" You aren't from here, are you? You must be a Bavarian! "

How perceptive of him...turns out he is from Salzburg which is only a hop skip away from where I grew up. Small world and good hearing.

Eisenberg, the parts of it where I tasted wine, was great too. Many people were milling about with obligatory wine glass dangling from their necks. A real successful crush indeed and hopefully the tills were ringing for our wine farmers. Those that drove themselves did buy a lot of wine to take home.

Luckily I had an excuse to leave early to feed our cats, who by the way where overjoyed to see their mummy. Day two today and I think we are sampling some of Gaas's and Deutsch Schützen's wines. The weather isn't going to fantastic but it is the company that counts after all...

Biggi

Walking In The Rain With A Glass Of Wine In Hand.

Yet another interesting wine event.

Weinfrühling is upon us again and I for one can't believe how quickly one year melts into the next. But, there it is. We are mere hours away from the start of our wine tasting weekend and rearing to go. One slight complaint is that rain is accompanying us the whole way.

It started yesterday afternoon and hasn't stopped since. Our friends from London have arrived and this time in a deluge of water and not the usual sunny sky. Gosh, they feel almost at home because isn't that sort of normal English weather? Good for the complexion at least.

Somehow we have started a tradition of eating at our ' local ' restaurant in Hungary and last night we ate in yet another hither undiscovered room. The cellar, and literally the wine cellar which proved to be a stellar evening. They ordered their platter for two and luckily they knew to wear stretch pants...of course not but it was a lot of food indeed.

This morning after breakfast will see us heading out to Rechnitz by bus and it should prove to be a great day despite the rain. We all have umbrellas and honestly, after a few wine tastings one tends to forget the climes around one!

Biggi

A Mauve Friday Heralding A Rainy Weekend.

The last of the early morning sunshine.

It often is the least significant bits that turn out to be stunning. This troupe of mauve beauties are hanging out casually next to our main road, ignored by many. Aren't they pretty as a picture?

Our village has turned mauve it seems. A Kellerstock provides a great foil for it.

Strong, magnetic and powerful. A bunch of purple flowers spreading their cheer.

A window, a flower patch and a shadow play on the wall make a nice collage for the soul.

Not quite mauve. A velvety shrub in off white or rather pink colours makes one want to run one's hand over it.

Closer to mauve, a watered down version of it. Pretty in pink I think. All these photos were taken this morning before the great deluge of rain arrived at ten o'clock.

Biggi

Our Feral Cat Has Morphed To Being Our Baby Cat.

A laugh a minute.

Not that long ago old Tigger used to scatter away from us whenever she caught sight of us but now, just the opposite, she toddles towards us. Clever as she is, her new spot to lounge is outside the front door and sadly, regardless of rain or shine. She stays there in order not to miss out on seeing us, often though, mainly me.

Hanging up washing, a shadow. Taking the rubbish out to the bin, a shadow. Going to the car, a shadow. Cute indeed, but slightly alarming too. Tigger lives dangerously. She thinks nothing about casually lounging in the middle of our driveway, when we, Bob or I are reversing on it. Bating us to spend more time with her. Often when Bob leaves for work in the morning I hear him hoot and know that said cat is delaying his departure by lounging near his car. Only way to solve that problem is by hooting for moi to assist.

Not so when I am on my own, as I was this morning. On the way to help mum, I tried to be on time but alas, it took me five minutes to get out of our driveway. Tigger followed me to the garage, laid herself comfortably in the path where I had to reverse and despite hooting, refused to move. Like one of those silent black & white movies, yours truly got out of the car, walked to lounging cat, picked her up and put her gently on the bench outside our house. First time I walked back to the idling car only to find her missing from my rear view mirror which meant she'd moved again. Not bad for an old gal.

Oh yes, there she was again on the path, grinning up at me. Second time around I hastened my gait slightly back to the idling car but only got my pace right on the third and last try. I just managed to pass her without her being in any danger of the rolling tyres. Dear Tigger, what on earth?

Coming back home later, after doing some shopping, the whole sequence of events described above took place in reverse. Gee whizz, it took me three tries to get her out of the drive way and the car up it. She thinks it is sheer joy to be picked up by mummy and honestly, I see trying driving times ahead.

Earlier I went outside to talk to some workmen across the road and there she was, sprinting at high speed to be at my side and to save her from an oncoming lorry, I picked her up and held her in the crook of my left arm whilst talking to the workman. Oh, she was enjoying it and nary moved a paw. And to think that she was feral for so many years...

Biggi

The Start Of May...

Worker's day in Eisenberg.

A local couple taking a well deserved rest on the bench outside their house. They have just moved into our village!

All worked out...Most of us driving or walking past them do think they are real. Catches me every time.

A happy meadow clad in mostly yellow.

A rather slow crossing of the road. I hope it got there eventually.

The sun was out this morning after a day of rain. It knows just where to shine its rays. Doesn't the vine look divine?

Aren't these chestnut blossoms simply stunning? And to think of how small the chestnut will be...May does lead the way towards feeling chilled, happy and anticipating the summer ahead.

Biggi