Past Perfect Postcards

2010-08-23T02:16:00.000-07:00

Hello! My new blog, Tea Potty Time, is now up an running (mostly). I've just posted a new entry there today! This is the last entry I will post on this blog. Thanks!

Coming soon...

2010-07-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

I've never been terribly happy with the title Past Perfect Postcards. It just always seemed a little to formal so I am moving to a new home: Tea Potty Time. All of my past posts have been transferred already, so the new blog should be up and running in no time!

My summer schedule

2010-06-21T00:28:00.001-07:00

Bus skirt detail, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

As you can tell from my lack of blogging, I am now in full summer mode. For the last few months we seem to be either getting ready for visitors or getting ready to visit someone. Things have been hectic and it looks like nothing will change until mid-August. This is not to say I haven't been working on projects. I've managed to finish a few things in my free evenings. So, to keep things short and sweet I will summerize:

Geeked about:

Flying home for a three-week holiday: I don't get homesick very often -- except around the holidays and just before a flight!
My latest book order: The Complete Book of Sewing, Sewing in No Time, Sew!, and Preserves.
Decorative trim: I am in love with pom-pom trim, crochet lace borders and velvet ribbons!

Projects on the go:

An Alice in Wonderland pillow for my sister.
My 39 squares piece is essentially finished. I just need to decide what I'm going to do with it now.

Projects I've somehow managed to actually finish:

A crinkle scarf from a terrific Ruffles and Stuff tutorial.

A baby shirt for my cousin's daughter. The wonderful Wild Olive pattern can be found here at DMC.

A recycled jeans skirt embroidered with a VW camper van. I took an old pair of jeans, turned them into a skirt and embroidered them with a camper van. You can find the image by Googling "VW camper van coloring pages".

Spilled all over the kitchen:

My annual strawberry jam
Homemade salad dressings -- homemade green goddess salad dressing beats a bottle of ranch any day.
Salads with beans and/or couscous
Elderflower and lemon cordials
Cooked fruit desserts -- crisps, cobblers and tarts galore!

Whew! I think that just about covers it for the moment!

A moment of rest

2010-04-30T00:52:00.000-07:00

Craziness, sheer and utter craziness -- the last two weeks have been bonkers. At one point we had six people here sharing one and a half bath. Then in the middle of it we travelled nine hours (due to terrible traffic) to Monchengladbach for a wedding. Well, the house is quiet again for the moment and I'm just now catching up on my blogroll. There's one terrific blog that I just started following -- Tea Rose Home. At the moment she has a Mother's Day giveaway going on. Please stop by! Although I'm newish to sewing, she has a number of terrific sewing tutorials that I think I can even follow. In flickr news, Graphics Fairy now has a flickr group. I've added pics of some of my work.

Gotta run for now -- I'm hosting a tea party tomorrow and I haven't even started preparing! The all-home-made menu (as of this moment): scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, porter cake, banana bread, cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches (all with crusts cut off of course), tea, coffee, and lemonade. Pictures to come!

Unexpected Pleasures

2010-04-19T02:39:00.001-07:00

Black Forest Torte, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

We had a relative fly over to see us this past weekend and now we're not sure when he's going to leave! As soon as he landed, European airlines started to cancel flights because of the Icelandic volcano. Looks like he'll be here for at least another week (if the air clears by then)! I really should say that it is nice to have him visit and we're glad to have him stay so long. It is just a bit disruptive to our plans though.

I do like having out of town company. Once I get past the stress of cleaning and cooking, I enjoy playing tour guide. Visitors give us a good excuse to forget daily, mundane responsibilities and to do all the fun things I haven't done in a while -- window shopping, playing tourist, and eating really indulgent cakes at lovely cafes while watching the world pass by. Strangely, I'm really good at doing those things.

The weather has cooperated nicely for our visitor, so we spent part of the weekend on the windsurf/kite surf beach at Pelzerhaken. As my other half is a windsurfer, this is our home away from home. Luckily there is a good cafe and a playground here to keep the rest of the family entertained.

Despite having company with us we're off to a wedding this weekend. I've never been to a German wedding, so it will be a bit confusing to follow the ceremony. This one should be doubly interesting as the wedding is in German and Turkish! I'm also looking forward to seeing some of our friends there that we haven't seen for a while. Have a good week!

Gromitz Kite Festival

2010-04-14T00:30:00.001-07:00

Kite Festival, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

Last weekend we visited the Gromitz Kite Festival. As we wore shorts and cycled there last year, it felt like the beginning of summer. This year we drove and wore winter coats, what a difference. Unfortunately, there wasn't very much wind, so only a few kites actually made it up on Saturday. We still had fun though. There were children's activities and my daughter had her face painted, so she was happy.

During the summer, we frequently visit the town just for a pleasant half day out. Gromitz is a nice little town with a terrific beach. The immaculate promenade is new (ish) and is lined by little cafes, restaurants and shops. Playgrounds and toilettes are conveniently spaced out down the beach, so it is very family friendly. Our favourite Eis Cafe is pictured below. My husband loves the mint chocolate, I love the coconut ice cream, and my daughter loves anything pink. They have a huge selection of ice cream, which I think is made on site. They also have a good beverages and kuchen (cakes and tortes).

The town is also home to two other attractions that we love. The indoor pool, located right on the beach front, is fantastic. My daughter loves the kiddie pool and the wave pool. The second attraction is Obsthof Schneekloth, a pick-your-own fruit farm and cafe. This year we are definitely not going to miss the cherry season here!

Easter treats

2010-04-06T01:46:00.001-07:00

Easter treats, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

Hope you had a happy Easter! It was a bit chilly and changeable here, but we managed to get out and about a bit. It is hard to believe that last Easter I was wearing shorts and we ate our Easter dinner (lamb shanks in red wine -- yummy) outside!

This weekend all crafts got put aside and I donned my apron for some major cooking and baking. I started on Thursday with hot cross buns. I’ve never made them before and although I did do a bit of swearing, I will make them again next year. Maybe I’ll try a different recipe, as the buns were heavy and not as fluffy as I like them.

On Friday, we made our fun eggs. Usually we make chocolate eggs (dark chocolate drizzled with milk and white chocolate) in a silicon Easter egg mould, but this year we broke with tradition. We made chocolate rice krispie Easter eggs. While the crispies were still warm in the pan, I used the egg mould to roughly press the treats into shape. Then using lightly oiled hands we finished smoothing them into eggs. Using a bit of leftover melted chocolate, we “glued” on smarties and chocolate buttons. My daughter was covered in chocolate by the time she was done, but we had great fun.

As all of the hot cross buns were gone by Saturday, I made a batch of simnel muffins to last us the weekend. These are one of my favourites – they have a little nugget of marzipan in the middle.

Most of Sunday afternoon was spent hovering around the kitchen. As our relatives are too far away for a quick weekend visit, I just had to cook for the three of us. It gives me a good excuse to try out new recipes that I wouldn’t cook on a daily basis. This year I made Gary Rhodes’ slow-roasted, honey-glazed duck. Although the glaze turned out much darker than it should have and the skin didn’t go crispy, it was gorgeous. It was the best duck I have ever had – slightly sweet from the honey and meltingly tender. One store-bought, 2.4 kg duck fed the three of us perfectly. This was a bit disappointing as I was hoping for leftovers. I should’ve known though. It was time consuming for just one meal – basting every 5-10 minutes at the end! I will consider doing this one again either for a romantic Valentine’s dinner or maybe doubling it and doing two ducks at once.

As I knew I would be spending so much time on Easter dinner, I resorted to buying Louise Lamb (see above). Around us here in Germany, this lamb-shaped cake is popular in bakeries. If I can still find one, I’m going to buy it – it was so cute! It was a pound-cake or Madeira-cake type of cake covered with powdered sugar. We ate it with hot custard, but I’m sure berries would be perfect as well.

Now we’re getting back into our workweek routine, with just our Easter sweets left to console us until the next holiday! I’ve hung up my apron for a little while (friends and relatives are descending on us in a week) and have resumed my embroidery.

One last note – I’m so excited about my latest flea market find! I don’t have a proper tea set, so I’ve just collected pretty and unusual tea cup and plate sets from local flea markets. I never spend more than 5 euros. I was so surprised to see this one with a spool of thread and needle on it! I snapped it up naturally. Now I think it is time for a muffin and cup of tea!

Egg Banner

2010-03-23T03:41:00.001-07:00

Egg Banner, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

Happy Easter! Enough people liked the Valentine banner, I thought I'd do one for Easter as well. Please don't use commercially.

I've got so many other Easter projects to do still, but this one was the easiest to get out of the way first. I'm going to print off a few vintage Easter images, cut them into ovals (using the EGG banner ovals as template) and string them on ribbon to make a horizontal banner this time.

Emergency Tea & Cake Fund

2010-03-22T03:06:00.001-07:00

Emergency Tea & Cake Fund, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

I got tired of searching through my purse for spare change yesterday, so I came up with this solution. I took a tiny tin that I've had for ages and created two stickers. Presto! Introducting my new Cake, Tea & Parking Meter Emergency Fund. I hereby swear to always, always keep enough change in here to afford the aforementioned.

Yes, I know that is what a coin purse is for, but if you saw all the copper in mine you would understand. I can never find the correct coins exactly when I want them. The euro system uses way too many coins. Why do they make a two cent coin anyway?

Thanks to Graphics Fairy for the fantastic images!

Back at square one..

2010-03-21T06:08:00.001-07:00

Back at square one.., originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

I was going to wait until I had a few more squares done, but I'm too geeked about this to wait. I recently discovered 39 Squares. This project is so me! It is exactly what I was looking for when I started embroidering last summer -- something that I could learn on and practice on, but is still creative, meaningful and quick.

As I'm not terribly confident at freehand embroidery, I put some planning into my squares before starting. I've decided that I'm going to use this on a pillow and that the squares will be a bit bigger than an inch by an inch. I also decided that the squares should be about my family, so I made a list of symbols using the 39 Squares flickr group as inspiration.

Then I used the table function in Word to create a table of 5x5 squares at, or close to, full size. I sketched out my ideas on this table using coloured pencils (keeping in mind my chosen colours). I rearranged the squares a few times to balance out the colours, patterns and shapes as I wanted to avoid repitition. I know I won't stick exactly to the layout, especially as I'm sure to run into problems with my more difficult images. I do have a few back-up images in case.

So now I've sat down with my floss, buttons, beads, and trim and am busily stitching away!

I've also finally finished Mariana by Monica Dickens. It really shouldn't have taken me so long, but at the moment most of my evenings are dedicated to embroidery. The book was OK. It would've been a much better book with some harsh editing. The second half is much better than the first. My next book is Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons, who wrote Cold Comfort Farm.

March hares, scones and chocolate eggs

2010-03-12T05:25:00.001-08:00

March Hares, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

At last the snow has given way to mud and my spring flowers are coming up. Spring is here for sure now. The robins have returned and the fields are alive with rabbits, deer and pheasants.

My other half returned yesterday bringing back a small hoard of British goodies, most notably Cadbury eggs and clotted cream. Both are luxuries that we don't indulge in very often, but we haven't had either in a long time. I'm sure we'll make messy pigs of ourselves. My daughter hasn't had a Cadbury egg before, so I'll be forced to share one with her. I honestly prefer some of the other Easter candy a bit more, but beggers can't be choosers.

While I type, I have a batch of scones in the oven -- an incentive to keep me from staying on the computer too long. For traditional British scones, try here. Standard scones don't have fancy flavours. Plain is best, though the odd raisin or currant is acceptable. Eat them hot if you can, but you must eat them fresh. Go on, force yourself, there aren't many in a batch anyway. They're a good excuse to break out the teapot and have a tea party.

As for toppings, expect to find clotted cream and strawberry preserves at a good tea room. Real whipped cream and strawberry jam do nicely too. All this being said, I have seen my husband scoff down dry, stale scones smeared with butter and apricot jam.

I do have a recipe for clotted cream, but I have never made it. It is so bad for you that we don't eat it very often and I didn' think it was worth the trouble. If I find it, I will post it.

While my husband has been away I've been crazy about rabbits, or is that, "mad as a March hare"? I've finished a rabbit hand towel made of recycled linen, a softie and an egg cosie. There are great rabbit shapes on LollyChops and a good rabbit egg cosie template at The Yvestown Blog. The softie began life as an egg cosie, but I quickly realised he was the wrong shape and his had was too big.

As for current projects, I'm in the middle of embroidering another t-shirt for Rose and a nautical terry cloth towel (an experiment to see how it works). I've stared a cameo project for Rose's grandmothers -- check out a great tutorial on Petit Debutant. I have yet to start Rose's felt Easter basket and a set of tea towels for a friend's wedding present.

That's my timer. I think I'll have to pry my husband and daughter from the oven door. First, I'll wipe the drool off my keyboard --- mmmmm, hot scones dripping with cool melting clotted cream and jam...

An interruption in service...

2010-02-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

Just a warning that I will be computerless (GASP!) for the next two weeks. My husband is off on a work-trip tomorrow and he's just told me now that he is taking the computer with him, the fiend. At the moment I'm trying frantically to print off a few patterns that I need over the coming weeks just to keep me busy. When normal service resumes I should have a few pictures of my felt rabbit egg cosies. I am obsessed with them at the moment. Check out Martha Stewart for a chicken version and Lucy Kate Crafts for an owl one. I'm also going to re-attempt homemade white bread (for a laugh).

Free Rose and Vase pattern

2010-02-16T00:47:00.001-08:00

Rose and Vase pattern, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

I hoped to have this available before Valentine's Day, but I was side-tracked with other projects and a bad cold that won't go away. Despite the cough and stuffed nose, I had an industrious (if not romantic) Valentine's Day. See my Flickr stuff on the right.

Now that V day is behind me, I've moved swiftly into a springy frame of mind. I'm ignoring the foot of snow outside and am thinking lovely, sunny thoughts -- or at least that is my mantra for the week. So I've dug up some wonderful embroidery patterns with rabbits and cupcakes and a few vintage egg graphics and am itching to get crafting! I do have three serious tasks to tackle first -- practice my satin stitch for a wedding present; create alphabet flash cards for my daughter (which I will post if they are any good); and spring clean.

It is carneval time here. Although my husband and I haven't attended any celebrations, my daughter has, as a pink princess of course. Try as she might, she couldn't convince me that pink princesses don't wear turtlenecks, cardigans and leggings with their ballgowns. I told her they do when the weather is below freezing!

Spring is out there, somewhere...

2010-01-28T01:30:00.001-08:00

Valentine envelope, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

This is how I have been surviving the January blahs -- with lots of sewing projects! With the hope of Valentine's Day and Easter on their way I feel more springy (as long as I don't look outside). I am just putting the finishing touches on my Valentines for my husband (see above) and my daughter. My other half now eyes me nervously as I sit in my sewing chair every evening, rocking back and forth, stitching frantically. Maybe he believes if he sits still long enough, I might start embroidering him! Or maybe he'll finally pick up that I've got cabin fever and need to be sent somewhere sunny and warm.

I should mention that the envelope was made using Lucykate Craft's terrific tutorial.

Perhaps I don't really have cabin fever. It could be just chocolate withdrawl. I finished off the last of my Christmas truffles on Sunday. My husband better have a box of chocs ready on Valentine's Day, that is all I have to say. I'll survive 'til then by staring at the bouquet of tulips that I purchased in a fit of self-pity!

Oh no, it doesn't snow much here...

2010-01-13T00:41:00.001-08:00

Our sledding hill, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

We returned from England last week to find our home covered in snow. Our neighbours had given us the impression that snow is an infrequent thing here, but it looks like Germany is going to get hit hard this year. Our daughter loves it though; we've been sledding almost everyday! Yesterday we played in the snow drifts (some as high as my shoulder) and today we're heading back this time with shovels for snow forts. I am starting to tire of it a bit as I don't have proper snow pants and boots. The local shops sold out of stock very quickly. Maybe I'll head to Lubeck this weekend to do some shopping. This weather has kept me in the festive mood though and thus our Christmas decorations are still up. My mother-in-law claims that having them up after the 12 days of Christmas is bad luck. Try explaining that to a three-year-old who begs to turn on the tree lights every evening. She would keep them year 'round if she could.

Mincemeat Mania

2009-12-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

Last week my other half rolled out the first batch of mincemeat pies. We then sat down and ate almost all of them. Just kidding. Only three each. As someone born and raised eating mincemeat pies, he said these were the best pies he's ever eaten. They are heavenly -- flaky, moist, fruity. On Tuesday one of my neighbours showed me how to make three batches of proper German Christmas cookies. On Wednesday, my husband and I erected a gingerbread house while my daughter and her friend decorated it. Yesterday we dived into the Christmas cake. Good thing I didn't make a Christmas pudding as I have given up watching my weight this holiday season!

Best Christmas Cake
Best Mincemeat
Best Mincemeat Pie Pastry -- see BBC Good Food 101 Bakes and Cakes
Best Way to Use Up Leftover Mincemeat

Poppies and lost sweethearts

2009-11-09T02:01:00.001-08:00

Sailor Postcard, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

Yesterday was Remembrance Sunday and we spent part of the morning at a wreath laying ceremony. It was a bit muddy and gray, but the trees were in beautiful autumn colour. Seeing all of those WWII graves really brought home just how many young men were lost from my grandparents' generation. Please remember Veterans' Day on the 11th November.

These were my grandmother's hankies. I understand that they were given to sweethearts during WWII. They're in terrible condition, but I decided to put them on display for Wednesday.

On a lighter note, our friends were here from England over the Halloween weekend. I managed to get a nasty head cold between cleaning, cooking, entertaining, and doing the tour guide and Halloween bit. It promptly snowed the following Tuesday all day long and, as you can see, our pumpkins look like I felt. Sorry gents, but you're off for composting.

I have managed to get myself thinking about Christmas. Tomorrow I'm tackling my mincemeat and, on Wednesday, the Christmas cake. Recipes and blogs to follow. No Christmas pudding, my husband didn't request one. I'm not sure if that's because we won't actually be home for Christmas or if it's because last year's was so incredibly alcoholic that I couldn't give my daughter a slice!

Pumpkin Picking

2009-10-23T01:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was pretty miserable -- cold, wet and windy -- so we didn't want to spend much time outside. As Halloween is just around the corner, we decided to head to Karl's and pick up a second pumpkin. We did plant two pumpkin plants this spring and they quickly took over our small garden (and almost our neighbour's). Unfortunately, only one pumpkin has survived to maturity. Although he's pretty good looking, we felt he was a bit lonely and needed a mate. Thus the trip out.

Karl's is basically a glorified farm shop -- farm produce, gift shop, cafe, in-door and out-door playgrounds, horse rides, goats to pet, and more. I like it because it entertains my daughter while I get a good slice of cake! There was free face painting that day, so she was especially happy.

The weather this weekend is still miserable. We would like to go to our local amusement park tonight for the autumn light parade and fireworks, but the idea of standing out in the wet and cold doesn't sound too tempting. Maybe I'll twist my husband's arm and head off to a big craft exhibit in Lubeck! Yes, I'm still embroidering -- I'm halfway done with a Halloween picture. Hopefully I'll have it done in time.

Yet another hobby...

2009-10-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

As my other half puts it, I must be the queen of hobbies. Yes, I'm still making jewelry and yes, I'm still learning crochet and knitting. Now I have a new hobby -- embroidery! Last spring I picked up two books, The Kitchen Linens Book and Make. Realising that my sewing skills extend to sewing on buttons and Girl Scout patches, I picked up The Embroidery Stitch Bible and have been teaching myself.

I started out simple, with a heart sampler, and have now added applique to my skills as well. The boat picture is from Cath Kidston's book; it goes nicely with my retro nautical bathroom.

I've been surfing the net and have been amazed by all the really talented blogs that are out there! Everyday I find new things to inspire me. I just found free embroidery patterns on the Victoria and Albert Museum (one my favourite places to visit). I now have a long list of projects to work on and can't wait to show you what I've got in store for Halloween!

Plum Crazy

2009-10-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

I've been playing "Hostess with the Most-ess" lately with visits from my mother, my in-laws, and other friends. With a few weeks off before the next round of visitors descend on us, I'm trying to get a jump start on my Christmas goodies -- mincemeat, Christmas cakes and a Christmas pudding. Last year's turned out very well, but I did learn one lesson -- Christmas pudding doesn't need to be fed that much alcohol. It was just a wee bit boozy!

I did have some success this summer with my preserving. Thanks to a generous neighbour who, whilst on horseback, picked a very large bucket of beautifully sweet German plums, Zwetschgen. After making a batches of plum jam and spiced plum butter (which turned out more like a sweet and slightly spiced jam), I used up the last with apple and plum chutney. We really don't eat much chutney, so I'm looking for recipes that call for it.

My summer's strawberry jam is almost gone now and my lemon cordial disappeared ages ago. I'll make a couple bottles of that for next year. If I get the chance I'll be making chili oil to use up the last of our crop and a batch of lemon curd. Unfortunately I've lost our favourite curd recipe, so it's back to the drawing board there.

The weather has been very changeable here, so we haven't been very touristy lately. We did manage to visit Schwerin -- interesting city (as it's the only formerly East German city I've been to), beautiful castle (do get the audio tour), and v. expensive park.

Long days and terrible TV

2009-09-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for long days and terrible TV, the combination of which has made me very industrious this summer. I have managed to conquer some of my cooking hang-ups, acquire two new hobbies (like I need more), read a handful of books and improve my German. This is more than I usually accomplish in a year.

For the sake of brevity, I'll just address what I've been reading.

Though War and Peace still has me stumped, I've gone on to read lighter fare this summer. The Tea House on Mulberry Street was a quick read, though somewhat predictable. I'm glad I didn't actually buy it; it was a book swap. Another freebie, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, intriqued me because of its setting in India. Unfortunately, I think it could have been a much better book than it was. The author's writing style, or lack of, was at times distracting and there were missed opportunities for character and plot development. As someone foreign to the culture, I hoped that there would be more detail to the setting (ie. history, background, sensory usage). For all that, a pleasant read.

My favourite, stylistically, was Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson. As a fan of Cold Comfort Farm and I Capture the Castle, I was looking forward to this one. It was quirky and funny, but didn't have the same weight or substance of my two favourites. I did buy it and will probably keep it for a little while at least. I haven't seen the movie yet, but hope to soon. My next choice, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, was another that I relished receiving. I had heard much about it and couldn't wait to sit down with it. It was good -- a perfect balance of humour and heartache. I really loved some of the characters and wished that the book was longer just so I could read more of them. I only have one lament, the ending. After reading and rereading the book, I still couldn't feel or understand the chemistry between Juliet and Dawsey. A good read, go out of your way to pick it up.

Lastly, I'm slogging my way through My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead edited by Jeffrey Eugenides. Yes, slogging. This is an anthology of "Great Love Stories, from Chekhov to Munro" but should be described as a collection of stories about tortured and torturous relationships. I love short story collections, especially when I can compare and contrast the writing styles of such fantastic authors. This collection certainly does that, but some of the stories are either so difficult to understand or are so painful to read that I can neither enjoy the story nor the author's craft. Great love stories? No. I don't believe every love story should be sappy happy, but neither is love only a cankerous wound. I've come away from the book feeling that Mr. Eugenides has forgotten the reader and is primarily concerned with showing off how cerebral he is with such a collection.

The count down begins...

2009-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Good intentions and all that. Between settling in here, entertaining visitors, and taking care of a little one and the house, I haven't had much energy to sit down to blog. This excuse will soon evaporate! (I'll have to find a new one now). My daughter is off to kindergarten in September! Five morning a week all to myself. Where do I begin...

Oh, new hobby alert-- embroidery. EllynAnne Geisel's book The Kitchen Linens Book got me hooked. Oh and did manage to make two successful batches of jam, strawberry and plum. (I'm on a roll!)

Es tut mir leid!

2009-01-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

Many, many apologies! It has been ages since I've written -- time slipped by faster than I expected. Much has happened since my last post. My parents were here for Christmas and we moved!

First, Christmas was terrific -- lots of food, lots of sightseeing, lots of people to visit. In no particular order we went to:

Aachen -- cold/wet/foggy. Wisely arrived early for the Christmas market, which was v. good. Bought lots of printen and a Christmas cookie mould. Visited the Dom (for the third time).

Cologne -- overcast/cool. Last day of Christmas market. Crowds were blessedly minimal at the market but crazy in the stores! Ate half a pig at a favourite brauhaus. Bought a few presents and a pretty rose soap for myself.

Roermond -- clear/cold. Nice little town, worth the visit for the outlet stores. Found a great little toy shop.

Monshau -- clear/cold/windy. One of my favourite towns in the area -- a lovely little gem. Unfortunately the main attractions were closed due to the proximity to Christmas. Bought mustard from the historic mustard mill. Had a good lunch in the Rote Haus Cafe.

Dusseldorf -- wet/miserable/windy. Rose and I stayed home, but everyone else went to the Christmas market and antique shops.

Amsterdam -- clear/cold. One day is not enough! Did the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Both worth a visit, but I really enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum. It was an excellent display of his work that illustrated the development of his talent and compared his work to that of his contemporaries. Hope to visit the city again soon!

Den Helder and surrounds -- spent a few days visiting friends and getting to know some of the Netherlands. Of course we visited a windmill and saw clogs being made. I hope to return again this spring to see the tulip fields!

As for Christmas, Rose was enraptured with anything remotely seasonal. She is still talking about Santa and singing holiday tunes. Yes, she did finally get her tiny pink bike with pedals! And, yes, my Christmas goose turned out perfectly.

I thinks that's plenty for now. Next time -- moving day, our new home and town.

My guilty little habit

2008-12-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

I'll admit now that I am a big fan of the holidays. I always was, but I've deteriorated since living away from my hometown. Instead of getting homesick, I get fanatical about the holidays. From 1st October through to the 15th February, I get starry eyed and nostalgic. I hum Christmas carols at odd and inappropriate times. I've forced people to drink homemade eggnog.

Living in Germany has made things worse. Germans know how to do Christmas with gusto. Therefore, I've had a secret hankering for Christmas since holidays cards went on sale in August. Publicly, I cried, "Too early! Not yet!" though I longed to pick them up and run my fingers over their green and red glitter. I withstood. At least for a little while.

I finally broke down mid-October. One right after another, I produced my goods -- Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, and glorious mincemeat. I sat down amidst of my flour-strewn kitchen and surveyed my booty. One whiff and there was Christmas in all its spicy, fruity, boozy glory. With precision, I wrapped, sealed and secreted each away into the deepest, darkest corner of my pantry.

But that wasn't the end. Every few weeks whenever I'm home alone and need a dose of holiday happiness, I lock the door, out comes my supply and off comes the wrapping. I jealously survey each for blight, add in a bit more alcohol, and take a deep, delightful breath. Satisfied, back they go, my family none the wiser.

Finally, the tree is up, lights are aglitter, cards posted, Christmas markets are scheduled, and my holiday mania is pacified (for now).

So, for the truly obsessed, I've compiled the following list of my minimum holiday eating requirements:

Christmas cookies, (these are all American; I should have some German recipes soon)
Christmas fruit cake
Christmas pudding
Mincemeat
Mince pies
Gluhwein, vin chaud or mulled apple juice

Happy Thanksgiving wherever you may be

2008-11-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

Living outside of the United States, I have to cobble a Thanksgiving dinner out of whatever I can find that's closest to the original thing. My local British grocery store carries stuffing and cranberry jelly and I can find plenty of turkey in the German ones. Luckily I stocked up on canned pumpkin last time I was stateside. (Word of warning: airport security loves canned pumpkin in suitcases!) As I don't have time for a big dinner, this is pretty much the extent of our celebration, other than my Tom Turkey here.

I don't live in a disneyfied German town. This is a living, evolving area -- ruined by war, rebuilt, and rebuilding -- wedged between the industrial Rhineland and the forever flat Dutch farmlands. This is a borderland, a limbo, not quite onething and still quite influenced by another. So am I -- not quite fully American, nor European, nor Carribean whatever my passport might say. My mother always said I was more British than American and friends say, with some surprise, that I don't fit their ideas of what Americans are. "Canadian?" some quiz, or stranger yet, "Australian?"

I bet if you asked those ubiquitous pilgrims who they were when sat down to give thanks, they would've declared that they were proudly English, despite religious persecution and alienation from their homeland. Were they the same people they were before they set out on their now mythologized journey? Had strife, hard work, and contact with new cultures, new views, and new priorities changed who they were? Without a doubt. They had a new citizenship as colonists, expatriates in a new world.

In a distant and modern way, I've followed in the spirit of those footprints. I've left my homeland and have become an expatriate and a member of a growing global society. I love my homeland and I celebrate the traditions and uniqueness of my host countries, but this Thanksgiving I am giving thanks for the hardships and good fortune that has made me what I am today -- an expatriate enjoying an exciting world; an expatriate not quite one thing and very much influenced by another.