Leave a comment here if you think you'd like to share my corner of the world.
I have dated this entry so it will always be on top of my recent entries.
Following this entry are my REAL recent entries!

Who ARE all these people?
Kinda scary....
;)




Create your own visitor map!

Two weeks ago while we were in Ohlstadt, we were privileged to attend a yearly concert of the Musikkapelle Ohlstadt, the town of Ohlstadt's musical association. Dagmar Diwok, reporter for the local newspaper, alerted us to the event and accompanied us to the hall where it was held.
We were given seats up on the stage overlooking the hall, a wonderful place to enjoy the atmosphere, the music and the entire event.

All through the concert, I snapped photos, mostly random, with the intention of capturing the atmosphere and the great support of all those who attended. The hall was quite full. Good beer, as it should be at any Bavarian event, accompanied the music. The festive public, dressed in dirndls and lederhosen gave testimony to the fact that they are not just for the tourist who happen upon events like these.

In short, we were a happy part of something that was local, authentic and very very enjoyable.
Thanks to all who made our evening so lovely!

( Click here for the photo reportCollapse )

What a wonderful time we had that evening!

A general clean-up of my friend's list is in progress. People who have not posted in forever, those who never comment (comments NOT required but I'd like to know you're reading once in a while), a few who have disappeared or dropped off the face of the earth and a few with whom I have never really developed a connection (more my fault than yours probably)...

Anybody I have met in person, those who I know still read but don't post here, and anybody with whom the connection has been good in the past will all remain.

If you want to contact me about this, send me an LJ or FB message if you are there more than here.
:)

Just a head's up...

http://lj-maintenance.livejournal.com/131340.html#comments

Go here to check what time it will happen locally for you:

http://tinyurl.com/3gynlng

Storms make oaks take deeper root.
-George Herbert
English clergyman & metaphysical poet (1593 - 1633)

Calming and serene beauty...I needed something like this. Thanks, Trish.

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Those who claim to always be right,
are always wrong about at least one thing.
~Tala Fane~

For anybody interested in learning about the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes as the New Year is rung in, here is a blog post I found about the subject (not my own blog, though).
:)


http://www.simplespanishfood.com/2010/12/twelve-grapes-doce-uvas-a-spanish-new-years-eve-tradition.html

For Julia...



Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Because deponti wanted to share my tree full of birds with her fellow birders here on LJ, here they are, just for her, unlocked for the world to see.
:)

...and a Cardinal, a swan, a robin, a goose, ducks........

DO I have birds in my tree or what? My bird ornaments, and what better place for them than in a tree?
:)

	My almost life-sized partridge
	German bird in light blue and silver in glass
	Nothing special...from IKEA! but I liked it.
	Two birds with one shot Duck and stained glass partridge dated 1979.
	Flying mallard
	Tiny glass hummingbird
	Peace Dove
	Canada goose
	Fat little English robin from the V&A Museum
	Beautiful Cardinal
	Black Swan This one brings special memories of a special visit to Leeds Castle. The Castle's symbol is the black swan.

As seen at katbyte, my friend and fellow dog lover's LJ...

Here in this house... I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of
the other dogs 'out there'.
I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness, and be allowed to smell all
that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.

Here in this house... There will be an effort to communicate with me on my
level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand, I can enjoy the warmth of
the words.
I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.
My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it!

Here in this house... I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.
I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be.
I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.

Here in this house... I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...
knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me.
If I am ill, I will be doctored. If scared, I will be calmed. If sad, I will be
cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and known to be of
value.
I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute
enough.
My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.
I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.
Here in this house... I will belong. I will be home.

-Anonymous (as far as I can tell)

If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes' palaces. -The Merchant of Venice. Act i. Sc. 2.
~William Shakespeare~

I'm all about flowing with the times but I still long for some of the old-fashioned stuff. Thanksgiving here doesn't exist but as part of honouring my heritage I do recreate a traditional meal with the little bit of family I have where I live. This year our Thanksgiving will be on Nov. 19.

Our family never went this far out with Thanksgiving but we did have big gatherings on the day itself.

And I miss that.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101114/COL01/11140495/The-turkey-shrinks-as-the-absences-grow&template=fullarticle

I've made a few cuts to my friends list. Essentially, it was all about how often (in this case, how little) a person posts and whether or not we have connected in any way in the recent past. If I know you in person, you're still here as are most of you who have been with me for so long I can't remember how we connected on LJ in the first place. Even if you're gone from posting (but may be still visiting and reading now and then) and we developed a good friendship in the past, you, too, are still here. I miss you very much as I am not present on any of those "other" sites.

If anybody would like to talk to me about it, I don't bite (usually) and you can private message me here on LJ.

Seasons change, so do cities. People come into your life and people go, but it's comforting to know: the ones you love are always in your heart and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away.
Michael Patrick King, Sex and the City, I Heart NY, 2002

BUT, what happens on that plane ride?

http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/red-eye/?th&emc=th

(Thanks to roadskoller for the link! It is spot on!)
:D

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
~Robert Fulghum~

of the Spanish National Team's arrival home today click on the link below and click on the arrow on the right hand side of the big picture at the top of the page to see the series.

Its been major party time all over Spain today and I'm having a good time watching the videos and reading all the news about the celebration. There was a crazy-fun "parade" with the open top bus filled with the players through the streets of Madrid. Spain needed this injection of morale.
:)

http://www.elpais.com/global/

SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

is in the World Cup Final against the Netherlands.
This is historic, folks. Spain has NEVER reached a World Cup final.
Tonight Spain is one big party.
:)

Congratulations to the Netherlands for their World Cup win in the semi-final against Uruguay today!
Here's hoping we (Spain) see you in the final!
:D

Spain just won 1-0 over Portugal in the World Cup and will go on to quarter finals on Saturday!

¡OLE!

Accept failure as a normal part of living. View it as part of the process of exploring your world; make a note of its lessons and move on.
~Tom Hobson~

I knew I loved you for more than M*A*S*H*.


You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.
~Alan Alda~

The person who runs away exposes himself to that very danger more than a person who sits quietly.
~Jawaharlal Nehru~

Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.
~Albert Einstein~

I love life...Yeah, I'm sad, but at the same time, I'm really happy that something could make me feel that sad. It's like...It makes me feel alive, you know. It makes me feel human. The only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt something really good before. So I have to take the bad with the good. So I guess what I'm feeling is like a beautiful sadness.

-Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park, Raisins, 2003

Peep x 2.
:D

A big THANK YOU! to Anonymous for the Peep chicks that now accompany my Peep Bunny on my user info page.

The Peeps are indeed watching ME!
*points at icon*
:P

.........and I love it!

There is a Peep bunny on my user info page. Thank you, idahoswede!

They call it a "sugary bunny" on LJ (trademark violation smoke screen and all that) but I know a Peep when I see one.

*grin*

And and and...mummm and Robert brought me FOUR packs of Peeps when they arrived a couple of weeks ago. I think I forgot to mention that as we were so busy all the time they were here. They are being eaten very very slowly to make them last.

Yes, I'm a kid about certain things.
:)

I had every intention of doing the photo post of Córdoba this morning but got waylaid by ummmmm....sleeping in too late. I must have needed it.

Later...


*wanders upstairs to grab a Peep*

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.

-Eleanor Roosevelt
US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.
-Joan Lunden