Christmas 2010

This was my first Christmas spent away from home.  It was certainly different from all of my other Christmases - no carol singing, no hot chocolate, and no mass production of cookies; instead there was raclette, schnapps, and homemade jam.  And I couldn't have asked for better hosts.  There was snow on Christmas Day, as well as warm drinks, food, and hugs.  And, my mother sent me a kleiner Weinachtsbaum, which was a lovely addition to the family atmosphere.

Thanksgiving 2010, as promised

The Turkey, dressing and stuffing by Kate.

Pumpkin Pie by yours truly.

Happy Thanksgiving

This photo is actually a Christmas setting from last year.  Actual photos to be uploaded later.


This Thanksgiving was spent working and dinner was pizza and wine.  The full spread will come out on Saturday, which is when I and a friend decided to celebrate our Thanksgiving abroad.  The bird will be crossing boarders, which is bound to be interesting.  Let's just hope it's thawed in time...

Hello November

This tree no longer has its leaves, there is snow in the mountains, and I had a Glühwein yesterday... good bye October, hello November.

For all of The Great Pumpkin believers and Autumn lovers

Tricks and Treats

Germany has many delectable treats to offer.  During this very special time of the year (Halloween!) and in being an expat, I appreciate the part of globalization that brought about a very mild interest in Halloween over here.  Here are some goodies I've sampled:

This is an Amerikana frosted as a Jack-O-Lantern.  It looked promising and I thought it would taste a bit like a sugar cookie, but I was very wrong.  It was a sour kind of sweet, the frosting was wicked sweet, and the texture was more like a muffin top.

Definite Trick.

This is some sort of pastry (I don't recall the name) in the form of a Geist.  I had my reserves after the Amerikana, but this was a different pastry and my longing for Halloween goodies got the better of me.  It was quite thick, about an inch and a half, and I expected it to taste like shortcake.  It was soft, not too sweet, and absolutely delicious!

The perfect birthday Treat.

Mein Liebling Oktober

I have always loved October, for various reasons.  I love the fall.  The smell of the air, the crunch of dead leaves, the soups... and I consider it the start of the 'holiday season' for me.  October means back to school, my birthday, Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and into the New Year.  October is when the year slows down just a bit for you to breathe before the rest of the year whips past you.

October is quite special in Germany, with Oktoberfest (which actually begins in September), Reunification Day (on the 3rd... not widely celebrated, actually), and pumpkins.  Oh the pumpkins!  Pumpkin everything: bread, soup, casserole, cookies...

Well, I don't have a recent pumpkin photo for you, but I do have a Brezeln photo to share, from Oktoberfest.  More on pumpkins later.

How far we've come...

This is a youtube video with some of the earliest color motion from a 1922 Kodachrome test.

And this is an excellent short, entitled "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On".

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Summer is for lovers

This summer I went home for a little over two weeks for a bit of a vacation, and to see one of my best friends get married.

The Best Snowman I've Ever Seen

Enough said. Excellent snow sculpting, whoever you are!

Idealist.org

I think Idealist.org is an excellent resource for any one looking for volunteer, internship, or jobs within the nonprofit and governmental sectors. It's a great place to go to if you want to do something that will help make a difference in this great big world.


Recently, the Executive Director of Idealist has called out to his members, users, and supports, asking for some help where possible to get through the tough financial bind they have found themselves in.


To learn more and/or donate, please visit http://www.idealist.org/donate


Thanks!