This post was meant for Mid-August, as it is about the first day of school! It did not happen then, because my Grandmother passed away around that time. You read it right, my American readers. School started again -in this region of Germany- 12th of August, after the traditional six weeks summer break! In Germany, […]
Sandra Nys. A Store Owner.
Sandra is a close friend. Her husband was my neighbor, then my friend, and then, we each had significant others moving in, multiplying our friendship times two. To make life easier, we introduced Thursday Dinner Nights: Instead of cooking for two, you cook for four people, every first Thursday, and you don’t have to cook […]
Agnes, my Agnes. A Eulogy for my Grandmother
My Grandmother Agnes died 17th of August this year. She died of heart failure in the house she was born in 95 years ago while warming a crepe she was about to have. I read a shorter version of this eulogy at her funeral last week. Agnes was the daughter of the butcher, she was […]
Cleaning is messy business.
Last Saturday, Frederik and the kids left for a week of visiting family and friends in Belgium. As I already spent some marvellous vacation days in Seattle, I unfortunately could not join them now (but I am doing so next Saturday). They literally had not left yet and I was doing what I had planned […]
Fates and Furies. By Lauren Groff
A thick drizzle from the sky, like a curtain’s sudden sweeping. The seabirds stopped their tuning, the ocean went mute. House-lights over the water dimmed to gray. Two people were coming up the beach. She was fair and sharp in a green bikini, though it was May in Maine and cold. He was tall, vivid; […]
Beautiful Cape Flattery. Or where the wild things are.
Olympic National Park. If you are from the Pacific Northwest, you know what I am talking about. If you don’t, click on the link and land on the homepage of this beautiful national park. While living in Seattle, we did a whole lot of camping and saw some amazing nature, but this park was our […]
Customer Service. American Style
I have had the most wonderful vacation! Two weeks of Seattle. Just me. No kids or husband. Two weeks of people and things I have missed so much over the last couple of years. It was so good that it hurts a little now sitting back on my couch in Germany. Anyways. Here is a […]
Where is home when your heart is everywhere?
Two big suitcases, a one and a half year old and our bike trailer in a big cardboard box was all we had when we landed in Seattle in October 2011. I still remember the ride Frederiks’ professor gave us to our rental vividly. As if we had arrived in outer space. Even Janne did […]
Swimming in the Pool. With an Electric Eel. Part two
I tried my very best to get up to speed by reading all the emails in the immense inbox of the pool and by (trying to) answer them. At this point, every email or letter I opened posed a new question. “Is the first weekend of the summer vacation still available for a tent night? […]
Swimming in the Pool. With an Electric Eel. Part one
Somewhere in the beginning of August, my job coach called me all excited. She had just heard about a job she thought would be a good fit for me: A position as office manager of an outdoor swimming pool. When I asked her if she could send me the job posting, she told me she […]