I Thank You! Ingo Came Home With This!

 

Please, I just show as opened, I had the biggest smiles and also because all of you included Ingo! In these tough / heavy times.

The first card I opened today is from Bertiebo - and guess! Despite not German or English I understood it all and,... to ... I have no idea if this is too personal, but luck and health we all  want... To you, too, hugs and all on the way back!

 

(OK, the first arrived from Bad Harzburg, from a plumber. That is inside Germany, nice, but I also had to pay big money, still nice gesture!).

AND - with the new job I missed out on being creative, missed stupidly out on thinking of real cards - even my Brother got but a WhatsApp.

I am sorry!

 

Then Tom and now I know how "Sweetie´s" real name is 😘.

Again, I was not sure if I am allowed to share, so I covered the card..., but, oh, I thank you two big!

Also for including Henry - he smiles his biggest smile.

The last... OHHHHH. The American post office  stamped RIGHT OVER THE ADDRESS of THE SENDER.

I have a pretty good idea of who sent this but please... if you like... flaviakaiser @ gmx.de .... let me know for sure, yes.

I love the hearts 🧡💛💚💙

 

Henry 🦁

The data gives away for sure where to come and get a cookie or such, OK?

(We have chocolate, too)

Yes, two posts just yet again, if you like  - otherwise .. a ...

 

Happy, Great, Healthy, Fun, Yummy 2022!

Thank you, you all helped me big through the time of being sick / Having no job.

 

Can only get better, right, and thank you for the cards!

 

And stamps!!

 

 

 

 

Fred Astaire - Cheek to Cheek

   

Just like that, all of you and Henry 🦁

 

To a wonderful 2022, everyone!

Soon. 

Maybe a kiss, too.

And...

A while to go (still dark here. I wake early for in case Ingo oversleeps... GAH!), but when do we go - to EVERY day being great.

I Did Bake Cookies - Oh, My Deer!

 But the smell of Christmas comes from our....

... loo.

"Toilet". "WC". "WC" stands for "Water Closet", in case you didn´t know. I had to think of this because in German you do not say "Closet" anymore... We just say "Klo".

And it was "Wasser Closet".

OK, if in a restaurant you please ask where the "Toilette" is.

That is German.

Well, French.

"We" stole the word, I guess.

If you visit us I show you were our lille Klo is.

And yes, if you are new, this is our spender, not a real camera that gives an instant pic, no worries! 🤣

People always get me with stuff like this - this is TP - the darn Toilet Paper people freaked out so much in this pandemic - and it smells and reads of Christmas!!!

My cookies are of broccoli and cheese, they are hot and smell of, well, another winter, a cold one.

 

 

And no, there was no recipe - Jamie and Gennaro taught me so well.

But, well. We have TP that smells of Christmas.

The room is so small it really does take and "spread" the smell.

 

And yes. 

This is the only toilet we have.

Guests are still welcome.

Henry(´s boy)  🦁

Yes. Let´s have a ... cookie.

To...

As this certainly is for Tom´s Signs2... I´m showing you one more sign of love, here it is, it came as a surprise to one in the pic:

Oh, Bro, really?!

These days he is used to this 😉

Or is he. It´s been two years, thank you Corinna... or whatever.

 

Today, 10 years ago, after not eating well for days at 01:something p.m. I got so hungry. So hungry.

I think Ingo gave me something to eat and that was when the phone rang.

The lille boy there, all grown up,... told me.

Mum finally left.

 

She was gone.

And my stomach knew it instantly, how crazy is this. 

 

Henry 🦁

 

Ten years. Healing. Remembering the good things.

Signs of love.

And hurting!!! My stomach again, but this time my muscles - from coughing - Mum would giggle about this.

We also have echo.

Either me or Ingo, that darn cold will not go away!

From River

 

I have to share this, it´s too good!!!

 

 

A Sign Of...

12 times in Braunschweig!

 

"I once was a..."

 

" ... I was a fisher´s net. 

People with some kind of disability helped me becoming a token for a shopping trolley!

They did magic on me (zaubern)!!! "

 

 I shop locally whenever I can.

I got this token as a Christmas-pressie, this shop helps around 400 young people with disabilities to achieve good things - WIN-WIN!

 

Henry... 🦁

HEY!!!! Tom´s Signs2 is but tomorrow!!!

 

 No. I need to get good stuff out NOW!

So, yes, big boy, two posts again...

 

 

T STands For Tiere

My cam knows better than me.... what a horrible pic is this?!

My maternal family came from near Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, how stupid to change borders and names like that) and hence we often had... and have again! - Königsberger Klopse.

 

They come with capers and as a kid I thought those were "full" animals (Tiere) - with heart, lungs, liver and all still in and refused to eat them - just as Ingo refused to eat the "heads" of asparagus.

 

His parents let him think those are heads, so they could have the best parts themselves!

Parents are mean 🤣 

 

I didn´t live on capers yesterday, no.

I did this!!!! Gennaro is a genius, I tell ya!!!! I found a very old breadroll... just like he said!

Sadly, as you see in the movie - and I copied that - lots of olive oil, so again Ingo sadly cannot join 😥

This recipe is from... Gennar.. Heaven!

I might even add his words, "why am I so good at cooking?!" - well, in this case "teaching"!!!

He taught me very well 😘

And I can assure you, the capers have nothing inside, I cut them into little pieces, no brain, heart or whatever.

But yummy.

Art wise, well. Just this:

Ingo brought home a normal cold from work. Nothing serious and we not only have TP but also tissues. We need loads, still.

Tuesday I got spoiled. Working from home with your Hubby on holiday... not a problem here!

Wednesday I baked cookies after work! With these...

Yes, well, you can add up to 500g like that... but, hey, you know... we all have a Jamie Oliver and know that we can use the whole two guys, right?!

Yes, after work, after I conquered Hercules! The worst document in the world! Even C, who is on the job since 1995 (!!!) had trouble helping me!

It´s not finished, Durban still waits for me. People, please, can´t we all use the same versions of everything?! I prepared an e-mail to the guy in South Africa, wanting to say I am sorry there is so much "red" now, but then I didn´t feel like it after I nearly cried. 🤣 

C will take care. The poor man... wasn´t even his fault.

As lunch Ingo brought the last cabbage rolls. I didn´t know they were the last ones and kept trying to save this stupid document with C on the phone. I was sad I let the cabbage get cold.

But C and even P, who was sick, called in again to wish me a Merry Christmas.

I have work. I hope I keep it. Bad dreams I don´t.

Christmas I made kale with Adriano and the BOSE. No ad here, I just love these. Both.

Dunno. I don´t speak Italian, but then we have the internet and words like "politici" I understand per se. The songs are "old" yet so up-to-date still. Sad.

My glasses fogged up so big the check-out-girl offered me a tissue 😘

 

Saturday was a time out, oh boy and Sunday nothing more than Die Maus.

 

Still coughing, sneezing and all, hope I do not only think my Brussels Sprouts are yummy! 

Henry 🦁

Ha-Haaaaa... you thought I did (and I nearly did indeed! I blame the cold).

As this is for Elizabeth´s T is for Tuesdays.. .

 

Yah, Henry, let´s be healthy, hahaha.... (insert a lille BIG cough).

 

 

 

A Cuppa For You...

It´s not that I broke the cup of coffee...

This restaurant / café does not exist anymore, thanks to Corinna.

It was on the way to Ingo´s bakery (no artist shown) where I went and will go after the holiday - every Monday.

 

Now, I don´t have a Jack Daniel´s in the morno, in fact I never had one in my life, but this sight sure breaks one´s heart, no? 

The tables are empty... no. 

They are not there anymore at all.

Whom to kick, the virus, our politicians? 

So many businesses close down, even now between Christmas and New Year´s, it´s a shame.

 

I dreamed I was in some place of Braunschweig, people ran to me, everybody was hugging and kissing - guess cause I dreamed this cause I miss my family and my Mum...

No one was wearing a mask, no one keeping the distance, yes, that is how Corinna conquers the world.

There are not enough Elephants to break cups.

This is for Sami´s COLOURFULWORLD Monday Murals.

Henry 🦁

Not of you, Sami!!!

Of Corinna...

 

Vaccinated people get not tested anymore.

 

Healthy people stand in line in front of test-centres in the cold - they (can) get sick of this.

 

"News" on TV gives us weird data no one asks about.

 

My teamleader told via MS Teams (we certainly not meet in person no more) ... he told one of   his vaccinated friends is positive, has symptoms and banned to the cellar, away from wife and kids (it was just before Christmas!).

What do those do who have no cellar?

Henry and I think all of us are very tired.

We all want cafés, restaurants, travel and all that to be back.

We always took it all for granted...

Breaking a coffee-cup is nothing compared to this.

 

We are coughing and sneezing like crazy. 

Normal winter cold I haven´t had for years. Weird.

Coffee?

Mum Is Still Here

Our Mum. 

She had faith in me... a bit. She presented me with six Sparkling Wine glasses ages ago - none broken (knock on wood!). 

(I´m an Elephant in a China Store...)

 

My old home town´s hero certainly is no other than the one here!

 

 

And, Mum was Mum.

I called her "Mutti", my Bro "Mami", it doesn´t matter, she treated us the same - more or less!!!

 

Guess what he got!!!
 

The very same again, just for wine!!!

I never knew!!!

I have a "warming" fire, too, kinda, pressie from Ingo:

Our Mum. 

She would not let go in 2011, not over Christmas.

She wanted, I am sure... that I do not take her passing as excuse to hate Christmas.

We did have snow that year and Bro "forbid" I drive all the way to her.

I´ve been there every day - We had Toast Hawaii often. Bro and I... in the hospital´s canteen.

On "good days" Mum came along and .... sometimes she took a bite from one of us.

And yes. He forbid I drive. And he his 5 1/2 years younger. Times are a changing, huh, who is the carer now.

She did not respond to anyone anymore and on 29th I suddenly got very hungry.

Then a phone call from Bro. Mum was gone.

That is ten years now. Soon.

I didn´t know if to laugh or cry over this WhatsApp-message.

We both got horrible pressies and it was always.... HUH?! You have one, too, when we visited each other, even vases with flowers included, his blue, mine red, fake flowers.

The most ugliest dwarfs!!! I nearly fell backwards opening his cabinet (as asked).

He kept it all.

Oh! I´m lying - this was especially for me:

But guess. They sit in lack and this was a pressie by Bro.

They both grinned big, Mum and Bro.

And ... see title.. it was my birthday and they brought a Ten without Ham 🍕

Henry 🦁

He says hi from Seesen and Braunschweig.

To Mum. And Bro!!

Bet most of you can tell a story like this sadly, too.

Ingo´s parents are alive and kicking and I failed to wish them a Merry One.

 

I am sorry, but....

HOW?!

They could´ve wished us the same.

I´m not the bone that rushes to the dog AGAIN.

They should remember what a hard time this was and is for me.

ME-ME-ME....

 

Mum.... You stubborn donkey. It is a hard time for me.

 

Kiss Involved

 

Yummy Christmas, sadly the shops are closed - I´d be RIGHT IN!!! I will!!!

Henry 🦁

 

Those two 🥰

Two... hence two posts again...

CAUTION! DUCK! Snow.... Ball-Alarm!

I do.

Now.

C was SO with me on Thursday. She had no idea I was "out" so long, sick and then Corinna.

But I said, no need to feel sorry! 

This was what I needed, so, take care, if a green ball flies in your direction...

 

 It will be an invitation to some yummy Northern German food, Grünkohl!

I hated the whole procedure and now? I get the ingredients by myself, Ingo can have a nap or sit at the PC, I need no help - and I ENJOY this!

You need strength!!! 

The kale is pressed in and still has water - press that out!

After you got it out of that tin, that is! I feel like Popeye already!

Then gently pull it all apart, add broth, cook like forever, add whatever you want and hmmmmm.....(don´t forget butter!)

For us it´s way more than one meal, too.

Henry 🦁

Merry Christmas to all of you - wherever you are says the PTB with and from Headquarters Braunschweig🧡

 

They know what they talk of, they are (Wiki) "Together with NIST in the USA and the NPL in Great Britain, PTB ranks among the leading metrology institutes in the world. As the National Metrology Institute of Germany, PTB is Germany's highest and only authority in terms of correct and reliable measurements."

 

Let´s hope for peace, I feel sorry for the people in Ukraine. Scary Christmas for them. 

We should be one world, one people....

We all do - come here, knock, if you care for a yummy meal - I added potatoes, too.

And meat. All optional, of course.