Lille Family-Time - New Years

Traditions... inspired by Margaret with this!

Our family traditions were these:

We had the darn fondue.
Melted fat over an open flame. It was a horror each time. Dad, later my Brother, had to put the food in and out for me.

I was ready to run for in case the fat would swap into the flame and all will be "on fire" - yearly horror.

 

 

Dad´d just come back from Japan, those are real kimonos we are wearing - also he thought of Omi, his MIL, who helped raising us.

The journey was payed by SEIKO cause Dad´d sold so many watches (ha, internet these days).
 

Next we - as young kids got torn out of bed, in later years after staying alive awake... -

... at 11:99 we all went up on the "stack-sims" by the fire. 

 

 

Dad counted down, then we all held hands and jumped down together, kissed and wished us a Happy New Year, and luck... "and much more" - thank you for the memories, dear Margaret! 

Ingo still uses Dad´s word "Küsschen" for "kiss".... 

The two spent a lot of time watching the stars (I was too young and had no idea).

 

 

We wore winter-/snow suits cause another darn tradition is to go out in the cold and have firework. 

Went grocery shopping yesterday. 

People stacked up BIG with fireworks. 

I hate that. As do animals. And Mother Nature.

Dad at least only shot in the air with an empty (?) pistol (I hope!). At least not even more pollution, but I could go on endlessly with this subject...

 

Gack! Also yes, Bro and I are dressed like unlike twins!

How about your traditions?

 

These days we just watch a movie and go to bed.

 

BTW!

Granny Sue reminded me of the Nutcracker-story.

 

 

Holy-moly, I know way too much about my BIL, who is nearly my age and kinda was "raised" by his Brother, aka Ingo.

PIL had a nutcracker. Not as huge as this one, one for real use.

 

BIL, maybe aged 2, put his right finger into it´s mouth, closed that with the left.

Ouch. Closed tighter, more ouch.

He is a doctor now but does not operate people, thanks for that!!!

Everybody laughed as he kept going on this way until he cried and was "freed".

 

Whenever he got nasty the words "stop it, or the Nacker will get you!" worked!

He could not say Nussknacker yet, but called the nasty thing "Nacker".

Thank you, Sue, for the "memory" (of Ingo telling me) and sorry M, for telling it here 😉

 

So, whatever you will have for dinner tonight, if you celebrate and "jump" in the New Year or not:

 

 

Have a wonderful 2024! Full of health, fun, yummy food, success in whatever you do (so many opportunities (#halfbike)).

Thank you, too, for popping in here - you motivate me a lot!

Henry 🦁

 

 

It will be a good one!

But, a bit scary... I am for the first time in my life sad this year is over. Stupid, I know. But a fact... Maybe a sip of sparkling wine will help. Ingo took care of that (not such big ones!!).

(Jump into) A Happy 2024!

Lille Family Time - Bye-Bye

 

I browsed through the family albums and realized all the happy ones are used in this little series.

What´s left is more silly ones of Dad and the guys in wigs and skirts and other dress ups - man they really took a lot of those.

 

Some of a holiday Dad and Bro took where I can say nothing about and then only sad ones when cancer already had hit. Who wants to see that.

 

So I end with this happy pic - funny coincidence we all wear hats here (referring to my profile pic).

I think this Jamaica-trip was also a sponsored one by Seiko or such for good selling - the only way to get my parents out of their business together.

 

This was the only trip, maybe something went wrong at home, the sponsored Japan-trip they split. Business was always priority #1.

 

After school at the lunch-table it was never "how was your school-day?" - it was about business. Only one flight of stairs maybe does that, it never left their minds. 

I don´t wanna say they were not caring, though.

My parents - my Dad was also into hearing aids, and also watches, glasses and jewelry had this audience - they took their time for lonely, elderly customers.

To my "dismay". Mom would call me down to go grocery-shopping, never made a list but told me what to buy. Come an elderly I had to wait till they were done.

But that certainly also teaches a child, right.

So unfair they themselves were not allowed to grow old.

 

Bro takes his time for his customers, too, but other handles business entirely different. 

Well, hope you liked the lille Sunday-series.

It was a good journey to the past for me.

 

I may resume if something comes up from the past, but reckon that was it.

 

 

Lille Family Time - Birthdays Part III

 

... for the most part at least.

I tell you... having a Birthday in January in the Northern hemisphere sucks big.

I still remember those drinking-glasses! 8th Birthday, if I count that right, so we just entered the terrible 1980´s.

 

 

 

Yupp, I´m the kid in front who wants to leave. I always hated my pic taken.

Why January is especially bad?

 

There is usually no snow, it´s just cold, wet, grey and icky outside, so you are stuck inside and are forced to play...
 

 

It was warm in the living room.

This stupid game was one kid threw the dice, if there was a 6 the next kid had to put on winter jacket, glovies too large and that Russian-like, extra-warm hat from Mom and try to cut cold chocolate with fork and knive.

 

I was in no hurry. Mom... I am 8 years old and you still have no clue I don´t like sweets?!

With a pizza I would´ve given everything!

 

That she understood, though.

On my 14th Birthday we were forced to Salzgitter, there is (or was) an indoor-ice-skating place - at least cousin Marlo was part of this, but it was chaos.

 

Later we went to Pizzeria Da Nico - where this blog´s title is dedicated to.

 

Yet I asked my Mom: This was the very last Birthday-party, please. 

I hate parties, especially when I am the POI.

 

I know most do not understand this.

Ingo does and feels the same, luckily.

 

How about you - party-"pig", yay or nay? 

 

For part II, aka Bro´s, you can click here.

 

 

Lille Family Time - The Clock

 

 

Maybe you´ve visited last Sunday, in case you did not: I was very surprised to see this beautiful clock in our living room, see:

 

(left an Aunt, right Mom).

Why it surprises me so much?

 

Because...

  

 

My parents among other also sold clocks.

And this one still had the price-tag in! 

Why in? The clock didn´t work. I gave it to Bro´s watch-maker, who, btw learned at my Dad´s and knows me since I was born.

 

After a year of him doing nothing I said I want it back. And that´s how I got it back :-(

 

 

I found out:

"The amount/price you stated in Deutsche Mark in the amount of DM 242.00 from the year 1974 corresponds today, taking inflation into account, to a price in the amount of a Euro value of: EUR 413.26 ".

 

Bummer - imagine it would work - well, I´d never ever give it away, but... quite a treasure I have here, huh?

 

Hm, so it was too expensive and they decided to keep it? 

But why leave the price-tag on?

Maybe as a reminder that Seesen is a town too small for such luxury-clocks?

Sad I cannot ask. 

Bro is 5 1/2 years younger than me, he will not know, either...

 

More to come... 

 

Funny btw... as kid/teenager I hated the ticking of clocks!

Now I have 5 clocks that happily, loudly tick away every second.

Whilst I work in hence not so complete silence. 

Time... we are back to wintertime. What stupid nonsense...

 

 

Lille Family Time - Another One Bit The Dust

 

(Note the telly  to the left!!! It had a round foot!)

The photo-album revealed Mom´d made carp.

Dad didn´t like fish, but obviously he took it!!

 

In case of ear-worm-alert here goes:

 

Carp because Mom´s youngest Brother and his wife live near Hamburg, they´re fish-heads, so to say, as Mom herself.

Last saw them at my Mom´s funeral January 2012...

Well, Bro called me at work a bit desperate this week. A cousin WhatsApp´d her Mother has passed away.

 

If I know who that is? We have 12 cousins from Mom´s side. Ummmm. 

It took us a while. 

 

We went through all female cousins... it was tough. Most live in Hamburg-area which is 2-3 hours away yet we haven´t seen each other in decades. 

Most are "much older" or much younger than me.

 

Finally I remembered her name. 

Then that she was my godmother. 

That I had to stay some school holidays there (or was it but one?). 

That said cousin ran with a bucket full of life-crabs after me till I cried, took me into carousels for larger kids, laughing at my fear. 

The parents just got divorced and her older Brother wet the bed at nights.

They collected mussels and cooked them in the kitchen, the bad smell made me gag.

 

For one Christmas she sent me a yellow sweater. It was the 1980´s and that sweater had always one shoulder naked. My Dad flipped and I never was allowed to wear it.

 

And that was the last I heard of her.

 

Bro remembered that Siegfried (I was not allowed to call him Uncle, cause then he felt old) pretty fast after had another child and then another.

And that my Aunt, despite the divorce cared about and for her MIL, aka our Omi when she moved away from us back to Hamburg area. 

 

Crazy, isn´t it.

I have not one single pic of her. 

 

My Bro is a bit more into the family-thing, but not that much more...

 

But crazy how these memories came back after so many years!

 

Well. Siegfried passed 2 years ago,  two other Aunts and Uncles are gone already, too.

 

Reckon we´re getting old... 

 

 

Lille Family Time - Birthdays Part II

 

Totally forgot about the Birthday-stuff part I!

So here is part II, from August 1976 (my Dad back then must´ve meant another of Garnet´s Birthdays as in the pic I am 4 years max) to October 1982.

 

I can imagine Bro wished for super-great pressies a tad too late, see here...

 

 

Doesn´t look happy at all...

In that case, what (or who) helps?

 

It´s your birthday, so OK, reach out...

Can you imagine... I still remember that sweater I´m wearing! Not those ugly "sport"-trousers, though, or... do I?

Do you remember good and bad clothes from your childhood still, even if they were not for special occasions? 

 

 

Super-pic Mom... 

Either way (the wallpaper I looooved!), I think I found this Pumuckl-coaster and Bro maybe was happy about that?

Do you know Pumuckl? 

And can someone explain why there was a string to put under your foot??? What nonsense is this? The trousers won´t fly up my legs...

 

Soon this month it will be a Birthday-phone call to a 46 year-old man!!! 

Can you believe this lille guy turns 46?!!! 

Has an 8 and a 13 year old Daughter?

Time SO flies.

 

And next Sunday maybe a jump to January then...

 

 

Lille Family Time - The G(O)lden Times?

As I mentioned the other day my parents parked me in front of the telly when I was little - in front of shows that were actually not really for (unsupervised) children, like The Muppets Show.

The only ones I liked were the Animal and the Cook, and certainly Kermit.

The two old guys at the end... politics, changed to German gusto but nothing for a 4-year old.

I never understood and I plain hated Ms Piggy (who did not???).

 

 Certainly this is based on Forrest Gump :-)

We have a book on The Simpsons...

 

I made many a note. Post(s) to come.

It is the second book! 

 

 

The first I gave to my then-boss at cgs. He is a mathematician. He never gave it back to me!!!

Hence Ingo had so much trouble with the 4th Dimension he bought a second copy I gave to my colleague(s). K is a fast reader and asked if I want it back when she is done or if she can give it to C (both good at math).

LOL.

ESE Braunschweig is infected!!! At least #16 - we have two places here (a new house is being build so we all have but one place, yet we all want to work from home anyways!).

At The Simpsons all is based on math, history, science. 

Yes, maybe you can watch with your kids. But... I would not let my Nieces watch this! Not by themselves, at least.

It implies too much. 

The Simpsons teach life - with it´s ugly sides, too!

 

We have it in German here, but when Nelson snarls "Riech dich später...!" - "Smell ya later..." (?)  you have to know that also smelling is a sense that can express feelings.

When Nelson wants to smell you again... he likes you. He is not the mean kid, on the contrary.

He is the misunderstood one. There are several episodes, one, where Homer even prefers and takes care of Nelson over Bart.

Can a kid understand this?

 

Yes, one can laugh about the boy who has no real home and has to reveal he wears his Mom´s old underwear. And the pupils laugh (and he... inside... cries).

 

In one episode Nelson sings secretly a sad song expressing how much he misses his Dad. Next morno he punches Bart real hard. It is not funny at all, it is sad. An adult should be there to explain.

Sorry if I have another opinion about this.

I saw a small docu on the smells. Women were to do sport till they sweat. The shirts were given to men. Those who liked the "odor"  liked the women for real. Smell ya later. Science-based.

Lille Family time????

Yes!

My Nieces do watch "TV on demand".

What nonesense is that.

We had three programs - plus East German TV as we lived near the border/frontier.

Sesame Street at 06:00 p.m. - Translated to German and later a German version!!!! My Dad and I quit watching that as "Samson" with his stupid "huiiiuiiiuiii" drove us nuts - poor Bro was by himself.

 

06:30 - The Sandman, ...

 

then - if you could sneak it in The East Sandman...

 

 

 

and then... it.was.bedtime!!!

Which meant: 

brush your teeth, wash your face, give a kiss, close the door, lights out, go to bed.

Only for a reason you come out!!! (Reason is: need to pee.)

My Nieces not only have "TV on demand" (on demand, that alone drives me nuts! We were happy when we HAD or GOT something, they DEMAND!!!)

Bedtime... drama-time! My Brother and his wife "care". It´s endless.

And then they whine to me it is endless. Home-made endless.

How was your bedtime?  Endless stories, cuddles, one more glass of milk (teeth sure love that) etc, etc, and etc????

When you wanted to change the TV-channel, btw, you had to get your butt off the chair and walk to the telly. Yes. Remember? Mine now is on my right monitor and but one click away.

Yet still:

Not "on demand"! 

We have no Netflix (would get German programs only and pay for that) - we look it up. 

Oh!!!! Sometimes Ingo comes in, "Lost places on N24 docu from 08:05 on till late into the night!"

We are old! 😉

And we live.

Do you have "TV on demand" and pay for it?

Ours is for free and... tell you what... I have books! And I can read by myself, Ingo is not required to read them to me.

Though, this is coming soon as I still have questions on Electrical Engineering from the seminar in rail systems... I have the .pptx on my work-PC and I.want.to.understand!!!

We had a nice chat the other day, K and I. We both have 5 books on the run. Ack.

How about you?

I need to retire. I need time. Playing lotto sadly is no option as I do not believe in luck for myself.

Or is there "LUCK ON DEMAND"?

Demanding was no option when I was little. AND!!!

When I asked big Nice if she has a wish for her Birthday:

"No. I have everything I want, I am happy".

Reckon Bro does a GREAT job after all - a teen in puberty said these happy words to me!!!!

Lille Family Time - He Knows Me

This is what I got via WhatsApp from Bro yesterday.

Sadly already from the car, too late to buy for real. He was Birthday-shopping for little Niece and certainly thought of me.

 

Because...

 

 

This could´ve been... me!!

Dad got a journey for two to  USA because he sold so many I-don´t-know-whats and as I am the older one asked me if I wanna join (Mom had to stay with the business, how dumb have they been...).

I happily said YES! and all was arranged on my name.

 

And then... I realized... it would be Dad and me only.

Only one of us would return, we were so much alike... we always fought.

So... Bro back then went on my name and they had a great time together.

And I have never been to the USA. 

 

So nice he remembered this huh?

And he was surprised I have this photo he had no idea of! 😘

 

 I just love this series! (not the new one, I saw one episode... not even till the end. Some things do not need a new version, in my eyes).

 

Then came this:

 

 

 

He also sent me this:

 

 

Just pop in Tuesday for more!

You will see for whom the socks in the Star-Trek-Crew-pic are!

Sometimes life is a bit scary because the T-pic sits in that post since Monday!

 

 

Lille Family Time - Don´t Drive (Now)

 

 

Mom was the driver. I was in the co-driver-seat, Granma and Bro in the back.

We were in the right, aka slow lane on the Autobahn when this VW Golf uncontrolled raced into our car. 

Left lane was blocked, Mom could do nothing but grip the wheel  real hard. The glass broke - we all - also the Golf-dumbhead were fine.

I was beside myself. It was LOUD, it was horrible. Glass everywhere.

 

Very fast forward:

 

 

Bro sent me this yesterday, asking if I want the red one, my first car, an Opel Kadett Diesel.

That thing was used, old, slow as a tractor, oh, boy, no. Keep it! But thank you for thinking of me!

Yet, I had to say: Ingo wants it!

See.

Ingo´s Dad was a police officer and later detective inspector. He even had a case in my parent´s shop!

Anyways, Ingo had had one beer, one! On the way home police "caught" him and Ingo was honest. They took him to the station and Ingo saw my car coming towards them.

That was 1998 or such. Ingo said to the officers, "that is Toni Nordpol fifty-two - my girlfriend´s car! Please drive to my Grandma and tell her why I´m not there!".

Guess my surprise when police stopped me!

Certainly with but one small beer Ingo was allowed to drive home, but police joked about this for years... (it is a small town/village).

My number-plate was GS-TN 52. GS stands for Goslar, Seesen belongs to.

Still waiting on the answer where he got these model-cars from and why.

 

Bro now has the Mercedes cabrio, I was certainly driving it first:

This was an automatic-driven car, by golly!

I had to put my left leg behind the seat, being used to gear-driven cars.

At a light I had to stop. An elderly man was next to me and could not believe such a young person "owns" such a car, LOL. He was obviously jealous. 

 

Years later Bro and I went to near Hamburg to visit our Grandma - Bro driving. 

Mom´s real hair color - the blonde was fake when they met and Dad had an idea about that, hence my second name is "Flavia" - flame-blonde...

 

Dad never opened this car at home.

He didn´t want to see people he has "so much money" he can afford a Cabrio.

He opened it when having left Seesen.

Never be proud on what you achieved, that is how I grew up...

 

Backwards again: At age 14 Dad taught me to drive with the BMW.

Sure as hell I took off by myself when Mom got stuck talking to her friends.

The parking lot was gone - Mom sure realized.

"Why can you drive a car????!!!"

I said not a word.

Poor Dad, ow... she yelled at him big.

 

Dad once yelled at me big, too!

Was to have a look on Bro. He sneaked into the garage and ran and jumped over the BMW.

He owes me a Döner for that!!!!

 

 Thought about it.

 

 

Apart from driving school I drove the Opel Kadett, an ex-boyfriend´s Opel Rekord (70´s style SO COOL!), the BMW, Ingo´s Golf II,  had a Ford Fiesta (mostly in the garage with technical problems), Holden Commodore (Australia), Nissan Patrol LWB (Australia), Volvo 70 (colleague S always gave me his when not working), Bro´s Golf Diesel, VW Bora TDI, collegue T´s Jetta, Seat Leon TDI, four VW Polos as company cars... Ingo´s Skoda Fabia...

 

And now... I haven´t been driven a car since 2019. And am afraid of doing so.

Turan (not Touran) encouraged me to drive.

But agreed not before our trip to Perth.

Any thoughts from you?

When I need to see Bro for getting sunglasses for Perth I´ll take tram and train.