Fisher House Project

Last Sunday, we (Judy, Fran, Larry, Monika and Krisi) went to Landstuhl to serve some dinner we had fixed at home before. (ok, Larry just helped us by driving the car to get us there and left later)
“Supporting America's military in their time of need, we provide "a home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury” is what you can read on their homepage. As I know, it is an activity Judy started in our church (well, she asked if someone from church could come) but I read on a sign that the consulate was held responsible for the dinner that night. I just wanted to go, help and spread some love. All the people we met were so grateful and this in itself made me glad. I pray that they could feel God’s love even if I couldn’t talk to them very much. Just click the picture to see some more (I uploaded to my facebook).

best colleagues of the world

It is five weeks ago that I could go to work and I am still having some health issues, so I think I will be at home for the next week, too. I will see the doctor again on Tuesday (in Germany on Monday is a holiday: 2nd day of Pentecost) and I've got a doctors appointment on Monday 19th at Mainz University Clinic to obtain a second opinion and then I'll see.
Anyway: What I actually want to tell is, one of my colleagues, Sandra, was visiting with me on Thursday. She wanted to cook for me an Indian dish and it was SO delicious! It was fun, too, because she made a kind of cheese by cooking a lot of milk and then put some vinegar in. It was so cool to see how the milk turned into lumps and finally we had that kind of cheese.

When she arrived at my place, she had a huge flower bouquet in her hand and a cute "get well soon" card and some very fine chocolates! I was really surprised, 'cause she told me all colleagues of the section had collected some money to buy that stuff!
Aren't they the best colleagues of the world?!?

U.S.A. meets Wiesbaden, Germany

See what I found last friday during grocery shopping at REWE! Most of my favorite american food stuff... at least FOOD is not a reason anymore to travel to the U.S. ;-)

the ankle that made me bake some cookies

As some of you know I have some strange problems with my bones and joints. So it happens more or less every year in fall/winter (depends how cold and humid it is) that my joints hurt and/or do strange things. That happened on monday.

My right ankle was already hurting during the weekend but I am used to some kind of pain so I just stayed at home last saturday and had a cosy time watching TV and drinking tea instead of going out together with A. and H. to a movie and checking out a new pub that had opened last week.

I really thought that would help so far for my ankle to calm down but on monday, right after I arrived at work it turned so bad that I couldn't even step on my foot without pain like hell. I waited (and worked) until noon, because I knew some colleagues would leave work at that time and could give me a ride home (I wasn't able to take the bus). Miss K. was so friendly to drop me in front of my house when she went home after work.

I was a good girl and went to bed and put a hot-water bottle on my foot because that's the only way I feel a little better. I stayed at home on tuesday and thought I could go back to work on wednesday but my ankle upset my plan and turned worse again late tuesday evening. So I called the doctor on wednesday to come over.

And I stayed in bed.
Only got up to eat something or drink.
And to reheat the water for my hot-water bottle.
Reading one book after the other.
And did some little blogging stuff.

I hate times like these because they make me feel bootless... Yesterday I was fed up with that "hanging around" and I decided to bake some cookies for christmas. I had all the ingredients I needed at home and I made sure to sit the most time : so I made some Ginger Cookies, Schmalz Taler ("lard thaler" lit. translated) and my favorite christmas cookies: Vanille Kipferl (there's not such a word like Kipferl in english. It looks like tiny little croissants), see picture. This is how they look like BEFORE baking -->
and this is how they look like AFTER baking:

looks SO yummy!

... if I only could understand the language she writes...

Indian Food

At the beginning of this year I bought a coupon book for restaurants.

The deal is you order 2 meals but you only pay that higher priced one.

The idea behind is to find places you usually don't go.

That's how we got to the SHAHI-RESTAURANT last night. It was a wonderful, warm evening and we could sit outside!

And the food....! All I can say I LOVE Indian food!!! (Ok, Indian food made in Gemany - I have to trust that it is the same like the original)

Tinas Pastry and Coffee Shop

Café Latte

&

Nuts-Brittle-CreamCheese-Muffin

... to solve the riddle...

Okay, guys, you are great guessing! Here is the picture of my Café Latte I tried to make and I was still practicing. Since I have my new machine I drink more often coffee than before - I call it a "fun coffee"... See also the best result I got here.

brain-teaser

who knows what THIS is?

Have a guess...!

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee - and Tea

Usually I am not somebody who drinks a lot of coffee... only at work (the famous coffee break). At home I only drink tea (and water or softdrinks of course and sometimes a glas of wine. But that's not the topic).

One reason is: I always didn't want to buy a coffee machine only to brew a single cup of coffee time by time. But NOW the time has come... I found something absolutely cool... I am SO excited!!!

Maybe three or four weeks ago I surfed the internet if "senseo" could be an option but I found a kind of allround machine, a tiny small one, that brews one or two cups of coffee AND espresso if you want AND you can draw hot water for tea. And the best of all: It is the best machine of 10, tested by "Stiftung Warentest" (independent company that tests and compares different kinds of products to protect consumers) and I found a special offer online (68,80 EUR).

Now I can drink tea as I am used to do and can have a cup of coffe any time I want. And my guests have the choice, too. Take a look at my new treasure (it arrived 3 days ago):

I ordered it online (click the link), but I don't know if they have the same price like when I ordered it January 15th...

Dedicated to my Brother-In-Law

Jeff!!!

Thanks again for leaving the grill at my place...

It's 25° F on the average outside today but I can have a grilled steak anyway!

See how yummy and LECKERISH it looks!!!

Somebody paid for me (and I don't have to give it back)

Today we went out for lunch. It was a Greek Restaurant and we had very delicious greek starters and different kinds of grilled meat afterwards. I was pretty sure that we could pay with (credit-)cards, but when it was time to ask for the bill the waitress told me that I could pay cash only. Suddenly we had a problem...

We decided one of us should stay at the restaurant and the other one should go and find an ATM nearby to get some money.
We still were discussing that point when suddenly a man - one of the guests (a STRANGER!) not far away from our table - approached and said: Excuse me, I heard what your problem is. How much money do you need? Would 20,- EUR be enough? I can give you 20 € and whenever you come back to this place you can give the money back to the waiter and he will give it to me.

For one moment I thought: STOP - what kind of show is that - am I dreaming? A stranger is coming to us, asking if he can pay for us? Not knowing if he will ever get it back? But YES, it was true!!!

So we could pay and OF COURSE we went straight to an ATM, got some money and went back to that friendly man to pay our debt.

I still can't believe what happened today and I realized that this is almost the same what Jesus did for me, no, he did much more - because I don't have to pay back, what he did for me.

It is such a big deal, when a stranger offers you 20 EUR, just for nothing and you can pay it back any time. Now imagine what Jesus did - he came to the world (we remember that at christmas time) and died to save us... how can this be payed back???