Happy May to all my friends and readers
New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Bastorfer Leuchtturm im Raps"
"Lighthouse of Bastorf in a Rapeseed Field"
I absolutely love the sea, lighthouses, windmills, you can tell I'm from the North of our country. So, this picture reminds me of so much. Not the least our last family outing. My brother bought a boat (well, he calls it a yacht but what do I know?) and since it's tradition to christen it before you go on your first tour, that's what they did and we all went along. It was a lovely day though I can tell, I'm getting too old for this.
* * *
We recently had a conversation about different kind of relatives and our names for us. In German (as in English), we only have one word for uncle and one for aunt whereas in the Scandinavian countries, they differentiate between the brother of a mother or a sister, for example. So, for example, your father's brother would be your farbror, your mother's brother your morbror. Same with your grandparents, the mother of your mother is the mormor, the mother of your father the morfar. I absolutely love that.
But do you have something like a "Schwippschwager"?
We have that word for a "distant" sibling. Schwager is a brother-in-law, Schwippschwager a non-blood relative, for example a relative of a spouse, even over several degrees. For example, my husband is my brother's wife Schwippschwager. My brother is the Schwippschwager of my husband's sister. It all sounds a little complicated when you go furtter and it has absolutely no legal basis but we always call people that. And I believe it's fun. Does your language have anything like that?
* * *
All in all, April was a nice month for us. Not only was the weather getting lovelier, we were able to do several things because restrictions were loosened. So, we were able to visit our son in the Netherlands. That was the best part of the year so far. And apart from the family outing, we visited a classic concert and went to the theatre. Compared to the last couple of years, that was a very busy month.
* * *
Unfortunately, no good news from the Ukraine, so far. On the contrary. What else is that guy prepared to do He should know by now that the whole world is against him and that he can only lose when he goes any further.
* * *
Have a happy May with this beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch.
You can find many more wonderful pictures on their website here.
You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about them.
New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Bastorfer Leuchtturm im Raps"
"Lighthouse of Bastorf in a Rapeseed Field"
* * *
We recently had a conversation about different kind of relatives and our names for us. In German (as in English), we only have one word for uncle and one for aunt whereas in the Scandinavian countries, they differentiate between the brother of a mother or a sister, for example. So, for example, your father's brother would be your farbror, your mother's brother your morbror. Same with your grandparents, the mother of your mother is the mormor, the mother of your father the morfar. I absolutely love that.
But do you have something like a "Schwippschwager"?
We have that word for a "distant" sibling. Schwager is a brother-in-law, Schwippschwager a non-blood relative, for example a relative of a spouse, even over several degrees. For example, my husband is my brother's wife Schwippschwager. My brother is the Schwippschwager of my husband's sister. It all sounds a little complicated when you go furtter and it has absolutely no legal basis but we always call people that. And I believe it's fun. Does your language have anything like that?
* * *
All in all, April was a nice month for us. Not only was the weather getting lovelier, we were able to do several things because restrictions were loosened. So, we were able to visit our son in the Netherlands. That was the best part of the year so far. And apart from the family outing, we visited a classic concert and went to the theatre. Compared to the last couple of years, that was a very busy month.
* * *
Unfortunately, no good news from the Ukraine, so far. On the contrary. What else is that guy prepared to do He should know by now that the whole world is against him and that he can only lose when he goes any further.
* * *
Have a happy May with this beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch.
You can find many more wonderful pictures on their website here.
You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about them.
This, I am “Mormor” to my Grandson. He is my daughter’s child.
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely. Thanks for that. What a shame there is no link to your page. But in any case, thank you for your comment.
DeleteHappy May! And I love that painting. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lark. So do I. I didn't grow up or ever live that close to the coast as the artists do but our area isn't all that different. This kind of picture spells "home" for me.
DeleteHappy May! Yes, it is much easier and clearer who is who in the Scandinavian languages. We don't have anything like Schwippschwager though. We would probably call them svåger/svägerska (m/f) even for the party who is married into the family. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteWe don't use Schwippschwager very often, Lisbeth, it's perfectly alright to call your husband's brother's wife your Schwägerin but if you want to make it perfectly clear, that's what you use.
DeleteI always wondered how you say uncles and aunts in Swedish, if you mean all of them, siblings of both of your parents. Or do you have to say farbror och farsystrar or whatever?
We have the following 'titles' for our relatives.
ReplyDeleteFaster - the sister of your father
Farbror - the brother of your father (farbror means father's brother)
Moster - the sister of your mother
Morbror - the brother of your sister (morbror means mother's brother
Faster and Moster is a short version of fars syster and mors syster.
As you see, we also separate here whether they come from the father's or the mother's side. Very clearcut the Swedish language. At least sometimes.
Thanks, Lisbeth, I'd learned those and I absolutely love it (that's why I mentioned it). I just don't know what I would say for "all my aunts and uncles were present" (meaning all the siblings from both my parents). Would I have to list moster and morbror and faster and forbror or is there a word for all the aunts combined and all the uncles combined?
Delete