Happy July!

    Happy July to all my Friends and Readers
New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"The Small Copper Butterfly's Play of Colours"

"Farbspiel des Kleinen Feuerfalters"

 Frank says to this picture:

"Für das Kalenderblatt Juli haben wir ein Schmetterlingsaquarell ausgewählt. Das Bild zeigt eine Szene mit einem Feuerfalter auf den Blüten des Rainfarns."

"For the July calendar page, we have selected a watercolour painting of a butterfly. The image depicts a scene featuring a small copper butterfly on the blossoms of a tansy plant."

Such a cute picture, don't you think. And it shows the yellow of the sun that we have every day at the moment.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

I wrote last month, that I had been ill for several weeks. I am getting better, the worst part is over, only a few little ailments stay behind.

However, my illness foreshadowed an even worse event. My brother passed away after battling a brain tumour for three years. We will all miss him tremendously.

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

* * *

For the German word of the month, I will repeat one that I used earlier in a post. It is used used to refer to general disorder or a jumble. 

"Kuddelmuddel". 

I was trying to find the origin of the word but it is not totally clear. It's assumed to be from Low German origin. "Muddeln" means something like "mud" or "muck" (Modder in low German).

Wikipedia tells us: "The onomatopoeic compound 'Kuddelmuddel' most likely spread from Berlin in the mid-19th century." They even mention my favourite author, Thomas Mann who, like me, spoke Low German, and used this word in his novella "The Transposed Heads" (Die vertauschten Köpfe) which I should probably read.

* * *

Since I have not read any great books this month, I will go back to Thomas Mann and one of my favourite books ever: Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family. I really recommend it.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

☀️😎 I wish you all a very Happy July! 😎☀️

Happy June!

   Happy June to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Blütenzauber der gelben Schwertlilien"
"The Floral Magic of Yellow Irises"

 

Frank says to this picture:

"Ich mag die Schwertlilien. Mich faszinieren die Formen der Blüten und die verschiedenen Farben. Nicht um sonst ist der botanische Name der Schwertlinien, Iris, von der griechischen Göttin des Regenbogens, Iris, abgeleitet ist. Bisher habe ich Schwertlilien in Blau und Violett gemalt."

"I like irises. I am fascinated by the shapes of their blossoms and their various colors. It is not without reason that the botanical name for irises—*Iris*—is derived from Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow. So far, I have painted irises in blue and violet."

Irises are not my favourite flowers and yellow is also not my favourite flower colour but isn't this a fabulous pictures???

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

Some of you might have noticed that I was quite absent from the blog this month. That's because I have been ill for several weeks. I am getting back on my feet again slowly but surely but it might take a while until I am back to normal. I have prepared a few posts for the beginning of the month that I will post but other than that, it will take a while.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

🐞 I wish you all a very Happy June! 🐞

Happy May!

 Happy May to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Das Cliff am Südstrand von Sellin im Frühling"

"The Cliff on the South Beach of Sellin in Spring"

Frank says to this picture:

"Es macht immer wieder Spaß, an der Ostsee direkt am Strand zu malen. Einfach mit den Füßen im Stand zu stehen, dem Rauschen der Wellen und den Möwen zuzuhören, die Sonne und den Wind auf der Haut zu spüren."

"It's always a pleasure to paint right on the beach at the Baltic Sea. Simply standing with my feet planted on the sand, listening to the sound of the waves and the seagulls, feeling the sun and the wind on my skin."

I can imagine how beautiful it must be to spend a day on the beach painting - if the weather plays along. I love being at the beach, the air is just wonderful.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

We just happened to go to an open air museum that has three different kinds of windmills, depending on which part of the construction is moving.

We haven't been to the beach last month, but we were able to see a beautiful windmill in a small open air museum in Bad Zwischenahn.

If you haven't seen enough windmills for today, I did a collage of some last year in May (see here). Seems like this is the month for windmills.

* * * 

Since we find more and more people like that nowadays, I will choose this German word of the month:

Schubladendenken

I checked whether there is an English translation for that and found pigeonholing and stereotyping. I think I prefer the latter. We are talking about narrow-mindedness, bigotedness, blindness, ignorance, obstinacy. Haven't we all lost friends we thought were nice people until they let out their political thinking?

* * * 

This month was the first time in years that I didn't finish a book. A friend had lent it to me and I told her I didn't like another one I had read by that author but I would try this. It was even worse. No more books by Ian McEwan.

With my local book club we discussed "The List of Suspicious Things" by Jennie Godfrey. We all quite liked it.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

🌷 I wish you all a very Happy May! 🌷

Happy February!

   Happy February to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Wintermorgen in Honnigsvag"
"Winter morning in Honnigsvag"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:

"Bei einer unserer Reisen in den Norden mit der MS Otto Sverdrup von den Hurtigruten haben wir in Norwegen einen wunderschönen 'Wintermorgen in Honnigsvag' erlebt."

"During one of our trips to the north with the MS Otto Sverdrup from Hurtigruten, we experienced a beautiful 'winter morning in Honningsvag' in Norway." 

I have never been to Norway but to other Skandinavian countries and they are all beautiful.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

I can't believe the first month of the year has already passed. Time flies faster every year.

* * *

I read a couple of interesting books last month. 

Brandreth, Gyles "Have You Eaten Grandma?" - 2017
and
Larsen, Nella "Passing" - 1929

While the first one is a funny approach to grammar and spelling, the second is all about racism. How do we perceive people?

* * *

I have two German words for you that somehow belong together:

Fernweh (far away pain) - the longing to go away

Wanderlust (joy and longing to walk) - strong desire to travel

* * *

We had a lot of snow in January, more than in the last years together. I rather have none but we can't choose. On the other hand, I rather have a snowy month than a very hot one.

* * *

I received a beautiful present from a blog friend that will accompany me all year round. A calendar called "A Book Lover's Year". My little reading figurine is sitting right next to it, keeping it company.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

🧊 I wish you all a very Happy February! 🧊

Silvester! - Happy New Year!!!

 Happy New Year to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"Schwertlilien in Blau und Violett"
"Irises in Blue and Violet"

Frank says to this picture:
"Die Idee für das Aquarell Schwertlilien in Blau und Violett geht auf einem Ausflug in unserem Dänemark Urlaub zurück.
Im Juni kann man in vielen Gärten, Park und auch so manchem Wegrand Schwertlinien (Iris) bewundern. Sie haben majestätische Blüten in ganz unterschiedlichen Farben."

"The idea for the watercolour Irises in Blue and Violet originated during a trip to Denmark on our holidays.
In June, you can admire irises in many gardens, parks, and along roadsides. They have majestic blossoms in a wide variety of colours." 

Read more on their website here. *

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. 

* * *

Let me introduce you to the word for New Year's Eve in German:
Silvester!

The association of the end of the year with that name comes from the word Forest man, from Latin *silva*, meaning forest, and  dates back to 1582. At that time, the Gregorian calendar reform moved the last day of the year to the anniversary of the death of Sylvester I († December 31, 335). And so, that name stuck, not only in German but also in other languages, especially in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

In Low German, we say: Ooldjahrsavend. This means the evening of the old year.

* * *

There is a lot of superstition about this time of the year. I just saw this joke on the internet: One of my grandmothers always told me I should not go into the new year with dirty laundry. My other grandmother said it is unlucky when you wash "between the years".

And that is the last info about it. From Christmas to New Year, we live between the years, the old one is as good as over, the new one has not yet begun. Do you have those sayings in your languages?

* * *

I wish everyone a happy new year with the words of a wise woman:

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." Oprah Winfrey

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists.

* * *

🕛 I wish you all a Happy New Year! 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ 🕛

Happy November!

 Happy November to all my Friends and Readers
New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"The Old Svaneke Lighthouse - Bornholm"
"Svaneke Gamle Fyr - Bornholm"

Frank says to this picture:
"Das Dänemark Aquarell präsentiert den Leuchtturm in einer typischen Landschaft an der Ostsee im ausklingenden Herbst."
"The Denmark watercolor presents the lighthouse in a typical landscape on the Baltic Sea in the late autumn." 

It's always lovely to see a picture with a lighthouse. I love lighthouses. You can see this in my list:
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Lighthouses

When we took our boat tour last month, they had a cute little decoration with a lighthouse there, I just had to take a picture and hope you like it as much as I do.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

And October was again a special month. I celebrated my 15 year blogiversary on the 5^th of the month. For a wedding that would be crystal.

My very first post on October, 5, 2010 was:
Which Austen Heroine are you? I found out that I am Elinor Dashwood. While I always thought I might be Anne Eliot, I can see how Elinor came about. 
If you are interested, who you are supposed to be, there is a link on my page. Let me know, if you've done the test.

* * * 

For our Jane Austen read (see #Reading Austen project) this month, I found a book about Janes Austen's time. And it was a very interesting and detailed book about all the little things we don't know anything about:
Adkins, Roy & Lesley "Eavesdropping on Jane Austen's England: How our ancestors lived two centuries ago" (aka "Jane Austen's England) - 2013

* * *

And here we have another German expression that fits everywhere but since the colder time of the year is beginning, we might wear slippers sometimes and that's what made me think of this word:

Pantoffelheld

The German word "Pantoffel" means slipper, "Held" is a hero, so a slipper hero. But we are talking about something very different from a hero. It's a man who allows himself to be controlled by his wife and who has no say at home. Of course, in former time that was really bad, nowadays older people often use it for modern men who "help" at home. And that's just ridiculous, it's his home as well as hers, why should she carry all the burden especially sind most women work for their money today, as well.

Anyway, the English expression would be hen-pecked. Do you know of similar expressions in other languages?

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

🎃 I wish you all a very Happy November! 🎃

Happy October!

Happy October to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Ganz in Familie auf der Kranichwiese"
"All in the family on the crane meadow"

Frank says to this picture:
"Es ist immer wieder spannend, die Kraniche auf den Wiesen und Feldern zu beobachten. Gerade wenn im Herbst für die Vögel des Glücks der Tisch reichlich gedeckt ist."
"It's always exciting again to watch the cranes in the meadows and fields, especially when the table is richly laid in autumn for these birds of joy." 

Another beautiful picture. I love when the cranes fly in autumn and you can see their formations in the sky. A couple of years ago I was lucky to have the opportunity to take a picture of one.

Isn't that just beautiful?

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

September, my favourite month, was more a month of concerts but next month, there will be some plays in the theatre again. Otherwise, it was pretty quiet, some meetings with friends, some visits to the restaurant and an outing on a boat with my sick brother and his wife.

* * * 

Our Jane Austen read (see #Reading Austen project) this month was "Northanger Abbey" which has always been my least favourite novel by Jane Austen. However, I have quite enjoyed it this month. I can hardly believe that the year is almost over.

* * *

Not really a saying or a proverb this month but a word that is very important to Germans at this time of year:
Übergangsjacke

If you have learned German in school (or have a little feeling for languages), you probably know that Jacke means jacket. Übergang can usually mean passage, segue or crossing but in this case, it means transition. This is a jacket that you wear when it might be too cold for your summer jacket or too hot for your winter one. So, you wear your "Übergangsjacke" for a while until it gets colder.

Do you have a word for jackets like that in your language?

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

🍁 I wish you all a very Happy October! 🍁

Happy August!

Happy August to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Morgens am Leuchtturm von Warnemünde"
"Morning at the Warnemünde Lighthouse"

Frank says to this picture:

"The Warnemünde Lighthouse, with its teapot, is the most striking landmark in Warnemünde. Whether you're walking along the promenade, taking a stroll along the beach, watching ships at sunset from the piers, or even returning from a trip on the Baltic Sea, the lighthouse dominates the skyline of the Baltic Sea resort." (The "teapot" has three hyperbolic paraboloid shells as a roof.)
"Der Leuchtturm Warnemünde mit dem Teepott ist das markanteste Wahrzeichen in Warnemünde. Egal ob man auf der Promenade unterwegs ist, einen Strandspaziergang in Warnemünde macht, abends auf Molen bei Sonnenuntergang Schiffe schaut oder gar von einer Ausfahrt auf die Ostsee zurückkommt, der Leuchtturm prägt die Silhouette des Ostseebades."

I believe everyone knows in the meantime how much I love lighthouses and windmills. It was a childhood dream to live in one of these. Sometimes it's good that dreams don't come true as I can't climb stairs anymore.

Funnily enough, one of our other calendars in the house shows a picture of the same lighthouse. With the teapot.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

We had some meetings with friends, some restaurant visits and also two game nights. Plus a weekend visit by a lovely cousin with whom we visited the Industrial Museum in our Town (see below).

But one of the highlights of the month was the visit to an Irish-Scottish folk festival. The main singer at the time was Paul Watchorn (Wikipedia), younger brother of Patsy Watchorn from the Dubliners. Paul is now with the Dublin Legends. In addition to many newer songs, which were also very good, he played a lot of well-known songs, such as Molly Malone, Rattlin' Bog, Seven Drunken Nights, Oró, Sé Do Bheatha 'Bhaile (although my favorite version is still the one by the Chieftains with Sting). The funny thing is, hubby met him at the bar and had a little chat. After his performance, he came to our table, just by coincidence. It's always great to talk to the artists.

* * *

As it's summertime and a lot of people go to the beach, my German saying this month is

"Wie Sand am Meer" (Like Sand on the Seashore).

As you certainly can imagine, it means countless, abundant, plentiful. A lot. A lot a lot. You cannot count it.

* * * 

My Jane Austen read (see #Reading Austen project) this month was "Emma". Not one of her most popular books. Jane Austen said herself that she was "... going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like." 

Another book I enjoyed was "Leave it to Psmith" by P.G. Wodehouse. This author is always a safe bet if you need a break from more serious writing.

* * *

Getting back to the Industrial Museum, as promised. Our little town has a lot of industry. It developed from making the first quills from geese feathers (that animal is also the symbol of our town) in 1801 to being one of the largest plastic processing sites today.

But I think the exhibition most interesting to young people nowadays is the school. I used to go to just such a school and we had the exact same writing slates and a crocheted cleaning cloth. When I told some American friends about it years ago, they were really astonished. I am sure all young people will be surprised nowadays.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

☀️🌾 I wish you all a very Happy August! 🌻🌽

Happy May!

Happy May to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen im Raps"

"Dutch Windmill Rövershagen in the rapeseed"

Frank says to this picture:

"Ein ganz besonderes Motiv ist die Mühle in Rövershagen, wenn sie von dem leuchtenden Gelb der Rapsblüte umgeben ist. Die Zeit der Obst- und Rapsblüte an der Ostsee bietet Motive mit wunderbaren Kontrasten. Das Gelb der Rapsfelder, der strahlendblaue Himmel, das erste Grün an der Bäumen und Büschen und das Weiß und Rosa der Ostblüten zaubern ein wunderbares Ensemble in die Landschaften."

"The mill in Rövershagen is a very special motif when surrounded by the bright yellow of the rapeseed blossoms. The fruit and rapeseed blossom season on the Baltic Sea offers motifs with wonderful contrasts. The yellow of the rapeseed fields, the bright blue sky, the first green on the trees and bushes, and the white and pink of the eastern blossoms conjure up a wonderful ensemble in the landscapes."

Windmills are always beautiful. And somehow, they seem to belong to spring with all its tulips and other flowers blooming though their most important time is in the autumn when the wheat is ripe and the grinding of the grain starts.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

We just happened to go to an open air museum that has three different kinds of windmills, depending on which part of the construction is moving.

The postmill (1st on the left) is the oldest form of windmill. The whole body of the mill is turned to bring the sails into the wind. The further development was the Koker windmill (middle picture). The word comes from the Low German for quiver and the mill itself moved around the main shaft which staid in the lower fixed part. The third type (right) is the smock mill (also called Dutch mill) where only the upper part (the head) moves.

* * * 

I had two great books I would like to recommend this month: "Year of Wonders" (Das Pesttuch) from 2001 by Geraldine Brooks. And a great non-fiction by Geert Mak, "The Dream of Europe. Travels in a Troubled Continent" (Grote verwachtingen. In Europa 1999-2019/Große Erwartungen: auf den Spuren des europäischen Traums) - 2019

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

🌷 I wish you all a very Happy May! 🌷

Happy April!

Happy April to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Osterküken"

"Easter Chicks"

Frank says to this picture:

"Osterküken gehören wie die Hasen und die Lämmer zu den beliebtesten Symbolen für das Osterfest. Einmal sind sie seit vielen Jahrhunderten Symbole des Frühlings und Fruchtbarkeit."

"Like bunnies and lambs, Easter chicks are among the most popular symbols of Easter. They have been symbols of spring and fertility for many centuries."

Definitely a good picture for Easter. My parents used to raise chickens and I loved it when we had new chicks. They were so soft and fluffy. Good memories.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

Spring definitely has sprung in our part of the world. Far too early. But it gave us the chance to visit our youngest son in Brussels. The town was so beautiful at this time of year. 

We had the chance to visit the European Parliament. And here is a picture from the outside.

* * * 

My favourite book of the month was "The Figurine" by Victoria Hislop. I have only just finished it and will review it soon. Only so much, if you like Victoria Hislop, this is one of her greatest books, for sure. And if you don't know her, it's time you did.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

☔ I wish you all a Happy April ☔

Happy February!

Happy February to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Schneemann bauen im Park"

"Winter Flowers"

Frank says to this picture:

"... there are fewer and fewer days on which such a winter dream really comes true. The question keeps coming up: When will it really be winter again?"

"… es gibt immer weniger Tage, an denen so ein Wintertraum wirklich in Erfüllung geht. Immer wieder stellt sich die Frage: Wann wird es wieder richtig Winter?"

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

I remember a German song from the Seventies: "When will it be a real summer again?" And that summer was scorching hot. So, who knows what Frank's wish will bring us. Though, we haven't had a real winter here for ages.

* * *

Which reminds me of a good joke:
What do you call a very old snowman?

Puddle

* * *

January is supposed to be the longest month of all. I mean, we have seven months with 31 days, so December, for example, ought to be as long as January. It just seems shorter because there is so much going on and we all try to be ready for Christmas and then we feel the month is over before it has even begun.

* * *

This month, I have two German words/expressions for you. 

"Morgenmuffel" and "bis in die Puppen".

If you stay up "until the dolls" (bis in die Puppen, i.e. you don't go to bad early), you will certainly become a "Morgenmuffel" which means you are grumpy in the morning. However, if you are like me, you can be a Morgenmuffel any day, no matter when you went to bed the night before.

* * *

And here is a great Christmas present I received from one of my sons: Hitster. We played it several times already and love it. You have to guess songs and where they fit in the timeline. If you like music and games, check the link here.

* * *

 

My favourite book of last month was 
Tartt, Donna "The Secret History" - 1992

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

🌼 I wish you all a Happy February 🌼

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my friends and readers

New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Segelschiffe der Hanse Sail bei Sonnenuntergang"

"Sailing ships of the Hanse Sail at sunset"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:
Die Hanse Sail ist das größte maritime Event an der Ostseeküsten Mecklenburg – Vorpommerns. Jahr für Jahr kommen Anfang August bis zu 150 Boote und Schiffe nach Rostock und Warnemünde.

The Hanse Sail is the largest maritime event on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Every year, up to 150 boats and ships come to Rostock and Warnemünde at the beginning of August.
(see here)

Enjoy this great watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch!

Read more on their website here. *
 

 * * * 

2024 was not such a great year for my family. Lots of illnesses. My brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour and already had three surgeries. My 42 year old nephew had a heart attack. And we are all getting older and have our little and larger ailments.

And worldwide there were only bad news everywhere, wars, elections with bad outcomes, natural disasters.

* * * 

It's tough to choose my absolute favourite book of the year, so I will present the first one of the year that I put on the list:
Kingsolver, Barbara "Demon Copperhead" - 2022

 (Watch this blog for the complete list.)

* * * 

So, everyone, let's hope for a great 2025. I wish you all the best!

* * * 

 

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *
🎉 I wish you all a Happy New Year! 🎉

Happy December!

Happy December to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Wenn der Schlitten kaputt ist - Weihnachtsmann an der Ostsee"

"When the sled is broken - Santa Claus at the Baltic Sea"

Frank says to this picture:

"In the harbour of Althagen, in a landscape of snow, ice and sunshine, there was a bright red coastal fisherman's boat. When I started thinking about a motif for a Christmas watercolor, I converted the fisherman's boat into a boat for Santa Claus and that's how my watercolour came about."

"Im Hafen von Althagen lag in einer Landschaft mit Schnee, Eis und Sonnenschein ein knallrotes Boot der Küstenfischer. Als ich dann begann, über ein Motiv für ein Weihnachtsaquarell nachzudenken, funktionierte ich dann das Boot der Fischer in ein Boot für den Weihnachtsmann um und so ist mein Aquarell entstanden."

Read more on their website here. *

It's nice to think about Father Christmas coming by boat. In the Netherlands, that's exactly how the story goes, he comes by boat from Spain on St. Nicholas' Eve (though a little posher than this one). Mind you, he looks a little more like a bishop, as he did everywhere when I was little.

* * *

We had some nice days in November but also some not so nice ones, as usual in this month. Some days were pretty grey but I like the calmness this part of autumn brings.

Probably not the highlight of the month, but certainly a great day was our annual charity week in the Industrial Museum in our town. They sell each donated book for €1, children's books for €0,50. So, I got myself a nice stash of classics and some newer ones.

* * * 

Did you know that Germany has a lot of different names in different languages?

Well, first of all, Germans call it Deutschland from the Old High German diutisc, Dutch Duitsland, Scandinavians Tyskland.

The Romanic languages call it Allemagne in French or Alemania in Spanish, from the Alamanni tribe that settled in today's Alsace, parts of Baden-Württemberg and Switzerland, and hence they were the neighbours of those regions.

In Italy it is known as Germania from the Latin Germania (where also the English word comes from), it describes fertile land for farming behind the Limes (the Roman border defence in Germany).

In Polish it is called Niemcy from the Protoslavic nemets for meaning "mute, unable to speak" but also foreigner/stranger.

In Finnish and Estonian they call it Saksa and Saksamaa respectively from the name of the Saxon tribe. 

And there's a reason, of course, why we have all these different names. Germany as one country has only existed since the 1866 when Prussia and other northern and central German states created the North German Confederation, which was the forerunner to the German Empire. Before, the neighbouring country just called the people by the state they belonged to then.

 

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We had two book club meetings this month, one at the beginning, one at the end. And we read two lovely books, the first one was a re-read for me:

Ivey, Eowyn "To The Bright Edge of the World" - 2016

 and the second one was a German book that hasn't been translated, unfortunately:
Knöppler, Florian "Kronsnest" - Kronsnest [Name of Village] - 2020

 

My favourite book last month was "Stone in a Landslide" by Maria Barbal i Farré.

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The old German words for December are
Julmond, Heilmond, Christmond, or Dustermond.

Jul is the old-Germanic celebration of the winter solstice, also known as Yule.

Heil is healing, so the healing moon who gives us time to relax.

Christ should be self-explanatory.

Duster means dark, unfriendly. There is also a word "zappenduster" which I explained in August 2022.

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* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

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🎄 I wish you all a Happy December 🎄
🎄 and a Merry Christmas! 🎄

Happy September!

Happy September to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this

beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Kraniche und Rehe auf den Wiesen"

"Cranes and Deer in the Meadows"

Frank says to this picture:

"It is always exciting to be out and about with the cranes in the meadows and fields in autumn. With a little luck you can see deer and stags among the cranes, as they use the same meadows and fields in search of food."

"Es ist immer wieder spannend, im Herbst gemeinsam mit den Kranichen auf den Wiesen und Feldern unterwegs zu sein. Mit ein wenig Glück kann man Rehe und Hirsche unter den Kranichen beobachten, denn sie nutzen die gleichen Wiesen und Feldern auf der Suche nach Futter."

Read more on their website here. *

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August was almost as bad as July, it only got a little cooler towards the end, though it was still far too hot for me. I am so looking forward to autumn, my favourite season.

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Have you ever tried to improve something but then it was worse in the end. Well, we have a word for that in German:

Verschlimmbessern

which you can translate more or less into "worsenbettering".

Of course, there is an official version for it, the Cobra Effect, also a "perverse incentive" which according to Wikipedia is "an incentive that has an unintended and undesirable result that is contrary to the intentions of its designers". 

 

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 My favourite book last month was "To Look Out the Window/Pieces from the View: Life, Streets, Literature" by Orhan Pamuk.

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Due to the weather, we didn't do much last month, but on the very last day, we managed go attend a kite festival. It was not too hot but also not too windy whcih was sad for some kite flyers because theirs wouldn't take off. But we managed to see a few lovely ones. Here is a small collage.

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The old German word for September is Scheiding, Holzmond or Herbstmond. 

Herbst is the German word for autumn which explains the origin of the name. Holz means wood and people started cutting wood for the winter. Scheiding is separation and September separates summer and autumn.

 

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* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

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🍂🍂 I wish you all a Happy September! 🍂🍂

Happy July!

  Happy July to all my friends and readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Sommerwiese mit Mohnblüten"
"Summer Meadow with Poppies"

Frank says to this picture:
"Poppy watercolours are a delight at any time of year. In September, most of the poppy flowers have already faded, but here and there you can still find poppy flowers on the edges of fields or in meadows."

"Mohnaquarelle begeistern zu jeder Jahreszeit. Im September sind die meisten Mohnblüten bereits verblüht, aber hier und da findet in Randlagen noch Mohnblüten an den Feldrändern oder auf den Wiesen."

Read more on their website here. *

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June was an awful month for many, we had heavy rainfalls in Germany and a lot of areas were flooded. Not ours, but we know quite a few people who had to experience damages to their houses. In the meantime, it has become far too hot for my liking. And no, I am not one of those people who complain about the cold in winter and the heat in summer. I always say, in winter, I can dress accordingly, put on more clothes and I'm fine. In summer, that does not help.

I hope the last of the climate change deniers has woken up in the meantime but I doubt it.
 
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 My favourite book last month was "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" by Elif Şafak. It was a sad subject but great writing.

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We had a family celebration down in Southern Germany and they served one of my favourite side dishes: Spätzle (Wikipedia).

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The old German word for July is Heuert or Heumond. 

They used to start mowing the hay this month. Another word is Honigmond, which simply translated into honeymoon as a lot of weddings would take place in summer and people then went for a honeymoon. But the meaning of the "hay moon" is a lot older, of course.

 

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* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

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😎 I wish you all a Happy July! 😎