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 April!

   Happy April to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"Fliegen"
"Flying"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:

"Anfang April sind die Ostermärkte die ersten Volksfeste, die in den Innenstädten die Saison eröffnen. Hanka hat in dem Aquarell "Fliegen" eine Szene mit einem Kind auf einem Kettenkarussell vom Ostermarkt eingefangen"

"At the beginning of April, the Easter markets are the first public festivals to open the season in city centers. In her watercolour "Flying," Hanka captured a scene of a child on a swing carousel at one of these Easter markets." 

Read more on their website here. *

Another great reminder of my childhood, like last month. I used to go on any kind of amusement rides. We used to have a huge fair in our district town (well, it still takes place once a year). It's one of the oldest and has about 500 stalls (maybe some fewer when I was little) and it has everything from a simple old fashioned carousel for children to a large roller coaster. I visited them all, of course.

* * *

Let's talk about a well known German word this month:
Weltschmerz 
It's a mental depression or apathy caused by the comparision of the actual state of the world with an ideal world.

I think it is a very apt word for the state of this world.

* * *

My favourite books last month:
Swindells, Robert "Abomination" - 1998
and
Oates, Joyce Carol "Daddy Love" - 2013

Both are definitely not easy, light reads but I don't think I could have read something like that at the moment. 

* * *

A highlight for us this month was the visit to both our boys. We often take the chance of being in a larger city to go have breakfast somewhere nice. The choice for me here is rather small, so I am happy when I find places elsewhere that offer lactose-free or vegan choices as I cannot have anything with dairy. So, this was one of my breakfasts. Loved 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 April! 🍓

Wordless Wednesday ~ World Peace

Happy March!

  Happy March to all my Friends and Readers
New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"Besuch im Garten"
"Visit in the Garden"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:

"Seit vielen Jahren beobachten wir die kleinen bunten Sänger in unseren Gärten. Egal ob Sommer oder Winter - irgendwie hat man doch ein kleines Lächeln im Gesicht, wenn man die kleinen Vögel sieht. Zeit, ihnen mal wieder ein kleines Aquarell zu widmen."

"For many years we've watched these little colorful songbirds in our gardens. Whether summer or winter, seeing them always brings a smile to our faces. Time to dedicate another little watercolor painting to them." 

Read more on their website here. *

This picture is not only beautiful but a wonderful reminder of my childhood. We always had lots of swallows and songbirds in our garden and they always make me smile. Even now, songbirds are always around us. Beautiful little companions.

* * *

An old weather lore is: "If February is dry and cold 🥶, heat will soon follow in spring". (Ist der Februar trocken und kalt, kommt im März die Hitze bald.) 

* * *
And a poem I found about March:
Never mind March, we know
You're not really mad
Or angry or bad.
You're only blowing the winter away
To get the world ready
For April and May.

* * *

My favourite books last month:
Lanschot, Reinier van "We are Europe" (Dutch: Wij zijn Europa: een nieuw Europees verhaal) - 2024
and
Chevalier, Tracy "The Glassmaker" - 2024

A non-fiction about Europe and the European Community, and a fictional account about living in Venice through the centuries.

* * *

My German word this month is:
Augenweide
this translates into:
A Feast for the Eyes
but word for word:
Eye Pasture

I think this is a good word to make us look forward to the next month, the beginning of spring. You might say Eye Candy but Augenweide means so much more.

* * *

I've checked my February pictures and I found that February seems to be a month where we play board games constantly. We play all year round but I guess it is due to the weather that we play more of them in February. So, here is a collage of some of the games we played during the last couple of weeks. Do you know any of these? Have you  played any of them?

The names of the games are: verkopft, krazyWords, Wie Arsch auf Eimer (it's a perfect match) and Hitster.

* * *

* 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 March! 💐

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! 🧊

🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄

🎅 Merry Christmas! 🎅

May your holiday be filled with awkward family photos

and too much food!

I have been trying to find a good list of the the most popular Christmas carols of all time. Unfortunately, there are a hundred different sites with a thousand different lists. So, I have used AI to help me and here is their list:

Traditional:

Silent Night: A German carol known for its peaceful melody, famously sung during the WWI Christmas truce.

O Holy Night: A French carol reflecting on the birth of Jesus.

Joy to the World: A classic praising the coming of the Lord.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: A popular hymn celebrating the birth of Jesus.

O Come, All Ye Faithful: An invitation to worship the newborn king.

The First Noël: Tells the story of the first Christmas. *

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen: A traditional English carol.

Away in a Manger: A gentle carol about Jesus's birth.

In the Bleak Midwinter: Based on a poem by Christina Rossetti, with music by Gustav Holst.

O Little Town of Bethlehem: A reflective carol describing the town where Jesus was born.

🎄🎄🎄

 
Popular:

Jingle Bells: A quintessential winter and Christmas song.

Deck the Halls: A festive Welsh tune with "fa la la la la".

We Wish You a Merry Christmas: A carol with wishes for good cheer.

Frosty the Snowman: A beloved winter classic.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: A story about Santa's most famous reindeer.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree: A popular, upbeat holiday song.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Celebrates the festive season.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: A warm, comforting song.

Feliz Navidad: A bilingual Christmas hit.

Winter Wonderland: A joyful song about a snowy scene. 

🎄🎄🎄

What do you think? Did you recognize them all? Is your favourite song among them? And which one is missing in your opinion?

* Yes, I know they write Noël differently in English but it's a French word and I refuse to write it incorrectly.😉

Happy December!

  Happy December to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"A Glimpse into the Toy Workshop"
"Blick in die Spielzeugwerkstatt"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:
"Es ist ein Bild aus der Reihe von Hankas Schneemannbildern. Hanka malt jedes Jahr ein Aquarell, im dem ihr Schneemann eine Geschichte, ein kleines Abendteuer erlebt. Dieses Mal besucht er die Wichtel in der Spielzeugwerkstatt des Weihnachtsmanns."
"This is one of Hanka's series of snowman paintings. Every year, Hanka paints a watercolour in which her snowman experiences a story, a little adventure. This time, he visits the elves in Santa's toy workshop." 

We haven't been building a snowman for ages. The boys have outgrown the house, there is less snow every year, we are not as fit as we used to be ... So, it's nice to see Hanka's snowman every year.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

November was a busy month with lots of birthday parties, some concerts and two theatre visits, one of them Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nights Dream". Fantastic.

* * *

My favourite book last month was:
"107 Days" by Kamala Harris. 

* * *

One of the highlights was the exchange of our DIY Advent Calendar. 25 people get a number each and make 25 packets with the same content. We had a lovely meeting where we exchanged our goodies. That way, we all have a nice little surprise on every day.

* * *

And since we're talking about Advent, I found a lovely quotation by Gudrun Kropp, a German poet, aphorist, children's and non-fiction author:

Advent is a time to reflect on what is truly worth making time for.

With that in mind, I wish you all a wonderful Advent season.

* * *

* 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 December! ❄️

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! 🎃

Wordless Wednesday ~ Labyrinth

Nobel Peace Prize 2025

Image by Florian Pircher from Pixabay

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded every year "to the person (or group) who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.".

There was a lot of talk and controversies about it this year, especially since one person in particular insisted he deserved it. (I won't mention his name, we all know who he is, anyway.) Thank you, Norway, for not giving in to the threats that were made.

Wikimedia

The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 was awarded to María Corina Machado, member of the Venezuelan National Assembly "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."

See also my list of Nobel Peace Prize Winners.

Congratulations!

* added after 15 January 2026

She should have the prize revoked. This is completely unacceptable.

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 September!

Happy September to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"Unter dem alten Apfelbaum"
"Under the Old Apple Tree"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:

"Da kommen doch jetzt wieder Erinnerungen hoch: Omas schöner Garten mit dem alten Apfelbaum, auf dem wir als Kinder noch klettern konnten und dessen dicke Äste auch noch Kraft hatten, die Schaukeln mit uns zu tragen."
"Memories come flooding back: Grandma's beautiful garden with the old apple tree that we could climb as children and whose thick branches were still strong enough to carry the swings." 

Any fruit tree looks beautiful when it bears its yield. Who wouldn't just love to grab one of those apples now? I also remember climbing into the trees with all the fruit.

Mind you, I have a problem with apple cakes. I never liked these with the dried fruit on the top. Since I am lactose intolerant, I have noticed that most cafés or restaurants that serve cakes have only one lactose-free version, if at all. And that is my least favourite apple cake. Since that is often the only option when I go out with friends and want to eat something to my coffee, I really can't stand it anymore. I wouldn't mind if they offered some non-sweet alternative, like a sandwich but in the afternoon, that is hardly ever offered. So, I go hungry most of the time.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

The theatre season started again. Three open air performances in the last week, one of them "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare.

If you haven't seen an adaptation, I can highly recommend the one with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. One of our favourite movies. Have a look here on IMDb.

* * *

I love September. My favourite month. Not just because it's also the month of my birthday but mainly becaue it's the beginning of autumn, my favourite season. The end of summer, the end of the hot weather. So, I was trying to find a German saying about September. But I found a quote instead. I have no idea who said this but I absolutely love it.

"Ah, September! You are the gateway to the season that awakens my soul."
(Ach, September! Du bist das Tor zur Jahreszeit, die meine Seele erweckt.)

Isn't that just beautiful? And so true. It's the month where I can finally breathe again and therefore be myself.

* * * 

My Jane Austen read (see #Reading Austen project) this month was "The Jane Austen Handbook". If you are an Austen fan, I can highly recommend this little edition that tells us a lot about the Regency time.

The other August book I can highly recommend is "Knife" by Salman Rushdie. He tells us about the attack in 2022 and how he came back to life after that.

* * *

One of our outings last month took us to a nearby lake, large enough to have the feeling you are at the sea. The Dümmer See (Wikipedia)

It's less than an hour away and always a nice destination.

* * *

* 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. 

* * *

And here is my German expression for this month:
"Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof" (Life is not a pony farm, i.e Life is not a bed of roses)

It means life isn't always easy, you don't always get what you want. It's not an idyllic holiday destination.

In this sense:

🍂 I wish you all a very Happy September! 🍂

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 July!

Happy July to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"Sommerwiese"
"Summer Meadow"
Hanka and Frank say to this picture:

"In this watercolor, Hanka played with the colorful blossoms and flowers in summer colors on a meadow."
"Hanka hat in diesem Aquarell mit den bunten Blüten und Blumen in Farben des Sommers auf einer Wiese gespielt."

I love these wild flowers. They remind me of my childhood.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

No big outings this month, though some visitors and lots of meetings with friends.

The temperature changes are really bothering me. We're constantly changing: hot, then thunderstorms, then cold, then hot again, and just when we've gotten used to it, it gets cold again, only to climb again immediately afterward, and so on. This is really bad for me. I feel constantly nauseous and dizzy.

* * *

My German saying this month goes with the picture above:

"Etwas durch die Blume sagen".

It means "Saying something through/with a flower" or "Saying something in a roundabout way". With this you hint at or allude to something, you make a hidden criticism. You express something indirectly, rather than directly and openly. You circumscribe it, or phrase it in a veiled way, often to convey criticism or an unpleasant message without hurting the other person.

I am sure other languages have similar sayings. If you know more in your languages, please, let me know.

* * * 

As I mentioned several times, it's Jane Austen year (see #Reading Austen project), and I am re-reading a book by her every other month. In the other months, I read another book about her. This month, it was "Miss Austen" by Gill Hornby. I don't really like people writing a sequel to a book where the original author died. I never did and I doubt I ever will. So, I guess my next book about Jane Austen (in August) will be a non-fiction again.

I've been reading a few less challenging books lately, partly through my book club, partly because friends lent me books I absolutely "had to read". I need to do something about that.

But, I had another successful attempt at bringing this fabulous author into my life. Lego issued another set about Jane Austen. It was a gift if you ordered something with them and since hubby always has some wishes, he had no problem getting it for me. Here is the finished set:

* * *

* 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! 🌺🌼🌸

Wordless Wednesday ~ Peace

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. *

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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.

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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

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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 very Happy May! 🌷

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. *

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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.

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

Puddle

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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 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. *
 

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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.

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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.)

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

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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 New Year! 🎉