Trusty Companions

Whilst clearing out my stuff and saying goodbye (to that beautiful French abode), I found these guys. Oh these trusty friends of mine, they accompanied me to many gigs, down country lanes (when I should have been revising), to my high school leaving do (with a lovely purple long dress), in conversations about the meaning of life, a good photographic angle, in a dark room, .... I couldn't believe I could live without them. Who would want to live without boots? I was told once that I would grow out of boots, well you know what, I haven't. I have just changed the brand. Now they are beige instead of brown. But I still love them and wear them until they look this beaten. 

Well as clearing out goes, I was clearing out and that meant saying goodbye. I cermoniously put into the rubbish bin (and yes I lifted the lid several times over the course of the week to take them out again, but didn't) and said goodbye. But not without a photo shoot. I now have a nice series of docs to put on my wall.

Summer

Over a week ago, we had one day of beautiful sunshine. And we were lucky enough to be invited to a pool opening party. The cousins had a great time playing in the pool, entertaining grandparents, and generally enjoying summertime.

Since then it has gone back to be a Welsh summer. No disrespect to Wales, I love the country and yes, a good summer there is perfect. I have experienced many though that were mainly rain and a lot like the one we are having here. Everytime I get frustrated about it, I remind myself of those millions that have had far more water come down on them than we have this year. For us it is frustrating, for them life threatening and terrorising. So once again I am counting my blessings and saying thank you for this beautiful day. Oh and please, if anyone is reading this that has some say in the matter... please can we have some more sunny ones.

Free Fruit for Jam

Aren't they beautiful? Such pretty mirabelles found by my husband. The men in my house share the opinion that if they don't produce edible bits, there isn't much point in plants. I don't wholey agree, but, I can see the point. 

Having said that free fruit good for jam (and other eating) is about as good as it gets. It is the time of year. Wonderful. These are around the corner from us, just waiting for the juicer.

A Week of Events

I intended to write every day or to at least post a picture. My excuse is that life got in the way. The events were (not in order of appearance)

 

Event 1: the new nephew arrived! No proper pics or details of him yet (he is a little new to be broadcast yet). Believe me though he is lovely and has that old man feeling about him that newborns often do. It is as if they are wise. The question that remains is though how do they go from wise old creatures to the crazy under threes?? He has been welcomed into our family (well at least everyone has viewed him) and found him to be satisfactory. The boys (you saw them last week), generally agreed he was good and then turned to the business of leaping about on the hospital bed and running down hospital corridors holding hands. Far more fun to be up to no good when there are two of you! 

Event 2: Germany beat Argentina. Now I don't have England to support (and we now theoretically beat Argentina 2:0) I can support Germany (at least a little bit). You have to acknowledge that they are playing very nicely, thank you very much. The whole country is a state of black, red and gold and serious excitement. Next round is Wednesday. 

Event 3: wild storm with flooding. About an hour before the match the heavens opened. We'd been in the garden playing and reading before hand. I was swinging Yorck and we were listening to it rumble around. It sounded a bit like far off artillery fire (we spend quite a lot of time near a Belgian military range. It sounded very much like that. My parents-in-law were reading the weekend papers. At some point we went inside as it was too dark to read and getting really quite threatening. All of a sudden, down came the rain. Stair rods are positively bend in comparision to what we saw. We stood for ages and watched the water lash across the garden. 

After about 20 minutes I went down into the cellar, just to check. And it was pouring in through the door. About 10 cms in places. What fun we had mopping it all up. Well the cellar floors are now clean. It turned out that all the houses in the area had water in their cellars, thorough their front doors, wherever there was a little crack to pour though, through it came. 

Event 4: discovery of the Pomodoro Technique A spectacularly effective way to increase your concentration skills. After just three "pomodoros" (yes the idea of measuring time in plastic tomato egg timer units is somewhat bizarre, I used my phone timer) I had reduced the amount of distracting thoughts to half. Just writing them down as you go highlights how many there are! It's worth a look, even if you can concentrate well.

Just Another Summer’s Day

or the day after. Today is going to be a day of snide comments, blatant „Schadenfreude“, and the like. What do I have to hold against all this? Well, a decent night’s sleep (not a normal event on a Sunday night) and a beautiful summer’s morning which I am enjoying to Coldplay. Even if football isn’t coming home, that one (in comparison) small island produces a disproportionate amount of excellent music artists. I will enjoy today anyway. I suppose if you are going to live somewhere abroad (only a problem once every two years, don’t forget the European Cup!) I suppose it’s best to live where the party has a good chance of being to celebrate the world champions, isn’t it? And in a way it is better than to live in the county that is now going to fall into a mix of self pity, anger at a massive ref. mistake and self inspection. Have I mentioned just how beautiful this morning is?!

Time is speeding by. Last Friday was Yorck’s nursery leaving party. I have to admit that I no longer have a baby, but a little boy. The toddlerisms are almost over as well. Time for Kindergarten (European Kindergarten that is.). I am sure going to miss the cosy nursery he goes to now. The nursery assistants (is that what you call them?) are great, Yorck feels nearly as at home there as he does at home. I suppose moving on is one of those things that is going to accompany us until he makes his own way in the world (it breaks my heart just thinking about that even now). Thanks to all of you who have made my little man so welcome over the past two and a bit years.

Oh dear!

4:1. No more excuses to run around in my fooball shirt anymore. My life will be filled unwillingly with black, red and gold.

Boys in Parks

Summer really is with us here in Düsseldorf. So Yorck and I are spending our days outside with friends. We are really enjoying Düsseldorf. It has to be said, I never noticed before how green this city is. It just came 7th in a Mercer quality of living survey of the world's cities.A lot of parks and green go towards making somewhere livable, if you ask me. It is also somewhere that seems to pull people back. I've ended up living here twice! So as part of this challenge (34 days of summer) I'm intending to show and tell you about some of the places around here.

Yesterday we went to the Nordpark. I have been there once before (in a different life) and although it was nice enough I wasn't overly impressed. Quite different yesterday. It was wonderfully wot (more than warm but not HOT), the fountains were on (they can't have been there last time I was otherwise I'd have been back there many more times inbetween) and the boys (those two rascals on the pictures) had a wail of time. You can see the evidence of the nephew I mentioned who would be coming this summer here too. 

So for any of you who live or are coming to Düsseldorf, the Nordpark is worth a visit (despite it's dubious origins). There is even a little cafe hidden away in it's depths. I've heard they do a mean iced chocolate!

And then there are other playgrounds which are just places that are great to hang out in with your mates. Nothing like a well placed table tennis table in the shade for a snack for the boys and a coffee for the mums (Thanks Helen!) 

Publish Post

Okay, okay, so it has to be about football

Deciding to be more present and enjoy life a bit more sure is the way to start. Just deciding that no chores were going to be done yesterday, just fun in the park and intense football viewing, has recharged my battery enormously. To anyone who doesn't know, I am a Brit (for football, English) married to a German living here in (currently) sunny Düsseldorf. So days like yesterday are good: England and Germany win their respective games, days like the coming Sunday (England vs. Germany) are fraught.

Between games, Yorck and I went to the park and had amongst lots of other summer fun, a Sesame Street park moment. Lots of kids running around enjoying themselves. Yorck and I were sitting on a big seesaw. The shades of skin varied from so white translucent would be a better description, through prettiest tan with long loose brown curls to a gorgeous black (with the biggest grin out). Our park on a weekday is like a United Nations Assembly (only the kids can solve their problems more easily). I love it.

Time to ......enjoy the remaining 92 days of summer

It's time to move forward, start seeing and savouring again, enjoy the summer and enjoy my great family and friends

So to celebrate this I have decided to join Evidently in her 94 days of summer. Although I have obviously started a little late (I plead tight work deadlines) and can't make up for those lost days (is there a moral in there somewhere??) I shall do me very bestest and intend to post you a picture from my neck of the woods as often as possible.

This summer is promising to be a bit more relaxed than some past ones have. Just 1 wedding, 3 family parties, 21 birthdays (most need no more than a quick call or card), a new nephew (due any day now... exciting), the rest of the world cup.... well these are the things that sping to mind.

In the in-between-times I will be playing, working on some of those to-be finished projects (never call them unfinished!) and enjoying life.

What this space........