Spent a few hours with some friends at Giovanni's 'Mona Lisa' last night. The New Year was ushered in with a great fireworks display as well as the traditional Berliner (that's a jelly doughnut, to those of you who can't remember John F, Kennedy.)
The place was full, with a lot of dancing and camera flashing, lively conversation, and camaraderie. Simple, elegant way to say Happy New Year.
I am not, as anyone who knows me, a wildly enthusiastic marker of anniversaries. For me, every time I open my eyes after sleep, it's the start of something new, which makes everyday an anniversary, and for celebrations on such a grand scale, it wouldn't leave time to live a quiet life. If you believe that time is linear, that is, but that's a topic for the next entry.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Advent in the Old New World
The Weihnachtsmarkt is in full swing, the neighbors are in good spirits, the weather is extraordinarily unlike any December I've experienced (except for a few I prefer to forget) and I'm enjoying it all. The seasonal depression of years gone by has been defeated (momentarily, I cannot predict the future) and the alcoholic haze that was my home-grown remedy is unnecessary. When I remember the 'Been Down So Long, It Looks Like Up To Me' days, months, years, I can smile at them at say they were, and I wish that they hadn't been, but there's no denying history until I learn how to use wormholes.....
Monday, September 19, 2011
Art in the City
Things have been relatively quiet on the street. Kuenstlertreff kicked off the fall program last Tuesday with some good music and a lot of interesting people to gawk at and the Herford Culture Night around the city was interesting. I met a good sculptor and saw a lot of interesting artwork, as well as having the pleasure of hearing Herman play horn with the fireman's brass band, a surprisingly excellent group, or maybe not surprisingly, but exceptionally, considering the always high quality of music here. Other than that, I haven't written a decent sentence in over a month, priimarily because I'm thinking visually, and plotting my next chunk or chunks of wood.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Earthquake!!!
Yesterday was my 65th birthday and that may be why the great earthquake of 2011 occurred. It even danaged the Washington Monument for trying to kill me when I was a foolish 17 year old who tried to run up all of the stairs. Afterall, I was Captain of the track team....
On a more serious note, I don't feel a day over 64. Nothing much has changed between the 22nd of August and the 24th. It may be I have less hair, but I don't think that matters. I can still type. I can still read. There was sunshine today and I took a walk and ate ice cream. If I missed anything important, I'll let you know next time....
On a more serious note, I don't feel a day over 64. Nothing much has changed between the 22nd of August and the 24th. It may be I have less hair, but I don't think that matters. I can still type. I can still read. There was sunshine today and I took a walk and ate ice cream. If I missed anything important, I'll let you know next time....
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
state of the world
economy, riots in London, North Africa in revolt. people still dying in Afghanistan and Iraq. still pirates in somalia. lot of people worried about whether or not the newest apps will work on their o/s. churches still pretty much empty. other people worried about nostradamus and the mayan calendar.
I watched Slaughter House 5 last night and I’m started to wonder if I forgot to turn the tv off.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
New Stuff
I put a Picasa gadget in the right column. You can click on the photo and it'll take you to the Picasa site where you can browse my stuff.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A Bavarian Adventure
I spent a few days in Bavaria with my niece and her family. It was the first time I'd since Nancy for thirty or more years, and it was like we'd seen each other yesterday! Her husband, Justin is a great guy and Mary, their 17 year old daughter has her share of the Zavacki genes. We stayed in the Edelweiss Resort, which is owned by the US Army, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. For four days, the only German I heard was on the other side of the fence!!
(which seemed to be at least 1km long on the forward side). Great Hotel for vacationing military personnel with all of the amenities and a really good kitchen. The only thing lacking was alcohol-free Weizenbier, but the alcohol-free Lager was a good substitute.
Our travels started with Neuschwanstein, Oberamergau, and environs. A lot of memories flooded through the gates. The last time I made that tour was with Abby and Lynne. I am still awed by the paintings and woodcarvings that make up the inner architecture of the castle, as well as Ludwig's devotion to the Virgin. The icon over his bed is particularly good. We were in a mixed group of Japanese and Americans, so the tour was given in English, and very well done. I spent some time in the courtyard smoking a pipe and chatting with a man from Baden-Wurtemburg about the differences between northern southern eastern western and points in between Germany!
This time around, I took a lot of photos in Oberammergau and made note of addresses and contact info. I don't plan on monumental or even life-sized works in the future, but something three or four feet high wouldn't be out of the question, although the body of work in this great little city makes me feel a little like a back-porch whittler! The themes range from the sacred to the profane-saints and crucifixes, drinkers and wood cutters, virgins and other sorts of women.
I stopped into the shop where they had a double of my daughter in the form of a porcelain doll ten years ago, but she was no longer there and was informed she was probably one of a kind. I don't remember why we didn't buy here back then.
It was a good day, full of sunshine and laughter and conversation.
The next day we rumbled around a bit, then headed Northwest to Kaltenberg to a medieval knights' tournament (Mittelalter Rittertournier). Again, sunshine and a lot of fun wandering the castle and grounds watching the antics of the medieval reenacters. The tournament began with a splendid cloudburst which turned into a driving rain and lasted through the first thirty or forty minutes. The show went on. Arthur, Mordred, Morgan laFey, Merlin, Mary, Nancy, Justin, hundreds of other people, horses, geese, asses, and I were soaked to the skin. It was a great show, ending with the conquest of Camelot by Mordred. (It was part ii of the saga) The part words were 'Come back next year to see how it ends.'
Sunday morning was a bit drier and we just lounged around the hotel for the first part of it. Mary stayed in the room while we old folks hiked the Alpine valley in the direction of the Zugspitz. There were alot of foks in lederhosen and dirdeln riding their bikes and walking in the same direction and about five kilometers yonder, we found out why. We had stumbled upon the Gaujugendfest in Grainau, with 14 different brass bands from around the area marching around the village. We followed them to a giant tent and went inside to watch the festivities. There were at least four hundred folks there, strapping young men in lederhosen and women in dirndeln, tubas, trumpets, drums, and thousands of glass mugs of the 1 liter variety (Mass is the word) waiting to show their talent. About half of the bands were marched inside when suddenly, the sky went black, then crackled and roared as lighting and driving sheets of rain came down. They eventually started to blow sideways, into the tent. The ensuing scramble had people crossing tables and benches to the safety of the driest corners. A few minutes later, the rain gave way-to hail!! It lasted about ten minutes longer and the residue was a carpet of marble sized ice balls. Just as suddenly, it went away. Taking advantage of what looked like at least an hour of blue sky, Nancy, Justin, and I hitched up our trousers and marched back to Garmisch. The milky limestone streams we'd passed on the way to Grainau were now fast flowing mud. In the villages along the way, people were sweeping up the leaves and branches and flowers and ice and assessing the damage. Some gardens were flattened.
The hotel bed felt very comfortable for the next hour or so!!
Later that evening, we went into Partenkirchen for an evening meal. I consumed a mountain of Jaegerbraten and Spaetzle and enjoyed the local Weissbier (Hefe, or Weizen in other places, wheat beer in Amerika), alcohol free variety, and we watched some kids in lederhosen slapping their heels and knees for the delight of a busload (or maybe two busloads) of Japanese tourists.
The next day was an enjoyable train ride for me back to Herford and a night in Frankfurt for my niece Nancy, Justin, and Mary. They are all back safely in the beautiful high desert of Oregon.
I'll post some photos in a bit.
(which seemed to be at least 1km long on the forward side). Great Hotel for vacationing military personnel with all of the amenities and a really good kitchen. The only thing lacking was alcohol-free Weizenbier, but the alcohol-free Lager was a good substitute.
Our travels started with Neuschwanstein, Oberamergau, and environs. A lot of memories flooded through the gates. The last time I made that tour was with Abby and Lynne. I am still awed by the paintings and woodcarvings that make up the inner architecture of the castle, as well as Ludwig's devotion to the Virgin. The icon over his bed is particularly good. We were in a mixed group of Japanese and Americans, so the tour was given in English, and very well done. I spent some time in the courtyard smoking a pipe and chatting with a man from Baden-Wurtemburg about the differences between northern southern eastern western and points in between Germany!
This time around, I took a lot of photos in Oberammergau and made note of addresses and contact info. I don't plan on monumental or even life-sized works in the future, but something three or four feet high wouldn't be out of the question, although the body of work in this great little city makes me feel a little like a back-porch whittler! The themes range from the sacred to the profane-saints and crucifixes, drinkers and wood cutters, virgins and other sorts of women.
I stopped into the shop where they had a double of my daughter in the form of a porcelain doll ten years ago, but she was no longer there and was informed she was probably one of a kind. I don't remember why we didn't buy here back then.
It was a good day, full of sunshine and laughter and conversation.
The next day we rumbled around a bit, then headed Northwest to Kaltenberg to a medieval knights' tournament (Mittelalter Rittertournier). Again, sunshine and a lot of fun wandering the castle and grounds watching the antics of the medieval reenacters. The tournament began with a splendid cloudburst which turned into a driving rain and lasted through the first thirty or forty minutes. The show went on. Arthur, Mordred, Morgan laFey, Merlin, Mary, Nancy, Justin, hundreds of other people, horses, geese, asses, and I were soaked to the skin. It was a great show, ending with the conquest of Camelot by Mordred. (It was part ii of the saga) The part words were 'Come back next year to see how it ends.'
Sunday morning was a bit drier and we just lounged around the hotel for the first part of it. Mary stayed in the room while we old folks hiked the Alpine valley in the direction of the Zugspitz. There were alot of foks in lederhosen and dirdeln riding their bikes and walking in the same direction and about five kilometers yonder, we found out why. We had stumbled upon the Gaujugendfest in Grainau, with 14 different brass bands from around the area marching around the village. We followed them to a giant tent and went inside to watch the festivities. There were at least four hundred folks there, strapping young men in lederhosen and women in dirndeln, tubas, trumpets, drums, and thousands of glass mugs of the 1 liter variety (Mass is the word) waiting to show their talent. About half of the bands were marched inside when suddenly, the sky went black, then crackled and roared as lighting and driving sheets of rain came down. They eventually started to blow sideways, into the tent. The ensuing scramble had people crossing tables and benches to the safety of the driest corners. A few minutes later, the rain gave way-to hail!! It lasted about ten minutes longer and the residue was a carpet of marble sized ice balls. Just as suddenly, it went away. Taking advantage of what looked like at least an hour of blue sky, Nancy, Justin, and I hitched up our trousers and marched back to Garmisch. The milky limestone streams we'd passed on the way to Grainau were now fast flowing mud. In the villages along the way, people were sweeping up the leaves and branches and flowers and ice and assessing the damage. Some gardens were flattened.
The hotel bed felt very comfortable for the next hour or so!!
Later that evening, we went into Partenkirchen for an evening meal. I consumed a mountain of Jaegerbraten and Spaetzle and enjoyed the local Weissbier (Hefe, or Weizen in other places, wheat beer in Amerika), alcohol free variety, and we watched some kids in lederhosen slapping their heels and knees for the delight of a busload (or maybe two busloads) of Japanese tourists.
The next day was an enjoyable train ride for me back to Herford and a night in Frankfurt for my niece Nancy, Justin, and Mary. They are all back safely in the beautiful high desert of Oregon.
I'll post some photos in a bit.
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