A bike ride to Neustadt

Today I wanted to get out. So we decided to ride our bikes to Neustadt and Steinhuder Meer (a big lake). It was 35km each way, so a pretty good bike ride seeing as we havent been riding regularly like we do at home. The picture below has the small red POINT "A" on the right where we started, and the edge of the lake where we ended on the left. We passed some really lovely fields of purple flowers and wheat, and a picnic at the lake. This time I did not make Daniel ride such a long ride on only one little peach! It was sunny and warm and truely a great day.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT NEST!

Daniel forced me to take a picture.

Old broken stairs.

The church with the spire.

To the lake, through the boardwalk.

Steinhuder Meer w/lots of sailboats!

Music Man...

I love the lullaby that Edward plays for Bella on his piano in the movie Twighlight. So Daniel knows this and looked it up on YouTube. He found a video he could watch of someones hands playing it and after two days he can play the right hand through the whole song, and the first part with both hands. Here is a short clip of what he does on the right hand.

If I can only IMAGINE...

The day before the party I found myself frustrated with a feeling of "not enough to do" = dissatisfaction with "the now." Ha! As if I know all of what is around me and have nothing more to explore! Rediculous. Luckily, I snapped out of that unconcious state and into one in which I was again aware, inquisitive and imaginitive about the world around me. I grabbed my camera and went off into the woods. :) Just some beautiful things I stopped to admire on this day's adventure.

A definite "Hmmm...?" moment.

White Columbine. Seen this one before Mom?

Im so small. How can I feel so bored in a world this big?

This almost looks photoshoped.

See, Mom, I told you Columbine grows here like a weed.

A Sweetpea grows up a pine tree. Hey! That rhymes! :) Daniel said, "looks like the Charlie Brown tree my parents have and the flowers on the hill at the cottage." Right on. :)

Pretty bells.

I saw a very tiny mushroom.....

so I squated down, like a little kid, to take a very tiny picture. :)
Schoen, nah?

Some warm sand between my toesies.

Larry, Moe & Curly.

Incredible!

Yes, he was nearly no bigger than the crease in my thumb.

Stimulating to say the least. How could I be bored when I have so many senses? The smells of the daisies, warm pine needles, and fresh air. The sight of such vibrant colors in the sky, sweet peas, and lily pads. The sound of the grown frogs chirpping gladly in the sunshine. The taste of fresh strawberries, and the feeling of tiny tiny tiny toes walking across the pads of my fingers. How can our lives ever be boring?

For Sad Piggies :)

I have to run right now to make lunch for the kids and Bea. Just went for a bike ride through the farm fields and that was beautiful. In one hour we leave for the kids swim classes and then go straight to Miriam's house (Bea's pregnant sister - due next week) for her son Samuel's birthday party. I didnt get a picture of Daniel as the "BAD MAN" yesterday during Simi's party but it was amazing! We will recostume today and then take a pic so you can see what it was like! :) Daniel looks great in a pair of dark sunglasses and dressed in black! It was so exhausting throwing that birthday party. We were up at 6 something with 5 hours rest, prepared all morning by cleaning, frosting cupcakes, decorating, all while taking kids too and from the last day of school, oh, and having a mini "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" celebration with presents at breakfast, then entertained 10 munchkins for 3 hours (felt like forever), and finished with a family gathering until 8 pm. Daniel and I fell in our bed at 9 and we were almost too exhausted to change into PJs and brush teeth. Again, I didnt wake up until 9am! Not loving that, but apparently needing it. Woke up with my periauricular sinuses (???the ones around my ears) feeling full again, and throats a little scratchy. Wondering if it is more sickness or just flushing of bonfire smoke from my system. Anyway, will post more later! I promise!

Elia Sagt, "Al-erna & Dal-el" (Marlayna & Daniel)

Carrots & Coffee, Ferrari's, and an Old Church

So, I was about to blog that Daniel wasn't home yet from "job hunting" and it was 8:30pm. He left at 2:00 this afternoon. I figured he'd either accidentally gotten lost, accidentally done something illegal and gotten into trouble (because we are still learning a new laws here every now and again), or been very successful with his search. Fortunately, it was the latter of the three. He said he went to one location to apply, couldn't seem to find it, but instead landed in front of a Ferrari & Maserati Dealership. He was like a ray of sunshine bouncing up to the door tonight with this good news. Apparently, he felt this event was divinely inspired and, therefore, he had no hesitations about going inside to inquire about work there. It went really well, they gave him a tour of the shop, told him that their car detailer who usually works there is out, and that they would consider using him as a replacement. The owner said that tonight he would be happy to discuss it with his partner and get back to Daniel. I hope Daniel will blog more for you on his search for work here. :)

Yesterday we went into Hannover to check out the Altstadt (old part of the city)and to see a small festival going on in the town. Our camera was dead so I dont have any pictures taken by us personally to blog for you. But these will do just fine. :) This is the church from the original part of Hannover before it was destroyed. Parts of it are still completely black from soot and being burned. This first picture is of what it looked like when the roof was gone.

For dinner we were geeked to find this super cool Bio-vegetarisch (Organic & Vegetarian) cafe open so late on a Sunday. We had been eyeballing it for a week or so but not had a chance to stop in. I was feeling rather hot emotionally and I was super happy when I found they had special Ayurvedic teas that I could try - Pitta, please. :) I bought a box. I wish I could have taken pictures for you because this cafe is in the prettiest part of town (this is where i would live). Suprisingly there are quite a few trees, cobblestone roads, tiny shops, and this adorable cafe. Its bright, cheery, and the mother-daughter couple who own it are very friendly. Apparently they also teach cooking classes from their resturant. This midget picture does not do it justice. I felt very much at ease there. It was calming. A really warm environment. Daniel had a homemade vegan burger with a housemade mustard, horseradish sauce and small salad - delish, but not sure what the dressing was - vegan of course. Mine was a smoked tofu sandwhich on wholegrain brotchen (mini bread roll), with arugula, and a little meaux mustard. Daniel had a vegan amaranth, millet, ?#?, raisin cookie for desert. I wanted a small date/almond tiny truffle-ball like desert but they were actually out. It was a very nice place. :)

This is the type of buildings this place is in but this picture is rather dark and does not give you a good idea of the feeling it evokes when you are in this section of town. I hope to take more for you so that I can share what I love about it. Or, you could just come visit and give me another excuse to go to Carrots & Coffee? :)