Happy Weekend!!

Yeah, it's FRIDAY!!! Woo hoo...:-)

And guess what I love about fridays?

Picking up hubby from work. Yes, you heard me right.

No, not by car or any other vehicle for that matter. 

When he is done for the week, and I feel like it, I wait for him here, seated on the wooden benches. 

He gives me a time, well a time. He's lucky he has a patient wife who loves waiting for him.

Till he arrives, I generally watch the world go by and also be grateful for the fact as to how small Lohr is. Otherwise I do not think I would have had this opportunity to walk with the husband home.

As I wait I watch couples walking hand in hand, singles dressed up well, maybe heading to the nearest restaurant or better still, meeting that someone special, some of them walk with freshly baked bread perhaps for the night, kids like mine happy running around the marktplatz as they wait for their dad too.

The wait in spring and summer(also the beginning of autumn) is beautiful. Geraniums spill out of every window in the Altes Rathaus. People sit out in the ice cafes, some in the restaurant in front of me. Having an early dinner or a glass of beer. Hubby and I too love to pop in once in while either for a bowl of ice cream, or just grab a cone. As we walk home he listens to my ramblings of the week gone by...:-)

(Now that it's cold it's a different scenario. It get's dark by half past four. There is no more outdoor seating at the restaurants, the ice cafes are closed for the next four months. Everybody have a faster pace to their step wanting to get into the warmth of their homes. In two weeks time the town will be lit up with the christmas lights and everything will be transformed into a fairy land. Till then, what do I do as I wait? Look at the christmas delights kept out in the window shops)

P.S: Above pictures taken exactly a month ago just as the autumn leaves began to fall.

A good start..

So today was my first day home alone.

With the start to the new academic year, the kids will be away all day long.

Yes, you heard me right, all day long.

I had been mentally preparing for this big change since quite a few months.

Back home, the moment my younger one began schooling(which was at the age of 3), I took up a full time job. Honestly, I didn't know what it was to be home alone for a long period.

My worry was not about killing time, it was more of overcoming loneliness.

I also figured that I may never get this opportunity again.

Today just flew by. I spruced up a few corners at home, caught up with friends both over the phone and online, baked a cake, tried a new recipe for dinner. Towards evening I was waiting for my lovelies.
I never thought I'd enjoy time alone, but I did. 

A new year..

A new beginning.

After a fantastic summer break, the schools in Bavaria re opened today. Since it was our girl's first day at the Gymnasium, we parents had to accompany her. 

The teachers were introduced, the students sent to their respective classroom. 

There was a slight cause for worry as she was separated from her group of friends(they are grouped according to the language chosen).

By the time they returned all was well. Apparently sonny too is separated from his group as he has chosen a different language this year .

They are quite excited with their student plans, list of books to buy and new subjects to learn.

Now, we are headed out to shop for school supplies. Over the weekend, I should be back on the blogging track.

Tuesday's around the world

(I am always intrigued by the German'S creativity with plants and flowers. Gifted by hubby on my day)

Hubby and I celebrate our birthday's 5 days apart. Today is his, mine was on the 24th. My family took me by surprise by forgetting mine...:D I was pretty amused! 

Today we have been busy perking up the house for him, preparing cards. Last night I was baking till quite late for his fellow colleagues at work. Did you know that in Germany, the birthday boy/girl has got to treat his fellow workers with cake and coffee? I didn't know and now I know why. The first year his birthday was on the weekend, last year he was in India. I was so glad that I was spared the first two years. Baking for Germans gets me all stressed up cause no way do my cakes match up to theirs.

Anyway, I am now off to begin preparations for tonight's dinner and bake a cake for us. 

What are you doing today? Link up with us and let us know..

Goodbye seems to be the hardest word

My sister returned to Scotland on Saturday. And for the next 2 days our little girl surprised us by being a weepy mess. The past 2 weeks were so awesome, she could not get herself to believe that it was all over.

The days up to her aunt's arrival were ones of excitement and childish preparation with a kind of frenzy.  

And once she was here, it was like the three of them were on holiday together.....

Do you know of an aunt who allows herself to be thrown at with umpteen number of snow balls till the face gets totally frozen...:D

And then one who just never gets fed up of playing monopoly, morning, noon or night,

one who has the patience of ( heaven knows) when the little ones are pretend guides for a day and just cannot seem to be quiet even for a second!!

one who gives piggy back rides all over town even though her back feels like it's falling apart...

one who leaves notes and treasures collected during one of their walks.

Well, she is one kind of an aunt to both of them.

I hope she returns and they can together create many more beautiful memories.

Tuesdays around the world

Last evening squeals of laughter, giggles and screams were coming from our living room. The kids had introduced their aunt to the game of monopoly and apparently aunty was getting rich in the process. Thats why the excitement....:D

We have my little sister visiting for 2 weeks and the kids are over the moon. Living abroad has a few disadvantages and having a loved one over is one of them. Germany is just too far and way too expensive for visits. So for kids who were used to having grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins(we are a very large family) drop in every month or two, living in Germany felt like living in forced exile. Fortunately for us, she is studying in Scotland for the next year and we are looking forward to having her over frequently.

What's your today like? Join us in the fun, we love to have you over....

Hanging hearts..

Last month, we had this hazelnut branch gifted to us by good friends. Many german homes have this branch hanging from their ceilings and decorated with lovely figurines. The decorater that I am, I too wanted one for our home. That's when the Huber family gifted me just the branch I wanted...:-)

So last evening, daughter and I got busy shaping hearts....I wanted to use the color golden and red(keeping valentines day in mind), she wanted a burst of colors. We ended up choosing the latter. By the time we were done with a dozen we were tired...:D Looks like the branch needs more, will save the hearts for another evening..:-)

Just another manic Monday.

(The orchids are slowly beginning to bloom)

Have you guys got your groove back? It's 15 days past January and I am still trying to get things back to normal. It's sure taking pretty long.

(My newest arrival on the window sill. In about a year's time, I will have to find new homes for these babies)

We are experiencing abundant sunshine along with lots of frost. While the camera has also been struggling to get back into action, hubby has encouraged me to go out and get some pretty shots of Lohr in frost. So as I head out, here's wishing you all my lovely readers a HAPPY MONDAY!!! I hope it's not as lazy as mine.

I'll be home....

I'll be home........oopsie,

We'll be home for Christmas...:-D

Even our bags say out loud that they will be home for CHRISTMAS.

I was so tempted to add a twig or two of pine leaves along with that red twine...

But then, apart from the stares from my fellow passengers, I didn't want to be explaining myself to the Indian authorities in the wee hours of Monday morning as to why was I bringing the little bit of German flora and fauna along with me..lol!!!!!

While I will be on a bloggy break for a while, I thought I will take the opportunity to wish you all my dear friends in advance

FROHE WEIHNACHTEN und

FROHES NEUES JAHR 2012!!!!

P.S: How do you mark your baggage while traveling? This was a piece of advice given by my dear MIL to tie them with ribbons so that they would be easily recognizable when they come out on the conveyor belt!! It should make our work much simpler, especially when we have not 1, not 2, not 3....but 8 bags rolling out!!!!

Still, a little girl..

When it comes to movies, I am a kiddo at heart...:) I love giving my kids company or rather the kids love it that I watch along with them.......:D

Sci fi.....I never understand it..

Murder, violence, lies, deceit.......gosh!!! How can somebody ever enjoy all this??

Fairytales, romance.....I love them all.....

The knight in shining armor, the trapped princess.......

I never tire of them.....

If there's a dash of humor, then even more merrier!!!

There is no count as to how many times we have watched our favorite movies, over and over again.......Many of them during my childhood and now all over again with my kids....

What kind of a movie person are you??

A warm welcome to all my new followers. I love having you over and hope that you enjoy my space..:)

Plum Crumble

For those of you who have been reading my posts, you will know that we were invited to the night watchman's tour of Lohr am Main. After the tour we proceeded to celebrate the 13th birthday of our good friends T&S's daughter. T is British, S German. So they always have a mix of both german and british cuisine on their table. The desert for the night was British Plum Crumble. It's a kind of plum pudding with plums(or any other soft fruit) for the base and a crumble mix of flour, sugar, and egg sprinkled on the top and baked.  It sounded very easy to prepare and I was determined to bake it this week. 

By now, you must also be aware that I am home alone with my daughter. Well, today sonny also joined us and so we were a trio!!  Home early meant plenty of iPad time or that's what he thought. He loves reading(I know its a good habit), but he has given up his books for the little pad. Determined to reduce the time spent on the electronic tablet(I had hid it) I invited him to join me in baking. 

The pitting of the first 5 plums were like this:

Sonny: Where is the iPad?

Me: We are baking now. Forget the thing.

Sonny: Once I am done pitting the plums will you tell me?

Me: Will see about that.....

By the time he was on the 10th, he not only was engrossed, he wanted to do the whole preparation all by himself. I let him...:) So here's how he did it....

Wash well and pit 3 pounds or one and a quarter kilograms of plums. Cut them into halves.

Combine plums and quarter cup brown sugar to blend well.

Lightly butter a baking dish..

Arrange plums in them..

Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, half a teaspoon each of salt and cinnamon powder. Beat an egg and stir into the flour mixture stirring lightly with fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the plums.

Melt half a cup of butter and drizzle over the crumble(I did this step). Bake plum crumble at 190 degrees celsius for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

That night we had it with ice cream, today as it is. Either way, it tastes delicious. Not only did sonny enjoy the whole episode, he wants to try his hand at whipping more dishes. I think some day, his wife is gonna thank me...:D

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

It's Sunday again

It has been a great weekend! And we are told it will be a great week too, of course by the weather man..:D Husband was told of this beautiful path and I had been wanting to see it myself.

There was a pretty stream running through. I spent some time just sitting and listening to the gurgle of water flowing while the kids kept themselves busy picking acorns.

It's strange how a foreign land teaches you to appreciate the best of good weather unlike your homeland where it is taken for granted as you know for sure the sun will be shining all the day long(except during monsoon).

Before we arrived, I had heard a lot of stories about people feeling depressed during the winter months. Now I understand. As much as the beauty of snow mesmerizes you, after a while you tend to miss all the green, the blue and the color!!!

Just the two of us.

(theme for 'anything')

It's a week since school began, and this year it's different. The kids are no longer in the same school. My oldest now goes to the so called german secondary school(Gymnasium). He has to spend the entire day there(8 to 4) which leaves his little sister no choice but to be home alone with ....... you got it right......ME. I didn't realize for a few days that she was missing her brother in the afternoons. Formerly, eighty percent of the time they fought and the remainder they would be playing together along with their friends at a park. It also meant that our house did sound crazy once they got back together from school!!!

     I had begun to enjoy the quiet and calm and thought that she too felt the same way as she would keep herself busy in the bedroom with her dolls and paints. Till, I noticed that the moment the door bell rang she ran with glee to greet her brother!!! I realized that a few hours of separation did kindle sibling love between them...:)

Next year, she too will join her older brother and then I am gonna be home alone all day long. This does not sound appealing at all. Now, to make the best use of the time we have together, we have begun going on mother daughter walks when and as the weather permits. I walk, she bikes. I love the fact that every few metres she patiently waits for me as I pause to take in the changing colors and also capture our moments for memory.

Back to school

A new year, a new beginning......today, they are back to school....

They are back to being their old selves, smile and laugh a lot more...:) The kind of excitement little kids have, its back. They told it to me themselves "We cannot wait for school to start, to meet our friends and make new ones".

They both share a passion for learning, eager to know something new. 

Life of an expat child can be hard. Very... There are a lot of outbursts, everything is new and strange, it can be very tough for children and parents too. Time is a healer. They learn to slowly pick up and move on with gentle love and words of encouragement. 

We are very proud of both of them and pray this year is good and holds a lot of promise and surprises too...:)

Would you like to join me at Communal Global and share your world? We love to have you over..

   

Missing in action...

    I know I have been missing in action.  This is the first week that I have not participated in both Sunday's in my City( I linked an old post) and Tuesday's around the world. I have been caught up with so many things. The most important being the preparation towards my children's First Holy Communion. Husband is fed up of seeing me always with glue, paper, scissors and colors. And when not surrounded by this, I am in deep thought!!! He is dreading their weddings already. I tell him, that I have been like this right from the time I was little. I used to decorate the house for my birthday a month in advance!!! See, that's how crazy I was.  Even our wedding, I drove everybody mad. I had made this list where everybody, and  I mean each member of the family(about 30 to 40 people) had a role to play from the beginning till the end of the ceremony. Before leaving house, all had gathered in our living room, and I (decked up in my sari and make up)called out loud each name, where by they had to respond what their role was. Hilarious, isn't it??? I didn't want anything to go wrong. The perfectionist that I am...:(

    The weather being gorgeous, I have not stepped out of the house, which means my cam too is missing in action. Too bad isn't it? Well today, I have been invited to go to an English play in a nearby town with a group of English learning students. I grabbed the opportunity cause I need a break. A break from the normal hum drum of life. The father and kids will be having a quiet evening on their own(They are delighted). And by the time I am back  home, they all should be sound asleep in bed..:D

Yesterday was the semi final game of World Cup cricket between the rival countries, India and Pakistan. I missed not having regular transmission on our television. I had to make do with the online screening on the PC, which oh so many times lost signal which was quite frustrating. Well, India won and then there was cause for celebration. I am told that the skyline of India was dotted with fire works, youngsters on the loose screaming and shouting with joy, houses bursting out with cheers. I could only imagine all the jubilation that was happening back home. One more price to pay for living in a foreign land. You lack the thrill of watching it on TV and then miss all the fun. Saturday is the finale and I pray that our men in blue win the cup.

      

I ♥ Jalebies

So, what's a Jalebi??? When Shireen (a good old friend who I have gotten closer to the past few months thanks to facebook and blogging) put up this post last night, it got me all nostalgic and pining for this sweet which I love oh so much. I love them so much, there are no words to describe my love for it. And here is the best part, I love the ones made from a particular sweet shop(Taj Mahal)in my home town Mangalore.  

    I have not been able to take the images of this soft succulent sweet from my mind at all. So, in desperation, I pulled out a cookery book to see if it had a recipe in it. It did, but it looked like I need to put in quite some effort and that will take some time. Not only that, there are certain goodies you are so used to buying from sweet shops that you never ever think of preparing them at home. So continuing to ponder over my lost love, thinking of what a heavy price we pay while living abroad, I suddenly remembered of something I had seen during my home trip back in August.

While in amchi Mumbai, I got to witness this!!! A sweet vendor preparing JALEBIES!!!!

Jalebi's are sweets made from all purpose flour made into a batter with sugar, yeast, yellow color and water. The batter is then poured into a cloth with a hole in it. The jalebi's are formed by gently squeezing out shapes into piping hot oil. Once fried they are immediately transferred into warm sugar syrup and removed. 

For now, I am satisfied just looking at these pictures. What is it about your home country that you miss??