looking back

Even with my mind still fogged up from jetlag, I want to put down a few observations about my experiences here and there. And what HERE and THERE does to me.

This morning, I found a quarter on the street. Actually, I find money a lot around here (Portland) and almost NEVER in Europe. On one hand, I think that America in general is not such a rich country and it surprises me that people lose money on the street. I have found mostly coins, sometimes as many as 2 Dollars in one spot. Europe on the other hand is rather well off and one could think that people over there might not lose sleep over a few lost coins.

Now that is one theory. Then it occurred to me that people in Europe use wallets to hold their coins. Wallets with a (zippered or buttoned) coin compartment. Over here, most coins (especially guys’) live in a pant pocket. Maybe that is the reason they tend to fall out and end up on the street for me to find. The question remains why people leave them there and don’t pick them back up.

Another observation about ME is that I seem to have become a lot more cautious. I do consider myself a trusting person and a risk-taker. Yet, at the same time, I am realizing that I suck in my breath in various situations where I would not have done it before. Especially around children… I fear they might fall, stumble, get lost, get mistreated. In Europe, kids roam a lot freer than around here; they ride the bus by themselves, play out on the street, dig holes and climb trees.  I guess I do not see that many kids by themselves here.

Driving fast scares me now. What has become of me?  I used to be a night cabbie racing through the streets. Am I just older and wiser or has the constant fear media around me made me anxious? People in Europe seem to be a lot more self-reliable than people in the US. They blame themselves for not looking out if they stumble over a hole in the ground. People around here seem to be constantly nervous that somebody might break into their home or that something awful could happen to them. I guess that has made me more aware of things that MIGHT happen. Over 20 years living here will do that. And I am not even watching TV. That’s why I had to laugh at myself when I discovered that I had left the key stuck in the front door over night. Blame it on the jetlag..

(s)crap… another try

It did not work.

After having been without internet access, I finally found a cafe last week where I was able to use my ‘intelligent’ (smart) phone on which I had downloaded the wordpress application.  Or so I thought.

It looked all perfect. It even said it posted. Well, it didn’t. And when I found out today – looking all over for my latest entry – I felt cheated. It is a lot of work after all, to painstakingly type a longer entry on a phone keyboard.  Swype or no swype.

Oh well, I still have the basic idea about my SCRAP post in my head and will repost later.  It was a somewhat late entry either way as it had to do with home-made christmas presents. This way, it may be taken as an early though for THIS year’s christmas… or a birthday… or something.

In the meantime, I leave you with an impression from yesterday’s flight from northern Germany to Lake Constance (Bodensee), which was one of my more spectacular flights I have taken lately.

I flew from an airport I had never been to (FMO – Münster/Osnabrück) to another one that I had never been to (FDH – Friedrichshafen). That in itself was quite a novelty for me.

As you can see, we had a propeller plane – wich makes me a tad bit nervous as it is so small.  On the other hand, with only 9 people on board, I pretended I was on a private jet.

Only, they did not serve me champagne.

soft landing

After a forced stay in Chicago, I touched down safely below the snow capped Mt. Hood and next to the Columbia river.

It felt good. I am glad to be home. The weather is awesome (what’s not to like about hot days and cool nights?), the welcome was sweet and I am easing back into my life.

It always takes me a few days before I like the taste of coffee here. Europeans roast their beans differently and I can tell a distinct difference between the two.

Having friends over for a BBQ on the deck last night. Note the Aperol drink (Spritz, Bicicletta) in the front! Later the moon came out and we had a beautiful view of the stars (I guess they are the same all over the world…)

Back in my room. I am so happy!

I already accepted alterations and can do them right her in my own kingdom! As of next week, I’ll be watching Splurge every Saturday and can meet customers there!

I look forward to reconnect! Have a Happy weekend and here is to more summer in beautiful Portland, Oregon!

I am torn

I am not sure whether I just plain hate the thought of leaving – or whether there is a certain attraction to this place that I do not want to admit.

The weather has been incredible, the town is in it’s best mood (local festival going on!), people are friendly,

everything is quaint and lovely (…the only part I have difficulties with…)

and I get to play with my nephew and nieces.

So, I guess, I feel a little like this sculpture:

I had a fantastic time, filled with emotions and experiences that I now have to digest.

Bastille Day

I have NO idea why this particular holiday popped into my mind just now. I must be so immersed into Europe by now that I can even remember this French holiday – and I haven’t EVEN been to France this time.  And have not watched the news in over three weeks (only soccer) and have not read the paper today. For all I am concerned, the world can just do her thing and I try to stay cool.

Cool in every aspect – the heat has arrived as if wanting to make up for a too cool spring, cool in my mind to prepare for my imminent return to the big oil-spilling country.

Looking back over the past five months, I have had incredible good times.

Gallery in Berlin

“Public viewing”

leaving the island

another cool store

animals

and coffee houses in various places

Celebrate the place YOU are in today. It is totally worth it.

Impressions from a Metropolis

I got lucky last week. Me and my very best friend (VBF – is that an acronym?) got to stay at a lovely apartment in Budapest, Hungary and mingled with the many tourists there to see and enjoy the sites.

As a former Western European, I NEVER visited Hungary before. Before 1989, it was difficult to obtain a visa, it was difficult to get to, difficult to travel within the country (you pretty much had to tell the authorities every single step of your travels), restaurants served obscure meals, and you had to put up with socialist architecture everywhere.

Now, they still speak a strange language (Hungarian is related to Finnish – and NOTHING else in the world), have a currency other than the EURO (Forint, or ‘ft’ for short) – but it was easy to get there:  1 hour flight and NOBODY wanted to check my passport, a friendly ride into town and the subway nearby.

A typical ‘workman’s house’. We got to stay behind one of those doors.

The way to get around: Metro

A memorial to Jews who got pushed into the Danube during WW II.

And what we found in a park.

Of course we had to have coffee. There is a myriad of beautiful, restored coffee houses in Budapest to choose from. This one once served as the cafeteria for the secret police.

We spoke softly.

what’s in (a) store

Part of this journey was supposed to gear me up for the next step.

First, thinking of what has worked well.  Thinking about the parts of my store life that energized me every day (aside from my lovely customers and the conversations we have…) Next, thinking of the parts that worked well but need tweaking. And lastly, deciding what to keep and what to shed.

I also wanted to get inspired by stores that I see here.

A glimpse:

(I love the lighting, the subtle texture of the back wall and the colors)

(I’ve been thinking of my friend Amy in more than one way:  the name is “Holland’s”)

(a shoe store, again: the lighting and the simplicity of the shelving is intriguing)

And what about this? A mobile store!

Pretty in Purple

Here in Southern Germany

an intense period of yellow faded about ten days ago.

The hills were blanketed with fields and fields of rapeseed (Canola).

Yellow was followed by purple.

As purple is about to wilt, I need to show it to you:

Looking at the yards, we are going to have a color explosion next.

After all this rain.

Here is to a sunny Sunday to all of you!

(Wherever you are!)

a bizzare moment

Yesterday, while I was having a delicious Latte (2 shots!) and daydreaming my way around, I observed the most bizarre moment. Later, I wished I had a better camera to capture the various players in this little story. But since I want to share this strange domestic occurrence, you have to put up with the inadequate photo taken with my phone.

I will explain.

The main player here is the lady sitting at the end, the one with red hair. I estimate her age at about 65, maybe a little older, and dressed to the nines. If you look close, she is wearing leggings with zippers printed on it. What you can’t see are her sunglasses (half of the frame black and the other white), which she did not take off. You also cannot see her pointed high heels. The flaming red hair to me is a German curiosity – it seems that women a certain age prefer to dye their hair bright red.  (to be honest – the way she was put together and the way she dominated that table made me think of a cheap pretend-high-class prostitute)

I also determined that the man holding the brown/white dog was her husband and the two blond younger women her daughters.

Note the man sitting by himself at the table to the left. He was having a beer all by himself.

Two tables to the left of the single man was a couple who had a tiny little non-dog. A type mini-pin, only much smaller.  That little one was on a flexi-lead and had wrapped itself around the chair of the single older man so that it ended up stuck next to the single man’s left side.

Either table talked among themselves, except for the single man who had no one to talk to.

A little while after they had settled at their table, the redhead reached into her bag to feed her dogs some treats.  She then noticed the little mini non-dog and must have decided that it deserved a treat as well.

That’s when it happened.

She walked over to the single man’s table. Stopped at the right side of the table. (right where you see the man’s big foot) And then she leaned ACROSS the man’s front, her chest to his, almost FOLDED herself around the man. Had she wrapped her arms around him, you could have mistaken that moment for an intimate embrace.

Only, she reached down to the mini-dog.

It was so bizarre, everyone just looked, seemed to have stopped breathing, the man froze. Nobody said a word.

And then she righted herself, got up and walked back to her husband.

A split second later, people resumed talking.

As if it was the most normal thing to hang your body around strangers.

Light

I have been collecting various light sources over the last few weeks.

Little did I know that I could use some soothing, creative, glittering light RIGHT NOW.

I have it!

And this one:

Let the moon light up your night!

Wherever you are!