Interesting Weekend In Germany

This weekend marked the big Eiffel Bazaar on Spangdahlem AB, Germany. In our part of the world, this is a pretty big thing. Vendors from all over Europe come over to Spang and fill up two huge hangers with their treasures. Then we military folks climb over each other to buy them up and mail them off to family members back in the states for Christmas. Oh, and maybe get a few things for ourselves as well. Armed with my Christmas shopping list, Russ and I dropped the kids off at TLF and started our shopping. (The kids have seen one too many Polish pottery dish, and much more than their share of tapestries. They were happy to hang out in the room, play on the computer, and watch some TV.)

After walking around for a little bit, we spied this beauty. We've always been fascinated with these clocks, and wouldn't mind adding one to our household some day. On closer inspection...

Yep. That's right. It's MY castle engraved on there. Schloss Neuschwanstein. I know. Spying this castle on items has cost me big in the past, but it's fate, right? It's a sign that maybe this is our clock. After waiting for a while, the owner was free to come over and answer our questions. It's hand made/carved out of birch by a craftsman in their shop in Bavaria. That isn't regular glass on the front. It's crystal. He proceeded to bang his fist against it so hard that I jumped about a foot in the air from the noise. It didn't break. Apparently crystal is pretty tough. The entire thing is custom made, and the wood is held together by screws, not staples. We inspected everything, listened to the chimes ringing, and learned all about the chain winding mechanism. It's wonderful. We need this clock. How much, you ask? We were curious about this, too, so we inquired. It's only $5,000. Now at this point, things are a little foggy, because to the best of my recollection, Russ lost his lunch and I passed out.

After regaining our composure, we assured the kind man that we'd think about it and continued our shopping. Next, I spied a little antique bench. I've been looking for a bench forever. 1 1/2 years to be exact. This one is perfect. My hands were still a little shaky from my last encounter, so I didn't get any pictures of it. The kind lady demonstrated to me how the back actually flipped up to form a table top on the bench, thus turning it into a kind of buffet table. Amazing. Again, no pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it on how simply wonderful this piece of hand carved goodness is. A little nervously, I asked the price. $1,000. The room spun, but I managed to keep my balance this time. Russ clamped his hand over his mouth. I thanked the lady for her assistance, but we still had Christmas shopping to do. Our relatives needed treasures. After walking around the two hangers for a bit longer, we realized that we just weren't inspired to buy anything. The perfect gift can be very elusive. We decided to head over to Ramstein to check out something we had in mind for Brandon, as well as finish up the other shopping we had to do. A little over an hour later, we were in the stores. We spotted what we had come to inspect. Yes, Brandon would love this. Russ turned over the price tag and ...$1,000. To our credit, Russ did little more than make a little grunting sound. Other than an uncontrollable twitch in my left eye, I think I handled it pretty well, too. Fine. We'll just get the other things that I needed and head back to Spang. Or not. They were either out of what I was looking for, or just didn't carry it any more. I did find one thing on my list, but that was it. An entire day of shopping...for one little thing. Disappointment. Back to Spang. We had decided to treat ourselves to a mini vacation and spend the night before heading back to Belgium. Spangdahlem AB has, by far, the best TLF we've ever stay in. The suites are really big apartments. Three bedrooms, an office, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, and a TV in every room. It's awesome. Unfortunately, they only had pet friendly rooms left. No biggie. We don't have pet allergies, so no big deal, right? Um, no. It would seem that the pet friendly rooms have some sort of thick rubbery plastic covers on their mattresses. Permanently attached. Even with a mattress pad and sheets on top of that, it's hot. Very hot. And each tiny movement of a human body makes a noise, not unlike the sound a pack of firecrackers makes when you light the end and toss them into an empty barrel. There is no sleeping with that sound. At all. Many, many, many sleepless hours later, we started for home. Giftless, exhausted, and not quite so filled with the holiday spirit at this point. Still, on the positive side, we still have our money. And there are many more Christmas markets in our future. Here's hoping we find the perfect gifts at the next one. And maybe a little therapy wouldn't be out of the question. I'm just saying.

Two Magical Creatures In My Home

There are two magical creatures that live in our house. The first is the House Fairy. You might have met her. In fact, one might live in your house as well. She is the one who makes sure that the laundry is always clean and put away. She vacuums and mops, keeps the pantry and fridge stocked with food, and cleans the toothpaste out of the bathroom sink. She cooks the meals, wipes down the kitchen counters, and dusts the furniture. She is very busy. And she is rarely seen in public. Things just seem to get done. Her arch nemesis is Not Me. Not Me is also hard to spot and is very, very busy. Not Me finishes the roll of toilet paper and does not replace it, and throws recyclables in the trash. Not Me leaves clothes on the floor, crumbs on the kitchen counter, and eats the last of the chocolate chip cookies. I suspect that there might be more than one Not Me living in my home, but I can't prove it. Not Me is harder to spot than Big Foot, and more elusive than the Loch Ness Monster. Some day, in the not so distant future, Not Me might move on to another home. That will be a sad, sad day. But until then, it's possible... just possible... that the House Fairy might need a vacation. I caught a glimpse of her this morning, and she was rolling her eyes as she wiped the kitchen counter clean of crumbs for the third time in the last hour. I'm just saying.

Crazy Weather

This is what I woke up to this morning. And then it got worse. You couldn't even see the back fence. The weather has not been on it's best behavior lately. We had non stop rain for about two weeks, and then the fog set in. One thing that I've noticed about the locals, though, is that nothing slows them down. A couple of days ago, the rain was pouring down, and an elderly gentleman near us was out sweeping the leaves off of his sidewalk like it was just another sunny day. You still see them out doing yard work and riding their bikes on errands, no matter how bad the weather is. They're tough in Belgium. When the rough weather hits, you can be sure to find me snuggled on the couch, under my favorite blanket, and watching a movie. I'm a wimp. I admit it, and I'm OK with that. There is a rumor that fluffy white stuff will soon be here. If it does, feel free to stop by. We can watch Under The Tuscan Sun and dream about Spring.

Happiness Is A Belgian Tapestry

Today was the first bazaar of the holiday season, so of course I had to go check it out. There's nothing better than hanging out with great friends and shopping. (Unless you also happen to find treasures like these.) I've been admiring tapestries ever since we moved to Belgium. The only problem with them is that normally, they are very ornate and flowery. Not exactly my style, and most definitely not Russ'. I love to look at them, but they just don't seem to fit our house very well. Then today, something amazing happened. My friends and I were walking around the booths, admiring all sorts of fantastic treasures like antique Belgian furniture, Turkish rugs, Polish pottery, and Norwegian knitted hats...when we came upon the tapestry booth. And then I saw this. My first thought was "Wow! That's REALLY pretty!" My second though was "Russ would even like this one!" I looked at a lot of other tapestries, but I kept coming back to this one. It's perfect! And then... the corner of something else caught my eye, and I unfolded it... I have three words for you: Uh Maze Ing! If you have been paying the slightest attention to anything I've written over the past year, then you should instantly recognize this castle as Schloss Neuschwanstein. My most favorite castle of all time. (It's the Disney castle, for goodness sake!) I've been inside that castle. And it's in the colors that most of my house is decorated in. How could I not get this tapestry? Ugh! A most serious dilemma. What to do? What to do? I called Russ and he told me to get it, if it's what I want. Then Armin, the owner, decided to help out and offer me a great deal on both. I'm sure you've figured out by now that these beauties got to come home with me. And yes, the hubby loved them. Almost as much as I do.

Veterans Day

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, in honor of those who fought in WWI. He said, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

Seven years later, November 11 was made an legal holiday: "A day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'." In 1954, Congress amended this act to rename it "Veterans Day", in honor not just those who fought in WWI, but all veterans. Think about those veterans while you are enjoying your day off of work. Think about those who fought for your freedom. And those who died for it. Take a minute to thank someone in uniform for their hard work and sacrifices.

It's Fall

I got Mugged By My Friends...And It's Awesome!

I have the most AWESOME friends on the planet! Look at the goodies I just got in the mail! Yay! It's enough to make Russ roll his eyes and say "Are you kidding me? More mugs?" You betcha! And aren't they gorgeous? My collection is slowly growing. Well, the hubby might disagree to the pace of my collecting, but I think it's at a very reasonable rate. I'm still on the lookout for one from Louisiana or Mississippi. I tried to get them when we were visiting the folks, but I was unsuccessful. It's my understanding that there is one for New Orleans, but I can't find one listed for Mississippi at all. If someone can get their hands one one of them, I'd be most appreciative. (I'll even trade you a mug or send you some Belgium chocolate, but don't tell the hubby. He'll just roll his eyes again.) Thanks again to my awesome friends! You guys rock!

Winner of the "What the heck is that?" category of mail... is Dajana. This was tucked into a box she sent me, and I think the whole family was a little freaked out by this fella. Isn't this the craziest thing you ever seen? Brandon even asked, "We don't have to eat that, do we?" I assured him that we didn't. I do feel sorry for the little guy, though. Just look at that face. Whenever you're having a bad day, just think of Mr. Marshmallow head. It could always be worse. I'm just saying.