Archives for September 2010

Random tidbits

September 30, 2010 filed under: family, friends, FYI, Germany, my so-called life

I apologize for not being able to cough up a decent post lately, but I am somehow at a loss of (written) words. It’s not that I don’t want to write, but the things that I want to write about are still blurry and unclear in my head and need some more time to develop into something blog-worthy.

However, here’s a quick update on what’s been going on over here:

The last two weeks were pretty crazy at work, what with a couple of deadlines and long hours over the weekend before last. In fact, I didn’t get much of a weekend at all and was really looking forward to last weekend bad!

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On Sunday, I was in a crafty mood again and I made some more cards. I also got some mail ready to send out to some of you lovely people. So watch out, it might be you who can expect a little love from me in their mailbox!

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I know it’s only September almost October and it might be a little too soon to talk about Christmas (especially considering that California has been blessed with temperatures around 100°F this week), but fact is that Christmas is only 3 months away and I need to start planning my next trip to Germany. Flights are ridiculously expensive though. I almost fell from my chair when I checked prices last week. $1500+? Seriously? What has the economy done to us poor expats that we can hardly afford a flight home?

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My best friend from home informed me two days ago that her quarterly cancer check up was negative, which means she’s technically cancer free. I am not sure if I ever followed up with you after telling you about her having brain surgery and subsequent chemo treatment last year. The treatment and her recovery went really well, however, not all of the cancerous cells could ultimately be removed. The cells that remained are currently dormant and can, for all we know, be dormant forever. For now, this news makes me incredible happy and I wish I could go and hug her and tell her how much this news (and she as a person) means to me.

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My Dad’s recovery is going well. I wanted to thank you all again for keeping him in your thoughts two weeks ago when he underwent hip surgery. Each and every well-wishing was very much appreciated. The surgery went entirely as planned and there were no complications. My Dad started rehabilitative physiotherapy already on Monday and is very eager to get back on his feet. Thanks again, lovelies.

Currently Vol.2

September 28, 2010 filed under: about me, currently, FYI, lists!

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Current Book(s): I started “The Stranger” by Albert Camus this weekend. It’s this month’s pick for our book club meeting and I am curious to find out how I like it.

Current Playlist: I am currently listening to my “grunge” folder on iTunes: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana, … you get the idea. That’s who I am: a 90’s grunge girl :)

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: BBQ chips from Trader Joe’s. OMG. Keep them away from me.

Current Color: Yellow. I’d never say I would say that, but I do loves some bright yellow in my life right now.

Current Drink: Chocolate milk.

Current Food: Home-cooked meals. I’ve been trying a bunch of new recipes (which I am looking forward to share some time on this blog) and I really only want to go out for food again, if it’s something that I cannot (easily) make myself (like sushi). Most home-cooked meals taste so much better than the food at the restaurants – and the bonus: you know what’s actually in your meal, because you picked out the ingredients yourself!

Current Favorite Show: Hoarders. I know. I can’t help it. The show is fascinating and shocking at the same time.

Current Wishlist: Knowing the outcome of some things that have been going on. It’s frustrating not to know what is going to happen.

Current Needs: More time to sleep. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t seem to be able to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Need to change.

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Worrying about things that are out of my control. It can keep me up half the night, if I don’t force myself to not dwell on it.

Current Celebrity Crush: Ryan Reynolds in “The Proposal”. What? I loved this movie. Don’t judge. (I also think Sandra Bullock was brilliant in it – girl crush!)

Current Outfit: Black capri pants, a turquise colored shirt and flip flops. It’s still 100°F in California this week.

Current Excitement: I might be splurging on some photo editing software pretty soon (with some leftover birthday money from March. Gasp.). I have made do with Photoshop 6.0 for way too long.

Current Link: If you love handwriting fonts as much as I do, you need to check out Font for Peas. You’ll love it. Promise.

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What’s up with you CURRENTLY?

Just me, the eternal optimist

September 27, 2010 filed under: about me, FYI

{via weheartit}

I consider myself a very well-rounded person. I am not outstandingly good at any one thing, but I do a lot of things quite satisfyingly. Not one half of my brain is superior over the other. I enjoy natural sciences (hence my degree in Geography) as much as I do languages and music (hence my degree in English) and sports are a huge part of my life (hence the degree in Physical Education). I’ve always had a hard time focusing on one single thing, when there was obviously so much diverse, interesting stuff out there. I do want to experience things from all angles.

I don’t let myself get overwhelmed easily (although it does happen every once in a while). I listen, I analyze, I act. I am not one to freak out over every little thing.
I am a firm believer that everything can be conquered, if you take it ‘one step at a time’. I do worry about the future sometimes, but I try to not let it get too big in my head. There is nothing gained in over-planning something that is not in our control (although I am a planner, at heart. I guess I do like to think that I know what might happen along the way.)

I will admit that I do tend to overthink matters. I’ll think about this one comment someone made, or this one side remark that someone let out carelessly and without much intention, long after that person has forgotten (s)he even said anything at all.
If you say something, mean it. Words matter. Intention matters. More often than not do people speak before they think, without considering the impact on other people.

I am not perfect. Nobody is. (Surprise!) But I tend to believe that I am considerate of others and that I am trying to be sensitive to someone else’s feelings at all times.
I like to listen and to say nothing in response, if it is unnecessary, or to say something if it is appropriate.
I have a tendency to make other people’s problems my problems. I know I need to work on that, because I am just one girl and I cannot “save the world”, as much as I wish I could.
I keep hoping though that perhaps I can at least save little pieces of it.

Maybe?

Things I ponder

September 21, 2010 filed under: about me, family, nostalgia

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I really regret that I’ve never lived with my sister. Yes, of course, I lived with my sister when we still lived at home at my parents’ house. I mean, I regret never having shared an apartment with her. Before marriage and (her) kids and all.
I think we would have been terrific roommates. Compatible to no end. Which might strike you as odd, seeing that sisters usually get into fights over one thing or another, and believe me, my sister and I did have some rougher patches during our teenage years.
However, now in retrospect I think it would have been marvelous to have shared an apartment with her. It might just be a nostalgic idea and the thought might just stem from the wonderful and close relationship we have now.

When I mentioned this thought to my sister on the phone the other day, she instantly started trying to explain how different – though not less close – our relationship was back then, and how she went to college in one city, while I decided to go to college about 50 miles in the opposite direction, how there was really no point to move out at the same time (as it would have put more financial pressure on our parents or we both would have had to work much more than we did through college). But I stopped her right there and explained: I know that we obviously were in a completely different mind-sets back then and the thought of moving into a place together never crossed our minds. I just wanted to point out that now in retrospect, it would have been a fun experience.

Whenever I visit back home, one of the most special times during my visits is when I stay over at my sister’s place. We slip into the same bed under the same covers, like we used to when we were younger, and hold hands and talk. We can talk about everything. And I mean, literally everything.
She’s possibly the only person in the world that I would tell my deepest, darkest secret (not that I have any!) without ever worrying that she would judge me or love me any less because of it.

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Did you ever share an apartment with a sibling? Or do you wonder what it would have been like?

Culinary excursions

September 17, 2010 filed under: about me, food, my so-called life

What’s the most exotic food that you’ve ever tried?

I’d like to think of myself as pretty open to new foods and new tastes. I am not a picky eater and there are not too many things that I just simply can’t eat at all (one example would be liver).
However, I do have a problem with eating something that resembles the original shape and look of that something. I am obviously talking about carnivore indulgences.

I am not a big meat eater as it is, but I am pretty sure I would be a 100% vegetarian if I had to kill an animal myself in order to have meat. It just wouldn’t happen. (Don’t watch Fast Food Nation, just sayin’.) I know, that might sound pretty ignorant that I eat meat if it comes nicely cut up and packaged, but wouldn’t be able to kill an animal in order to eat meat. However, I am pretty sure that most of you (who eat meat) feel the same way, don’t you?

But I digress.

This is not about eating or not eating meat. I wanted to tell you about a little culinary adventure that J and I embarked on last weekend and which left me a little bit “uneasy”. We have a restaurant in our neighborhood that serves BBQ dinners and food that is generally considered “Southern cuisine”.

I’ve tried many exotic foods before. I had snails in France, eel for the first time at a Sushi dinner and I tried ostrich, ibex, camel and alligator. I couldn’t touch zebra and kangaroo, because I just couldn’t imagine myself eating animals that I personally find cute (I know, not a very solid reasoning, but that’s how I roll.) I also couldn’t imagine trying something that I personally find a little repulsive, like insects or amphibians.

So imagine my muted surprise when J declared that he was going to order the frog legs.

You see, frogs are not really animals/amphibians that I’d consider edible or “cook-worthy”. Just think of the “slimy” skin and the “squishy” rest of the body. But as you know, frogs are good jumpers and therefore have very muscular thighs, which some people obviously consider a delicacy.

To actually see a dead, fried bottom half of a frog on our table made me a little bit nervous. I spare you the visual (although I did take a picture) and will just say: I tried a tiny little piece (because I had promised I would) and decided it was not for me. It honestly took me some time to bring myself to put the piece in my mouth. It had a very fishy taste to it and although I eat fish, it just didn’t taste right.

Is there something that you think you simply could not eat? Do you have any memorable food experiences?

Keep in touch.

September 15, 2010 filed under: about me, crafts, friends

{via my 365 project}

I received a call on Sunday from one of our long-distance friends in Germany (originally his parents were friends of J’s family, but he and his wife then quickly also became friends of ours). We hadn’t really been in touch for a while, which is to say that I had been in touch by writing cards and emails to them for the usual occasions – Christmas, birthdays, etc. – but never hearing back from them.
He apologized profusely on the phone, saying that they were just really bad in responding, but that they’ve been thinking about us a lot and that he really wants to make an effort to call more often.

It was a nice surprise.

You know, some people shy away from getting in touch with people that they haven’t talked to in a while. Often this happens not because of not wanting to get in touch, but because life gets in the way and they forget and they promise themselves they’ll do it tomorrow and then won’t, because they feel bad because so much time has passed… yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. The same old story.

But you know what? In 99% of the cases, people will be thrilled and positively surprised if you take the initiative and rekindle the relationship, no matter how long it has been. I’ve never seen somebody reject a phone call or a hand-written card from somebody that they thought they’d lost touch with.

I’m obviously more of a writer than a phone person, hence another stack of hand-crafted cards (one of which you can see at the top of this post) that I made last weekend. So naturally, you’re more likely to be swamped by cards and emails from me, than get a phone call (although I do make regular exceptions for certain people!).

In the end, it doesn’t really matter how you get and keep in touch, as long as you do, in fact, keep in touch!

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So tell me, who should you get in touch with today?

It’s one of those days…

September 14, 2010 filed under: family, my so-called life

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… when I really miss living closer to my family.

When you read this, my Dad will be undergoing hip surgery. I know this is a pretty standard procedure these days, but it still bothers me that I can’t be there when he wakes up. That I can’t go and visit him and make the days at the hospital go by faster for him.

My Dad will be 61 years old this Thursday. It’s absolutely strange for me to think that he’s (almost) 61. He doesn’t look 61. He’s pretty healthy and fit for his age and his biggest goal is to recover as fast as possible from this surgery, so that he can go back to doing what he loves: teach physical education and play tennis. My Dad has been playing (and teaching) sports all his life and this is his passion.
To know that he’s been pretty limited in what he was able to do in the last few months makes me think that this surgery is a true blessing. I am glad he seems to be feeling the same way about it.
When I talked to him on the phone yesterday, he seemed so eager to get this over with and to be able to start working on getting back on his feet.

Part of this, I am sure, is the fact that he and my Mom are planning to come and visit next summer and that he’s already planning out all the trips and hikes that we’re going to be taking. One of them will be the hike up to Delicate Arch at Arches National Park in Utah). It’s been a dream of ours to hike up there together. I can’t wait!

If you could keep my Dad in your thoughts today, I’d really appreciate it.

Pretty Finds Friday

September 10, 2010 filed under: crafts, good things, love

Perusing the virtual isles of Etsy.com and its German counterpart DaWanda.de has quickly become one of my favorite pastimes when looking for unique gifts. With postage between the US and Germany being ridiculously expensive, I’ve embraced the possibilities that online ordering and shipping have to offer.
You know, I’d rather spend more money on the gift than on the postage.

I thought I’d share some of my latest finds with you: