Done, finished, gone…

 

Hallelujah the northern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice is now behind us and with it the shortest day of the year. Although days will not get longer quickly, they will at least not get shorter!

I always look eagerly forward to the date as of the beginning of December – sometimes even the end of November – especially since where I live close to a large lake we have what we call the “eternal gray”, days where the high-lying fog doesn’t lift as the sun isn’t strong enough nor long enough to burn through.

Last Sunday I did get above it – well worth it to just see that the sun does still shine.

 

Anyway now we can look forward to not only the holiday period, the end of the year, the beginning of a new one, but also to lighter and longer days. The mood improves by leaps and bounds.

 

Sunset in the mountains - above the fog the 19th of December

 

COWs, or…

 

Definitions for “little ‘ol ladies”

Now that is not a category into which I would put either myself or a very good friend, but a few years back when we were both a bit out-of-sorts, she came up with “we are COWS”. I’m like, well not really, but explain.

 

Cranky Old Women

 

Ah ha, indeed that we are sometimes, but then there are also cranky young women, cranky young men, very cranky two-year-olds (that’s something that I know a bit as my oldest grandson is in that stage, even so he is adorable… a grandma will never find a grandchild too much, a lesson that I have just learned. In fact I even laugh sometimes at his temper tantrums, then am glad that he has a mind of his own and doesn’t simply blindly obey. He has what we used to call “character”). Cranky middle-aged of any sex, in fact ALL of human kind seems to be cranky at some point or the other.

 

Not going to make up monikers for all of them but for us older females perhaps these would also work

BIRD = beautiful, intriguing, rare, dames

CAT = Cute, affectionate, trailblazers

DOG = Delightful, original, gentlewoman

SNAKE = Sassy, naughty, adorable, kindly, empress (In deference to a friend ther

 

 

Wasting time productively…

I had gone into town to try and locate a present for my older grandson this afternoon. That involved sending a couple of messages to his mother to determine which of the choices would be the best. Poor me, I had to wait about 10 minutes so being just down the street from my favorite chocolate place in the whole wide world, Auer, I thought that the best possible wait to do so would be to go buy some chocolates. We are only mid-December, but the line formed outside (tiny store) lasted 15 minutes.

 

I was grateful to my DIL for not answering right away and the wait was very sweet in the end.

 

Auer chocolate, Geneva, Switzerland

 

Incongruous, or…

Park the mechanical wheelbarrow and have coffee in the elegant tearoom.

 

I really had to laugh this morning when in our village in front of the small grocers and elegant tearoom, a mechanical wheelbarrow truck pulled up, parked (correctly and only taking one space albeit rather large) and the two workers in their orange uniforms hopped off and proceeded to enter the coffee shop. They sat down, but then had to go back outside when the owner asked for their sanitary passes, but had their breakfasts before getting back on the truck and going on to whatever construction site they had left earlier.

 

Getty Images

 

He’s back

I was so excited this morning when out the window I saw on a far branch my winter friend robin redbreast!  Too far for a picture, but just knowing that he – or his offspring – have returned was enough.

 

It also is the day my dad was born – a day for remembering what was: as a friend said, it’s in the past and we can’t go back, to which I replied, “yes, but it’s our past that made us what we are and that allows us to go on”.

 

Look for the bright spots in this winter dark and you’ll find them.

 

iStock image Andrea_Hill | Crédits : Getty Images

 

 

Space

“You only have 17.51 GB of storage”…. My computer regularly tells me that I am lacking in space and must do something about it. Got down once even to only 6,51GB. This mostly has to do with the fact that I have close to 50’000 photos on said computer. Yes, I do sometimes go back and eliminate imperfect photos, but how to decide? And if I get rid of 10 photos you can be sure that the day after I’ll add 20.

 

Seeing this though got me to thinking about the second part of the phrase “Save space by optimizing storage” and how that would relate to other areas of my life, in particular to friendships, people relationships.

 

If I had to “save space” by giving up some relationships, how would I chose, how could I? I think that at this point I’ll simply be grateful that there isn’t a computer clock in my head telling me that I have to, because, frankly, I would be incapable of it. If my “computer” has to blow up due to too many photos, that’s one thing, if my life or head on the other hand does so due to too many relationships, it will simply have to happen: I can’t offhand think of any one that I would cut out of my life. They are all precious in their own manner and necessary to my well-being.

 

Storage in my head and heart for friends, family and even new friends is unlimited!

 

empty space can be beautiful

 

Birthdays

 Earlier in life I had birthdays mainly in the summer, then I married and my husband and a lot of our inner circle fell between February 20 and March 5, two even sharing the 28^th of February. The other two of us in a group of 7 actually shared the same day and month if not the year so we always felt equal to the “fish”. And parties there were.

Then the children started coming and we enlarged our horizon’s, but again with my in-laws it was interesting to note that one of the nephews on my husband’s side shared my own mother’s day and month. My sister-in-law (as in my husband’s sister as opposed to his brother’s wives) almost shared my dad’s birthday and there was many a year when we got them switched around. Wishing my dad a Happy Birthday two days before wasn’t such a problem, forgetting my sister-in-law’s for two days, not so nice.  Then my dad died on my sister-in-law’s birthday complicating things even more.

 

And now, although I perhaps will never reach my goal of having someone on each day of the year, all of the months have filled in quite nicely.

 

As we are apparently 20 million (yes, you read right) on this earth who share each birthday, happy birthday to all of you, who along with my dear sister-in-law, share this particular day.

 

Clipart library

 

Inspiration, or lack thereof.

I have friends who can simply sit down and write, anything, nothing, and it always makes sense, is entertaining or educative. This is not a particular gift of my, but inspiration can be found in so many places: today it was the weather and the miracle of my second grandson.

 

I woke up to 10 cm. of snow on the car, my older son sent a message to say that in light of the road conditions perhaps I shouldn’t come to which I replied, the meal is ready, I’ll be careful and might be a bit late.

 

The main roads in the villages were not too pretty, funnily enough the outlying ones where one didn’t expect it, were great and I was actually on time. And my two-week-old grandson was passed over to me for a moment of pure joy. There is nothing as precious as holding a new-born baby! The older grandson benefitted as well as he could go for a walk with his mother.

 

Blessed am I even if uninspired.

 

 

The end of a frustrating day….

 

Or administration is simply way too time-consuming!

I won’t go into my problems, but this morning I set out to solve two separate admin problems. After two hours, neither was entirely put to rest.

 

This afternoon was spent taking things to the recycling center, getting minimal groceries, picking up a couple of magazines: there had been at least 5 weeks of nothing. No one quite sure what had happened, but nice to see things perhaps back in order!

 

Then I took some toys up to the neighbor that have been here way too long, made another small carton of Duplo bricks for my grandchildren, spoke to my sister and my sister-in-law and all of a sudden the day is done, and so am I.

 

Some days are like that. 

 

Depositphotos.com

 

Escalade in Geneva or...

 

Scaling the walls and running for fun.

 

Last year due to the pandemic neither the race (the largest one in Switzerland) nor the parade took place. This year they were able to run the race, over two days and with half the participants of normal years, ie “only” 26’000 instead of the 43’000 of 2019!

There are categories from the 4 and 5 year-olds who run with a parent, through all the ages and up to the Elite.

This year I did watch part of it on Sunday, the atmosphere is such fun that one forgot that we were wearing masks even outside. The children were so enthusiastic and even I found myself cheering them on, I who had no one running!

 

The Elite saw mostly Kenyans winning, but even they, although happy to win, were in it more for the pleasure than anything.

 

This is the 43^rd edition of the run, the celebrations about Escalade having been going on much longer.

 

But what is “Escalade”?

In1602, Geneva, a rich and prosperous republic, attracted the attention and jealousy of the Savoyards. Charles-Emmanuel 1er, wanted to make Geneva his capitol to the North of the Alps and intended to combat Calvinism with the support of Pope Clement VIII, in spite of a “peace, sworn to and re-sworn to”.  So during the night of the 11^th to the 12^th of December (the longest night) 1602 a troop of 2000 soldiers tried to take the town by surprise. They came from the plains and mercenaries started climbing the walls, which surrounded the city (thus the name Escalade). The alarm was sounded, the cathedral’s bells (never mind that it was now a protestant church, we still call it the cathedral), in particular the Clémence (still exists), were rung. Citizens armed with whatever they found to hand and their courage joined the fray and come morning 54 of the enemy had died and only 18 of the Genevans and the Savoyards gave up. One figure of note was the Mère Royaume who was known to have killed one climbing soldier by pouring her hot vegetable soup on him. Still today we have chocolate cauldrons filled with marzipan vegetables to celebrate this fact!

 

In any case always good fun, great hot wine, chocolates and the like.

 

spectators of the race in Old Town Geneva

Runners, probably the 9-year olds

Hot wine... best part of the day!

 

 

Hostess gifts….

When we are invited somewhere, be it for a coffee or a several nights stay, we, or that is my generation, were brought up to bring something for the hostess.  I have several coffee groups and slowly we decided that we would no longer celebrate the birthday person, then we eliminated the gifts although I reserved the right to bring something – and continued to do so for those where the hostess goes to the trouble of making homemade cakes and the like. In other groups we have all agreed to not bring anything, but those meals and stays are a little more important and something is appropriate.

I have been told by one of my guests that I am extremely difficult to buy for: right, I don’t need anything, I have no particular passion or hobby to which one could contribute, however this past long-term visit by family members did prove to be very productive as things were bought that I actually could use and were even “needed” due to older items and the like. I do enjoy my new mats at the front door – and back.

And during this latest baking spree, the gift givers will be happy to know that I actually did use the apron!!!

It’s started…

 

What one might ask?

Knowing that I live in Switzerland – the snow? Well that started, stopped and in the coming weeks will be a reoccurring affair, or not – depends on the year.

 

The car? That’s always a good thing.

 

The flu season? Already a possibility, but hopefully not until I have my vaccination next week.

 

The aging process? Well in hand

 

The blessings of family? Ah, that’s ongoing and now that I am a grandmother again even better with the years.

 

The wrapping of presents in light of the upcoming yearly Christmas event? Nope, not good at that and it is often a last-minute-affair or bundled into a sack with a piece of tissue paper over it in guise of real wrapping: wrapping presents, as my handwriting, is NOT one of my strengths!

 

Ah, getting close, the Christmas baking marathon.

Just put the first of many batches of brownies in the oven  and from now through the New Year there won’t be many days when at least one lot of cookies gets baked. I take after my aunt, for whom I was named, and my mother. I love baking.

 

It would be a sad year when I can’t bake!

 

 

Getting older is wonderful!

The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been. -Madeleine L'Engle, writer (29 Nov 1918-2007)

 

I’m one of those “weird” people that has actually liked all of my ages… so far. Maybe I’ll change my tune at 80 or 90, but for the moment that holds. There are some that I would not wish to go back to: the angst of the 20s, the stress of the 40s, but bring them on, each birthday is simply proof that I was born, have had a rather decent life and continue to do so!

 

When I look at old photos, or find old letters, what a wonderful reminder of what I was, how things were, the family and friends that existed.  I remember once, back when neither of my sons looked like they would ever settle down or found families, I would think “I never knew my father-in-law, I may never know my grandchildren, but the one did exist and the others probably will”. Time has proved me right in that I now have two adorable grandsons and the hope that my younger son may too eventually have a family, at least I haven’t heard that he doesn’t want one.

 

There are many other great things about getting older, but just the privilege of doing so is enough for the moment. And I’ve always said that if I end up in a wheel chair, I’ll be doing wheelies down the corridor.

 

 

 

 

Friendly Stock

On being “serious”…

Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) wrote 

The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without”.

 

The pandemic has helped some of us start down that road. Stuck at home, some – not me I have to admit – started taking a look at all the accumulated “junk” (was going to say “stuff”, could have prettied it up and said “things” or “belongings”, but no, most of it is truly junk) and doing something to eliminate at least some of it.

 

Others were able to finish projects started long ago, even others started new projects: one English magazine proposed doing at least 50 new things per year; imagine doing or learning something new every 7 days. I’m afraid that I would fall by the wayside very quickly. However, “they say” that something can become a habit if only one does it three times in a row, so there is hope.

 

I am going to may a concerted effort to live more seriously!

 

WITHOUT  =  SIMPLER

Lights of the season…

 

Help alleviate the dark and gray. I am sure that when the Celts first chose to celebrate at this time of the year it was due to the necessity to lift spirits by inventing something, anything, to lighten up, literally, their lives. The Christmas tree with lit candles was adopted by the English in the Victorian Era, coming from the Prince’s German origins. This custom, in turn,  was borrowed from pagan yule rituals that celebrate the return of the light of the sun as the days grow longer after winter solstice.

And they do indeed help: I smile at every Christmas Tree, every candelabra decoration, every string of lights around a chalet.

It’s the one time of the year where we don’t speak too much about the “waste” of electrical lights, but then we also are using more eco-friendly light bulbs.

Let your lives be lightened.

 

 

The light is gone...

16:15 and night is almost upon me: the winter gray and rain add to the earlier and earlier sun sets, that is if there were a sun to set, and it is NOT my favorite time of the year!

The only positive as far as I’m concerned is the upcoming festivities and the fact that as of the winter solstice in 3 weeks sundown will no longer come earlier: it will freeze for a few days then we will have turned the corner and start gaining again. Long life the 21^st of December, more important to me even than Christmas!