Wenn es im Winter stürmt und schneit, haben wir eine Flasche Glühwein allzeit bereit - life in Germany and Austria

[LinzerTorte]

As I couldn't find a suitable poem mentioning Glühwein, I composed my own. Please don't laugh.

All welcome - anyone living in Germany, Austria or anywhere else who would like to chat.

www.mytoys.de/McNeill-Schulranzen-Set-ERGO-Light-912-Pegasus-6-tlg/Schulranzen/Schulranzen-Zubeh%C3%B6r/KID/de-mt.sc.ca01.01.01/2409756

Good luck with the Schulranzen shopping Canella.

Linzer what were you late for?

Maybe we chould do a Kaffeeklatsch or Teestube style title for the next thread? Something inviting for anyone in a German speaking country or interested in German?

That sounds like a good idea admylin. We could draw people in with Kaffee und Kuchen.

You presume right, Thatis - it was a man in his sixties or thereabouts, but I didn't stop to look too closely as I didn't particularly want a lecture. I was trying to ignore him, but he kept calling Fräulein! Fräulein!

I wasn't even late for anything, just driving back home but wanted to get my parking space in front of the house back before anyone else nabbed it.

It seems to be a tradition here for grandparents to buy the school bag; definitely one of the better Austrian traditions. DS wanted one with a beaver on it, but failing that, was happy with anything so I steered him away from anything I didn't like - which was basically everything other than the one we bought, although the shop only had about three for boys anyway. You can buy ones at Libro (stationery shop) for around ?70, but I didn't like any of those either. (Nor did DH, which made it easier.)

Ah Germans in their sixties or thereabouts are a Spezies für sich! In our building there are 2 older ladies, retired who are really very nice - could have been different though as alot of the old dears are cantankerous creatures.

In the house behind us there are 8 flats with huge balconies and the owners are all retired and spend hours cleaning and scrubbing the floor of the balconies. Do you wash out on the balcony often? I sweep it but have only washed it once or twice.

Oh Linzer, you rebel! Did you get your parking space? :)

Thatis Hope your DS1 feels better soon! There seems to be a lot of illness around at the moment.

admylin Love the idea of enticing people with coffee and cake.

We're back to screeching & not moving this morning. It's going to be a loooooong day.
I've found a new way to make him giggle though, and a giggling baby seems to make everything better! [big softie]

Gator hope you get some peace! Is everything babyproofed? I still automatically put all my cleaning stuff and my iron on a high shelf/on top of wardrobe even though I have an empty under sink cupboard in the bathroom!

morning!

shocked to my core at you Linzer - speeding! so much that you got called Fraeulein from an old man! and here was me thinking you looked like such a good person. . Some old people need to find something to do in the day - I got a right telling off from an old woman in the butchers the other day for being served in front of her. The butcher lady and I both thought she was already been served - but we were very wrong. Old people can be very scary.

Oh gator - he's really frustrated at the moment. But baby giggles ar ethe best. But a bit of an effort to do make him giggle the whole day.

admylin - love the idea of enticing people with cyber kaffee und kuchen. I'm so rubbish at thinking up thread titles so will leave that to one of you thats better at german.

thatis - hope ds1 is better soon. Its amazing how quickly they bounce back from being up in the night while you are still feeling the after effects.

Agree with all of you that ds2 should pick his own ranzen but i'm so tight that he'll be given a choice of a few since the GP's wont be paying for it and he can pick one he likes. But he's totally not interested at the moment. Maybe him and I need to have a morning where he doesnt go to kiga and we go and have a look.

My dc's music teacher has had a fall and broken her hip so we've got no music lessons for the foreseeable future. She is 85 tho so i've been kind of expecting something to happen to her. dd loves going there for lessons - think she's like an extra gran to her. Got her a card yesterday but apart from Gute Besserung i'm not sure what to write - any ideas?

Canella How about something like "Wir wünschen gute Besserung und hoffen, dass Sie bald wieder fit sind" or "dass Sie bald wieder auf die Beine kommen"?

Oh, I've perfected that butter-won't-melt look but underneath... Yes, some old people can be seriously scary, although I must admit I found them even more intimidating in Germany.

Gator I did indeed. Although I think I would prefer to have missed out on it and not be shouted at! Enjoy your giggling baby.

admylin We don't have a balcony, but our retired German neighbours do and I can imagine them washing it. They spend hours sweeping the path, sweeping leaves away, etc. - and always seem to have complaints about the developer who built the houses and want DH to do something about it. He always says he wishes he had that much time on his hands.

So do you want to start the new thread as you came up with the idea for the title?

OK, I've done it - Kaffeeklatsch over here!