Der Weihnachtsmarkt: Glühwein und Waffeln und Lebkuchen

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Hope I typed that right, have lead in my boots this morning. Had a great weekend with lots of Glühwein and Weinschorlen and Nikoläuser.
Didn't get back from a Christmas party till 8 last night and too late to make the Kranz. I usually start decorating on Dec 1st so will do that with d after school and then light a candle tonight.
We're in the UK as well for C'mas but I still do decorations, put the tree baubles in glass vases so even they get an outing.
I love white fairy lights, put some all over the place and in the evenings leave the lamps off and light downstairs with fairy lights alone.

The tree lighting on Saturday was great fun, friends of ours were there and their 13 yr old d took mine to the fire & waited 15 mins in the crowds for Nikolaus while I was plied with Glühwein.
Think my ideal Christmas is Advent here and C'mas day in the UK, then back here for Sylvester. So this year should be good.
Mind you when we're here we have roast beef on the 25th, or goose. Think if I served Truthahn, h would clobber me with it.

Taipo have mailed you.
Have only one school meeting this week but a stack of reports to write. It is very good for my rusty brain but v hard work getting into. Feel rather fragile this morning, housework beckons and all I want is a bucket of tea and an aspirin

You won't believe what we are doing right now.

Watching Andre Rieu.

With the inlaws.

A fantastic Hogmany in the Lindthaus

of raclette with neighbours.

Still. Musn't grumble. The alternative was

Sylvester Stadl

Dead right Ad - Dog did not care it was -8 grad this morning - he still wanted out and stickies! Nor does he care it has not gone above freezing all day - he still keeps making me open the back door. Really must work on training him to shut it again when he comes back in.

Can't believe how early the fireworks are going off here. Suppose parents are doing it for their DCs before they go to bed. DS has not woken up yet so, so far so good. I suppose that will come at midnight when the neighbours all run out into the street and throw them at each other. These Germans are flipping mental!

Hey Ernest - glad to have you back!

wishing everyone well

for the new year....

We are back home and I am too hungover squiffy again tired for travellers' tales, just want to wish everyone here a very Happy New Year.
I enjoyed logging in from England & staying in touch. Anyone care to bet how long it'll be before I unpack?

Anyone sober or awake enough to think of a new name for a new year thread? Am deeply uninspired.
"Scheiße, jetzt kommt Fasching"?
Told you I was uninspired/uninspiring...
Mind you the way things seem to be on MN atm, we'd end up in a great row with the German Embassy and plastered all over 'Bild'

Happy new year everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the Silvesternacht. Ours was quiet, h came up to the neighbours with us but went back down at 11pm, we stayed and went out at midnight for half an hours worth of fireworks. It was freezing. No one got drunk, infact it was very quiet and a bit anstrengend trying to keep the conversation going. Neighbours are a qiuet couple! Still, it was nicer than being alone with grumpy. Lol at mmelindt hiding in the bathroom to tell us about Stadl, that's tough. Still it'll be your turn next year or not?

A new name: How about Frühlings Gefühle in the German corner? Or Es kann nur besser werden in the German corner? Or Die Schneeglöckchen kommen in the German corner?

Gawd, I used to be so creative in the old days, sigh.

So what are your goals for 2009? Last year one of my goals was always to have my kitchen free of piles of plates, pot s and other stuff, a la fly lady, polished sink and all but I didn't manage it so I aim to try and get my brain working again this year starting with a course of some sort. I'm thinking VHS maybe and then to get my art stuff back out and start drawing and painting again.

I have namechanged, just for a wee change.

The PILs leave tomorrow so I will have more time for myself.

How about "Wann kommt endlich Frühling?"

Or

"Wir wollen Funke-Mariechen werden"

Is that the right spelling?

My PILs are looking after the DC tonight so we can go out for the evening to celebrate my birthday.

DD lost her first wackelzahn yesterday so we have a lot to celebrate. My little girl is growing up.

lol at MusntGrumble.

are you by any chance thinking of a comedy program on R4, a long time ago, where they were talking about how english people throw french phrases into their conversation to seem sophisticated - comme il faut, fait accompli etc.

And speculating that french people could achieve the same effect by throwing in a casual "steel, meusn't greumble!" into their conversation.

hello again - my visits only stealthy & sparodic till dh back at work.

No new thread yet? Admylin's suggestion ok urely?

Ds2 birthday yesterday.Went to giant waterslide place and so busy had to abandon idea after 20 minutes queue just to get in. Then 1 of his presents broke litterally after 1 minute - r/ccar. poor sod. bad enough 02-01-01 birthday in 1st place.

Desperately trying to book ski holidy - kept meaning to do it - now everywhere's full, doh

Happy new year everyone

Ernest
Oh, that means I share a birthday with your DS! I loved it as a child as my parents threw a New Years Party on the 1st. We would celebrate into 2nd Jan and all our friends and fsmily would firstfoot us. In Germany where there is no first footing and so I stopped celebrating my birthday as one year I had a party when most of the guests left by 10pm

Nightynight
No, haven't seen that programme but LOL at the idea. I just like the typical Britishness of the phrase. You ask someone how the are and where a German will give you a list of ailments a Brit would say "musn't grumble". (huge stereotyping there, sorry)

Morning - so is your new name your new year resolution? I've tries positve thinking as regards to being in Germany but it didn't work!

Ernest, ask debinaustria - she might know where you can go skiing around her way?

Dd wants to go and spend her Christmas money a sshe hasn't managed it yet and it's burning a hole in her pocket. Trouble is I don't fancy going to the weekend busy shops. Have to compromise and try on Monday. My 2 don't go back to school until Wednesday.

Oh, sorry happy birthday too! Did you have a nice night out?
I'd forgtten about first footing! On new years eve it was so calm and I missed the traditional stuff like the singing and toasting and kissing!

Happy Birthday! And happy New Year one and all.

Ernest, you should know by now that all the "locals" booked their ski holiday this time LAST year!

New thread name suggestions (with exceptions for any poor German grammar/spelling - please correct as necessary):

Endlich Krapfen Zeit!
Schnee, schnee und noch mehr schnee
Wo ist meine Schneeschaufel and Winter Stiefel

Good one with Scheeschaufel in title - definately, something no one back home believes me when I say you have to be out by law to clear your pavement! That's even if you rent aswell!

Is anyone gonna start a new thread??

How is everyone - all kids back at school on Wednesday? My ds3 is poorly, so last days(s) of holiday knackered, sigh.

I came back from UK with 1 jar marmite, 1 squeezy bottle of branston pickle and 1400 tea bags. Have endured no end of sarcastic comments. Oh and loads of tops - did a personal shopping thing in John Lewis which was great.

Everytime I go away, the house is left immaculate. Every time we return, the house is trashed immediately, half unpacked, stuff lying around, llaundry everywhere. This really stresses me out - is it just me. Now it looks so bad I can't face doing it.

My New Year resolution - (one of, still haven't written list ) is to keep house looking ok enough for unexpected people popping in, which has happened a couple of times and is always very shaming.

Anyone else making any new year resolutions?

Hi Ernest, that's always been my goal since we came flat hunting here and we viewed this flat as a last minute thing, the agent just called with us in tow and the woman agreed to let us in . It totally depressed me because she (the family) with 2 dc were still living in it and had just handed in notice the day before so she can't have been expecting anyone. It was so tidy and she even let us see the bedrooms and bathrooms all of which were tidy and clean. I don't know how to keepo my place tidy that way. I can clean, and I do clean but as you say, a few hours later it looks a mess again.

One thing I especially noticed was the kitchen didn't have a plate or pot or anything on the tops or in the sink and the living area was lovely, every cushion in place on the big leather sofa etc. Sigh, I'm off to tidy my kitchen now.

My New Years Resolutions are

• lose 12kg

• do more exersize

• keep house visitor clean

• get a job

• have a better relationship with DH

We had a massive talk the night after his parents arrived and talked until 4am. He admitted that he sometimes thought about splitting up. That was a real shock. I did not know he was so unhappy.

We have talked and talked the last week and slowly but surely we are getting closer again. I feel like I am falling in love all over again, if that is not too sloppy. It is strange, on the one side he is the old familiar DH but he is also being sweet and affectionate like he used to be when we first met.

Thanks to all who helped me through the worst of it a month or so ago.

On a less sloppy note, the kids are back at school and the Pils are away. Not before MIL almost had her handbag stolen at the station on the way home. She a screamed POLIZEI at the top of her voice and the would be muggers ran away. Don't think they will be back here now as she was not feeling well on the way here either. She did nor likethe tilting train.

OK, so I've complied my list - many v similar to yours

Should we have a month end evaluation to monitor progress?

My New Years Resolutions are

• lose 10kg/ improve whole family's diet

• do more exercise & be outside more

• keep house visitor clean

• improve communication with DH

• do stuff with kids

• be more patient

• improve my German

• learn keyboard

• read more & less tv

about mil btw. great she kept her head. Do you mean she didn't like Geneva?

Glad things improving with dh. Times like that, and hearing things like that are tough, but you'll get through it.

best wishes xx

Dh and I realised we have been together 10yrs this Xmas!!!

Resolutions:

• Get back down to pre-meeting DH weight

• keep house tider (had similar experience yesterday where people wanted to view house on 24hrs notice - nightmare - never being that stressed again!)

• try to just generally be happier with my lot i.e. not getting stressed and impatient (especially with DS) and accept things the way they are.

Think this last one is more a survival tactic with the impending move but also necessary as DS is getting v. frustrated (still not crawling) and need to patiently and calmly encourage him instead of "rescuing" him or get aggravated by the winging.

Right, off to cook put DS to bed and the dinner. Chin chin.

I really need to start reading my posts before I hit the button! (cook the DS indeed)

new thread on the go - fn started it.

don't worry, we believe you that you not cook ds