Fall has arrived in a big way

First, I need to sincerely apologize to anyone that endured physical, psychological or social pain due to the picture of Roquefort cheese that I posted last week. It was not our intent to harm any of our friends or relatives by displaying the picture. However, we had some more last night and it was sure yummy...

Delynn is snuggled over on the couch doing her German homework (wearing headphones and practicing her German listening and speaking skills with a CD). Did I mention before that Delynn and most of the other teachers are taking weekly German lessons? It is so good of our German instructor, Herr Hermann, to stay late on Mondays to teach the teachers. Since our apartment is so small, we use headphones as much as possible to avoid bothering each other.

Well, the weather here has turned in a decidedly fall-like direction. We have even had a few flakes in the air in the last week, but nothing that sticks to the ground. Our high one day last week may have hit 0 (that's in Centigrade). Psychologically, it feels colder whenever the temperature hits a negative value (it was -2 this morning) because we are so used to Fahrenheit temperatures where -2 is REALLY cold. However, when one walks everywhere, -2 Celsius is still pretty darned cold. It is so different without an automobile - last Sunday morning we bundled up with multiple layers (I like 4 layers personally) to get to the bus, transfer over to the tram and then make the short walk to church. Once inside, it is a bit like unpacking to get all the layers off and stowed away so they don't get in the way during worship, then packing it all back on as we make the return trip to Weil a. R. The Swiss have a saying: "There is no cold weather, just poorly dressed people." We'll see how poorly dressed we are when winter does get here... We also find that we do not keep our apartment nearly as warm here as we did in Vancouver. In our apartment, we have radiators rather than thermostatically controlled forced air for heat, so we have to conciously turn them on/off and adjust them. As such, we don't turn them on as much but choose rather to wear more layers, sweaters, etc. even when at home.

I am quite looking forward to chuch tomorrow. I have the privilege of joining one of the praise teams to lead singing during worship. We had a great practice Wednesday and I know most of the songs - there are a couple of new ones but it will be great to help lead worship songs again.

I took my fizzy vitamin C this morning to help fortify my immune system against the weather. Oh, yeah - another thing we find interesting is all of the fizzy tablets. You know: a tablet that you drop into water, like Alka-Seltzer. Well, almost all over-the-counter vitamins and minerals are sold in these tablets. We can even find aspirin in fizzy tabs. Fortunately, the vitamin C (with Zinc) has a palatable taste which goes down well.

Found out something else new this week: for those of you in the States that support your public TV or Radio stations, I applaud you. Here in Germany (as I think with most of Europe), we get to pay a TV & Radio tax. If you own a TV or a radio or both, you pay a monthly tax to help fund the standard TV channels. The tax applies to EACH television and radio you own (if I am reading the form correctly...) even if you only use it to watch DVDs. The thing is, these channels (some national, some local) still have advertisements, so it's not like we are paying to keep the programs commercial free. And, it's not like we watch a lot of German TV... I probably watch more than most because it does help with my listening comprehension. And, I am starting to enjoy the odd football game now and then. Luckily, before we filled out the form to pay 17 €/month in taxes, we talked to our landlords and found out it is covered already in the "associated costs" we pay with our rent.

Oh, we have to tell you about the wonderful tarts we bought the other day at the Lörrach Farmers Market. We were just walking down the aisles when we came across a pretty looking Apricot tart. They are sold in quarters (just enough for two) so we also picked up an apple tart for Sunday. In talking with the stall keep, we found out that she bakes them herself at home and brings them (along with all of the fresh fruits and vegitables) to sell at the market. Seems like I am talking about food alot but that's what my family does :-)

By the way, just look at this pumpkin! It is so striking that I had to take a picture of it before Delynn cooked it up for storing. It will make a wonderful pumpkin-something-or-other I'm sure.

Here are a couple pictures from our school's "Crazy Hair Day" - some of the kids did a great job don't you think? I have been thinking about RIA and what makes is so different and one thing that hits me is that here, no student can get lost. We know every child; recognize how special God has made them are and can motivate, encourage and love them as individuals, not just as a class. That is really cool.

Our students: this is not the way they look every day...

The Coen sisters really got into the spirit of the day.

Gotta love it!

As Delynn and I complete a little over three months of living in Weil a. R. it has given us pause to reflect on the incredible number of changes we have experienced. With this wholesale change of every aspect of what we called our life, it seems like it has been much longer than just three months. As I have said before, we are blessed beyond words and we first thank God for allowing us to make this move. But as with all change, it is not all smiley faces and without some tears. We do feel like this is home and don't see ourselves living anywhere else or doing anything else - at least for this time in our life together. We look forward to seeing how God leads.

It is hard to explain the feeling of being here. There are times walking down the Hauptstraße in Weil and seeing our apartment building in the distance, looking into the eyes of a student during an "Aha!" moment or riding the tram across the Rhein to church when we think: "we could live here forever" This is life! You gotta love it.

We continue to run into those small differences that make our life here interesting. Some of them we think - why don't we have this (or do this) back in the states? Other times we think: Okay, that's just the way it is here and we drive forward with a prayer and a smile.

One example: do you know the kleenex we have in the states is wimpy! In Germany, blowing one's nose with gusto is not frowned upon and I think in some ways encouraged... When we bought our first box of kleenex some time ago, we discovered after returning home that it way 4-ply thick! not the flimsy 2-ply stuff found in the states - and one can even find 5-ply tissue. Delynn, who in her daintiness does not need 4 sheets, took to peeling apart the kleenex and used only 2 layers at a time. But Michael loved being able to blow my nose without shredding the tissue all over the place. And no, blowing my nose does not actually attract geese, it just sounds like it... The next time we went shopping, we got two boxes: the regular 2-ply for Delynn and the hefty 4-ply for Michael. We are at peace.


Another example is the cheese. First, if you are at all squeamish about cheese, please skip this section - I'm thinking specifically of you cousin Donna. Interestingly enough, cheese is one of the few items that is, on the whole, less expensive here than in the States. I know that most of you have read our entry about a month ago (5 Sept) on cheese. Well, last week, we bought some Roquefort cheese - this is the blue cheese that comes from a particular region of France. In fact, only cheese aged in specific caves in France can have the name Roquefort. When we opened the package, we could see that unlike all cheese produced in the states, this cheese was still alive! I took a picture below just in case you have never seen blue cheese up close and personal. We were overwhelmed with the multiple layers of flavor: tangy, tart, sweet, salty. It is truly wonderful - if you like blue cheese that is.

Ummm. Served best at room temperature...

And sorry Dad, but I can't ship it back to the States...

More cheese: I can't believe we did this, but Delynn and I actually bought a fondue pot. Yes, I know it is soooo 70's retro but it is also very traditionally Swiss. In the fall, when the weather is crisp and cool, the Swiss turn to fondue and Raclette. Raclette is melted cheese on toast topped with various yummy things which is served at most of the festivals in this area of Germany and Switzerland. Fondue, and I mean real fondue, is not from any package but is instead made from melting Emmenthal and Gruyère cheeses into a heavy ceramic or cast iron pot. Neither Delynn or I know anything about fondue, so we were risking nearly a pound of cheese on our little experiment (luckily cheese is one of the few items that is less expensive than in the states). At first, we thought we would just try it ourselves before inviting others over to try, but in the end we had Aubrey and Amy-Jo (two teachers from RIA) over to take part in our little food experiment (we had them sign a waiver first...). We cubed up the baguette, laid out the traditional condiments: baby gherkin pickles, olives and little pickled onions as well as some non-traditional items: fresh mushrooms, par-cooked carrots, apples and pears we picked up at the farmer's market. As the cheese was slowly added to the pot, I was at first concerned that it would be too clumpy, then too thin, then too thick but in the end, it came out great! We had a such fun together telling stories, chewing over world issues and sharing our lives as we dipped and twirled each morsel.

Just a fun moment. Last month, we celebrated Allison's birthday while we were without Internet (with much crying and gnashing of teeth...) Anywho, it was a sort of dress up party - we were all supposed to dress up as a super-hero. As you can imagine, we didn't bring a lot of costumes in our luggage with us, so we made due with what we had around the house. We thought you would enjoy a picture of Geek-boy and Tartan-girl! - our super-hero alter egos. Luckily, Delynn brought a lot of scarves with her and I found the funky glasses in the toy section of a department store and yes, that is duct tape on the bridge of the glasses. (Thank you Jerry and Rhonda for sending the roll of duct tape - it added that authentic geek touch). I could only wear the glasses for short periods of time because I couldn't see nearly anything!

"Auf Wiedersehen" from Tartan-Girl and Geek-Boy

RIA Hoe Down!

Just a couple of pictures from the RIA Hoe Down! party at school a couple of weeks ago. This is a chance for our school families to get together, enjoy some grilling and social time. Everyone had a great time - we were blessed with beautiful weather and a square dance group from Weil a. R. came out to dance. We had face painting, goats and pony rides. Michael helped fellow teacher Cam on the BBQ grill (very manly work!) while Delynn kept the books. A bunch of the fathers and kids had a pick-up football match (i.e. soccer).

Another happy RIA family enjoying the Hoe Down!

Nothing better than an candied apple on a beautiful fall day. After giving the children lots of sugar, we like to give them back to their parents...

Goats were well fed and Michael is left holding the bag...

Faces got painted...

And the square dancers danced.

This photo shows the Square Dance Klub from Weil a. R. that came to dance for us at the Hoe Down! The couples come from all over the area - including a couple from France that travel across international borders to dance. After showing off their stuff, the eight dancers dispersed into the crowds of families to snag a partner - including Michael (who was quite fetching wearing the cow apron that my nephew Matt made for me years ago). We formed two rather lopsided squares of dancers as we learned some elementary figures - does anyone remember the doe-si-doe from 3rd grade? Yeah, that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulties with the camera during the whole sordid affair, so we don't have anything to post. No, really.

Fall festivities abound in the Dreiländereck

Throughout Europe, the fall is time of special celebration. It seems like the average person is closer to their agrarian roots than we are in the States. Now, before you write and angry retort, I realize that most county and state fairs are associated with the end of harvest, but we don't seem to connect them as closely with harvest or have so many festivals, celebrations or special events tied specifically to the end of harvest. In a town just north of us (Haltingen), they hold a harvest thanksgiving church service. There are special events going on every weekend in the various cities, towns and villages - one of the largest is the Herbstmesse in Basel. This festival is like the state fair but without the 4-H exhibitions. They have food, rides, handcrafts, carnival games and roasted chestnut stands across half a dozen venues around the city. Fortunately, most of them are within walking distance of each other. The atmostphere is festive on these cool, clear, autumn days. On Sundays, since shops are closed, these are the places to to after church - but you can forget about any personal space.


Among the venues is the Bellevue wheel. Someone mentioned that this is the largest temporary Ferris Wheel in Europe, which I find credible. Each of the 42 carriages can hold six adults and the apex reaches higher than the nearby cathedral's steeple. Needless to say, Michael declined the invitation to ride but gave the camera to Delynn to bring back pictures.

Even though the day was a bit cloudy, there is still a nice view of Basel from the Ferris wheel. This is looking down on the Marktplatz (market square) and Basel Rathaus (town hall - the red building in center).

Of course, after an exhausting ride on the Ferris Wheel, one needs to refresh and replenish themselves with...

Apfelstrudel of course! Especially when it is served warm with vanilla sauce. Ummm good - doesn't Delynn look happy? Near the Apfelstrudel stand is a ride that is more Michael's speed. The video gives a small taste of what this two-floor "Karussell" is like. It takes a rather large amount of time just to tran-load the children between rides but it is beautiful to watch.

While Delynn and I certainly miss our friends, family and faith community back in the States we also realize what a precious gift God has given us to experience this place, its culture and people.

Thank you for your patience.

We got our Internet restored just a few days ago, so we will start adding some entries to get everyone back up to speed on our lives. There is so many things to share - Kleenex, cheese, square dancing, Herbstmesse, but rather than do one big long entry, we will break it into a series of posts. Delynn and I think we have figured out why so many people think that German is such a difficult language. Take for example the following (please forgive the pixel-ation):

This 42-letter compound noun is an actual picture from and actual business in Basel, Switzerland. Now, while this may seem daunting to read, just forget trying to pronounce it! I think it works out to about nine syllables that tell us that it is a Christmas shop that specifically has jewelery and other Christmas furnishings. Whew - gotta love this place!

Please stand by...

To all of the faithful followers of our blog, we have run into a small technical difficulty that has kept us off-line for a bit. So, you know those big hairy complicated contracts that you get from your phone company (the ones you probably ignore and throw in the recycling?) Well, imagine getting one in a different language - a language in which you read like a 3rd grader...

We thought that we had everything set up correctly for our apartment - phone and DSL for internet. It was all working just wonderfully until this last week. In reviewing the contract (we kept ours) it appears that perhaps we have not been actually paying for the internet part. Oops. And considering that it took the phone company 10 weeks to figure out we were not paying and turn off the service, I dread thinking how long it will take to get it back on.

We will post again as soon as we get up and running at home. In the mean time, we will have very limited access to email and such. We appreciate your prayers that we can resolve this quickly - the internet is our major connection back to the States.

As the Hard Rock Café motto goes: Love all, serve all!

Fall break wonders

Another week with lots and lots of pictures - we hope you don't mind. As most of you know, we went to Edinburgh, Scotland for three days of our fall break to meet Mark and Jan Kelley. What a smashing time we had with them. Edinburgh hasn't changed much - more Starbucks than I remember but just as many Pizza Hut's. We avoided the Pizza Hut and only stopped at one of the five Starbucks we found there.

But, before we get to the trip, a quick language lesson. Okay, when picking a name for a café, one should probably avoid words which, when Americanized, make the place sound less than appealing. Case in point: the sign for this café on a square in Basel makes it sound like they came in last place in a rating context because the food was less than edible.


What the sign actually says is that they have a sausage grill on Barefoot Square (Barfüßerplatz or "Barfi" in the dialect). We have been by this place several times (our tram passes by on the way to church each week) but I finally got a picture. I still haven't gotten the nerve to try the vittles.

Oh, here is a great picture on the same square of a tram sponsored by a bank. Get it? Piggy bank... We loved it! Delynn suggested that it looks like something from Disneyland...


As long as we are in Basel, I'll lay out a few pictures from our trip there Saturday. The weather was peerless, the market was fragrant with fall, the pedestrian zones were bustling - it was a perfect day.

Basel Rathaus (City hall) with the fall market (Herbstmarkt) on the square

Rathaus courtyard above. Same courtyard with Delynn taking a quick break below.
This exceptional stained glass was in the Basel Münster - it was just one of many wonderful pieces there.

Okay, as mentioned, we did go to Edinburgh. We spent Monday visiting the Castle at the west end of the Royal Mile, visiting the Queen at the east end of the Royal Mile at Holyrood Palace (alas, she was not at home that day...) and stopping at nearly every tartan, cashmere and cheesy tourist shop in between. (Well, at least a couple...)

Nice view of the Castle from the bottom of Frederick Street were our hotel was situated.The view from Edinburgh Castle was again exceptional. That blue bit in the background is the Firth of Forth, a huge estuary and river system which we visited on our second full day in Edinburgh (more below).
More from the Castle - it costs 11 pounds per person to get in, so we spent a considerable amount of time there. Frederick street can be seen just to the right of my elbow...

Here are the intrepid travellers in one of the many little side alleys, or closes, that are scattered throughout Edinburgh. The enclosed pathways often lead to elaborate interior courtyards that allowed the more well off to have their residence off of the main street which was often overcrowded with selling stalls, people and animals (along with their odors...)

This is the Firth of Forth - we spend most of the day here. Can you believe this is in October? Most of the Scots were marvelling at how great the weather had turned. The train bridge behind the sailboat is one of the engineering marvels of the world. Built in the late 19th century, it took 5000 men working seven years to complete. It was a revolutionary design at the time and is the Scots equivalent to the Eifel Tower.

Finally, this is the 12th century Inchcomb Abby, lying on an island within the Firth of Forth estuary. We took a 90 minute cruise out to view the island and the wildlife. They are famous for the Puffins that inhabit this and nearby islands in the estuary, unfortunately the birds have migrated to their winter homes.

We greatly enjoyed our first break, especially the chance to see Jan and Mark. Back at it tomorrow with two days of teacher development. You know, I used to think that teacher development days (a.k.a. in-service days) were just days off for teachers. I have come to find out that we actually have to work... We will be focusing on biblical integration and curriculum mapping as well as various other topics.

Oh yeah, we got a tip on a Christian radio station, which we finally picked up. It comes out of Mulhouse, France and they have Christian music in French, Spanish, German and English. It is really cool to listen to praise songs that we know so well in English being sung in different languages, worshipping the same Lord.

We love you all - thanks for the comments and emails, we read them often and they make a huge difference for us; thank you also for your prayers. Nuf said.