The place where I live

We have woken up to the most glorious Anzac Day here in Schopfheim. Today we remember those soldiers in Australia and New Zealand who have given their lives for our freedom. We will gather for dinner tonight with other Aussies/New Zealanders. Pictures to follow.

Also I am looking forward to the visit of Angela from Adelaide who arrives this afternoon. I will head into Basel to meet her. She will be staying in a little bedsit quite close to our place. I am looking forward to some lovely girlie times together.

I've just come back from a quick shop at Aldi. Wish I'd had the camera. Must remember to take it with me everywhere! As I left the store there was an old man getting into his OLDER tractor (after doing a bit of shopping). As he headed out of the carpark and looked with amazement and a big smile on my face to see his dog standing in the tiny open cabin on the wheel hub. This is where I live! I hope you can picture it a little.


Now for some photo's of our Spring. Roger has been out and about with the camera. ENJOY.

Covered foot bridge in Wehr a short bike ride (up hill) from our place

HIKE and BBQ Easter Monday

I decided to send out an email inviting friends to join us for a Hike and BBQ on Easter Monday. I knew there would be a lot of people away, but also that there must be people with nothing to do.

I didn't want an early morning hike, like we usually do on a Monday morning, hence the BBQ! Good idea I thought.

Roger met people at Schopfheim station and then Lisa and I met them as they started to climb the hill up near our place. We went past the horse stables and up, up, up!! Nice walk actually, but some of us needed a few stops!

We finished the hike at our place for coffee and cake/biscuits, etc!!!

We had a 'downtime' Tuesday. We were both rather exhausted and in need of some recovery time from a wonderful Easter weekend. We both had 'leg/foot' problems. Me with blisters still not recovered and Roger with badly strained calf muscles on his left leg. He ran up an embankment on our Monday hike and he said it felt as if someone had thrown a rock at his leg! Poor darling. He needed to be transported back by car from the hike! Not nice.

EASTER DAY

Apologies that I'm a bit slow with this post. Have been thinking about downloading the photo's all week and posting them on my blog!!

We very much enjoyed the Easter service at our German Church and there was good translastion from our young friend Peter. The music was great so enjoyed a good sing, but nothing in English! Sometimes there is.

'Our' boys then came back for lunch. I had made Lasagne / Salad / Trifle and there was certainly nothing left!

Matthias, Reuben and Joshua 'chewing the fat!'

Peter, Johnny and Roger

Squeezed around the kitchen table !

Johnny, Reuben and Matthias left around 3.30pm and then Peter, Joshua, Roger and I played a game of Wizard. It went on for so long we decided to give the boys a light tea (scrambled eggs) made by Roger - yum. Peter left just after 8.30pm and Joshua an hour later.

We feel these are special times as Peter, Reuben and Joshua are all asking God to direct their future and they could be on the move in the Autumn. So we want to make the most of time spent together to encourage them in their journey.

WEEK PRIOR TO EASTER

Wasn't feeling 100% this past week so I enjoyed 5 days at home. A rare treat. When we went into Basel last night on said to Roger that it had been a week since I'd been to Basel and on a train actually!

I needed the time out. I wrote some letters, did some spring cleaning, had lovely walks (and have blisters to show for it). Wednesday night at 8.45pm a couple of the young people from our Church turned up to say hi. They were on their bikes. They're in their 20's. They didn't leave until 12.45am!! My goodness.

After our massive dinner party Saturday night we had a visit from Karen and Carolyn. They rode out to Schopfheim from Basel (and back) on their bikes. We treated them to a light lunch and tea/coffee.




Roger and I went for a nice walk on Thursday. The weather has been absolutely glorious here. But I ended up with blisters (again) and so I'm nursing sore feet. A friend has taken me in hand and we went off to buy new walking shoes today. They look quite horrible actually, (brown) but of the 15 pair of shoes I tried on, these were by far the most comfortable. I just hope they will be comfortable when I do a long walk. Madge told me I must change them every 2 years, especially with all the walking I do!

We had a busy Good Friday. The Vosteen family (5) came to lunch and that was a treat for us. Then we took ourselves off to St Michael's to hear St Matthew's Passion being read. I had thought there was a Choir, but none was forthcoming!! It was lovely though. Roger had printed out the readings in English so this helped.

We said goodbye to the Vosteen's and then our neighbours called us over to meet their daughter who lives in Switzerland. She has very good English. We were treated to cake, coffee and wine! Had to rush off at 5.20pm as we needed to catch the train at 5.45pm to go to Kevin and Mark's for Dinner.

So the photo's below are of the Dinner party with them and Christine and Gaudenz. A lovely evening and a late night. Kevin sure does know how to cook up a treat. Not sure if you'll be able to read the menu, but it sure was special.

This is a Pavlova. How does Kevin do it. We had a little discussion about the origins of the Pavlova. New Zealand claims it as their own and so do Australia. It was named after the Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova. I just can't make them here and I'm not sure why. Watch out family, when I come back to Australia I will be making them every day just to get my confidence back!!

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER PARTY 4 APRIL

DEATH IN VENICE

We certainly had fun on Saturday night as we hosted our first ever Murder Mystery Party. As you can imagine, the planning started weeks ago when we thought about the guests we would have and who would fit with who!! There are 8 people in the game so we had to find 6 other guests willing to play a part.

I firstly contacted people to make sure they would be willing to participate and that they were available on the particular night we had chosen. Then I sent out an invitation to each one requested the pleasure of their company. The characters were:

Romeo Bechini - the most eligible bachelor in Venice

Alessandra Macaroni - Romeo's glamorous sister, a widow and a politician

Madonna Medici - a beautiful Italian actress making her name in Hollywood

Sam Gelding - the most powerful and stupid producer in Hollywood

Sylvester Burlegque - an Italian-born businessman, now resident in the States

Marlene Matrix - a slightly fading but still exotic German movie star

Judy Graceland - formerly a child star, the darling of Middle America

Frankie Coward - a fast-talking and saucy British Music Hall comedian

Sylvester and Marlene

Madonna and Sam

Judy and Frankie

Alessandra (in middle)

Romeo with yellow bow tie !

The menu:

Bellini Cocktails and cheeses

Pasta e Fagioli

Duck Casserole with Olives

Apricot cheesecake served with clotted cream

The murderer - Marlene Matrix - revealed to only her in round 3!!

Visiting friends in Starnberg

Last Friday we travelled by train to Starnberg to visit our friends Peter and Narelle with Matthew 3 and Katja 1. We left home just after 8.30am to walk to the train in Schopfheim and were greeted by Narelle at Starnberg Nth station at 3.00pm. So quite a hike really and 4 trains!! Just as well we love train travel.

Unbelievable that we had not seen Peter and Narelle for a couple of years. How things change! We had a great catch up, were spoilt rotten by them and, as the pictures tell, loved playing Uncle Roger and Auntie Gaynor for the weekend. The children are absolutely adorable and were such a delight to spend time with.

We did the reverse trip home on Monday!! 4 trains and home by 5.45pm. It's always lovely to be home again. I find packing up to go away a little stressful these days (and you probably think we are doing it all the time!!!!).

Only picture of Peter!! I can't believe we didn't take a picture of the whole family! Apologies!