Schummerstunde

Es ist wieder soweit. Die Tage werden kürzer und die Dunkelheit umfängt uns früher  jeden Tag.Das ist die Zeit , in der ich es liebe , Licht in mein Leben zu bringen , um mir einen Kokon der Helligkeit zu schaffen.

In unserer Familie gab es im Advent , die "Schummerstunde". Diese Ritual begann mit dem ersten Advent, nachmittags beim Fall der Dämmerung . Wir sassen am Tisch, die Kerze oder Kerzen brannten und das sanfte Kerzenlicht hielt die Dunkelheit draussen.

Auf dem Tisch lagen einige ausgewählte kleine vorweihnachtliche Köstlichkeiten, von denen genascht werden durfte. Vor uns lagen kleine Liederbücher mit weihnachtlichen  Gedichten und Geschichten. Daraus wurde vorgelesen , Gedichte habe ich aufgesagt. Die Lieder haben wir zusammen gesungen und es war wunderschön, geheimnisvoll , warm und verzaubernd. Auch Flöte wurde von mir gespielt, egal wie unbeholfen, es gehörte dazu.

Dieses Ritual nahm ich mit in meine zweite Heimat, und auch da hatte ich oft liebe Freunde am Tisch sitzen, die mit mir zusammen diese schöne Zeit verbrachten. 

Es gab immer Lieder der verschieden wunderschönes Chöre, und dazu deutsches Gebäck und wahrscheinlich das eine oder andere Glas Glühwein. 

Mit der Flöte war es dann so eine Sache. Die Kanadier sind super höflich und sagen nichts, mein Enkel war jedoch völlig entspannt und hielt sich die Ohren zu. Hmm. Auch meine Katzen hassen es. Sie jaulen, kratzen mich und machen mir deutlich , dass ich besser aufhören sollte.

Nun bin ich wieder hier in meiner ersten Heimat und freu mich auf meine Schummerstunde, mit oder ohne Flöte , aber immer mit Kerzenlicht , schöner Musik und den Erinnerungen , die ebenfalls die Dunkelheit verbannen sollen.

Mit der Schummerstunde kommen farbenfrohe Sonnenaufgänge , sternenklare Nächte, Frost, der Zweige und Bäume in Kristallkunstwerke verwandelt und das Staunen über unsere schöne Welt.

Aurora Borealis

For ein paar Tagen , war es wieder soweit, unsere Sonne hatte einiges angestaut und sie produzierte eine CME, einen Koronalen Massenauswurf oder eine eruptive Protuberanz, bei der Plasma ausgestossen wird.Das Plasma hat die Erde getroffen und weil wir noch eine Atmosphäre unser eigen eigen nennen, springt das Plasma, einfach weg. Das ist gut so, denn wären wir dem Plasma ausgesetzt, könnte es übel enden. So kann auch trotz Schutzschild auf Erden allerlei schiefgehen. Ein geomagnetischer Sturm, mit Stromausfällen, Satellitenausfällen etc. Wir hatten Glück, es gab nur schöne Dinge zu sehen.

Die Auroa Borealis nämlich . 

Mir gefällt die Vorstellung von interstellaren Besuchern, die mit ihren schimmernden Mäntelchen kreuz und quer über den Himmel tanzen. 

Ja, man konnte sie in Neuwied sehen , die Nordlichter.

Leider ist in meiner Nachbarschaft die Lichtverschmutzung immens. Jeder hat Bewegungsmelder, die erratisch an und aus gehen, dauernd kommen Autos, und die Industrie auf der anderen Seite des Rheines mit ihrer Nachtschicht hilft auch nicht.

Noch vor kurzem konnte ich gemütlich im Bett liegend , nach Nordosten schauen und mich an den Lichtspielen erfreuen.Das vermisse ich manchmal.

Das nächste Mal fahre ich in den Sternenpark der Eifel und schau mich dort um. Da ist es nämlich dunkel genug.

Die Bilder, assoziiert mit diesem Blog habe ich im Bett liegend gemacht. Vom letzten Ereignis habe ich keine.

Wollt Ihr ein paar Gedanken und Bilder teilen?

The Brandenburg Gate

It seems to be my personal enigma , but I don't seem to be able to walk through this gate without being hindered by barricades.
About 34 years ago, during my first real visit to Berlin it was the Berlin Wall which created the barricade to stop me from going through. This time, the wall gone and free access to everywhere, it was the Pope 's visit and the increased security measures which caused the area around the gate to be barricaded.
Once the pope was gone and we thought normal Berlin life prevailed ,we found that the bleechers from the Berlin Marathon had not been taken down and again no access for me.
Well Brandenburger Tor, I have had enough , I 'll find myself another gate and walk through it freely!

Being back in germany

The fall has been glorious and already too cool-everything proper weather should be-something to enjoy and something to complain about.
Friends have been met, plans full filled and others cancelled , so that no day is ever boring.
 While I am waiting to hear from my step daughter, I was able to enjoy a few domestic hours to while away the time. Soon I'll be out again to partake in the Kirmes  activities. It is Qaetsche Kaermes in Feldkirchen , a typical churchfair, woven into a strong historic  background. Certain songs have to be sung at the right time,  a special tree has to be falled for the Kirmes, to display the Kirmesmann,who incidentally is black. Why, no body knows!By the way , he will be shot dead on Tuesday and buried until nest year. He'll also get a piece of plum(Qaetsche) cake in his hand!
Luckily ,I have also had some time to do sightseeing, visiting the geysir in Namedy and the Bundesgartenschau(the German Gardening Show 2011)
My focal point is still to walk the paths of my childhood , to visit the cemetary and to remember my parents.
Could I live here again, yes I think I could!
But for now, it is a visit and I am only in the middle of it.

Road Side Conclusions

While cycling along the country roads around my home in order to rehab my knee, I could not help , but noticing the unbelievable debris which accumulates in the ditches on the side of the roads.
Everything from empty bottles and cans, fast food wrappers, cigarette boxes,banana peel,work gloves and underwear(!)
Because I tend to cycle the same stretch of road, I also started to pay more attention to the items which litter the country side.
It disturbed me so much, that I started to mentally keep track of what I saw.
Budweiser cans, cheap No Name beer cans , pop cans, paper coffee cups,some beer bottles , liquor bottles,Players cigarette boxes,Mac Donald take out bags,work gloves and under wear.
My conclusion is that sadly there are people who drive to work,drinking coffee and smoking, having lunch while driving, drinking beer and hard liquor to relax in the evening  and than toss out the underwear to get rid of the evidence of some extracurricular activity.
All those people who do one or the other-could you please stop this and be responsible, if you step outside the car to purchase your junk , you can just as easily step out to dispose of it and for the under wear, leave on in the first place-please!

How The Wall Changed My Life

50 Years and 6 days ago , a wall was built to separate Eastern Germany from Western Germany.
My mother, father and myself were on the Western side of it and my sister, my grandmother, my grandfather and all the other, aunts and uncles, cousins and great grandparents were on the other side.
The Other side, where they stayed under Russian occupation ,as the most western outpost of the Warsaw Pact during the times of the Cold War.
Atomic weapons were lined up on both sides to fire , should either the West or the East feel threatened in any which way.
Everybody knew, that this wall was coming, and my parents had taken steps to provide a safe escape for my sister Beate, via a fake appendectomy in a hospital in Koblenz, on the right side of the wall. Alas , my sister, being 14 years of age , decided against it and stayed in the Eastern Zone.
On August the 13, 1961, our family lost itself.
My mother was forever feeling guilty for having created a situation, where her daughter was separated from us , my father had to work extra hard to provide for the rest of the family in the East and I was plainly a reminder of what they could not have.
One room in our basement was dedicated to parcels for the other side, vacations were dedicated to visiting the relatives in Grieben. During those visits I was put aside , and again collected after the allotted 28 days were over.
Beate was number 1 in my mothers life, even after she got married and did not invite my parents.
The resulting child Susann never missed anything . Everything possible was shipped to the precious grandchild. Beates every wish was always full filled.
I looked on and rebelled in many ways . I smoked , did not do my home work and hoped that for some weird reason , perhaps I did not belong to this family.
The catering to the poor underprivileged Zoners  continued  and my niece even fled from East Germany and moved in with my parents. They provided cars , trips , housing for a boy friend who also had fled.
In the meantime , I had left  to life in Canada.

The wall came down, I was stunned. I thought all is getting better now. We'll have a family now , who can stick together. Alas, it was the wall that kept us together and the broken wall cut like chards the remaining connections.
 I also continued to cater to the Griebeners, Beate and company. The wall did not even exist any more and still , we were made to feel responsible for any kind of short comings they experienced.
Family get togethers got more and more stressful for my parents , who clearly felt now, that they were taken advantage off.
Thankless behaviour became the norm and mom and dad realized that there would be no loving Beate to look after them in their old age.
Not even Susann , the grandchild, who lived in the same town as my parents , felt the need to help out occasionally , when old age made day to day living a little harder for my parents.
After a life of pampering with gifts , parcels , money and cars , the ex Zoners , my other part of the family , could not be bothered to be of assistance to our aging parents , who dedicated their life to them.
Beate made it to moms funeral , but did not even show up for dad's memorial 2 years later
The politicians , who built this wall for what ever political reasons , never ever consider the individuals , us, and we bore the brunt of those decisions.
A life of suffering  and guilt for my mom, a sad life for me and a father who was never home to be with us , but was away to work day and night on a boat to make the money to support the Griebeners.
When the wall came down, it was much to late for our family to ever undo the damage which had been done.

Multilingual Deer

Upon rising yesterday morning , I noticed a young mule deer buck with a nice rack  nibbling on our shrubs in front of the house.
Deer pruning we call it, but I was not in the mood for pruning right now.
As I opened the door, the buck took 3 hops back , turned around and looked expectantly towards me.
So I told him , in German of course, to please not eat the shrubs .He kept looking and I kept talking, even Mitzi joined the fun by winding around my feet and purring loudly. It was peaceful.
Back inside , while getting my tea ready , I noticed yet another buck, also nibbling away on our shrubs. I went out again and gave him the same lecture. Buck # 1 found this so interesting, he came even closer to better understand. Amazing, theses guys are not only very used to having us around , but they also seem to have a particular liking to the sound of German.
Deer linguistics 201 on Horsecreek road.