Fall glorious Fall!!

 Hello to all, as promised..pics of homemade Marmelade, both Zwetschgen and Pineapple..and yes, that is also homemade bread you see. I must say, making these 2 yummy items was actually alot of fun. We spent the morning at an open house at a local animal shelter, the same one that we adopted our sweet Melissa from. It was a great success as far as the number of visitors that we saw within the 2 hours we were there. I hope some of the fuzzyfaces found new homes in the process, I am personally hoping for a young cat out of the visit..after all my birthday is next week..then we got to come home and spend some time in the backyaed with ours pups and rounded off the
Sunday afternnon with a visit to Oma and Opa.All in all a very good day. I hope you all enjoyed your day, and for those of you who are right in the middle of it..enjoy the remainder!
Tomorrow starts a more regimeneted time for me, I have sat back for the past few weeks and kind of gone in whichever direction the wind blew me but tomorrow is fresh..high energy, lots of organization, and more productivity..

Sunday Mornings..love them.

Guten Morgen! Ich hoffe ihr habt gut geschlafen. Leider bin ich noch müde..but the day must begin and we have Pineapple Marmalade to make this morning, the yummy, tropical smelling mix has spent the night as per the recipe in the fridge and is now begging to be cooked. Once this process is completed I have bunches of pics to post for you all but I want the finished product to be included..so..no pics this morning but this afternoon. Took a break from my workout routiene yesterday, I fit in a workout everyday and with being sore I decided to give my body a rest but I think I should have got back in that saddle and done it again as I am even more sore this morning..despite my wellness bath yesterday evening. It's okay, you don't have to tell me I was just lazy, I have already told myself ;D. At anyrate, made a creamy, dreamy banana, Peanut butter, and soy milk smoothie for myself last night and I was so suprised when my husband said he wanted one also..and then proclaimed it to be delicious..priceless but I guess stranger things have happened! Okay, the creativity through cooking and sewing continues today..Bis Später..

Thank you God for all you have given us in this life and keep our loved ones safe.

Good morning!

Good morning to you all! Today, today I will teach myself how to make Zwetschgen Maramalade. For all of you non Deutsche people out there a Zwetschgen is in the plum family, not so yummy alone but perfect for baking or in this case as a Marmalade. I must say, I pushed it a bit pyhsically yesterday, went for a long run and did quite a few excercises with weights, I am a bit sore today but in a good way. I was terribly hungry last night, it is a bit of a challenge to pig out as a Vegan!! ;D Perhaps that is a really good thing though. Have been going through a nesting phase since I have been home, we have been in our house now for almost a year and after the initial furnishing we came to a halt and I haven't done much in the way of decorating but lately I seem to be hooked, got a new rug for the livingroom yesterday and after a trip to the discount store made a cute diningroom table arrangement for Fall..one thing I learned as life as a single mom is how to decorate on a not so big budget, I have carried that habit with me into my marriage and sometimes I cannot tell if my husband is impressed or just embarassed at my tendency to shop second hand and discount stores for somethings. To me it is like a game and I love to tell people how little I paid!! Okay, the dogs must be walked and then I need to get to the grocery store, for all of you in America..all is closed here on Sunday so if you don't shop before then and you need something too bad so sad. I find this good though, sometimes having all that you desire 24 7 is not always a good thing! Thias gives the workers time off and the time to spend with their families or when single time to relax, meet with friends ,etc. A great concept!
Anyway, time to get this day started..enjoy!b It's the weekend!

Not much to tell today..

Good evening to all. Today was a pretty calm day as compared to late. Actually spent some time with my husband before he headed to bed after working yet another night shift..this is supposed to be the last week..I am not holding my breath on this one quite yet though. Made a large pot of brown rice and added beans and corn to it so that I don't have to cook for myself for the next few days..add some Tabasco and it is hearty and has a good flavor. Walked the fuzz faces 2 times, abdominal exercises, looked at treadmills online and then did about 2 hours worth of homework before class. My second level language course is challanging which is always good for the knowledge workout. Anyway, am pretty tired as the days are now mostly wet and grey...so I am heaeded to bed early and will hope for more energy tomorrow!!Sleep well.

Okay..bitchfest complete..ready to pick myself up and start fresh!!

Hello to you all, feel better today. After being in a funk for a couple of days and most of this morning I made a concious decision to get over myself and take matters into my own hands..for some reason things seem to work out for the best when I do not rely on others and just put my big girl panties on and do what needs to be done..no matter how tedious or frustrating those things may be. Today was one of those days where I did just that, got a lot of stuff done, made some contacts for information needed for PA school, and well short story shorter..feel like about 50 pounds have been lifted off of my shoulders. 
Have great news for all of you, Trevor..my oldest..a new college student did really well on his first math exam, this was a class he was really dreading as it was never his strong point but congrats to him..needless to say..Super duper proud mom here!
Posted this goofy pic just because I adore these Sunglasses, obviously this was not taken within the last week as the weather here has settled into it's favorite fall-winter color GREY!! Actually, everytime I wear them I get to have alittle bit of fun thinnking about how much fun I had with my mom the day we went shopping, well..okay..1 of the days..and we each bought 2 pair of these for little to nothing..I have a pair that is even more fun but I have to wear them with her to have a pic made to go with hers :D.
We had a pallet of pellets delivered to the house this morning,so I decided to incorporate stacking them into my workout routiene this morning..why not? Each bag weighs 15 kilogramms and there are I don't know how many per pallet. Great for the arms, back, and waist. Since begining to eat Vegan I have become addicted to banana-PB-and rice milk smoothies, they serve in a pinch for my ice cream cravings and do a body good. I must say, besides my emotional chocolate cravings I am not missing my normal sweet tooth indulgences..gummy bears, cookies, and milk, ice cream bars..you know how it is. The frozen bananas provide a perfect creamy base for whatever I add into the blender with them.Okay, must complete my abdominal routiene and head to the shower I start my second sewing class this evening. Have a great day and we'll talk tomorrow!

Why is it???

Good afternoon all. Why is it that when people think that something you want to do may negetively affect them in the sense of more responsibility for example..at home with taking care of the house, etc they really have no interest in helping you with small things as how to write a letter of application in Deutsch?? To make a long story short, my husband can for the life of him not understand why I want to go to PA school and go back to work in the hospital setting and as part of my admissions packet to the school I have to write a letter of intent, well, of course it needs to be in German..auf Deutsch.. and he has no patience to help me with it. Why?? you ask my dear readers..because some people find it hard to grasp the concept that I am not completely happy being a housewife, it is in my blood to be busy, to help others and to learn on a continuous basis. Since expressing my intent I have been met with mixed feeelings here in what is now my home..1 family member thinks it is fabulous, and the rest think it is somewhat insane since I am now ..gasp..a very old 43..what is making me a very old 43 is the fact that I have become stagnet here and I have no outlet for my real personality..which is, I am proud to say..completely type A and a bit of a perfectionist. Where I ask you can that be better expressed than in an Emergency Room setting? Now, don't get me wrong I am so very blessed to have the option to stay home and not HAVE to work to make ends meet and put food on the table like before,but I have had my timeout from the professional healthcare life and I am more than ready to reenter it.Does this make me a bad person because I want to learn more and reach outside of the box? In my opinion no, absolutely not. In my previously life I earned 2 degrees, raised 2 kiddos alone, worked, and managed a household. I think that it should not be a problem now that my kids are grown and I am married. This may sound like kind of a gripefest because, well.., because I guess it is. This has been chewing on me for a couple of days now and I decided that writing it is better than verbally throwing it out there and ending up a bit more ticked off than I already am abut the whole in the box way of thinking issue. Besides, how awesome is it that I have a chance to get a degree in Europe? How many people not born and raised here get that chance? I find it to bea perfect opportunity that I would be a fool to turn down. 
At anyrate, life is good and we are blessed. Thanks for listening by the way ;D

A very quiet Sunday...

Good afternoon to you all. I would love to say I have been on many new adventures but it is not so..just staying extremely busy as eine deutsche Hausfrau..lots of cleaning, laundry, homework, working in the yard to try and repair the mess of have a large stack of wood and the subsequent cutting of that stack resulted in. We actually went out last night to a birthday party for one of my husbad's coworkers, as always we were gone until very early this morning..um..about 5am. But not because we were having such a fabulous time but because we had to wait for over an hour for a taxi and then we had to make a tour of no fewer than 4 small towns to make sure everyone got home safely. Sometimes being the only sober one is not so much fun. I decided this morning in the middle all this that from now on I an driving, I do not ever drink enough for it to matter as I am not a big fan of beer and I drink liquor almost never. Being the DD will not be so bad, as long as I can make it into my own bed at a decent hour. I think I need to invest in a treadmill, the weather here is already cool and windy, call me a total wimp but I hate running in weather like this, my nose runs, my eyes water..yuck. I prefer to sweat in comfort or heat. However, the yoga continues along with the weights, I feel really good, I am sure it is the combination of Vegan eating and a sharp increase in my actvity level, not to mention singing along almost daily to Chris Tomlin. Faith and blessings are a wonderful thing!! Thank you God for all I have because of you! 
The pups are taking the day to get their beauty sleep, my husband also. I personally am enjoying the quiet to make some pillows for the chairs that are now in the kitchen..see previous post for pic of the patio furniture I moved indoors..a cozy coffee area!!
Anyway, will continue my creative streak, do some yoga and I think jog indoors today with the help of my Wii..now that is a great toy to own in the search for a healthy way of life!! Dance party all the way,,but only when I am alone so no one else is submitted to my lack of coordination!! ;D
Bis Morgen!!

Fall is here!!

Good evening to all of you. Have included pictures from Ernetfest in Aurich that took place today. Basically it is like a harvest festival, lots of pumkins, sweet popcorn and other yummy smells in the air. Not to mention crafts and deco items from various groups. Third pic down is of a Vegan root veggie bake I made yesterday,, I adore beets and cook with then fairly often. I must say, Fall is hands down my favorite season, the colors, the chill in the air, the clothes, the smells, festivals, and getting to wear boots again!!
Monitered my steps today 11,453.  Tomorrow has no errands on the schedule so after dog walking session, yoga and jogging. I am looking forward to moving and using some muscles..today was spent shopping and planting fall flowers..not bad but not so in order for my training schedule.
Okay, time to settle into the evening, all is quiet..Bis morgen!!

Breakfast Quest!

And as previously discussed..I am making an effort to eat breakfast everyday, still not there as far as right after I get out of bed but it is only 0930 and I have actually made a bowl of steaming oatmeal sweetened with raisons and prunes!! Fiber all the way!! Along with a fire as it is a bit chilly this morning!

My goodness..It's already Tuesday!!

 Good morning..I must say the time just disappears nowdays. My mom always said that would happen the older I got..have included some fun pics for you all to enjoy today. A yummy fruit salad with yes..indeed..those are fresh figs..so delicious ! Under the luciousness you will find the fine art of stacking firewood, I have learned it is a little like putting a puzzle together. Would like to say it would last for a long time but seeing as we have already used some this fall and it is not even the 20th of September yet..well, I think we will use quite a bit. However, happy to have it there.
The top pic is of course my sweet baby dogs..Max and Melissa..they are always together, kind of like peanut butter and jelly. They are the reason I have to vacumn my house sometimes twice a day but they are oh so worth it! The joy they bring to us has no words. Lastly, my new kitchen accessories..actually the table and chairs were outside on the back patiio but as it rains almost everyday now I am not spending so much time enjoying a cup of coffee outside as earlier in the summer...so I decided to bring them indoors and create my own little coffee area. My poor husband gets a shock about once a month when I rearrange something in the house. But what can I say, I like to keep it fresh. Since I have been home from my crazy summer I have been kind of nesting..lots of new accessories for the house..lists of what we need to purchase to make all complete since we have been here almost a year.

I started with my training for the marathon coming up in June yesterday, decided to throw some Yoga into the mix..I have to admit..I am a bit sore this morning..but totally in a good way. Looking forward to my workout today also but it will have to wait as Matthias is asleep after working night shift again and all of my workout equipment is in our room..that forces me to do homework this morning and train later, not my favorite arrangement but it's okay..flexibilty always!!
This evening we are having oven roasted veggies for me and I am adding some meat in for the guys..in a separate pan of course ;D Will take some pics of the healthiness and post tomorrow..have a day as awesome as each of you are!!

The weekend is almost over :C

Good evening to you all. This is yet another weekend that has just flown by, here it is Sunday evening..my husband has just left for work, the dogs have been walked, the dishwasher and washing machine are hard at work and..as for me, myself, and I ..I am about to settle in for a couple of hours of homework..yes, dear readers, I have homework form my Deutsch class that must be done. I could wait until tomorrow as it is  not due until tomorrow evening but in an attempt to reduce my daily stress I will do it tonight ..I am taking a lesson from my oldest who last week prepared an English eassy that is not even due until this coming Thursday..very proud of him for that! Today we stacked firewood once more..well, okay..I stacked firewood and Matthis just cut the stuff..kidding..the stacking of was definantly the easy part! It was fun to work together though..Kenny Chesney playing on the radio and being out in the fresh air together was good for us. Went to my in laws this afternoon for coffee, needless to say my choice to eat Vegan was a hot topic and one that was met with suprise. I must say though, I feel a little better everyday and I can feel my energy level rising since I have decreased the amount of fat and additives floating around in my system.  Took some pics of the pups today for all of you, will download them in the morning and post them. Tomorrow starts the training for not only my PT test for next month but also for the half marathon in June of 2014..sounds like a very long time from now but I know in reality it is not and the time will fly by. So, time to hit the books..sleep well. Bis morgen!!

Heute..

I am so motivated this morning..firewood is stacked, my morning workout with weights is complete, but I must say I feel a little lite headed but that is because I have only had 3 cups of coffee and no food this morning..I would be ashamed but I am sharing this feeling with all of you so that we can all learn together the importance of breakfast before doing physical work early in the morning..I have never been much of a breakfast eater if truth be told but I know, esp as a nurse how the body needs fuel to operate effectively..so my dear readers, join me in my attempt to become an early morning breakfast eater!!
But, what I really logged on to say was..I felt so good this morning that I actually ventured onto my scale and saw a number of 67.7 Kilograms! That makes me happy happy happy..less than yesterday and I ate as much as I wanted yesterday..all Vegan of course, amazing what all of that fiber can do to make a belly feel full!
Treat for this morning..Choco PB Banana Smoothie
                                    2 frozen Bananas
                                    approx 1 TS chunky Peanut Butter
                                    Chocolate Soymilk for desired consistancy
                                             blend and enjoy!!
PS....It is Friday, remember to be nothing less than Amazing!!
                                     

And the date is set....

Guten Morgen! Have looked and looked for a half marathon that will fit into my crazy schedule and managed to find one in Duisburg on 1 June 2014, this is a Sunday. There are 261 days until this event..A half marathon is 21.0975 Kilometers..I do not know about all of you but for me this sounds like a very long distance to be running..but me in all of my (have to do it better) mindset will do this and by golly, yes, I will succeed. My husband does not understand this drive that comes from deep within me, and honestly..sometimes I dpon't either but as long as I am able I will take it and run with it. I would rather look back and be glad that I did whatever I thought about doing than looking back and having regrets that I did not have the courage to do it at all. I must tell all of you that the Vegan way of eating is doing me good, I feel great and between that and spending lots of time walking with my pups I put on a pair of chinos the other day that used to be a bit on the uncomfortable side earlier this summer and I must say..I look pretty darn good in them and they fit much better. The scale is always good to use but sometimes the numbers can be a bit discouraging if they are not what you expected..the ways clothes fir is a better gauge sometimes..ladies, you know what I am talking about..your skinny jeans can always provide incentive to eat something healthy over those cookies, bread..or whatever your nemisis is!! Okay, so..I must workout and stack firewood this morning. Once the backyard is cleaned up I will feel much better..disorganization and messy are not my thing..in fact I always feel a bit of kilter (is that even a real word??) when things are out of place..my youngest tells me that there is help and medication for this but I prefer to just maintain a constant level of stress over the fact that I live with 2 men and 2 dogs and the fact that I never seem to have enough hours in the day to accomplish my endless goals. Anyway..have an awesome day! Bis später!!

Vegan power meal!!

I felt the need to make something warm to eat this morning..this will not be for everyone for breakfast but as lunch or dinner maybe..

Brown rice
Kidney beans
Carrots
Onions
Frozen Peas
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Curry powder
Ginger-fresh or powdered

Prepare rice as directed, saute onions, carrots, tomatoes, and kidney beans in olive oil..add seasonings, prepare peas as directed..mix all together and enjoy!! I prepared a large batch so that I can eat off of it for a couple of days.For all of you non Vegans---I did reserve about half of this to mix with some chicken that I browned for the men in my house. A good, colorful, healthy meal anyway you look at it!! And, no- I did not measure anything except for the rice, you can make this for 2 or for 10..whatever works for you all.

Good Morning!! It's raining again????

Guten Morgen. Sleepy this morning despite already walking with the pups, but what can a girl expect when they skies stay grey and the rain just keeps on falling? Great for the nature but hard on the exercise program and good mood that I seek to have everyday. 
Today I promised weight and measurements..
Weight: 68.2 kilograms
Upper arms: 28 cm
Waist: 78.5 cm
Buttocks: 100.5 cm
Thighs: 57 cm
Not what I was hoping for but not so much of a shock with the crazy summer I have had with so much traveling and the inability to maintain any sort of a routiene..so goals for the rest of September..
Weight 67 kilograms
Waist 77.5 cm
and..sign up for a half marathon..will start the search today for one for early Spring..and then for a real marathon to participate in the summer. Running is not so my thing so this is a goal with real meaning for me, getting outside of my box and pushing some limits.
So, my sewing class yesterday evening was a complete success..made a super cute pillow for the living room and then had enough material left over to sew several small sacks to make lavender pillows for drawers and wardrobes..guess what everyone will be getting for Christmas this year?? No storebought gifts from this housewife!! Standback while my inner creative monster is released!! As crazy as it sounds it is cold in our house..I think that I will build a fire this morning..from 28 Grad to 14 Grad within a week..got to love it..or hate it..at anyrate I can not do anything about it so I must adapt..adapt and adapt again!!  

What a fun weekend it was!!

 Good morning to you all..I know it has been a few days since I have been in touch but it was a super busy weekend and then I came back to jump right back into my course and my fulltime job as Hausfrau..and as any of you know that it no small feat within itself!! Friday found us at the Hockenheimering for a drivers course which included simulated icy streets and a varity of other challenging situations..we got to watch the really crazy people on the motoercycle course going over 200 km an hour. It is not everyday that you get paid to have so much fun!
The pictures under are fom the Bad Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt which as I have mentioned about 20 times before is actually the world's largest wine
festival. However, as I was driving and knew that I would have a long weekend of work before me I did not drink a drop and had a fabulous time with Katja and Buddy. I plan on making this a yearly event as as I am sure you can all see why with the pics of the nightview of the festival grounds.
I continue to say on my Vegan eating plan..so far I have even managed to loose a couple of pounds..67.7 kg this morning!!

 The weather here has been a little less than friendly as summer is definantly finished and the fall has come in with rain and grey skies but that is okay,the plants need the water and the bugs have been insane so let it wash them away to someplace else..I personally enjoy having my sliding glass doors and most windows open and cannot do it with bugs..but today we have fresh air flowing, even with the wet puppy footprints! I came home from Texas to a backyard full of uncut wood so even despite the rain I got out there this morning and stacked some of it the the guys have managed to cut between work and school, not to mention busy social schedules..my husband assures me that we will be taking a day or so this winter to go into the woods and cut even more for the following few years..apparently it takes 2 years to dry before we can use it once it is cut and stacked..we heat our house exclusively with wood burning stoves, no gas here!
My youngest son has decided that Deutschland is not such a bad place to be, he even apologized for the horrible

atmosphere he created over the past couple of weeks..hormones are such a wonderful thing are they not? ;D At any rate home is a much more pleasant place to be right now. My oldest seems to be doing what he needs to do in college, so things are falling into order..now for my husband to make it through the rest of a very stressful 2013 at work..we are putting our travel shoes back on in 2014 as a family and having a little bit of fun and seeing some new places..even if it kills me!! Okay..today, shopping for healthy food, homework, and sewing class tonight where we are making a pillow!! Measurements and weight tomorrow and physical fitness goals for the rest
of this year..Bis Morgen!!

Woke up feeling blessed!

Good morning to you all. Woke up feeling blessed this morning. As I am a creature of habit I pretty much stick to the same morning routien when I can..of course this routiene varies from place to place..when I am at home after a cup of coffee I take my sweet baby dogs for a walk and then get on the computer to check emails, facebook, twitter, blog status, etc..but when I am in a hotel and I do not have my pups to care for I do my computer stuff first and this mornng I was on facebook and saw that one of my young, super motivated coworkers had posted a quick prayer to God thanking him for the day..what an amazing testiment and what an inspiration. I am more of a pray throughout the day, in the middle of the night, standing at the kitchen sink, while driving person but starting the day with a prayer that is written out for the world to see was for me this morning a much needed experience. Funny how things work out that way.
As a result I would like to thank God for some of the things he has blessed me with..I am sure the list can go on and on depending on the day, the season, the place but for today I want to thank you God for..my life, for what it is and the lessons I have learned..(through the doors you have opened and closed), my family, my strength that you have seen fit to provide me with (both mentally and physically), the people who have become my teachers, friends, and supporters in this journey, this wonderful world and the ability to explore it, and lat but certainly not least for the ability to praise you everyday. Amen
I hope all of you have an absolutely amazing day!
 

I'm back..home to my second place of residence here in Deutschland!!

Hi there! Well, spent most of the day driving..I really do not see how they can create even more roadwork sites on the Autobahn but by golly..they have done it. I think once all of the construction is done we will all be dead and gone. Anyway, back here in Kaiserslautern. Was great to see some of my co workers today, several of us will be taking part in a driver' safety course tomorrow and then I am off to meet with a great couple I met here last year at the Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt..we will be meeting there again this year and I am so excited to see them again. This is the world's largest wine festival, except this year I will not be drinking as I have to drive but it is sure to be an absolute blast at any rate!! Ate 100% Vegan today, will it become a trend I don't know but I thought I would try something new for the day..who knows. Maybe it will turn into a new lifestlye habit. Worse things could happen don't you think? Will take lots of pics over the next day or so to share with you all. Have an awesome evening!!

How Great Is Our God (World Edition. Live)

Amazing..wanted to share this with all of you..

What the ...just happened ??

 Hallo, I know it has been a few days since I have written and for that I apologize. What more can I say, I arrived home expecting all to be in order and get ready for a busy start to the fall and low and behold I get home to find out the my 18 year old now hates me and hates living in Germany, oh and did I forget to mention I am the worst mother ever??..I know this transtition has not been easy but I thought after him living here for almost a year all was going really good for him..shows how much I know. Remember future generations..ALWAYS purchase the instruction book of how to be the perfect parent and maybe a ticket to somewhere you cannot be found for when your kids are between the ages of about 15 till i'm guessing 25 years of age.
Both of these suggestions will make your life easier and hopefully you my dear readers can avoid the pure and unadulturated hell in which we have been living for the past few days. 
At any rate I am trying to shake all of this off as best as I can and get onto functioning like a somewhat normal human being..missed my first evening of my second level of Deutsch course on Monday due to the neverending drama but did manage to pick myself up and go to my first sewing class yesterday evening..see pics for my fabulous new sewing machine..well, not brand new..it was a Christmas gift last year from my husband and son..it say on my work table until last night due to lack of time and to tell the truth I was a bit overwhelmed by all of its options..but last night was a success and this morning I made a curtain for our loft area upstairs..not so bad for a first project, super simple I know but it felt really good to do this. Plus look how cute the Owl pillow I bought to go on the sofa next to the window with the new curtain is..plus I think the light green color really brightens up the room.
On the very top of the page are a couple of pictures of the day I left Texas..how fun is this dress and hat? And oh, the people I met in the airport..in Dallas of course..where the people actually speak to you..Bennigans in the International terminal seemed to be the place to hang out so we mixed and ate and drank until the flights began to board. It was great fun. I think my mom and grandma had as much fun with this outfit as I did. Needless to say, miss my family already!!
As far as the great eating and exercise routiene that I was going to engage in on Monday, well..with all of the fabulous stress I have been under since arriving back home who needs it..I have lost 2 pounds already from lack of hunger. No, really, I head to Kaiserslautern again tomorrow and will hopefully regain my strength and energy level at some point over the weekend. Being around my positive,motivated coworkers always seems to give me energy.
So, my readers..I wish you a fantastic rest of your day and will touch base once I am settled in tomorrow!