What's going on in Germany

I saw this on someone's blog and thought it was a great topic for today.

I'm feeling........ a little worried about seeing the doctor later this month instead of earlier

I' m seeing.........a clean apartment

I'm hearing........the clock ticking away in the kitchen

I'm thinking......about watching Dowtown Abbey 

I'm cooking.......homemade chicken pot pie

I'm planning........my trip home this month and what stitchy project to travel with

I'm reading........Lisa Gardener  Touch and Go

I'm wearing........black yoga pants, grey cami and sweater with my uggs

I'm creating........Birds of a Feather Alphabet Sampler( an older design)

I'm enjoying........fresh ginger snap cookies that I made earlier today

I'm sharing...........my pictures from Carnival in Switzerland later this week after I download them all

Carnival this weekend!

We are headed to Lake Lucerne this weekend to attend Carnival and experience something/everything new.  I'm so excited because we're riding the train in on Sunday and coming home on Tuesday.  We'll miss the "opening" parades but that's just fine with me.  Sometimes crowds get to be too much for me especially when I don't speak the language so a smaller, less rowdy works good for me. So now for the info from google on what to expect:

Carnival in Lucerne (LU)

Lucerne - Lake Lucerne Region

Dirty Thursday till Carnival Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday

The origins of the Lucerne Carnival, the celebration of which practically rules the town for a few days, are marked by the figure of Fritschi, an elderly man with his wife known as the Fritschene, and the Fritschikind, or Fritschi's child.

 

• While the name Fritschi probably derives from Fridolin, the origin and meaning of the figure are not so easy to determine. What's certain is that Fritschi can be traced back to the fifteenth century, when he used to be a straw puppet and probably the symbolic figure of one of the guilds.
  
  The Fritschi family rides in a wagon and has been accompanied over the centuries by a parade. If the parade once symbolized patriotic, historical, or folkloristic themes, it now has a more satirical twist. In the 1920s, the Fritschi group found a rival in the newly-formed Wey Guild, who adopted the figure of a frog as the main character of their satirical parade. Today, the Fritschi parade takes place on Dirty Thursday, one week before Ash Wednesday, whereas the Wey parade takes place on Carnival Monday and the final evening, complete with a monster concert, on Shrove Tuesday. These events are the highlights of the colorful merrymaking.
  
  A major attraction of the Lucerne Carnival are the Guggemuusige, or improvised (masked) bands. They are dressed-up and masked or made-up carnival cliques who play well-known tunes on their brass and percussion instruments, rather loudly and not really in tune. The first of these groups was formed around 1950, taking its example from Basel. In the meantime, their number has increased to a few dozen. Unlike their counterparts in Basel, they do not march through the street in strict formation, but make frequent stops, acting out scenes and mingling with the crowd. There are also many individuals or small groups disguised and playing a musical instrument, or pulling a practical joke to liven things up. The masked balls attract huge crowds and are held in large venues in the evenings.

 

 

 

So now y'all know as much as I do and I'll post pictures next week after we return from our adventure. Have a great weekend and for those friends in the Northeast, stay warm and safe!

Very sad day!

Yesterday was a brisk sunny day so we went for a long walk thru the town.  It's so different on Sunday when everything is closed and people are just leisurely strolling around.  We stopped at one of the few places open and enjoyed a doner which is actually a Turkish food but this is the only "fast food" in Germany.  It's meat roasted on a spit then sliced very thin and served wrapped in a homemade tortilla with cabbage, onions, hot peppers and a spicy red pepper sprinkle.  They are very tasty and one of Mark's favorite foods over here. 

 

After our walk, we settled in for a peaceful Sunday of just lazing around the house, surfing the web and of course, for me some stitching time.  Unfortunately that peaceful time didn't last too long.  I signed onto Facebook and learned that one of my friends had passed away unexpectedly. I was just devastated because Marji was just an amazing woman that had overcome so much in her much too short life and I treasured our friendship greatly.  She was a wonderful mother of 4 great kids and they were the joy of her life.  We met thru the magic of the internet on a Bon Jovi message board.  We became so much more than fans of great music and she helped me thru some very serious times in my life.  I was lucky enough to make some wonderful memories with her in the too few years we were friends.  We attended several concerts together and even shared a semi stalking adventure when we tried to locate our boys'  hotel in Atlanta.  Lets just say we ended up wandering around lost, never saw the guys and laughed our asses off about our sleuthing skills or lack there of!  When my depression got so bad last year, she was one of the first to rush to my aid and help me navigate the long way back to finding myself.  Even though we lived very far away from each other, I always knew she was just a phone call, text or email away supporting me.  She loved CFM pumps, killer boots, Elvis, The Beatles, Heart and had crazy, amazing sewing talent and I will treasure the times we spent together. She was so excited because she had 2nd row seats to the Bon Jovi concert at Mohegan Sun for next week and I know that she'll be there in spirit just rocking out like she always did.  And when I go to my concert later this month I'll be taking her along with me as well.  Marji Joy Benson, I know that you'll Always have the best seat in the house now and

 

 

 

When you get to the gates and the angels sing
Go to that place where the church bells ring
You know I'll come runnin' ... runnin' to find you

Baby, say that you'll take me ... wherever you're going to
Maybe I want you to save me ... a seat next to you

 

 

Rest in peace my friend until we meet again.

Marji Joy Benson

4/1/59 - 2/2/13

 

 

She took this picture at the Lost Highway concert in Atlanta, GA