Snow, sales and a new project.........

There has been a great deal of snow. Snow. And more snow. But life goes on as normal. Things do not stop because of snow here. This is a continual novelty for me, I have to say, after living in the UK. So today, we ventured slowly down the mountain to the valley, which has no snow at all. Jean had a gift token to spend. And spend it she did. Great fun for her at the sales! She is "puzzling" at the moment - doing a 1000 piece puzzle. The whole family joins in as they pass the table, and it is always a delight.

Pilatus from the valley

Marge is taking down Christmas in her doll's house, and the rest of the family is half comatose on various comfortable seats around the place.

A close up of Pilatus in the sun

Achievements of the week so far - the new gym ball has been blown up. We sort of demonstrated a few exercises, and then had a nap.  The house has been stripped of Christmas. And even the little village enormous city has been dismantled and packed away in boxes. It occupies nearly one entire wall in the lounge, so dismantling that took David's help and strength. And a conveyor belt of people up to the attic (which is not an attic, but a whole extra floor of the house divided into rooms, with the most phenomenal amount of storage space. Beautiful. I dream of storage space.)

And the restaurant is now back to normal too. Christmas has been packed away. So, I have started a Spring ripple blanket while I am here. I will leave it here, so I can do it when I come back. It is good to have projects I can pick up wherever I am. I love the spring colours.

 Oh, I wish you could see the beautiful spring things for the home in the shops here. I wanted to take a photo but the shop assistants said no. Beautiful things. I bought some raffia to crochet something I saw there. I think I can replicate one of the lovely ideas, but I wish I had bought some of the flowers. I showed Marge what I love, and she will check out the sales (when they start) of the spring things. Maybe they will be there then. We will see.

Time, I think to fill up the coffee mug and pick up the crochet hook before I fall asleep. All the mountain air, you know. It makes you sleepy. Well, that is my excuse! Happy Monday, people!

The snow came.........

Well, hello there. Yesterday was Dreikönigstag. Three Kings Day, and a holiday here in Central Switzerland. The day the Magi arrived to see the Baby. And there is a special cake too, Dreikönigskuchen. It is delicious. A circle of buns like a brioche, with sultanas in, and one of the buns has a tiny plastic king in it So if you are the one who finds the king, you get ot wear the crown (supplied in the packet) for the day. I found the first king. So I got to wear the crown. 

However, we liked the buns so much I was dispatched back to the shop to buy more, so we now have 3 kings. It was meant to be. I mean 2 kings would not have been right now would they? Or 1? I think not. 

The first king. Only we think it loks like a queen. But still.....

It was also "take down Christmas" day here, so down came the decorations. An epic move in Marge's home, because there is no house in the world quite as beautifully decorated as Marge's. And I mean that. It has been just SO beautiful. But it had to wait until the train arrived at 4, because on that train was my friend, Jean, who has come to join the merry throng here. 

She has been quite a few times before, and knows where everything is, both here in the house, (including the coffee)  and in the village, and she loves being here. So we had to wait for her to see it all first, and to claim the last present under the tree! 

And it snowed. And snowed. And snowed. 

And snowed some more. David did a lot of shovelling, and we watched the machines clear the roads all day. So much snow. Today was supposed to be sunny, but no, it was grey, but crisp and no rain so we set off on a walk along the river to work off the Dreikönigskuchen. David treated us to hot chocolate, and fortified by the hot drink and after thawing, we decided to walk on to the end of the valley. (I knew we could get a free bus home) and so we walked on. 

And guess what? It started snowing again. It did not bother us at all. So much cross-country sking going on. Runners in the snow. Hikers. People out enjoying the mountains, the snow, exercising. Kiddies being pulled along on sleds wrapped in cosy liners. 

We came across this amazing machine on the path along the river. It was smoothing then corrugating the snow and at the same time, carving tracks there on the right for the Nordic skiers. I had NO idea that was how it was done. By the way, you NEVER squish the tracks. You have to step over them, and leave them intact. The corrugated bits seemed to be for the cross country skiers. 

 The amazing thing is the silence. Profound silence. Skis glide silently through the snow. THIS, then is why being here is so good for my soul , you see. 

 Just beautiful. We caught the bus back to the village and wandered slowly home to a lunch of hot soup and home-made (by Mum) bread. In the snow. 

Well, this is Switzerland, after all. It snows here. 

Snow, old age homes and avoidance tactics.....

At the crack of dawn, my sister had a call to say that the mountain was closed because of high winds, so she and I zapped down the mountain to investigate the sales. 75% off is a good sale. A REAL sale. We had fun. We went really early because the storm was due to arrive around lunch time. Well, it sort of arrived a couple of hours ago and the snow is still falling. Apparetly Andermatt has had a metre and a half of snow today so far. I do hope Helen is not buried!

When we got back up the mountain, Marge's school friend was here - she is visiting her son in Zurich from SA and popped in to catch up with us all. That was wonderful - she is a delight.

You know, we were appalled to hear that she (she is 55) was thinking of putting her name down for an old age home for when she is 65. WHAT??? And that other friends of ours had already done so. The same age. The problem is that when your work provides board and lodging, you have nowhere to go when retirement looms.

The thought of considering old age homes, or senior citizens' abodes horrifies me. We are too young! And if we get into the mindset that there are no other alternatives, there will BE no other alternatives.

In my mind, I am still young. I want adventures, new experiences. Life. I am not that sure that adventures and old age homes can be used in the same sentence. I may be way off base. But still......

Dire. Just dire.

I need to win the lotto and buy a lovely big old home and all my friends can come and live there and we will have a commune. Hahahahahaha. Baby boomers to the end. We could all combine resources, actually, and have a place where we can grow old, supporting each other with combined skills and hobbies, and talents.

Hmmm.

The more I think about it, the more I like it. No-one wants to be a burden for the kids. We could look after each other. Gardening. Cooking. Crafting. Sewing. Woodwork. Among my friends we could muster a doctor, teachers, psychologists, banks, business gurus, DIY experts.......

Excellent idea. And the crew include superb chefs and gardeners and decorators.

We are all set.

I wonder why, getting back to reality, the SA contingent have not considered something like this. In actual fact, my local frineds have discussed this often. Combining resources to be able to afford heating and keeping costs down. A pipe dream maybe, but, if the only option was to go into an old age home, believe me, I would do everything possible to avoid that. I may consider it when I am in my 90s. That would be because I am also positive I will never get there. To the 90s.

Of couse, if Nostradamus was right, all the above is irrelevant.

I am off to investigate the depth of the snow. From the window.

A muffin day......

The snowstorm has not arrived yet. There has been a lot of rain. A few flakes of snow, but storm? No. Not yet, at least. It is one of those sort of days when I want to go for a walk, do things outside, but then, if the storm is coming, maybe not. 

So I am dithering about here, not sure what I want to do. WASTING TIME. 

That is not good. 

I am supposed to be living intentionally. Hah. Dithering has its benefits too. 

SO....

I have just made some blueberry streusel muffins. They smell divine. Unfortunately they are welded into the pans. So I do believe we will have custard or ice-cream with blueberry streusel crumbs instead. There were no muffin cases. 

Who needs muffin cases and who cares if the muffins are whole. I am sure the crumbs will taste good. Not part of the weight loss programme, of course. Treats are good now and then and they have blueberries in, so that means fruit and fruit is healthy. I will walk round the lake twice in the morning. 

The muse is quite evidently not in residence, people. I will be back tomorrow.

Every day brings surprises........

There is nothing like starting the day by having to instruct the son to dig up mountains of snow to unearth the manhole cover for the sewage system. And then making vague attempts to assist with the snow removal. Snow which had frozen. We had to check the summer garden photos to try to locate where it was, because the snow was deep.

 Son was not thrilled. However, it was done just in time because the man who fixes ailing systems arrived with his axe and mallet. I kid you not. The Swiss way to de-ice frozen manhole covers. You do not want to know what was under the cover. Suffice to say that we are now awaiting the arrival of a very large lorry. I may evacuate the premises for the duration.

2012 is shaping up to be a year of New Experiences. Ice hacker thingys and now intimate acquaintance with Swiss sewage systems. My Dad (a civil engineer) would have been in his element. I wonder what the Good Lord has in store for tomorrow. Apart from the snow which is on its way. OOOOOH! That means I get to watch all the amazing snow removal ploughs, trucks and tractors again. They have right of way on the roads, so cars, lorries and coaches scatter in their wake as they whizz forward and back at top speed. They really are amazing, you know, and the roads are cleared constantly and rapidly. Swiss efficiency.

At this point, I will inform you all that I cannot use spell check bcause this computer thinks that every word I write is a spelling mistake because it is Swiss.  And all the keys are in the wrong place. So I am apologising for any horrendous mistakes. I feel like a real failure here, because having every word I write underlined in red is humiliating. Sigh.

Today has been beautiful. So stunning. Blue skies, white snow and brilliant sun are a wonderful combination. And the place is heaving with people. The weather changes rapidly up in the mountains, though, and the skies darken for an hour or two and then clear once again. I never cease to be awe-struck by the way the mountains change minute by minute. The light, the shadows, the wind, the mist, the clouds. I love it.

I have another goal to announce. I intend to continue with the fitness quest, doing my aqua-robics/zumba and pilates, and I intend losing, at the very least, 20kgs this year. The quest is to strengthen the core, which will, I hope, help the balance. Healthy living. Simple food. Loads of fruit and veg and water. Fortunately, I love simple food. I love the aqua. This is not an impossible goal at all. Feeling that I am doing everything possible to strengthen my body is good. I know what needs to be done. I should really have a pacing goal, but that is doomed so I am leaving that one out for now.

Thousands of little ants(people) are swarming down the mountain. I can see them from my seat here at the window. The ski slopes up the mountain and here in the village have been very busy today. This is a bright, colourful world today and that, my friends, makes me smile!

PS: As I was uploading the photos, the doorbell rang. You guessed it. The lorry (which was actually a landrover with generator and millions of miles of hoses) arrived. Me with my Germlish. I called my brother-in-law after pointing them in the direction of the manhole, and thankfully, he arrived to do the talking. No chance to depart. And for the past hour and a half, I have been airing the house. In a coat. In mid winter. In the snow. Every door and window open. Lighting candles.

Sigh.

These things happen.

Ah well. No-one can say my life is boring!!!!!!

A goal or two......

I have decided to do a photo project 365 this year, only it is now a project 366 because it is leap year. I had forgotten. It doesn't have quite the same ring, does it? Project 366. It reminds me of what my kids called "The Monkey Movie" (Project X). (I am word perfect.) Anyway, back to the photos.  I know quite a few of you have done it before, and what I would like to know is this - did you just do it yourself, or did you link to any group? Anyone?

I love taking photos, so it should be relatively simple to keep up.

Well, it is a GOAL, people. I told you I was going to set some goals, didn't I?

As it is now 2/1/12, I can assure you that I have 2 photos sorted. I am on the ball. Today involved some ice hacking. So there is a splendid photo of the ice hacker thingy. It will trigger all sorts of memories of watching my son hack ice. Yesterday's photo was of fireworks.

Another idea I decided to embark on is a 5 (or more) year diary. Not a normal diary  I actually gave one of these to Glynis the Christmas before last, and she loved it. It is called a One Line a Day Diary, and one line is all you write, and as the years go by, you automatically look back up the page to see what was happening in your life on that particular day one two three years ago. A memory book. It should be really interesting and a lot of fun too.

Some people use index cards. Others buy the book, and then there is me. I have a new notebook with 366 pages in it. More, actually. I checked. It has to last a few years, so I want it to be strong enough!

So when I travel anywhere, I am now going to need a separate case for the books and notebooks and journals - don't forget the gratitude journal. That has to fit in as well. And this in the era of kindles, laptops, iPhones, iPads etc. How ironic. Just as well I have perfected the art of travelling light. I am very good at being ruthless re clothing options! But not so good at the books and associated paraphernalia.

My sister gave me one of those Granny tell me kind of books, you see, and I am so looking forward to doing it for my grandchildren. Answering questions about my life for them to one day read. Capturing memories of times and way and lives gone by. Different cultures, continents, customs. There is quite a lot to talk about!

 I have now exhausted myself with all this talk of stuff I need to do every single day for a year, and I am the one who found blogging for 60something days straight quite a challenge. Hah. I am QUITE sure I will manage the first few goals. Of course I will. It doesn't matter that this year is 366 days long.

And it is only the 2nd of January.

Hello, 2012........

So here we are - the first day of a brand new year.

 Blank pages on which we will scrawl our story. My brother-in-law has just informed me that the world will end on 21 December 2012 according to Nostradamus, the Mayans and the Swiss radio. Just so you know. He added (with a shrug) "C'est la vie" or however you spell that. My French is non-existent. 

Indeed. So, if Nostradamus is correct, then living out each day full of joy, thankfulness, with eyes wide open to see the small things we overlook so often, is a great idea. 

Back to the blank pages. 

I love the idea of blank pages. Oh, the endless possibilities!

I also have a "thing" for new notebooks. Especially ones with tiny squares. 

So I love scrapbooks. I love quilts. I love little squares. There is a link there. Lttle boxes all so very different, combining to make beautiful pictures. Not so stunning separately but perfect when melded into one. 

I don't make resolutions. Long experience has taught me it is a total waste of time in my case, and it brings great dollops of guilt when I fail miserably to keep any of them. I do not need shedloads of guilt to burden my days. Guilt does not inspire joy, after all.

Bev has a great idea when she talks of setting goals instead, and she is wise when she makes those goals achievable, not impossible. Her post today is well worth reading, so pop over and do just that. The art is in getting the dreams and the reality to dovetail. Of course I want to trot around the globe. The reality is that global trotting will have to wait. BUT there is no reason on earth why I cannot have a goal of exploring new places this year. 

So I am not going to rush to make the list of goals, but I will be doing it in the next week or so, because time flies, people, and the new year is gathering momentum as I speak. I do not want to wake up and discover the fact that one month has vanished already. 

We stayed up to watch the fireworks from London last night, and they were absolutely spectacular. We had a few moments of wondering how the nation could afford to explode all those millions of pound notes (recession), but decided that it had to be superb in the Olympic/Diamond Jubilee Year. Quarter of a million people lined the banks of the Thames to watch. We do fireworks beautifully. Expensively. 

I finally fell asleep around 2am, so it was no wonder at all when I tried to get up this morning, and found that my right leg was willing to move, but the left was on strike. So morning flew by and was gone in a flash. But I have been for a short walk this afternoon. Fresh air was an essential if I was ever going to be fully present in the new year. Lack of sleep has undesirable effects when you get to stare 60 down the barrel. (I have a year or 2 to go still, but it is on its way. Unless Nostradamus was right, of course....) 

My joy knew no bounds when I finally started moving. Think plod. Plod. Plod. 

It is all in the small things, you see. 

There are 7.5hrs left of 1/1/12. I need to go and find the diary.........

Happy New Year!!!!

Yesterday's post is well and truly gone. But then, maybe reading about such trivial matters as blocked toilets, blizzards and fascinating snow control vehicles was not that important after all. Today is the last day of 2011, and in the spirit of bloggers all over the world, I am going to talk a little of other things today.

2011.

 I could look back at everything which has happened and focus on the bigger events. However, I was listening to a radio talk show a few weeks ago and the subject for discussion was the economy. The lack of jobs. The statistic under discussion was the fact that 70% of companies surveyed said that they had no plans to recruit new employees in 2012. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth and talk of doom and gloom going on, until one man phoned in and the whole tone of the discussion changed.

He had a happy joyful voice, and he said -"I have just seen the stats, and WOW!!! Isn't it fantastic that 30% of all companies in the UK WILL be recruiting!! Think of how many new jobs there will be!"

Yes.

He has it right.

No matter how bad the bad things get, focusing on the good makes a difference. All the difference in the world. Loads of negative things happen to all of us, but, looking back, I have so much to celebrate. My son graduated from university, meaning that I now have 3 children with degrees. And a daughter-in-law too. Missy has become a beautiful 2 year old chatterbox, who delights me more each day.Watching my son revel in his role as Daddy has been fabulous. Diana has finished her Graphic Design course, and loved it all. She is now off on a South Island Adventure for a few weeks. My garden has been so beautiful, and has given so many people a great deal of pleasure. Especially me. Not to mention vegetables in abundance.

Friendships have been cemented. There have been reunions with old friends from my youth. Time spent with my family. Time spent with new friends. Don't forget the hilarious aquazumba classes, people. A real and continuing highlight of my days! There has been laughter and throughout it all, there has been enough. Enough of everything..........enough to learn contentment.

Those 2 preceding paragraphs have been a challenge. I wanted to say things like "time spent with family, but not nearly enough" and that would be defeating the purpose of what I am trying to do here today. No matter how positive my outlook can be, and the Good Lord knows I am a positive person, there is always the temptation to temper my thoughts with"buts" and "if onlys". And what good does that do? None at all.

You see, I am sick to death of things. Stuff. Piles. I have been very fortunate to have amassed stuff and to have enjoyed it through the decades, but at the ripe old age of 57, I can safely assure you that none of it is important. Of course I love most of it, especially the computer so I can chat to you here. But is it vital to my health and happiness? I am not sure it is.

It is the people. The things we do. Interaction. Building memories. Daring to reach out. Experiencing new things. Learning. Giving. Doing. In whatever way we can. For some, the gift lies in the words, and that is enough.

I don't measure what I have or give or do against anyone else any more, because I am unique and different, and my path has followed unexpected and devious twists and turns, but it has been interesting. Learning not to fear, not to worry, not to get caught up in those "what ifs" of life is unbelievably freeing. So is learning to trust. Myself. But most of all, the God who says He will never forsake me. He has never forsaken me. I know.

So with a grin, I remember the miles of crocheted goodness, the homemade designer gifts, the apple crumbles, the disintegrating bathing costume, being Mum, Moreglanny, Linds. Being me.

Being thankful in all things - ALL things. Good and bad. That teaches a whole new way of approaching challenges. Mountains. Crises. And it is a great joy, being thankful.

SO

My word for 2012 has just changed, during the writing of this post. I have decided to choose JOY. I want to focus on the joy which is there every day. I will need to consciously seek out joy some days. Others it will be simple. But I want to celebrate each day. And celebration brings joy. I want to focus on being thankful and being thankful makes me grin and grinning brings laughter, and laughter brings happiness and happiness = joy. See? I want 2012 to bring joy.

Or rather, I am going in search of joy each and every day.

I need to laugh more. To smile more. To relax and enjoy the moment. Breathe and be. Do what I have been told to do. I want to ward off the potential of yet more wrinkles on the brow. And, you know what? Even in a day from hell, and I am well acquainted with them, believe me, there is still joy to be found. A chat to a friend, a flower, a little creativity.

Beauty.

I was going to choose "SEE" but that can wait.

As always, I have so much to be thankful for. Even the tears, even the pain, because they mean feeling, and feeling is vital. I feel. I am alive.

 2011 is almost gone now, and the rain is falling here. Washing away the old. 2012 will begin clean. New. Fresh. Like the first page of a new diary. I LOVE that feeling - so full of dreams and hopes and possibilities, as I start to write.

Happy New Year to each and every one of you!

I spent the entire day working on a post and it is gone. GONE. My head hurts. I will try again tomorrow. Right now I am contemplating axes and the demise of computers and bringing back pigeon post etc etc. Where is my coffee.......

Snow and sun and blue skies.....

Apparently the temperatures in the UK reached 15 C on Christmas Day. And it was a little warmer yesterday. Unbelievable. Great for the heating bills, of course, but rather unseasonal! I am not there right now, though. I am with my family in the Alps again. It was -7 C yesterday. But the sun shone again, as it did on Christmas day, and as it is today, and the skies are blue, the snow dazzling and the village is full of people. 

 Can you see the ski jump? This photo was taken from the garden, and they are preparing for more jumping today I think, judging by the music and the men working on it. It is where the World Cup ski jumping Swiss leg happens the weekend before Christmas. Back then there was no snow, so they had to bring it from the Gottard, but then, the day before the jumping started, there was a blizzard. They had snow. And it fell all day on Chrstmas Eve too. Did I mention snow?? There is a lot. But this is Switzerland, after all, in December, and they are well to make sure the snow is a pleasure, and not a trial. Unlike some places I know.

Christmas happens here on Christmas Eve, not on Christmas Day. Presents are opened after a meal in the evening. But when you have a restaurant to run, things are all a little up in the air. So my brother-in-law cooked wonderful lamb and side dishes and then phoned to say it was time to fetch it all. The timing depended on how busy the restaurant became. All we had to do was set the table. Perfect. And leftovers for Christmas Day. 

We combine traditions, and some presents were opened on Christmas Eve, but the rest on Christmas Morning, as we skyped with Diana and Andrew. And then I went for a walk around the lake, singing Christmas carols, as I said I the last post at the top of my voice. It felt great.until the throat lurgy struck, and I now sound like a bass in the choir, not a soprano. Great. 

See? Sun, snow and blue skies. I walked to the Klostermat yesterday to watch the skiing and sledding, and it was a hive of activity. Cold. But a large cup of Glühwein has wonderful heating properties! 

 This is the Kloster, the Benedictine monastery. 

 Me on the walk. Ignore the hair please It looks like straw in the cold. 

So there you are. Some photos. I keep thinking of things to write about and then I get distracted by the moment. The day. Now. Perfection.

 I have just been on a walk to watch the ski-jumping. My leki poles and I can go aywhere. Those men are lunatics, I tell you. And they are also waifs. Tiny stick like men. I know this because I walked 

past them, feeling like an amazon. 

The coffee machine is apparently broken. A disaster. I need to go and cast some oil on troubled waters. I will be back.