More Sparky

Hi again,

As I hinted at last week, here are more photos of Aengus and sweet Sparky:


Also, an update on my new job: it's awesome! I am getting paid to learn things I would happily learn for free! Don't tell my employers, though....ha, ha, ha. Seriously, though, it is going great, and I am really enjoying it. It's fun after all these months to have a "job job" that I look forward to going to (gardening with Suzy doesn't count - it was far too cool to be considered a job!).

Anyway, I am happy. It feels good to be productive again, and to be spending my time doing something I find interesting, and that I believe in.

Lastly, although I think I only have about four readers, I would like to give a shout out to those people who haven't had the good fortune I have had and who are struggling with unemployment. I am lucky to have what I have, and I appreciate it that much more after having been in your shoes. I am truly blessed.

Warm wishes for a happy Friday!

I'm leaving the ranks...

...of the semi-/unemployed! That's right, I secured myself a genuine full-time job, and will start on Monday. Hmpf.

Actually, the job sounds pretty sweet, and I feel blessed to have found it. Truth be told, though, it found me. A rather random conversation about six months ago led to an email about six weeks ago, then a few meetings, a nice offer, and the start date on Monday.

I'll be working for an international organic seed and grain company, doing things from shipping and freight to helping regional farmers get their organic certifications. Odds are good that I'll be able to visit farms in the area in the short-term, and possibly get in on some of the international travel down the road a bit.

Although I must admit to having mixed feelings about giving up my vacation lifestyle (challenging, frustrating, and demoralizing though it was at times...), I am so aware that there are millions who would love to be in my shoes about now, shoes that will walk me through the door into what sounds like an interesting job with a paycheck and benefits to boot.

I will miss gardening with Suzy, though. She's a dear, and the work was healthy for both mind and body.

Anyway, that's my news.

This Sunday is Easter. I'm looking forward to a tasty dinner at my parents' house.

Wishing you all a lovely holiday weekend!

Sparks are flyin'!

Hello again,

Meet Sparky:


He's the one in the back there, behind sweet Aengus (thanks to Jane for the photo), and he'll be staying with us for a week and a half. He's been here for four days already, and he is sweet as can be! He's a perfect complement for Aengus, and they've been having tons of fun.

My camera is broken, so as soon as I can get my hands on Jane's, I'll probably put more photos up.

Also, there's news on the job front! I'm going to wait until the deal is sealed before I share the news so I don't jinx it, but hopefully I'll have an update this week!

Hope you're well. Enjoy the sunshine!

Snowshoes!

I mentioned in my post from the other day that I received showshoes for Christmas! Here's a photo of me from a couple of weeks ago up in Theodore Wirth.


For me, this was a pretty perfect winter, at least weather-wise. I'm so happy to have warmer temperatures and less ice and snow to deal with during my daily walks, but I'm a little bit sad to have to say goodbye to my snowshoes until next winter. Auf wiedersehen, Schneeschuhe!

Maybe it's Time

Well, maybe it's time to start writing again. Or maybe I should end that with a question mark? Seems like it could be a good, cathartic thing to do, and why I would want to publish it for the world to see, I have no idea, but here goes.

I am safely and soundly back in the States, and have been for nine months now, almost to the day. Odd, in a way, as that's the same amount of time I spend in Deutschland.

In one perspective, I haven't put my time back home to good use at all. I did garden for Suzy's clients all last summer, which was dreamy and cathartic in its own right, and I've also had plenty of time to take sweet Aengus for our long daily walks - the most precious time of my days, still. I received snow shoes for Christmas this past year, and have enjoyed getting into that, especially because of our abundant snow. I loved the discount on books I received while working part-time at Barnes & Noble during the holidays, and have been reading a ton.

On the other hand, though, I've been hopelessly unproductive. On my good days, which far outnumber the bad, I recognize the hardship and trauma sustained by so many people around the world, which helps me keep my own imperfections well in perspective. I also give myself credit for my job search efforts, even though they haven't resulted in anything full-time/professional. Yet.

On my bad days, which, like I said, are relatively infrequent, I despair, and feel frustrated and glum, but never, ever like a victim. I made my own choices. My present is a result of actions I took in the past, and my future will be a result of my actions now, and to come. No one ever said it would be easy, and I was not raised to expect anything, or to feel that somehow the world owes me something.

Ha, I am tired. I just reread this post so far and realized that my "On the other hand" statement basically mirrors the "In one perspective" one. Maybe I'm not ready to start writing again after all... :)

A couple more Triscuits and cream cheese, possibly a little late night t.v., and then I'm off to bed.

Sweet dreams to you all,

Kate

Magnifique!

Made it to France on Sunday, via the Netherlands and Belgium. Probably the second most important road race for cyclists happened on that day, and I was excited to check it out! It's called Paris - Roubaix, and is known by the nickname "Hell of the North." To you non-cycling enthusiasts, it probably won't be very impressive, but for those of you who follow racing, know that it was one of the coolest things I've seen.

Here are a few photos from the trip:

Near the finish, in Roubaix:

The team bus of the eventual winner, Tom Boonen:

A Boonen fan before the finish:

Unfortunately, closed roads and crazy traffic made getting to the cobbled sections too difficult, but I did manage a great spot at the velodrome to watch the finish. As you can see, young and old come out to support the racers:

That's a huge tv in the back, with coverage of the race before they reached the velodrome:

Tom Boonen entering the velodrome:

Filippo Pozzato, who finished second:

Thor Hushovd, Leif Hoste, and Johan Van Summern, who finished third through fifth:

I saw Thor Hushovd after the race, by the way. He was standing about five feet from me. Mmmmm.

Aengus liked it, too:

Tom Boonen, accepting his pave trophy:

Oh, and that same Boonen fan, after the victory:

It was such an awesome experience. I wish I could have seen a cobbled section in person, but at least I could watch it on the big screen.

After the race, we had the unbelievable luck of finding an awesome hotel. It was kind of in the middle of nowhere, in a town called Orchies, and didn't look particularly special from the road, but once inside, it was magical.

It's a family-run hotel called Le Manoir, and the people are spectacular. The son, Philip, speaks English very well, so communicating with him was easy, but his father speaks only French. It turns out the French and Swiss juniors teams were staying in this hotel, and the restaurant had been closed so they could have their team meetings there after the race, and get a good dinner, but Philip and his father, whose name I wish I had learned, were kind enough to let Martin, Aengus and me in for a wonderful meal. Some kind of terrine with fish for the starter, and then chicken with a mushroom sauce and peas for the entree and an unbelievable cake for dessert. We sat right next to the French team - it was so cool.

Here's the restaurant, on the left:

After dinner, Philip and his father invited us into the little lounge area in the hotel for super conversation. The coaches from the Swiss team were sitting in there, enjoying a local beer, and we all spent probably two hours in there chatting in combinations of English, French, and German. It turns out that the family who runs the hotel are huge cycling fans, and the father in particular was so interested in telling me stories about his experiences. I could dig enough of my French up from college to understand him almost all of the time, and didn't have too much trouble speaking with him. He has an amazing book of photographs and autographs from probably thousands of cyclists. He has one of Erik Zabel's bicycles. Pro teams, including Milram and US Postal have stayed at his hotel. At one point, he went back into the hotel office and brought out an old wooden wheel from 1940 to show me. It was so cool hearing about and seeing everything. They made us feel so welcome. If you are ever near Orchies, and need a place to stay, please check out this hotel. Even if you are not a cycling fan, you won't regret it.

Here are a few pics of the surrounding area:

The next day, we went to Valenciennes for a tea at an outdoor cafe. It's a beautiful, beautiful city.

After leaving Valenciennes, we got lost for a few hours in the beautiful French countryside before driving back up to Muenster through southern Germany:

It was an awesome two day trip. Hope you all had a safe weekend!

Until next time...

Some things are universal

So, today is Good Friday. For some reason, here, at the Skribbe household, this is the most important of the religious holidays. They're Catholic, so one would think Easter Sunday would be the most celebrated day, but here in Kasewinkel, it's today.

Anyway, Renate made her traditional meal for Good Friday, which is called Stoeven. I've probably misspelled that, but they're traditionally Jewish pancake things with yeast - some with raisins and some without. It is a beautiful day here today, so I sat for almost 5 hours outside with Martin's family listening to a lot of German. At some point, one of Martin's sisters started talking about how the kids from Kasewinkel are now bussed to school, which is in the neighboring village, 3 kilometers (2 miles) away. She thought that was ridiculous, and then Martin's mother chimed in with "when we were young, we had to walk to school, through the snow!" I wanted to ask if it was uphill both directions, but held my tongue. Never mind the fact that here in the Muensterland, snow that lasts for more than one day is record-breaking.

I'm taking a bit of a road trip to France on Sunday. I'll be sure to report back with tales of our adventures!

Take care, and have a safe and happy weekend!