Lucky hubby.....

...is invited for the soccer world championship semi-finals in South Africa. Great! I am happy for him - first he is a huge soccer fan - second he loves South Africa.....third - he deserves this.

The thought is that I will follow him after his "official visit" so that we can spend a week til 10 days in South Africa but unfortunately its winter down there so I think the weather will not be as good as we would like to have. When we visited South Africa in November 2008 we had lots of rain (which was unusal) but every now and then we had a sunny and warm day.

As I mentioned South Africa I want to share some photos of my first (and not last) holidays there:

First view of Cape Town - right before landing

View down from the Table Mountain to Camps Bay - where our hotel was located

The  Cape Town stadion - lot of work to do....

Beautiful beautiful Waterfront - I loved that place

nothing to mention....... love that photo.

colorful part of Cape Town

 whale watching in Hermanus

Where are we now???

Where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean...

.

Bay of Plettenberg

yep - yep - yep - Franschhoek and its beautiful and gorgeous wine yards.....

Beautiful little town Knysna

sick....

I am sick - unbelievable - I was so proud to come though that long and cold winter without any cold and now? Yesterday I went to bed with a running nose and throat pain  - had a terrible night and woke up every 30 minutes with headache and feeling ill.

Sun is out and I would have lots to do but today I feel unable to concentrate myself - not even the thought of doing my weekly team up thursday is getting me excited. So will wait til tomorrow. Will sit a bit in the sun and watch the gardener works - bring them some coffee and water and some snacks.

So today a very silent "have a great day all" - sun is shining in beautiful Munich and lifts up my mood....

My weekend - full of calories

My Friday started as usual the last weeks with a cloudy and rainy sky – got up and had breakfast with hubby. In the meantime a gardener with his help arrived and we gave them some instructions – by looking up to the sky I saw something I haven’t seen for weeks – there was something very bright in the sky – hmmmm – yes – it was THE SUN…..

Couldn’t trust my eyes but finally I know it’s still there. Had to go shopping and then pack my things for a weekend “at home with my parents” Hubby came home around 6.00 pm and an hour later we sat in our car – as there was a public holiday on thursday there was noooo traffic jam at all – something I’ve never expected on a friday evening going out of Munich.

And 2 hours 50 mins later we arrived at my parents home which is 380 km from ours. Sat a while with them and had a glass of sparkling wine (mum and I had two – the “boys” had a beer instead of the second glass of sparkling wine) and my moms “Nudelsalat” – I could die for that. Don’t even think of the calories she “mixed under” – but hell – it tasted sooo good.

Saturday we went to a “golf training” for two hours and Achim and I both thought if we just could have this teacher here in Munich. He has a special talent to explain how to hold the irons and how to hit that litlle damn golf ball. As we really got crazy about his teaching we asked for another golf lesson on Sunday morning 08.00 o clock!!! Eight o’clock on a Sunday morning – normally unbelievable for my hubby but what he does for getting better in playing golf …. LOL. Saturday afternoon we sat in the garden and had coffee and cake (again millions of calories joined my body) and in the evening we were invited to the golf restaurant by my sister and brother in law. No need to tell that I again kicked over the traces.

Here you can se not only the sun in the glass - there was some "spirit" in the glass too.

Sunday we got up at 06.30 am and arrived for the golf lessons on time. Had a great hour with lots of things to keep in mind the next time we’re on the golf course.

Later on mum invited for a “brunch” (for her 65. birthday) and the whole family and some friends went to a nice restaurant (again) and we had breakfast and lunch there – holy I ate lots that weekend but sometimes my explanation is: show your body sometimes what you can eat – and then show him with how less you can survive – he has to “see the difference”… OMG stupid me and I exactly knew I will get shocked when I weight myself next morning. And to top that when Achim and I arrived back home in Munich yesterday evening we had salad with tuna and white bread – later in the evening I had a quarter of a chocolate bar as a “Betthupferl”(bedtime sweets) as we germans nicely say.

Me - photographed by my 5 years old niece - during I read a rhyme  for my mum (I did a resumee of her life so far)

In the late evening we had a very strong thunderstorm and – again – it rained loooooots and heavy. Woke up that morning with a grey and cloudy sky – think that is our summer here in Munich – and recognized scalding hot that I didn’t something for my piano lessons during the “holidays” I had. I am not teached in piano playing during school holidays so last time my teacher left me with lots of homework to do and I did nothing!!!!! Nothing! But to apologize I can tell that I really had two very busy weeks with photoshoots and work with photos – editing and mostly to scan photos. But nevertheless I have to go upstairs and have a quick look at the piano – doing some finger excersise and playing thought the repertoire.

Okay and now you want to know what the weight scale said this morning – the result of not thinking about calories for 3 days is – 1,2 kilos more. OUCH!!!! That hurts!!!!! First thought this morning: Silly cow – you should have knewn that…. Then thinking: OMG nothing for me to eat the whole day – 10 kms run outside today – drinking tons of water to get all those calories out of my body – lol how funny are these thoughts in the morning…..

Bad thing is I have an appointment with a girl friend tomorrow at a Greece restaurant – and I know I won’t eat and drink nothing – just watching her eating and drinking… No I love my greek calamaris from the grill and a glass of Retsina mixed up with Coke….. you think she is crazy? No that’s what I’ve learned when I spent holidays on a small greek island called “Karpathos” – all Carpathians drink Retsina with Coca Cola (and that’s the only one I can stand that wine – LOLOLOLOL)

Talked enough about eating and drinking and calories – can feel my brain is beginning to think what can I eat now – NOTHING!!!!!! Just fruit today!!!!!

team up thursday - week 4

...for Marcelle and me. I have to say I am addicted to that - every thursday morning (sometimes wednesday evening) I take a look around at my photographer friends' blogs and every time I am blown away about their themes and their photos. I think there is soo much for me to lean and (as Marcelle once said) to think "out of the box".

This weeks theme is chosen by Marcelle and its: looking up or looking above - and again its funny to see how we both "saw" the theme and interpreted that.

 My first thought was looking into the sky and finding some nice clouds (here in Munich we don't have had nice clouds for more than 4 weeks now - always mixed up in grey - sometimes dark grey...) - and after being unable to take a nice shot of the sky I checked my foldes and found this:

This photo was taken two years ago - I can remember exactly as my "BA"d  friend Helen has been in Munich for two days (explaining "BA"d friend = friends of the Bryan Adams Fan family) and we were walking around the "Walk of  fame at the Olympic Park in Munich" - Bryan "left" his hands there in red sand....

I wasn't sure about my chosen photo - I have another in my mind but once you choose one I think thats the right one. Maybe we have a similar theme next time and I can show the other one then.

 Again - can you see Marcelles talent for those photos - I am blown away of her "finding exactly the right second"  - amazing. How she came to this photo you can read on her blog - I think most who read my blog are allowed to read hers (she set her blog on "private"). And isn't it fantastic to have such really beautiful models around? Awwww - brilliant

Take a look what Berta ; Corey; Megan and Melody did this week - more to check out are:

Joanna; Andrea; Cat

you know you're a photographer if......

1 GB of memory lasts most people a month but barely lasts you the afternoon.
You know what aperture-priority means.
You delete more photos in a week than most people make all year.
You need just one more lens.
You've crawled on the ground to get a shot of something rusty.
Your camera equipment is worth more than your car.
No one else brings a camera to an event if they know you're coming.
Your family doesn't recognize you without a camera covering your face.
You have thousands of pictures and you're not in any of them.
You've been up before dawn or out in the freezing cold or even done something semi-dangerous… all for a photograph.
Your friends ask you to shoot a family Christmas portrait for them as a favor.
You wish your camera equipment cost less so that your insurance would cost less.
You put your memory card wallet in your pants pocket in the morning even before your car keys.
You have enough camera bags in your closet to pack up your entire house.
You choose airlines based on carry on baggage allowance.
PS7 is a software program and not a school you attended as a child.
Your family cringes every time you say, "I'll be right there, I just need to take a couple shots of this."

This is sooo right in some ways and I found that on a "myspace"page of a friend - Conny I hope you don't mind I have "stolen" it ....

This cameras above my hubby found years ago - there are several more. When we lived in your former flat we had a big big letter box on the ground floor and there was an "unwritten law" who allowed everyone who lived in this house they can leave some things they never need on the letter box. Sometimes there were candle holdes, once there was an alarm clock - but the "rule" was - all these things we put there are not allowed to stay there more than 24 hous - if the are not taken by others who live in the house and could need it it must be removed. And it really worked. 

So once I was sick and laid in my bed with horrible stomach pain hubby went to get me some pills and when he came back he brought 7 "old" cameras which were found on the letter box - you sure can imagine that all my stomach pain was gone when I checked all these lovely ones..... I never got to know who left them there - but thanks a lot you "unknown"....

I am way behind......

I have a lot to do and honestly I lost a little sight of my job - yes - its you, all you bloggers and photographers who are guilty.... LOL. I am busy with reading your most daily entries and having a look at all your great photos and when I am "back" here almost half of the day is gone.

So let me tell something about my weekend - on friday afternoon I had to do a photoshooting for a pharmaceutical enterprise.

Started at  05.30 pm and at 04.45 pm I sat in my car - lovely sunshine outside and after a drive of 5 km it suddenly started to hail and rain like hell. Yep - great - white jeans on and I know exactly it won't be white any longer after climbing out of the car and walking through the rain.Okay when I arrived I was shown the venue and the dining room. Did some photos there and then waited for all the doctors to arrive.

I did my photoshooting for 2,5 hours (one part I was really afraid of – they started with a first speech and after that the dinner should be delivered. And the main job was to take photos of all participants sitting on their tables. There were 25 tables each with 10 people around. So I had to take a photo of the table number and then the 10 people around - I had to rush because as soon as the first speech ended they started to deliver the dinner). So I could to the first 3 tables with relaxing people and the other 22 tables with people looking at their dinner, eating and every now and then grinning into my camera. I hate to take photos during dinner.
After 2,5 hours I was really exhausted because it was terribly hot inside and all the lights on didn’t cool down – lol.
I was given a usb-stick and asked to save them on the stick and bring the stick the next morning and maybe I could do some contact prints. If I only had said “No – I can’t do this”.Okay back home I checked the photos and started my work with printing the contact prints. I started – but not my printer. Whatever I did – “he” did nothing. Printing out emails and word documents wasn’t a problem – as soon as I wanted to start printing pdf-documents “he” went on strike. I begged – I shouted – I hit “him” – I prayed to “him” - I called him names – I cried because of anger - “he” did nothing….. Meantime it was midnight – I got a headache and went to bed.
Woke up Saturday morning with a terrible headache again – like I had 2 bottles of wine the other night – and went downstairs – started my printer and you won’ t believe what “he” did spit out all my contact prints (oh how I loved and hugged “him”). I think he was tired the evening before or what do you think? I just say “technics”……

Had a fast breakfast and went to the venue again – brought them usb stick and contact prints and back home. Then we did some gardening and later we went to a birthday party – had a great evening and watched the Eurovision Song Contest (which we Germans won) and went to bed at around 2.00 am.
Sunday was a lazy Sunday as it (again) rained cats and dogs – I did nothing – just reading and relaxing.
Monday I had a very long and stressful telephone call with a client – I sent her an offer (she asked for different things) and I explained everything long and clear (I thought).
She started our chat with the words: I didn’t understand anything – you explained it very complicated (HUH?????). So we “chew through” every point and right then I thought everything is clear she started to ask again….. Calm down Kerstin – again – very friendly I told her how we can do everything she wants and then she started to discuss about the fees. And that is one thing I cant stand. My fees were exactly listed and I hate to discuss about them. As it seems to be a “huge” job with following photo books I offered her a special fee and now hopefully we both are happy. That means I have to sit the next days and have to scan more than 650 photos she sent. My scanner will start to glow…..
Tuesday (today) I first cleaned the upper floor of our house – then did some paper work and sent some letters – started with my “scan job” and later I am off to the grocery.
Okay – now you’re updated – see you around sooon
LUV

I started a study....

 in photography - I know you can't "study" photography but I never had any education in photography and all that what I know about photography is what I read in books  - my favourite author and photographer is Scott Kelby - he's the most amazing author I've ever read. Sometimes I have to laugh out and that's the way I want tp learn.

Nevertheless as I do "official photo shootings" (I am paid for them) I thought I have to do a little more so I decided to do a study - my first homework booklets arrived and now I have to sit and to read and to answer all these questions. 

First booklets questions are:

- Descibe your camera and the pro and con....Have to check about the con's. (one thing is : they can do sooo
  many things I never use/used - so many features I thought I never need - maybe I need them  now)Mine are
  a Nikon D70; D300;  D5000   - yes - I am Nikon addicted. So I will descirbe....

- Send some of  your best and personal important photos (Should I tell them that I have about 58.000 photos
  since I started digital photography - I have noooooooo clue which are my best.... (Thats a new "project" I
  have to work on - I have to check all my folders and files and have to delete all photos which failed. I will do
  that - there is too much "rubbish" which takes memory capacity)

- Describe with few words which photos comes to your mind that got famous because of mediums.

  First what came up to my mind is the "dust woman" - the woman who survived the collapse of the twin
  towers  back in September 2001 - that comes to my mind as Achim and I were in New york when the
  attack  happened - our honeymoon, and on Monday Sept 10th we have been at the "top of the world" and
  had this   fantastic overview - stood there for more than an hour and I took photos - some of the last ones
  which were   taken from above... Bought a ticket that allowed us to come back next evening - bummer the
  towers weren' t there anymore but thats another story I will post up here on September 11th this year)

- Send a self portrait..... omg those I did look awful - okay but I will send  - they want it - they get it.

Last time I dawdled around in the city center I had my camera with me and the people looked sooo angry (me too as it was raining again - 4 weeks in a row - thats  a reason to look angry) and as I saw no nice faces I thought I will take some photos of the "people" in the shop window. I took my first pic and seconds later a securtity man came out and asked what I am doin there - photography I replied - I have to ask he told me.... Okay I went into the shop and asked for the manager - told him my request and he smiled and told me yes of course I can go on with my photography - but I'm not allowed to sell the pics - promised I will not and went along.

I promised not to sell the photos - I didn't promise not to show.....

team up thursday the third - LETTERS

 

So here we play the third round - its always funny how exciting I am when I recieveMarcelles photo as she always has so great ideas - she implements every theme in a fantastic way and today its again the - "wow effect" . Perfectly captured! And again - her photo is not "arranged" - its just a situation which is perfect for the chosen theme.


 

 My thoughts to this theme:

And again it was funny as with the chosen theme "Letters" we both had different ideas. I have to say when I chose the theme I immediately had the idea to "play scrabble" and will use this letters. I had no idea which word to "write" and tried different things like doing a crossword puzzle but the letters didn't came up like I wanted - it was more word related than letter related.

And honestly theres not the most to tell about my photo - the word letter written with letters - not that recourceful and tried to write different things and used more letters which was totally confusing - you had to concentrate on the words and not the real theme - then did the photo  ... and in the end I thought sometimes  "less" is "more".

Take a look what Berta ; Corey; Megan and Melody did this week.

Time flies by....

This morning my niece called and told me that she is going to be a pupil from summer on - and I thought noooo  she is such a sweetie and a cutie and it can't be that she is soooo "grown up" now. She is five years old (tursn 6 in August) and I once again thought - where has the time gone? I can remember when she was born I can remember her first words (in the first time she couldnt pronounce 'Kerstin' so she always said "Dizzin" (oh how I loved that) and I have spent sooo much time with her (never thought I would find myself down on my knees for hours and hours with her on my back and listenend to her "gooo Dizzin go"..
So today we have some pics from my "one and only" soooo beloved niece Ann- Sophie:

pround aunties smile - an irritaded Ann-Sophie

OMG - what a grin and smile.....

Hey - thats meeeeeee - look at me "Dizzin"

Wow - Dizzin - you're living in a nice place here in Munich - my first Munich-visit

Hey - one, two, three - smiiiiiiileee and say cheeese - you see the photographer genes she got from her aunt?

Bath-time...

sharing my ice cream with my beloved aunt

Kerstin - when I am grown up I want to become a photographer - or a pilot - or a vet - or a "human doc"...

Beach on Mallorca

I LOVE THIS SHOT  - I LOVE MY NIECE - SWEETIE YOU'RE ALWAYS MY LITTLE " MOUSE COOKIE"

Lazy sunday and monday - so no entry - but here we are again....

Sunday and monday were such beautiful days - I nearly had forgotten how lovely spring can be. We had two awesome days with lots of sunshine and nice temperatures - around 25 degrees. Hub came home from the final of the championselage on Sunday around 01.00 pm and we decided to have a bbq in the afternoon as the weather forecast said in the evening there could be some rain showers close to the Alpes. But no rain in sight and we enjoyed a whole day outstide.

 

Monday the weather again was sunny and no clouds in the sky - we had breakfast outside (for the first time this year - no thats not true - we had it already in Turkey in April - but here at home it was the first time). Then later we did some gardening and in the afternoon we had a cup of coffee with our neighbours and then we did a long walk around the area - was soooo nice it was warm enough to wear a summer dress. Later in the evening we had a bbq again and some asparagus (I love it) and we went inside at 9 pm.

On saturday I ran 10 kms and I felt great - sunday I only ran 5 km - but felt also great. So monday run was cancelled due to the fact being lazy and enjoying the garden and today I have to do my 10 km run again - have a new route and love it. So nothing really interesting happened the last days - just relaxed days and enjoying the beautiful weather. 

On friday I have an official photoshooting again in the evening  - so far my "business" runs good this year. In June I have to fly to Duesseldorf for a photoshooting and I will do some photoshootings with my friends and their children. I had to take a lot of courage to tell them I won't do that for free - I am a "photographer" and this is my business and I have to be paid for that. Once a acquaintance asked me to do a photoshooting for her and asked for a "special friendship cost". I told her that I have no special friendship costs - she can inform herself about my prices on my homepage and if this is okay for her I'll do the shooting - if not - she can choose another photographer. (I have to say my fees are much lower than the fees of others - I have a problem to match my fees with theirs as I have no education in photography - all my knowlede comes from practicing and reading 100's of books). I always wonder how people think they can ask me for doing my job without being paid. I also have costs - I have drive to them - I am there and I work with them for hours and hours - I have to drive home again - I have to edit some photos - I have to burn it on a dvd or cd or whatever... and I am busy for a whole day and then for free??? I once asked a friend if she would do her work in the office for free and she immediately said no - so I won't do that either I replied. Big eyes in her face - aha if you turn the situation upside down - they see it with different eyes.

Saturday

This morning I woke up very relaxed and before I opened my eyes I thought: Yes - weather forecast told about a great weekend weather - opened my eyes and guess what I saw??? RIGHT - dark clouds again. 

Okay - I will start to ignore that thing called weather here in Germany - I went downstairs had two cups of coffee and a toast then took some time to read some blogs here (normally I don't do that on weekends as hub is around and I don't have time for that - he keeps me busy and/or want to be entertained LOL). Then the sky went from grey to light blue and I snapped my running shoes and did a 10 km outside walk - hmmmm - it did smell sooooo well - so spring like - so good. (I think the older you are the more you notice things like how it smells, how green the grass is etc.

After returned home I felt (and still feel) very good and proud of myself as I did my 10 kms run - and not shortened like I sometimes do. First 5 km with sunshine then 3 kms with clouds and last 2 kms with - yes - rain.

So I thought no need to shower after running  - heee just kidding - right now I come back from having a shower and now I will go and buy some rhubarb to make a rhubarb-strawberry punch and a rhubarb cake.

Have to clean the windows from inside of my car - bitterly needed- then a short visit to my mother in law - think we will go to the cementry and bring father in law some flowers for pentecost.

In the evening I am invited in the neighbourhood for a barbeque (if the weathergod is in a good mood) and then watching the championsleague final - should Bayern Munich win they won a "triple" which didn't happen in Germany til now. 

Yesterday evening I downloaded some songs and got some "flash back" to the good teenie ages - some songs from the late 70 th and the early 80th - great time we had. But I think every age has its ups and downs - so when I thought I had problems at around aged 18 - I only can smile about now.... 

Honestly today I haven't taken any pic - my thought was to take my cam with on my run but I can' t  run with that heavy thing around my neck....And I really wanted to run this morning. Okay enough of my hooey..

Have a great weekend all and hear/see/read you soon - wishing you always the right light in front of your lenses :)

Weekend in front ot the door....

...and hubby is not at home - awww. He's on the way to watch the final of the championsleague in Madrid - a so called business trip (LOL)  Bayern Munich against Inter Mailand. Poor man has to fly to Madrid and have to watch soccer - and all for business.....  Okay, honestly he said that he would love to stay with me or take me with him but last thing was not possible as no flight for me (okay I could have taken a plane to Frankfurt - then Brussels - then Madrid but I didn't want to sit in a plane for half a day when I could do it in 2,5 hours).

So I decided to stay here and will do some gardening (if the sun comes out) and some work for me because I am a little behind my time schedule. So some office work now then in the evening a bath with a glass of wine and an interesting book - then the remote controll of tv is for me all alone - yipeeee!!!!!! And then hush hush into bed..

Tomorrow - if - big if - if the weather is fine I have to mowe the lawn and then some gardening - later on maybe relaxing in my garden and in the evening watching that soccer final - fingers crossed for the Bavarians.

Yesterday I went shopping and after a few minutes I ran though the mall there was an announcement: "A little girl - probably 1 and a half years old - black short hair and dark skin is looking for his parents. Please pick her up at the information.

I remember when I was little this situation was my worst imagination - losing my parents in a shopping mall. Okay I made my way though all these shops and then the announcement came again after 10 mins. I thought if I would have "lost" my child I would have picked it up meantime. After 10 mins I heard that again and I thought I will have a look at the information. There a small girl sat on a womans hip and cried and cried (it wasnt her mother it was the woman who "found" her) and the whole girls body shaked. I was sooo sorry for her. I watched the scenery for more than 10 mins - no woman or man came and picked up the little one. As I had a friend with me yesterday I had to go but today when I went to the shopping mall again I asked at the information what happened to the girl and the lady told me it took more than 1,5 hours before she was picked up by her parents.... Please - what kind of parents are they? They must have known that the little one is afraid to bits. Its hard to say but some people don't deserve having a child.

Todays pic was taken when I came home from shopping  - so not something out of my inventory.... "freshly made" LOL.

team up thursday - second week

Second week Marcelle and I are working on our new challenge "team up thursday". When I said last week I was a little nervous about my first pic I have to say this week I was a little nervous again. I think I have to learn not to give myself that pressure regarding "doing the perfect shot" - "having a special idea". I know the thought behind is just having fun and showing your pics and how and what do you see by the chosen theme.

This week our theme is yellow - chosen by my team up partner and friend Marchelle:
Yellow is the color of the sun and yellow gives us light, serenity and enjoyment.
First photo is mine - the photo underneath is Marcelle's

Wow - I thought "yellow" and immediately looked around what I can find in yellow - some post.its, some color pens... then I thought I should look outside to the nature or whatever yellow I can find outside. And my fist idea was the german letter boxes. Did some photos but honestly I didn't like them because the yellow was dirty or bleached out - not that yellow I wanted. Then by drving to the golf course last week I saw all these huge fields of rapeseeds - everything is yellow here. It looks sooo nice and I though: yes - thats it....

When I talked to Marcelle on Monday she told me that she will send her pic to me now as she was expected to stay in hospital from wednesday on and I can can put her pic on my blog - we talked on the phone and then her pic arrived - I opened it and  - wow - we both had the same idea.... LOL. 

I love the comprehensiveness Marcelles photo mediates - so not just one single blossom - a huge field of blossoms. I feel the requireness to run into this field and outstretch my arms to capture the whole scenery. Very well done Marcelle.

So I had to go out and do another "yellow shot" but I had something in my head - dandelion. I took my pic and sent it to Marcelle so that she can "prepare" it for her blog and when she opened my pic she told me that this was also on her mind - great minds think alike.

I really love being part of the team up thursday and even its my/our second week I find myself watching a lot of things with different eyes - I think the idea behind also opens your mind and creativity.

Take a look what theme and photos "our colleagues" have chosen - for example Berta; Corey; Megan or Melody

Showing you my hometown Schlüchtern

For almost 22 years I am now living in Munich - I love Munich and since my teenage years I wanted to live there. Every summer when my parents, my sister and I packed our car for holidays and drove all the ways down to Austria or to (former) yugoslavia and we passed Munich I always said: One day I will live here.

And in 1988 I finally moved and not even one single minute I have regret this decision. Nevertheless I sometimes am "homesick" although Schlüchtern is not so far away from Munich - about 400 kms and a 3 hours drive (with no traffic jam).  But funny thing is all the things that bothered me when I in my young 20th I now love these things: For example - as my parents were running a bakery we were known in our small town and so everyone knows what the others were doing - our neighbour (an old man who didn't sleep very much in the nights and often sat on his window) told my father: Kerstin came home at 02.00 at night - do you know that? She stood in front of the door for more than half an hour - I don't know the boy she was hugging... LOL - what other entertainment should an old man have????

When I walked in town most of the people knew my face and asked: Hey Kerstin, why not at school - not helping in the bakery or in the bakers shop... bla bla bla....

Nowadays I am sooo happy when I meet people who recognize me, my face and my name - time changes.

So now here are a few pictures of my beloved hometown Schlüchtern - about 35 km away from Lauterbach :)

Rain in May...

...wash your worries away

take a dose take off your clothes

feel the soft warm spray of the rain in May 

LOL - I cant feel a soft warm spray - I feel a cold shower when going outside...

Yesterday I found some ideas to create own frames for my pictures and I tried to create them.

Today I show the "easy ones" - hope the more difficult ones I can show tomorrow..

I remember that song from the early 80th - performed by Max Werner - think this is/was a "one hit wonder". I loved it that time but I hate it now because it definately doesn't wash my worries away - I am worried about that rainy weather - but this shouldn't become a weather blog so changing the point.

 

 This pic was taken at the beautiful beach of Marahau in New Zealand - we had such a nice time there. Hub asked a few days ago where I would love to spend our November holiday. I have to say that I normally enjoy my holidays but when it comes to an end I am happy to go home again because I love to be at home. First holiday end where I sat in the plane and cried as sad its over was in Canada in 2005 - then when we flew home from Christchurch I cried half an hour - I was sooo sad - I loved the landscape, the people, the nature - I loved everything and I wish I could return - maybe....

Exhausted....

Oh man - I haven't felt like this for ages - I woke up that morning and didn't realize where I was - what day it is - what's going on and I had to sort out my thoughts for more than 3 minutes. I felt soooo exhausted (and still feel after 2 cups of coffee and 4 hours later) - couldn't even move to stop the alarm clock..... What happened? No idea.

We had a nice weekend - friday we had friends around and I went to bed at around midnight - not that late. Saturday a friend of Achim came to watch the soccer game with Achim  - and as we (Bayern Munich) won the game with 4 : 0 we were in a very sportive mood and did some fun games with the Nintendo WII which I got for my birthday. Went to bed at around 01:00 in the morning - again not too late.

Sunday we went to the golf course and did a 18 hole tournament (3 men and me) - weather was very windy and sometimes it was rainy but not too much. We need more than 5 hours and went home at half past eight in the evening - had a 45 mins drive and then a short and quick dinner - went to bed at 11 pm and this morning I was like "knocked out"......  I am sitting in front of my computer and finished one photobook and  I am tired and my eyes are still "half open" -

Have to go and play piano as my piano teacher will be here in the afternoon and she exactly knows if I had played and done my "homework"..... Right now we are on some classic music and I am working hard on me to play it like it should be played. But I love this piano lessons I take now for 1,5 years again. I had piano lessons for 6 years when I was a teen but then stopped and never had lessons. When I bought my own piano 5 years ago I thought I would teach myself a little and will find back to where I finished years ago. But honestly I couldn't bring myself to work the way I thought. Sometimes I sat on the piano and played along and when it came to some difficult parts I stopped and played what I played all the time- nothing new - always the old things. So when heard that my neighbours son got piano lessons I thought: now or never - I asked the teacher and she told me to wait a month then another pupil will give up as she moves to Spain.

Since Oktober 2008 I am doing piano lessons now and slowly but constantly I can feel myself "coming back" - sometimes I think my fingers are a little rust in - but a famous piano player once said:

If I don't play the piano for one day - I feel and hear it

If I don't play for three days - my wife recognized it

If I don't play for a week - my audience regocnized it

Off for my weekly's "team up thursday" photoshoot - Marcelle just sent hers to me and I am really impressed - funny thing is as we have a weekly theme I thought about that and when I saw Marcelles photo I had a laugh because it is/was exactly what I wanted to do - but I had another idea in my head so I will take that photo now - as se sun is coming out (even it is for a few minutes) - later again off to play the piano for an hour or so.