Have a great start for a new week....

Holy Communion .....

its time for that in Germany again - so I am booked for 3 of those photoshootings. I am really excited when it comes to such "official shootings" as I always think maybe I forgot how to take photos - LOL. No I am really nervous the day before and check my cams and batteries and and and .... pack and unpack my bag - always thinking I will forget something....

I NEVER FORGOT ANYTHING - I NEVER GOT TOLD THAT THE PHOTOS ARE NOT GOOD - I NEVER DID ANYTHING "WRONG" - but.... that's me.

The photo above is one of the best shots I've ever captured without a flash. It was just one or two seconds the sun came out and sent a few rays though the church windows. I simply love that shot.

A few more photos from our trip to Lake Garda

Back from a most beautiful prolonged weekend at Lago di Garda

I had such an amazing and brilliant time with hub, my parents and my mother in law. Our short holidays started on friday morning and we came back monday evening. We all had a fantastic time and I will never forget the fun we've had. Family is such a important thing for me and I love having my parents around.  Above a few first photos....

Even I am very happy in Munich - this is my beloved hometown...

this is "my Schluechtern"

what a (birth)day...

So, now as I am a grown up I normally shouldn't behave like this but I have to say I love my birthday.

This day makes me feel special the whole day and I always have a big grin on my face all over the day.

Normally hub and I start our birthday at midnight. Hub sent me up on the 27th a few minutes before midnight and at midnight he called me. I went downstairs again and got guided into the living room where he lighted up a candle and showed me the pressies. There was a bottle of sparkling wine with two glasses on the table - I didn't expect this as hub (like me) both caught a cold and normally we don't drink any alcohol when we are "sick"....

Then he showed me my pressies - there was a huge one in the middle of the living room - a new bike!!!! Its a so called "city bike" which I now can use to do my daily shoppings. I have a mountain bike but hardly use it to do the shopping.  We bought this bike 4 weeks ago so I knew I would get it for my birthday and tough as I am I didn't use it before because its the birthday present..... I got a bunch of my favourite flowers (in germany its called "Gerbera") and a blue "Hortensie"and then - yes - something more - a Pandora necklace. I got the bracelet 2 years ago and now that it is almost "finished"(I have now 20 different pieces on it) I got the necklace. 

So I think I have the best hub in the world! Not just because of the pressies - he is my star!

Went to bed at half past one and got up at seven as Max was "calling" so did my usual morning work (walking the dogs and preparing breakfast).  By having breakfast a little peace of one of my tooth broke and I called the dentist - appointment at 01.20 pm this afternoon .....Hub stayed at home because of his bad cold and we had breakfast. NOrmally at 9.00 my charwoman arrives - she didn't appear - half past nine - no char - ten o clock no char and I tried to call her several times - no answer. In the meantime hub recognized that Max was limping hard and hardly could use his right leg (that one with the new hip). I sent hub with Max to the vet - and started to clean the house : (.......  

At 12.30 o clock Max and hub arrived - the vet couldn't see anything but mentioned there is "something" - have to see the vet who did the hip surgery and a special x-ray.  I went to the city center to see my dentist at 1.00 pm and came back at 3.00 pm. Tooth is "rescued" and looks great again. Appointment at the vet at 4.30 - as hubby looked so bad with his cold I decided to do this appointment to give him a little time for himself - told him that he should take a nap as in the evening I had invited some friends. So it was me who left again with Max. Vet did a x-ray and told me that the hip is fine - no problems at all and nothing to see what is wrong. He thought that maybe Max sprained his foot or something like this. I was happy to hear the hip is okay and nothing is broken and it seems its nothing serious. So left the vet at 5 o clock and arrived home at 5.30 - and started to cook for dinner.  Was ready for taking a shower at 7.15 pm and had my first "break" at 8.00 pm - friends arrived 10 mins later...

It was such a hectic and stressful day but enjoyed the evening with a good bottle of red wine and some delicious food ( I have to say I did a great meal!!!)  Went to bed at 01.00 am and that was my (birth) day.

Any questions? LOL

Ah forgot to mention that Max is walking normal again - jumping around like a jojo...

New ideas..... challenges....

Bang - I am back on track (or something like this). I feel sooo good these times I think I am weather addicted (nice weather addicted). I feel so much more relaxed when the sun is out and the weather is nice. I am so much more motivated and even the weather is good and I should be outside the whole day I am inspired with work and doing the house cleaning. So this morning I have finished my piano class (its just this week that I am doing my piano class in the morning) I will re- organize my office and my desk (bitterly needed) - will sort out some cupboards and more things and then will go and buy some spring flowers.

Did my morning walk with the dogs and now off to the piano class and in the late afternoon I will meet a friend for a 10 km run. Looking forward for that as I didn't run with others for almost a year.

We had a great weekend with sun but not so high temperatures but we could use the time to do some gardening. Saturday we were invited for dinner by friends and took our dogs with and what can I say: They were the best dogs ever. After we came in they immediately did "vanish" under the table and weren't seen the whole evening. So good dogs :) (Proud "mum" is speaking). So now off and back later to post a few pics from the weekend....

Weekend and the weather is fine....

wow, what a week. Have been very busy with my spring cleaning - cleaned all the windows of the house and here we have ...let me add....about 30???!!!!! Cleaned the balcony too and feel some muscles hehe....

And not to forget - I am doing a 10 km walk every day with the dogs. So I should be really "fit" but honestly I am very tired!!!

No shootings this week - I did some photos in my garden but nothing "serious". So I have to come back to my baby - my cam. But I think with this weather it might be easy.

This afternoon we're going to the in Germany so called "dog school" - or how it is called in English: pet obedience school! We've booked a session of 10 hours for the little ones - now that Max is better than he ever was (regarding his hip) we thought it might be time to give them some extra education.

I am really happy we now have something to look forward. We've booked our holidays! First we are having a few days off and will spend them at Lago di Garda in Italy.  Then end of May we're having a weekend in London! YAY! YIPPEEE! My absoulutely favourite city. I LOVE London. And then: Be careful America - we're on our way from end of May til middle of June! Still working on our tour and when its finished I will let you know.

I am still very very happy with my new IMAC even I don't know how to work with it exactly and there is still sooo much for me to learn. But I don' t regret the change and with every day I love it a little more. Feel a little guilty of not using my old PC anymore - it looks at me with sad screen as it says: "Hey dear, sooo many times you looked at me and were happy with all the things I did for you and now you have found another new one I am lost and lonely.". But its nice to have it still on my desk and if I need some "old" informations or whatever I use the old one. AND IT LOOKS QUITE IMPORTANTLY AND BUSY to have two screens on the desk. He - but its just me and hubby who do see that :)

Tomorrow we are invited for dinner by friends and were asked to take the dogs with us. So I am very curious about this evening. 

Right now I am happy again with my weight - It took me almost a month to come back to my weight I had before our skiing holidays and I always wonder how I can gain weight by skiing the whole day. Sometimes skiing is really hard work and I do sweat like hell and I always think I should lose weight. But then - these evenings with pizza, pasta, wine......

With the pics below I wish all my blogger friends a very nice weekend - have a good time whatever you are doing and not doing :)

hatschiiiii - hayfever.....

Gosh - I think yesterday was the worst day in my hayfever days...... I nearly died by sneezing my nose off and my lungs out!!!!! LOL. Believe me -  yesterday was a hard day but the weather forecast told that now its a hard time for those who suffer from hay fever.

I haven't had hay fever my first 30 years and I can exactly remember the year I turned 30 I suffered from this the first time. I thought - wow now that you "crossed the border" you will get used to some more pains etc... and for 16 years now I try hard to "work" against this hay fever. Normally its not my nose who makes me crazy - normally it's the eyes who are red and burning and I am light sensitive. But my mum called me 2 weeks ago and told me about a spray which you have to do on your closed eyes - not into your eyes. So I went to the pharmacy and got this spray called "tears again" - I have to say I have problems like burning and red eyes all over the year so its nothing new and I have tried nearly everything the "pharmacy market" is selling. Nothing really helped until now. Seems now I found something that is working for my eyes!!! Sooo happy here. So yesterday I was happy as my eyes were okay but my nose was itching the whole day. And when I tell you I did sneeze for about 500 times - its the truth!!! Felt like 5.000 times and laugh about it or not - in the evening I was soooo tired from all this sneezing. I went to bed at 9.30 pm and slept all night til 6.30 am this morning!

So what else to tell? I am busy doing gardening these days as my garden now is bigger with the other half of the house we bought! And we have had lovely weather this week (except monday when it rained hard all day). Yesterday Munich reached the 26 degrees C and it was quite hot in the sun. I bought lots of spring flowers and did some easter decoration.

time is running.....

....and when I look back I ask myself again how fast the last 6 weeks have gone by. I can remember my thoughts about the time when our Max had his surgery and I couldn't imagine how I should handle 6 weeks with a very active dog who doesn't have to be very active. I remember the day we brought Max home from the animals hospital - how excited his brother was and how exhausted I was after just 2 hous. I was close to tears by the thought of keeping them calm for 6 long weeks... but what can I tell you? It was way less hard I ever thought. Might be my brave Max who was the best patient ever!!!!! He never "complained" - he did what he was told - even he didn't like ist sometimes but he was sooo good to his mum.... Bless him my "Schnuckelputzelchen....."

Tuesday we went to see the vet again and Max had an x-ray - vet told he (Max) couldn't have done better - it looks like he won't have any pain anymore.... Everything went well - bones are looking great and the new hip is working good. Since yesterday he is allowed to run around like he wants to and he is unstopable at the moment - running around the pool - inside and outside of the house - running around in the garden - jumping up and down...... and I can see his thankfully grin!!!!

So a huge thank you to our vet who did this surgery and was soo sweet when he met Max on tuesday again... he cuddled him and hugged him and named him so cute names.... this is a vet with passion!!!!
Now off to my 7 km run - walked the dogs this morning for 3 kms and later they will have their 5 km walk - makes a result for 15 kms for me today... not bad, isn't it?

Back from a week skiing

.....without any broken bone and any accident ;). Yes, our week skiing flew by soo quick. It was a great week even the weather was not like we had it the last years. Normally we do our skiing holidays one week earlier. But due to the carnival which was very late this year we decided to go a week later because  usually its very crowded the carnival week. So this week the weather was ..."lala"..... monday and tuesday it was cloudy and we had snowfall and normally we wouldn't have done skiing but we tried it and to be honest it was good - very less people on the slopes and even the sight was not good we could do our skiing. Tuesday it was a little better with some rays of sunshine but in the early afternoon clouds and snowfall came back.... Wednesday it was raining all day so we decided to go to "Bozen" - we went to see the "Oetzi" - will talk about that later :)

Thursday it snowed all day and we stayed in our little "garni" - so a lazy day with reading, eating, drinking, going to the sauna was okay. Friday we did the "Sellaronda" - will explain it below - great weather with sunshine and blue sky and we always do skiing on saturday - the day we leave. Normally its a real traffic jam on saturdays as its called "bed changing" in germany. So all those who leave are on the streets and all those who arrive are there too. Means the slopes are ours as no one is there  :)

Sella ronda:

Joining the skiing circuit is easy: just follow the roads that take you to one of the four villages around the Sella mountain: Selva di Val Gardena, Corvara, Canazei, Arabba.

The length of the circuit, including both, ski lifts and ski runs, is a little less than 40 km

A draglift then takes you to Bec de Roces where the run to Arabba starts. At Arabba take the cable car to Porta Vescovo and ski down to Ponte de Vauz. Another two chair-lifts (Vauz – Lezuo and Lezuo – Belvedere ) and you reach Belvedere/Pordoi pass. The ski run takes you down to Pian Frataces (Lupo Bianco) and from here you go up to Col Rodella/Passo Sella

A long run down and you are back in Selva di Val Gardena.

You have covered 13.518 metres on ski lifts and you have skied 23.100 metres of ski runs. Total: 36 km and 618 m. Not bad!

I want spring - I want spring....

... in the morning its soooo damn cold here - and windy - so that the temperatures do feel much colder. This morning my nose did almost freeze. 

Went to the hairdresser this morning and "left" about 10 cm of my hair there - I like it how it is now but lets see what I think about when its time to "do it myself" - latest friday.... So if you hear something screeming be sure its meee :)

Today my 30 photobooks arrived and I am now busy writing down addresses and a short note (books of photos I did at the "Ball des Sports"  -first weekend of Feb.) I was asked to shoot some photos there and now all the invited people of my customer will get a photobook of this event. Honestly I never did a photoshooting while wearing a ball gown - so a very new experience for me and honestly I didn't feel that good. Try to move freely when you have to watch your décolleté...not to mention what else to watch - LOL

What a lovely morning .....

I woke up to a beautiful morning - sun out - freezing cold but if you wear the right jacket its no problem. I had a lovely weekend with my family around. Friday evening I got picked up at the train station in Fulda by my dad and as we chatted he told me that there would be a little surprise - then I recognized my little niece and my mum.... Hello -what a fun. Little niece was afraid that my train wouldn't be on time as we had some problems on friday. So she wanted to be sure not being in bed when I arrive. LOLOLOL....

We drove home and then my niece decided to sleep over by grandmum and granddad and aunt. So next morning I got "visited" at 7-30 in the morning as Ann-Sophie told me "I was sooooo excited that you are back here in Schlüchtern, I couldn't sleep much longer" Bless her!!!!!!!! I visited my grandmum at the nursery home and later we had that "carnival event" .About 400 people attended that second carnival event and the crowd was in a fantastic mood. I nearly died of laughing by some really fantastic protagonists.... I had a great evening and even it was just for two days I really enjoyed my days at home again. 

Today I have lots to do - a few minutes ago I jumped into my car - battery flat!!! So it seems I won't get everything done. Right now I am waiting for "heeeellllppp"- should arrive within the next 60 mins... Fingers crossed.

For all who are interested in Max: He is almost the "old" again - no - better - he is soooo active and runs around - jumps around (even he shouldn't). I am soo happy that it seems this surgery was the best thing we could do for him. I had doubts about it but it seems he is almost painfree (and this the first time in his life - thats what the vet is saying and thinking).

Have a great day everybody - and don't forget - I will be lurking around on your blogs :)

Where's all the time gone?????

I really want to know when I noticed the first time that time flies by soooo quickly. I remember as a school kid a week was loooong  - even a school day was long. Holidays were also long and a year was wayyyy  tooo long. I remember I was happy 4 weeks before my birthday- happy and excited - I was happy 4 weeks before easter and 4 weeks before christmas and time didn't go by.... Those weeks turned out to be years in my thoughts.
And now - what is a year - a month - a week? I wanted to do sooo much this week  - so many promises I've made - making calls - doing a visit - meeting up with my girl friend and nothing - really nothing of that all happened. Maybe I am too lazy for this world lately? Maybe I am overloaded with all that stuff that happens here all the time? Even my week was not packed with lots of work and even since 3 weeks I have a char now who helps me with cleaning the house I am sitting here and sometimes have no clue where or how to start with all my work. I want to run away - when I started something and work on that for 2 hours or so I have another idea what I can do now so I run away and sometimes start to work with something different.... Sooooo unorganized that I hate myself for that. Maybe thats the reason I am doing hard on myself to get my stuff done these times. Funny thing is when I am really under pressure - and I mean real pressure - then I can work like hell - everything is fine and my things are done on time. But I don't want to give myself pressure my whole life so when I know I have time to do this and that - I "play" around and have more important things to do  - for example jump up and play the piano - go downstairs to run on my treadmill - do some calls which would have postponed easily....
My accounting did keep me busy longer that I expected - due to some problems with my computer (for whatever reasons a folder disappeared by updating the programm and the customer service is unable to help. )So that meant I had to do my accounting for the whole year again!!!!!! Shit shit shit!!!!
Never the less I finally came almost to an end. 
Today I tried to book an online ticket for the train home tomorrow - were told that "due to an unexpected failure we cannot accept your booking - please try again later..".. I t ried - 10 times - always the same - then called and got told that the person on the phone isn't god (oh really) and has no clue when the problem will be solved. Did cost me another 2 1/2 hours. For me that s enought for today - will switch off my computer now and go out with the dogs - sunny but could outside.

I still miss you a little bit.....

Accounting day.....

I cannot say that I like it but it has do be done. Accounting. So today is my office day - lots of papers to be sorted. lots of bills to be paid and some bills to be sent (this is a fact I really love).

Bought a new programm for my accounting and I have to say it is easy to handle and nice to work with. Never the less I have to do it on my own and it takes me more than two days from now on to be up to date. Lazy me - I know. Today I woke up to a winter wonderland again - I knew something like that will happen. So this morning the boys were happy to have snow again - went to the vet this morning to get Max's stitches out and got a nice surpise - I don't have to pay for that! That is really nice from our vet. Max is in love with the vet's secretary. Everytime he comes in and recognized her the whole dog is shaking because of joy. She has a very special talent to talk to him and cuddles him all the time. And not to forget he always gets a sweet when we leave. Maybe its that fact he loves but I am not sure :)

Weekend was grey in grey and a little boring as we didn't do much - we built up two cupboards for the cellar and I think that's all. This night I woke up but was too tired to move my head to check the time. Just hoped it is in the middle of the night and not short before I have to go up. Later I will have my piano lesson again but have to say that I didn't play for the last 2 weeks. 

On facebook I found two "friends" which I didn't talk to for more than 5 years - nice to see some familiar faces again. Now I am off to have another cup of coffee and then back to my desk and finally start doing accounting.

Update about Max

Max is doing fine - Max is doing wayyy too fine if I can say that. I am sooo happy that my big boy seems to have less pain  - and this right after his surgery  - than he had before. I am working very hard on him keeping him calm and try to get between the boys when they are starting their daily "battles". So please believe me they keep me busy the whole day.
Mornings we are doing a little walk (but seperately - means I have to walk with Max for 15 mins and with Ben for 25 mins - later they have breakfast and after that its MY TIME. They are taking a nap for about 2 hours and then they look at me with those eyes saying: entertainment pleeeeezeeeee :) Normally I would send them outside but Max is not allowed to run around for the next 5 weeks. So if Ben is outside and Max with me he is whining and want to be outside. Entertainment program means doing some education and exercises and after 30 mins they have enough. THEN its BONE-Time and you can hear how it tasts!!!! yummmmiiiii.
At around noon its pee-time for both - and then entertainment pleeeeze again... I am doing my very best with cuddling and whatever.
Around 2 o clock pm its food time again - after that - guess - snorring time for 1,5 hours and then back to the entertainment and bones. After that a walk with Max for 15 mins and Ben 40 mins.
At around 7 pee-time again and after that they have their "dinner" - then its tv time - or radio time or fireplace time. Then they are really calm and sleepy. Last pee time is around 11 pm and then bed time.  ZZZZzzzzzzzz!!!!!
We went to the vet on thursday and he couldn't believe his eyes when  Max "marched" in - he first asked: This is really Max? LOL yes it is. He is very happy with his recovery and everything seems to be  fine.

Monday we'll see the vet again and he is going to take the stitches out - another x-ray in 5 weeks and I think Max did very very well in his first week after his surgery. Hopefully everything comes to a good end. Right now he is lying beneath the corner seat - his head on my foot - awwww :) Ben cannot believe his breakfast is already finished - his eyes are telling me that :)

Two weeks ago I was invited to a housewarming party (and was asked to do some photos) and this is what we had as a desert - yummy!

Happy weekend all.....

foggy morning

This is how our sky looked yesterday in the evening - I did look forward for a sunny thursday morning - but still foggy outside.

I am in a little hurry today as my char had called - she is sick and cannot come today - and just today she would have been bitterly needed. So it's again up to me to do the cleaning of the house - so therefore just a few words from my side - have a great thursday all :)

Where is the spring?????

Since we have had a few very nice and warm days a few weeks ago I really was "ready" for spring. But now we are back to cooler temperatures and the weather forecast talked about snow again.... yes- its Feb and its normal to have snow then but this year we already had a long winter (for us) - snow from December til February which isn't usual here in Munich - even that's why the season is called winter. And I think we are not used to that anymore - why else we are always  talking about "century winter" - I think the winters around 1950 were hard and cold ones. But now that we had winters without or little snow we don't know anymore what "winter" is.

Today I got shocked. Max had to see the vet and as I am alone at home during the day its not easy to get just one dog outside and in the car. You need a plan: So - first I go outside and drive out of the garage. Then I open the back door - then I have to go back into the house again - have to confine BEN in the living room (door is open but a "baby fence" between corridor and living room - have to snap Max while Ben is jumping up and down like a jojo. Okay, everything worked well and right now I had Max on the backseat of my car I couldn't trust my eyes and ears. I saw BEN jumping up and down at the garden fence.... Hell - what did he do? He jumped over the baby fence - my little boy was so in fear of left alone - he jumped.... and I think the fence is about 100 cm......Now this procedure can be left behind as well.... Next time I have to close the door but I am sure he will open it! HE WILL!

This hibiscus has its own story - I bought it as a souvenir back in 1999 on my first holidays in Hawaii - you could bought it there at the airport - it was just a piece of wood - I had no idea which ending to put into ground as both looked alike. So I chose one ending - put it into ground - watered it - and waited - waited - waited - for over half a year. Then I could see something light green growing.... Waited again and then the first leave appeared. I was in heaven - I was the "born gardener" I thought.....Sadly there were just leaves which did grow.... then the "wood" got taller and taller - more leaves but no blossom. In more than 3 yeas it did grow to a real tree (about 2,40 meters tall) but no blossoms. Lots of branches and leaves - no blossom was in sight. Then one day I went to a huge garden shop here in Munich and asked if I could "help" this hibiscus to show up some nice blossoms and was told that there is no chance. As those hibiscus plants are having sun 12 hours a day there might be no chance as we don't have the chance for so much sunshine... So I was happy just with the "tree" - my hibiscus - cultivated by myself....

And you know what - after more than 5 years the first blossom appeared.... then the second  - third....

and all in such a beautiful red. I was sooo proud - and now I have lots of small "children" of this Hawaiian hibiscus in my house. And they all show blossoms every now and then.....