Banana and Berry Milk Shake

At the moment, it is rather hot and humid in Germany and it is kind of hard for me as I am entering the last weeks of the pregnancy. A delicious way to cool down is this quick milk shake:

1 banana (can already be a few days old)

a handful of deep-frozen berries out of the freezer (e.g. raspberries)

a large glass of milk (how much exactly depends on what consistency you prefer)

Mix all the ingredients with a blender and enjoy! :-)

A Magic Dwells in Each Beginning...

In retrospect I have to admit that it was fairly optimistical for me to say that I'd be back soon. However, I don't want to state the reasons and it doesn't really matter anyway. Of course, a lot has happened since my last post. My husband and I decided to buy an apartment, I got pregnant, I became an auntie, my husband and I moved into the new apartment... A-many new beginnings - and Hermann Hesse was definitely right when he said "a magic dwells in each beginning"! When I remember all of the beginnings I listed above, it's like they already merged into a fairy tale kind of memory and I can almost hear myself telling my grandchildren the stories about how Timo and I found our dream apartment, how we found out that we were expecting a baby, how my little nephew entered my life or how Timo, Emma, and Leo spent the first night in our own apartment...and I can't help but smile!

:-D

The I-just-found-out-I'm-pregnant-Selfie. I'm pregnant - I'm allowed to be silly!

View from our living room.

Baby bump!

First night in the new apartment 1

First night in the new apartment 2

First night in the new apartment 3

I'm an auntie! The three of us...

The Mushroom Foray Part II

Two weeks ago, Timo, Mama and I went for a walk in the forest to look for mushrooms. It was great - a nice sunny sunday afternoon! A mushroom foray is a great mindfulness exercise: you have to be in the moment, all senses acute to be successful (or you have to be like Timo who somehow found one mushroom after the other without any real talent for it - he was just lucky I guess). The mushrooms we found (yes I found at least a small number) were very delicious and obviously edible as we're still alive.

Even though I only found few edible mushrooms I found this beautiful fella over here. Even though you can't eat it I think it is a really nice and often surreal looking mushroom. This one was illuminated by sunshine and it was just perfect for taking a picture. Timo found an edible bolete very close to it and found it hilarious that I got abstracted because of this poisonous one but I am very happy about having found it and having taken this photo!

PS: Yes, I just ignored the fact that I have been absent from this blog for nearly three months. I started a new job and just haven't been in the mood. But now I start to get used to it so I guess I'll be back soon:)

Home

A long time has passed since my last blog post! I enjoyed my last month in Galway a lot, I even went swimming three times (twice on a very nice and warm day - even the jelly fish couldn't scare Marina and me)! My sisters organized a wonderful good-bye party for me and the Irish sky provided a breath-taking background for the scene. Especially during my last week I was experiencing a very confusing alternation of feelings - sometimes I just couldn't wait to see Timo, the cats, my Mama, and my parents in law again, sometimes I would suddenly and unexpectedly burst out crying because I knew I would soon be leaving Galway, my sisters, my brothers-in-law (ok, one of'em is just my brother-in-law to be), the mad cat, and my friends behind.

Back in Germany I really needed some time to settle back in again - weirdly enough it seemed to be harder than my first month in Galway! And the settling in hasn't even concluded but that's probably also due to the fact that I haven't found a job yet (and so I still haven't got a real everyday life). On the other hand, it maybe isn't that weird really because the three months were like a break from my normal life and when you have such a break you start to reconsider some things and maybe even start to change your mind on certain views. For example, I now can imagine to move to a bigger city if I can find a good (trainee) job there - even if it means that Timo and I would see each other less often. I guess some of our friends and family think our marriage might be in a crisis but actually I think that it has become stronger in a way. And I am proud to see how Timo still supports me (except maybe my plan to get a number of tattoos). I don't really have a lot of love for myself (something I know I need to work on) so it is absolutely touching to see that someone loves you so much that he even likes the things about you he actually doesn't like...well, you know what I mean!

So, what can I say? This still is a very unsteady period of my life and I don't have a clue where my path is leading. To be honest, it scares the shit out of me sometimes but - and this shows that I really have changed in Ireland - sometimes I just can't wait to find out!

Elephants

As a kid I was a huge fan of elephants. I had elephants everywhere: on my bed sheets, my clothes, as toys, and I even owned a golden necklace with a small elephant pendant and two matching earrings. I can't remember how this obsession had started in the first place but my parents always said it probably was the elephant scene in Disney's Jungle Book.

As with most obsessions, this one gradually diminished while I was growing up. However, elephants are still (or maybe have become again?) animals that somehow always impress me very much. I can sit and watch a picture of elephants for ages and especially looking into their eyes (yes, even in a picture) touches me deeply.

I don't know if it's a coincidence that I find myself now - at such an important point in my life at which I'm trying to find out who I really am - in a house that features elephants as a recurring theme. But somehow it seems to make sense, doesn't it?

"Jumbo wants to be a hippo" by Lionel Gallagher,
illustrations by my sister :-)

Running, a Trendsetter, and the Joy of Doing the Laundry

Before I went to Galway, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't find a job, there making my whole quest for identity and independence a farce, as it would have been my husband who would have financed the whole thing then. But - yay - I found a job which at least gives me the feeling of not being totally dependent and egotistic! The only drawback of my job (and not a real one either) is the working time. I start at midday and work until 9 and my weekend is actually a weekstart as it is shifted to Monday and Tuesday. That's actually not too bad but you have to get used to it and as yet I haven't. But this also means that I was able to enjoy the really nice weather yesterday and today. I went running on both days and once again was deeply impressed by the beauty of the countryside in Barna. I really need to go running more often as I deeply felt how good it is for me - especially in such picturesque surroundings!

At the moment I am living in Marina's house. Living with her means living in the cutest little chalet which smells like her incense sticks or aromatherapy oils, is full of color and has a wonderful view of the sea and the hills of the Burren. It also means that there is the ritual newspaper purchase every saturday (I think it's The Guardian) and Sunday (The Sunday Times). One of my favorite parts of this newspaper is the Style mag. Curiously enough, a lot of the "trends" presented in this magazine are not at all new to me as I usually have already encountered them in Marina's lifestyle. I remember her telling me of her new favorite smoothy called The Green Monster way before green smoothies were promoted as the beauty secret of stars and wannabes. Last week the latest beauty update was coconut oil which can be used for cooking, as a butter substitute, and for hair and skin!... oh really? Marina's been using this for ages! Another article analized the sudden popularity of kale. My suggestion is that there must be a style spy in my sister's wardrobe who constantly checks what will become trendy in the next season because ... kale? A new trend? Not for her!
Today I was able to enjoy a Green Monster after running and take in the sea view through her kitchen window. It was such a nice and sunny day and I was buzzing with energy. I also tried out mindful hanging out of the laundry which was just as relaxing and enjoyable as the washing up experience (which didn't remain a single event). But I must admit that it's a lot easier to enjoy this task when you have to hang up colorful fabrics on a clothes line outside in the sun!

running view

The Green Monster

Laundry Joy

A Lesson in Mindfulness

A couple of days ago, I was so tired after dinner that I asked Anke if it was alright not help her do the washing up (even though she had been to work that day whereas I...hadn't!). I might even have mentioned that it was a pity she hadn't got a dish washer (I am a real pain in the arse sometimes). But in the last few days, I have repeatedly stumbled across the idea of mindfulness (both Anke and Marina are trying to stick to it+I read about it in differerent books and magazines). And I also learned that doing the washing up is actually a good way to practice mindfulness. So when Marina had to check her emails after dinner tonight, I just tried it. I did the washing up. Naturally, it wasn't my first time to do it but it was the first time for me to do it WHILE I WAS REALLY THERE. MENTALLY-WISE. It was a whole new experience and was actually...fun (in the sense that I really seemed to enjoy it). Eg. some views I had stroke me as strangely beautiful. After I had finished my task, I tried to imitate some of those "views" - although that wasn't really succesful. I'll post them anyway because they still convey (if somewhat evanesced) what I experienced: