Day trip to the Freilichtmuseum Hessenpark

I enjoy creating lists so much that I decided to devote an entire book to epic lists of all kinds, including (but not limited to) restaurants to try, crafty things to make, favorite names..if you have any suggestions for lists that should be forever made then let me know. 

And no, Pinterest does not cut it for certain things. 

Referring to the "Day Trips from Frankfurt" section combined with the fact that it wasn't raining, we settled on the Freilichtmuseum Hessenpark in the Taunus hills outside Frankfurt. 'Hesse' is this region of Germany and the open-air museum is devoted to sharing its rich history. Picture 1600s German houses that were transplanted from their original spots to create a sort of town, with all the different facets of early German life.

Of course, the brewery barn has to be first. We're in Germany; gotta keep your priorities straight!

I loved how most of the houses had carvings into the beams over the doors. Some shared the names of the families who lived there, who helped build the house, etc. Others gave props to God. 

Those were my favorite.

(God with us) 

(God's promises are new every morning)

And the little Lutheran chapels captivated my heart... can you imagine worshiping here with your tiny community? What happened to all these sweet Lutheran chapels and the churched population? Maybe two world wars and insane leaders had something to do with it...

Life in Hesse wouldn't be the same without MASSIVE cows. I couldn't stop laughing. Why is he sleeping?

and don't forget his four broads lined up in a row....

A German schoolhouse! I felt like I was back in St. Augustine with the creepy wax robots that move around. This one was way cooler, I have to admit.

Finally, a windmill, because they're just plain awesome.

If you've stumbled upon this posting and are in the area, I highly recommend making the trek out, especially in the summer when there's promised demonstrations and people dressed up like the times. If you don't have a car like us, it's easy to take the S5 to Bad Homburg, then bus #5 (on the weekends only) which drops you right off. Half of the descriptions are in English. And there's a fantastic bakery in the market square! Worth it just for the käse kuchen :)

Mini-Jobs

Life is shifting over here on our expat adventures. This one got herself what the Germans call a 'mini-job' working a whopping nine hours a week as an administrative assistant. For all you teacher friends, think of it as being paid to help Pam out with the tasks that 'ain't nobody got time for.' Yesterday as I sat filing expense reports from 2012, I found myself mulling over the idea of working in the business world... seemingly so different from the teaching realm, yet (after my four hours of working there) something I could possibly see myself pursuing? One day, perhaps. The plan is to work my way up from coffee girl to head consultant-- ready, set, go!

On another note, I have maybe two outfits that are appropriate for a business environment. Picture my room yesterday with every article of clothing strewn manically about; turns out most of my teacher clothes I've been wearing for the past 5 years are too dingy and have holes and/or paint stains (how did ya'll let me wear these things?!) so some Pinterest outfit research and a mini-shopping spree tomorrow should do the trick! I guess when facing 12 year olds on a daily basis, I could care less about the state of my clothing, as long as I'm covered and comfortable...

And, in case you're wondering, (is anyone even reading my rambling thoughts anymore? I just spilled half my coffee directly onto my iphone/couch...) the *keep your fingers crossed* life plan is to stick around Frankfurt for a bit longer. We love it here. It's the right call for Mike's career.

Hopefully the higher-ups will go along with said plan, and in a timely manner this time.


Check out this cool obligatory "I'm At Work!" picture I took yesterday in a rush before anyone caught me attempting a work selfie. I have access to a label-maker and unlimited office supplies. Have they figured out yet that I'm an extremely unorganized person?

Sunny Days

It wasn't quite warm today, but the sun did make a feeble attempt to stretch its rays out in the hopes of reaching solid ground. Days that promise sunshine result in time spent in the woods, long walks meandering through the trails and finding simple distractions. Like this cool tree--

... and these ... um.... fungi? what's the word for them? oh well.

Winter woods promise quiet moments of solitude and for me, rejuvenation away from city life and the hustle/bustle of things. Especially if we catch a rare glimpse of the sun.

It was quite a while before I got up from this spot... basking in the bright light and reminiscing about sitting on the edge of the St. Augustine fort's wall looking out over the inlet. Except the ground was freezing, the wind wasn't so forgiving, and the sun quickly disappeared as soon as I settled myself. 

Dreaming of warmth, or at least snow, SOMETHING other than cold, gloomy weather...

I can make that?!

Finding the motivation to cook a worthwhile meal is a constant struggle of mine. There are times where, sure, I find a bit of joy in a glass of red wine and Fleet Foxes playing in the background while preparing a meal that I know is going to beat the socks off of Mike (is that even an actual idiom or did I make that up?)

Most of the time though, it's taco night again. Or frozen pizza. Or chili, because I make a mean chili and it's the only recipe that I have memorized. And having ALL the time in the freakin' world has not changed my love/hate relationship with planning/preparing meals. Except the reality now while looking up recipes is, "Oh, probably can't find that here."

Before you think this post is all about whining about how life is so tough, let me assure you that I am here to boast that I'm figuring it out! This whole cooking thing. And I'm kind of liking it, sort of. I'm also putting my problem-solving skills to use, as I'm realizing that most things I immediately categorize as 'not-here' can be substituted with a little sleuthing skills. Or, (drumroll, please!) I can make it myself from SCRATCH! (gasp!)

Don't laugh, but really, I didn't realize how many things are simple to make on your own. I think I'm just a byproduct of most of America, where convenience and busy schedules are conducive to buying ready-made and quick products. And I'm all for that, believe me. But, did you know you could make pancakes from scratch? When I moved here and told Martha how excited I was to have found a box of Bisquick, she gave me the most incredulous look that said, "What do you mean you make your pancakes out of a box?" and it honestly didn't even cross my mind that oh, I can make that with simple household ingredients. 

Today, I wanted honey mustard on my salad which basically only had bacon, parmesan, and raisins as toppings because we're clearing out all food from the cupboard. But alas, no honey mustard dressing! Guess what: You can make a mean honey mustard out of dijon and honey. Yep. Not ever buying dressing again. 

Mind blown. Which compelled me to write this post, causing you to judge me for my lack of basic food knowledge and general life skills.

That is all. Happy Thursday, friends!

good thing there's bacon in germany!

thoughts on church?

It's a lovely, quiet evening here in Frankfurt as I sip peppermint tea on the balcony while the sun sets, wrapped in Michael's Giants snuggie and Iron and Wine playing on Spotify. I am content in that peaceful, taking deep breaths and loving life kind of way.

Also feeling quite optimistic about the week to come. Heck, the months and entire year as well. Not to say that I haven't been, but let's just say the past month I had full symptoms of the January doldrums and was most likely not a fun person to be around 80% of the time. (Michael can attest to that, I'm sure!)

But, like most slumps, the upside can be grand. Could be related to the fact that I dragged my lazy rear out of bed to go to church, the result being a slight epiphany of sorts, you know, the ones that tend to change your perspective on things. On my walk there, the now old-school worship song popped into my head that I used to bust out with Jeremy Keck in our youth group's praise band, "I Will Not Forget You." Mind you, I haven't thought about this song in, like, 15 years and by the time I was still singing it in college, I wanted to throw up in my mouth.

The part that kept repeating itself in my brain was "... and my sacrifice is, not what You can give, but what I alone can-- give to You!" And then I was punched in the face with the thought-- you keep going to church sporadically with the mindset of, "Okay church, fill the void. Woo me with awesome worship songs. Blow my mind with a life-altering sermon, Flock to me, new best friends because yes, I am sitting here alone and desperate to connect with you."

Do you think that's worked for me? A big fat nope.

And I realized, it hasn't worked for the past 8 years. Whaaaaat? I have not been connected to a church in 8. Whole. Years. Since my junior year of college. That's not to say I haven't poured into ministries or studies or been disconnected from God, but there has been a crucial piece missing-- and that's a church community to help do life together. I've been sitting back and waiting for that connection without doing anything about it, then finding myself frustrated or isolated because it wasn't happening. The reason I was plugged in at UUMC was because day one, freshly moved into the dorm, I called Natalie Unterhorst and pretty much invited myself over on the staff church cleaning day.

I've heard so many people say, "I believe in God, but I don't think I need a church to grow in my faith. The church is too messed up to be a part of." You know what? I think that's a lame way to think, and I'm the first to admit that I've been faulty with my thinking for the past 8 years now.

We need community because we weren't created to do life alone. Using the metaphor from C.S. Lewis, an ember that is separated from the fire stands on its own a bit but eventually dies out. True, not being a part of a group hasn't made me lose sight of this hope I have in God, but I'm truly saddened to think about what I've missed out and the life experiences I could have had, the deep friendships that could have been made, even connections here in Frankfurt that could have occurred already.

It ends here, the endless excuses for not diving in beyond an occasional Sunday morning service. A church cannot grow unless its body serves and gives back. I can't just show up for a class and expect to pass-- I have to study and put an effort into it. I cannot just feed a kid and expect it to grow-- I have to give it life experiences that will shape who the child will grow into one day. I simply cannot just sit in a chair, sing some songs, then go home. I don't care if I'm in Frankfurt for two more months or an entire year-- it's time to dive in and let God fill the empty spaces.

Thanks for sticking it out with me. Have a lovely week and find joy & love in everything you do!





Look! The sun does indeed exist on this side of the world!

Oh look! Pagodas in Germany! Makes total sense.