Surreal Georgia

Lost in Space and Time

... for two days now. I totally understimated the amount of work even after having the kitchen installed by a joiner. The joiner was here for three days, but this time he did not do everything I told him to do or the way I wanted it, so I had to work on these things for another day. I'm not the perfect joiner, my skill are little, but I absolutely know how it must look like when it is done and I don't stop working until I get this result.

So both, kitchen and dining/living room of my daughter are only about half done now although I have been working the entire weekend on the rooms. I started early in the mornings and did not make any break until late evening, went to bed and went on with my work early in the next morning. So don't wonder that you heard absolutely nothing from me. I was lost in space and time - err, in kitchen and living room...

Here are some pics of the progress of my work. I just took them a few minutes ago. Now I call it a day. Good night!

Kitchen in progress: New built in furniture instead of white ones formerly, but old table and chairs newly painted (llighter blue instead of the darker formerly); still a lot of stuff to move into the cabinets.

Living room, dining area: the chairs still without seats (they are at the upholsterer), the walls without any picture and still a lot of stuff that has to be dumped and hauled downstairs (left corner, foreground).

Living room, working space: looks pretty good already, but pictures are missing and the clock (middle) must be attached to the wall.

Living room, where once a settee will be: All the stuff on the window sill has to be hauled upstairs (attic) and this is very, very much stuff. The table with the bucket has to be dumped and all the tools on it have to be stored in the garage downstairs. The settee is still missing, it is getting upholstered and I don't know when I get it back.

Related articles

Rain --- or --- 2013, the Year With the Crappiest Weather in Decades

Life in Wethen

Botanic Excursion

Yesterday was a wonderful day, the morning off I had a little time to do just what I wanted. Notice, the joiner is here and assembles Anna's kitchen. So I have got time for different things!

I had to find out why there were these pretty orange hawkweeds directly opposite to our house at the roadside I never ever saw before in our region but in the Alps in heights above 1500 meters where there normally don't grow any trees any more because of the height. I loved the plant because the intense orange when I was child. 

First of all I went to our nearby mountain Hanegge, because I know that there always has been Alpine vegetation like gentian. Although the trip did me good (seeing the favorite places of my childhood) I could not find this kind of hawkweed. There were yellow hawkweeds, but not these orange and Alpine kind.

Next I tried to find some gentian. Very dissappointing: The gentian is gone. 10 years ago when I was there for the last time the weeds were low and lime stone looked everywhere through the soil. This time the grass and the weeds were high, people had dumped branches everywhere and the ecosystem is completely different. Sad to see how this happens after the eco system has been stable for hundreds of years. Already my great grandparents and their parents used to pick some gentian there. But gentian doesn't like high weeds. It's gone. I think it is because people dumped a lot of stuff there that produced too rich soil when it got rotten.

This is the kind of gentian I couldn't find: The so called German Gentian in a decent purple color tone. This pic is not taken by me. Sigh...

Instead I found a lot of orchids. There have been always orchids there, but formerly it was mostly March Orchid, which was still there but very few plants.

Instead I found meadows of White Helleborine ( in German: Wood-Birdie), which was very rare formerly.

I found Meadow Saffron with seed capsules from last year. They use to bloom in autumn.

I found fields of wild strawberries (yummy! Must come back when there are fruit!).

I found a lot of Wild Thyme.

The Wild Thyme has always been there and it is still there. The scent is awesome. There is nothing better than laying in the sun and around all this Wild Thyme. Smells like summer, like sun! Awesome.

When I was done with my botanical explorations I enjoyed the view from the top of the mountain Hanegge over the rolling hills and our small village.

My way back led me through corn fields, dark alleys, light apple-tree-alleys back to our village where I found this orange hawkweeds in and around a house garden. Here is the origin. Now I know! Someone must have planted it in their garden and from there the wind blew the seeds to our house.

A short break and then I had to start with my way to work.

I passed the Heinberg, another mountain nearby. Riddle: do you see the Medivial watchtower on it's top? It's hard to see, because the trees around are high.

Here it is (not taken yesterday).

Then I stopped at the Diemel-Bridge to let you see that there is no flood and we are safe.

A last glance from the River Diemel back to our village in the sun.

My working day started.

Related articles

Summer Flowers

"Maggicalypse" in Cologne

Since this morning people in Cologne have been complaining about a stench that varies between acid and spicy. The reason was a fire in a chemical plant about 30 kilometers away. Therefore Sotolon was set free. Sotolon is a chemical substance which is responsible for the aroma of lovage and is therefore the stuff that also gives the typical Maggi aroma. Sotolon is not dangerous, but Cologne is smelling after Maggi like a big pot of soup.It's a real Maggicalypse in Cologne!

If you don't know cologne: This church in the pot is the landmark of Cologne, the Cologne Cathedral. Normally, when Cologne is not smellling after Maggi, it is a wonderful, a beautiful city!

Summer Flowers

It's one of these precious mornings I don't have to hurry to school. For me school begins today at 2 o'clock .pm., so I am enjoying the luxury of no stress and hurry in the morning after the work in the household is done.

I love my village. It's so beautiful here, above all in the summer. The way leads through the fields and meadows to the near mountains Quast and Hanegge and is our favorite path for talking a walk. I love these mighty chestnut and linden trees.

There is a new kind of flowers at the roadside I've never seen before here, but in the Alps. I found out that they are called hawkweeds (Hieracium aurantiacum). They normally live in heights above 1100 meters, so I am very astonished to see them in our village at about 300 meters height above NN. The more I wonder how they came into our village because they are protected and normally do not grow everywhere. But there are more Alpine herbs growing at the Hanegge like gentians. I have to figure out if the hawkweeds also grow on this hill, so maybe the wind brought the seeds. And I have to figure out if the gentian already blooms.

They are beautiful. I love this orange very much.

Geraniums, lobelias and pinks in front of our house

Most common in all country gardens: a columbine in dark blue.

One of my blueberry bushes in full bloom. I like the fruit better! ;)

Lavender

After hard times of renovating the complete house I'm going back to normal step by step. I promised to take a bit more care of myself. My daughter pampered me with some nice scents and beauty products she brought home after her excursion through English gardens three weeks ago. She shopped them at Blenheim Palace. Check out their homepage: http://www.blenheimpalace.com

I love lavender! I love these very plain and simple, but tasteful packaging. Every morning I enjoy the Edt spray with this fresh scent of lavender! It smells llike summer in the country.

We are living in a cottage, so I love this scent! Fresh, simple and for all occasions. Thank you, my dear daughter, for these lovely presents!

Sunday Evening

Everywhere thunderstorms and heavy rain in Germany and lots of areas battling against the most severe flood in 500 years. More than 23000 people had to leave their houses today in Magdeburg near the River Elbe. We thank God that we are safe here in our village and our thoughts are with all people who have lost their houses or shops or inventory for the second time in only 11 years because of floods of the rivers Danube and Elbe.

We are thankful for having a quiet Sunday evening with only a little rain.

We are thankful for our old and sturdy houses that keep preventing all storms from their inhabitants for more than 100 years. And we are thankful that our village is high above the near river Diemel, which is not touched by the flood this time, but can also be very wild and destructive.

Related articles

Thousands evacuated as Elbe bursts dam in German floods

Thousands flee overflowing Elbe River in eastern Germany

Europe floods kill at least 21

Floods Force Thousands Of Germans To Evacuate

The Most Important Place...

...in the morning:

I LOVE my coffee in the morning and breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Even when I have to leave the house very early I try to have breakfast at a set table.

That does not prevent me from glueing Anna's kitchen tiles to the wall before breakfast. Tomorrow the joiner will be here for Anna's kitchen and I have to get everything done in time. I am so excited that this is the last step inside the house. After 2 1/2 year we are done with the rooms we use to live in.

Rain --- or --- 2013, the Year With the Crappiest Weather in Decades

It is raining, nothing extraordinary for this wet May. It is cold and rainy, all the time. I've got my winter pullover out of the cabinet. And on my garage roof may be some fish if there isn't a quick change with the weather. OK, I should clean the sewer, but I don't feel like doing this as long as it is raining such heavily.

 

At least the birds enjoy this pond on my garage. When there is a small break between two rain clouds they prefer taking a bath there. In the background a siren could be heard. I think the fire brigade on the way to drain a basement which might be under water.

No work in the garden today - I'm going to clean the windows in Anna's newly painted living room, hanging curtains, cleaning the kitchen tiles and the wooden panels...

Freshly painted walls and new carpet tiles, but it is still impossible to imagine how the room will look like when it is done. - Yep, this was our construction site camp until Easter!

These packages are the kitchen furniture, which first have to be assembled until the joiner can build them in.

All the thingies and porcelain that has to be stored in the kitchen...

This is the kitchen without furnishing. The chairs are 120 years old or older. Look, there is a little children's chair at the left side in the same design. Already my grandpa used to sit on it when he was a toddler. - The old dishwasher in the background must be dumped, also the old fidge, which is currently standing on the dishwasher.

No flimsy excuse for not cleaning the rooms today after painting. The weather is too bad for some gardening.

OK, let's stop bitching and start with my work after having some winegums...

 

Sofa-Parade

The upholsterer is ready for renovating a lot of our old furniture: There are 6 chairs, 2 sofas, 3 big wing chairs, a modern couch of elements and a stool to be made.

This is the oldest piece of furniture that has to be upholstered, a kitchen sofa from the time my granny married, but maybe it is older. I think that it is about 1900. It is still completely original and it is a shame to remove the fabric, but it has to be done, because there are vermins in the old upholstery. So everything has to be renovated. The upholsterer can do it the same way it was common in 1900, same techniques. But we can't get a similar fabric with the rose garlands. So we have to find another solution that does not destroy the old design.

This is the sofa with the original fabric

I made a pic with similar sofas I found in the internet for showing the upholsterer what I want and what would be the ultimative horror for me:

On the left side of the line there is the "department of horror", on the right side there are examples I like.

This was my idea, but I am very unsure:

I'm no photoshop artist, so my little pic is VERY bad. The idea was using some oliv green fabric, maybe velour, in combination with this fabric for imitating the former garlands:

But I am very afraid that it will look like one of the horror-examples. So maybe I should chose an olive colored velour or velvet or some fabric with stripes like these two examples here:

Velour/velvet

Glossy striped fabric

What do you think? Any ideas?

Life in Wethen

I don't know what there is the matter with me, but I feel totally stressed out, although it actually is a quiet week: Anna is in England for an excursion to famous English gardens, the barn-library-living room is done, the house is clean and tidied up, even the laundry is done and the graves at the cemetery already have got their summer planting yesterday. So I should be content and relaxed.

But it is just the opposite with me. I feel totally stressed out after two days with exams of my pupils. I can't sleep at the moment and my stomach is growling. Maybe I've got some summer desease or ate something wrong. All in all I'm feeling not well at the moment and there are more than 9 weeks ahead until summer break, filled with an immense amount of work in my job. I hope to get some relaxation this weekend, when there is Whitsun. At least I haven't planned anything for these 4 days off.

The weather is cold and rainy, but yesterday evening I found some opportunity for sitting in the sun for a few minutes. I'm planning the last two rooms of thehouse, Anna's kitchen and Anna's dining/living room. As you can see I chose the colors for the rooms: The kitchen is white and blue, the living/dining room in a light beige combined with orange and green tones as accent colors. I'm going to start in two weeks and this time it will go quickly, because the rooms are in good condition and only have to be painted. OK, also new carpets.... The kitchen furniture are already delivered and waiting for being assembled, which will this time be made by a joiner. For next Tuesday I ordered some big trash containers and then I have to dump the old kitchen furniture and a lot of stuff more. For dumping I have planned 4 - 5 days. It will be hard work hauling all the furniture downstairs to the containers.

 

I love the bench in front of our house! It's awesome enjoying the evening sun there.

The weather is cold and rainy at the moment. Not very May-like... There are only short sunny periods.

Cold sunset without red color tones and very tempestuous clouds.