Advances in Communication and other things....

20 years ago my husbands sister moved to Germany with her husband. At that time our only means of communication with them was via letters written on paper and mailed back to the USA or very short expensive phone calls! We also recorded their favorite TV shows and shipped VCR tapes to them every few weeks!

20 years later we moved to Germany and we have multiple methods of communication back to the states. We have phone service that includes unlimited free calls back to the states. We have something know as a Magic Jack that for $19 a year we have VOIP calls back to the states and it is a 405 number so family back in the states can call us like it was a local number. We have IChat, Google Chat, Facebook Chat and Skype chat, but more importantly we can video conference with all of these applications except facebook. WIth face book we stay connected with friends and family and share pictures and experiences just like we were back home!

Plus we have internet with email programs that allow for instant email back to family. I can post a picture and within seconds family and friends back home have access. I can video tour my house live! We watched it snow with our friends from Oklahoma City last weekend after I showed them our new home.

And with our GPS we can drive right to a planned destinations. The GPS even checks the traffic and routes us around know heavy traffic patterns. This amazing gadget shows us the priority roads (very important because these are the ones that get snow plowed!).

We also have a gadget that allows us to watch live OKC TV and record our favorite shows for replay on our time zone. The Slingbox is a great!

My oh my how things have changed in 20 years!! These reasons are part of what allowed us to make this very exciting journey while staying relatively close with our family back in Oklahoma!

TRAIN RIDES

We took a train from Stuttgart to Munich this past weekend. It was exciting, challenging and fun! The exciting part was that I had never ridden on a train for any distance. Back in kindergarten (a German word by the way) my class rode the train from Yukon to El Reno. But this was so very long ago I only remember the fact that we went, not the actual train ride. I grew up going to the train depot in El Reno (only 2 blocks from my grandparents home). We would walk down there and watch for trains to come by. I would day dream greeting family and friends as they arrived or better yet a porter ready to load my traveling bags as I boarded for some distant city! So this romance with trains has been with me for most of my life. THe challenging part was that everything was in German, the weather was horrible so everything was running late, our train was 1/4 mile long and our wagon was at the other end of the platform and boarding time was not really very clear to us because of the language barrier. The fun part was watching the German country side fly by for 2 hours and not having to worry about the heavy snowfall making the roads treacherous. We rode through some beautiful country, all covered with snow as well as some mountains with gorgeous cedar tress frosted with snow. We saw frozen lakes, fast running rivers, vineyards and of course some graffiti that graced the bridges along the inner city tracks.

The gentle swaying of the train while in motion (even at 220 KPH) reminded me of my backyard hammock. At one point my eyes grew very heavy and I drift off into a sweet sleep. This nap only lasted a few minutes but I woke relaxed and ready to take on our destination city. Needless to say I neglected to get any pictures of the train itself (ICE 516) but next time I am at the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) I will take a picture and add it to this post!

Technology and 20 years!

While wooden signs nailed into the trees still mark the way through the forest, I have grow to rely on newer technology!

Every day I pick up my trusted friend and look for updates from home. With technology at/in hand I can send pictures, catch little snippets of daily activities from facebook, enjoy long sessions of SKYPE with my granddaughter, sons, parents and other family and friends, talk on a IP based phone to any number back in the states for only the small monthly connection fee and they can call me free of charge. WE can send and receive emails in matters of minutes, translate from German to English (now this is a big one!), plan trips and print maps, navigate through round-a-bouts like a pro with the aid of our GPS. We get to watch Oklahoma City news and weather live via Slingbox as well as record our favorite shows for play back on our time zone. We have recorded video and posted it online for others to see almost instantly. I can call my husband on our German procured cellphones to let him know I am going to be late getting home from work. We have ordered things from electronic store fronts and catalogs and had them shipped direct to our new address. I could probably continue with this list but you get the picture.....

Now you may take all of these things for granted but being without them for even a short time has made me so very appreciative of the technology advances in the last 20 years. See 20 years ago while Alan's sister was living over here it was a costly phone call to catch up with them and letters were the main means of communications; actual letters on paper with postage stamps! We shipped packages to them and they received VCR tapes of recorded TV from home, there was no Internet and computers were not carried around in back packs. And I can't even imagine heading out in the car to find places without the GPS! Yes I can appreciate these advancements and they played heavily in our decision to make this move!

110 vs 220

So we are adapting to Germany. They drive on the same side of the road as we do, a lot of the words are very similar, there are shopping malls and grocery stores and big electronics stores.

But since there is a difference in power we left all our kitchen appliances at home. We put some of these items on our list of things that would be nice but not necessary list: microwave, vacuum sweeper, blender, griddle crock pot and a mixer. In the first month we managed to find at reasonable prices all these in the 220 volt version except the crock pot. I am sure we will be able to find a 220V crock pot somewhere, but so far have not been successful in finding one.

We could have brought one from home or picked one up really cheap from the Patch Thrift store, but then we would have to use a transformer to convert the power from 220V to 110 and we would be doubling up on the power required to cook in the crock pot all day. Not very efficient so I will wait until I find one.

220V things are easy to spot, they have a different type plug than we are used to from home. On post they sell both 110 and 220 gadgets so we have to watch very closely when buying things from the PX/BX. And who knew that light bulbs came in different voltages? I bought bulbs from the PX/BX and put them in a lamp at home. About 30 minutes later the bulb popped and it threw the breaker, sure enough they were 100V bulbs! So now we look closely at light bulbs to make sure we get the 220V ones!

The good thing about all this is that most new Electronics (PC, laptop, TV, Ipod, Iphones...) are 110-240 compatible; and we knew this ahead of time so brought some of this stuff with us (thankfully because these are more expensive than kitchen appliances)! But the bad news is all these new appliances will have to remain here in Germany as we wont be able to use them back in the states without a power converter! So we will thrift shop them or give them away just before we leave (just the way they do things over here).


UPDATE: 3-17-2010 I found a crockpot at the PX and brought it home ! time to pull out all the crockpot recipes~

Snowfall in Germany

From 31 December until 16 January it snowed in Germany! Then Alan left and took the snow with him. He was gone for 12 days and there was no snow fall until 2 days before he returned. It started snowing again just before he came home and then did not stop for another week. They tell us this is not a normal snow fall year, normally it snows one time and then that is all until spring when it might snow again one more time for good measure.








At one point during this snowy season there was 9 inches of new snow on our patio! They don't let snow deter them in Germany though, schools did not close but they did delay start for 2 hours one day during all this. We moved into our house while is was snowing, bought our first German car (Purple Car) in the middle of a snow storm, found a new route the house to avoid the steep hill covered with snow, went for long snow walks in the forest! Toured our first castle in the snow, pretty much if we wanted to do anything the first month in our new home it was in the snow! WE have adapted, put on snow boots, put RainX in the windshield and just kept going!


A FRESH COAT OF SNOW MAKES EVERYTHING LOOK SO CLEAN AND FRESH!! I know spring will be wonderful and summer will bring delights and with a forest right outside our front door the fall will be beautiful, but there is just something about sitting in your comfy chair, sipping cocoa and watching it snow!

Castles!

The first castle tour was on a cold snowy day but this seemed to add to the excitement of seeing a real castle!





While in Germany I want to tour the castles.




I hope you enjoy the pictures!!












I am hoping that my Granddaughter will get to come visit and while here I plan to see at least one castle with her!

I am rich indeed!

During the first few weeks in Germany I was on foot with no family here so I did a lot of reading. I got a book you from my daughter-in-law (AM2) called "The Middle Place" and thought it was a good time to start reading this book. Not too far into the book I thought perhaps I should wait and not read this now... what with all that is going on back home...and I just put the book down and bawled like I had not done since I got to Germany and got that initial call from my husband (AM1); I probably needed to have a really good cry in order to release all the pent up emotion.

Then after that really good cry I continued to read. I could relate to so much of this (not on the same level as the author), being concerned about my children all while being fearful about my Dad and for that matter my Mom. I struggled through the book, taking time to cry some more and kept reading. It was a dreary day Saturday, cold and frosty and I had nothing better outside to do so I continued to read. Being the only daughter of a great man again I can relate, and having brothers that I trust, look up to and rely upon especially during this time brought this story line very close to home (minus the part about going through an illness myself). I put the book down Saturday evening and walked to a local church that I had read was having a program. Upon arrival I was told it was a private service and the door was closed on me (how rude). Oh well the cold air was refreshing and I needed to get some exercise so I walked around the block and back through the mall and back up to my room. The book kept drawing me back to the unread pages.

A women stuck between being a Mom and a daughter, an all to familiar feeling that I have grown to cherish at this stage in my life. I love my parents and as a daughter have been struggling with all they are going through these past few weeks, but sitting here in Germany I reflect on the fact that I am so proud of my children. Their stepping up and helping out as if I was there directing their involvement; doing the very things I would do I were there (APPLES AM1 would say).

So Sunday dawns and the book is half read; again the book is picked up and I spend the afternoon reading and reflecting. I shift into reflection noting I too call upon my family when it is time to circle the wagons, Daddy someone has kicked in our door can up come help install a new one, MDM I can't get this computer thing to work will you see what you can do, SAM dad is out of town and I need your help "I'll be right over Mom" is the response; this is my TAKE part of the relationship. On the GIVE side I must recognize AM1's role in our giving, lets give an extra few dollars this week...... how about we pick up the check, the kids would really like this new...how about we get both for Ryan...these all fit into his life motto faith family and friends, he is such a giving person. Giving up a good job and a close face to face relationship with his boys and parents to move halfway across the world to be with his wife, oh how he amazes me!

I finish the book early Sunday evening, tears stain my cheeks, not necessarily tears of sadness; tears of joy over good times remembered, tears for things (good and bad) to come; struggles with end of life on earth both friends and families members and joy looking forward to new live yet to come (let's face it I am a crier and I get this from my Dad). I count my blessings, 3 loving, kind brothers, 2 sets of loving parents that while aging can continue to be looked upon as having set a wonderful example for myself and my children, a husband that lives by his word and loves the lord and his family, children that when the day is finished live up to Proverbs 22:6.

Then there are the girls in my life, AM3 who came into SAM's life and helped bring him back to family and help him remember his responsibilities, my granddaughter (RM) a true joy; her face lights up when she see me and I am in awe of the love she has in her sweet little heart for her entire large extended family. And then there is AM2. She came into our lives so many years ago, she calls us her own and blesses us with her faith, her love of adventure but seeks out and finds comfort in tradition! Oh how I love these girls, I see things while I am out and think oh, AM2 would like to see this and this song reminds me of AM3 and how fun it would be to share this with RM. These girls are the remembrances of my youth and complement the other side of my middle, the Moms in my life (Grammy and Mema).

So the book is finished, the tears are shed (ok I am a sap) and I have reflected on the joys and sorrows of family and life. I have wondered often over the last 3 weeks if I have made a BIG mistake in making this move to Germany, it has been trying to say the least but I think I have grown in my faith and am stronger. I know the move is temporary and it is a great adventure I hope to be able to share with my children and grandchildren in years to come! I know i will miss some important milestones the next few years but hope and strive to remain so very close through frequent contact (email, skype and snail mail; thank goodness for technology) !!

I am rich indeed!

My Home in Germany

My Home in Germany! Our home is the 2nd and 3rd floor of a German home. Our landlords are the sweetest couple! WE have 3 bedrooms, 2 bath rooms. The landing is multi purpose, it is the hall way (runs north and south) between the bath (south end of hall), kitchen, bedroom, office and living room as well as the dining room. The dining room table sits in front of large window/door that opens out on to a balcony facing the forest (to the west). The balcony has an awning that is electric and extends out to cover the entire balcony (it is pretty neat). Our master bedroom is fairly large and has doors that open out onto the covered balcony (which runs along the entire east side of the house). But there is not a closet in this room so we are using one of the bedrooms upstairs as our closet.

WE have a COLD ROOM This room has been between 38 and 47 degrees since we moved in (unless we are doing laundry and then it gets up to around 57). I suppose this is why they call it the cold room. I was told it can be used to store things that must be cool but not necessarily cold. There is a pantry with shelves in this small room also which is good for storing extra things that would not fit else where.

Our kitchen is not as big as the one on Greenview but it is very efficient and most everything I brought from Oklahoma fits nicely. There are windows along the south wall of the kitchen that can be opened wide or tilted in for venting. There is a dishwasher, over and fridge for appliances. No garbage disposal (adjusting to this).

The first floor bathroom (which in only a sink and a shower) has a heated towel rack! The toilet room is another room with just a toilet and a sink (know over here as a WC). These are side b side but I still find my self going into the shower room only to have to come back out and go to the WC.

The living room and a non-working decorative tiled fireplace (not a big deal for us as we hardly ever used the Greenview one). But it is a good place to put decorative things. I have a mirror, pictures, candles and my AT&T clock up here. The raised hearth is a good height also and I put a couple of baskets on this for games and magazines and such. The door/windows at the east end of the room (the room runs east and west and is on the north end of the house) are in the enclosed part of the covered patio (heated and carpeted as part of the living room) and there are window/doors on all 3 sides of this room. This enclosed room called the garden room on the floor plan of the house and looks down into our landlords back yard and gardens.

At our entry; the stairs that head up our part of the home is a window which is the only ground floor part of our home. There are 13 steps a small landing where you turn and go up 3 more steps up to the mulit-functioned hallway/landing/dining room part of the house.

There is a garden gate that you come through to come up to the front door. The bushes (some very tall) are all maintained by the landlord, and I am told there are flowers in the spring and summer but right now everything is covered with snow.

The upstairs has 2 bedrooms one of which we are using as our closet/ironing room. We did not bring any extra bedroom furniture so we will be shopping for bedding for at least one of the rooms so when company comes they don't have to sleep on the floor or with us! And the bath room upstairs has a shower (kind of odd shaped), sink and toilet all in the same room, which is unique in Germany! There is also attic type storage, and a conditioned room storage plus the length of the landing on this floor are cabinets with shelving for storage. Upstairs, in each room as well as the landing there is a window in the ceiling that opens up and out for venting and I expect would be a great view for star gazing on a clear night!

The heating is via radiators (in each room except the cold room) and there is no air conditioning, YIKES! But they say it doesn't get very hot here in the summer so maybe we won't have to go out and buy a portable air conditioner but I am sure we will be adding fans to our shopping list in the spring if nothing else for circulation.

So now you know all about our new home!

First impressions

When I arrived in Germany mid-November 2009 there was so much going on in my life, I was thousands of miles from my family for the first time ever, in a foreign country where I was unable to speak or understand the language, my father was in ICU following heart surgery and a stroke, I had no internet connectivity at work or in my new home (a hotel room), I had no transportation other than the two feet God gave me at birth! My goals were to remain in close contact with family, find a place to live, and get my self to work and back until I could go home in a month. Back to family, to see my Daddy, to be at my brothers wedding, home for Christmas! These were my initial Germany goals!

First order of business was to get internet connectivity and easy fix as my hotel was one of the T-Mobile Hot Spots! Now that I was connected I was able to talk with and video chat daily with loved ones at home. They kept me current on Daddy's progress and I felt like as long as I could talk with or see one of them daily I could make it through until Christmas.

Getting back and forth to work was simple, I walked. The hotel is 1.4 miles from the office and so I walked. It was great exercise and helped me clear my head coming and going and so I walked. I prayed to and from work for my parents as they struggled through this difficult time, for my husband as he tried to fill my shoes for my kids as they experienced the frailty of their grandparents and so I walked. Walking is good for the soul, the waist line and for learning your way around a new town. And so I was glad I walked!

Finding housing! I wanted to be close to the office, I am not accustom to long drives to work and wanted to keep it that way. So the circle of about 4 miles around the Post is where I looked for housing. The housing office knew my expectations and tried to get me to look beyond this circle but I held firm. Most of their frequently visited sites were those with pictures posted on their web site, I decided to try visiting a property that was not pictured, but seemed to meet my MUST HAVE list. It was less than 3 miles to the office (not close enough to walk but a quick drive), had two bathrooms, a furnished kitchen and more than 2 bedrooms. It was perfect but I was the second viewer. The landlord told the housing office they would rent to one of us but needed the afternoon to decide which. It was a long afternoon; we looked at one more property but it just did not rank after seeing what I WANTED to be my home for the next few years! The afternoon of 14 December drug on and on but when I finally got the call I was so excited to learn that they picked me! Now I had to go through the process of getting the housing contract written, translated and signed in 1 day because I was leaving to go back to Oklahoma to see my family! The housing office and my new landlord worked with me to get this all accomplished in a whirlwind of late afternoon meetings (remember I was working during all of this).

Heading home. An office friend made sure I got to the airport for my flight home! It was a long flight but I was able to sleep some on the plane and was so glad to see Alan and Michael and Annaleise at the airport! I was home for 2 weeks and planned to make the most of my time with family.