Monday, May 15th:<\/p>\n
Today is a day with Michael. We have had such a good day. He arrived in the morning to find Bernie just getting up. (He\u2019s been sick since we arrived\u2026a rough night Sunday night\u2026) We had a quick breakfast (yes, Bernie does eat over here\u2026) and then took off to get to the bank. We needed to exchange some cash for Euros so we can function smoothly here. The credit card is nice, but there is a 3% international surcharge for using it. It\u2019s cheaper to exchange the cash and pay as we go.<\/p>\n
After that, we decided not to drive to Badzwischenahn. That will be saved for another day. (Take a trip there online\u2026 http:\/\/www.bad-zwischenahn-touristik.de\/ )<\/p>\n
Instead, we did something just a wonderful. We went to the Museumsdorf Cloppenburg! It is wonderful and there is a lovely website that you can enjoy\u2026here! http:\/\/www.museumsdorf.de\/<\/p>\n
We spent the afternoon there and then had to find a place for dinner before high-tailing it to Bremen for their philharmonic concert. Michael had asked me what I would like to do while here and since there are still concerts everywhere in Europe (cultured music, not rock-n-roll or country) that are accessible, that is what I had suggested. The Bremen philharmonic does these concerts every three weeks. Oh, my! So off we flew after changing \u2026for the concert. Here is another website so you can \u201csee\u201d for yourself and learn a bit about this excellent philharmonic. (http:\/\/www.bremerphilharmoniker.de\/)<\/p>\n
The concert was in a building called Die Glocke. (the bell) Apparently the likes of Herbert von Karajan and other music-notables have tauted Die Glocke as one of the best acoustical concert halls in the world. Having spent a fabulous night there last night, I concur. We sat in the second row, not the best seat in the house for an orchestras, but Michael tried. He\u2019s never been to a concert like this before. Up front is fine for some things, but\u2026I was astounded. The sound was perfect as if we were in the balcony towards the back. The sound was perfectly balanced as we enjoyed an evening of Debussy (L\u2019apres midi d\u2019une faune), Henri Ditelluex (a contemporary composer whose works are quite unique\u2026and this one was his Cello Concerto which was written in honor of Rostropovich\u2026a big WOW!), and Dvorak\u2019s Simphonie 8.<\/p>\n
This was Michael\u2019s first concert. He was mesmerized and enjoyed it very much. There was a 20 minute explanation about the concert, the works presented and the musicians which was perfect for him. Even Bernie paid attention! Of course, it was all in German, but I know about programme music (the Debussy), contemporary concertos, and happen to love everything by Dvorak. I was in heaven. Bernie was transfixed and kept squeezing my hand. He was particularly interested in the young conductor. What a wonder he was to watch!<\/p>\n
Anyway, we got home about 11:30 p.m. Good night! What a lovely day!<\/p>\n
Tuesday, May 16th, 2017\u2026<\/p>\n
Well, today was an easy day. We had a day just to ourselves without appointments or have-tos. That was nice.<\/p>\n
Bernie slept better last night than any night so far. He\u2019s been pretty sick with one of his Spring colds. The coughing can be pretty frightful, but thankfully, he\u2019s on the mend. I was glad to have slept better, too! In fact, I slept so good that I missed my early morning walk.<\/p>\n
After breakfast, we went for a quick shop and got a couple of things we need. The \u201cnatural\u201d non-sugar sweetener that Anne uses is less than stellar, so I found some Stevia. That will do much better. And we enjoyed being at the Familia in Cloppenburg. We\u2019ve been there so often, and enjoyed sitting with coffee and watching the people go by.<\/p>\n
When we got back to Langfoerden, we walked. I\u2019ve been wanting to show Bernie the Alter Bahndamn (the Old Train Way\u2026). It\u2019s been paved over and one can walk from Langfoerden to Vechta without interruption\u2026right through the countryside. There are birch trees on either side (the white-barked trees) and songbirds nesting in all those trees. It is musical and restful and quite lovely. There are farms along the way, horses, cows, and fields full of early planted this-n-that. We are so blessed.<\/p>\n
After walking that walk, we proceeded to go back to Cloppenburg through the country. We dined at Bruns where one can get delicious German salads. German salads are not full of lettuce\u2026in fact have little lettuce at all. You get a bowl full of peas and peppers and beans and radishes and carrots and cucumbers and zucchini, etc. They are absolutely delicious\u2026So Bernie had another bratwurst (they are enormous) and some German fries with a salad. And I enjoyed some delicious pork with my scrumptious salad. We arrived back in Langfoerden for an easy evening.
\nEarlier today, we stopped by the Florist outside of Famila. We bought three dozen roses (only six Euro a dozen) and had them fashion a lovely arrangement for Anne. She\u2019s worked so hard to make things so nice for us. Before we leave here next month, we\u2019ll get her a lovely perennial plant for her yard. She\u2019s got a green thumb on both hands and a lovely garden. Her smile told us everything.<\/p>\n
So, another day has passed here in lovely Germany. We are easing into the evening and a quiet night. The birds are singing up a storm outside and we are feeling very blessed indeed.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, May 17th\u2026<\/p>\n
Today, I started out with a brisk 45 minute walk along the bahndamm. First thing in the morning, the birds welcome you with their sweet songs and their funny Springtime antics. I enjoy it very much\u2026and the time to myself. The non-German quiet allows me to settle into the day, collect my thoughts, pray a little bit, and just listen to the world around me. It is a fine thing indeed.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, I got Bernie up and we went off to breakfast. We are giving Anne a break from the constant fix-fix-fix first thing in the morning. She works so very hard and has so much to do. We drove through the countryside to Cloppenburg and Famila. There, Frerker awaited us with hot coffee, a myriad of pastries and baked goods, smiles, and a great atmosphere. Bernie had his usual\u2026butterkuchen. It is a sweet dough pastry filled with cream and topped with toasted and sweetened almonds. He REALLY likes it. You know how he groans when he tastes something he loves. It did get a few chuckles.<\/p>\n
Anyway, after that, we meandered our way around and ended up in Buehren where Bernie grew up. We walked toward the forest behind the school and around a small group of children. Into the woods, we were looking for the path that leads back to the field across from Bernie\u2019s old home. Aha! We found it. We walked across the little bridge and the brook that meanders through the countryside around Buehren. From there, we found the huge area of holly bushes that line the path. We stopped and Bernie touched some of the leaves, smiling and speaking of his Mother. He did love her so. She always crossed herself as she passed them, believing them to be holy. There is a stillness in that forest that is thought-provoking. I can feel Bernie\u2019s history there, see his little legs struggling to keep up with his Mother as the ground reached up to touch her feet as she flew through there to church, or to Rolfes (the local store at one time), or to see a neighbor. We had to walk carefully through some of the path. It is lined with Brenessen\u2026a type of nettle that you can make tea out of or soup. It has a stinging tip to each leaf. If you know how to pick it, you can do so without stinging yourself, but otherwise\u2026OUCH! I didn\u2019t want it to clip my calves since I only had capris on. We both had sandals on, too, so we laughed as we walked along very carefully.<\/p>\n
And there it was\u2026the field\u2026and the house\u2026and the flood of memories for Bernie. I just stood by and watched his eyes trail back, his mind turning back through the years. The little boy stood before me\u2026the mischievous youth\u2026the young man about to leave for the first time\u2026<\/p>\n
As we returned to Langfoerden, Bernie talked of his childhood, his beloved mother, his father who worked so hard for his eight children. Time does fly\u2026life is rich and risky\u2026and there is a patchwork of people and events and feelings and twists and turns at this end of it.<\/p>\n
Anne arranged for Bernie to meet his brother Joseph. They are the last two Klaene children left. Joseph is now going to a senior center three days a week. He is not a hundred percent\u2026his breathing is bad\u2026his health not so good\u2026and the two of them need to reconnect so badly.<\/p>\n
So, there we were, looking at a table with several people in need of day care and a staff of attentive caregivers. Joseph looked up and blinked\u2026and then stared with disbelief. There in front of the old man Joseph was his little brother Bernd. He struggled to get up\u2026Bernie was frozen in time, in concern, in love. And then, the two old men hugged, time was stripped away, and the two youngsters who joined their father building buildings around Buehren stood together at last. Joseph let out a quiet cry, they exchanged words, and then pushed each other way to look at each other.<\/p>\n
They really do look like brothers. But Joseph\u2019s hair is mostly still dark, his face is a mixture of Johann and Bernardine, his eyes dark, and his hands like shovels. Bernie, of course, is blond and blue-eyed, his hands not so big nor so worn, and his face is his mother\u2019s. Their eyes misted with tears. Joseph began to weep. And so, their time together began and Anne and I were thrilled.<\/p>\n
For the rest of our time here, Bernie and his brother will meet here\u2026right across the street from Anne\u2019s house\u2026Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Joseph told him he has much to tell him\u2026about painful things and happier times, their family, and \u201cstuff\u201d that happened that Bernie does not know about. It is time. It is neutral ground and Rita is not there. And memories lie silently waiting to be sorted through and owned.<\/p>\n
The other special thing we did today was to go to Haus Cappeln. (house cap-eln) This clean and cheery place is where our dear Hilde lives now. She has apparently had a stroke (certain telltale signs) in addition to whatever disease began the aphasia and the slow deterioration of swallowing, eating, etc. But to watch Bernie a second time today show such a tenderness\u2026well, it was almost unnerving. It is a part of his character that he doesn\u2019t show freely, although he\u2019s been very tender with me. His gentle touch of her hand, the gentle voice, the attention to her eye movements and her weak squeezes as she responded\u2026I was captivated watching him. He would have made an A in Pastoral Presence in Hospital Visitation! Hilde did not want him to leave at all. Every time he tried to say \u201cgood-bye\u201d, she would grab his hand. And then, he\u2019d launch into some story or some foolishness and make her laugh all over again.<\/p>\n
It has been a day of emotional fullness and contentment. At the close of the day, Juergen came downstairs and shared time and conversation with us. We are grateful to get to know him, too.<\/p>\n
Another day comes to a close. We are blessed to be here. God is present. And love is all around.<\/p>\n
May 18, 2017\u2026Thursday…Long walks and little pigs\u2026<\/p>\n
The day began this morning with a very long walk along the bahndamm with three other new friends. The \u201cLaufen Frauen\u201d (the Walking women) meet on Mondays and Thursday for an hour walk along the old train pathway that is now a walk\/bikeway. It is WONDERFUL! We pass a huge old farm complete with cows and fields of newly planted corn. The old barn in home to a flock of swallows who decided simultaneously this morning to fly out and greet us. All along the walkway, the birds sing their morning birdsong and my heart is blessed. I whistle back comically as if they might understand this silly human is singing along!<\/p>\n
This morning, the ladies were huffing and puffing and get further and further back. Apparently, I walk faster than they are used to. I explained in my broken German that \u201cMeine Oma and Mama immer lauft shnell! (My grandmother and mother always walked fast.) Consequently, I have one speed\u2026FAST. Even Bernie will grab my hand and remind me to walk \u201cwith\u201d him. Otherwise, I could run off and leave him, too! Through the years, I\u2019ve gotten better about walking NEXT to him! But the ladies were given a run for their money and when we came to the end of the walk, they were huffing and puffing\u2026and I think glad it was over.<\/p>\n
Anne and I came back \u201chome\u201d and she went her way and I mine. After a shower and some quick writing, I got Bernie up. We were then off for breakfast in Vechta. It was wonderful and when we were finished, we walked the length of Lange Strasse, rounded the street and came back the other way. We stopped at the beautiful church there (http:\/\/www.mh-vechta.de\/einrichtungen\/kirchengebaeude\/st-georg ) and sat for a few minutes. The acoustics were so good there, too, that I hummed \u201cAve Maria\u201d and it carried! Such a lovely, worshipful place. The building is VERY old with statues dating back to at least the 16th century. They just don\u2019t make them like that anymore. The reredos and the altars are breath-taking. Antique pews line each of the three seating areas. The baptismal font is graceful and beautiful, but hearkens back to an era when the \u201clids\u201d were kept on to keep people out of the water (animals, too). The bell tower has been restructured following damage, but everything else is just mesmerizingly beautiful.<\/p>\n
After dropping a couple things off at Anne\u2019s, we decided to take off again and found ourselves in Buehren. We drove through slowly and found ourselves in Repke\/Penkhuesen\u2026and just outside the farm owned by Joseph Maehlmann. Lo and behold! He was there and Bernie honked as we drove into the farm. He came out to greet us and shook his head at the sight of Bernie! A big smile came across his face and conversation started.<\/p>\n
I found myself following the men into the building where the pigs are housed. He doesn\u2019t just have a few for his family\u2026it is a pig industry behind brick buildings. Inside, we were treated to huge Danish sows who had given birth to brand new little piglets. These one or two week olds were absolutely adorable and squealy and pick-me-up cute. I stifled my sounds of delight so as not to startle the nursing sows. Their low rumbles were tangible and the sounds of these little ones was so precious.<\/p>\n
In the next space, we discovered sows in various stages of the birthing process. Some had just given birth and the piglets were nursing to the low rumble of their mother. One was just completing the birthing process with the after-birth surrounding the dead bodies of several piglets that didn\u2019t make it. That was sad, although very much a part of that industrious process. Another sow was just beginning the panting stage and things were progressing well. Another would not give birth for another day, perhaps two. That was fascinating for me. I\u2019ve never been near a pig during this stage\u2026<\/p>\n
Oh, and those little pink delights through all these rooms. What cute little animals piglets are! Several of them were so \u201cnew\u201d that they didn\u2019t even have fur yet. There were a couple that looked completely forlorn with the process\u2026Imagine being born and finding oneself that close to a mother who is that much bigger than you are! Yikes!<\/p>\n
We went into another building where the piglets were not with their mothers anymore. I stuck my hand down in the stall and just left it there very still. The piglets played the \u201clet\u2019s see who goes first\u201d game and they got closer and closer to my hand. Finally, one of the little ones got close enough to nuzzle my hand and discovered that I stayed very still. It continued its exploration of this dangling entity in front of it. And then it happened\u2026the piglet began to nibble and lick my hand. I was so delighted I let out a little giggle. The piglet was startled and looked up\u2026and then nuzzled me again. Oh, I could have taken that one home with me!<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t thank Joseph Maehlmann enough for helping me. It was a delightful experience and I shall not forget it anytime soon. To witness the process will help me appreciate this life before I eat bacon again\u2026 and then I will enjoy it with my eggs.<\/p>\n
So today was a different day. It was just Bernie and me and we did our thing our way. Long walks, coffee, long conversations, and an unplanned visit with an old friend\u2026that\u2019s what we do.<\/p>\n
So, we\u2019ll sit here now as they day closes and it becomes dark once again. Bernie\u2019s working Sudoku, I\u2019m writing and Anne and Aloys are watching television. All\u2019s right with the world on this side of the ocean\u2026and I\u2019m missing my family tonight..<\/p>\n
Love to you all\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday, May 15th: Today is a day with Michael. We have had such a good day. He arrived in the morning to find Bernie just getting up. (He\u2019s been sick since we arrived\u2026a rough night Sunday night\u2026) We had a quick breakfast (yes, Bernie does eat over here\u2026) and then took off to get to … Continue reading A few more days…<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-german-tagebuch-day-book","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7FsU9-Q","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56,"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions\/56"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thayerwriting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}