31.10.2009 von admin.

A saga from Carinthia tells us, that south of Spittal there is a mountain range,  the highest pint is Goldeck and where veins of gold are located. However, only very little has ever been found there. Every 100 years or so, on one of the most  sheer rock walls, a castle will show and a woman with a huge bunch of keys, leaning against one of the windows, will ask anyone who passes to come in. If he follows her, she shows him the vein of gold, and he can dig until he becomes rich.  One upon a time, the woman waved to a shepherd minding his sheep, but at that point, most his sheep were scattered along the mountain and he was worried they would get lost during his absence. He asked the waving woman to wait until he had gathered his herd and when he got back, the castle, the woman and her keys ha disappeared.

We cannot always have it all, eat the cake and still have it, can we? We don’t always choose the right direction, but as long as we weighed the consequences - we will be alright.

The smell of apple cake spreads through the house - gotta go!

So long - I choose to have some cake and I am fully aware where this apple cake will have an effect..on my hips

/S

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30.10.2009 von admin.

…taking your breath away on the way from Fürnitz yesterday evening. Heaven so close, all over again. There are two places in this world, where I have experienced the sky being so near and so full with colors, changing in seconds. Carinthia is one, the other is Lapland, where I lived many years of my life.

The evening was spent with friends at FRICO in Villach. A grand Steiermark wine tasting get-together with Törggele (a typical tradition from south Tirol) was dearly enjoyed.

I wonder if we will attack redecorating the bathroom this weekend and get those pictures up in the kitchen. Since the kitchen has been ready (except the pictures) for two weeks it’s about time. But as the senior Elf says - hanging pictures, is like good wine - it needs to ripe(?)… Not really sure what is meant by that, I guess it has a deep meaning only for pro’s to understand. Is there something like a pro picture hanger? If yes… Mum belongs to them…

So long - heaven all over again

/S

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29.10.2009 von admin.

…joyful day! The stock of Swedish crispbread evaporates rather quickly in this household and a trip to IKEA had to be conducted. Unfortunately, we never leave the IKEA food store with what the original purchase plan said and bags (notice the plural) later we finally become happy shoppers. We never take the main road to Klagenfurt ,but via Moosburg and then passing Tessendorf, where I by coincidence discovered another small church. The surrounding and the Church”garden” could use improvements, but all-in-all I do have a fable for small churches and do think they are sweet. Not really sure that the general purpose of churches should be sweet though and I suspect that there is a greater meaning to it all.

After the IKEA visit in Klagenfurt the trip continued via Villach to Fürnitz , Finkenstein and returning via Faak am See and Rosegg, where we stopped at the Zoo and its castle for a walk with the dog. A great day, with sun and warm temperatures not really normal for end of October.

This morning it’s gray-in-gray outside and the warmth underneath the duvet felt more inviting then taking a walk. Despite the fact, that the dear Elfe dog likes to sleep in, he was very persistent this morning getting me out of bed. Usually, the opposite belongs to the morning ritual and the spoilt four-legged friend needs to be pushed out of his dreams.

So, almost downed my second cup of coffee and the day can begin for real.

So long - almost ending October

/S

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27.10.2009 von admin.

…and the summer time ended. This means, that at least for a couple of weeks, the time when I get up won’t be dark. However it is now twenty minutes past five in the evening and almost black outside.  To me the winter months only disadvantage is, that the amount of daylight inhaled is kept to a minimum during working days. If the weather allows, the weekends can be spent out-doors, but still for many people the limited amount of day-light gives depressions. I rather enjoy the dark and cosy evenings in-front of a fire place or in a room full of candles, cuddled up with a good book under a blanket.

The skiing-season has opened all around Austria and Gerlitzen, the closest one to us, opens end of November. Still it’s not that far to Bad Kleinkirchheim, Nassfeld or several resorts in Italy if you are a passionate skier.

Looking forward to the Christmas markets, the smell of Glühwein, incense, orange and cinnamon. The Christmas lights and candles brightening up the winter day. I do love the winter months dearly…

So long - may the winter begin..

/S

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26.10.2009 von admin.

… commemorates the day when the Soviet Union ended its occupation, and a constitutional law of perpetual Austrian neutrality was in-acted and it’s also the 299th day (according to the Gregorian calendar).This would mean that we have 66 days left of 2009.

In year 740 the earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing a lot of death and damages and in 1861 the Pony Express ended it’s operation  of fast mail service crossing the North American continent.  1905 Norway became independent of Sweden and Pan American Airways makes the first commercial flight of the Boeing 707 from New York City to Paris, France. The Beatles are appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) in 1965 and 1994 Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty. What will the history book tell us about the 26th October 2009 years from now, or will the major development in history still be when the world for the first time saw the far side of the moon in 1959 or when Churchill won the general election in 1951?

I guess we will have to wait and see, some of us will be alive to witness it and be part of making history..

So long -  tomorrow is another day

/S

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25.10.2009 von admin.

…. tomorrow, and a long weekend is mostly appreciated.  For those of you not knowing why it’s a national holiday, follow the link to  Wikipedia.

The Declaration of Neutrality

 

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905
US (Spanish-born) philosopher (1863 - 1952)

Elfe goes Salsa tonight and I am positive I will not be able to move tomorrow, considering the fact that I still have sore muscles from plastering the walls. Thank God, public holidays can be used(if wanted) as a lazy-day..

 

So long -  bailar!

/S

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24.10.2009 von admin.

… and I am seriously thinking of becoming a professional handyman, even though the shopping appointments at the local hardware store need to be improved and the vocabulary practised. The wall became its second layer of wall plaster and tomorrow the painting is due.

As the morning walk with the dog turned into a 5 minute stroll, due to the still wet ground from the rain. My four-legged friend does not fancy getting his paws wet and turned back as soon as he conducted his business. The afternoon brought some blue sky and with some persuasion we could finalize our mission since this morning. The trees have wonderful colors and as I am the autumn girl, this is the season for me.

More snow has arrived on the Karawanken and the clouds lay low. Senior Elfe has been concerned since beginning of October that the snow will arrive down here in the valley, as the appreciation for shoveling snow is non-existing. I don’t really mind a bit of snow, as long as it stays cold and does not turn into this slushy brew. I am pretty aware of who will do the shoveling this winter…  me… (hurray!)

The amount of food consumed this afternoon makes me wonder why I am feeling a bit peckish, even the dog insisted having a second round… I might tend to my inner needs…now…

So long - stay connected

/S

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23.10.2009 von admin.

… and the first prime coat is actually still stuck to the basement wall…I checked a while ago. That was the first step in a series of coming activities. Tomorrow the wall plaster has its turn and this will be a more difficult task as I know how hard it is to not only make it stay to wall, but also establish a smooth surface. I guess some hard words, not for an age below 18 will be dropped during the early morning hours tomorrow. Cellar is sound and fire proof by the way, so there is no risk of the neighbourhood overhearing any Swedish curses.

The good hair-day has continued today and I feel rather satisfied with the development, not only with the hair, but in general. We still have 4 weeks to go until the fire place arrives, but time passes so quickly when having fun..they say….

An esoteric exhibition is continuing through  the weekend in Pörtschach and I will probably pass through there during Saturday and Sunday is time for some salsa in Villach.

So before half the Di Elfe family starves to death, I’d better get some food going.

So long - part 1 down

/S

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22.10.2009 von admin.

… usually days around here are good, at least nothing below good. Even though it has been raining since I got up this morning, and the long walk planned with the dog, didn’t happen. Mainly due to the unwillingness my four-legged (spoilt rotten) creature shows, of the prospect of getting wet and trying to push him out the front door turns into a major act of persuasion.

The day started off with physio, and even though my physiotherapist most probably thinks that I should give the exercises more effort and that I am a general pain in the behind, we at least enjoy some laughs, and my back has never felt better. The bad hair-day yesterday turned into a good hair-day today, and I am very grateful to the hairdresser making this happen.

My dear friend came over and we spent a 3 hour lunch at the pizzeria next door, with good food, red wine and finding solutions to the whole worlds problems, including what happens after death, does anything happen and why can’t the soul remember the previous life, if there is a life after this?  I couldn’t resist getting some handyman tips out of him before he left, and I have already written down the shopping-list for my next hardware store visit. Bless…

The rest of the afternoon I dedicated to my book under the duvet, which is a wonderful thing during days like this - a goodbookcuddleupweatherday as I say.

Despite the calorie counting in this house, we will enjoy an evening with different cheeses, salamis, olives and some more things not in the vocabulary of a good diet . Sometimes it is good for the soul to sin and this day has been a brilliant one and should be celebrated.

So long - yummy, yummy cheese

/S

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21.10.2009 von admin.

… was the degree I would have given myself returning from a hardware store visit, with only stuff I needed, didn’t confuse a lot of staff and all the words I had looked up before going there, actually existed. If the 2 minute description from the guy working there can be translated into reality (by me) then the cellar will be newly plastered tomorrow (plastered in sense of the walls plastered and not due to alcoholic drinks).

As the pink geranium will be taken down tomorrow, as we do have mid October, we got some heather to be re-planted (by mum) and this will decorate the veranda during the cold, dark winter months.

This afternoon I dragged my dog out for another walk around Forstsee and passed the hair dresser in Velden on my way back, getting an appointment tomorrow to sort out the mess the last hairdresser succeeded with. Being my hairdresser is not something you strive to be anyway, as I can be right difficult when it comes to how the result should and shouldn’t look like.

Yesterday evening, I took the dog for a walk through Velden and along the promenade, sun was going down behind me and shining towards Klagenfurt in the east. All the hotels along the lake looked shut for the season and there were only a few kids in the park. The Casino held a few guests though and the cafe next door, but all in all, it has become very quiet.

I am hungry, so I’d better get some food for the soul.

So long - putting theory into practise…tomorrow

/S

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