Very opposite from your weather

9.V.07 - MoM

From what I hear on TV today, you must be continuing to be living on the edge of Hell. A slight bright spot is that a fire isn't lapping at your doorstep as it is in CA. I hate to mention it, but our weather could be considered perfect -- mid-70s. Started the day with slacks and a flannel shirt, changed to a light top, then to a dress. It was 49° this morning and I had the fireplace on for about ½ hour. Then, I had the house open and comfortable.

I got off to a slow start this morning, as I decided to research a new camera. I can no longer change the distance focus. It frustrates me when I want to take pictures of the new bird feeder from my chair, for instance. Who knows when the Pileated woodpecker might appear at this one. It came occasionally to the other one. I want to stick with the Olympus. I checked the store that I used to buy my camera stuff from, but it is a little far from here. Then, I went on Amazon with the info I had learned. They are less expensive and I have some coupons. It is never easy. I have to decide between the top of the line (still a lot less than I had expected to pay) and the next lower. The top has a 8.0 MP whatever that is and a 3x optical zoom. The next one down has a 7.0 MP and a 5x optical zoom. No one has written a review about the first one but things were positive about this one. It does have the xd Pict Card that they said was not as easy to find. However, I only need a couple of them. I checked and it is compatible with my computer and HP photo printer,

This afternoon, I did several hours on my bedroom chaos and managed to empty another tote box. It was mostly more stuff from the 2nd recipe clippings drawer of recipes that is in the dining room. It was stuff I had taken out of that drawer a couple of years ago to sort. I cut it back to about half. It was also something that could be done sitting in one place and not to worry about burn out.

I thought perhaps the wren had had 2nd thoughts about the nest on my deck as he didn't seem active early this morning when I got up. Mid-morning, when I was in and out of the bedroom, he was again standing on top of the "house" and screaming his little lungs out again.

I have enjoyed watching the new feeder from my chair. I was up early enough while the sprinklers were doing their thing and they come close to the feeder but not on the seeds. Haven't figured out why the male Cardinal feeds a full sized female, then flies off and she continues to eat on her own. They have a nest in a nearby tree. Maybe she is loading up to go back to the nest to feed some babies. I now have my "field glasses" by my chair for really close up.

My "Tumbling Tom" tomato is blooming like crazy hanging on the deck and I am hand pollinating my blooming AeroGarden cherry tomatoes that are doing well. I should have plenty this year. The salad greens in the AG are growing quite well, too. It is a great temptation to start snipping them, but I am going to make a real effort to let them get a little larger.

As usual, I am going to make a real effort to get to bed early. I fell asleep in my chair and it was late again last night. I hope some day I will be able be comfortable again all night and sleep soundly. I really am not complaining, as it isn't all that painful -- more just annoying. I was spoiled as I used to sleep so soundly. At least, what I have on the radio that I have on all night is so boring that it doesn't keep me awake.

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This is a continuation of letter to Sandy and Bob, from Saalfelden on 6.I.86.

Frau Manhardt's daughter and family left yesterday after the long Christmas holiday. Not only do we have 2 Christmas Days of things shut down, but New Year's Day (at least here, things don't close the day after New Year's Day as they do in Switzerland), but then there is the 6th of January -- "Three Kings Day." No more holidays now until the 16th of January! That's life in a Catholic country. Relatively few now except around Easter then until May when there are 4 separate holidays. It does take some planning when it comes to shopping.

Herr Wontroba feels that Frau Manhardt would not be happy to have us be the good friends we are. They had a Christmas plant for us and called Christmas Eve to see if they could bring it by after Susie and famly had gone to the Manhardt's for the evening. That was fine with us, but then they had to put it off as they saw Susie when everyone gathered at the cemetery with the Christmas trees with candles yet, to put on the graves between 6 to 6:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve. It turns out that there must be a slight rift in the family as Susie, her 2 children were spending the evening alone here, so the Wontrobas decided not to bring it by. I think there may be some coolness due to her second husband, although they have been married for several years. They did not go there for the usual Christmas Day things either or any other time. Susie's first husband was a good looking lawyer and still is friends with the Frau. The 2nd is younger than she is and usually has a "Bruce" stubble and I think is currently unemployed.

Due to the above, I could not invite the Wontrobas here while Susie was here but now they are coming for dessert tomorrow night. I was prepared this year with a little present for them -- one of the British plum puddings we bought in Munchen and some hard sauce we had made. They had enjoyed it when I served it to them last year. I decided yesterday to make an apple pie with the "Osterrich Granny Smith Green Apples" according to the label. Since it was a 2 crust pie, I decided to try Rosie's recipe instead of yours. [This sounds like something I wrote in an earlier letter but I will continue it tomorrow.]