Shopping with S-Squared

My sister-in-law, S-Squared, aka the hot babysitter, is invited to a few weddings this summer. As a beautiful, tall, slender, fashion conscious woman that translates into a new dress. So recently my sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and I spent an afternoon shopping in a city close to where we all live.

Let’s take a moment of pause here please: I went shopping. With other women. Voluntarily. For a dress that I wasn’t going to wear. Ever.

Dear friends and family, I swear I’m not making this up. Actually it gets better, I asked if I could join them.

I assume if you know me, you’ll need to take a moment to close your mouth and catch your breath. I am the woman who went to a grand total of two shops to explore wedding dress fashions and options and then took half of one day to choose the dress pattern, the fabric, and all the trimmings for the final dress. I go store-shopping maybe twice a year (mostly in back home in the U.S.); the rest I order on the internet. And boy am I thankful for Internet shopping.

But I’m darn bored waiting for our little worm to arrive, so I asked if I could join them and we had a lovely afternoon. The weather was perfect, cool and sunny. The city was alive with energy and movement. It did me really good to get out of the house, into a busy area, watching the darn interesting people out there. And we found The Dress. Thank goodness because I need results.

S-Squared looks stunning in the gentle, feminine color in flowing, layered fabric that emphasizes both her amazing skin and her tall, womanly stature. After the weddings, I might share a picture of it here.

Until then…while I did voluntarily join a shopping trip, I didn’t completely lose my mind. When I saw a very special dress – hanging in the “exclusive, high-fashion” area of one of the stores with a price tag of about 300euros (that $435) – I knew S-Squared had to try it on. Thankfully, she is an amazing sport, even letting me take a picture with full knowledge it would end up here on Pickles and Onions.

Yes, that is indeed a peacock on the side of that dress. (Okay, we might have added that headband.) I may not know much about fashion and I use even less than I know, but if this is ‘high-fashion’, I'm holding onto my jeans and t-shirts even tighter!



xo

Spargelzeit!

A special time in southern Germany has begun: Spargelzeit. Loosely translated, it’s a very limited time when fresh, white asparagus are available. Spargel is so special, there is even a separate section for “Asparagus in Germany” on the Wikipedia page.

Spargel can be eaten with just about anything but the most common seems to be Spargel with schnitzel, potatoes, and hollandaise sauce. For the first Spargel meal of 2011 in our house, we replaced the schnitzel with sausage:

Locals - including the Mr - get so excited about Spargel that a rarely seen glee pops to the surface when Spargel becomes a scrumptious, if temporary part of many meals. I think Spargel is exciting because it is only available for a handful of weeks each year. In our world where almost everything is available all the time – news, fruit, vegetables, meats, sex, drugs, alcohol – things that aren’t always available become even more special. Sort of like a kid that takes 40 weeks to bake before we finally get to meet him.

So, we have to make sure he’s a Spargel fan before he even gets out:

 
xo

The Sun is Out!

One thing I love about warm, sunny weather in Germany, are the hours spent on our balcony. Last year we finally bought a teak table we can leave outside as well as a sun-umbrella. Both have added immensely to our balcony enjoyment, the second coming in very handy to protect my lovely pale skin that loves to burn.

As spring turns to summer and then into fall, we are known to eat every meal outside (when it isn’t raining) and then fill weekend hours on our balcony reading, chatting, and the like. Today is a typical day, starting with a relaxed breakfast in the morning shade, followed by quiet hours as the sun crosses the sky, banishing away the shade.

 

By noon I usually slip into my bikini and pretend this is the year I’m going to tan and not just burn and then return to white. By two, latest three, I have to abandon the balcony and my sun-umbrella for real cover, no matter how much sunscreen I put on or how many passing clouds. This is especially true now, when I have so much more skin to care for: 

xo

The 3 Step Kill-a-Cold Program

I’ve got another cold and, since I’m still growing our little worm, medicine is out of the question. Which is actually okay because the best way to deal with a cold doesn’t have anything to do with meds. It’s the 3 step kill-a-cold program:
1. Homemade chicken soup
2. Sleep
3. Beautiful & happy things

The chicken soup must be homemade - nothing canned is going to work. Even with a cold, its super easy to make. For two-three days of chicken soup-based meals, you‘ll need:

• Water
• Two chicken legs (with both the thigh and the leg) with the skin still attached
• A few carrots
• A handful of small, fresh potatoes
• Two large onions
• A few pieces of garlic
• Salt and pepper

1. Fill a large pot with the amount of water you want for your soup
2. Boil the chicken legs in the water until they are cooked all the way through
3. While the chicken boils, cut all the vegetables into small pieces. I like my soup chunky, so I leave the pieces bigger
4. When the chicken is done, remove them from the water - save all the water! - and let them cool shortly
5. Throw all the vegetables into the water
6. Strip the meat off the bones and cut the meal into smaller pieces
7. Add the meat into the water and vegetable
8. Salt and pepper to taste
9. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes and carrots are soft
10. EAT!

Once the chicken soup is ready and you’ve had at least two big servings, climb into your bed and sleep. Not on the couch - in your own bed in your bedroom with the windows darkened and the electronic stuff (that shouldn’t be in your room anyways) off. Sleep until you wake up, eat some more soup, and then sleep some more.

In the limited time when you’re awake and not eating homemade chicken soup, add a few beautiful things to your environment. Like music you enjoy, fresh flowers, a happy movie, and a loving partner or friend.

It will still take a few days to feel totally healthy again but it will pay off better than any package of cold medicine. I’m about 12 hours into the 3-step-kill-a-cold-program and I’m already feeling a little bit better. By Monday I bet I’ll be back to myself again.

Now to figure out how the 3-step-kill-a-cold-program will work with little ones…

xo

A Bed to Dream About

I put a lot of importance and value on a good bed because I enjoying spending long hours reading, talking on the phone, sleeping, and other stuff in my bed. I use to love eating in my bed, under the covers, feeling decadent, but when I started sharing one with the Mr, he put a dramatic stop to that. At least he made it up to me by bringing an excellent bed into our shared apartment.

Our bed is excellent: simple and handmade in warm wood, with a mattress that is soft enough to hug me but hard enough to hold me up. Yet, while in Ireland, staying at the lovely Mount Vernon, I got to sleep in a bed to dream about. The mattress was just as good as the bed is beautiful. The house is charming and the hosts welcoming but it was the bed that was the toughest to leave behind.

xo

Forget Perfection - I'm Just Not Giving Up

Last weekend I attended a Work-in-Progress Writers Studio for my ongoing project. The studio was led by the inspiring Irene Graham and held in a villa called "Mount Vernon" on the west coast of Ireland that was once owned by Lady Gregory.

The workshop itself was challenging and rewarding. We had significant blocks of time to work on our project in an environment of "luxury, peace, and tranquillity" surrounded by "fine antique furniture, paintings and ceramics" (to quote the first two links above). I left the extended weekend feeling refreshed and inspired, with much more written than I had hoped.

In this environment it would be difficult to leave any other way:

Yet, I, the one who sometimes thinks too much, did manage to leave with my head whirling and twirling, wondering if the goals and the dreams I'm carrying within my heart are improbable in the best sense and impossible in the worst.

The truth is that I am a child of feminism: I want it all. I want a family I'm present for and dedicated to; I want a corporate job I enjoy more often than I don't; and I want an active writing life that challenges and inspires me. On top of that, I want to like myself and remain in close friendships with some amazing women - all of that without empting my energy tank, ruining my hopes, or killing my marriage.

You that have told me my dream is impossible: I have heard you and I've realized that you are right in at least one particular regard. My "all" won't ever be perfect or fully in balance. I will get tired and I will complain and sometimes I will fail.

But I have chosen to listen more closely to other voices, voices of people who are balancing - and many times "only" trying to balance - the many pillars that make up the life they want. Like them, I may fail but I'm not going to give up.

There are a lot of people out there working towards your balance: What are your tips and warnings?




xo

Introducing the Style Queen

An excellent friend celebrated her special day this past week. As always, she did everything with Style, and, yes, with a capital S. First, she looked stunning as always.

Second, she invited us to sushi. As in all-you-can-eat(-so-starve-yourself-all-day) invited us and 18 other good people. If that’s Style, I just really don’t know what is.

Third, her theme was “accessories me”. Throughout dinner we, the guests, grabbed sushi plates from the conveyor belt and added our gift to the belt for her to open one by one. Naturally the Style Queen has friends with style and it was a lot of fun to watch her open each well considered and lovingly wrapped gift.

Happy birthday Style Queen!



xo

S-Squared's Birthday

We celebrated a special birthday in the Steinbach family recently. My sister-in-law, lovingly named S-Squared, shone into her new year. Naturally there were countless, yummy salads and just as many cakes.

The birthday girl

The Mr and S-squared

All three Steinbach siblings

xo

On Request - Wonderful Whistler

Based on popular (meaning one) request, here is some more from Wonderful Whistler.

The Olympic rings, looking even more fabulous with three lovely ladies decorating them:

The ultimate downhill bike route:

Clear, clear water. Sure it was also cold:

What a bear of some ladies!

xo



Bike Ride Paradise

Today was a local celebration to get people outside and on their bikes. The Mr. and I took advantage of it and enjoyed a massive bike ride in perfect weather for it: just warm enough that it wasn’t cold and still cool enough that biking keeps you just warm enough.

First we rode our bikes from our home to the local train station and took a “before” picture.

Then we enjoyed a local train ride to the city where the party started. Thank goodness for public transportation!

The fun started immediately.

We biked along the river Neckar, enjoying beautiful scenes...

....and then through open fields and little villages.

Then we stumbled upon a real treasure, in front of which I absolutely just had to pose.

Just to make sure you also get the chance to wonder in the beauty, a close up:

Then we stumbled upon a small ferry across the Neckar and hopped right on.

Finally we reached the second major city on our trip and grabbed some African food from the little festival there. With the World Cup in South Africa this year, Africa is finally in trend!

And then we got ourselves finally home - to lots and lots of water – and the “after” picture.

xo

The New Zealand Highlight

The longer we are back in Germany, the clearer it becomes to me that the number one highlight from our trip was Milford Sound. The Mr. and I took an overnight cruise on the Sound. I'm allowing Wikipedia to detail out what Milford Sound is; I'll stick with the pictures.

On the way there we passed some of the remaining snow and ice from the winter before. Remember it was fall, summer was just ending, so you can imagine how much snow is there each winter.

If you look carefully in the bottom right, you'll see the Mr's green jacket, giving you a sense of the size dimensions.

The boat we spent the night on. It was my first night on a boat and I was spoiled rotten.

When we started our trip it was raining hard and very cloudy. We were disappointed at first until an employee of the boat pointed out the hundred waterfalls, which are only visible when its raining. It is rare that visitors get to see so many waterfalls - it was raining just the right amount without being too misty.

A few hours later, ignoring the hard rain that had just stopped and the choppy water, we joined a few Aussies for some kayaking. I ended up rather sea sick but the Mr. held through until the very end.

The Mr. at the very end. Very, very wet and very, very happy.

As the day continued and the rain stayed away, the clouds began to clear and we could see more and more of the Milford Sound's walls.

Following dinner and as the sun sank, the wonder of the night colors began. We were rather lucky that in the sea was calm enough to enjoy the dancing colors.

When night had fallen, we were joined by a little seal who played with the rubber stairs of the boat. Even the boat employees were entranced. And then we headed to bed.

The following morning the weather was even nicer to us as the clouds hung around the Milford's mountains. The tops of the lower mountains started to pop out of the clouds, creating some even nicer views.

After lunch a true rarity occurred, the clouds parted enough so that even the top of a higher mountain and little tick of sun were visible. 

And then, right at the very end, and only for a collection of seconds, the tops of the largest mountains suddenly revealed themselves as group, the clouds thinned themselves out, and the sun peaked through, right as we were posing for that last picture.

xo

Sense of Humor Required

Before the Mr. and I really understood that the Kiwis have a very limited sense of distance or time estimation, we took an “easy, short” hike on the Rob Roy track about "thirty minutes" outside of Wanaka. From the literature available in Wanaka and the information posted for the hike itself, the hike was billed as a 2-2.5 hour hike for beginners with stunning views of the Rob Roy Glacier. One small part of that information was correct: the stunning views of the Rob Roy Glacier.

The drive out to the track was beautiful, passing through and by deer, sheep, and cow farms, and took at least one hour to drive, including a few excellent opportunities to ford the road.

Natural wonder

Deer Farms*

Cow farms and ford in the road

The track was beautiful and most of it was well formed, including the sections that you needed your hands and feet and a really good sense of humor. It started with a swinging bridge

and followed through with startling beauty.

Tree roots as the track

River that ran beside the track

Glacier and waterfall from afar

Glacier and waterfall from not so afar

We didn’t make it to the end – who knows how long the Kiwi “2-2.5 hours” would have ended up. But in the end, like everything else, the effort was worth it and we ended the trip with a smile and an extra, natural surprise.

We're-almost-there kiss

Rainbow wishing us farewell

We were both sore for a few days and that was our last hike.

xo

*Did you know that over 50% of the venison that is served in Germany is raised in New Zealand? Yummy.