Latest Forum Posts by: dievomdeich

Eppstein

You’re absolutely not being too sensitive, Petra!

It’s terrible how humanity has changed during this pandemic. Aggression is the order of the day. You’re more likely to get snapped at rudely than to have someone say “hello.”

I’ve already described elsewhere how I was accosted. And if you dare to point out that someone’s mask is sitting under their chin or under their nose, you’ll soon need pepper spray. I have no idea where this is all headed.

We were recently at the supermarket in Stade. At the checkout was an elderly gentleman (probably in his mid-80s), and behind him were three boys, whom I’d guess were between 10 and 13, jostling for position. They were shoving each other back and forth, with their masks under their noses, of course. The elderly gentleman asked them very politely to please keep the proper distance. Their response: “Grandpa, shut up.”
When my husband stepped in, I had to hold him back—he would’ve taken them up on their “want a punch in the face” offer.

I really hope we can finally get this whole situation under control and that things return to a bit of “normality.”

Best, Marlies

Pretty much the same as last year. I’m in the Altes Land. On Christmas Eve, he’ll go visit the kids. We’ll open presents when he gets back.
We haven’t made any specific plans yet—it depends on what the kids have planned. He’ll have to go along with that, and so will I.
Right now, they always want to visit Dad and Grandpa just when I’m there or when I’m planning to go. Then I’m left out again and have to go home or stay home. If I were to be reborn, I wouldn’t want any children.

Red cabbage

Congratulations and all the best.

Best regards, Marlies

All the best, warmest wishes, and happy birthday!

Best regards, Marlies

Congratulations and all the best.

Best regards, Marlies

Christina, your lights look great.

Anja, cool color. I actually think this tone-on-tone look isn’t bad at all.

Monika, I really like your blanket. It looks so cozy. How big did it turn out to be?
I was just wondering what a “sleep washcloth” was, but then I took another look and lo and behold… it’s a sheep. Somehow this happens to me a lot—I see something different from what’s actually written. Does that happen to you, too?

I brought some plastic stitch markers with me. I packed them back up; they get in the way when I’m working. I’m going back to using my yarn to mark my stitches.

I cut myself pretty badly on my left index finger. I don’t know where exactly, but it’s bleeding quite a bit. The yarn doesn’t glide properly with a band-aid on, so I’m taking a break from crocheting today.

Best regards, Marlies

Because it just looks so cozy and homey—like home, really (even though I’m from the coast).

Wow, Petra, you really went all out there. You picked out some great colors. I hope you have fun working with them.

My Christmas orders arrived today. For my husband, there’s a “cable drum full of Mettwurst.” It looks funny.
I ordered some shoes—for once. They’re warmly lined and cost €14.95 instead of €49.95. They fit well and are great to walk in.

Aaaand I bought some CDs. Six new ones for €1 each and five used ones for €1.50 each. Somehow I ordered one I didn’t even want, but I really like it. “Es lebe Jesus”—I was surprised at first, but they’re Christian songs from Schlager and folk music. They’re perfect for this time of year.
So tomorrow I can listen to music nonstop while I crochet.

Best, Marlies

Fireplace

Lift pump

Coleslaw

Oh, those cookies look delicious! They make you want to dig right in.

Inge, you really need to take good care of your husband.

Ina, your table is beautifully decorated. It’s a feast for the eyes.

Monika, I’m not in the mood for baking yet either (since my husband didn’t want any). Maybe I’ll pull myself together and bake a few cookies for myself if I feel like it again.

Love, Marlies

Shark steak

Göggingen

Covered wagon

You really scored a bargain there, Anja.
I’m always so happy when I read that you all feel the same way about these new, fascinating patterns. I’m already behind on making Christmas decorations, and I’ve already picked out the yarn for three new projects...

A friend of mine once bid on a motorcycle on eBay just for fun. She wanted to drive the price up a bit. Tough luck—3-2-1… it worked. Oh, was she mad. She ended up selling the thing later.

Today, the aunt we had birthday dinner with yesterday called. She took her time looking through all her gifts last night. Now she wanted to thank me again. She was really happy, especially because it’s handmade. Even her “fussy” daughter-in-law was really thrilled.
That’s when you know all the work was worth it.

Best regards, Marlies

Franzbrötchen

Nebel

Site Tour

Nice socks, Inge.

Petra, guess who else... haha.

Best regards, Marlies

With my crochet hook and—as usual—Catania yarn.

I’m behind on my Christmas decorations because a birthday got in the way. Will I even finish my Advent wreath? I almost doubt it.

Next year, I finally want to work through some of my PiA projects.

Best wishes, Marlies

Ruth: It was all so appealing that I would have loved to try everything, but that’s just not possible—especially since the wedding soup was so delicious that I ended up eating a bit more of it than I intended. So many meatballs in there, and it was seasoned just right. I’m getting hungry again...

Best regards, Marlies

Wollefaden

Erding

Dried Fruit Soup

New Year’s Eve

Your keyhole scarf looks so great, Sonja!

Steffi, that little guy is adorable. You’ve got a fun little gang there.

All those fibers are enough to make anyone sneeze, Anja. How about a triangle pattern for the scarf?

My husband just barely managed to redeem himself today… When he picked me up, the “knotted knots” were still sitting on the table. His comment: “That looks so cute, what you’ve made there.”
He still put the money in an envelope, though… grrr.

As usual, way too much food was served at dinner, and just as much was eaten. The menu included: Hadler wedding soup as a starter. With so many meatballs that it could have served as a main course on its own.

A “gardener-style” grilled platter: tender young pork fillet wrapped in bacon (it practically melted in your mouth), small grilled beef steaks (cooked to perfection), small breaded pork cutlets,
“Caprese”-style chicken breast au gratin with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, sautéed mushrooms, seasonal vegetables (unfortunately more than just “al dente”—the carrots were still crunchy and the cauliflower was almost impossible to cut even with a knife), buttered potatoes, croquettes, French fries, cream sauce, hollandaise sauce, and herb butter.

For dessert, there was a “Traumschiff” ice cream platter, an ice cream specialty served on a platter. I’d imagined something different. There was a Königrolle on the platter, topped with two scoops of stracciatella, a dab of whipped cream
and a few pieces of melon. By the time the waitstaff came in with the platters, the first sparklers that had been stuck on top were already going out. There were also hot cherries served with it.

For coffee, we had marzipan and raspberry cake (both still two-thirds frozen) and butter cake. Throughout the whole time, there were drinks of our choice and an excited aunt saying, “Kids, eat something else—order yourselves a drink.” She was then seated and given a shot of schnapps.

We were at the Norddeutscher Hof, Janßen family, in Cuxhaven-Lüdingworth.

The “knots” went over very well with my aunt. She hadn’t bought an Advent wreath yet. She was particularly taken with the chocolate in the glass.

It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine.

Now I’m stuffed and feeling lazy, just letting the evening unfold.

Wishing you all a lovely Advent evening.
Love, Marlies

 
 

Thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks, Andrea. Yes, a grandma is something special. My grandparents also had a “beautiful” death. Grandpa went out one evening to check on the chickens and ducks. He collapsed outside in his garden—the doctor called it sudden death . Unfortunately, they still tried to resuscitate him, but luckily he didn’t feel a thing.
My aunt used to go check on Grandma every morning. One morning, she found Grandma sitting at the kitchen table with her plate of milk soup from the night before in front of her.

That’s certainly how one would want to go, and I’m glad that both of my uncles passed away so peacefully and didn’t have to suffer. Right now, though, I can’t imagine ever saying, “Okay, I’ve had enough—I’m going to die.” Maybe that’s because of my past with that brutal abuser and rapist. There were moments when I would have preferred to be dead...

Best wishes, Marlies

Today I received the news that Uncle Karl passed away last night.
He was 93 years old, lived in a nursing home, and was very comfortable there. The last few days had become difficult for him, and he had to be taken to the hospital twice. Back at the nursing home, he told his son-in-law to leave him alone—he didn’t want to go on anymore. That evening, he went to bed and fell asleep peacefully.

A few months ago, we went through the same thing with his brother. He wasn’t feeling well, stopped going out, and barely spoke anymore. He didn’t want to go on. He, too, passed away peacefully in his sleep that night.

Neither brother was seriously ill; life had simply become too difficult for them.

I find that a little unsettling.

My question for you: Can you just die “on command” like that ?

Love, Marlies

Anja, I love your writing style!

“Turkey wobbly throat pouch” is my word of the year... lol.

Best wishes, Marlies

I wanted to bake cookies and cakes again this year. No, my husband doesn’t want any. “The few we eat, we can just buy. You don’t need to go to all that trouble.” Fine, then I won’t, but I’m not buying any either.
Somehow, he’s really good at ruining my anticipation this year.

But I’m still enjoying all the wonderful things you guys are baking.

Love, Marlies

I’ve missed quite a bit here. Time to catch up...
 
Oh dear, Anja, I really hope you’re feeling better again and that your breathing trainer is doing you some good. Luckily, it hasn’t been that bad for me yet. Listening to music helps me, or simply looking up at the sky and watching the clouds. You can spot wonderful “shapes” there, or just daydream.
A funny book also gives me joie de vivre, for example “Only the Pudding Hears My Sighs” by Erma Bombeck. I’ve read it many times.
 
You’ve all made such wonderful things! I’m always amazed by the dishcloths, cowls, little figures, and so on… I especially admire your DF items. I imagine that must be incredibly difficult.
 
Birds with headaches… I know that too. The little chirpers come zooming around the corner of the house, across the patio—oh dear, there’s a person there—and off they go outside… but with a “detour” into the PVC panes. Even all the bird stickers I made don’t help there.

I wonder how the tits always managed to fly into the mailbox slot when they nested in it two years in a row. During one brood, the last little tit didn’t manage to get out right away
. There was a terrible thud in the box. When we checked, we found a little ball of feathers that clearly had a headache. But the next day it flew out too.

Monika, all I can say is: “Yarn package to me.” I would have taken it too.

We have “birthday babies” in our family too. My sister-in-law had her first son on her birthday. She gave my brother a daughter on his birthday, and her second son shares a birthday with his uncle
.
I didn’t manage that. My birthday is on January 3, my son’s on the 4th, my daughter’s on the 11th, and her daughter’s on the 9th.
One of my sisters shares a birthday with our grandpa. That always caused trouble because she sometimes wanted to celebrate on her own birthday, and not always together with Grandpa.

Sonja, how was your open-air event? Was it bearable with mulled wine?

When my husband was around, I couldn’t get to the computer much. He always thinks of something “important” that we wanted to do… even if it’s just a round of Kniffel. He saw a photo of the cheese wreath. He didn’t know it was my photo. “What’s that? I can’t make out anything there.” I explained what could be seen. “Well, if you say so.” My Christmas excitement is gone now. Maybe I’ll just keep the cheese wreath myself.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t brought enough stuffing material with me. So I could only start quite a few things. I finished one “Waschi” and a Christmas pickle. I’ll hide that in the Christmas tree for him.

 



Why can’t men actually listen properly? Call from him on Monday at noon: “Aunt Dorothea called on Friday and invited us to her birthday. We’re supposed to come for lunch. We’ll put money in the card, and you can tie a few knots.”
I was in a spin; from Monday noon to Wednesday evening isn’t much time. I think putting money in a card is silly. So I emailed a photo of a money cake. His comment: “That’s no good for old people.” 

Question for you: is a money cake age-related?



“Tying a few knots” isn’t done that quickly either. So I put everything else aside and got to work. Of course, there were no tea lights left in the house (the battery-powered ones). Off to the town center to stock up.
I hope the aunt likes my “tied knots.”





And yesterday evening I finally crocheted my Christmas door wreath for the apartment door. The rest of the Advent decorations are still missing. They’re not going anywhere.




Wishing you lots of fun with your current projects, and above all, stay healthy.
Best, Marlies
 

They’re beautiful, Inge. I like the one with the red candle best.

Best regards, Marlies

I really like your hoodie, Inge.

It’s comfortable, has pockets, and a practical hood. Jacket hoods are usually too big for me, so wearing a hoodie underneath is ideal.

Best regards, Marlies

Double crochet stitches worked together are found in cluster stitches and bobbles, or as edging.
You can find many videos online with explanations, as well as websites that clearly illustrate the technique using diagrams.

I’m currently using them in “Nikolaus Speedy and Hoppala.”

Best regards, Marlies

That’s quite a great “haul” that arrived at Ina’s place.

You’ve definitely earned those extras from Monika, dear Ina. You had a great idea—it was almost like a surprise egg for me (even though I was only participating virtually)—and I’d love to join in next time.

Best regards, Marlies

Thanks, Josefa—I wish the same for you and all the users. Make yourselves comfortable.

We’re invited to a birthday dinner at an aunt’s house, where we’ll celebrate a little and spend a cozy First Sunday of Advent.

Best regards, Marlies

I’m already so excited to see what Ina will get, even though I’m not participating myself.
Those were some great swap events you guys put together. If the timing works out, I’d love to join in next time.
Best regards, Marlies

No, Josefa, I haven’t started baking yet. That’ll have to wait a bit.
After a few—sometimes serious—problems, I’m glad to be back with the CP family.
A surprise birthday invitation threw my plans off a bit, but I hope I can now get back to my projects.

Best regards, Marlies

Dear Sandra,

belated but heartfelt birthday wishes to you.
May all your wishes come true.

Warm regards,
Marlies

Anja, we were at the Vier Linden restaurant in Stade-Schölisch. It’s definitely one of the top spots in town.
Best regards, Marlies

Sonja , we already had spaghetti this week, too.
For dinner, there was a hot-and-cold buffet. The opening was celebrated in style with huge plumes of fog billowing from a tower of cooking pots and a mini fireworks display (3 tubes); in the middle of the room—where the buffet was set up—stood a large seahorse carved out of ice.
Many varieties of bread, cheese, sausage, ham, eggs, and fish were beautifully arranged and served. Then there was steamed salmon with rice and curry sauce, beef and smoked pork loin with a creamy mushroom sauce, pork medallions au gratin with tomato and mozzarella, green beans, corn, and cauliflower (which, unfortunately, was a bit mushy when mixed together), delicious fried potatoes, and croquettes.
For dessert, we could choose between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, served with raspberry and vanilla sauce, as well as chocolate pudding garnished with whipped cream and physalis. There was a free choice of drinks.
We were so stuffed, but everything tasted great, and of course we wanted to at least try as much as possible.
Then we received a small Advent calendar and a pocket calendar as gifts. All in all, it was three entertaining hours.
Once home, it was time to relax on the sofa.

Best regards, Marlies

Thanks, Josefa. I wish you and all our readers a wonderful, relaxing weekend.

I’m still enjoying a few more days off in the Altes Land.

Best regards, Marlies

Hot pants—midi-length cardigans—wedge shoes—mini skirts (as short as possible)

Born in ’57—so that was my era, too. I cut off the legs of my jeans until I finally got some store-bought ones. Grandma relented. Today, cut-off jeans are in style.
I had a black faux-fur skirt—a real super-mini. My English teacher once asked me if my “belt” wasn’t a little too wide. That didn’t faze me at all. I also wore knitted skirts—knitted by me, of course—so they wouldn’t be too long.

Well, I don’t wear miniskirts anymore, but my love for flared pants has stuck with me.

Best regards, Marlies

Hi everyone,
warm greetings from the Altes Land. I’m currently enjoying the master of the house’s midday nap. This gives me a chance to sit down at the computer in peace without being immediately pulled away for something else.

There are so many strong women gathered here, and it’s nice to be able to talk openly about these things without having to put up with stupid comments. Thanks for your kind words and the heartfelt hug.

Get well soon, Steffi. Make sure you recover properly.

Monika: Back then, I packed that box I found into a box of baby clothes, but there are still bags full of stuffed animals in the basement. I’m sure there are some knitted teddy bears in there, too.
I’d make even more door wreaths if it weren’t for the tedious assembly process…

We’re invited to an anniversary dinner today. Let’s see what’s on the menu.

Take care, everyone, and stay healthy.
Love, Marlies

It used to be, unfortunately. I left the group because someone there couldn’t tell the difference between private messages and group chats. Before I end up with a stomach ulcer because of such liars, I decided to leave—even though it was very hard for me and I miss the dancing.

   

I picked out two more photos.

We tied the knot further down rather than right at the collar. That way, the scarf stayed in place better and didn’t slip around as much.
Before that, we’d put the scarf under the blouse collar and wrapped it once around our neck. That was warm but uncomfortable, and it kept slipping.

I’d classify a suit jacket (or jacket) as a men’s garment. For women, I’d be more likely to call it a blazer.
It’s important to me that the jacket fits around the stomach without having to hold my breath (oh, it still fits), but that it’s not two sizes too big either. The same goes for the sleeve length. I wouldn’t buy my husband a jacket in trendy colors. They go out of style quickly, and then the jacket just ends up hanging there.
I always take a jacket to the dry cleaners.

Inge could probably sew one herself and would certainly have more to say about it than I do.

Best regards, Marlies