Latest Forum Posts by: dievomdeich

Right now, I have a scarf on my needles for watching TV tonight. Just knit stitches, with the edge stitches as yarn overs. Fluffy yarn, size 6 needles; it already feels pretty cozy. It’s coming along nicely.

@ Mel
I had chicken fricassee with rice yesterday. It was delicious.
Best regards, Marlies

Savoy cabbage stew and “Schmuttkartoffeln” are my current favorites, followed by Hawaiian-style chicken stir-fry.

Dear Nicole,

all the best to you, warmest congratulations, a wonderful day with lovely guests, and of course, good health on your special day.

Here’s a little gift for you...


Warm regards,
Marlies

I wish those who are sick or injured a speedy recovery. Otherwise, have a great weekend, everyone. Enjoy the—hopefully—nice weather and have a good time.
I’ll keep working on using up my PiA stash as long as my arm and shoulder hold up.
Best regards, Marlies

Well, it’s finished now, but I don’t like it at all. It’s 50 x 50 cm; it was only supposed to be 35 x 35 cm. I’ll take a look at it over the weekend, and if it bugs me, I’ll rip it out again.

Together with my father, I built a large model railway for my brothers. He was a craftsman and hobbyist through and through. I learned a great deal from him. The layout measured 1.5 x 2.5 meters. We “sowed grass,” planted trees (which we made ourselves), and created a lake, rivers, and a road network. The houses and buildings—some of which were built from kits—were, of course, also equipped with electric lighting.
Even my dollhouse was properly wallpapered and fitted with lights.
My youngest son built all kinds of plastic models and needed Mom’s help. These included cars, spaceships, ships, helicopters, and so on. Later, tabletop figures were added to the collection. Some of these were assembled and painted. Although there were plenty of items available to buy for the tabletop terrain (some of them very expensive), we made a lot of things ourselves out of Styrofoam and balsa wood.

My husband and I share a love of ships. We’ve built plastic models, but also wooden ones. It’s a lot of fun.
Once I finally finish my “workroom,” I’d like to incorporate crocheted pieces into dioramas.

Usually, I’m working with Catania, Twister, and Gründl cotton. I’m also using acrylic yarn for the back of my pillow.

I’d really love to learn how to sew. I’ve always loved bobbin lace-making. I’d like to improve my Irish crochet skills (I’ve done a little bit in the past), and Tunisian crochet is at the top of my list. I’d also like to try thread painting.

I’m currently crocheting a sofa pillow from leftover yarn. It should be finished today. But now the stuffing has slowed me down. The pillow insert came out of the package completely tattered. It’s only good for stuffing now.
At the store, they said, “We don’t have any more, but we’ll get them back eventually.” The next store only had larger ones. So I bought some yarn. Same color number, but a different batch. I hope it doesn’t stand out too much.

I’m still toying with the idea of getting a little rose. But I can’t quite decide if I should get one or where to put it.
When he was younger, my uncle had some very risqué tattoos on his hands and forearms. Later, he bitterly regretted it, and he even had to have skin grafts done on his hands. That left some really ugly scarring.
Still, I’m toying with the idea.

I hope you all have a lovely, relaxing weekend. I’ll keep crocheting my fall decorations, and maybe I’ll even get around to finishing a book. Tonight, I’m looking forward to watching TV.
Best regards, Marlies

I made good use of the last two days of August:

  SSK (140 x 40 cm)

sewed new covers from an old flannel duvet cover and flannel bedsheet that were no longer being used -by hand-
 
   pillow (45 x 30 cm)


  secured the thread ends, ironed and starched

I’m starting September with the cornucopia (pattern by Ines 66).

Best, Marlies

Inspired by my grandma, I also collect every button I find. By now, I have several boxes full of them. When my middle son was a little rascal, he used to play with the buttons for hours and then pack everything back up neatly. My other two children were never interested in buttons.
A year ago, I got another little box of very old buttons from a house clearance.

You’re so fast, Inge. It looks great.

Best regards, Marlies

I used to do or try out a lot of different things. These included window decorations and mobiles made from construction paper (I have about 150 workbooks and books on this), embroidering tapestries, embroidering tablecloths, knitting sweaters and socks, writing poems, stories, and travelogues, doing crafts, making flower and Christmas arrangements, drawing, and reading (if only so many books wouldn’t pile up…), my CD and record collection, etc., etc.

These days, I still make a window decoration every now and then, rarely knit, and have discovered diamond painting. My passion is and always will be crocheting, especially filet crochet.
I love to take photos—and I do it a lot. I also discovered coloring books a while back. It’s fun and relaxing.

I’ve prepped a few stones that I’d like to embellish using the decoupage technique. My artistic skills aren’t good enough to paint them myself.
I’d really love to be able to sew. I do have a sewing machine, but we don’t really get along… It was like that even back in school. And I’m drawn to mosaic patterns.

Best regards, Marlies

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend, everyone!
It’s raining here and pretty miserable. That makes it twice as frustrating that I was stood up and am stuck at home. But that’s how it is when the kids can’t accept that parents can still have a good relationship despite a divorce.
I think I’ll take a look at what’s in my (unfortunately huge) PiA box and pick out the new projects for fall/Christmas. With all their great offers, the authors don’t exactly make that easy.
Best regards, Marlies

If you have a good hairstylist, it’s a great thing. I’ve had some really good perms.
However, there was one traumatic experience (at a new salon) that really threw me off back then. My brother’s wedding, a fancy new dress, and a new perm. I’d told the master hairstylist (!) “not so short and not so frizzy.” Somehow, he must not have heard the “not”… it was all way too short and so frizzy. Even the term “sheep curls” didn’t comfort me. At first, I didn’t even want to go to the wedding, but then I let myself be talked into it. I still can’t bring myself to look at the photos today. In every single one, I look like all my relatives have passed away.

Many years later, I took part in a training program. It included various trades, including an apprenticeship program for hairdressers. They were always looking for models to practice on. So we always had our hair done perfectly. Then I was foolish enough to volunteer as a model for their final exam. Of course, the perm went horribly wrong. The young lady didn’t pass her exam either. Luckily, the instructor was able to salvage the situation somewhat.

Today I wear my hair short. It’s pretty thick, and a few cowlicks don’t make it easy for me.
I’m still looking for a replacement for my longtime hairdresser, who unfortunately moved away a few years ago for love. I was in the best hands with her for almost 25 years—even when it came to perms.

Sometimes I still find myself thinking about getting a perm again...

Warmest regards and happy birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day.

Best wishes
Marlies

All the best and belated congratulations.

Best regards, Marlies

Now that’s an idea for new fences. It looks so much friendlier.
Thanks for the great photos.

I had a bedroom wardrobe to give away. It was actually still in very good condition (I was giving it away for personal reasons). I offered it to an acquaintance who’d moved into a bigger apartment. “Yeah, that’s fine, I can take it, but wait a bit.” The long and short of it was that he bought a wardrobe for €50 on the eb... classifieds. The thing is old, shabby, and wobbly. I wouldn’t have taken it even if it had been free.
When I asked why he didn’t take mine for free, he couldn’t or wouldn’t answer.
He had to pick up his “new pride and joy” (2 x 80 km), rent a trailer for it (€25), and find someone with a car that had a trailer hitch. And for that, he had to buy them a meal.

When I left the women’s shelter back then and was able to move into my apartment, I got a good half of my furnishings for free, and I was very grateful for that.

Another case: my neighbor had bought a pair of black jeans that she never wore. She then gave them to me so I could pass them on. I offered the jeans to a friend, saying, “They’ve never been worn, they’ve just been lying in the wardrobe.” Don’t think she took the new trousers.
She doesn’t wear “used stuff”...
Who can understand humanity?

Best regards, Marlies

Wow, Inge, what great pairs!

Hope you all have a wonderful, storm-free weekend. I’ve taken care of everything important. Now I’m going to work on the bottle suit. It was my brother’s birthday, and when we see each other, he’ll get a bottle of wine featuring a bikini-clad beauty.

  Taken recently in the Altes Land.

Best regards, Marlies

Those look great and really comfortable, Inge. I’d wear them too.
What fabric did you use?

Best, Marlies

We even had a cute little potato grow on our compost pile once, Inge.

Great selfie of your husband, Sonja. There was once a bra parade in Cuxhaven during protests to save the old fishing harbor. I didn’t understand, though, what bras hanging on the protest fence had to do with the fishing harbor.
Now I finally know what to do with that old microwave...

Best regards, Marlies

I wonder if it would shrink otherwise???


There’s a fried egg floating in the water...

In Stade, the quay walls of the Old Harbor have been embellished with Tetsche cartoons. It’s the only open-air comic exhibition in all of Germany. There are some great pieces there.

I like the ski bench. It’s a great way to put odds and ends to good use.

That was a great idea, dear Inge. You could even take the “garage” with you when you’re out and about.
I still have a curtain with lead tape from my grandma that I use. Back in the day, people used to drape old curtains over currant bushes. We always had to be careful to pull our heads out of the way in time.
Best regards, Marlies

You’ve posted some great photos. Thanks for participating. Maybe we can gather even more.
Best regards, Marlies

Your photo isn’t bad either, Marion. You just have to walk around armed with a camera all the time… lol.

It’s probably about a good dozen. Most of them have an adjustable shoulder strap.
I “carry half my household with me,” according to my husband and friends. However, I like to be prepared. My camera and its accessories take up most of the space. I usually always have my camera with me. A notepad and pens are also important. Of course, there’s the big purse, which doubles as a wallet and, according to my husband, is already the size of a suitcase. Men always have to exaggerate so much…
But I also have smaller bags, because I can’t take my big “suitcases” with me on every occasion.

When the kids were little, a wet washcloth and first-aid supplies (including an onion and a knife) were standard gear. There was always some complaining. Then, on a trip to the wildlife park, my grown son asked for that very wet washcloth. The look on his face when Mom said, “Nope, I don’t have it” was priceless... but of course I did have it with me.

I found some more photos showing that even cannons were decorated in Stade.













The decorations then had to be removed for the 50th anniversary of the 1962 storm surge.

Best regards, Marlies

While looking for some photos, I went through my archive and found a few funny/quirky things.



I wonder if that man was happy?



Nice way of putting it...



A harmless kind of tsunami.



Things work differently in the countryside.



There’s a very unique “treehouse” in Hechthausen.



I’m sure you have snapshots like these, too. Maybe we can put together a nice collection here.

Best regards, Marlies

A lovely greeting from the Altes Land.





Right now, we can barely eat as much as has ripened.
Best regards, Marlies

This is our shepherd’s small herd of goats.



Cracks caused by the heat on the dike. It rained quite a bit over the weekend. When the sheep return to that section, the cracks will be trampled shut again.



Best regards, Marlies

@ Petra and Inge
Thanks for your get-well wishes. I’m slowly getting back on my feet. With the first shot, you couldn’t even see the injection site, let alone any side effects. This time, the area around the injection site became rock-hard and hot—about the size of my palm—it hurt, and it started to itch. Every movement of my arm hurt, and I felt really queasy.
So the short getaway to Altes Land was a welcome distraction.
Best regards, Marlies

Thanks, Josefa, same to you.
I’m enjoying my stay in the Altes Land again and letting myself be looked after. I’m having some side effects after the second COVID vaccination.

Wishing all fellow readers a lovely weekend and a good rest.

Best regards, Marlies

@ Monika
Those are the bamboo stakes for the tomato plants that were lying in the shed next to the garden house. From up there, Mama Blackbird always had a good view. She’d even stay put while we were working there. Blackbirds are generally very “tame.” When we come by with food or apples, they hop three steps to the side and watch closely to make sure everything is placed just right.

The titmice were really something else. We had to hide in the bushes so we could see them get in there. The mail slot isn’t that wide, after all. It was very interesting. All but one of the little ones made it out just fine. The last little one banged its head pretty hard and tumbled back into the nest. But the next day, it managed the trip too.

Every now and then, a huge hare runs across the lawn. I’d never seen such a big hare before.

Back when the forest and the big oak tree were still there (now the apple orchard), we even had squirrels. They practically ran right over our feet. We were sitting on the patio with my mother-in-law when she suddenly said, “There goes a piece of bread.” The garden shed was open, and inside was a cardboard box with dry bread for the horses grazing in the pasture. A squirrel had snatched a slice and was trying to carry it away. Of course, it didn’t work because it was a big slice. We laughed so hard.

The sheep compact the surface with their hard hooves. Very important: in doing so, they also repair damage caused by voles and moles. Water can no longer seep in and wash out holes, which is extremely important, especially at the base of the dike.
By grazing low to the ground, the sheep keep the grass extremely short, which in turn serves as a protective layer.
Without sheep, there are no safe dikes.

Frieda, our neighbor’s dog, is lying among the sheep and sleeping. Good training is very important for dogs, too. We see that with the other neighbor’s dog. As soon as anyone moves anywhere, the dog barks nonstop. On top of that, the beast has already bitten our neighbor, that neighbor’s dog, and his girlfriend’s dog. It figured out that it can jump over the fence…
Now it’s in the process of widening another hole in the fence. There are three children playing in the yard. I don’t even want to think about what could happen there.

It’s not just the grass that’s green—the sheep are, too.






Not a Blaupunkt radio, but a Blaupunkt sheep...




Is this the new summer fashion?



Are they waiting for the ferry here?



These two have disappeared...



and here, the traffic sign is being guarded.




It’s just sad that so many dog owners don’t follow the leash law—or even let their dogs jump over the fences and chase the sheep. Aside from the fear this causes the sheep, it can lead to serious injuries, miscarriages, or even deaths.
All that dog waste is also harmful to the sheep, just like litter.

People don’t realize that the sheep are essential for the safety of the dike.

Best regards, Marlies

Birds and their nesting spots

we weren’t entirely happy with their choice of nesting spot...



For several years, the tits had chosen the mailbox as their nesting place. It was very interesting to watch what was going on. Whenever we stepped out the front door, Mama or Papa Tit would be sitting in the bush, scolding us.






This nest was built in the carport. After the little ones have flown the nest, we’ll make a few modifications in the fall so the little birds are safer.

Spent a few days in the Altes Land again. These tomatoes were fresh from the greenhouse.


View from the porch swing “into the sun”


Now they’re hanging after all, after they didn’t really want to at first



Not quite as big this time as last year


The hydrangeas aren’t just growing, they’re almost taking over.


They’re slowly changing color



Tomatoes and peppers that no longer fit in the greenhouse

Luckily, the tomato supply is secured.                                                                                                





A lot of work, but it’s fun and, most of all, it tastes delicious.

Best, Marlies

Hi Inge,
your backpack is absolutely great! With that nautical pattern, it’s exactly my style. Backpacks aren’t really my thing, but I’d love to walk around with this one.
Best wishes, Marlies

Belated heartfelt congratulations and all the best for the new year of your life.
I hope you had a wonderful day.
Warm regards
Marlies

here are a few little flowers for you

Sea

We’re ready for an island getaway

Belated best wishes, especially for good health, and heartfelt congratulations on your special day. I hope you were able to enjoy it.

Warm regards, Marlies

Congratulations, and all the best—and above all, good health. Have a wonderful day and let everyone celebrate you.
Warm regards,
Marlies

All the best and happy birthday—enjoy your day and celebrate well.
Best regards, Marlies