An Airy Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Is your home air conditioned? If it's not air conditioned, is that by choice? Did you grow up with air conditioning? If not how did you cope with the heat? Share about a time or place you remember as being too hot-the temperature kind of hot, lest anyone be confused.

Most definitely our house is air-conditioned! My parents didn't get air conditioning until I was in high school, so after we were married, I told CH that as long as there was a penny in the bank, I wouldn't be cold in the winter or hot in the summer!

We had fans all over the place in our house growing up. Since Daddy worked in air conditioning, when it was hot on the weekends he had to get someplace cool...like the mountains. We would pack up and head for the Smoky Mountains (which is just up the road) for an afternoon of playing the cold mountain stream.
A time/place it was too hot? That would be on our recent trip to the Outer Banks. Although it was almost cool in the evenings with the wind blowing, the days were scorchers...a lot of riding around with the air on, and visiting places with air conditioning.

2. What's something in your life right now that falls under the heading 'up in the air'?
I can't think of anything that is up in the air at the moment. 

3. Your favorite light and airy dessert?
"Cool 'n Easy Pie" And, it's really easy to make sugar-free!

4. When did you last feel like you were 'floating on air'?
Last year, right about this time. I found out that a co-worker & I had been accepted to present a poster at our National Organization's Convention, and that OS was moving back from Utah.

5. Airport, airmail, airtight, airhead...which have you most recently encountered? Explain.
This is for you, UPS employee who somehow couldn't find my house to deliver a couple of books from Amazon: Airhead. I got a notification that my address was wrong & the package couldn't be delivered. I double-checked the address...it was correct. I've never had a problem before, and it's not like we live out in the boonies. We're on a main street in the Small Town, and they deliver almost daily to our next-door-neighbor. I "chatted" with UPS Friday night & they said it would be delivered Tues. I should have told him that they would deliver it on Saturday. I would have, except I'm not quite ready to read them yet...I have another book that I've started & want to finish before I start on those. The books were delivered Tuesday night, right before 7:00. 

6.  Have you ever been to the Alps? If so where did you go? If not, is this a destination on your must-see list? If you were headed that direction this summer, which of the following would be your preferred activity...a gentle walk, a serious walk, a bike ride, a boat ride around one of the lakes, or summer snow skiing?
Oh, my. I was in the Alps 2 years ago when I "chaperoned" a group of high school kids on the Germany trip. GORGEOUS. And we didn't even get into the more beautiful areas in Switzerland. We took in an Alpine Ride...by the time we got to the top, it was raining ice and we were absolutely freezing! Oh, but the views! I'd love to go back and explore with gentle hikes. 

7. What is one saying or phrase that was considered 'cool' when you were growing up?
Far out, man! 

8. Insert your own random thought here.
It's back to work for me on Monday. Crazy, right?  Every year it seems like it gets harder & harder to go back, and this year is the worst so far. I'm sure it'll be fine once I get in there & get back in the swing of things. I'm not nearly as motivated this year as I've been in past years. Time to "suck it up"! 

Leftover Hodgepodge

1. Besides left over Easter goodies, what's something currently kept in a basket at your house?
I'm not a "basket" person. The only thing I have in a basket at the moment is some placements. The basket is in a cabinet. During the winter, I'll put oranges in a basket...but not in the summer!

2. 'The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.' ~Michelangelo Buonarroti 

So which one are you...the one who aims too high, or the one who aims too low? Have you ever seen The Sistine Chapel? Did you know Michelangelo's surname prior to answering this question?
*sigh* Maybe someday I'll see the Sistine Chapel. I didn't know his surname. I don't think I aim too high. I'm probably more guilty of aiming too low.

3. April 7th is National Beer Day. Hmmm...wonder how that's celebrated? Do you like beer? Have a favorite? If you're not a beer drinker do you have any recipes you enjoy cooking that call for beer?

Do I like beer???? Have you read my Germany posts? Maybe this collage will help you out:

As you can tell, I don't like dark beer. I really like the pilsners and lagers.

4. When did you last travel somewhere new? Tell us where? How'd it go?
Last October, CH & I went to Johns Island, SC. We camped in the county park, and it was amazing.  Even though we've been to Charleston a few times, this was our first time to really explore the whole area. October was definitely the time to go...at least during the beginning of the week!

5. The value of _________________________is greatly overrated.
I've got nothing for this one, so I'm not going to answer it!

6. What's a pet peeve of yours when it comes to restaurant dining?
Not having my water filled.

7. It's Poetry Month...share a favorite poem, either the title, a few lines you find meaningful, or the whole kit and caboodle.
I'm not much into poetry. I used to write poems when I was younger (jr. high & high school), but I don't have them anymore.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I ended up going to 3 Masses Easter weekend. After the Easter Vigil (Saturday night), I put out my Easter Egg Tree and took this picture:

(You may have to click on the pictures to see the details)

I'm really enjoying my "big girl camera". I grabbed it on Easter and came out with these:

 (I've seen this woodpecker on the bird feeders before, but never was able to snap a picture of him.)

Hodgepodge-less Wednesday

Joyce is taking a break this week, so no Hodgepodge.  I have a feeling she's still trying to get over that fantastic trip that she & her hubs just took!
I read 3 of Dorothea Benton Frank's books over the past few days.  Time for a book that isn't predictable!  They're quick reads, but, like I said, predictable.  I'm reading "The Good Luck of Right Now" and am having a little trouble getting into it.  I keep thinking, "What is going on with this person?  Is he Intellectually Disabled or on the Autism Spectrum?"  It's bothering me so far. It's supposed to be funny, but I'm just not seeing it yet.   I'm really hoping it gets better, especially since I'm only 13% into it.
Then there's "Orange is the New Black" 2nd season on Netflix.  Warning to anybody thinking about watching it:  there is a lot of foul language and lesbian sex in it.  So, if that's offensive to you, you probably want to skip it.  
I just saw a post about Emily Blunt, who is in a Tom Cruise film.  She also played Emily in "The Devil Wears Prada".  The post (written by a Speech Pathologist) mentions that she is also one of the "Famous People Who Stutter".  Too bad she's in a Tom Cruise film...I refuse to see any of his movies since his psychotic episode in which he jumped on Oprah's couch and brainwashed Katie.
This time last year I was in List auf Sylt, in the North Sea Isles.  On 10 June 2013, we took a boat ride out to see the seals:

I really wish I had binoculars with me!  It was pretty cool knowing that they were right there!
On 11 June, we took a walk in the mudflats with a national park ranger and an intern:

Wow.  This post turned out to be more of a Friday Fragments post, just a couple of days early!  I just don't have a "deep post" in me right now!

Friday Fragments

  Wow.  Friday already?  Why does time seem to go so fast in the summer?

  I was looking at the butterfly bush next to our porch yesterday.  It has really taken off this year!  I'm going to have to think about transplanting it out in the yard very soon...or whenever it is it's safe to do that without killing it!

I couldn't find a picture of when I first got it, but trust me...waaaay out of hand!

  My little Balloon Plant has really grown, too.

When I first put it in, this is what it looked like:

For some reason, the ground cover to the left of it didn't survive at that spot.  It did, however, thrive at other side of the area.

  This time last year, I was in Germany.  {sigh}  What an amazing trip that was!  I told the German teacher that if he ever needed another adult to go to let me know!  He said he was planning next summer's trip.  I guess I need to work hard at paying off last year's trip before I even seriously consider next year.

  In fact, 06 June was the day we visited Buchenwald, one of the concentration camps.  I just went back and read my post, and felt the feelings I had while I was walking through it.  It's still very emotional, just like I was there yesterday.

  FINALLY:

It's on Netflix TODAY!!!  I thought June would never get here!  Part of the cast was on "Hollywood Game Night" last night.  I'm going to have to limit myself to just 1 episode/day to make it last; and so that I'm not just sitting in front of the tv.

  Have a wonderful weekend!

Goodbye, Germany

For the last leg of the trip, we left List auf Sylt and rode a bus to Tønder, Denmark.  Tønder once belonged to Germany.  In fact, the people voted to remain German, but I'm unclear as to why it is Danish.   We were only there for a couple of hours, which is too bad because I just learned of the historical significance of the town:  This is where the Germans marched into Denmark during WWII.  Tønder then became the location of a small concentration camp.  There is a Zeppelin Museum there, since that's where a zeppelin base was in WWI.  The town was officially bilingual until 1945.  Tønder is Denmark's oldest "privileged market town", according to Wikipedia.

Buildings just outside of the church

 Market Square- I couldn't find any information about the statue, except that it is called the "Kagmand Statue", and "Kagmand" means "Whipping Post" in Danish.

 Building in Tønder

 Street in Tønder as we were waiting for the bus.

 Pedestrian street in Tønder.  The yellow building on the corner was actually a huge store that carried a lot of different things in it from souvenirs to soap.

 More of the pedestrian street

I talked about the church in the second post of churches, which you can find here.

Our last bus ride was to Hamburg.  At some point, I think we got on a train, but I have no idea where we did that!  We got to the hostel (the one where the room smelled like urine...worst room on the whole trip!) and went to eat.  We walked down the river just a bit, and that was all I saw of Hamburg.

Ken & most of the kids went on a late-night stroll around the city, but I didn't realize that was what he was going to do until it was too late, so I missed out on that.  

That was the end of our Germany/Austria adventure.  My impressions of Germany:

~  The Germans as a whole were not very friendly.  They didn't smile much, especially in Berlin and Weimar.  When we were in Kölleda, a lady bought a group of the kids ice cream, which was extremely nice of her to do!

~  I often wondered about the indifference of the German people, especially in Berlin & Weimar, and wonder if it's a "holdover" from the Cold War.  Our guide in the Stasi Museum said that the E. Germans were told that the USA was evil, so I wonder if there's still some of that?

~  When we were in Berlin buying CurryWurst, the employee told me (in German) how much I owed her.  I looked at her and said, "Sorry", and she told me in English (either that or I held out money and she took what she needed).  Another employee (who was an older lady) said something in German followed by, "In Germany" (in English).  I'm sure she was saying something along the lines of me expecting to be talked to in English when I was in Germany.  I just looked at her & smiled, but I really wanted to flip her a bird.  I asked YS about why I couldn't understand the price of something when I knew the numbers, and he said it was because of the way that they said the cost of something, like if something was €29, they would say "9 and 20".  Of course, he did say that reading the sign would've helped me.  Whatever.  It really bothered me that I couldn't understand that.

~  Before I knew that MN was going on the trip, I checked out tripadvisor to see about where to go on my own.  Most of the responses I got on the forum said that most people spoke English, so there shouldn't be a communication problem.  Boy, were they wrong.  A couple of people (including my daddy) said that it wasn't that they didn't know English, they refused to speak it to me.  I think it was just that they weren't going to go out of their way to accommodate us. (see below)

~  As Americans, we are a bit spoiled, and I know that.  We're used to people accommodating us, and that wasn't about to happen over there, especially in the former East Germany.  It was a bit frustrating, but then I would have to remember that we were in Germany, and we should at least attempt to figure out what they're saying.  I got very good at saying, "Ich verstehe nicht" (I don't understand), and then I'd get some sympathy!  

~  The Germans are taking great pains to make sure that the past is not repeated.  The amount of monuments are a testimony to their will to make sure that the people who perished are not forgotten.

~  My next trip to Germany, I would like to take CH to Eisenach, Weimar, and Munich, and definitely spend more time in the Western part of the country.  The part that we saw was wonderful with all of the history and beautiful architecture.  

~  When someone asks me how my trip was, after I tell them it was marvelous, I tell them that it was so amazing to be sitting in the former East Germany, to look around, and to think that when I was in high school & college, there was no way I could have ever imagined I would have ever been able to sit where I was sitting.  It was just simply AMAZING.  Since the kids were born after the wall came down, I don't think they realized the impact of being able to move freely around the places where we went.  Hopefully someday they'll realize how amazing it was.

Thank you so much for reading my posts.  Some of you mentioned how touched you were after you read the posts about the Stolpersteine & Buchenwald. I saw things that I could never have imagined that I would ever get to see.  CH was so supportive in letting me be away from home for 3 weeks, even though I'm still getting some teasing about being gone so long when he had to stay here and work!

That concludes my Germany/Austria trip...but I'm not quite done yet!  The day after we got to Hamburg, YS, a friend of his, and I hopped on the ICE to Copenhagen!   And we got there all by ourselves!

Emotions: Buchenwald Concentration Camp

After we left Eisenach and were on our way to Kölleda for the homestay, we visited Buchenwald for a couple of hours.

When we first got there, we sat in an air conditioned auditorium with very nice, comfortable chairs to watch a film on the camp.  I did my very best to stay awake, but they made it way too comfortable in there, and I hadn't had just a whole lot of sleep during the trip.  Yes, I did the unthinkable:  I fell asleep.  I really, really  wish I could have stayed awake.
After the movie, we toured the camp.  MS said that words just can't describe the camp...you could just feel that something bad had happened there.  He was right.  The clock at the main gate is stuck on 3:15...the time that the camp was liberated.

The front gate says "Jedem das Seine" or "To each his own".  To the left of the gate is the "parade grounds", where roll call was done.

To the right of the gate, if you follow along the fence, is a side gate:

And, as you continue walking down the sidewalk, the crematorium.

When I walked in the that building, nothing could have prepared me for what I smelled.  You could still smell the smoke.  Horrific.

Buchenwald wasn't "technically" an extermination camp.  It was an experimentation camp, in which experiments were done on healthy prisoners.  These included the effects of the spotted fever (typhus) vaccines, poison, and incendiary bombs.  In the "infirmary", prisoners were to stand with their backs against the wall to be "measured".

This is what the other side looks like:

A soldier would put his gun through the hole, and shoot when given the order.  This way, the soldier didn't have to look at who it was he was shooting.  A radio blaring full blast hid the sounds of the gun.

And then there was the "autopsy" room, where the prisoners' gold fillings were extracted, and the skin was peeled off to make lampshades for the SS officers who ran the camp.  I ran across a blog (http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2008/06/ovens-at-buchenwald.html) that described it much better than I could ever hope to:

 It is difficult to describe your feelings standing in front of those ovens or looking at the cold tile tables fitted with drains in the autopsy room. The evil and horror and terrible sadness overwhelm you. 

I didn't see or hear about the zoo when we were there, but apparently there was one there with just a few animals.  It was just on the other side of this fence:

The prisoners could see the SS with their families enjoying a day at the zoo.  The zoo was also in sight of the crematorium.

The Hygiene Institute of the Armed SS.  In other words, this is the building where the "experiments" took place:

 This is all that is left of the building:

Many of the spots where the barracks stood have memorial stones:

Block 5, Buckenwald Concentration Camp:

There was a large tree in the camp, just beside the laundry building, which was in front of the storage building.  The storage building is now the museum, and the tree (called "Goethe Oak") is now reduced to a stump.  I walked near it, but didn't walk by it...I didn't know to look for it.  This is not my picture (click for credit).

Apparently, when the camp was being built, trees were being cut down to make room for buildings.  This tree survived only to be hit by a bomb during the war.  The Germans kept the stump there in honor of Goethe, since heis believed to sit under it with Frau von Stein.  This was way before the camp was built (like a hundred years!), when the area was called "Ettersburg".

Looking out over the camp.

April 11, 1945 at 3:15 p.m., the US Army arrived at Buchenwald.  According to accounts that I've read, on April 8th, some of the prisoners' underground resistance got a transmission out asking for help since they were about to be evacuated.  They received a transmission in reply, telling them to wait because help was on the way.  Following this, the prisoners overtook the guards who hadn't already fled.

In an account of the liberation, Harry J. Herder, Jr. told the story of General Patton visiting Buchenwald, and appearing to be extremely angry when he left after going into the crematorium.  The story goes on to say that he went into Weimar (which is the closest town), woke up the mayor and his wife, and told them to round up every adult citizen in Weimar for a tour around Buchenwald.  The dead, emaciated bodies were left as they were until after the "tour".  When the residents of Weimar were leaving, a couple of them were laughing, which (as you can imagine) didn't sit well with the US Commanders.  So, they ordered that everyone turn around for another tour.  This time was slower, and the residents witnessed the stacked bodies being put on the truck for burial.  This time, when the residents returned to Weimar, they were silent.  This article is kind of long, but well worth the read.  Especially if you're interested in reading a liberator's account.  It's called Liberation of Buchenwald.

Buchenwald is considered to be just under Auschwitz considering the horrors that occurred.  I don't think I'll ever forget the visit.  I did an awful lot of crying and praying while we were there.  It just doesn't make sense how some people could be so evil, and think it's okay.  

I didn't get the chance to leisurely walk through the museum that is in the old storehouse since we had a time constraint.  I did take the time to read some of the quotes from the survivors.  Some of them asked, "Why me?  Why was I one of the ones to survive when others died?"  One of the survivors went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, there were a couple of men who went on to be Prime Ministers of their country, musicians who played at Carnegie Hall, actors (including Robert Clary who played Corporal Louis LeBeau in Hogan's Heroes), as well as rabbis...and the list could go on and on.

I've shared all of the pictures that I took while we were in the camp with you.  I didn't take any more, because it just didn't feel right to snap pictures when you could feel the prisoners'  presence.  When I was in the crematorium, there were a couple of young men who came in, and were touching the doors and looking in the ovens.  Maybe they were just curious, but it seemed so very disrespectful to me.  

These past 2 posts have been extremely hard to write.  It was very emotional surfing for facts to share, and coming across articles such as Liberation of Buchenwald.  I just hope I did it, and the victims, justice.