My trip to Europe

 It started out with a chat with my cousin Ann, who lives in Germany. At first we were discussing a visit from her to my house. Then the more we talked, she said that I should visit her in Germany. She live in Aachen, Germany with her two daughters. Anna and I first met in 1998 when I visited her family in Poland. She came to the U.S. a few times and we have kept in touch over the years. I also have kept in touch with her brother Pawel, who lives in Poland.

After chatting online with facetime, the trip to Europe began to take shape. It was decided that in July my daughter Heather and I would make the trip. We would visit and stay with Anna in Germany, and then we would travel to Poland and stay with Pawel and his family in Poland. Then we decided we would end our trip by going to Paris for two days.

The next few months involved the planning for the trip. I made plane reservations for the first leg to Germany and Heather made the reservations for the flights from Germany to Poland and from Poland to Paris. We were going to make this trip! We were both very excited! 

Fast forward to July. All flight reservations have been made. Hotel reservations have been made too. We're ready to embark on a great journey and experience.

Our first flight was from Boston to Dusseldorf, Germany. My first oops was going through security at Logan airport, We were told to take everything out of our pockets. I thought I had done this. Heather went through without any problem but when I was my turn I was pulled aside, I forgot to take out a small piece of paper. So I had to get searched by wand while Heather just shook her head.

We landed at Heathrow airport in London for a connection to Germany. When we landed we were informed that there wasn't a gate for us to go to so we would have to go down stairs to a waiting bus to take us to the terminal but at first there was only one bus. After waiting on the plane another bus arrived and we were taken to the terminal. For some reason, we had to go to security again. Heather then noticed that our connecting flight was boarding and we had to get to it's gate. We had to run through the airport, cutting through lines to make it. We were the last two passengers to get on the plane. The flight was good and we landed in Germany where we met cousin Anna and he daughter who drove us to their home in Aachen. 

We stayed with Anna for two nights. I had another oops there. My first time using the toilet was confusing. I went to the bathroom (standing) and then pushed a lever that I thought would flush the toilet. But that didn't happen. A stream of water hit me and the floor. I had pulled the lever for the bidet. I didn't make that mistake again!

Our first day with Anna we went to a city in the Netherlands called Maastricht. Aachen is close to the border with the Netherlands so it didn't take long to get there.It's a beautiful city with a large town square. There a many shops and restaurants around the square and it's a great place to people watch.  We stopped for a snack and a beer before exploring more of the city.It has an impressive town hall built in the 17th century which we visited.

To be continued.... 

Today I cried

 I cried today. I am currently reading a book titled "A man called OVE". It's a great book that brings out many emotions - laughter, anger, happiness and today tears. I was reading a chapter on how he met and married his wife. That part brought on happiness and laughter on how they met and decided to marry. At the end of the chapter it described how his wife was in the hospital and died with him holding her hand and how he held it for over an hour after she died. After reading this my emotions came on strong.  It made me think of Susan. I wasn't with her when she died. I couldn't hold her hand. I left the hospital thinking I'd be back in a few hours. She wasn't supposed to die so fast. Then I got a call from her daughter that she passed away suddenly. I'm glad that her daughters were there when she died but I should have been there too. I wish I could have been holding her hand. In the book Ove said his life ended when his wife died. I went through a rough period after Susan died but I never felt that my life was over. I was  fortunate to have my three children close by and they supported me. I still miss Susan and I won't forget her. We had a good life together but I was able to move on and find happiness and joy in my life again.

Ode to Summer

 

Summer.  A season enjoyed by many.

Summer sneaks in sometimes in May with a few days in the seventies or even the eighties. But then spring says ‘not so fast’ and brings the temperature back to the fifties or even the forties. May is the preparation month for summer. Everything is turning green, the grass, the trees and the flowers are starting to bloom.Gardens are being planted. Summer is saying  ‘look out here I come!’ .

June is when summer makes its presence known. It may start out cool but by mid-month the temperatures are rising and there even might be a heat wave. The days are longer and the nights are shorter. It’s time to put the jeans and sweatshirts away replaced by shorts and short sleeved shirts. Everything is in full bloom now and gardens planted in May are starting to grow. June might be the time for the first trip to the beach. The sun feels so good on your body as you relax in the sand. The water temperature is still cold but you go in anyways. ‘Refreshing” you say as your feet turn blue! It does feel good thought after laying in the sun. The long summer days feel so good!

July is when summer shows it’s full colors. Heat waves are more frequent with temperatures reaching the nineties or even one hundred. This is when you hear people saying ‘its not the heat but the humidity’. It can get pretty humid and many will retreat to air-conditioned homes.But true summer lovers will still enjoy the weather.  It’s the time for forth of July parades and picnics. It's a time to sit on the safety of a porch and watch a thunderstorm as it move through..It’s the time for and ice cold beer in a frosted glass or maybe a margarita or some other tropical drink. It’s a time to go to a baseball game where you enjoy an overpriced hot dog and beer while you root on the home team. It's time to enjoy vegetables picked fresh from the garden. Corn on the cob never tasted so good! It's also a time for ice cream, that might melt over your hand before you can eat it all. 

August is a mixed month. It can start out as hot as July and there might be another heat wave. But by the end of the month with the days getting shorter there might be a chill in some nights. The air conditioner can give way to open windows at night.  Most vegetables are harvested by now and the grass isn’t growing as fast.

September is the month where summer says “not so fast, I’m not done yet”. The days in early September can be as warm as July but the nights are starting to feel cooler. The days are getting even shorter and don’t hold the heat as well. It’s a time for state fairs where the slightly cooler temperatures are welcomed. By the end of the month when autumn sneaks in it might be time to bring out the jeans and sweatshirts again.

By October summer is over but might come back for a curtain call as “Indian Summer”. The temperatures might reach the seventies for a few days but it’s short-lived. Autumn lovers will say that this is the best time. Trees are turning colors and start losing their leaves. By the end of the month there will probably be frost on the pumpkins and summer has retreated for another year.