Reflections – Page 4 – Home here and there

NaBloPoMo recap

I can’t believe how fast November went by. I am glad I did NaBloPoMo again this year and enjoyed writing, sharing and getting to know new and old blog people.

I do feel a bit bummed that I did not quite make it and missed out on a couple of days in the end (that’s why the shattered mirror). Surprisingly enough not because I did not know what to write about but because I ran out of hours in my day. That is also the reason why I have not commented as much as I wanted to on other blog posts but I am so looking forward to catching up on those in the next couple of days hopefully. The exchanges make the whole blogging experience so much more enjoyable.
Considering that I went to Germany for a week to help my dad pack and that we were traveling for another during school break I did more than I thought I would.
I did finish some more knitting and have the socks, scarf and hat for my dad finished. He even asked me if I could make him another scarf sometime on our last phone call (surprise dad). The other one is for my FIL. I bought the orange a while back and for some reason could not convince anyone about it. I think he may like it – I hope he will

Also in good old German fashion I made an Advents calendar for my kids. This year it’s ‘just’ 24 self wrapped small presents. They don’t like chocolate that much and the options here are limited. I held an Haribo one in my hand at the supermarket in Germany but that would have been all bend out of shape by the time it got here. But that was pretty much my evening entertainment the last two nights – wrapping 24 packages times two.

I hope I will write more in between this time around. Someone asked about Christmas Markets in Germany and I hope we can go visit one when we go this December. And I sure hope to be back next year for another NaBloPoMo.

Podcast suggestions please

I am not really so much into podcast but I keep wondering if that has something to do with the fact that I have not checked out the right ones? I can listen to an audio book no problem at least if I like the narrator and the story is not to bad. I even can make it through nonfiction that way, but with a lot of podcast I tend to zone out after a short while.

There are some exceptions to the rule:

Up First – “NPR’s Up First is the news you need to start your day. The three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News”
The roughly 10 minutes are short enough that I make it through and just the right time to keep me company while making school lunches.

The Daily -“This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise.”
Only sometimes but interesting enough on a longer car ride by myself.

All Songs Considered “Hosts/nerds Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are your friendly music buddies with the week’s best new music discoveries, including conversations with emerging artists, icons and more.”
I discovered quite a few artists I never heard of before this way.

The shortness of my adult picks gets way outnumbered by the kid’s podcasts that are on my playlist. It is one of our favorite past times when I am on a longer ride with the kids and I approve of all of these. I learned quite a sizeable amount of random facts myself and was looking forward to new episodes of ‘The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian’.

Brains on – a science podcast for kids and their adults.

Forever Ago – “A history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the origin of just one thing — like sandwiches, video games, clocks and more — while teaching listeners to think critically about history.”

Smash Boom Best – “Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case – teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.”

Million Bazillion – “A podcast about money for kids and their families. We help dollars make more sense.”
Especially my son like to learn about money.

Wow in the World – “The #1 science podcast for kids and their grown-ups. Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz share stories about the latest news in science, technology, and innovation.”

Tai Asks Why– “Tai Poole is trying to find answers to life’s biggest questions. What happens after we die? What is love? How can we fix climate change? He may not solve them all, but give him a break … he’s only 11 years old.”

Greeking Out – “Greeking Out from National Geographic Kids features fun Greek mythology tales. Families can enjoy listening to tales of heroes and monsters. Each episode is an adventure filled with Greek gods, sea creatures, and flaming chariots.”

And two story podcast we liked:
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel

And for the parents out there who are wondering if these are appropriate choices for the kids: check on Common Sense Media! It has all the ratings a parent heart could wish for and will tell you way better then I could if these are right for the family (good choice for checking movies, too).

Do you have any podcast suggestions for me that you think would convince me to give the adult addition another try?

The Way Home

To day was our last day in Las Vegas. It was even not really a day in Las Vegas as we were heading back after breakfast. We made a short photo stop at the Seven Magic Mountains what some of you might remember from our trip last year. It’s not much of a detour and it’s a long drive back to the Bay Area so any time spend outside the car is good. It’s easy parking and a short walk to the sculptures.

There was some traffic due to an accident but luckily no dust storm this time.

The kids downloaded movies while we were listening to music and I made some progress on my knitting (a hat for my FIL for Christmas). Knitting is fine but I can’t read or I get car sick. I would love to listen to audio books or a podcast but we can’t seem to all agree on something – sigh.

Bakersfield is our halfway stop today. We were able to use Marriott points for both stays this time what made for a very affordable trip in that regard. Also: Bakersfield has an ALDI what got me very excited. It’s not quite the same as a German ALDI but I was happy enough shopping there. They had a lot of Christmas goodies I know and love from Germany like Gluehwein, Spekulatius cookies, Chocolate covered Gingerbread, Schogette chocolate and cinnamon stars. We also bought some more responsible snacks like cheese, humus, pita bread, crackers and yogurt.

Hopefully the drive tomorrow is equally uneventful and we make it home early enough so that I can do some grocery shopping for the week.

Desert Days

Las Vegas is still a town that does not quite make sense to me. That someone would see this spot of land and think it is a good idea to build up a city in the middle of the desert – mind blowing. And it’s growing every year we come visit, too. We went on a pre-turkey hike today and had to walk through a construction site before hitting the actual trail.
Our kids are still very impressed with the fact that our friends have a mansion (at least compared to the house we have in the Bay Area) and paid less than we did. After initial ideas to move here, too, they were pretty much cured of that after spending a 4th of July weekend in town. It’s just way to hot during the day to be outside. We can always be outside in the Bay Area. I think that is one of the things I appreciate most – the weather is outside weather all year long.

I did learn to appreciate the desert though. It has something very meditative about it. I like the calm and the big open space. The colors feel very calming to me.

I could live here for a while but probably not to settle – until I get enough of the heat. I have been thinking about this more and more. I do not mean moving to the desert but just where I would like to live. Maybe it’s because my dad was selling his house? Where would I go if kids and work were not part of the equation? If you would ask me if I would rather live near the ocean or near the mountains, I would pick ocean every time. I like seasons even though my migraines tend to be worse in changing weather. Small town or city? Somewhere in the middle would be my preference. Close enough to the city that you have all the amenities in driving distance but far enough away that you don’t have all the bustle. Maybe at some point I will figure it out.

How do you feel about the place where you live? Would you want to move somewhere else or are you happy where you are?

Wordless Wednesday

Lazy day

I fell asleep on the couch. It was just meant for a second to rest my eyes. Sometimes I don’t realize how tired I am.

So for today just a quick post with a view over Las Vegas and the Sphere.

Game Day

After arriving fairly late last night, we spent the morning catching up with our friends and settling in. Some pre-Thanksgiving shopping was done and in the afternoon we scheduled the “Lost City” escape room for some of us with Escapology. We had to find the lost journal of some long lost explorer, find the treasure and escape the lost city. I thought it was really well done. Have you done an escape room before? It’s something I really like to do with the kids together and mostly we complement each other well when it comes to solving the puzzles. It gets easier the more escape rooms you do and I think we only needed two of the three hints this time around and made it out within the hour.

Random decoration in the escape room place

After doing some more grocery shopping we made pea soup and played Hitster while waiting back at our friends place.

It was pea soup weather today. Even though it was warm during the day, it was really windy and it definitely felt like fall. It was a bit confusing since there were already so many Christmas decorations up at the mall.

Do you know the game Hitster? A German friend was recommending it, since it worked so well for the whole family. Basically you have a stack of cards with a QR code on one side that will connect you to spotify and play a song. You have to guess where the song belongs on your timeline (the release year, artist and song name are on the other side of the card). The goal is to fill your timeline with 10 cards. It’s so easy to understand and so much fun. The adults were singing along and even the kids recognized some songs and learned some old favorites.

I guess it’s more a card game than a board game? Do you like playing games with the family? Any favorites? I think this was a good compromise. I like playing all kinds of board games but not everyone in my family does. Since there was the music component there was lots to talk about that was not game related.

We did transition to play something together on the Playstation after dinner. The game was ‘Overcooked’ and you have to move cooks around the kitchen and deliver specific dishes. I am apparently incapable of understanding how to move my fingers fast enough on the remote. The little characters never do what I want them to. Oh well, at least I tried. Watching has its entertainment, too.

Long day on the road

It started really well. We left at 10am and had 4 hours to drive – I thought maybe 5 with stops. Little did I know that dust storms will close freeways. 9 hours later we arrived. Note to self (and everyone who will want to hear): Google does not know everything. Maps tried to send us on a dirt road over the mountains. It was all good until the real road suddenly ended and cars already came back telling us we should turn around (which we did). At least we were not the only ones listening. The good news was that we made it safe and sound to our destination in the end.

Questions answered round 2

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. You can find the full list of participants over on San’s blog here #nablopomo2023

Today we drove halfway to Las Vegas (visiting our good friends). Nothing much happened. The drive on I-5 from the Bay Area is pretty boring but it is the fastest. It was raining most of the way anyway so not much to do outside. The upside: there were clouds! Do you like clouds as much as I do?
But now back to answering questions.

On day one of NaBloPoMo I did a little introduction round and asked if you had questions. You can still fill out the form if you like. This is the second round of answers on this. You can find round one here and one about why I live in the US in more detail here.

What’s your favorite book?
If you would have asked me in High-school I would have answered “Siddharta” by Herman Hesse. We read it in school and it really got my teenage brain thinking. Honestly I don’t remember much now. Later came Harry Potter. I think that is the one book I would like to be able to read again for the first time.I also like the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and am contemplating re-reading it. I just don’t have that much time to read, sigh. A little magic is always good and I enjoyed the “Rivers of London” books from Ben Aaronovitch. My taste is a bit all over the place and there is not one specific book I can’t live without. I do prefer fantasy, historic fiction or YA but I am not too picky. I wish I had more time to read but I do listen to books whenever I can.
Do you have a book you think I should try? Any special one you can’t imagine life without?

What is a hobby you do?
This is probably already answered when you followed along. I do like to do things with my hands – no matter if it is pottery, knitting, crochet, sewing, drawing, painting, gardening, baking. How can you pick just one?

What role does blogging play in your life?
I am a little sad to say not a very big one unless it is November. My family wants to stay out of it so I am trying to stay vague about them as much as possible but it is hard as they are always on my mind. I love the community that came with it and I was hoping to keep up after last November. It proved really hard. I missed everyone and was still checking in occasionally but mostly followed quietly along. I am doing the #project365 on Instagram where I try to post a picture every day what I enjoyed. I don’t do it for the followers but for the connections and for myself. Being an introvert is not easy sometimes and working and family and other hobbies and friends – something got to give. It gets easier as the kids get older – at least mostly.

And last but not least: How do you find parenting? What’s it like to be a parent to tweens and teenagers?
I love my kids dearly but I sometimes find it challenging to balance them and myself. There is quite a few things I don’t do right now because it would take time away from parenting. I am sure I am not alone with that? Honestly my kids make it mostly easy. They turned into very responsible tweens/teenagers. I don’t think I can credit myself for all of it. My husband and I make a good team and they had an awesome aftercare in elementary school. The teachers there were kind and helped them keep their homework organized. I think it really carried over. The emotionally ups and downs are harder. I see more of myself in my daughter what is good and bad. It brought up quite a few insecurities I had when I was growing up. I would say so far so good. I keep checking in with them every day and make it a point to know who their friends are. Try to get them to bring them home. I volunteered quite a bit in the lower grades and am glad I know most of the parents and the other kids they hang out with. The very big drama passed us by so far and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way.
It feels like social media and the pandemic really elevated all the usual issues that were already around during my time like eating disorders and other instabilities brought it to a whole new level and it’s heart breaking to hear about.
The hardest thing for me really is that my mom passed away a couple of years ago and I can’t ask her for advice or how it was when I was growing up.

One last thing outstanding: Christmas in Germany
I will get back to that in December when we are there.

Around the house

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. You can find the full list of participants over on San’s blog here #nablopomo2023

Elisabeth wrote about her favorite thrifted art pieces and she got inspired by Daria’s house tour who in turn had the idea after J’s blog post about house decor. Sorry, if there are other’s I missed. I am a bit behind on blog reading but hope to catch up over the Thanksgiving week. I really liked the idea, too and since San asked about my crafts I thought I’d go for it since it will show some of that,too.

We kept three of the pictures from the previous owners of our house. They liked to travel and museums and I especially like the big Van Gogh. It’s a poster they had put on a wood backing. I think the colors work really well.

The other one that is still up is this Milton Avery Poster also on a thick wood backing.

I do like to go to estate sales and this is where these moth are from.

Next up a couple of paintings I did with the kids when they were younger. These are in the hallway.

Same with this one.

And these two one of them made in school.

This one I put together with scraps from their earliest paintings. I just could not throw them completely away. What do you think of the pink bathroom tiles? I was not sure at first but they really grew on me.

The portrait is one my sister made of my mom and the hearts left and right I made with the kids when they were little.

This V was also done by my sister. It was a wedding present from her since I took my husbands last name and it starts with a V.

This mobile I made a while back. It’s mostly made of paper from ads we got in the mail. I like how the feathers move when the heating is on.

Can you tell I had a faze with macrame? I learned it in school and it was not that difficult to pick up again.

The sun was made by my niece.

One more macrame in the hallway.

This one I made just after we moved into the house. I always wanted to get on but so far I just could not decide what I want. The stars to the right of the mantle were also made by ad paper.

Another one in the dining room.

The top left is a print I got at some pint and the right a linocut print by a local artist. The owl I made when I painted with the kids. Owls always remind me of my grandma who collected them.

What brings me to the final one. It’s also a lincut print from Boarding All Rows. It was a present for my husband and I love looking at it. It always reminds me of the desert.

That’s it for today. It’s not all but it was so hard to get pictures today. It was a gloomy day in the afternoon since it was raining and we had the lights on early. Lots of reflections and shadows…