Feb 27, 2019

Guerilla Knitting at the Exeter University Forum

Guerilla Knitting is still alive! At least at the Exeter University Forum.

Back in 2011, while the husband and son were touring the U.K. for prospective universities, the rest of the family stayed behind in a rental in Bournemouth. During that time, I had so much fun adorning knitting and tying these to lamp posts, benches, and many other places. And for yarn, I used the colours of the British flag.

I tried the same thing here in Oberursel in the Rosengärtchen, but our building supervisor service (similar to a Hausmeister) immediately removed my little pieces of artful annoyances. This went on for a few days, and I gave up. This is proper Germany, and I had the Knit Graffiti Polizei on my heels… 🙂

So I was pleased to see this photo my daughter sent me today.

Guerilla Knitting in Exeter, U.K.

Dec 15, 2018

German Marketeers and English Spelling

Spotted this gem at Galeria Kaufhof at the Main-Taunus-Zentrum (MTZ) today.

German marketeers should have their English spelling checked. They surely had some cocktails while concocting this. 🙂

Did you know? MTZ was also the very first shopping mall to be built in Germany (modeled after the American prototype) in 1964.

Nov 26, 2018

Converting Your German Driver’s License to an EU Standard License

If you have an older German driver’s license (one without the expiration date), it has to be exchanged for the new EU standard license. This goes for the grey, pink and older plastic driver’s licenses.

If your license was issued before 31 Dec 1998, it must be exchanged as follows:

Born before 1953 – exchanged by 10 Jan 2033
Born 1953 – 1958 – before 19 Jan 2021
Born 1959 – 1964 – before 19 Jan 2022
Born 1965 – 1970 – before 19 Jan 2023
Born 1971 or after – before 19 Jan 2024

If your license was issued as of 1 Jan 1999, it must be exchanged as follows:

Issued 1999 – 2000 – exchanged before 19 Jan 2025
2001 – 2002 – before 19 Jan 2026
2003 – 2004 – before 19 Jan 2027
2005 – 2006 – before 19 Jan 2028
2007 – 2008 – before 19 Jan 2029
2009 – before 19 Jan 2030
2010 – before 10 Jan 2031
2011 – before 19 Jan 2032
2012 – 18 Jan 2013 – before 19 Jan 2033

driver’s license: (German: der Führerschein)

Have a look at Bußgeldkatalog – Führerschein umschreiben (in German) to learn what you need to do next.

Nov 16, 2018

Autumn Impressions from Germany

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

– Albert Camus

Fall and snowy winters are my favorite seasons. This year’s fall has come a bit later after we had a rather lengthy summer with a drought.

I love to see the blankets of leaves, which I don’t have to rake. I enjoy foggy mornings while having coffee on the balcony. Then we might have clear blue skies a.k.a. Indian summer (German: Altweibersommer = old women’s summer), when the yellow leaves are so bright against the deep blue sky. Autumn is full of change.

If time allows, I take morning walks through the nearby forest.

Herbststimmung im Wald.

Another pretty sight in downtown Bad Homburg.

Amber-colored leaves

A Japanese maple in the sunshine

A dog rose bush  providing tasty berries for Hagebuttenmarmelade (rose bush jam). When I was younger, this type of jam was available in supermarkets  only between November and late spring. I suppose they have it year-round nowadays.

Against dreary November skies, a cup of hot mulled wine (German: Glühwein) might help in the evening. 🙂 With the mostly sunny days we’ve had, MY Glühwein bottle is still unopened.

Aug 31, 2018

Lily of the Valley and How to Grow Them on the Balcony

Seeing my lily of the valley finally coming to bloom on the balcony, after four years or more in waiting, makes me happy. This potted plant had been sent to me from Switzerland on Mother’s Day.

In the language of flowers, the lily of the valley symbolizes marital happiness.

The following spring, I transferred the plant from its small pot into a wooden flower box on the balcony. It spread its green leaves throughout the box, but that was it.

Yes, after five years at the least, I was tempted to throw it out and told the plant as much. That was sometime in March of this year. It worked! Out came a single flower.
It used to be my mom’s favorite flower, so I did not want to give up so quickly. But the pep talk surely helped.

Mid-April 2018

By mid-May, I had the nicest lily-of-the-valley on my balcony. One of my friends wondered why I did not cut them, and put them in a vase. I have no need for cut flowers! Potted plants are much better anyway – perennials are good for the cycle of life, and bees and other insects appreciate them too.
Cut flowers are for consumerism. And yes, I get a whiff of them on the balcony with every breeze.

Early to mid-May

By early June, I noticed the first seed pods.

Early June 2018

This is what they look like in August. A bunch of orange berries decorate the balcony. It will be time to harvest them when they are shriveled and dark.

Mid-August 2018

Today, on 31 August 2018, the first seed pods have entered the shriveling stage, and it’s getting closer to harvesting time.

End of August 2018

Read more at Gardening Know How: Lily Of The Valley Seed Pod – Tips On Planting Lily Of The Valley Berries https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/lily-of-the-valley/lily-of-the-valley-seed-pods.htm

 

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