Baughs in Berlin

We are cheering for the Bronco's from Berlin

2012-01-14T13:55:00.003+01:00

The Bronco's have had such a stellar year since Tim Tebow took over as quarterback. Since we plan to relocate to Denver in 2013, Craig has been cheering for the Broncs! With our TV connecton and some late night games he has been able to keep up with the NFL. So here we are cheering the Bronco's on this weekend from Berlin!

Braunschweig, Germany

2012-01-14T13:36:00.004+01:00

We aren't really big New Years Eve Party people so we decided to leave Berlin on New Years Eve and drive to a smaller town. It was a clear and mild day so we made hotel reservation in Braunsweig and headed west from Berlin. After a calm and quiet New Years Eve in Braunschweig we drove to Hildesheim on Sunday morning and enjoyed worshipping with the Gemeinde Christi there.

Here are a few photos we took walking around Braunschweig.

Back in Berlin

2012-01-14T10:10:00.003+01:00

We returned to Berlin on the 20th and had time to visit the Christmas markets some more so I decided to include these additional photos!

Family gathering in Texas

2012-01-14T09:57:00.006+01:00

As we all gathered in Longview, Texas for Mothers funeral, I was expecially comforted that our 3 children we all able to be with us. Larry brought along 2 year old Reid, while Amy and Elliot remained in Colorado not to disrupt Elliots schooling and activities. We all loved having this special time with Reid. He was such a sweetheart the whole time and a good distraction. Thanks to all the friends and family who were there as we remembered Mother.

I took some photos, but as I look back now, I wish I had more of others who were there. We enjoyed visiting with each one of you.

I do plan to get better photos of everyone as we gather again in January for Timothy and Milenda's wedding in Colorado on January 28! That will be a better time for family photos.

Callie Bloomberg January 21, 1922-December 8, 2011

2011-12-10T22:04:00.005+01:00

On Thursday, December 8 my Mother, Callie Bloomberg, passed away from this earth. She would have been 90 years old on 21 January. I have been blessed throughout my life by this great lady. She has struggled in the past year as she moved from her home to assisted living and then spent her final month in a nursing home. She was always healthy and energetic until 2007 when she was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. She bravely pushed forward with medications and the recommended treatments. I know the Lord has welcomed her home into his loving arms.

I have also been blessed by my sister, Margaret Harris, as her life brought her to live in Longview, Texas a number of years ago. She has been faithful in assisting mother in every need. Her being there locally has been such a blessing to me. Also my brother, Charles Bloomberg, since his retirement one year ago has faithfully driven from is home in Grapevine, every other week to spend several days with Mother. Knowing they were there has given me peace of mind living so far away in Berlin.

Craig and I are preparing to travel this coming week to Texas to honor her at her funeral. I only hope and pray I can be to my children and grandchildren the influence and example in life my mother has been to me. This photo is from the family Thanksgiving Dinner at her home in 2009.

Christmas Markets

2011-12-10T21:56:00.003+01:00

Germany is famouse for its Christmas Markets. Last weekend was rainy so I didn't get out. This week I've made up for lost time. First on Thursday my co-worker and I went out to the Potsdamer Platz market on our lunch hour. Then Friday afternoon, I ws home early from work and Craig and I spent about two hours and visited Gendarmenmarkt and the one at Hackescher Markt. Unfortunately I went our without my camera. We had a good evening enjoyed the activity and decorations. So tonight we headed out again to Alexander Platz and this time I brought my camera so here are my photos.

Driving in Germany

2011-12-10T21:16:00.005+01:00

We are getting used to driving in Germany now and one drive we take every few months is to Grafenwoehr,the closest American military base. They have a new Px and Commissary loaded with American food and products. This week we drove there on Wedneday, and here are a few photos to show how the day progressed. First, to explain, there is one stretch of the autobahn that is still the East German Autobahn and still has 2 lanes which are aging. To give Germany credit there is construction started to upgrade this last section of road. Here is a photo of one of the old bridges. Note the netting on the bridge which is supposed to catch the falling debris from the bridge before it hits your car.

We had weather which changed throughout the day from clear, to gray, to rain to freezing rain, to snow, and then back to clear and more rain. All in all we had a safe drive and here are a few photos of the landscape.

It was the first snow we have seen this year. So far having a mild winter in Berlin.

My German/American Christmas Tree

2011-12-10T21:02:00.006+01:00

I decided that a live Christmas tree wasn't practical in our apartment in Berlin so I went out to my local Obe Store. Obe is the German version of Home Depot and even has Orange Letters on the store sign. So here is what I found. Exactly what I wanted! A Colorado Pine Pre-lit tree, made in China and purchased in Germany. I also purchased an extension cord to complete my quest for the day.

And here is the tree standing and then fully completed.

A little baking and I was ready for the holidays to begin!

Life in Berlin

2011-11-11T21:58:00.011+01:00

We continue to enjoy life in Berlin as we approach midway through our time here. Many things are now so familiar. Germany continues to rebuild and renovate and construction of roads is an ongoing issue. We realize that maintaining the infastructure is necessary, but we don't like the inconvenience.

On a brighter note today is the American Holiday of Veterans Day. I want to honor all our Veterans, but also enjoyed a day off work. I decided this was a day for my visit to the hairdresser. We have an upscale hairdresser just across the street so in the mode of pampering myself I chose today to get my hair cut and highlighted. This part of the city is so internatonal as I was getting myself pampered on my right was a customer and her hairdresser speaking French, while on my left the conversation was Russian. I was pleased to have a German hairdresser who could also converse in English. They also served me Cappucino and true to German style you are served a cup and saucer, not a styrofoam or otherwise disposable cup! The decor of the shop is all very modern in black and white. The stylists all wear black and even their latex gloves are black. Also of note they even put little plastic bag protectors on the bows of my glasses.

Potsdam Sanssoucci

2011-11-11T21:58:00.005+01:00

Craig and I had visited Potsdam last May, but of course didn't see it all. Recently we had Dr. James Thompson visiting for a few days and he said he had never been to Potsdam. It was another beautiful fall day so we were quite agreeable to the drive out to Potsdam. This time we actually toured inside the Neues Palais. There is much renovation work being done there, but we were still able to enjoy this Baroque Palace built starting in 1763. The former servants quarters are now part of the University at Potsdam and there is renovation there also.

2011 Festival of Lights

2011-11-11T21:56:00.011+01:00

Each year in October, Berlin Celebrates the festival of Lights. This annual illumination show brings out the crowds to see the familiar sights and monuments in a different way. Of course the Brandenburg Gate is one big attraction and since we live nearby, so easy for us to see. And as we walked on over to the Reichstag we found it full of people protesting in support of protests which were started in New York. Here are some photos from this years festival.

Wannsee

2011-11-11T21:56:00.008+01:00

It was a beautiful fall day on October 3 which is the Day of German Unity Holiday. Since I had the day off work we thought we would go out and visit Wannsee which is in the Zehlendorf section of Berlin. This area includes the beautiful Lake Wannsee and many Historical Summer homes on the lake. Also this area is the home of the Haus der Wannsee Konferenz. It was here in 1942 where the SS meeting was held and decsion made on the final solution for taking care of the Jewish population. Of course, I brought my camera along and we enjoyed a lovely walk along the lake. We were unsuccessful in seeing the Haus of the Wannsee Konferenz as it was closed for the holiday. We enjoyed lunch and ice cream outdoors before returning home. Here are some of our photos from the day.

Fall has come to Berlin

2011-09-25T18:29:00.008+02:00

I've been thinking about posting, although it seems we haven't done alot of exciting things to write about. Then as I reflect, it seems that now that we are in to our second year in Berlin we are beginning to see a repeat of annual events. Everything now seems so familiar, however, there are always so many interesting things happening and to see and experience. This past week was busy in Berlin. The Pope was here on Thursday and although I didn't see him, there was definately extra activity in the Mitte section of Berlin. I saw nuns and a group of Cardinals in Pariser Platz. Then just to keep life interesting on Friday morning there was a group filming a Timex commercial in Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg gate. Today is the Berlin Marathon. We knew not to drive to church because of the road closures and had no problem with the U-Bahn ride. We have enjoyed the past month of staying home, relaxing, working and living each day in Berlin and catching up from our summer of travels.

We have continued to enjoy and be a part of the Gemeinde Christi here in Berlin. This group of Christians have become dear to our hearts. Craig keeps up a routine participating in the rotation of preaching. This month I started teaching a childrens Bible Class as I decided this was the best way for me to serve at this time.

We tackled shopping in Berlin and I was able to purchase a dress to wear to Tim's wedding next January! After a couple of looking trips with no buying, then I asked others for advice and following their advice I feel pleased with my selection!

This afternoon we took a walk along the Spree River and I couldn't resist taking a few photos showing the fall leaves!

Nürnberg 40th Wedding Anniversary

2011-08-28T17:39:00.006+02:00

Craig and I decided a most appropriate anniversary celebration would be a weekend return to Nürnberg where he proposed in July 1970! So to make the most of our time, we booked a 40 minute flight on Lufthansa and flew down early Saturday morning. Hoping to drop off our luggage at the Hotel Maritim at 0900, they said we could just check in! That was great, a few minutes to unwind from the fight and we were off exploring. We found a beautiful Nürnberg with a downtown pedestrian mall! Arriving early, it wasn't crowded, so we stopped for coffee and croissants and then continued to wander. We found the jewelery store (we think) where Craig bought the engagement ring! As the morning progressed, more people arrived downtown. We did some shopping, bought a few souvineers and then continued toward the Burg, the ancient fortress in the center of town. We stopped for lunch and then made our way to the Burg. In 1970, we stayed at a youth hostel right next door to the Burg, but today the hostel is under renovation. Guess we will have to return in another 10 years to see how it looks then!! Our other main goal besides seeing downtown was to visit the Hitler stadium area. We took the subway out there, misjudged our stop slightly, but ended up with a long leisurely walk through a beautiful park and an approach to the stadium from the back. We had a good flight back to Berlin on Sunday afternoon.

It was a totally lovely weekend. Craig asked me to marry him for another 40 years, so of course I said yes. I can't imagine my life if I hadn't married him 40 years ago, and we just have so many more things to enjoy together. I thank our Lord every day for bringing Craig and ultimately our children and our grands into my life! He has blessed me so much with my marriage and family!

Here are the photos from the weekend

Pella

2011-08-28T16:30:00.002+02:00

On Friday, our last day in Thessaloniki, we drove west from Thessaloniki and visited the site of the Ancient Macedonian Capital of Pella. This visit showed us a city dating from 399 BC, yet laid out in even city blocks. The preservation of the mosiac floors is amazing. There is ongoing restoration work here and this site excavation only really began around 1960! We were happy to visit a new archaeological museum there which onlly opened in the fall of 2009. It was nice to see that even with the finacial difficulties in Greece, they continue to work to preserve their antiquities.

Here are the photos from this site.

Day trip to Kavala and Philippi

2011-08-27T16:54:00.003+02:00

On Thursday we headed Northeast from Thessaloniki to the modern city of Kavala and to visit the ruins of Philippi. It was about a two hour drive and we had beautiful weather! It is just so exciting to visit these locations we have always heard about and to imagine Paul and his company making this journey. We are so blessed with this opportunity.

Here are the photos.

Thessaloniki

2011-08-27T14:57:00.011+02:00

Craig and I took a trip to Thessaloniki, Greece August 7-13. We arranged this trip so Craig could attend the Annual Meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies. We also wanted to continue to visit the sites of the Journeys of Paul from his missionary trips. After preaching in Philippi, Paul planted a church in Thessalonica as detailed in Acts 17.

We were able to combine attending this conference and seeing so many historical sites during the same trip! Thessaloniki today is the 2nd largest city in Greece with a population of about 1 million. We were able to see the contrast of the modern and ancient city and enjoyed this trip so much.

We took a day trip in Philippi and I decided to limit this entry to Thessaloniki only, so that will follow soon.

I tried hard to limit the photos, so just flip through the ones that don't interest you and hopefully you will enjoy the rest.

Church Retreat (Gemeindefreizeit)

2011-07-23T14:15:00.003+02:00

Last weekend we enjoyed a church retreat outside of Berlin at Brandenburg an der Havel. It was a beautiful weekend and just far enough to be away from the city. The time spent with our Christian friends from the Gemeinde Christi at Breitenbach Platz was very encouraging. Thanks to all who prepared the lessons and devotionals. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. These friends and the Lord's church here has so enriched our stay here in Berlin.

Here are some photos.

London

2011-07-10T10:08:00.004+02:00

Craig and I planned this trip to London because since attending Harding University Graduate School of Religion, Craig has had an increasing thirst for Biblical knowledge and appreciation for Biblical scholarship. One way he feeds this thirst is through his independent studies and membership in organizations such as the Society of Biblical Literature. Many times he has attended the annual meeting which rotates among various cities in the US. However, since we are in Europe, he became keenly interested in attending the International Meeting which was being held at Kings College in London 3-8 July. Just a new expansion on the same theme. So we registered for the conference, made hotel and plane reservations and off we went. Fortunately, the timing just barely fit backing up to the visit of Tim and Milenda. Their plane left at 2PM and we left about 6PM. It all went well and wasn't as stressful as I feared. We arrived at our London Hotel sufficiently exhausted.

The Location at Kings College was partially chosen in connection with the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. Kings College was founded in 1829 and currently has about 24,000 students. Although the college is spread around the Thames, most of the meetings we attended were in the Franklin-Wilkins Building at the Waterloo Campus. We stayed at the Hotel Mercure which proved to be about a 20 minute walk to the meetings.
After a good night of sleep we were up and ready to start the meetings on Monday morning. It is amazing to listen to the scholarship provided in so many areas. There were about 150 different sessions offered and each 3 hour session could have up to 6 presentations. Choosing each session to attend required study of the program which is fortunately emailed out ahead of time. We particularly are pleased to see a representation of scholars presenting their papers who are from the Church of Christ Universities who are able to maintain the level of scholarship with other presenters’. This is all to explain how our time in London was predominantly consumed by this conference. This particular meeting was impressive because of the worldwide scholarship. Fortunately for us, the presentations were all in English!

Since Craig and I have been to London other times, we didn’t worry too much about visiting the regular tourist sights, but just more or less settled into the area we were staying. One place of note we discovered was a Pub located between the hotel and conference on Southwark St called The Mad Hatter. We had dinner there on Tuesday and lunch there on Wednesday. It was tastefully decorated and looked exactly as you would want to imagine an English Pub. The food was good and service was quick. We visited with the manager who told us the name was given as the building was originally a hat factory. There were at one time many hat factories in this area. He also told us the term “mad hatter” had its origin because in making hats many years ago mercury was used in the glue, and those who wore these hats all the time eventually went a little mad from the mercury poisoning! Interesting tidbit of etymology of this expression.

We did visit Shakespeare’s Globe theatre as it was only a few blocks away. Today’s Globe is a reconstruction of the original theater. We were unable to get tickets for a show there, but we did go in to visit and, of course, I managed to hit the gift shop. We did however manage one theatre show. On Wednesday evening we attended a performance of “Legally Blonde, The Musical” at the Savoy theatre. This was a truly delightful performance and we enjoyed it very much. When choosing a show we didn’t stop to think this was likely to be an audience of young teen girls. It seemed every teen visiting London must have been there. Waiting for the show to begin the chatter in the theatre was overwhelming. However, once the show began, all was quiet and everyone enjoyed a truly delightful and professional performance.

Another experience we had was on Wednesday evening prior to the performance we walked down to Trafalgar Square and Craig said, “There sure are a lot of people here.” I said, “It is London in July, just a lot of tourists.” We shortly realized it was more than that! Trafalgar Square was the location of the gathering for London Premier of the final Harry Potter movie. Harry Potter fans had been camping out there since Monday for the opening on Thursday. On Thursday morning a red carpet was rolled out from Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square and all the stars were there as well as JK Rowling! It was a neat and unexpected experience!

The conference ended at noon on Thursday Craig suggested a visit to Greenwich for Thursday afternoon. This is an area we had never been to so we checked our underground map and off we went! The afternoon was quite rainy, but nevertheless, you have to make do and go anyway. Greenwich is perhaps best known as the Prime Meridian. Maritime Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was the international Meridian Conference in Washington DC in 1884 that voted for Greenwich to be adopted as marking the prime meridian of world time and time zones. Of course, world time today is regulated by a system of atomic clocks, the Prime Meridian remains in Greenwich. Other places we visited in Greenwich included the Old Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark. Oh and yes, there was a large Greenwich Market. The Cutty Sark has been under restoration for several years, so we couldn’t really visit it. The restoration is to be completed this year; however it doesn’t really appear to be close to finishing. There were also extensive renovations going on at the National Maritime Museum so that was a little disappointing. Anyway it is a beautiful and historic setting and we enjoyed our visit there.

Here are the photos:

Tim and Milenda visit Berlin

2011-07-09T14:51:00.008+02:00

We were so excited waiting for Tim and his fiancee, Melinda Nixon, to arrive at Berlin Tegel airport on Wednesday 29 June. I baked chocolate chip cookies, Craig cleaned the apartment, we made a run to Grafenwoehr to stock up on groceries and we were then ready for their arrival. What a blessing to have our son come and visit us here in Berlin. Tim came a year ago just after our arrival, and now he is visiting again with Milenda. They arrived on schedule, after a trip first to Greece for Tim to propose. There they visited the Harding University Campus at Porto Rafti where he spent one semester. Since they arrived at dinnertime we took them to our favorite non-German restaurant called Tex-Mex which is located under the Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof. They offer good steaks, reasonable prices, and friendly service. The weather was perfect so we sat outside to eat and visit.

Thursday morning we set out to show Milenda some of the Berlin sights here in the Mitte District. We saw Checkpoint Charlie and then walked over to the Topography of Terror Historic Site by the former Berlin Wall. Our walking tour next took us past the site of Hitlers Bunker, before stopping for lunch by the Holocaust Memorial. We went into the American Embassy and met my co-workers. Following this we headed up to Pariser Platz and visit the Berlin Filmmuseum and learned alot about the history of German Cinema and Television. Of course there was a large section on Marlene Dietrich. After a full day of walking and touring we were ready to go home and spend the evening inside.

By Friday morning we were ready to head out again. At this point we thought we would visit the palace and grounds at Charlottenburg. This is always a beautiful sight as well as learning the German History of the buildings from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The European palaces of that period just have nothing comparable in the USA. We also enjoyed a good German lunch there at the Brauhaus across from the Palace grounds. We came back home then to await the arrival of Tim's high school friend Anthony. Anthony Alegria has been in the Air Force now for 7 years and lives at Kaiserslautern, Germany. Since we had last seen Anthony, he has acquired a wife, Mandi and 2 young children Anthony and Ryan. They were anxious to drive to Berlin and also visit Tim and meet Milenda. They all arrived in time for dinner which I prepared at home for all. What a treat to have two willing young ladies to help in the kitchen. Milenda and Mandi are an inspiration and example to all the other 20somethings around the world. Little Anthony at 3 and Ryan at 15 months were a delight and such well behaved little guys. We all had a wonderful evening together.

Saturday morning we arranged to meet the Alegria Clan at AlexanderPlatz as we knew the little boys would enjoy the Lott Model Train display and the rest of us could visit casually. It went well and following that Craig and I said we needed to go home and get ourselves together as we were planning to leave for London on Sunday afternoon as soon as Tim and Milenda left. So we came home and let the young people stroll the AlexanderPlatz Mall some more. Following a break we then had a Reichstag tour scheduled for Saturday Evening. By then it was pouring down rain, nevertheless we all met up and enjoyed the Reichstag Tour. By then Little Anthony was asking to go see the trains again, so we know the little guys definately enjoyed that effort! After the tour we went to the Brauhaus next to the Brandenburg Gate and enjoyed another German meal together. We walked back to our apartment and the Alegria's took their tired little boys back to their hotel. We enjoyed sharing Tim and Milendas visit with this delightful young couple. It is so rewarding to see Tim's friend, from 7th grade, now a man doing a great job serving our country and loving his family.

We were so thrilled Tim and Milenda could stay and worship with us at the Berlin Church of Christ at Breitenbach Platz on Sunday morning. This group of Christians are a vital part of our life here in Berlin and we wanted to introduce our son to our friends there! Following the worship service we couldn't linger very long as Tim and Milenda had a plane to catch. We drove them out the Shoenefeld Airport to catch their plane to Hungary. We just had enough time to check them in and grab a burger at the diner in the lobby. We wish them well as they headed off to spend the next week working with a youth camp in Szolnok Hungary. We are so proud of Tim that for 2 years now he has dedicated a week each summer to this work with the youth of Hungary.

We love you Tim and Milenda and thank you for visiting us. We wish you well as you continue your journey and then back to Colorado to plan your wedding. We will definately be there!!

Now for the photos!!

Tim and Milenda

2011-06-28T21:12:00.006+02:00

We are so thrilled to share that our youngest son, Timothy last night proposed to his girlfriend Milenda Nixon and she said YES and they are now engaged to be married. They currently live in Denver but are in Europe right now. This trip was originally planned as a trip sponsored by he Littleton Church of Christ to work at a youth camp in Hungary. Tim then decided, as his relationship with Milenda strengthened, that Europe would make a romantic scene for s marriage proposal. He wanted to take Milenda to visit the Harding campus at Porto Rafti and propose nearby there at the sunset at Sounion. He was able to get this all arranged and it came off as perfectly as he imagined. They plan to come and visit us in Berlin before meeting up with the rest of the group on Sunday in Hungary.

We want to praise and thank the Lord that Tim has found this wonderful young lady to be his wife. She has such a tender heart and loves the Lord! What a wonderful asset to our family Milenda will be. She has already won the hearts of Elliot and Reid who were so excited to learn she will be their aunt! The Lord has been so good and blessed our family with this new event!

Friendship...Visit with Friends in Warsaw

2011-06-19T16:49:00.016+02:00

We all go through life making friends along the way. We all enjoy these friendships, however the best thing about friendship is seeing friends over and over again. Last weekend we were able to go to Warsaw and visit with our friend Debby Sheets, who was there visiting her daughter Kelli and her family who live in Warsaw. We met the Sheets family when they moved into our neighborhood in 1986 when Kelli was 12. We went to church together and the kids went to school together, and since then have maintained a bond with the whole family. When I heard Debby was going to Warsaw to visit Kelli, I immediately planned this visit.

Craig and I purchased tickets for the 5 1/2 hour train ride from Berlin to Warsaw. We left on Saturday morning and returned on Monday. It was so good to see them waiting for us upon our arrival in Warsaw. We went to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe located right next to the train station. They had a great play area for Kelli's children, Rachel and Simon, to entertain them while waiting for our food. Then we went to Kelli's home and visited for the rest of the evening.

Sunday morning we were able to worship together at the Warsaw Church of Christ. Many European churches are struggling with low membership and there we met with a group of about 20. Nevertheless, we always look forward to meeting with a group of Christians in each city we visit. The church was a mix of Christians from Poland, America and Africa who gather together each week for a bilingual service. We will continue to pray for this body that they will reach others there in Warsaw.

Following worship, we went to Old Town and visited this restored area. We had a Polish lunch and enjoyed the Old Town area. It was a wonderful weekend of visiting and catching up and seeing Warsaw. Kelli was a marvelous tour guide and is doing so well with her family and managing her international lifestyle. I am looking forward to seeing more of her and her children. Thanks to our Lord for bringing the Sheets family into our lives many years ago. Thanks to Debby and Kelli for the wonderful time of renewing and sustaining friendship. Here are the photos.

Britta in Berlin

2011-06-02T14:12:00.010+02:00

My cousin Britta and I always enjoyed playing together at all our Bloomberg Family Holiday gatherings. We played most frequently the years (60-62) my family moved to Eden Prairie. I guess the drive to Chanhassen was quite easy from there and probably the age difference was a good fit during those years. Anyway her collection of Madame Alexander dolls was any girls dream! We have over the past 10 years we enjoyed seeing each other, her work with the Minnesota Historical Society has brought her annually to Washington DC for national level meetings. I was thrilled at her ability and willingness to come and visit us in Berlin this past weekend. As usual, we talked nonstop to catch up on all the family news! Did I mention Britta is the family historian? Craig was so patient to put up with the constant chatter and we all had a wonderful weekend. Here we are at her house, probably Christmas Day 1960.

We managed to pack in a full weekend to orient her to Berlin. We had a bus tour on Friday morning and included a walk through the Tiergarten. Then tickets to the Friedstast Palast to see YMA on Friday night. Saturday we toured the Charlottenburg Palace and immersed ourselves in German and Prussian history. Sunday we enjoyed worshipping together and dining with friends afterwards. After getting home we walked back up to Pariser Platz and also visited the Holocaust Memorial and Museum. Monday we took a day trip to Lutherstadt Wittenberg. The weather was pristine during her entire visit and we had a wonderful time together. Thanks Britta for coming. Here is the slideshow of photos!

Berlins Tiergarten

2011-05-22T19:14:00.002+02:00

Saturday morning Craig and I took a walk through Berlins Tiergarten. We couldn't take enough photos to capture the beauty of the Rhodendrons andd all else the park had to offer.

Freedom

2011-05-22T18:42:00.005+02:00

Craig and I were eating dinner Friday evening along Unter den Linden. Soon down the street came a protest march with signs and horns promoting "Free political prisoners in Chile." It is so great to live where people can freely express their opinions and do so in an orderly manner.

Grover visits Berlin

2011-05-22T18:36:00.005+02:00

Grover came to Berlin this week promoting road safety. I couldn't resist this photo opportunity for me and Flat Elliot!

Potsdam

2011-05-14T10:41:00.004+02:00

Potsdam is an independent city which borders on Berlin. Depending on you historical knowledge you may have some knowledge of Potsdam. Probably what we most think of the the Potsdam Conference which resulte in the Potsdam Agreement which was July - 2 August 1945. Here was the decision about the division of Germany. Previously Potsdam was the residence of Prussian Kings and German Emperors up to 1918. Today there is the beautiful royal Park Sanssouci and its palaces which are a big tourist draw. So Craig and I took advantage of a beautiful spring Saturday and headed out on the train to Potsdam. We discovered there is more to see than can be done in one day, but we did get an overview of some of the beauty there. Here are a few photos.

Adventures in Food

2011-05-14T10:25:00.006+02:00

Food is always an interesting topic as we all need to eat everyday. As the world becomes smaller we have all enjoyed eating food from various parts of the world. And even though we all have our own preferences, generally related to what we grew up with, a new food adventure can be tantalizing. Even in Berlin, there seem to be so many restaurants of other nationalities, we have to look to find a German one. There is one Craig and I frequent called TexMex and there are numerous Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, and whatever else you may want to taste. Of course the American Fast Food industry has made its mark on Berlin with McDonalds, Burger King and Subway. We do however have to go to an American Military base to get Taco Bell! Anyway I thought of this posting as on Easter Monday our friends Janet and Andreas invited us over for their traditional Easter Monday meal of Roast Lamb and Asparagus. The German word for Asparagus is Spargel and the Weiss Spargel is grown locally. Janet prepared it perfectly and it was so tasty with the traditional Hollandaise Sauce.

Thanks Janet for the great Spargel!

Time for a Car Wash

2011-05-06T19:34:00.004+02:00

We took a drive to Grafenwoehr on Wednesday and below is a copy of Craig's version of stopping for a car wash. He gave me permission to add it to the blog. Sorry no photo, I think it is the first time I went out without my camera. So read on for the story contributed by Craig!

The good news is that we found a car wash (after 10 months). The bad news is that it did not go well. As we drove to Grafenwehr yesterday, we found an Esso gas station along the way with a Tiger Wash car wash (yes, they still have the tiger in their tank over here) We paid for the wash, got our little code to punch into the keypad, and automatic door miraculously opened. After driving in, we drove forward until the lighted sign said “STOP”. No problem, right. Just like the States. What I then noticed was that the automatic door had closed behind us. We waited for a few minutes and nothing happened. A few minutes more and still nothing happened. We were trapped inside a car wash in the middle of nowhere in Germany. I got out of the car, hesitantly I might add, because I was sure that the machine would turn on as soon as I left the front seat. I looked around for a button or something, but nothing. So I got back in the car. It had been probably 5-7 minutes at this point and the car wash still did not turn on. So like any good American, I began beepng the horn thinking someone on the staff would come to our rescue (keep in mind that both doors of the machine were closed, so we were trapped inside this thing). After what seemed to be an eternity and with no one coming to our rescue, I got out of the car again. At that point, I saw an escape (person-sized) door in the back that I had not seen before. I opened the door and at that point a man walked up and in my best non-verbal fashion I raised both my hands and shrugged trying to communicate, “What the heck, over”. He said something in German that I didn’t understand and then pointed to the keypad which translated meant, “Did you put in the key code, stupid.” I nodded and said, “Ja” in my best German. He walked over to the keypad and pushed the On/Off button again and water began shooting out of the machine by the car by my open driver side door. I lunged back to the car, got in, and closed the door. Then the machine started its magic just like in the states and we got our car wash. As we left the gas station and got back on the autobahn, we noticed that it seemed like the car was not getting dry from the wash. Little droplets of water just kept on traveling across the windshield as we hit 90 mph. After a few minutes, we realized that it was not the water from the car wash. In fact, it was raining. Not just raining, but pouring. Pouring onto our freshly washed car. And you wonder why I believe in Murphy!

We are still having a great time here and the novelty just hasn't worn off!!

Walking in the steps of Paul

2011-04-23T07:47:00.004+02:00

Walking in the Steps of Paul - A Trip to Antayla, Turkey 12-19 April 2011

Tuesday 12 April
We booked our travel on Turkish Airlines flying from Berlin to Antayla through Istanbul. As our first international trip from Germany, the time was special for both of us. We were quite impressed with the service we encountered on Turkish Airlines. We received a meal on each leg of the flight and enjoyed lots of legroom. A real plus for Craig. One American lady that we met on the flight to Antalya was a great help to us. Her name was Lise and she had been living in Antalya for about a year. She has an Iranian husband and had lived with him in Iran until this move. She was returning from a month long visit to the states to see her Mother after her Father died and left her Mother all alone. She was very chatty and encouraged us by saying that our hotel choice of the Crown Plaza was great and she goes walking past it every day. She also said Budget car rental was good and rented reliable cars. She then asked if we were Christians, and informed us the only English speaking church in Antalya was St. Paul’s Cultural Center. This was the same information Craig had already received from his friend, Mark Wilson. Lise provided a wealth of information on recommended tourist areas and the area in general. The entire plane ride to Antalya was smooth and we arrived safely at our destination We proceeded to go through customs easily and obtained our rental car. As we walked from the terminal to the parking lot, we found that the attendant had the car pulled out and was waiting for our arrival. Although Craig was apprehensive about driving in Turkey he was comfortable with the brand new Hyundai Accent we received, even though it had a standard transmission. We had requested a small car for ease of driving. He had carefully reviewed the directions and drove without difficulty and we easily arrived and parked at the Crown Plaza on Konyaalti Beach, which was on the opposite side of town from the Airport! By the time we arrived at the hotel at about 8 PM, we were exhausted and just unpacked and relaxed and decided we had had enough to eat on the plane. The internet worked and we were able to check our email and plan our adventure in Turkey.

Wednesday 13 April
Taking the advice and directions of our friend on the plane, our first stop this morning was the Turkish Tourist Information Bureau. We found the parking garage (Otopark) that she recommended and walked about a block up the street to the Information Center. We picked up some maps and brochures there, but at that point really had no questions for the personnel. We headed out and located an ATM machine which took VISA and procured some Turkish Lira. We then walked to the ancient city part of Antalya which is called Kaleici. This is the area surrounding a marina which was the harbor where Paul landed when he came to this area. Today there are many boats and harbor tours from this part of town. There are also many street vendors aggressively marketing their wares to the unsuspecting tourists. They approach you in Turkish, English and German just to get your attention. Once you even begin to look you are bombarded, so we mainly ignored them and walked around. We heard the sounds of the city including the announcements from the mosques calling everyone to prayers. Islam is definitely the dominant religion, although the majority of the population was dressed in western clothing. We spent the entire day taking in the sights and sounds of the Kalechi area. The Mediterranean waters are so blue and beautiful. We just couldn’t take enough photographs to remember the sights. We located the St. Paul’s Cultural Center so we would know where to come back for worship on Sunday. We stopped and had lunch and then continued to explore the area. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Antalya Museum, however after visiting the Museum Shop and purchasing a few books, we decided to come back and visit the museum later in the week. We also stopped at a new local mall and purchased snack foods and drinks. This was a very new and beautiful mall called Migros and I planned to visit it again later in the vacation. We returned to our hotel and after a rest we came out again and located a restaurant overlooking the sea and had dinner.

Thursday 14 April
Thursday morning we were ready to go and visit the sights of Paul. We started out with the closest site which was Perge. This is located about 5 km from the modern Antalya Airport. Actually it is 17 km east of the port where Paul would arrive. Many of the statues and artifacts from Perge are now housed in the Antalya Museum. The excavation of the city is sufficient for one to feel the layout of the ancient town. It includes a 15,000 seat theatre and a 12,000 seat stadium. There is a rectangular planned agora and remnants of bathhouses. Paul’s travel here is documented in Acts 13-14. Oh yes, it was raining during our time in Perge, however we had raincoats and the rain was not sufficient to deter our visit or our enthusiasm. Or rather my enthusiasm. Craig was a little down about the rain, but I pushed him to keep his spirits up and press on to our next stop. Later, he thanked me for the encouragement and said we make a great team.
After finishing at Perge, we drove further east about 48 km to Aspendos. We first stopped at the Aspendos Bridge. This Roman Bridge was restored in 1996-1998. There was a restaurant there and we were ready for lunch. After eating, we went on and visited the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Aspendos. The Aspendos Theatre was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180). The seating capacity is 15-20,000 spectators and is the best example of a Roman ampitheater in that part of the world. It continues to be used today for the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival. We also noted that Hillary Clinton recently spoke from this location. As we were leaving the area, we also saw the Aspendos Gladiator Arena which hosts chariot races and other venues during tourist season. We returned to the hotel and rested and then had dinner at the hotel’s Dinner Buffet.

Friday, 15 April
To further our pursuit of Paul’s travels we headed out Friday morning to Antioch of Pisidia. This is the modern town of Yalvec. This is about 4.5 hours inland and north of Antalya. On the way out of town, Craig was hoping we would be able to stop and see the original Roman Road the Via Sebaste as it should have been on the route we were taking. We stopped at the top of a mountain pass and Craig hiked around but was unable to locate the ancient road. After this brief stop, we continued on and drove on to Yalvec. Upon arrival in Yalvec due to poor signage we initially couldn’t locate the archaeological site. However, we eventually stopped a group of high school boys and asked if they knew where it was. They were proud to practice their English and one of them drew us a map. We were only a few blocks away, however the site is above the road and the fenced area looked more like area Islamic community center rather than an archaeological park. We found it and were able to visit the site. Part of the time we were the only ones there. Eventually, a tour bus caught up with us. This archaeological park was huge and included the entire city. The theater was in poor repair, but the streets were evident and knowing you were walking where Paul walked was very humbling. Being able to visit the location of Paul’s missionary effort in Acts 13 made the long drive worth it. After another 4.5 hour drive (Craig still thinks it was longer, but, of course, he was driving), we returned back to Antalya and this time walked from our hotel to a nearby restaurant called Shakespeare Bistro. The American hamburger and French fries served there were very tasty and welcome! I think our lunch had been munching crackers in the car while driving.

Saturday 16 April
Happy Birthday Tim. We thought of you and celebrated this time by driving west down the coast of Turkey. The scenery on this drive was to die for and we know that Tim would have gone nuts trying to photograph it all! Our goal on this drive was 140 km to the Turkish town of Demrie. In the Bible this location was Myra. On Paul’s journey to Rome he sailed past Cyprus to Mrya (Acts 27:5). The ruins here have a well preserved Theatre. Saint Nicholas was the bishop of this Mediterranean city during the 4th century and died here in 342 AD. They have a St. Nicholas Commemoration Ceremony here every December, which is undoubtedly a major tourist attraction. And, yes, this is the same St Nicholas whose story evolved into our modern day Santa Claus. After visiting the ruins, we had lunch at a rather rustic café. We drove back toward Antalya and also stopped at the ruins of Phaselis. Phaselis is situated at the foot of Mt. Olympos and its three harbours were the reason for its historical role as a commercial centre. Paul didn’t visit here, yet the Roman ruins are nonetheless impressive and well worth the stop since everything is set in a picturesque evergreen forest. Following our return to Antalya, we had another dinner at the Shakespeare Bistro.

Sunday 17 April
Sunday morning, we decided we had time to spend 1.5 hours at the Antalya Museum before going to church. We headed there and were able to see the treasures of Perge. There was an amazing amount of items saved here. Again, this is definitely not a place to miss. Then we headed to the St Paul’s Cultural center for a worship service. Although this was a denominational mix of Christians there was still quite a bond of those in attendance. There were about 80 in attendance and worshiping in this Islamic dominated area has given them their share of trials. They currently are unable to use their facility because they are having difficulties with the architect releasing the facility back to them. They are unable to call themselves a church thus the terminology of Cultural Center. We enjoyed meeting people who live in Antalya and enjoyed going out to eat with them following the service. We had a group of 8, one American couple and one Aussie couple that live in Antalya as well as another Aussie couple on vacation. It was a highlight to visit with these couples and get a personal feel of living in Antalya.

Monday 18 April
Following more research and a consult with Mark Wilson, author of Biblical Turkey, we headed north of Antalya to again seach for the Via Sebaste, an old Roman road. We now knew where to find it. Instead of driving the new highway, we turned before ascending the mountain and drove through the countryside. After parking, we got out of the car and walked about 1.5-2 hours up the mountain. We were able to follow the more complete directions from Mark and located the ancient Roman Road. We believe it is likely the road that Paul took on his travels to and from Perge. Although the hike was difficult on the unsteady upward climb we pursued finding the location of a particular mile marker. As we hiked, we were accompanied by the mountain goats who inhabit the region! Finally I couldn’t hike anymore and Craig said he was going on just a little further. After some rest and continued hiking, I noticed the mountain goats were following me. Fortunately they were compliant with the photography and weren’t attack goats. I then saw many sheep coming from the other direction and there was Craig shepherding the sheep back down through the pass. After more photography of Craig and the sheep we headed back down the mountain! Craig said he found more of the road but never could find the mile maker for which he was looking. He knew he was in the right area, but just couldn’t find the written inscription.
We returned to Antalya with just enough time and energy for a stop at the Migros mall again. I was able to purchase some Turkish delight candy and pistachio nuts to take back to Germany. Then as we walked around the mall, we saw our favorite restaurant, Shakespeare Bistro, so we decided to go ahead and have dinner!

Tuesday, 19 April
We rose early and packed up, checked out and drove to the airport for our 8 AM flight to Istanbul and Berlin. Actually we did this so well that we were put on an earlier flight leaving Antalya. The down side we figured out was a longer layover in Istanbul. However, it all turned out as we were sitting in the airport at Istanbul, Craig reviewed his slides from Monday’s hike and he found he did find the milestone marker he was looking for. It WAS there in his slides and as he blew up the photo we was able to read the inscription! (Or at least some of it) That just really made the trip for Craig. We boarded the plane and returned to Berlin without difficulty. Actually the plane was not full, and we were able to stretch out with an empty seat in our row. We again were pleased with the service of Turkish Airlines and returned to Berlin, ready to be home, but also hopeful for a return trip to Turkey, probably Ephesus at a later date!

Flat Elliot Goes to Berlin

2011-04-02T20:36:00.001+02:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Flat Stanley

2011-04-02T20:27:00.003+02:00

Flat Stanley is a childrens book written by Jeff Brown in 1964. Many elementary schools today are using this to teach the children letter writing and more about the world. I was thrilled when I received the request from Elliot, that his kindergarten class was having a Flat Stanley project and he was mailing me Flat Elliot to take around Berlin. I was worried when it took Flat Elliot 3 weeks to arrive, but once he did, Craig and I got the camera ready and had alot of fun taking Flat Elliot around Berlin and making photographs for Elliot. Even though we love Berlin very much, we do miss having opportunities to spend with our precious grandchildren, and this made me feel very close to them. Here is the Flat Elliot book I created which will be presented back to Elliots kindergarten class in the next few weeks. I decided to go with the technology of a photo book rather than hand making a scrapbook. Since I put so much time and effort into this project, I thought I might as well post it on the blog.

The Altes Museum

2011-04-02T20:16:00.002+02:00

A few weeks ago we visited the Neues Museum (New Museum) and now here is the Altes Museum (Old Museum). We purchased an annual pass so we can visit Museum Island repeatedly for a year as well as many other museums. Since there are reportedly 175 museums in Berlins we probably won't even make a dent in three years. Aftere visiting the museum it was such a pristine day we had lunch and conitnued to meander around until we were too tired and went home. It is so neat that Museum is only about 4 blocks from out apartment. The Museum Island is a recongnized UNESCO World Heritage Site. The collection of Classical Antiques ia amazing although I didn't do a good job of labeling the photos, you can just look and get an idea.

Friends and other random thoughts...

2011-03-19T16:14:00.009+01:00

AS I get ready to write today, I see it has been a month since my last entry. As I downloaded the photos in my camera I see a variety of experiences during that time. I can also see the changing weather as you can tell by the way people are dressed in the photos.

We made a one day trip down to Grafenwoehr to stock up our supply of American groceries and products. We do love life here in Berlin, however we also readily admit we do we are spoiled Americans.

We also took a trip to Heidelberg and attended the funeral of Mary Drehsel. Craig and I had both been friends with Mary since our freshman year at ACU. Mary and I were club sisters in the L'Amitie Social Club. She was also part of the Project Germany Missionary Team in 1969 and 1070. Mary was such an amazing lady who spent her life here in Germany after college. She and Karl were married 35 years and have 4 children and most importantly 2 grands! She developed a beautiful career at Pepperdine in Heidelberg and the students from there all came and sang at the service. I was surpirzed to see another college friend there, Janet Griffith, who has gone by the nickname GummiBaer since those Project Germany days. Here is a photo of me and Janet. When you get to the time of life we are in, it just seems that years have no meaning. Seeing friends after a gap of years just reveaals how littlie we have all changed while we have been busy living our lives and raising our families.

Now on a completely unrelated thought we rewatched the movie The Bourne Supremacy which was filmed here in Berlin right around the area where we live. Here is my photo of the bridge over the Spree River by the Friedrichstrasse Banhof where he jumped off and on to a boat.

We also we priviledged to attend the Berlin Premier of the new movie "Unknown" which was filmed here prior to our arrival in November 2009. It is really neat to see our neighborhood in these movies.

One more random thought is the new friends who invited us to dinner. Here is a photo of Marianna, Werner and Charlotte. Thanks Marianna for the wonderful meal and here is also a photo of the German Torte.

Museums

2011-02-19T16:09:00.015+01:00

Berlin is such a city of Museums. Last summer when we arrived, we delayed seeing them to avoid the summer tourist crowds. Also, we had so much to do to get settled and just learn our way around the city. Two weeks ago we purchased an annual pass which covers many museums and pays for itself in about 4 visits. So then we went to the Neues Museum and saw the exhibition of antiquities from Egypt. Today we followed up with a visit to the Pergamon Museum. The exhibits are great. It does seem that archaeological teams from Berlin were very busy exploring these areas in the 1800s and bringing the antiquities back to Berlin. The Neues Museum was massively damaged during WWII, however the remodeled museum was reopened in 2009 and it is beautiful. Fortunately the aritfacts were all stored and preserved during the war. Once again, we are reminded how fortunate we are to be here in a reunited Germany and reunited Berlin as these two museums were in the Eastern sector, and such a short walk from our apartment. These are great activities to do as the thermometer continues to hover around the freezing point as the winter is hopefully winding down!

Another interesting note is that last night we enjoyed watching the 2004 movie, The Bourne Supremacy, as a friend had pointed out it was filmed in Berlin. We had the DVD, took it out and enjoyed the movie and the many scenes which were filmed in the area so close to where we live and are now so familiar to us. We just continue to enjoy our Berlin adventure! Here are a few photos from the museums.

Lutherstadt Wittenberg

2011-01-23T15:13:00.006+01:00

On Monday we headed south from Berlin to visit Lutherstadt Wittenberg. We were blessed with such a clear sunny day for this outing, so notice the blue sky in the photos! Martin Luther spend 38 years of his life in this location so there is the town and parish church of St. Mary's (St. Marien) where Luther preached many sermons. Also the Palace Church (The Schlosskirche) where Martin Luther nailed his 95Theses to the door. I am so grateful to the reunifiction of Germany so this lovely town is available to us to visit! Here are some of our photos from the day.

Model Trains

2011-01-18T19:33:00.003+01:00

Our Grandson, Elliot has had a fascination for trains since he was introduced to Thomas and his friends as soon as he could understand. He comes by this honestly as Craig first had a train with his Dad and brother as a boy, and it seems like we had an electric train at Larry's first Christmas. That later progressed to the year of the GI Joe train and eventually the train layout project that overtook the basement for a number of years. So as we became aware of the Loxx Model Train layout at Alexander Platz in Berlin, we had to go. I'm sure we will visit again when Larry and Amy visit with Elliot and Reid, but on Saturday we visited the train layout with its 400 trains!
Here are my photos of the train layout along with a few additional photos I've taken in Berlin since Christmas.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-31T14:51:00.005+01:00

As you have now figured out by my recent posts, I have been busy playing catch up on everything following our return from Texas on 22 December. We missed most of the holiday time here in Berlin, but still have enjoyed some decorations. We plan on being here until 2013, so we still have ample time to persue more Christmas festivities in the coming years. We made it out to one Christmas Market and took a few photos you will see below!
Craig did get the Christmas Newsletter done and that went out via USPS on Wednesday. If you can't wait for your mail or we missed you via email send me an email and you can have a copy.

Mother was discharged from the hospital on the 27th and is a motivated participant in her Rehab program at Clairmont in Longview in preparation for her return to Eastman Estates.

We want to wish all our friends a Happy New Year and we are looking forward to a 2011 as a year of travel and adventure. We want to praise our Lord for the blessings of 2010 and seek out new ways to serve him in 2011.

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Chuck's Retirement

2010-12-27T21:19:00.007+01:00

A unexpected plus on my trip to Texas was the opportunity to attend my brother retirement ceremony. Chuck retired from the city of SouthLake with 35 years of work for the state of Texas. With an excellent retirement plan, Chuck is cruising on to his next phase of life. He and Mary love traveling by car and are plotting out future road trips.

I felt so honored to hear his supervisors and friends all praise him so highly.

Here are a few photos

Mother - Callie Bloomberg - A trip to Texas

2010-12-27T19:54:00.008+01:00

I almost didn't even apply for the job in Germany knowing that my Mother is 88 years old and had been having increased medical difficulties since her diagnosis with CML (Chronic Myloid Leukemia) about 3 years ago. The medical treatment for this disease has proven a delicate balance between benefits of the treatment and side effects. Yet, I did apply for the position and when I finally told her about it, her response was "Nancy, that is wonderful, you and Craig would have so much fun." Her pure attitude of support was so convincing that I took the job and moved to Germany, all the while knowing her health was a delicate balance. Well, the balance is now tipping toward the decline. Following a week of increased inability to even stand, mother checked herself into Eastman Estates, Assisted Living Facility in Longview, Texas. She did move in great style having my sister, Margaret, run her around and purchased new furniture for the big move. So on 15 November, she moved into assisted living. That was going well until she required hospitalization 2 weeks later. At this point Craig and I made arrangements and flew back to Longview. We arrived there on 2 December and she had been discharged from the hospital and was back at Eastman Estates. The doctors reports have not been good, yet her spirit and drive continues. Following medication adjustments and physical and occupational therapy she was making good progress. Anyway Craig and I enjoyed almost 3 weeks in Texas with numerous hours helping Margaret out with Mother. As she continued to make progress and stabilize we made plans to return to Germany on 21 December. We returned to Germany and while we were not yet recovered from jet lag, mother was again hospitalized on the 23rd with uncontrolled blood pressure and now a diagnosis of CHF. She has continued to have a great spirit and Margaret has provided a home cooked Christmas dinner delivered at the hospital. The plan is for a hospital discharge in the next day or so to receive therapy at a Skilled Nursing Facility with a hopeful return to her new home at Eastman Estates. The medical reports are not good, yet we know her life is in the Lords hands.

I just want to say Mother has been the best Mother in so many ways. She has been a dedicated Christian all her life and together with Dad they made a Christian home that was truly lived. They helped so many people over the years. Mother loved entertaining in her home. She loved cooking for a crowd and playing bridge or other games after the meal! She has been a friend to so many and yet last week I sat in her room addressing her Christmas Cards to so many of these friends, some new and some lifelong.

Here are a few photos from our recent trip to Texas. Timothy came down and visited for 2 days, bringing his girlfriend, Milenda to meet us and to meet his grandmother. We all enjoyed his visit. My neice, Callie Jackson came from Memphis and helped Margaret get ready for Christmas and then came again with her husband, Raines and children Emily and Logan to celebrate Christmas early with Margaret and Mother.

Euro American Christian Family Retreat in Rothenburg

2010-12-26T21:36:00.006+01:00

On Saturday November 20th we headed south our of Berlin to attend the Euro American Christian Family Retreat in Rothenburg. This has been an annual retreat in Germany for many years to provide an opportunity for English speaking Christians to learn and fellowship together in this beautiful setting. This year Reid Lancanster came from Oklahoma to lead the singing and teach us more about our legacy of 4 part harmony. The main speaker was Patrick Boyns of the British Bible School in Corby, UK. He provided outstanding lessons from Nehemiah. Also Dale and Vickie Hawley from Minnesota provided insights from her cancer history. All this provided a well balanced event. We enjoyed fellowship with Andreas and Janet Rineheart and also Andy Wheatley who worship with us in Berlin. We enjoyed their fellowship throughout the several days and delighted in meeting new Christians from around Germany and Europe. Actually those were present came from 15 countries! Events such as this continually prove to us the closeness we can feel with our fellow Christians wherever we are! It was a real time of spiritual renewal. We were able to take advantage of some free afternoon hours and supply our stock of American goods by a visit to the Commissary and Px at Illesheim. We also took a side trip to visit the Roman Museum and Historical site at Weissenburg. We were there from Saturday to Tuesday and experienced our first German snowfall. Enjoy the photos!

Veterans Day travels to Thuringia

2010-11-14T17:49:00.012+01:00

We decided to take advantage of the American Veterans Day holiday and do some traveling around Germany. Our focus for this weekend was what we decided to call our Martin Luther tour, Phase I. We started out on Thursday and headed south from Berlin to the state of Thuringia. Our first stop was the Wartburg Castle. This is a fortress which overlooks the town of Eisenach. This fortress was established long before Martin Luther. During his lifetime he went there as a retreat and it was there he translated the Bible into German. This was all his part of the separation of the Protestant church from the Catholic church and an effort to make the Bible available to the population. He was definitely a father of the Christian Reformation movement. It was a substantial walk up to the entrance, which had us short of breath, but well worth the visit. We stayed until nearly dark and then found our hotel accommodations in Eisenach. We then had a unique dining opportunity at Lutherstuben. It provided the atmosphere of Luthers era complete with hay on the floor, thick wooden tables and staff dressed in period costume. We couldn't understand the German chants and entertainment, but were entertained anyway. The drinking vessels were pottery with pointed bases which fit into holes in the tables. I enjoyed a delightful dinner of chicken curry and spaetzle noodles!

Friday morning we scouted out the town of Eisenach and visited Lutherhaus and Bachhaus. Both men attended the Latin school there 200 years apart. Luther lived in Eisenach at a teenager before going to University at Erfurt. Johann Sebastian Bach was born also at Eisenach and lived there for 10 years before moving to live with his brother following his parents death. There is a wonderful museum of the family home and even a music presentation is part of the tour. Eisenach is a lovely East German town which has progressed well since the Reunification of German. It appears a modern Opel plant provides a financial base for this town. It is humbling to realized that due to the reunification we are able to visit this fascinating area and Germany has done a good job of reunifying this country. We then drove over to Erfurt where Martin Luther attended University. Erfurt has a modern and beautiful downtown shopping area complete with many of the stores we see in Berlin. We stayed Friday night in Erfurt.

Saturday morning we drove out to visit the sight of the Nazi Concentration Camp of Buchenwald located between Eisenach and Weimar. Of course visiting such a camp is very humbling and sad, however this is displayed as a memorial to those who were incarcerated and died there. It is a reminder to each one of us to never let such events happen again. I picked up a copy of "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights", which was adopted by the United Nations 10 December 1948. Stephane Hessel was detained at Buchenwald as part of the French Resistance movement. He later participated in the drafting of the human rights charter as a U.N. Diplomat. I love his quote which says "There are differences between cultures, but not between civilizations. When we live in societies, it means that every individual has the same fundamental rights. At the same time, those rights mean that people can live together, that they respect one another, that they bear responsibility for one another - that is Civilization."

Now on to the photos...

The Reichstag Building of the German Bundestag

2010-11-07T20:49:00.003+01:00

Last night we were able to go on a tour of the Reichstag Building of the German Bundestag. After several days of rain, the skies cleared and we were able to enjoy the evening tour under clear skies. Here are a few photos of this historical building.

Birthday

2010-11-07T20:03:00.003+01:00

This week was my birthday and my initial thought was not to include this in the blog. Then I thought again and decided I cannot deny turning 60 and really I should not worry about a number, but just be grateful for all the blessings in my life over the last 60 years. I cannot begin to list them, but I know I have been given a life of luxury and ease. The Lord has blessed me with being born into a Christian family. I am so thankful for Craig, the love of my life and nothing is more important than family. So as I now begin a new decade of life I hope to embrace family and friends and most of all live a life acceptable to our Lord.

I had a great day on Tuesday as Craig and I went out and picked up our German Drivers Licenses. We are now licensed drivers here, never mind the fact that my birthplace is listed as Missesota. Then we had lunch together at the Embassy, After work Craig came by and we went out for a steak dinner at the Block House Restaurant. Then we picked up a cake/torte at a bakery by Kaiser. We came home to eat the cake and open a few presents. As we sat down the phone and computers rang. We ended up with Timothy and Cam on one computer, Larry and family on the other one, with Scott texting in through Skype. When the phone rang Craig was talking to my Mother calling from Texas. Then Timothy took the photo below where you can share the whole scene with me. You can see Timothy and his dog, Cam in the lower left corner, then you can see Larry and Reid on the other computer, Craig on the phone while I was opening packages. I feel so blessed and loved by my family.

Heidelberg

2010-10-30T12:04:00.009+02:00

Last Saturday I boarded the German train in Berlin and rode to Frankfurt. This was a smooth, quiet pleasant ride across Germany. The train was on schedule and it was my first solo train ride in Germany, and it all went well. Craig met me in Frankfurt and we then went down to Heidelberg. Craig had attended a series of lectures by Dr. James Thompson from Abilene Christian (ACU) for several days during the week. He was also able to meet and reacquaint himself with other Christians from Germany and other surrounding areas.

We took this opportunity to visit friends we've had in Heidelberg. Particularly Mary and Karl Dreshel. While at ACU we came to Germany in 1970 with the Project Germany mission group. Mary then moved to Germany a few years later and had made her life here. It was great to reconnect and visit with her and Karl. On Sunday at church we were also able to briefly visit with Debby Osborne and her daughters. Debby and I grew up at the same church in Minnesota. I am repeatedly reminded that people we have known throughout our lives have ways of reappearing that we often do not anticipate. It is so wonderful to meet and reconnect with people. Although our time in Heidelberg was short, we were able to stop at the American Px and Commissary and add to our stash of American products.

Here are some photos I snapped as we drove home on Sunday afternoon. I just don't tire of looking at the beautiful countryside as we drive across Germany. I constantly think of what is the same, and what is different! We had planned on open house for Thursday evening for our German neighbors and my office so I threw in a few phots of the food. I didn't want to annoy people by taking their photos, so you just get to see the food.

Festival of Lights

2010-10-16T15:00:00.006+02:00

Berlin has an annual Festival of Lights which started off with Fireworks on Wednesday night. We were thrilled that we could watch them from our balcony so Craig grabbed his camera to get a few shots.The first fireworks shot is a move, so you may have to click on it to get the full effect. Then on Friday night we walked around Mitte to photo some of the light displays. Since we don't exactly have professional photographing equipment the quality of the photos is a little lacking, but you can get a good idea.

On the Road, Out and About in Germany!

2010-10-16T14:01:00.006+02:00

Now that we have been in Berlin for 3 months we have become comfortable in Berlin. We mostly get around town by walking or using the public transportation of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn systems. We have easily learned these systems and have been able to get everywhere we have wanted to go. We have tried the buses also, but haven't really needed them very often. So now we are ready to branch out to the rest of Germany. We have our car here and have now secured German registration and licensing along with our German drivers licenses.

Here we go, for our first road trip, I took a day off work and Craig and I headed south from Berlin past Leipzig and east at Bayreun to the town of Grafenwohr. This actually took us just a short distance fom the border of the Czech Republic. There is an army base there so we were able to purchase American supplies at the Px and groceries at the Commissary. We do like and have an abundance of everything in Berlin, however it is comforting to purchase items in familiar packaging!

Then since we managed the trip to Grafenwoehr without difficulty, we then decided to drive on Columbus day to the Baltic Sea. This time we headed north to Rostok and on the north side of Rostok is the beach town of Warnamunde The day started out cloudy, but then cleared while we were having lunch. You can see the marked change in the photos after the sun came out.

We saw beautiful countryside and many windmills, both driving north and south to see how Germany is encouraging the use of alternative fuel sources such as wind!

Here are some photos from those two trips.

Day Of German Unity

2010-10-03T18:52:00.007+02:00

October 3 is the German Holiday, Day of German Unity. This year is the celebration of 20 years of a re-unified German. Living in Berlin, we are in the middle of the celebration. We took an early morning walk on Saturday morning to see the preparations for the celebration, and then went back out this afternoon and braved the crowds. Here are a few photos to share the mood of the city!

September in Berlin

2010-09-26T15:02:00.005+02:00

September in Berlin has been beautiful. The cooler weather is so refreshing. We have had some pristine days and some rain. All of it remainds us of the beautiful world the Lord has given us and how blessed we are. We are enjoying being more settled now with our comforts of home (e.g. American Television) and being comfortable with getting out and around Berlin.
Here are my recent photos of last weekends anti-Nuclear demonstration and this weekends Berlin marathon.

Spandau and the Burgfest

2010-09-12T17:26:00.006+02:00

I love comparing each new experience as to what is different and what is the same. An example of this mindset is taking an IKEA catalog out of our mailbox, that is the same, but opening it and all the writing is in German, reminds you it is not the same!

This week Craig found a newspaper listing for a Burgfest being held this weekend at Spandau just on the edge of Berlin. Going to a Renaissance type festival in a medival castle was too much to pass on, so off we went. Saturday was another beautiful late summer day, and we know we don't want to miss such an opportunity. So here are some photos from that outing.

Berlin Botanical Gardens

2010-09-12T17:13:00.005+02:00

On Monday, Labor Day, it was a beautiful pristeen day and we wanted to enjoy the outdoors so we took a walk through the Berlin Botanical Gardens. Here is a sampling of what we saw.

All our stuff!

2010-08-28T16:28:00.015+02:00

It has been a busy week for us in Berlin as we received all our stuff we shipped from the states! We have been waiting and whining for this stuff, and now that we have it we have to figure out how to put it all away! The common question is "Why did I bring this?" or when fatigue kicks in the question is "Why did YOU bring this?" Anyway there were a few obvious errors such as bringing cookie sheets and a roasting pan that do not fit in the oven, of course, who knew they wouldn't fit! Then there is the USA road atlas we unpacked and we both said, how did that get packed???
Anyway the week went quickly as Monday, we picked up the car. Craig expertly drove it across Berlin, we verified our garage parking space and haven't moved it since. We do need to take it out and get some gasoline, but it did arrive without any new dings or scratches, so all is good.
Tuesday we had the household goods delivered, so by now on Saturday we have had time to unpack and arrange and rearrange. Tuesday I unpacked the kitchen while Craig did everything else. Oh yes there were still 4 boxes to go when he was done.
Wednesday my office had me take a trip to Grafenwoehr, That was a real plus for me as the driver transported me and I was able to enjoy the German countryside and learn from his commentary on the locations as we passed! It was truly an enjoyable day, and yes, I was able to shop the commissary and Px while I was there. I stocked up on a few items we have been missing like microwave popcorn! And to top it off, Craig finished the unpacking while I was gone! Other than a few bent books due to careless packing, nothing was damaged or missing from the move.
Thursday and Friday passed quickly in the office as I had been out 2 days. So this morning I embarked on making homemade doughnuts as I was inspired by my new issued of Better Homes and Gardens cover. So here are the photos from this mornings effort. Then we finished reorganizing the stuff, planned where to hang pictures and now just have to wait on getting a few furniture items exchanged with the warehouse!
It has been a good week, Thank you Lord, for blessing us so much. We feel more blessed that we could have ever imagined!
Now, look at the photos and Guten Appetit!

39th Wedding Anniversary

2010-08-22T19:18:00.008+02:00

Craig and I came to Germany in 1970 with "Project Germany" a college group to work with churches of Christ in Germany. We spent the summer in Munich and Nurnberg and became engaged while in Nurnberg, Spending our anniversary here in Berlin brings back many wonderful memories of 1970. Here are the photos of our evening last night.
The menu was tailored to the preferences of Frederick the Great as this was his palace.

Random Photos of Berlin

2010-08-21T15:16:00.003+02:00

My German Kitchen

2010-08-21T14:31:00.005+02:00

I put these photos together for a specific friend who kept asking about my kitchen, but then decided to share it with everyone.

A peek inside our place

2010-08-19T19:55:00.020+02:00

Here are a few early photos of our living spaces.

First is the den or 2nd bedroom. It currently had a hide-a-bed, but this could change next week when the rest of our household goods arrive.

Next is the laundry room..or should I say laundry closet. Anyway it does the job and the clothes are clean!

Here is the kitchen
We have a table for 4 which really opens up and doubles in size. The table is holding our Saturday morning grocery purchase. That was about all we could carry so we get to make many trips to the store. Craig has valiantly taken on this chore and purchased himself a "Oma Cart" so he can get more home at each trip. The two cupboards in the corner are actually the refrigerator and freezer. The refrigerator is the top section and ya gotta be tall to reach the top shelves. The bottom section is the freezer. It all matches the rest of the cabinet.

This is the dining area of the living room. Nice table with 8 chairs. It even has another leaf and could seat 10!

The wall behind the curtains are all windows and there is a small round table and 4 chairs outside on the balcony.

One month is Berlin

2010-08-07T08:13:00.009+02:00

It has been ONE month since our arrival in Berlin and WOW! what a month it has been. Not sure where to begin…What is good…what we have done…what we have learned…and what we haven’t!

I love each morning to walk the six blocks to work. The streets are quiet with a few others walking to work, and those zipping by on bicycles, passing a few buses and not to many cars as many streets in the area are closed. There seems to be a lot of road construction for what I believe is increased subway connections. The weather is pleasant and on typical mornings I just need a long sleeve. The way has become familiar as I walk and pass other Embassy’s from Romania, Russia, France and Great Britain. I pass a variety of souvenir shops just opening, restaurants as well as the familiar Duncan Donuts and Starbucks Coffee. I resisted the Duncan Donuts until today, when I decided to treat my office as it is my one month anniversary! Then I pass the famous Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson held his infant son out the balcony window. And finally, the view of the Brandenburg Gate in the early morning light without crowds of people!

The afternoon walk home is entirely different as the streets are full of people and the Pariser Platz area in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Nevertheless we enjoy our beautiful apartment in the Mitte district of Berlin. We are blessed with most modern conveniences and technology in our living quarters.

What is good:

My job is good. The people in my office are wonderful to work with and they have all been a help in answering so many questions, translating for us and just being there every day.
The Lord’s church is good. We have enjoyed meeting and getting to know the group of Christians at the Gemeinde Christi in Berlin. They have really made us feel welcome and due to the international and transient nature of this city, the services are bilingual (German and English) and we have met new people every week. Craig is already on the schedule for preaching and completed one sermon last Sunday and is scheduled again for the end of August. We have a guest speaker coming for Weisbaden for the next two Sunday so that is someone else we will get to meet! It is so comforting to go anywhere in the world and meet a group of Christians who take you in and accept you as brothers and sisters. God is so good and has continued to watch over us through this moving process and provide open doors for us.
Our apartment is good. We have a lovely, modern 2 level apartment in the city center, yet it is quiet and pleasant. We are located on the 6th and 7th floors and the elevator works quickly and reliably. We have a lovely courtyard on one side and balconies and large windows on both sides. It is fully furnished and we are provided with all the comforts we need.

What we have done:

• Visit Scholss Charlottensburg
• Boat tour of Berlin

What we have learned:

• Berlin has double decker busses, reportedly more than London.
• The first floor is always listed as G and the next one up is 1, so if you are trying to leave a building pressing 1 on the elevator will not let you out, unless you are looking to walk down one flight of stairs.
• A German computer reverses the location of y and z. This can trip you up when your name is Nancy, I have to be careful or it comes out Nancz.
• To manage our German bank account and transition between Euros and Dollars.
• Buying groceries and daily needs.

What we haven’t learned:

• Fluency in German and enrollment in German language classes.
• How to get the attention of Kabel Deutschland to get our internet connection completed!
• Where are our household goods? The air shipment was to arrive in 2 weeks, and it was packed up on June 30. Now we are at 5 weeks and counting. We need to learn patience.

The Baughs are in Berlin

2010-07-07T18:52:00.003+02:00

We are here and getting adjusted to everything new! It is really great and we still have found no down side. We unpacked our luggage and the welcome kits provided by the govt and we are in good shape! Of course we still need to work out a few details like the internet, tv, phone etc so I'm writing this from Starbucks!

The city is beautiful and weather is perfect! Opening our windows provides a pleasant cool breeze! I've met people from my office and we spent time today at the Embassy. Then did a few other errands, like buy Craig new tennis shoes because I accidently threw out his when I put out the last trash from the garage!

The city is now alive with everyone displaying German Flags for tonights Soccer Game! Seeing alot of painted faces and people wearing leis in German colors. They are all streaming down the street to the Tiergarten to watch the game in 2 hours!

This is all for now...more to come

Movin on out, phase 2, 3, 4...

2010-07-03T02:06:00.001+02:00

We have spent this entire week in the move out process and here are a few photos. The sorting and arrangement of our stuff to stay here in storage or go to Berlin was the biggest project. The packers came on Monday to pack everything to go to storage. You can see from photos the elaborate methods we used to keep everything going the right direction. I didn't get any photos on Monday or Tuesday, cuz I couldn't even remember where my camera was. I found it on Wednesday in my suitcase, right where I thought I put it! Guess I was just too tired to see it.

Here is one of the trucks where they were loading the stuff going to Berlin into the crates...there were about 8 crates going into storage and 3 going to Berlin.

My analysis says we have too much stuff!
Oh well, it is now all packed!

Here is my kitchen with multi-colored post it notes identifying whether stuff is going to storage or to Berlin!

Craig, the retired guy, who has carried the brunt of the load of this move while I continued to go to the office everyday, until this week.

Craig, I could never do this without you. You are my strength and my support and make this whole adventure so much fun!!

Here is a sample of Craig's sorting technique!

So by Wednesday, at 5:00 PM everything was gone from the house, but the dirt!! So Thursday after running in to work for a couple hours, I spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen and baseboards around the house. Craig cleaned the car to prepare it for shipping. We also bought the paint and supplies to do the touch up work in the house to make it ready for the tenants. On Monday the Extended Stay in Springfield became our home, and we crashed there every night when we could no longer think or move!!

Today, Friday we just had to take the car to Baltimore for it's shipment! Oh no, we forgot that it must have less than 1/4 tank of gas and we filled it on Thursday morning. One trip to work didn't exactly use up that gas. We drove to Dulles airport and picked up our rental car and drove to Baltimore arriving there with still more than a 1/2 tank of gas. No, No, they said you have to drive the gas out! They did check our paperwork first and everything was correct! 5 copies of orders, car title, etc.. we had it all, just too much gas. So we headed away from Baltimore Harbor and drove to Havre de Grace, MD. We did stop for lunch. We stopped at two car repair places and asked them to siphon out the gas. No, No, the newer cars are built with an anti-siphon device and you can't siphon it out, ya gotta drive it out. Oh yes, they close at 4 so gotta be back by then! Today was one day when you wish the car did not get good gas mileage!! WE drove and drove and considering it was Friday of a Holiday Weekend the traffic continued to get worse as the day lengthened and that gas gauge would hardly move! We went back at 3 and the girl looked and said, no, no drive some more. Finally, at 3:50 we pulled back in, it looked to be a hair under the 1/4 tank mark and we were out of time! Success!! she agreed to pass it. I went in and completed the paperwork and then was told it has to be inspected. Oh no, what now. Well Craig's cleaning job was great and the car passed and they accepted it for its own voyage to Berlin. Hopefully we will see our dear Honda Accord in Berlin in 60-90 days as I was told. I think by then we should be used to the public transportation system and our own two feet! Maybe walking will be just the kick we need to lose those extra pounds!!

Florida Visit

2010-07-03T01:56:00.002+02:00

On the 26th we flew to Florida to see Craig's Mom. Here she is as we visited the Leu Botanical gardens on Sunday afternoon, before our evening flight home. At 91 we admire her spunk and independence and wonder if any of us will be so strong and independent at such an advanced age. No one better tell her I put her photo and age on the internet!

Colorado Visit

2010-06-25T23:31:00.002+02:00

Here are photos from our quick trip to Colorado last weekend. It was a special treat to see my nephew, Rodger Ward, who recently moved to Denver! One more guy for dinner was a great fit with the Baugh Boys!!

Of course the Grands, Elliot and Reid were the stars of the visit! We just can't get enough of those little guys!

Movin on out! Phase 1

2010-06-17T04:47:00.002+02:00

Didn't really calculate the space needs, so we just rented the biggest truck they had. Craig and Tim spent all day on Flag day loading for the drive to Denver. We are storing "stuff" there in the house with Scott... the trek begins. Note they even hung out the flag since it was Flag day when they were loading. They left out Tuesday morning with the 0700 DC commuters traffic and drove to Indy. Tonight they are hunkered down in Ft Riley Kansas with sights on Denver tomorrow. So far, one nail in a tire of the Camry has been the only hiccup. Gus is traveling well, but likely confused as to what has happened to life as he has known it. The nice backyard there, should settle him in quite nicely. I'll join them out there on Friday night as I gotta go and see the grands before we leave. Of course the visit with Larry, Amy and Scott is important too.

Also hope to see nephew Rodger as he has recently moved to Denver too!

Other big news is we have a tenant for our house in Virginia and are finalizing that lease.

I picked up the Passports and VISAs today.

Time is getting short. Should be on the ground in Berlin in 3 weeks. The dream is alive and becoming more real each day.

Sunday dinner with friends

2010-06-17T04:30:00.001+02:00

We have enjoyed many visits together with our friends Dennis & Fern Musteen, and Allen & Emmanelle Rose. Allen and Emmanelle have been out of town for months so it was a special visit to get together again before we leave. They are such an inspiration to us. They have been special to Tim for many years so it was especially good that he was home and we were all able to be together. Worship together and sharing a meal with friends....God is so good!

We are hoping that Allen and Emmanelle can steal some time away from their grands in Scotland and hop over to Berlin and see us this fall

All the better to see you with...

2010-06-17T03:50:00.001+02:00

Dr Mancini has taken care of all our visual needs for the past 20 years! Here we are picking up our latest specs on Saturday. We need to have a clear image of all the sights in Germany. It was a special treat for Tim to be home and see her too! She first saw him at age 5. He still managed to bum some free contact lens solution from her.

Thanks Dr Mancini for all the great eyecare!!

Happy Feet going to Berlin

2010-06-09T02:09:00.001+02:00

It is a beautiful, sunny, afternoon in Northen Virignia. Traffic was heavy, but I felt great as I just received and "all clear" report from my Oncologist and have my medical records as a referral for my next physician. My car was just drawn into the DSW parking lot. I thought, I'll just run in for a minute and see if I can spice up my shoe wardrobe to go to Berlin. We all know these dangerous thoughts, but I thought I needed to treat myself. Upon entry to the store, they were ready for me. The clearance racks were by the front door. As I scanned the racks, each shoe I put on felt perfect. When I became laden with 3 boxes, the store clerk offered ma a shopping bag...not a good move, now I could handle these with ease. I made my way back to the full clearance room and found 2 more pair! Too much to walk away from. I chatted with another customer and showed her my stash, of course she approved. I decided trying on shoes after 5 PM and they didn't hurt, had to be a sign I should buy them all. So here to share with is is my take for the afternoon.

Bloomberg Visit in Texas

2010-06-07T00:52:00.000+02:00

I'm having trouble keeping up with this blog and I haven't even made it to Berlin yet! I think I fluctuate between feeling of euphoria over this new opportunity and the paralysis of inability to stay on track and finish each thing. I keep telling myself, write it down...do one thing at a time. So here we go, the Baughs are coming to Berlin in 30 days!

Last weekend we traveled to Texas and visited Mother, Sister and Brother. It was great to relax and visit, and yes, honor the Bloomberg tradition of a few rubbers of Bridge. Oh yes, I was also able to get a stash of my favorite Merle Norman make-up products. Thanks Sis! Good times for all!

Mother needed a photo as she has been chosen as the 2010 Honorary Chairman of the East Texas Memory Walk for the Alzheimers Association. Margaret and I tried a photo shoot and just after she returned home from her weekly visit to the Beauty Shop. Here is the photo we deemed worthy of this honor.

Callie Bloomberg

2010 Honorary Chairman of the East Texas Memory Walk for the Alzheimers Association.

Margaret and David Harris

Mary and Chuck Bloomberg

Mother and Daughters

Baugh Clan

2010-05-26T11:35:00.000+02:00

Here is the whole Baugh crew except Lisa who was so kind to take the photo.

Nancy, Craig, James, Gary, Kitty and Jason.

Family Visit

2010-05-26T11:25:00.000+02:00

Saturday we spent the afternoon with Craig's brother and nephew! Here are the photos including the newest Baby Boy Baugh, James Thomas Baugh! All the Baugh Babies are so adorable and James definately continues the trend!

Craig and James

Lisa and James

Jason on the Grill!

Craig and Gary

James Thomas Baugh

Signs of Progress

2010-05-22T04:20:00.001+02:00

An empty bookcase

Boxes that are packed!

New laptop computers! One for each of us as we admit that we don't share well!
...Now if I just knew how to transfer everything onto the new computer...or maybe just wait for someone to do it for me.

And if anybody is still counting, we are leaving 6 weeks from Monday. The reservations are made, we have housing confirmed in Berlin, and the Household goods shipment is scheduled!

House for Rent

2010-05-14T23:22:00.002+02:00

It is a big step that is now completed. We have completed the listing and our house is now officially on the rental market. We are hoping to find some nice family to rent it and take care of it for the three years we are away! Just sitting back now and waiting for the right people to come along.

We do have the moving paperwork initiated so that is another hurdle we have completed!

Craig has been busy with packing items that he will move to Denver. It is just about 7 weeks now and we will be on our way. I think I better be busy this weekend with sorting and weeding out files and stuff. There is no point in moving things that really need to be discarded.

Overall, I just continue to be amazed as everything is coming together nicely.

A Home for Gus

2010-05-03T02:07:00.000+02:00

Scott has found a house and everything is all set for him to move in and make a home for Gus while we are away! This is such a big help for us as we continue to plan to move to Berlin. We have the peace of mind knowing Gus has a good home with Scott, and we can also store a vehicle and other items there. The Lord has really blessed us by having so many things work out.

On another note, Craig preached at King George, VA on Sunday and we said good-bye to so many friends at the church there. We will continue to pray for this new congregation of the Lord's Church as they grow and mature and minister to families throughout King George County.

Other progress we have made in the past week includes:

Roof repair completed on our current house
Decision made to rent out this house and expect to have it on the market shortly!
Eye appointment completed for Craig.
The packing of Craig's library of 4000 books is started.
Received the Rosetta Stone Language program and I am trying to learn German!

Where does the time go? We do have so many memories of this area, but yet feel so ready to go on to this new Adventure. So many people have touched our lives and we will continue to remember and treasure each one!

Nine weeks to go!

Gus

2010-04-27T03:38:00.001+02:00

Gus has been with us for the past 8 years, however, we have decided that he cannot come with us to Germany! This past week he has had a visit with the friendly neighborhood vet, and despite his barking and disturbance in the clinic, had all his shots brought up to date in preparation for His big move. Where is he going? Scott has agreed to make a few adjustments to his living condition and take care of Gus for the three years we are away! I have no doubt Gus will enjoy the Rocky Mountain air and all the new adventures he will have until we return. He will be able to meet his dog cousins! Windy lives with Larry, Amy, and boys; and Cam, the youngest cousin, and lives with Tim! I'm sure all the boys and their dogs will do well while we are away!

Our departure is now 10 weeks away and there is still so much to do. I just try and take one day at a time and trust that in the time we have, it will all be done!

It has been a busy week in Lorton

2010-04-20T03:00:00.001+02:00

It has been a busy week in Lorton....

As we continue to plan and prepare for this upcoming move, the details to be taken care of each day continue to mount, however as I look back on the past week I can see the steps that have been accomplished.

The passport applications are done.

The plans have been made at my job for transitioning my work to other people.

The realtor is coming over tomorrow evening, so we are tackling the house decisions head on.

The housing request for Berlin is completed.

We are leaving on 5 July with arrival in Berlin on 6 July.

Next up will be actually getting the move scheduled with the movers. Hopefully, we will get that on the books soon, as we all know mid-summer is a very popular time for moving! Writing it down makes it all look so simple, so why have I been worrying about it all week? I keep telling myself not to stress over this and take it one step at a time. So easy to say, and so hard to do.

Another thought I want to express is the whole role reversal thing about this move. During the 39 years Craig and I have been married, his job and career have been the driving force. However, when he retired in 2008, I thought I'm not ready yet! I need just a little more time to add to the retirement pot, so I kept on working. I've been saying, I'll quit when we have a plan. Meanwhile I would apply for randomly interesting jobs which involved moving. Now it is MY job we are moving for! It just makes me feel so important. Craig has been so great, he is equally excited at the prospect of all the things he can do in Germany!

We have identified that for at least the past 6 years we are restless, and looking for an adventure. I guess this is our way of dealing with having adult children rather than children growing up in the home. This is our time to take on something different. We have the two most precious grandchildren in the world and this will take us even farther away from them. However, they have very capable parents, so this allows us to still have our adventure! It was so touching to hear the 4yr old voice on the phone Saturday evening saying, "Grammy, there is a volcano in Iceland and you can't fly to Europe!" Of course, he knows this because his capable patient and caring parents have explained it to him!

God is so good and we feel His hand and guidance is there for us in this move. Let us never forget to give Him the glory and honor He deserves.

...A season for every activity under heaven Ecc 3:1

2010-04-13T02:05:00.000+02:00

Today I accepted a new job and this is such a huge change, I decided I wanted to blog the whole experience. Then I will have a record of all my thoughts and experiences in this coming stage of my life. Having never written a blog before I'm starting out in new territory so I'm not sure if anyone really wants to read this...but here goes.

This is the most exciting thing! Craig and I are moving to Berlin! I will work there in the American Embassy and he gets to continue to be the "retired guy." Since finding this out on Friday we have had out minds racing a million miles an hour! How are we going to manage to get from here to there? How can we manage to get this all done? How much time do we have? What do we do first?

So after talking to our families and friends over the weekend, today I accepted the job!

Shortly thereafter I received a call from my new office and it is all so exciting. Still negotiating with both offices for a start date...looks like I'll get some initial training! That should be helpful.

We have communicated with some real estate people and are tackling what seems to be the most immediate question to answer. Do we sell or rent the house? Stay tuned for further thoughts and discussion on this!

When I got home from work I did find out that Craig had scheduled to get the carpets cleaned on Wednesday!! That shows great initiative and that will be a great initial help.

The background to this whole idea is that Craig and I have dreamed about living in Germany, ever since we were in Project Germany during our college years at ACU. We even got engaged in Nurnberg! So here we are off on our lifetime adventure and planning to head to Berlin!