Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts

Friday, March 25, 2016

Vacation & Art

This past week Daniel has been on break from teaching, which means it's been both a relaxing and a busy week for us. It has also made it difficult for me to visit many of your blogs, which I intend to remedy this weekend!

We decided to go away for a few days and visit Apalachicola, a small town in the panhandle area of Florida. We loved it!
There really wasn't much to do around there, except walk around town, eat in several very good restaurants, visit the local coffee shop, the excellent bakery and a few of the galleries.



We were pleased to see that Apalachicola also has their very own brewery, where we sat for a while, tasted their excellent beer and talked with some interesting people.
On one of the days, we drove to a river that originates in one of Florida's warm springs. Our hope was to maybe see some manatees. They come to the warm springs in the colder weather as they need warm water temperatures to survive.
Alas, there were none to be seen, but we still had a gorgeous paddle! It took us two hours to paddle upstream, but just one hour to get back. The way back was definitely more relaxing.
We did see a few alligators and we both noticed how used to them we have gotten over the years. We didn't even take photos.
The scenery was gorgeous!
We rented a tandem paddle, which was fun! I was in the front because Daniel is so much better at steering than I am.
The water looked dark, but it was crystal clear.

We saw lots of lots of turtles. I loved how the one above was stretching out its hind legs. Very graceful... In the photo below an Anhinga was drying its wings.

Back home, I have been busy working on our taxes (oh, joy!) and also doing some painting. I am working on all kinds of things at the moment. Below is a detail of a large painting, which I am sure will change drastically, but I sort of liked this somewhat raw stage.
Then I've been taking the online class "Expressions" by Renata Loree, which is really good. I'm somewhat behind since we were on vacation when it started, but luckily it's self-paced.
I will be drawing different face and head angels and also expressions (like the worried one on the drawing below). Another part of the class will be dealing with hands. That will be a challenge! Drawing in general is a challenge for me since it requires a good deal of patience, which I often lack... Good practice!
And then, of course, there are my little paintings. I have three in the works right now, but none finished to show you.
I am linking again to Paint Party Friday, a great hub for artistic inspiration! Head on over to have a look!

In the meantime, I wish all of you who celebrate a Happy Easter! And definitely a beautiful week for all of us!

Silke

Sunday, December 29, 2013

2013 Coming to a Close

Dear friends, as the year is drawing to a close and we have returned from our travels, I wanted to write just a few lines to tell you how much I appreciate you accompanying me on my life journey. 
This last year has not been easy for me. Objectively seen, it wasn't so bad at all, but then our own lives are never "objectively seen" by us, are they? Our experience is always highly subjective. My year started out on a very anxious note and I didn't feel that anxiety drop away from me until now.
I felt like I held my breath all year, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's all just life happening, I know, but some parts of life are easier for me to handle than others. Just sayin'!
In early December we left on our yearly cruise with my dad and also Daniel's uncle, who had introduced us all to cruising in the first place. It was wonderful! The weather was warm and beautiful, the ocean was moving and rocking us gently, the food was amazing, and we even got to experience a light show or two traveling through some thunderstorms near Panama.
I enjoyed every moment of it, recovering from a persistent cold that had snagged me just before Thanksgiving and finding back to myself. I read and knitted, ate and slept, went exploring and saw new places.
And all through it I marveled at the ocean and how it could be so beautifully blue and green.
Now back in Savannah, my dad has left for Germany (he arrived back home just in time for Christmas) and Daniel has also flown to Europe, where he'll be teaching in France for the next three months. I get to have two months by myself here at home before I join him in Europe at the end of February to see my family and do some traveling with Daniel.

I intend to use those two months alone as the gift that they are, to find back to center, to be creative and to engage in some serious self care. And to write and share in my blog, and use this time to set a different tone for 2014. Less anxiety and more balance. Much more balance.
2014 promises to be a very different year for us, much lighter and with some really fun events on the horizon which I intend to share with you. And with that, a toast to you for a Very Happy New Year! May 2014 bring you closer to all that you desire.

I'm grateful that you are a part of my life!


Silke

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Getting back...

Welcome back! After almost a month break from blogging, I thought I'd just jump back in. Otherwise that might have been it for my blog. But I think I still have things to share...

Daniel took this picture of me while we were visiting gorgeous Brugge in Belgium a few weeks ago. We spent three weeks in Germany, Holland and Belgium visiting family and friends and had a wonderful time.

There are many photos to share (which aren't quite ready yet) and I think we are both still processing all that we saw and did while over there. We probably packed three months worth of "stuff" into three weeks. A little insane, but so soul-nourishing!

I hope you are all doing well and am looking forward to slowly getting back to connecting with you again!

And I'm looking forward to getting back to my art and my knitting and other creative projects! Stay tuned...

Silke

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Road Trip - Part 3: Fauna

Well, these pigs aren't exactly wildlife, but we thought they were pretty cute. They, as well as the chicken below, we found on an old homestead in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (I'll have more photos of the old buildings in a later post). The chicken did not like its picture taken, so we left it alone right after Daniel snapped this photo lest it attack us...
There were butterflies everywhere, which is something I always love!

A little snail made its way up a tree,
and wild turkeys were strutting their stuff!
One evening we spied a huge elk. If you click on the photo to see it larger, you can see that he's wearing a collar - I assume to track his movements. I read that Elk were native to the Smoky Mountains but their numbers had been decimated over years of hunting. This elk belongs the ones that have been reintroduced into the park.
Now, the most exciting wildlife we saw - a black bear - was running so fast across our path that we didn't have time to get the camera out. Daniel first thought it was a big black dog and then realized it was a bear and yelled to me. We both got a look at it before it disappeared into the forest. It was the first bear I've seen (Daniel had already seen on in New Mexico) and it was so exciting! And thanks to the great information at the North American Bear Center, I was not even afraid.

In Shenandoah National Park we saw many, many deer, some of them right around our tent at night. This one was hiding,
this one right out in the open,
and this little fawn we surprised out of its hiding place, and we felt bad about it! It ran a few feet and found another safe spot.
Monkeys?!? Well....we went to the National Aquarium where we saw the next three exotic creatures in a rain forest exhibit. Of course, we saw lots of fish as well, but didn't think to take photos!


In Williamsburg, VA, we took the car ferry across the James River (so beautiful!!) and Daniel snapped this photo of seagulls flying alongside us.
And when we arrived at the pier, we saw this huge osprey nest. We saw the baby briefly before it snuggled back down, but the adult bird was magnificent to observe!

And then, the wildlife back at home so happy that we were back!
It's good to be gone and it's good to be home again!!

I hope you aren't tired of our photos yet, as tomorrow I have for you Part 4: Old Homesteads.

P.S. Daniel's knee is continuing to improve. After last Saturday, his knee gave him lots more trouble (I think the surgery pain killers wore off) and he had to lie down much more and ice it. But starting today, he's able to move a little more again. Thank you for all your well wishes!!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

I'm Baaaaack!

Hi, everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that we are back and had a most wonderful and inspiring time (photos to follow - lots of them!!).

I still have my posts pre-scheduled through the weekend as Daniel is having arthroscopic knee surgery tomorrow. It's nothing serious, but I wanted to keep my time free as I drive him around to surgery and then physical therapy.

I do hope that I'll have time during the next few days to check in with you all and see what exciting things have been happening in your lives. I've missed you!!!!

Now, I'm off to do laundry, get groceries and all those exciting things that let us know we are back home...

Monday, March 15, 2010

Cold Update...

Today, we were supposed to leave for a few exciting days in Everglades National Park, canoeing with the alligators and other wildlife (I was secretly hoping to see a Burmese Pythons - from far away), but instead I am heading to the doctor's office with a very stubborn sinus infection.

I was assured though that the Everglades will still be there for us to visit when I am feeling well. In the meantime, we'll enjoy Daniel's break right here in beautiful Savannah and along our coast. And when my nose is under control again, I'll be back to posting and visiting your blogs!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Presents



When my dad visited, he brought with him a couple of gifts I want to show you (Danke, Papa!!). The first is a gorgeous stoneware pitcher from a small village in Germany, called Adendorf, that has a history of creating beautiful pottery. We both love pottery and next time we visit my family, we'll have to go see this place for ourselves.

My dad also brought us an issue of a German magazine called Landlust. A few years ago, he had a role in getting it started. It's about anything connected with living in the country and I love it! It has interesting articles, recipes, craft projects, gardening tips and even knitting patterns! Plus, it has a fresh and beautiful look! For all of you in Germany, you can take a look at it here.




A couple of days ago, I received a surprise in the mail from my dear blogging friend Dorthe, who lives in Bornholm, a Danish island. She sent me one of her gorgeous driftwood angels and an old map of Bornholm, because she knew that I vacationed there with my family when I was five. Thank you so much, Dorthe! She makes the most magical creations, so make sure you head over to her blog!
I promised Dorthe that I'd post a couple of photos from this vacation for her to see. Most of them were beach photos, but here are a couple that she might recognize. In the first one, I am the little girl on the right (I was five years old at the time). Next to me is the daughter of family friends. We were at the port either waiting for my aunt and uncle to come in on a ship or to see them off.
And here a photo with my mom. I remember that to be such a fun vacation. The weather was beautiful, the beaches white as snow, the water perfect, lots of laughing and I remember reading my first book out loud.

It was called Tausche Baeren Gegen Hund (Trading a Bear for a Dog) and I can still recite some of the lines. Can you still remember the first book you were able to read by yourself?