I started learning the German language in Middle School, eighth grade to be exact. I loved German class even more than I thought I would. After all of this time, I still remember some of the conversation examples used in the book, like “Wo ist Monika?” (Where is Monika?) “Im Boot.” (In the boat.) “Wo ist der Hut?” (Where is the hat?) “In der Stube.” (In the living room.) (Truly not literary masterpieces, but they helped us learn.) The following year I was a High School freshman in German II class and I was able to compete at the state level. (Yes, a state-level German competition.) Categories in the competition…
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One of These Things Is Not Like The Other…
D was home from college last weekend, to observe Yom Kippur with the family. On Friday night, Jim and I had just gone to bed and were watching the news when we heard a commotion in the bathroom. The boys were arguing about a toothbrush. It was unusual to hear them arguing, actually: since D started college last year, they seem to get along so much better now that they each have some space. Muting the television so we could hear what was being said, we ascertained that J has been using D’s “at-home toothbrush”, thinking it was his. Once the “That’s my toothbrush!” “No, it’s MINE!” part of the…
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Happy Days
Tuesday nights in the early 1970’s meant one thing in my house: “Happy Days”. I wasn’t the only one who loved the show: my parents, having spent their teenaged years in the 1950’s, were also huge fans of Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie, Mr. and Mrs. C, and–of course–The Fonz. A couple of years after “Happy Days” premiered, “Laverne & Shirley” spun off and joined the Tuesday night lineup on ABC. I always wanted to be Laverne: assertive, outgoing, and sassy. One Halloween I even dressed up as Laverne, and a friend of mine who was cuter and much smaller than I dressed up as Shirley. Seriously. So, knowing that,…
- Best Thing Ever, Family Fun, Food, I've Got Mad Skillz, Jim Has Mad Skillz, My Sister Has Mad Skillz
Sometimes It’s Best If You Schedule These Things.
Confession time: over the past year or so (maybe even eighteen months: I’ve lost track!), Jim and I have been in a rut. I never thought it would happen to us, but it did. We used to have plenty of time, and plenty of desire. In fact, on the nights when I didn’t feel like it, he took charge, and vice versa. As of late, our busy schedules and pure exhaustion at the end of the day turned the tides. When we least expected it, something we used to do almost every single day became an afterthought, a rarity. Of course I’m talking about cooking dinner. We used to have…
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Word-full Wednesday: The Lake Michigan Edition
I have a friend named Tara. Many of you know Tara too. If you are one of the lucky ones who know her, you know that she is a very, very talented photographer. Her pictures of the beach, in particular, completely blow me away, and when I see that she has posted new pictures of the beaches near her home in Florida, I always have a couple of thoughts in my head: 1. “My God, is that beautiful!” 2. “Tara is so talented!” 3. “I wish I could take some pictures near a beach right now!” On Monday, I finally had my chance to try my hand at grabbing some…