Rabimmel-Rabammel-RaBUMM

 November 10. One of my favorite days of the year when I was a child!

On this very special day, German kids gather in groups, and go from door to door singing songs. They carry lanterns, often homemade, and maybe one or two of them will bring a recorder and try not play out of tune. And why do they do this? For sweets, of course! Lots and lots of them!

All this happens in honor of the two Martins. Either St. Martin who divided his warm coat with a sword and shared it with a homeless man on a cold winter night, or alternatively Martin Luther. It depends on which region you live in, but I don't think the kids actually care. For them, it's about the sweets. About lots of sweets!

As an adult, it's not exactly as much fun, as either you need to take extra care when you're driving your car after dark, or you're the one accompanying the kids and suddenly you find that you've been degraded to a mere packmule because they have gathered so many sweets they need help to carry them! Or you're the one who stays at home and opens the door. You may need to listen to the same song 20 times or more.

I remember that in the good old days, we knew exactly where we needed to go in order to get the best stuff. Who would be generous and who wouldn't. Where you would only get "healthy" things - opposed to the small snack bar where you would get a portion of french fries. Of course you'd prefer densely populated areas anyway. This was basically my first lesson in learning how to work effectively...

Do you know what my favorite song was? Here's the English translation:

I'm going with my lantern, 

and my lantern goes with me. 

Up there the stars are shining, 

down here it's us who are. 

My light's gone out, I'm going home 

Rabimmel-Rabammel-RaBUMM! 

Don't ask what "Rabimmel-Rabammel-Rabumm" means. It doesn't have any real meaning. But imagine kids shouting it out fervently, and it makes perfect sense!

Fall Impressions

10 reasons why I love it here.

Autumn Weirdness

source: Wikipedia

Yesterday afternoon, when it was already getting dark, I had to run an errand in my hometown, Werther. Yes, it is the very same Werther as in Werther's Originals, the caramel candies. They were invented here more than a hundred years ago. 

Anyways.

I hopped into the small black French car I own and set out for the three-mile journey. Isn't it strange that I ended up only three miles from where I grew up? Some spiteful people might think I didn't get far... but what can I say? I like it here.

As soon as I came into town, all I saw was - Christmas lights! All over the place. City workers had apparently just put them up and were trying to find out if they were all working correctly (and I was thinking of Chevy Chase).

The very same moment some guys on the radio were talking about the almost summer-like temperatures outside as it's actually far too warm considering it's early November. "To get into the mood: Here's Joe Cocker and Summer in the City!"

November 6. Looking at christmas lights while listening to Summer in the City.

Autumn weirdness.

The small Elephant and the giant Pumpkin...

Seems like not only human being enjoy a pumpkin or two once in a while...

Maybe it's time for a visit at our local zoo...

November Colors

Can you actually believe we're only two months away from New Year's Day?

Seriously!

As I'm still dealing with the remnants of a terrible cold that bothered me the past two and a half weeks, I had planned to spend the afternoon on the sofa, snuggled up with various blankets, reading one or two novels and sipping hot tea. But then... even a couch potato like me can't resist to get some fresh air on a beautiful autumn day like this!

And thinking ahead - I still had some crocus and tulip bulbs that needed planting. In our garden, there's this old zinc bathtub that we found when we moved in here. It held Sweet Annie until a few days ago (well, at least a part of it did), and so I set out, my delicate neck wrapped in several thick scarves, to do some planting while breathing some incredibly clear air.

I thought it would look cute to set the bulbs in not a 100 % straight rows, smallest in front. So (looking at the picture) from top to bottom I planted

Leek Allium Purple Sensation

Tulip Blushing Apeldoorn

Tulip Seadov Triumph

Mixed Triumph Tulips

and 

Crocus Ruby Giant (Tommassinianus). 

Keep your fingers crossed they'll make it though the winter and bloom next sping. I'm not really famous for my green thumb... But maybe it helps that the soil I used comes from our composter. 

I decided to leave the right hand part of the bathtub just as it was. The still green leaves between the maple foliage belong to what's left of the summer flowers I had out this and also last year - their seeds were a free sample, so I have no idea what sorts they are. I got them as a gift when I suddenly got in the mood for a very girly Oilily perfume a while ago. Let's just hope they'll survive another winter. If they don't... well, a very nice garden center is located only about two or three miles from here...

Finally, I thought it may be a good idea to put a net above the at least the part of the tub where I set the bulbs - we have a trio of nasty magpies here and I wouldn't like them to have a ball picking out their treasures. Still I don't have a clue how to actually secure the net, but if I come up with a solution I'll let you know. Ideas are welcome!

As you can see, I didn't bother to gather all the leaves out of the tub - it would have been a Sisyphean task anyway. The leaves these days are falling faster than you can say "foliage" properly anyway. If you need proof:

This is our driveway. Last swept not even 48 hours ago.

Sisyphean.

We'll get to it again tomorrow. I guess. Though I like the idea of hiding the concrete.

When I got back into the house, the sun prepared to set.

November colors. Gray isn't one of them. 
At least not yet.