My Apartment

Although my apartment is small, it's actually quite roomy, and the natural light that streams in the large windows makes it seem very open. There is a main living/sleeping area equipped with a built-in bed platform and rustic shelves, a separate kitchen, an entryway, and a bathroom (luckily). The first two pictures show the kitchen, and the last two the main living area. The university and the subway station are about a ten minute walk from the apartment.

Munich--First Impressions

My first few days in Munich have been spent with administrative matters and with getting settled in my apartment. Here are a few pictures of places I've visited to get things in order.

This is where I have to register my presence in DL and obtain my work permit. It's like a labryinth inside, and after several frustrating visits, I've decided it is quite "Kafkaesque." On Monday I should have everything sorted out, and then I'll be in the system. Hopefully.

Here is a useful, not too expensive department store. It's two or three subway stops from my apartment on the famous Marienplatz.

This store with a funny sounding name to English-speaking ears is very near my apartment, and I can get all kinds of household items here. Actually, everything I need is in the neighborhood all within walking distance: grocery stores, bakeries, etc.

To show the ambiance of the area, here's a sidewalk cafe scene. It was a cool day, but that doesn't deter people from sitting outside.

And I'll sign off with a picture of these pansies taken at the nearby local market. In German they're called "Stiefmuetterchen" (little step-mothers).

Baby Sweater

Here's the sweater I just finished for Joanna's new baby. The yarn, a nubby cotton acrylic blend by Plymouth in a DK weight, came with the pattern and the buttons. The sweater is very soft and is machine washable.

More Scooters

Here are some fun pictures of Conrad and his friend Brian and their scooters on a recent outing on a beautiful (but cold) day in Seattle:

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a scooter in our garage when I get back from Germany this summer...Greg is very envious!

Scary Dog Story

Yesterday on a walk with all three dogs Beau slipped through the slats of a fence where there are two labs who always bark at us. I didn't know the labs were out in the yard or I would have crossed to the other side of the street. B. jumped in there before I could react. Both dogs latched on to him and wouldn't let go. I couldn't get B. back out and I didn't want to choke him to death by pulling him out by his leash. I yelled and yelled for the owner to come out and call off his dogs. Finally I did manage to pull B. out by his leash, and he was literally hanging by the neck as I pulled him over the fence. I couldn't get him out any other way.

He survived, but I knew he had been bit up pretty badly. I took B. to the emergency clinic where they cleaned and stitched his wounds. He had three fairly deep punctures, including one inside his mouth. He and I are both on antibiotics now--I also got bit twice in the process!

Needless to say, I will never walk by that yard again! And Beau...what a dumb little dog to go after those labs...what was he thinking? I hope he learned a lesson.

I'm still shaking today. I think I'll do some knitting and take it easy!

In Love with Purple

I love to knit and decorate with purple, or more specifically, lavender and what I like to call "aubergine" (a deep eggplant color). These shades are rich, yet also soft and subtle, and they go with many other colors (especially green and turquoise). The purple bowl contains variegated purple yarn on the left and the lavender and aubergine socks (knitted on two circular needles) on the right. The variegated purple yarn is a super bulky-weight cotton/acrylic blend by Sirdar called "Denim Ultra," and it is to become a sweater for sister Fran. Our aubergine couch is in the background.

Book news:

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. There's a reason they call books like this "classics." What a moving story! So much about the treatment of women in Hardy's time seems like it could still apply today. The latest PBS film of this story is beautifully done and follows the book exactly.

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. This amazing memoir was written by a ballet dancer who defected from China in the early 1980s to dance with the Houston Ballet. He came from a peasant family and was chosen as a young boy to be trained at Madam Mao's dance school. It's written in a simple, straightforward style that reveals the author's intelligence and sensitivity--and the story is also very dramatic!

Euro Bed

Our new European-style bed is ready to show off...we've been assembling the various parts of it since early January. Notice how we each have our own mattress and our own comforter so that we can sleep in the same bed without bothering each other (Greg says I pull the covers and jiggle the bed). The mattresses and foundations are "Tempur-pedic," and we really do think they are extremely comfortable.