Hi All,
I apologize for it being so long since my last post but October was a difficult month for us. When you see what happened, you will understand why. November was better and I was able to get some touring done with the USO.
OCTOBER:
To start the month of October, I took a tour bus to Munich Germany with the USO. Yes, we did "Octoberfest" in the city that is said to have started it all.
"OctoberFest" is basically a huge party and carnival. Lots of rides and vendors adorn the grounds with so many items that you get confused as to what you are looking at. There are also beer gardens galore and boy can the Germans drink!!! We had beer flying all over the place and sometimes wine. It is really funny to watch the Americans trying to keep up with the Germans. Needless to say, the Germans beat them ever time.
In addition, everyone that can, dresses in the old fashioned style of Lederhosen and Dirndles and parades around the fair grounds with their mugs o beer. The Americans join in as well and you often find them with the Germans, passed out on the street somewhere.
Luckily, our USO guests made it back to the bus on time and we had no troubles getting home but my wrist hurt for a couple of days after because of lifting the giant mugs o beer. (Only had one. that is my limit).
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| Me and the closest thing I could find to Traditional German Dress |
Our Son, David came to visit us here on October 9th. Because we only have one car with two seats, Sterling and David spent a lot of time running around Germany and seeing the sites. (I do not like to drive on the autobahn very much). They went to Cologne, Munich, Castle looking, golfing and walked around our town of Wiesbaden. We took him to our favorite restaurants here in town (walking to these is simple) and showed him our favorite places to have a beer and relax. Of course, mom had to take him shopping and so we went to base and bought some clothes for his new job. It was great fun and he loves Germany. He is already planning his next trip out here and we can't wait to have him back and the also the other kids as well.
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| I bet a young Frau caught someone's eye. |
We are excited to announce that Kristen and Ben bought and have moved into their first house. It is not far away from our house and we congratulate them and hope their home is everything they could wish for.
We have hired a property management company to come in and get our house ready to rent. We are hoping that it will be listed within the next couple of weeks so please let us know if you know of someone who would like to rent a house. Thanks.
While we truly enjoyed David's visit in October, we were also stricken with heartache. First of all, on October 9th, we learned of the death of our dear friends son, Danny. Danny was only 29 years old and filled with ambitions of being a chef. He was a funny character and always tried to make people laugh.
Danny passed away from a brain aneurysm he sustained as the result of a fall he took. Danny was the son of our good friends Connie and Steve and we have known this family for nearly 25 years. Our kids played together all the time and literally grew up together. Our son Tim and Danny were best friends when they were younger and in fact, Danny introduced Tim and our Daughter in Law, Amanda. This is the second child that Steve and Connie have had to bury as their youngest son Tyler, passed away in 2007 from brain cancer. What a heartache this family has had to endure and I can't imagine what it would be like to loose a child, let alone two. However, the spirit of both these young men are around us all the time. Connie and Steve and their daughter Jessica, live their lives in a positive and productive way by giving back to those that need help and are always the light that shines on a sad situation, no matter what it is. They are the greatest friends and we share their grief every day. We love you Connie, Steve and Jessica and think about the kids everyday. Memories are ours and will never leave us!
On October 16th, I slipped in the bathtub, while taking a shower. Bathtubs here in Germany are deep soaking tubs and you have to climb up and into them. When I slipped, I fell out of the tub and onto the floor. In doing so, I broke my right arm in half, just above the elbow. Surgery happened the next day and I spent a week in a German hospital, rather than going with the USO to Poland for a Pottery Trip. (ARGH). I now have a 10 inch plate in my right arm and pins at the top. I have been going to Physical Therapy, twice a week and will continue to do so until such time I heal. While I am gaining more mobility in my arm, it is not healing the way the doctors had hoped it would. This is due to the severity of the break. I am told that I may need additional surgery and it may be up to 6 months before I regain full use of my arm without pain. Please be careful when you are at home. Accidents occur there just as easily as anywhere else. I do not wish this pain on even my worst enemy.
For those of you that know us, you will know our relationship with Gary Draper and his wife Teresa. It breaks my heart to say this but we lost Gary on October 26th. Gary was diagnosed with cancer in March of this year and fought a courageous battle.
We met the Draper's in 1990/1991 thru my parents. Mom, Dad, Gary and Teresa were good friends and hung out together all the time. We eventually joined this foursome and enjoyed laughing, singing, joking, camping and loving the relationship we all shared.
Gary and Teresa were instrumental in assisting us when both of my parents were sick. They helped get Mom back and forth to the doctor and took care of Dad, in their home, after his cancer surgery and much more. Gary also was the minister that married Ben and Kristen.
Among other things they did, Gary and Teresa were simply our companions and the four of us shared an extra special relationship with each other. When the Super Bowl game was on this year, Gary and Teresa, spent the evening watching the game with us via Skype. It was great fun to see them get as excited as we were and share the game with them.
Now, another light has burned out here on earth but the light is shining brightly in the skies above us. We truly miss our brother Gary, but we will never forget the time we shared with him and the laughter and fun we had. Gary was an amazing person and touched many people. His music was his adventure and he loved sharing it with others. We love you Garish and miss you everyday.
If anyone would like to post a condolence or light a candle in Gary's memory, you can do so through the Seattle Times website and Legacy.com.
NOVEMBER:
Unfortunately, November did not start out that well either as I learned of the passing of a colleague of mine.
Steve Lane passed away the beginning of November, unexpectedly. Steve was someone that I had known for a long time, as I worked with him at both Foster Pepper and Perkins Coie. Steve was a very interesting person and loved life and his family. He was a very talented vocalist and was very passionate about the music that he sang. He directed the "Perkins Coie Carolers" for many years and it was always fun to listen to this group sing every year, during the holidays.
He had a very unique personality and a laugh that was infectious. When he retired a few years ago, the office just did not seem the same.
Rest in Peace Steve we know your bright laughter and personality is here with us still.
A condolence for Steve can also be left on the Seattle Times Website through Legacy.com
So on we go,
I started back to work with the USO about 3 weeks after my injury. This was mostly the office work that I usually do to help get the tours ready and assist the other managers with stuff. I work until my arm gets sore and tired and then I quite.
My first post surgery USO tour happened on November 22, when we took a group of people to Seiffen, Germany.
Seiffen is a cute little town, located about 5 hours away from us, near the border of the Czech Republic, and in the Ore Mountains. Ore Mining used to be the way this town made its living however, ore mining decreased and the town turned to wooden toy making for sustainability. Seiffen is famous for their toys and Christmas products, world wide. The town now is primarily a town that makes different Christmas items out of wood and other materials. You can find anything you need for Christmas in this town, 365 days a year.
Our next USO Tour was on Thanksgiving Day, were we went to the Black Forest area of Germany. This is a place that Sterling and I have been wanting to see for quite awhile.
Triberg is a town in the Black Forest about 2.5 hours away from us. It is a beautiful town that has the highest waterfall in all of Germany. It is also known (as is the whole Black Forest area) for its Cuckoo Clocks and many people flock to this tourist destination each year. They hike to the Waterfall, see the many different clock makers and of course eat the Black Forest Cake and Black Forest Ham that originated here.
We had two buses that went to this area, filled with about 90 guests. It was great fun because we were able to explore the area and were furnished with a traditional Turkey dinner by one of the local restaurants, called the Landgasthof Lille. The meal we had consisted of Turkey, Pumpkin Soup, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Stuffing and Salad. For desert, there was Cheesecake and Apple Strudel.
The whole day was Wunderbar!!!
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| Waterfall above Triberg |
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| The City of Triberg |
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| One of the Many Cuckoo Clock Shops in Triberg |
Saturday, Thanksgiving weekend, we shopped our local store for Christmas Decorations and put our tree up. We then went in to the main part of our town, Wiesbaden, and looked around at the Christmas Market they had. While it was beautiful at night, there were many many people there so we did not shop for very long. We found a booth that served Gluhwein (a warm spicy wine) and sat and watched the people meander about.
On Sunday, November 30th, I took a small group of USO guests for a cruise on the Rhein River, which is a major passage way in this area. We then had time to shop the Christmas Market in the town of Rudesheim.
Rudesheim is a town about 40 minutes from us and is popular as a wine making town. It lies on the Rhein River and is a very fruitful area. Grapes for Wine making are grown on the side of the hills that border the city. There are also many castles along the stretch of river that borders the town.
Tourists come here from all over the world to check out the wine, grapes, castles and beauty that surrounds the town.
This time of year, Rudesheim hosts one of the biggest Christmas Markets in the area. There are vendor booths all over the little city and nativity scenes that are staff with real life characters. People can shop, eat and drink all within a few meters and have a great time doing it.
So my friends, that brings us to a close of the last couple of months. As you can see, the Christmas markets are abundant in the area and I am sure that we will be visiting more of them as the season progresses.
I have only one tour scheduled for December and that is to Heidelberg and of course, the Christmas Market. However, I have a loaded schedule of other things that I am working on with the USO and continuing with my Physical Therapy. Sterling is busy as usual with his work but has a great group of people that he is working with and is enjoying the work that he is doing. We continue to enjoy Germany and the places that we have visited. We look forward to the new year and more adventures.
To all of you, we wish a very happy holiday season and a wonderful and prosperous New Year. We love you and miss you. Remember, to hug your loved ones daily!!!! :)
Sterling and Deb
