Bad Homburg Christmas Market

Here we go again in a Christmas Market. Scarfs are very popular in Germany.

 Anahil is inspecting lamps and snow globes.

 Here is an assortment of Christmas snow globes. 

 The old castle tower looks down on the Christmas market.

 Cut-out cardboard stars make great decorations at night when they have a light in them. They are very popular here in Germany.

 These are jars of homemade honey and beeswax candles.

Marilynn was taking Anahil's picture--so I took a picture of both of them. 

 This is a full size nativity scene carved from wood.

 This lady is selling pottery.

 This guy is selling Christmas centerpieces and decorations.

 Lighted window decorations--they are called "schwibbogen".

 More crafts for sale.

 Marilynn and Anahil walking back to the car.

Kronberg Christmas Market

OK, you will probably get tired of Christmas markets. Christmas lasts the entire month of December. It is different than in the United States. One element is the Christmas market. Everyone goes to the local Christmas market. There is a wide variety of goods to be found  and some are quite unique. Old people, middle aged people, young lovers, kids, and babies all come to the Christmas market. Some of the drinks are alcoholic and the food is good. This lady is selling Christmas decorations.

 Anahil and Marilynn are walking together in the market.

 Marilynn pauses to try to take it all in!

 The old timbered houses make a perfect backdrop.

 The cold, dark night adds to the atmosphere. 

 Here are David and Marilynn by a Christmas Tree.

Wiesbaden Christmas Market

Today we drove over to Wiesbaden to shop and visit a Christmas Market. This is a view of the opera house and the Dom.

 This is Marilynn looking at a chocolate shop.

 This is a spice shop that Marilynn is looking at.

 This is a shop that gives missionaries a discount. So we bought a Nativity here.

 This looks like rusty old tools but they are actually chocolate shaped to look like tools.

 Now Marilynn is looking at Christmas decorations.

 These are lamps.

 Marilynn is now looking at Russian decorations.

 This is a pottery shop.

 And now Marilynn is looking at more Christmas decorations.

 Marilynn is looking at wood carvings.

 Now Marilynn is checking out the Christmas decorations made of wood.

Krampus

Austria has a dark side in its Christmas celebration. It is called Krampus. Krampus comes with St. Nickolaus and rewards naughty kids. This is a Krampus parade in Graz, Austria--this is the first city I worked in.

Krampus in Graz

You should look at this before you have any kids see it!

Here is the Wikipedia information to tell you more about the story.

Krampus in Wikipedia

Cowboy Poetry

We had a thanksgiving dinner this week including a talent show. Elder Eyre did this cowboy poem. I thought it was clever so I found it on the internet and here it is. It contains some real wisdom…

Reincarnation

"What does Reincarnation mean?"
A cowpoke asked his friend.
His pal replied, "It happens when
Yer life has reached its end.
They comb yer hair, and warsh yer neck,
And clean yer fingernails,
And lay you in a padded box
Away from life's travails."

"The box and you goes in a hole,
That's been dug into the ground.
Reincarnation starts in when
Yore planted 'neath a mound.
Them clods melt down, just like yer box,
And you who is inside.
And then yore just beginnin' on
Yer transformation ride."

"In a while, the grass'll grow
Upon yer rendered mound.
Till some day on yer moldered grave
A lonely flower is found.
And say a hoss should wander by
And graze upon this flower
That once wuz you, but now's become
Yer vegetative bower."

"The posy that the hoss done ate
Up, with his other feed,
Makes bone, and fat, and muscle
Essential to the steed,
But some is left that he can't use
And so it passes through,
And finally lays upon the ground
This thing, that once wuz you."

"Then say, by chance, I wanders by
And sees this upon the ground,
And I ponders, and I wonders at,
This object that I found.
I thinks of reincarnation,
Of life and death, and such,
And come away concludin': 'Slim,
You ain't changed, all that much.'"

Cafe Klatch

There is quite a group of senior Missionaries here in Frankfurt working in the area office. We get together every month to go the Temple. Afterwards we all go out to dinner at a local restaurant to socialize. Marilynn and David have the responsibility to select where we eat and set up everything. This week we went to Temple. The following pictures are of the missionaries waiting to eat.

Petit Trianon Palace

Finally we made it to the Petit Trianon Palace which was built especially for Marie Antoinette (who lost her head during the revolution). This is the path to the front courtyard.

 This is a mirror over one of the fireplaces.

 This is a set of nice wooden chairs.

This is another wooden chair. 

This is a formal living room. 

 This is a bedroom.

 This is a fancy clock.

 But it all ends up here. We are not sure why there is a small second hole. You figure it out.

 This decoration is surely French.

 And this is the Greek Hydra.

 And now the ladies are walking on the path to leave.

 One last pause at a fountain.