I'm having the morning off...

On the whole, I didn't enjoy this week at all. Too much stress for my liking. I had to go to the city pretty much everyday this week, and i still havn't managed to get my long Christmas list finished! Actually I'm sure its not half as long as some peoples but for me it is deffinately enough!! The good thing about going to the city every day, is that I always had the support of Georgie, to help me choose presents, keep me moving past the doors of the shops where I could have spent my entire budget on a piece of clothing for myself - 'No Madi, that is not what Christmas shopping is about!' and for always being up for a coffee in our favourite Café!

3 Years old

I don't remember much from when I was three years old, I have only one memory that has stayed with me for the last 23 years. It was my Birthday and my Godfather gave me a Wicker Chair, just the right size for a three year old. I loved that Chair and I used it for years and years, even when I got far too big for it, I would still bring out the chair at Christmas and sit on it when we were gathered around the Christmas Tree.
Selma turns three today, my beautiful little niece. It seems like just Yesterday when she came home from the hospital with my sister, all tiny and fragile. And now she is running around, falling over, getting back up again and always smiling. Not so small and not so fragile anymore. Happy Birthday Selma.

 

Pop goes the Weasel...

We went to Karlsruhe last weekend, because there was a family gathering at Philipps Aunty and Uncles house. I've been so excited about this for a good few weeks because we were going to eat a Goose. To me it was like the real begining of Christmas and Advent, since at home, in Stuttgart, we havn't done any decorating or anything remotely Christmassy. It was such a great meal, absolutely delicious. We ate Red Cabbage with Chestnuts, mountains of Mash Potato and Goose in a Gravy-like Sauce. It was so good that I had two rather large helpings, and then when no one else could do it, I ate the last of the Mash with a helping of Goose and Sauce to top it off. I was so full, I felt like I was going to Pop! Seriously, it was painful. However, I gave it half an hour and I was able to eat some Fruit Salad too. Yum! There was also cake, of course. I have learnt that in this family, there is always time for cake, whatever the reason, (birthdays, festivals, holiday, Sunday, whatever) cake is always very welcome. Its fantastic because there's always different types of cake, at least three different sorts, so if you're not fond of this kind of cake, you can have a piece of the other one!

The whole afternoon was so lovely, everytime I go there I'm amazed at how comfortable I feel with them and how I feel like a part of their family. And that really means a lot to me, living this far from my own family can be tough and I miss them all the time but to be accepted in Philipps family is an amazing feeling.

Lots of Hugs to everyone xxx

Winter

I always dread Winter. I'm not a person who likes to be cold, in fact, I hate it!! Now imagine having a boyfriend who loves Winter. Philipp is a real Winter person, he loves snowboarding, he loves the first snow to fall, he loves to be outside in Winter, he loves everything about it and he keeps trying to make me love it too! I'm not saying I hate Winter, I'm just not fond of it. I mean sure, I love Snow, the way it sounds when you walk over it, the crisp freshness of the air and a good snowball fight, but I hate being cold!!! I love Summer, and being warm.
However, this year I have the perfect weapon. My Duffle Coat has finally arrived, after weeks of waiting for it to arrive, then having to send it back because it looked like a sack on me, then waiting for it to arrive, again! But now its finally here and I'm ready for Winter! And since today is the first day where we've had a real snowfall, its perfect!

My Wonderful Duffle Coat! Thank you Mummy, it's the best! (Photo Taken by Georgie Moore)

However, Stuttgart has only half the amount of snow they have back home. Here is a picture my Mum sent me:

Home, Sweet Home. (Photo taken by Paule Poole)

And Winter how it used to be in the good old days! (Photo stolen from Seonaidh Reid)

Now this is how I remember Winter. And yes, that is me on the right. (Photo taken by one of the Reids)

Hugs to everyone xxx

Lately...

So I'm pretty behind in the whole posting thing, mostly because I'm lazy but also because there isn't much going on here, life has finally gone back to normal because Georgie is back from Australia and I can't tell you how great that is! Summer was fun because we had visiters from far away and the weather was hot but its all a bit boring when you're best friend is away!! So Welcome back G, I missed you!
Anyway, I thought I'd post a picture or two from recently, because to write about it all would take far too long and I'd probably get bored halfway through, plus not much has really happened!! Sorry to disappoint!

Peeking through at Autumn in the Park

An old broken bike in the park.

A house we found tucked away at the back of a Graveyard in the City.

VFB Stuttgart 0:1 FC Köln

I'm sure you're wondering what on earth the titel is about, and to cut a long description short: Football. I got invited to go and watch our local football team, VFB Stuttgart in the Mercedes Benz Arena and I thought.... Why not?? To be honest I wasn't that up for it this morning since I went to a party last night, and only ended up coming home in the very early hours of the morning! I'm also not a massive Football fan but it's not everyday one gets an opportunity like this and I'm very glad I went! Seriously, I had such a good time! I even had a beer and a Bratwurst in a Bun, like a real Stuttgarter!! I got right into it and sang along to loads of songs, shouted "STUTTGART" as loud as the next person, swore at the referee when he gave us too many yellow cards and it felt fantastic. I've always heard that its a much better experience to watch football live instead of only on the telly and I totally agree. Its so much better and something I'd deffinately recommend even if you arn't a fan!!
We had really good seats, way up high so we could see everything that was going on and at the same time not get trampled by the crazy fans who stand near the pitch! Although we had seats, we stood the entire game, everyone in our block was standing and the atmosphere was great.... untill the other team scored a goal. For me, the whole game was fun but I'm sure for a few out there it was kind of shitty because we played against FC Cologne and they are further down the table then we are, but somehow they still beat us! Funny thing is that, even though I'm not a footy fan, I felt as down as the rest of them when the final whistle blew! Unfortunately, I couldnt take my camera with me because one isn't allowed to, but next time I'll take a throw away camera with me, then I show you all what it's like! I took a couple on my Phone but as expected, they are crap!
Also, I wanted to thank the people who took me: Ute, Jens and Mike!!! And not forgetting Boris, who couldn't be there because he had to work, making it possible for me to go in his place....Thank you Boris!!!

Go Stuttgart, GO!!

England

Philipp and I took an overnight Ferry to England from Amsterdam. What a mistake! Philipp was fine but I was constantly feeling 'almost' sick and whilst walking through the ship that feeling always turned into feeling 'really' sick. Maybe it was the movement of the ship and my own movement combined which made me go green, whatever it was, I was not happy. However when we woke up, all was calm and I began to recover, even smile a bit! (seen here!)
The drive from Newcastle down towards home was very quick and we even arrived in time for Lunch!! It was so lovely to be back home amongst my family and the green fields of the Village. Writing this now, (a good few weeks later) in the middle of a city where one has to search to find green, I find myself feeling extremely homesick! Well, you would if you'd grown up in a place like this:

Home, Sweet Home

To be brutally honest with you, this isn't going to be a very long post or very interesting, because while we were with my family there was so much to do, (my sister moved house during the two weeks we were there) and not a lot of time to get the camera out. It was lovely to see the kids though, and to see how much they have grown. Selma is talking so much and all the time, even in her sleep and Lotta has started to bottom shuffle, which is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.
However I did manage to get out to York to see my friend Vicky, who I hadn't seen in at least two years. Shame on me, I know, but life does have a habit of getting in the way of things. I spent the night at her place and we had great fun, cooking dinner, drinking a glass of wine, catching up and I got to finally meet DanDave (as I like to call him). Also she has just recently got a Puppy, a Rhodesian Ridgeback who is already huge but not scary at all. Those of you who know me, know that I have a bit of a fear of dogs in general, especially if they jump up...... scares the living daylights out of me until I get to know the dog. But Sid was lovely and even though he was kind of excited and jumpy, he didn't scare me at all!

Sid the Rhodesian Ridgeback

So apart from moving house for my sister, not much happened while we were in England, nothing hugely exciting anyway. Oh wait, one thing did happen, something that was very stressful for me but on the other hand, very good for me too. But that's another story and one I'm going to save for a rainy day!

Lotta and I on a walk to the Back of the Dale.

Have a great Friday everyone xxx