After ten days of the flu, pneumonia, and antibiotic side-effect bingo, I was finally able to move enough to feel human again. As I was craving potato salad, I made mayonnaise from scratch, and mixed a pretty good German potato salad together. My husband and Pepper also checked on the garden for us and found…

I finally got my hands into soil. It’s been a long winter. But spring is coming. In the meantime, let’s re-pot some plants. Some of my indoor plants have been pretty unhappy. Spring will bring more sunshine. I can’t do anything about that. But I could give them better soil to work with in the…

There are days, when the couch is my reluctant base station. A few minutes of getting things done, then rest. And rest some more. In a state of grumpy productivity, I still got a lot done. There are days, when the couch is my reluctant base station. A few minutes of getting things done, then…

I miss my dull knives. I sent my knives in for sharpening, so I’ll be without for a few weeks. I had to get creative in the kitchen–and learned to appreciate even very dull knives. I know, I am holding what looks like a knife while I’m telling you I miss my knives. We have…

I’ve been longing for some light and color in my life. With the outside world stuck in dark, cold, and shades of white and gray, I did the next best things. I recently learned that bee’s wax burns best after a few months of rest for the candles. So far, I’d made the candles whenever…

With the snow returned, I focus on projects indoors. Fast walks through the forest are all I can bear while it is this cold. But I’ve been complaining enough. It’s time to pull myself out of my winter funk, no matter the weather. I often start my day with tea. Today, there are no tea…

The darkest days of winter can get pretty dark in Northern Germany. For me, the darkest days are the hardest. Without regular doses of real sunshine, I struggle. Where we live, the shortest days of the year have fewer than 7.5 hours of daylight. Seeing the sky is rare–and tends to come with strong winds.…

For most of December, our home was an utter mess. Food was stacked in my room with exactly enough room to sleep. Okay, sometimes. After a real break, I finally made progress. After tearing apart the counter of the old kitchen, and building a new shelf in the corner, it was time to find the…