January 2015

Weihnachten 2014
Many of you readers are wondering why I took so long to post a Christmas report. Why didn’t it come on late Christmas? Or, at least, on 26DEC. Well, if you are asking, go suck on green persimmons. My top priority in life is NOT to provide the world instantaneous reports of what I just happened to do in the last hour, or what one of my children/grandchildren/nephew-niece or other relative just said that was cute. I will enjoy their cuteness in a hedonistic fashion, realizing to the rest of the world, my child/grandchild/whatever will be viewed as a solipsistic spoiled brat. No, I’m also not going to tell you what I just happened to cook, or what I am currently eating (I just happen to be taking my Abendmedikamente geschluckt mit Bier und eine Dose Rosarote Lachs für Eiweis Anhang); and if you can’t read German, you really don’t need to know what I eat/ate/will eat.
So, today, I went for a short bicycle ride (41 miles) with Russ Anderson and had an inspiration to write this post. The ride was at freezing point, and we returned quite cold. It took about 2 hours to thaw out. I don’t mind those sort of experiences. I get more annoyed when it is too hot, and I am borderline on a heat stroke. But, thinking about Christmas, Christmas tends to be melodramatic. We spend a lot for presents which don’t seem to be appreciated commensurate with the money spent or the time taken to select and purchase those items. This year, we avoided the mall altogether (Betsy and I went once just to visit the Apple Store several days after Christmas-we didn’t buy anything). We had the Hastings over, and sang Christmas carols, which we all really enjoyed.
Christmas Evening – Jon and I attended the 11 pm Gottesdienst. Bei Mitternacht gibt es Kerzenanzundung mit dem Raumlicht aus und das Stille Nacht Lied singen. Und dann, zu Hause. Every year, I make up cinnamon rolls from scratch, make about 8-12 platters of them, and then freeze them, giving them to friends, fiends, and family as gifts (aber, nicht giftig!). You simply set them out the evening before, and they unthaw, and then rise by morning, allowing you to stick them in the oven and have fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning. I made up a prime rib on the Trager grill and we had all the kids over (except for our dearest Rachel and Alex and kids). We had just installed an outdoor fireplace, into which we got a fire going, while the older kids played with the bb gun. Then, dinner.
 
Patrick as marksman on the bb rifle.
Sammy as competitive marksman.
Dean smirking at Patrick and Sammy, knowing that some day he will whip their Arsch on the firing range.
Me cutting up the prime rib.
Die Kinder devouring the Christmas Dinner.
Dean wanted prime rib but enjoying what he got.
The adult table.
Then, it was time for the kids to open up presents.
Elizabeth showing off her doll.
Elizabeth with mutant Frozen character themes.
Sammy loves rocks.
Dean wasn’t sure at first what to do with the presents, but soon figured things out.
Afterwards, we decided on S’Mores for dessert. The outdoor fireplace was the perfect place for that.
Roasting marshmallows on the campfire.
Roasting buttocks on the campfire. Left to right, Doug, Diane, Sarah, Andrew
It was a wonderful Christmas, with a focus on God and family. Hopefully, each Christmas could be all the more so. By the way, I got the shirt in the first photo from my favorite German patient. It seems to sum up matters in few words.
The Feucht family wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.