Up Close and Personal

I wanted you to get a little more acquainted with my friends here.

Here’s Elke #1: the Hairdresser

She has been a beautician for 30 years, has had her own shop for 8 years. She has always lived in this area, but loves to travel. She will come to visit me in 2010. How’s that for planning your future! She and her husband are both “Craft Masters”. She in hair design and her husband in auto mechanics. She loves to take hiking holidays. Hike during the day, hotel at night. That’s my kind of outdoor life.

We have many things in common, from the colors we like, to the fact that we both snore. As Elke says (her words) she snores like a wild pig. Also, we discovered we had both torn apart calendars with language phrases on them, to carry around in our purses. Hers were in English, mine in German. Our conversations are frequently interrupted by dictionary searches, but we truly enjoy each others company and a long standing friendship has begun.

Here’s Elke #2: “Mom of the Waltons” and her husband Samuel

She is my translator at church, a midwife, and she is the mother of the “Walton Family”, as I call them. On Sunday their home is teeming with young people, who come to eat at her table. I’ve been invited many times as well, even though I am not young. She is an amazing woman. She can go from “zero to “bon appétit”, quicker than anyone I’ve ever seen. She has a generous gift of hospitality and a great cook as well. She has made me REAL german food like sauerbraten with potato gnudels, red cabbage and quark pudding for dessert. Every meal with her family is a real adventure in food and conversation. If it is a quiet Sunday afternoon you want, her house is not the place to go. She has 4 boys, ages from 10-20’s, as well as one 3 year old foster boy, Lucas. They all bring as many friends as their mom has food, and at times they test her pantry limits. I feel so fortunate that she has included me in her family gatherings, they treat me like family. Her oldest son Simon, is translating into German, an English course being given at the church. “How to meet the needs of your neighbors and neighborhood”. I have two more Friday nights classes I get to attend. Will give you all a summary of what I learn. This is a family I will dearly miss and think of often.