An Advent Week

Last week was busy both at work and afterwards. I had occasion to do many pre-Christmassy things, and enjoyed the seasonal spirit and activities in spite of the busy-ness.

My train trip back home on Monday (2nd December) morning was about to turn into another adventure when all of a sudden the train slowed down and came to halt out in the fields between Karlsruhe and Bruchsal. A slightly panicky female voice came through the loudspeaker, calling for a train attendant with an "F-device" to report immediately in Coach 23.

My coach was 21, and of course we all understood that "F-device" was their code for fire extinguisher. The railway company's policy is probably not to use the word "fire" in an announcement unless absolutely necessary; many passengers would most likely only hear that one word, and start to panic.

Anyway, after a few minutes, the same voice came back, sounding much calmer, and explained that a passenger had been freshening up in the toilet and used a lot of deodorant spray - so much so that the smoke detector went off and triggered the alert.

I still made it home on time, the 10 minute delay not encrocahing too much on my connection in Stuttgart.

The rest of the day I worked from home as usual, and the evening was spent with my volunteer group - the first time we'd met since May, and probably the last time, as we are dissolving this particular gremium for lack of support.

As I had not been home on the 1st Advent Sunday, I lit the 1st candle on the wreath on Monday evening.

I also made sure to switch on the small yellow star my sister gave me some years ago.

Tuesday (3rd December) saw my friend and me go for our customary Tuesday morning walk between work appointments. The morning was sunny, and the weather kept mostly dry except for some rain in the afternoon. 

By 7:00 pm when I was to meet with some of my Pub Quiz team mates at the Christmas Market, the rain had ceased again, and we enjoyed our stroll across the market as well as the food, drink and conversation.

I was back at the Christmas Market on Wednesday (4th December), this time coming directly from the office in Weilimdorf and meeting my sister and a mutual friend. Once again, food, drink and conversation were a delight.

Thursday (5th December) was my second day at the office that week. And like the previous Thursday, once again we had a power outtage, only this time there was no fire alarm. There is no way we can do our work without electricity, and so I, like almost everybody else, headed home. 

Various problems with our local trains meant that it took me a full hour (instead of the 17 minutes according to timetables) to get there.

View from the high platform at Zuffenhausen train station that morning. I change trains there on my way to work.

The morning had been frosty at -3C/26F, but the day was sunny and beautiful until strong winds brought rain in the evening.

I was not having to get ready to take the usual trains to Offenburg on Friday (6th December): O.K. had band practice all weekend, from Friday evening to Sunday lunch time, in preparation for the band's annual concert, and so there was no point of me joining him that weekend.

Also, it was the evening of the "Secret Rubbish Santa" with my girl friends, an annual tradition that has been going on in this particular group of friends for at least 16 years. I love to host that occasion, and it is an evening filled with much laughter, but also room for serious topics to talk about with my friends.

The table is ready for the arrival of the "girls" - and the Toast Hawaii I traditionally serve on this occasion :-)

 

Yours truly with "Ali Baba", part of the rubbish gift I ended up with.

The hand-crocheted coasters were also part of my gift, but the other things you see in the picture weren't. The Matrioshka doll looks very similar to one my sister and I had when we were little, brought home as a souvenir from a trip to the USSR our grandparents undertook in the 1970s.

On Saturday (7th December), I spent the morning writing a stack of Christmas cards and the afternoon baking Christmas cookies with my sister at her place. 

We had a lot of fun, listening to 80s music at full blast, singing along and dancing around the kitchen while at the same time trying to produce decent cookies.

It was a rainy, stormy day and so this was a very good way to spend it.

My sister and I met again on Sunday (8th December), this time at our Mum's for coffee and Christmas cookies, staying on until evening, when we had a meal of spaghetti with a delicious tomato sauce and home-made pesto.

Before that, I went for the only really substantial walk I had managed all week: Two hours on the fields, which are rather bleak this time of year. 

But there is a different kind of beauty in bleakness, I find, and I enjoyed that walk very much, spotting several birds (kestrels, buzzards and herons.

On the way to my Mum's, I briefly  stopped at the cemetery.

There, a woman was also visiting the grave of a beloved person, and she was sobbing, at first unaware of my presence. 

I felt deep sympathy for her, being of course no stranger to grief myself, and for a moment wondered whether I should simply walk up to her and put an arm around her shaking shoulders, not necessarily saying anything. But then I felt it might be too intrusive, and left her alone in her sadness. 

I am still torn between thinking I should have gone to her, and being convinced I did the right thing in not approaching another fellow human being in distress.

Sunset as seen from my Mum's balcony.

My Mum takes seasonal decor to a high level - she even has plates etc. just for this time of year!

The afternoon and evening spent at my Mum's was good, and shortly before 8:00 pm, I was home.

For the rest of the evening, I lit the two candles on my wreath while watching "The Christmas Chronicles Part II" (starring Kurt Russel and Goldie Hawn).

It had been a good 2nd Advent Sunday, the end of a good week.