Weekend lunch date #MicroblogMonday

A new restaurant opened up in our area and hubby and I went to check it out recently. I had a tasty salad with goat's cheese and walnuts plus slices of garlic bread and apple.

And for dessert a yummy chocolate cake. I can't resist a chocolately dessert!

Have you had any nice meals lately ?

Never ending winter #MicroblogMonday

A friend shared this image with me recently and it made me chuckle. The weather has been so up and down lately. We had some quite warm days the other week where it even reached 17 degrees (62 Fahrenheit) and was lovely and sunny! I noticed lots of flowers had started to bloom - pretty snow drops and crocuses, and I started getting my hopes up that the coldest winter days were already behind us.

However it all changed again and now today it's a chilly -2 (28 Fahrenheit) with a bitter wind. There was even some snow falling yesterday! I am very much ready for winter to be over and for Spring to arrive.

Dublin over Easter #MicroblogMondays

We finally made it over to Dublin! After two years and four months (due to the pandemic, otherwise we would have travelled many times). There's always something comforting and nostalgic about going there for me. It was so nice to spend time with family and catch up with friends. Hopefully we'll get over there in the Summer again.

Quote of the day #MicroblogMonday

Recently I came across this quote by civil rights activist, Maya Angelou;

I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.

During my time on this Earth I would like to make a positive impact even if only in small ways. I often don't have the exact right words in the moment, but I like to think my friends and family know that I am there for them when needed. Even when thousands of miles away.

Christmas markets cancelled #MicroblogMonday

So now the Coronavirus is taking away our Christmas markets. I understand of course why the people in charge deem it necessary to cancel this year with the increasing Covid cases but I can't help feeling disappointed about it. In general, I'm not a big fan of Winter, but one of my favourite things about living in Germany was always the Christmas markets. They are just so pretty and magical.

Getting together during the Christmas month with friends over a Glüwein (mulled wine) was such a nice tradition. I loved the cute markets themselves, the lovely decorations, the delcious smells and just the happy atmosphone. Our local market used to have an ice skating rink too which was lots of fun. I guess we are just going to have to come up with other ways to make Christmas this year special.

Avocado pasta #MicroblogMonday

Catering for vegan guests is always that bit more challenging. There are some really delicious recipes out there but so many of them require a LOT of preparation time. While searching for something easy and vegan I came across this recipe for avocado pasta. It sounds a bit strange when you first hear it but I remembered enjoying something similar in a restaurant once. The instructions looked straightforward to follow and the ingredients easy to procure so hubby and I decided to give it a go last weekend.

It only took around a half hour or so to prepare and cook and we were both happy with how it turned out! Hubby added some chilli flakes to his portion in the end but I'm not a big fan of very spicy food and was happy with the taste as it was. The picture probably doesn't do it justice but it really was quite tasty. Handy if you are avoiding dairy too! If you wanted to make it non vegan you could always serve it with some Parmesan cheese / grilled chicken or prawns.

We can't all have marriages like the Obamas #MicroblogMonday

Would you believe I'm still not finished reading Michelle Obama's book, Becoming? I first mentioned it back in October. The thing is I have been really enjoying it and I am almost at the end of it by now, it's just been so hard to find time to sit down and read without interruptions. Anyway I need to finish it soon as my book club have already started reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood.

There's a section in the book where Michelle talks about the now famous date with Obama where they flew to New York for dinner and a show which caused some controversy among their opponents. Anyway she writes about how much they enjoy each other's company and conversations and constantly erupt into laughter when together. The day I read that passage hubby and I had just been squabbling about some household thing as usual. I presume other couples also have countless silly arguments about things around the house - who hasn't put their laundry away? why haven't these dirty plates been put into the dishwasher? I could easily go on but you get the idea.

There are many times when hubby tells long stories about work while I'm barely paying attention. I know he often doesn't listen to me a lot of the time either since I end up having to repeat myself. This just felt like a stark comparison when I imagined the Obamas sitting there during their dinner dates finding each other totally fascinating! They seem to have a strong happy marriage which I admire.

Recently when hubby and I did finally get a moment to ourselves we ended up talking about how parenting a young child means our minds always seem to be distracted and elsewhere a lot of the time! It's rare to have opportunities to give something our sole focus (apart from when we are in work). So I think (and hope) that it's pretty normal that these days we don't have a perfect marriage like the Obamas but hopefully one day again in the future we will!

Memory snapshot

I wish I had a better memory. As I get older it seems to only be getting worse. One thing I try to do is when I find myself experiencing a particularly nice moment, is to just pause and remind myself to be more present. I'll focus on what's happening, the details around me, how I'm feeling. Then I attempt to capture it all into my memory, just like taking a mental snapshot. 

Recently hubby and I went for a cycle using the new bike trailer attached with Mini inside. It was a particularly pleasant autumn evening; the leaves already a mixture of vibrant shades, the sky a beautiful shade of blue, and the air was slightly crisp but not yet cold. As we cycled along through a pretty wooded area I found myself feeling happy and I tried to capture the moment with my mind. 

I felt grateful that all three of us are in good health right now because you really can't take your health for granted. This time last year I was in hospital recovering from major surgery and the thought of being well enough to go for a cycle would have felt so distant. I was also grateful that hubby and Mini were healthy too. And something about cycling through the woods that day just made me feel free and carefree for a few lovely moments.

Of course in typical Murphy's law fashion we ended up getting a puncture on one of the bike trailer wheels and haven't been able to use it since until we get around to fixing it! Worse than that however, Mini picked up pseudo-croup at daycare a few days later and has been pretty miserable with it since, the poor little thing. 

How has your autumn been so far? 

Comment of the week #MicroblogMonday

Chatting with a work colleague from a different team recently and she asked how old I am. "Thirty-seven", I answer. I'm not sure her age but I'm guessing somewhere in the late twenties.

She expressed shock at my age, having believed me to be much younger and then commented, "wow, you look great..considering you're almost forty!"

Gotta love the Germans for their "honesty, right?".

The right to be heard #MicroblogMonday

As an Irish woman living in Germany I was allowed vote in the recent elections. The EU one was open to all European citizens and the local ones were open to all residents of the relevant constituency. I wasn't going to miss the opportunity and I was delighted to vote for the first time here and encourage others to do the same.

One good thing about this political climate is that people have been getting more interested in politics and realising how much their vote matters. To be honest I didn't know all that much about the different parties in Germany and what they all represent so I spent some time reading up on their goals until I felt happy with my choice.

Climate change and saving the environment is particularly important to me and this is one way I felt I can make a difference.

Michelle Obama's revelation #MicroblogMonday

A few weeks ago my husband told me that the Obama daughters, Malia and Sasha, were conceived through IVF and that Michelle had previously had a miscarriage beforehand. She has written all about it in her new book apparently. I was surprised by the news. At the same time I was also glad, not about Michelle's miscarriage which is very sad of course but about her opening up and bringing infertility and IVF into the open.

I suspect a lot of celebrities end up having to get help but most don't talk about it. Chrissy Teigen was open about her and John Ledgend's children being IVF babies but she is in the minority. Beyonce and Jayz are suspected to have gotten help but they never confirmed or spoke about it.

Of course if a celebrity is going to be open about it, it is more likely to be after they have come out the other side and have a healthy baby. It is even more rare for them to say they tried but were not successful in conceiving and have had to move forward in their lives going in another direction. My book club are thinking about reading Michell's memoir and I'm sure it will be an interesting read!

Three passions #MicroblogMonday

Recently a friend was chatting to me about the importance of making time for the things in life that make you feel really alive. All too often it's easy to end up sleep walking through your week and just going through the motions day to day. She mentioned three things that energize her and it left me wondering what my three passions might be.

• Dance
Dancing was one activity that came to mind. When I was a teenager I took a few dance classes such as hip hop and modern. I used to go out clubbing with my friends most weekends in Ireland for a lot of my twenties and it was always really fun to let my hair down and just go for it on the dance floor! I enjoyed getting lost in the music.





• Travel
I've always enjoyed travelling. Not the journey there so much as arriving in a new place! I generally wouldn't be as excited about doing some of the traditional touristy things such as going to museums though. To me it is often more enjoyable to just wander around and explore. In fact I also love finding new interesting parts of town where I live now, for instance a pretty park or cute cafe. It can be fun to even just let yourself get lost a little.


• Writing/Reading
The third passion that occured to me is reading and writing. That's probably why I set up a book club in Germany several years ago. Ever since I was around twelve years old I've had a diary or journal. I've always loved getting lost in a really good book or just my own thoughts.

So maybe my three passions can be summed up in the phrase, "getting lost", which makes sense as my sense of direction is atrocious! What about you, what activities do you enjoy getting lost in?

The art of doing nothing #MicroblogMonday

I remember a joke someone shared a few years ago along the lines of, "Adulthood - if you're not tired, you're not doing it right!". These days everyone is so busy. People on trains rarely just look out the window to watch the world go by, but rather stare at their screens. There are always so many obligations and chores it can feel never ending at times. This week I came across; "The psychological importance of wasting time" which is worth a read and has a good message.

It states; The problem comes when we spend so long frantically chasing productivity, we refuse to take real breaks. We put off sleeping in, or going for a long walk, or reading by the window—and, even if we do manage time away from the grind, it comes with a looming awareness of the things we should be doing, and so the experience is weighed down by guilt.

I'm sure most of us to relate to that! I know that I have weekends where I want nothing more than to just relax with a good book but then end up feeling guilty that I'm not tackling one of the things on my to do list or catching up on housework. However having downtime is crucial to all of us. So if you don't manage to do anything productive today, don't worry, you are still doing something right!

The dress #MicroblogMonday

Wedding season is starting. We only have one to go to this year unfortunately (since I love going to weddings), unless anymore of our friends get engaged! Oh yeah, actually there's another wedding that we might be invited to we're just not sure! I guess we'll find out soon enough.

I had a browse around the shops here recently looking out for a dress and ended up finding a potential one (the right one in the picture above). It looks really nice on, clinched in at the waist. I'm not sure if it's quite fancy enough to wear to a wedding though. While I was shopping I ran into a German friend and showed her the dress. She looked at it, looked at me, then said she thinks it's nice, but she can't imagine me in a dress! Jeeze, German honesty! Maybe I did eat too many easter eggs over the holidays!

I also had a look through my wardrobe for other options and found the other two dresses. That's when I noticed that they all look very similar, flowery, in at the waist, flow-y at the legs. Either flowery patterns are in at the moment or I need to branch out and buy some different styles for a change! Dress shopping here in Germany can be difficult though as German girls tend to dress very casual and not wear dresses that often so there isn't a great selection.

Sing Street #MicroblogMonday

One of the movies that stood out for us last year was "Sing Street", a low-budget Irish movie. Often I find that there are so many huge blockbusters full of special effects and fight scenes these days that I miss the simpler films with more of a story to them! Sing Street is set in Dublin in the 1980s and as someone who grew up around then, I enjoyed feeling nostalgic watching it. A bit like how "Stranger Days" the Netflix series was also set in the 80s. Both reminded me of the time before smartphones and constant access to internet, when you would go out all day with your friends on adventures.

Sing Street revolves around a 16 year old boy who moves to a new school. Life is hard. There's a bully, a principal who has it in for him, and to top it off his parents might be getting a divorce. He soon falls for a 17 year old girl who wants to move to London and become a model. In order to impress her he decides to form a music band and make videos together. That's all I'll say without spoiling anything. The music was really good. I've even been listening to the soundtrack since ("drive it like you stole it" is the name of the catchy theme song). Dublin also looked lovely in it. Overall it was just a fun film that left you in a good mood after watching.

The green room #MicroblogMonday

There's a room in our new house that we painted green. I thought that would be a nice neutral colour for our future kid's bedroom. Right now we have some book shelves in there and might use it as a guest room in the meantime. Is it just wishful thinking and possibly a little delusional even that we both still feel so hopeful that we will be able to have a baby despite the low IVF odds?

Since we've bought our house, questions from people asking if and when we are going to have kids have been more frequent. And some of the comments can actually be a little hurtful to someone who is trying to have a baby and struggling. We generally just say yes that we would like children since that's the truth but just wanting them isn't enough unfortunately!

We recently had some relations over to show them the house and they commented that it's too big a place for just us but ideal for a family of four. That stung. I know they meant it in a nice way as they assume having kids is just something you choose to do when you are ready.

The actual choice we face is how many rounds of IVF to go through before giving up. And how will we save enough to afford our mortgage AND a fourth round if this one doesn't work out. However, I have decided that it's ok to still be hopeful. Our "maybe baby" journey isn't over yet. We are not out of options so we will keep going, hoping the green room won't remain empty for too much longer.

House Update #MicroblogMonday

Things with the house have all been moving very fast. We signed the contract and then got the keys just six weeks later. They say buying a house is one of the most stressful things you can do and the last few weeks have certainly been extremely busy!

First there was all the paperwork and sorting things out with our mortgage. Then all the bills started coming in (taxes, realtor, insurances...) which wasn’t fun! The next thing we had to do was get in touch with various people to get quotes for renovation work. Of course August is prime holiday season so it’s been difficult with limited availability. We also had to decide which work on the house we would consider urgent before we move in and what we can put off for now. Not to mention the huge task of all the boxes to pack.

This past week we got the keys and the renovations have started. Pretty much any spare moment we have spent at the house and we have also started bringing things over from our rental apartment so as to not leave everything for the moving day. We have even been able to eat meals in our new kitchen already and enjoy the garden.

It's all been quite overwhelming at times! It t feels a little surreal still that this will be our home. There's always so much to get done and becoming house owners is a major responsibility. But it is also exciting. And even though there is a lot of work involved, there is something very rewarding when you know you are helping improve your future home. I am really looking forward to the end of this month once we will have all our furniture moved over and can really start to settle in to the new place!

One week down #MicroblogMonday

I'm nearly one week into the two week wait now. Since the rough last few days I've been feeling fine again and pretty much normal. Now and then I thought I felt the odd twinge or pinching feeling in my uterus which could possibly mean some implantation is happening but who knows! Hopefully work will be a distraction and the time will pass quickly until my blood test next week. 

I already had a friend texting me today asking about whether I have any baby news yet, even though it's only one week past transfer and WAY too early to know anything! This is one of the reasons why I was hesitant to tell people that we would be doing IVF as I didn't want to get asked if it had worked or not. I would like to decide on my own terms when I am ready to share, no matter what happens. If it's positive then I would ideally want to wait a few weeks and see if I stay pregnant unlike last time when I sadly ended up having an early miscarriage and if the result is negative then I also might not feel ready to talk about it so soon. 

A tea for everything #MicroblogMonday

*cough* *sniffle* *cough* I'm feeling rather the worse for wear at the moment. One by one I noticed more and more colleagues and friends come down with something or other and it finally got me too. I've a head cold and sore throat. 

 At least Germans have a tea for every possible ailment. I couldn't choose between "cough and bronchial" or "throat and neck", so I bought both. As a child our family cure for sore throats was always 'hot honey and orange' which consisted of boiled water, orange juice and naturally lots of honey! I've been drinking a mixtures of those and just trying to get plenty of rest. Hopefully in a few days it'll be gone. The worst is coughing at night and then not being able to sleep.

Unfortunately I also gave my cold to the GerMann so now we're both coughing and sniffing. We didn't have any big plans last weekend though so we were able to take it easy.

What's your go-to cold curing remedy? 

On your bike #MicroblogMonday

If you live in Germany, you really have to get yourself a bike. I bought one in Penny, a discount supermarket, shortly after arriving here. It was a city bike and lasted for about five years until it started causing problems - gears not working properly and then the pedals looking like they might fall off!

When I brought it to the bike shop to fix, they said it would cost about 150€ to fix all the various things wrong with it and it just wasn't worth repairing since second hand it would probably only cost 50€ to buy.

So I decided it was time for a new bike. That decision was more complicated than I realised. Do I want a rally, mountain or city bike? How many gears? What size frame? And then whether I should buy it from a discount supermarket again or go to a fancy bike shop this time and spend more money on it. The general consensus among my German friends is that you should spend at least 800€ to get a decent bike. However then you also have to worry that it might get stolen so you also need to fork out for an expensive lock or two and probably invest in bike insurance as well.

In the end I decided to go for another discount bike from a department store and found a nice one for under 300€. The deciding factor? I loved the colour, as you can see it's bright orange. At least if it does get stolen, it will be easy to spot!