July Highs and Lows 2015

I've been sluggish with the blog this month, even though I'm behind in some things I want to write about. It was just too hot to think in the office, and I try to keep my laptop out of the living room. In the second last week of July it was really not as bad temperature-wise as in the first two weeks, but it's hot enough and I'm tired of sweating.* Our hedge is badly in need of trimming, but the mere thought of working outside is enough to give me a headache. In this one can tell that I'm not a true Swabian - our neighbors are outside working in their garden every day regardless of heat or humidity.

*I wrote that paragraph last week - now on the last day of the month I'm sitting here in a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and socks, and my feet are cold. After that heat wave, I'm not complaining, but rather enjoying the coolness!

HIGHS 

• spending a day in Strasbourg/Straßburg first visiting the EU Parliament, then having a tour through the old town followed by some free time and then dinner with the representative who invited us. A blog post about the day is still pending!





• getting away for a weekend in Bamberg with M, where we stayed at a nice hotel (again - no air conditioning, but we had an excellent meal at their restaurant and a standing fan in the room), took a town tour, and hung out with our former exchange student and her boyfriend.





• the arrival of our Thermomix, which we use often! We have made mashed potatoes, smoothies, chocolate mousse, vanilla pudding, seasoned paste (to use in place of vegetable bouillon cubes), kohlrabi-potato soup, boiled potatoes, and hard boiled eggs. Fruit sorbet or ice cream is coming up soon.


• starting talks with a friend of mine* about a possible riding vacation next year in Scotland - as in a week-long vacation that centers on riding 5-6 hours a day in the Highlands.
  
  *Funnily, I consider her my friend and we have a fair bit in common, but we've never actually met. I know her kids, her husband, and his family, but she and I have only communicated via email and Facebook.


• because of the possibility of the above trip, finally contacting a riding stable in the area and getting an answer from them - I will start riding again in August or September! I also bought a riding helmet and gloves last week (I already have the pants and boots).


• visiting a farm with the Lebenshilfe kids where we could pet camels, llamas, ponies, a goat, several dogs, and a sheep. The kids learned how to groom the ponies, too. It's really neat to see kids with disabilities interact with animals. I totally adore the llama, but my family vetoed it when I used it as my Facebook profile picture for a few days.

• my kids' birthdays! They turned 20 and 22 last week Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Kinder!

• having our neighbors over for a grill party - finally! - and really enjoying the evening getting to know them. It was about time - we've been waving over the hedge for nearly three years already!


• successfully driving to and from Esslingen and within and around Esslingen three times without getting killed or smashing into anything. This is huge, folks. I'm almost ready to say I can drive in Germany when I must.


• the beginning of this summer's exchange between students from my hometown (Sheboygan, WI USA) and its sister city (Esslingen, Germany). Yesterday we took a day trip to Tübingen, where we climbed the church tower, which I'd never done before! On Monday we're off to Ulm.
  

LOWS

• sweating. Sweating through my BH, through several shirts a day, and in places that just shouldn't sweat. [I'm no expert, but climate change deniers can bite me.]


• developing a cold after our day trip yesterday. Seriously? Nonstop sweat for the first three weeks of the month, and then a cold? What the heck?!

I have to love months in which I can come up with only two lows at most. :-)

I hope your month was good as well!