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An extra very merry Christmas

An extra very merry Christmas

This year was extreme in all directions and I have not much left to say other than wishing for a better 2021 for everyone.

Enjoy the quiet Christmas days, indulge in good food, Christmas movies, books, whatever brings you peace and joy.

What I would like to do today is adding a bit more gratitude to everything. We often get occupied in the festivities and in the end everyone is stressed and tries to put a smile on the face – why not slowing down a bit.

If 2020 taught us something great, then that slowing down can make a change.

Lena Kraima

Have a look at what you hang on the tree, is it maybe raising childhood memories? Smell, there’s a certain Christmas smell, a mixture of fresh tree, last minute baking, the dinner cooking, perfume and candles. Soak in the atmosphere. Yes, it is different, and yes, we would have loved to have it like usual with more family and with friends included. But instead of being sad about something we cannot change, let us be happy about what we have.

When nature slowed down in spring we have seen wonderful recoveries, maybe this is the time to recover and heal. Slowing down is good for everyone. We all rarely take the time to do it actively, now we are supposed to do it and should see it as a gift.

I look forward to good food and the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of my son. Long walks in nature and maybe a few snowflakes would be awesome. Technology gives us possibilities to connect as well. We cannot meet everyone, but we can video call loved ones in almost every corner on earth. This privilege is often forgotten when people complain.

What are you grateful for today, what does slowing down do to you in a good way?

Let’s collect wonderful moments and remember all the good of 2020. Showing that we are not guided by negativity but are able to enjoy what we have and being thankful for the good in our life.

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A happy new year 2014…

A happy new year 2014…

…to all of you out there!!!!

I’m partly back, but as my husband is still with me I will not post too regular during the next two or three weeks.
Whenever we are together the time we have is precious as we know the next weeks of being apart are just around the corner.
The weeks when I’m alone I love to focus on writing as my evenings or weekends give me the time to do so.

But a small update here – we spent a wonderful Xmas time at my parents with lots of food and fun and joy. After Xmas we went to Belgium for two days where we visited a part of my husbands family and welcomed the newest family member who’s just three months old.
We spent nice hours there again with food, fun and joy.
I love how welcome we both feel in the other’s families.

After our return to Munich we prepared our first New Year’s Eve together and enjoyed the fireworks in the middle of Munich – my crazy (mahjnoon) husband dragged me to the Marienplatz and everyone who knows Munich can imagine that it’s not too much fun to stand in the middle of a crowd. It was hard to stand straight with so many people pushing and trying to get closer that I was happy when we left. We walked through the cold night for almost two hours and knew that we have a warm place waiting for us with cake and candles to enjoy this first night/morning of the new year. A perfect start!

Today I started to work again so the normal day to day routine is just a few days away but before that we will spent the weekend in Salzburg and enjoy a bit of wellness, spa and sightseeing.

Hope you all had a wonderful time as well as a good and healthy start in 2014!

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Xmas with the family

Xmas with the family

This year (or to be correct, last years – 2012) I spent Xmas again with my family. The last years we hadn’t had a Xmas only with our inner circle family which means mum, dad, my sister and me. Sometimes it was me and my parents when my sister was with her boyfriend, or it was my sister and my parents while I stayed in Munich. This year all were happy to be together again. For me it was also a time to get some rest while doing nothing. Doing nothing is something I’m absolutely bad at. As long as I’m home I will find something which has to be done instead of just snuggling up on the couch and read a book or watch a movie. This is different at my parents as I don’t have to clean the house or do the washing. I was already looking forward to watch all the Xmas fairy tales on TV, feeling like a child again, no problems, no tasks.
It turned out that I really had a few relaxing days. There was lots of family gathering with aunts and uncles and their families but no stress during my stay. A bit of shopping, coffee with old friends, delicious food and lots of sleep.
Our Xmas tree was a cute small one this year and on twenty fourth we celebrated in the typical German way with potato salad and sausage in the evening, unwrapping the presents and family games for the rest of the evening. This year it was “rummikub” and I’m really keen to win those games. I started good but was the loser in the end – haha. But a saying here says if you aren’t lucky in gambling you are lucky with love. Keeping my love is worth losing the games!
On twenty fifth the traditional Xmas goose was prepared for lunch. If you never tried a goose you miss something, it’s so lovely!
And the last official Xmas day, the twenty sixth, which is also the birthday of one of my aunts we stayed in her house for birthday cake and coffee in the afternoon. All my cousins around and lots of chatting and laughing.
For New Year’s Eve I planned nothing, I just stayed at my friend and we had a nice dinner, lots of talking and TV and watched the fireworks from her balcony.
But like always, as soon as you feel a bit relaxed and would like to relax a bit more it’s time to get back to work. The same for me, directly on the first of January I had to drive back home to start working the next day.
The good thing about it is, that it was only one more month left until I can close my arms around my fiancé again, inshallah. As he told me before, the time will pass quickly.
I hope all of you had a nice holiday and a happy start in 2013.
I have no New Years resolutions but hopefully this year will be exciting with all our plans ahead.
Faithfully, Miss Faith!

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