Germany continues

Wow, time goes by. Later this week I go back to Phoenix. Being with Parker and Brenna has been quite an experience. I will miss hanging out with Parker when I go but am gratified to know they will visit Phoenix in April. Everyday wth him is a new adventure. In a short two week period he has improved his babbling, perfected rolling on the floor to the left (needs some work on right to left) and improved his grasp and reach technique. The million dollar smile makes my day. He is learning to entertain himself more each day and crys very infrequently. The doctors visit on Friday found him in good health and weighing 18.5 lbs. I must say he has the most unusual hairdo I have seen on a child (pun not intended). He has what we call a Hitler patch of long hair on the back of his head that is novel. With the Child family history of male pattern baldness, I wonder if that is early compensation??

We all have had some fun times together, some just sharing each other and enjoying our  travels. The Sunsheim car/plane/tractor/truck/military museum last week  was overpowering. We spent a day there and could go back again, to see more and go to the sister museum in Speyer. Brenna had nearly as much fun as I did. And of course we got to experience the Autobahn with its blazing speed on the way. I still find being passed in a flash when traveling at 95 mph sort of weird. Wonder what it would take to convert our freeways to this plan?. The roads are not really much better than ours, just a whole new disciplined way of driving.

Brenna and I have had some time to talk about family ties and history, revisit some of her memories of growing up, and I have worked on a small booklet that records some of my life adventures for the time when I won't be around to share the information. We still have plans together to spend time on expanding the family tree record, which we will then share with the rest of the family.

I have relaxed, caught up on old issues of car magazines, helped with some chores, and taken some walks to improve health and see the town Brenna lives in. I still find a Dairy farm in the middle of Oberstafenbach to be surprising. Farmers live in town and drive to their land to work the crops. Animals  are housed under the living quarters of many homes; I understand it is in part to provide heat to the residence. Probably helps with ambience too. Wonder if Germans have a less developed sense of smell? The whole country is dog freiendly and I have never before seen dogs so disciplined that they refuse to leave the perimeter of their home lawn, even when we bring Pepper by them. It is not just the PEOPLE of Germany who adhere to order and structure.

When we visited in October we asked if a restaurant had beer available, we got an immediate yes and a look that said "why not", are you crazy?Germans love their beer and wine.  Yet, Sunday is a protected day with work of any kind, including yard work, being frowned upon. Businesses are not open except for restaurants, and many of the latter being  closed on Mondays and Tuesdays instead. Convenience stores are not to be found in any small village,  and gas stations sell fuel, not much else. Tradition seems important. I find the people to be friendly and surprisingly good at English communication. I do understand how McDonalds,  Burger King and other ethnic places thrive here. German food is predictable in restaurants, with schneitzel and sausage predominate. It does get boring.

As I reflect on the time here I am continually impressed with the changes in my life that technology has created. This blog is an example. When I was growing up we had hand cranked party line phones, connected by an operator in person plugging in wires to allow us to talk. Today without any assistance (well - Brenna had to coach me) I am able to send information world wide without any person helping. Brenna monitors Parker while sleeping with a device that sends his picture and sounds to her immediately. Today we will Skype with Sandy in AZ, we can skype all over the world at any moment. What a change. I thought as a kid that traveling to Red Wing from Maiden Rock WI, 25 miles was a nice treat. Now a new continent is easliy within reach in 8-10 hours.

All for now.