Monthly Archives: November 2018

Advent Season in Germany

Posted on November 30, 2018 by maryannniemczura

A time of hope, anticipation. Crisp air outdoors. Candles, lights, wreaths abound. Advent calendars to count down.   Small surprises, sweets behind the tiny doors. Shouts of glee at the prizes in little hands. Smells of fir boughs, pinecones, gingerbread … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent Wreath, Advent, Nikolaus, customs, Germany, traditions, cultures, Fulbright Exchange | 22 Comments

Expressing Gratitude to a Stranger in Germany

Posted on November 23, 2018 by maryannniemczura

As a temporarily-single-parent during my first Fulbright Exchange Teacher Abroad year in Neresheim, Germany, it was often challenging especially when the children were ill. It was only on the way home up an icy hill outside the village did I … Continue reading →

Posted in Fulbright Teacher in Neresheim, Germany, Gratitude to a Stranger in Germany, ice storm, Schweindorf | Tagged , , , , , | 31 Comments

Spellbound!

Posted on November 16, 2018 by maryannniemczura

The sheer quiet beauty and peacefulness of that first snowfall blanketing the earth tugs at my heartstrings. Kids bundled up play in the cold white landscape. The kid inside me longs for those Massachusetts childhood days of sledding and building … Continue reading →

Posted in sledding, snow day - no school, white landscape | Tagged , , , , , | 40 Comments

Climb on the Buckboard!

Posted on November 9, 2018 by maryannniemczura

Joining the ranks of Wild West cowboys we only knew from books, we moved from Massachusetts to Colorado as three young sisters with a fourth on the way. We donned Cowboy boots, hats, square dance skirts, and moccasins too. We … Continue reading →

Posted in buckboard, Colorado State Fair, pioneers, Prague, roots and tree branches, Yankee | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Gratitude’s Étude

Posted on November 2, 2018 by maryannniemczura

November means gratitude Gratefulness for friends and food, for family interludes with colorful Autumn-hued leaves and flowers – all valued. Nature brings beauty, exudes. You’d might conclude, we are cued: Thanksgiving of plentitude.

Posted in November, plentitude, Thanksgiving | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments