Coffee from a Reusable Ceramic Mug

I uploaded a few photos from Christmas in Beckum here. Since both of us forgot our cameras (but seemed to have packed everything else in our apartment), there are only a few photos from Bruno’s camera. I think we realized, this trip, that we only need to pack one outfit and a few pairs of lounge wear for our trips here. We rarely go out, and we sleep a lot!

I finally seem to be recovering from my Christmas comma. I have been sleeping a LOT while here, but for the past two days, I have gotten up early and had a lot of energy! Maybe cutting back on the chocolate helped bring my body in to order!

We did a yoga practice with Sandra and Julian today. Matthias brought his yoga DVDs with him, and so they wanted to try it out too. It was fun. Now they want the DVDs for home too. I bought the Yogaaway series for Matthias when I was in Austin. It’s a set of DVDs that are available at the Hyatt Hotels for guests. The idea was developed by one of Gary’s students as her final project when she did the yoga training that I just finished. I think it’s a great idea to hook hotels up with yoga programs. Traveling is stressful - as I am learning.

OK, I am heading down to one last dinner before we head home tomorrow. Matthias has been cooking like a fiend while here. I think it’s his way of unwinding. I love it! Tonight it’s marinated steak for the meat eaters and tofu schnitzel for me!

Tomorrow, before we head back to Regensburg, we are going up to Sabine’s house to visit her and Elena. It should be great fun!!

It’s Christmas day and I woke up feeling hungover, not from alcohol but from chocolate. I have been dragging all day! I had a sensible lunch and have yet to touch any sweets. I think they are off of the menu for me today.

Matthias’ sister Sandra and her boyfriend Julian are coming later today. They live on the boarder of France, and they spent Christmas eve with his family there. They are bringing their cat!

The gifts Matthias and I sent to my parents never arrived in Phoenix for some unknown reason. I hope they get there. We will have to check the post office receipts when we get home and make sure that they haven’t been lost. I am bummed they didn’t get there in time.

I think I’ll recover from my hangover a little further by putting in a DVD of ‘Friends’ and chillin’. I think a walk around the fields nearby my be the extent of my physical activity for the day. Next time, I will be a little less eager to eat quite so much chocolate!

The holidays have begun with a lot of relaxation after an easy drive to Beckum yesterday. We played Doppelkopf with Matthias’ friends from high school (actually, they all went to the same kindergarten, so they go WAY back. After sleeping late, we went for a walk today in the clear, crisp air. Tonight we get to open gifts (as is the tradition here - so cool not to have to wait until morning!). There is a lot of food to be eaten, so I better get going.

PS - “Dradle, Dradle, Dradle” keeps playing in my head. Can’t sort that one out. I think I was Jewish in another life.

Matthias got a speeding ticket int he mail the other day. Turns out, it was actually my speeding ticket! It’s my very first speeding ticket ever - I am so proud. At least I can still say that I have never gotten a ticket in the U.S. still. Luckily, I was not speeding so much, so it was just a fine of 25 euros When I found out there was a ticket, I knew I hadn’t been imagining a flash I saw last month while driving over to Brian and Jessica’s hotel. It was a 30 Km/h zone, and I was going like 45 or something. I guess it had to happen sometime. I didn’t have the navigation system with me at the time of the violation. Matthias has programmed it to tell us what the speed limits are. Otherwise, I get a bit confused over here. Much of the time, while driving in or near towns, you need to guess the speed based on the area you are in. My sense of the correct speed limit is not, apparently, as good as the Germans’ so I am often wrong. Guess I’ll have to start working on that….

Mathias and I are off to Beckum this morning. We’ll be spending Christmas and maybe New Years up there with the folks. We are considering a quiet New Years back in Regensburg just to have some down time after all of the travel lately, but Sabine is having a party in Muenster and Elena is coming! We are torn! Having been tired from said travel, we haven’t made a decision yet. We’ll take it as it comes.

I am off to finish packing! Merry Christmas ya’ll!

I made it back to Germany on Monday morning. I have been sleeping a lot since I got home. I guess between the jet lag and recovery from the two week intensive, I need the rest.

It was an intense two weeks. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about teaching. All of the details would take ages to pour them out, ans many of the experiences are very personal so I won’t post them here. If you’d like more details, just give me a call :-). In the mean time, here is a photo of the room in which I spent two weeks, and a lovely picture of me during one of the sessions. The light kept coming in directly on my head for about 15 minutes during the morning session. I didn’t want to move even though I couldn’t see because I knew I’d have a lot less sun in my life once I got home. The photos were taken by Candice and Lisa from the training - they took some beautiful photos. I only took about four photos the entire time, so I am lucky to have these great ones from them.

Wish me luck on the jet lag. I should be caught up just in time for us to drive to Beckum on Sunday to spend the holidays with the family!

It is so nice to be back in Austin at ‘Yoga Camp.’ In general, it is just wonderful to get away from everything and focus my attention on something completely different! We need to do this kind of thing more often!

The weather has been lovely. It’s somewhere around 70 degrees in the day, and it’s cool at night. The yoga practices and the discussions are wonderful. I have some nice tools of meditation to take home and work with. I need to teach a yoga practice on Sunday, which will be fun. I get to teach a bunch of teachers and get feedback on my teaching. I already had to record myself teaching, and that was helpful. I dozed off listening to my voice…. I’m not sure it that is a good thing, but I learned that my voice can be soothing.

OK, I am off. There is a lot of relaxing to do…..

I am in Austin getting my yoga grove on. I’ll be off line most of the time, but I won’t miss it! It is beautiful here, and I had the greatest meditation today….. take care all.