Garden Cleanup ...

April 20, 2017

Today we were focusing on the garden ...

It was going to be a nice day ...

the perfect time to prune the fruit trees and raspberry bushes ...

James seemed quite interested in what Grandpa was doing ...

Perhaps he'll take over this job ...

sometime in the future ...

 

It took a few hours to get the pruning job done ...

It looks much better ... being cleaned up ...

The kidlets helped with gathering the branches ...

to be burned in the burn barrel ...

hmmmm ... looks like they are sitting down on the job ...

It was getting close to lunchtime ...

The coals were perfect to have a weiner roast ...

Ella helped to bring out all the items needed ...

to doctor up our hotdogs ...

We luv these kind of days ... hanging out by the fire ...!!!

 

After all our jobs were done outside ... and dinner was done ...

We nestled down on the couch to watch the hockey game ...

Ella and James were so excited ...

when Grandpas beer glass lit up ... when our team scored a goal ...

It was a great day ...

with what was accomplished in the garden today ...!!!

Visiting Friends ...

March 6, 2017

We had a great time ...

visiting our BC neighbours home in Sunlakes, AZ ...

It was a lovely day to sit outside ...

and enjoy the view and activities on the golf course ...

Eric and the guys went on a tour of the area ...

and Sharon took us ladies for a tour ...

We all met up at the Palo Verde Dinning Restaurant ...

at the golf course for lunch ...

It was so beautiful ...

We were lucky to enjoy our lunch outdoors ...

 

 

 All of us toasting to good friends ... good food ...

and good times ... !!!

Some pictures of cacti and flowers ...

in the neighbourhood ...

 

Thank you Linda and Dave ...

for driving us to the Chandler area ...

to visit our friends ...

   

Valentine's Day ...

February 14, 2017

 

Happy Valentine's Day ...

It's a beautiful ... loving day ... !!!

A special morning ... showered with gifts ...

mainly CHOCOLATE ... !!!

Mike and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast ... and then I made my way into town ...

to spend the afternoon with Oma ...

After running a few errands ... some shopping downtown ...

we decided to go for lunch ...

Oma wanted to go to DQ ... we shared a meal ...

so that we could have our own Sundae as our treat ... !!!

It doesn't take much to please the two of us ...

love spending time with mom ... wherever it is ... !!!

I also received a goody bag from Oma ... special made cookies from Rosa ...

a resident at Joseph Creek Village ...

I knew exactly what my gift was ... from the aroma of anise seed oil from the bag ...

They were homemade ... and are one of my favourite cookies ...

PIZZELLE

 

Pronounced“pit-sel”

"Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie. It isgenerally believed they originated in the Abruzzo region of south-central Italyin ancient times to mark an annual celebration. The name comes from the Italian word Pizze for round and flat. In someparts of Italy, the irons were embossed with family crests and passed down toeach generation. Over time it became tradition to use pizzelles to celebrateany holiday or festive occasion. "

 

 

Special Luncheon ...

January 20, 2017

 It was a busy morning ... getting myself organized ... driving the grandchildren to school ...

then drove into Calgary ... to meet with my dear friends Vern an Ellen ... for a lovely lunch ...

enjoying our time visiting before it was time to head back ...

and pick up the grandchildren after school ...

 I made it back in time to pick up everyone ... just to turn around and drive back to Okotoks ...

as Craig had his two hour art classes ...

While Craig was busy ... James ... Ella and I went to do our Costco shopping ...

We picked up Craig and then headed to Pizza Hut for dinner ...

they were starving ...

While we were waiting for our meal ... the people beside us had just bought their young son ...

a new Triangle Rubic's Cube ... 

and the dad was trying to figure out how to solve his sons old regular one ...

now ... this is one of Craig's passions ... plus we could see the frustration in this mans face ...

We started talking and they finally asked Craig if he could solve it ...

and so ... he did ... in just a few seconds ... 

The poor man and his family were totally amazed ... !!!

We had a great time together ...

After dinner we headed back to the house ... put the groceries away ... 

and then I took Craig to a friends sleepover birthday party ...

The rest of the evening was learning and playing another card game ...

Cooking With Rosa ...

November 16, 2016

Today I am having a cooking lesson with Rosa ...

learning how to make her famous meatballs and sauce ...

First of all I was sent to Rick's Deli to pick up her "Rosa special" ...

When I walked into the store to place the order ... they knew exactly what I needed ...

the beef mix was ground fresh ... and the rib sections were packaged individually ...

We had been planning this day for quite some time ...

finally going to make her meatballs and sauce ...

The first order of business was to place the ribs into a baking pan and bake it in the oven ...

The hamburger meat was put into a bowl ...

then all ingredients were added ...

mixed together and then set aside for the breadcrumbs to moisten ... flavours to blend ...

The next step was to heat some Olive Oil in a pan ...

add a few slices of onion and saute them ...

Once they were browned ... the onions were removed and the oil put into the large pot ...

Then adding jars and cans of crushed tomatoes .... seasoning ... 

The cooked ribs were then put into the sauce ...

The sauce was brought to a boil then turned back to simmer ...

While the sauce was simmering ... we sat down at the table to make the meatballs ...

Rosa had her own technique on making them ..

I paid close attention on how she rolled them in her hands ...

When the meatballs were all made ... they were placed into the oven to bake ...

The meatballs were finished baking ...

they were put into the sauce ...

Rosa then cooked up her homemade Gnocchi ...

(which I had learned how to make earlier this year) ...

Rosa had set the table for lunch ... made a salad ...

and I was served this delicious dish of 

"Rosa Special Meatballs and Sauce"

All I can say is "Bellissimo"

I enjoy spending time with Rosa ...

learning how to cook real Italian food ...

from someone who has cooked these meals ...

all her life ...

Thank you Rosa ...

 for taking the time to teach me ...

the recipes from your homeland ...

that were passed down thru the years ...

Travelling to Vancouver Island ...

September 8 & 9, 2016

Our friends ... here at home ...

had just asked us if we were planning another fishing trip to the coast ...

And lo and behold ... Ron had called and asked if we were interested ...

on going fishing September 12, 13, and 14th ...

he had an opening ...

 

Well ... here we are ... heading for Vancouver Island ...

for another fishing trip ...

We decided to make it a mini holiday to visit some of our friends ...

First stop was staying ...

with Ron ( Mike has worked many jobs with him) and his wife Melinda ... in Nanoose Bay ...

We had a lovely evening ... visiting with them ...

Mike and Ron had a tee time set for this morning ... at the golf course ...

Melinda and I spent a lovely morning ... enjoying our coffees outdoors ...

When Mike and Ron were finished with golfing ...

we made our way to Parksville ...

on our way to the Black Goose Inn ... for their famous fish and chips ...

 

This was an amazing ... beautiful place ... 

hope you get a chance to visit The Black Goose Inn ...

if you ever make your way to Parksville ...

 

"Our beautiful MACLURE HOUSE, originally constructed in 1921, is now home to The Black Goose Inn. Situated on Rathtrevor Beach on the outskirts of the Oceanside town of Parksville we are waiting to welcome you into our British Pub Style Restaurant (with a wee bit of Scottish thrown in). Our traditional menu offers delicious home cooked food 7 days a week (see our menu for full details) with daily lunch and dinner specials. Not only do we serve fantastic food we also pour a great pint! With 19 drafts to choose from, including some of your favourite UK beers and the hard-to-come-by Sir Perry Cider, you wont be leaving thirsty.  Also now serving Innis & Gunn Original and the new Inn & Gunn Lager on draft!"

"Our family owned and operated establishment, the Black Goose Inn, welcomed its first customers in December 2010 to this historic Samuel Maclure-designed house. The wood-panelled main hall, the elegant drawing room and the peaceful library are now home to our warm and friendly 60-seat British/Scottish pub-style restaurant." 

After our lunch ...

we were taken on a tour of the area ...

travelling along the Island Hwy ... stopping to take a few pictures of Nanoose Bay ...

before heading back to the house ...

We enjoyed sitting out on the back deck ... for the remainder of the afternoon ...

then enjoying a lovely dinner ...

sitting around the table ... chatting ... laughing and having fun ...

until it was time to call it a night ...

 

We were leaving the next day to visit our friends at Horn Lake ...

plus Ron was entered in a Golf Tournament ...

and had to get up early ...

 

It was wonderful to see Ron and Melinda again ... !!!

 

A Day at Home ...

July 15, 2016

Today was a day to take it easy ...

just hanging around the house ... riding quads ...

and maybe getting some twigs for the fire pit ... using Opa's homemade trailer ...

Lunch time ... waiting for the coals to be ready for roasting hot dogs ...

Craig was playing with his RC car ... driving it up and down the slide ...

Enjoying our lunch ... sitting around the fire pit ...

roasting a few marshmallows for dessert ...

After lunch ... it was time to cut the lawn ...

Craig wanted to learn how to work the lawn tractor ...

so after a few rounds of teaching him how it works ...

he was on his way by himself ...

Craig did an awesome job of cutting the lawn ...

his was so eager to help out ...

From now on when Craig comes for a visit ... this will be one of his jobs ...

After a busy day of playing and doing odd jobs ...

it was time to sit back and relax ...

in the hot tub ...

Mike and I had brought back a few souvenirs from Austria ...

and this was our first chance to give it to them ... before they headed back home ...

A small beer stein for the boys and a glass globe for Ella ...

plus some chocolate and honey candy from the Bee Store ...

They loved it all ... !!!

 

 

Our Last Day to Visit ...

May 30, 2016

Today we spent the morning visiting with Klaus and Resi ...

then getting some of our packing done as we were leaving for Canada the next day ...

After breakfast ... Klaus was busy drawing out the roads travelled ...

on our holiday ...

some of the routes drawn in blue were when Mike went with Klaus's on his work route ...

Resi was busy in the kitchen preparing a special lunch ...

We were going for the afternoon ...

to go visit with Tanya (Regina's daughter) and her family ...

in Vorchdorf ...

Before we left to go see Tanya ...

Resi gave me this handmade gift ... painting on the flowers ... then crocheting the lace trim ...

I can appreciate the time and love put into this towel ...

"In many kitchens in Austria ... this shelf would be hung in the kitchen ...

the used tea towels would be hung up on the hooks ...

and the long towel would be drawn in front to hide them" ...

I plan on using mine as a wall hanging ...

Tanya and Hans run the original four-corner farm ...

Hans and Tanya live on the upper storey ... of the farmhouse ...

and Hans's parents live on the main floor ...

It is a large pig farm ... that is totally automated now for feeding ...

even though it is ....

it still takes a lot of work to manage it ...

This cute little guy is Tanya and Hans's son Emil ...

he is 4 years old and full of energy ...

We were there in time to have a coffee break ... and cake ... at least the women did ...

the guys had a beer break ...

When we left the farm ... Klaus took us on a tour to Messenbach ...

showing us the house that mom (Oma) was raised in from the age of 1-13 ...

She would have to walk a few mile on the backroad ...

to get milk for the family ...

there were no other house around ... and no streetlights ...

Oma said it was scary at night when she walked those roads ...

we saw quite a bit of the countryside ... that Oma would ride her bike or walk ...

Klaus then drove back to Tante Paula's house ...

this was our last day to be visit here ...

We went back to the Seyr household ...

and enjoyed a lovely evening with some of the family that came by ...

to bid us farewell ...

It has been an extraordinary adventure ...

it's hard to believe the time had gone by so quickly ...

Hoping that we will be able to return again ... next time for a few more weeks ...

This holiday brought our family closer together ...

and a better understanding of the history ...

 

Our Secret Adventure ...

May 29, 2016

We were so excited this day ...

Horst had an adventure day planned ... no one knew where we were going ...

He had acquired a van (mini school bus) ... to take all of us on this secret journey ...

Christian and Christine came and picked us up at Klaus's house ...

and Horst went to pick up Oma and Tante Paula ...

We all met at the house ... hopped into the bus ... and we were on our way ...

We traveled out of town ...

and crossed over the Autobahn to an area ... Aurach am Hongar ...where we could see Laakirchen ...

we were able to see the paper mill in the distance ...

then we were on our way again ...

Passing thru and capturing a picture of the Church ...

Now heading towards Shorfling ...

seeing the Kammer-Schorfling Train Station ...

This is the end of the rail tracks ... on the corner across the street ...

there is a restaurant that has a dry-docked boat sitting in the yard ...

Looks like the only way to travel now was by car or bike ...

Not sure why this boat was situated there ... !!!

 

We drove along the shores of the Attersee ... to the end of the lake ...

The area is really wonderful ... loved the colours of the lake.

We then followed a steep , narrow, winding road uphill

and arrived at Druckerhof .

"Druckerhof is a house with a past. It is situated 700 m above sea-level above the town of Unterach am Attersee. The original farmhouse is made of solid wood and is family owned since 1581.

In 1955 the road was built and the Court was expanded and rebuilt in 1962. In 1993 an addition was added to the original house The Druckerhof farm is owned by the 14th generation of the Windhager family."

Everyone out of the bus ... standing in awe ...

enjoying the view and the surroundings of this restaurant ...

Druckerhof is a wonderland area ... there a lots of trails to take a walk or hike in the area ...

One trail that will lead you to Hochmoorgebiet Egelsee ... (Moorland Lake) ...

It is a raised bog Lake from the ice age. There is also a sweet chestnut forest ...

which was planted in the Roman period or the Jubilee tree from the time of Emperor Franz Josef.

Behind the house is an enclosed area for Hirsch (Elk) ...

There is also a Petting Zoo with donkeys ... goats ... rabbits and ponies for the children ...

We enjoyed a variety of dishes ... oh my goodness ... everything was so delicious ... !!!

Thank you Christian for taking all these pictures ... !!!

We sat around having a great time ...

we were blessed to have seen two Eagles ... flying high up in the sky around us ...

for me it was a sign that Dad was near ... after all it was his birthday ...

and the only other time mom was here was with Dad many years ago ...

Oma also remembered that there was a monument on the grounds ...

honouring the mother of the Windhager family ...

 

 

 

Our Trip to Muhlviertel...

May 24, 2016

Today was going to be an adventurous day ... even though the forecast was for rain all day ...

we were still heading to the Muhlviertel region ...

to visit the homestead of my great grandmother in Gloxwald ...

The Mühlviertel is an Austrian region that belongs to the state of Upper Austria.

First we were going to pick up our cousins Franz and Christl ...

Then traveling thru the countryside and along the Danube ...

stopping to see the tour boat ...

The Danube is second longest river in Europe. It is located in Central and Eastern Europe.The Danube flows through 10 countries. It starts in Germany and flows southeast for 2,860 km (1,780 mi), passing through or touches the borders before emptying into the Black Sea.

The buildings and grounds belonged to the state ...

it was leased to my great grandfather and great grandmother ...

Franz and Maria Tremetsberger ...

to run and manage the forest and area ...

The building is now a home for the city boys ...

to experience country living ...

We were only able to peek thru the windows ...

Oma said the Kachelofen (Tiled Stove) is still the original ...

it brought back a lot of memories for Oma of spending her childhood with her Oma ...

Here we are standing in front of the house ...

Christl, Franz, Oma, Resi, me and Klaus ...

Franz is the son of Oma's Uncle Frans ...

who lost his life in Russia ...

We ventured to the village ...

the first picture was of the Post Office ... the next one is of the schoolhouse ...

Franz had to walk about a 1 ½ miles to and from the school ...

Next picture is of the Firehall ... and the church ...

We were shown a special rock ... placed in the town Centre ...

which was extracted from the quarry ...

The symbols carved into the Rock are of the surrounding area ...

including the rivers ...

The countryside was so green from all the rain ...

Next stop we were going to have lunch ...

We were driven thru Laimbach ...

to have lunch at Schreiner's ... Das Waldviertel Haus ...

The special of the day was "Schnitzel " ... it was just what I wanted ...!!!

We had a lovely time ...!!!

After lunch we went for a walk to the town Centre ...

here ther was another large rock ...

carved into a fish ...

There is a story that there is a small fish still swimming inside the large fish ...

This small church was attended by the people of the surrounding area ... which was in walking distance ...

This is where our family records are recorded ...

On the road again to our next destination ...

The architectural ... craftsmanship and paintings were extraordinary ...

It almost takes your breath away from the beauty ...

We then drove back to Franz & Christl's home ...

we met their family ...

their daughter Ursula ... granddaughter Anna (who would love to visit Canada) ... and Markus ...

unfortunately, we did not meet their grandson David ...

We were served coffee and a delicious piece of cake ...

Just before we headed back to Laakirchen ...

we toured their gardens ...

Franz loves to spend time in his garden ...

It was a really special day to meet and visit with Oma's mothers' side of the family ...

"The Tremetsbergers"