A Very Good Day

I feel like I just posted, but I have some fun things to share. Although, I do really hate 'covering up' the post below.

Do ya'll ever feel that way? Where you want to leave a post you love up as long as possible so it can have it's time in the spotlight? I dunno, maybe I am just weird, haha.

If you didn't get a chance to read about our weekend in France, you will have to look at the two posts below!

But really, what I wanted to do today was tell you about the great day that I had yesterday! I felt some of these things were worth sharing with ya'll!

It really was a great day.

First off, my beloved, the sun, was out all day yesterday and it made for the most perfect weather day here in Germany. Highs in the low 70s, no wind and warm sunshine the entire day! There are few things that can tear the hubs away from the TV for an entire afternoon. The weather yesterday was able to do that. We laid around in the sun for hours. I was in heaven. (if you haven't noticed yet, I basically worship the sun!)

I'm working on it Cristiano! (source)

Secondly, the not-so-baby-anymore goatie has, once again, figured out how to get out of his pen. He doesn't realize that the grass is just as green and yummy on both sides of the fence, but then again most of us don't realize that either!

We turned our back for once second, and look who decided to see what was going on in the apartment. Honestly, where do we live!?!

"Oh hey there folks, you gots anything good to eat in here???"

Third - and yes he gave me permission to blog about this - the hubs finally threw away a pair of underwear that he had had for TWELVE YEARS!! I am not joking about this. They were tattered and hole riddled. I asked him numerous times to toss them, but he was adamant that they were his favorite pair and too comfy. Finally, out of the blue, yesterday he stands up, declares that they must go, and throws them away right then and there. Making progress.

And on another note, which I will have to save for another blog, the hubs is a big over-sharer. I know more about him and his body than any lady ever needs to know. He isn't gross or anything, I guess he just feels comfortable enough to tell me...everything. Joys of being married, right!?

Last but oh-so-certainly not least, I was nominated for For the Love of Blogs BLOG OF THE MONTH! EEEEEeeeee!

I am not gonna lie, the competition is stiff this month. There are some great bloggers up for the award, many of which I really enjoy reading every day.

It would be such an honor to be named Blog of the Month, but really, for lack of less corny wording, I feel like I have already won. I honestly have the most supportive and awesome group of readers/commenters I could have ever asked for. I know other bloggers might say that, but I really mean it.

Ya'll are funny, witty, and actually seem to enjoy what I write (which might mean you are good actors too, haha, jk). Before I started blogging, I never thought that bloggyland could be such a positive and supportive community. And thanks to the bloggers I have found, ya'll made that a reality. Although I try to give back as much as possible by reading and commenting on your sites, I don't know if I can ever truly express how awesome ya'll all are and how appreciative I am. Thank you for putting a big smile on my face every day!

Now, if you do feel like voting, I would love the support :) And if not, that is ok too. But you should at least check out FTLOB. The three ladies who run the site have grown it into a wealth of information and help for any and all bloggers.

I wish all of you a very happy and great Hump Day!

Un petit voyage en France, Part Zwei

...wait, that isn't 'two' in French.... The second part of our mini wine and cheese vacay.

Somehow or another, we managed not to indulge in too much wine during our stay in Strasbourg. Which is a good thing. The last thing you want to do before a day of wine tasting is being hung-ditty from the night before.

Saturday morning, while not nearly as beautiful as the day before, I awoke with a full agenda of things to do. After a super quick stop in the local Sephora - which, btw, they do NOT have in Germany and I was running super low on so many things. Life saver! - we were headed about 50 km south to the Alsace Tour de Vins.

The hubs did not get a shot of me coming out of Sephora, but I probably looked like this, but with more crazy eyes. (source)

The hubs kept asking 'Where are we headed?' and my answer was 'Oh I dunno, some town that people kept saying was really cool on the internet'. He should know better by now to even ask.

I am the queen of finding random spots and towns online. And thankfully I am lucky enough and they usually turn out to be interesting, off-the-beaten-path kind of wonderful places. 

One of the beautiful streets in Riquwihr

This one was no different. After a short drive on the highway, the GPS lead us off the main road and back through meandering rows of vines. I don't think the hubs was convinced we were actually going some place in particular, that is, until the absolutely picturesque town of Riquewihr was right upon us.

If you thought Strasbourg looked like a movie set, Riquewihr was straight out of a Disney film. Despite the region of Alsace getting pretty blown up in the war, the tiny medieval town was spared. And has somehow stayed more or less the same as it was in the 16th century. 

The clock tower framing the top of the town.

The town, which is built on the side of a steep hill, is jam packed with little wineries and tasting rooms. Seriously, just one after the other of Cave and Dégustation (cellars and wine tastings) We asked one of the proprietors, and she guessed that in the tiny, sleepy town there were around 25 wine cellars in the city. Boozing comes easy here, I'd say.

And don't worry, we didn't hit them all up. Don't think I would have had the stamina or liver to even accomplish that in a week!

Ok, maybe a week, but it would have to be one heck of a bender!

We picked out a places along the main drag that we wanted to visit and sample their wine. By far the coolest one was Maison Zimmer, which was literally in a cave-like cellar. Cold, damp, musty smelling, and away from the tourist bus full of snow birds from Florida, it really did feel like we descended those stairs and traveled back in time.

Maison Zimmer wine tasting cellar

And holy begeebus, was their Riesling to die for! So good. While I wanted to buy 20 bottles to take home, I reluctantly only purchased two. Damn the hubs and his 'common sense'. 


How good was it? It's been called the songbird of it's generation. That good.

Sorry, blackout there, what happened? Anyways, the idea is to bring back a bottle so we can enjoy it at home, in Texas. Yeah, we will see if that happens! 

How do you manage to look so smooth all the time?! Lol

I asked the lady working there if anyone ever falls down the steps. She said it didn't happen very often, but people are always falling up the steps. Now that is how you know you had a good time wine tasting!

Medieval looking stairs leading back into the sunlight

Besides walking the streets to people watch and eating yet another meal filled with melted Munster goodness, there wasn't much else to do in the town. But really, with architecture and an atmosphere like that, what more do you need?!

If you ever find yourself along the French-German border, you have to check out this area. Wine lover or teetotaler, you will not be disappointed in the beauty of the French countryside!

Un petit voyage en France

Another Monday already?! Where does the weekend go?

I first want to thank all of you who linked up to the Storytellers Blog Hop! What a great turn out! And I found some great new reads, re-read some classic posts, and enjoyed hopping around each site. So I hope you did too :) And if you missed out on linking up, you can still have a good chance to read up on some new blogs. Check out the button that links to the hop on the right side. It'll be there all month :)

With hockey playoffs still dragging on (let's see how many times I say that in the next month) the boys had Friday, Saturday and Sunday free. A weekend without practices, games or anything, unheard of! Especially in playoffs.

So instead of spending quality time with the bunnies and goaties, which was hard to turn down, the hubs and I figured we would go visit a country we had never been to.

I have to admit it is pretty embarrassing that we hadn't been to France before this past weekend. Living in Germany for three seasons now, you would think that we would have at least wandered over there once or twice before. But nope, and that is ok, we have seen many other places, so France was just waiting its turn. 

A mini vacation to the Alsace region brought along with it many iconic things that France is known for. There was no lacking in vineyards, mild and fruity wines, strong but delicious cheeses, and beautiful and distinct architecture.

Strasbourg was our first stop, and the weather could not have been more beautiful. With temperatures in the upper 70s and an abundant spring sun, this little Texas girl was in heaven. 

The city is a perfect mix of German and French culture. It has the structure and order of German lifestyle combined with the laissez-faire attitude of France.

We wandered the streets of Petite-France, a small but well known section of Strasbourg. Despite many wars and destruction that the city has seen, the medieval area of Petite-France has been maintained to this day. (Still think it is funny they have a Little France in France. You think they have Chinatowns in China?!)

We walked along the Ill River and through the windy streets, and were towered by the medieval houses crisscrossed in black and white timber-framed style. Literally just a hop, skip and a jump from the German border, yet it was new and different and we felt as if we were in a whole 'nother world.

Of course, as we walked through the town, I didn't comment on historical style of the buildings or the bridges, didn't relate it to the back and forth passing of the German and French reign. I just kept thinking "Holy cow, this looks like a street from Beauty and the Beast!". What a well rounded, cultured gal I am, haha. 

We eventually stumbled upon the last cafe to have sun gracing it's terrace. Somehow snagged a seat, our aggressive table snagging being attributed to our time in Germany. Thank you, Germans, for that. We sipped on wine, tried the local cheeses and basked in the warm sun. It was beautiful!

The area of Alsace is apparently known for its Rieslings and Munster cheese, among many other things. I already knew I liked Riesling, so I was just fine trying as much of that delicious goodness as they would pawn off on me. But Munster??...I wasn't sold on that stinkiness. 

Mmmm Mmmm Munster??? (source)

Let's be honest, Munster cheese has a reputation that precedes itself. It is stinky, it 'matures' in damp cellars for five weeks to up to 2-3 months. That is a loooot of aging, which makes is small kind of like feet. Really making this sound appetizing, right?!

But it is delicious! I can't explain how it can smell so putrid yet taste so yummy, but it does.

So as the sun set on that evening, we watched as swans flew past us*, gracefully gliding over the river and enjoyed the mild wine and strong cheese. It was one of those moments that I will savor for a lifetime.

For now, I'll stop here and tomorrow go into our wine tasting afternoon along the Tour de Vins de Alsace. Gosh, we sound so fancy pants!

*Ok yes, swans really did fly past us and along the river. As the first one was drawing near, I so eloquently said "Wow, that is the biggest darn Seagull I have ever seen!". It wasn't until it was right on top of us that I noticed the long neck. You can take the girl out of Texas...

There's still time...

....to link up to the Storytellers Hop! Check out all the great reads below and add your own.

And most importantly, have a great weekend!!

:)

Storytellers Blog Hop: March

Oh happy Friday! I can't believe that it is the end of the month and another Storytellers Blog Hop is here!!

While I am popping over to say a big 'howdy' to France, the SBH will be monitoring the site.

Life's hard, I know. Haha, sorry, couldn't resist sharing with ya'll my fun weekend! I'm excited. Photos and stories to come!

I'll still be around, so don't try any fun business :)

If you linked up last time, thanks for coming back! If you are new, I'll give you the quick run down.

I like to think that this hop is unique from all the others out there. One that caters to blogs that tell stories, and have actual real content. It doesn't matter whether the 'stories' are fact or fiction, told with words or pictures, consist of ramblings or thought out chapters, or lighthearted or serious. This hop is for real bloggers with real stories. No advertising, give aways, reviews or coupon sites.

<a border="0" href="http://texagermanadian.blogspot.com/search/label/Storytellers" target="_blank"><img width="190" height="190" img src="http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac89/lindseyleavitt14/storytellers.png"/></a>

Link to any post you would like. You don't have to come up with a 'story', you don't have to do anything special, you just link up your blog and be you.  

Your blog is your story, so let it shine!

Only. One. Rule. Please, no sites that specialize in ads, coupons, giveaways, etc. There are many blog hops just for you, but today, this hop isn't one of them. Sorry guys.

Other than that, there are no rules, no 'follow' musts, only an easy outlet to stumble upon new and interesting blogs.

I hope that you enjoy the new reads. I have some ah-mah-zing followers, and I know they will strut their stuff today. Right on! Thanks for stopping by :)

My First Hockey Game

Today, at least if I can remember correctly, marks the 4 year anniversary of my first ever hockey game.

You see, this little Texas girl didn't know squat about hockey. Sure, we dabbled in street hockey from time to time, but that didn't mean we knew the rules. I could have probably named you one hockey player (Wayner) but then again, who didn't/doesn't know him!?

I remember my dad trying to get me to watch a game of hockey on T.V. one time when I was younger. He had spent some time in Canada and knew a bit about the sport. I had questions like "Ridiculous, why do they have to cross that line at once?" and "Where is the puck? Is there even a puck!?"

Or, I could have waited until they came out with the ridiculousness of FoxTrax! (source)

Needless to say, it was the first and last time, at least up until 4 years ago, that I even had the thought of hockey on my mind.

So, when I met the pre-hubs and he told me he was a hockey player, I didn't swoon or sigh like some good puck bunny. To be honest with you, I acted mildly impressed as I struggled to remember, that yes, there was a pro hockey team in San Antonio. 

All you had to say was "Ice skating bull named T-Bone" and I would have been hooked! (source)

After less than 2 weeks of knowing each other, he invited me and a few friends to one of his home games. The pre-hubs hooked me up with four tickets, and with three friends in tow we headed down to the rink to see what all this hockey biznaz was about. 

I don't give him enough credit for being one clever of a guy. 

As we are walking in, both teams are on the ice and the announcer is naming off some award for one of the players. My friends, which at this point were already giggling (we may or may not have pre-partied :)), asking "Which one is he, which one is he??". 

I search the boys, until I saw him standing there, mid-ice, receiving an award for player of the week. Smart cookie. He knew he was getting that award and purposely had us come to the game to see his shining moment. 

I searched his name and 'player of the week' and somehow or another this is what came up. His face is pasted over David Spade's. How could I not include this!?

Pretty smooth, and I can't lie, I was pretty impressed.

We found our seats as the game started, and it was clear that all the high healed, perfectly manicured, blond girls in front of us were the girlfriends and wives of the players. So my friends start whispering "OMG, it's your new best friends."

Enjoying taking pictures the game.

Aren't they just the sweetest! Ha. Sad that I had no idea what my life would turn out, but I do remember thinking "nooooo, never!". For the record, they were a very sweet group of girls.

None of us knew the rules. The pre-hubs got a few goals. I didn't realize that that doesn't happen every game. Was it a big deal?!? I didn't even know, I thought it happened all the time. Turns out it was one of his best games all year.

Me, on the other hand, I remember him scoring, us laughing, and the over priced arena beer going down so smooth. Oh, and meeting up with some friends who had a box reserved at the game...

and doing this:

Sorry Chels! For the record, it was inside joke, but really, why explain. I'll let the picture do the talking.

It was necessary that we did that, OK?! You can't blame me, I was excited to see the pre-hubs play, excited to show him off to my friends....

and apparently really excited about those blow up, noise makers. 

You would think that we had never left the house before!

Whoops, guess I didn't really do my best to pay attention. I think something in my gut was telling me that I would be attending 16 million other hockey games, so if I miss things here and there, it wouldn't be the end of the world :)

I still have the ticket stub to that first game. I guess it did mean something special after all. And it is still clear in my mind like it was just last week. Who would have thought we would be over in Germany for hockey just a few short years later!?

Still, I want some more of those blow up noise makers. The could come in handy at games over here.

(P.S. Don't forget about the Storytellers Blog Hop this Friday and Saturday, March 25th and 26th!! Hope to see you there!)

Storytellers Blog Hop: THIS WEEKEND!

Hey bloggers (gotta say that like your nose is all stuffed up for the true dork experience). Just wanted to write a quick reminder that the Storytellers Blog Hop is this weekend, March 25th and 26th.

I had such a great turnout last time, and I hope that ya'll that participated found some great new reads. Those of you newer followers that aren't familiar with the hop, here is a little run down. It is different than other blog hops...in a good way!

*Link to any post you would like. You don't have to come up with a 'story', you don't have to do anything special, you just link up your blog and be you.  Your blog is your story, so let it shine!

*Only. One. Rule. Please, no sites that specialize in ads, coupons, giveaways, etc. There are many blog hops just for you, but today, this hop isn't one of them. Sorry guys.

*Other than that, there are no rules, no 'follow' musts, only an easy outlet to stumble upon new and interesting blogs.

Hope to see you this weekend! 

I have a really fun post for tomorrow. At least one that I have been having big laughs and memories writing. Tomorrow marks the four year anniversary of my first hockey game!!! Like ever. Had never watched one on TV, or in person, or anything. Holy, I did not know what I was in for. I think ya'll will enjoy the story. See you tomorrow, and have a great rest of the Tuesday!

I'll just call this one....

Mustache Monday. 

So, yeah. There is an upcoming election happening here at the end of the month. It isn't an election for a new Chancellor, only local and state elections are taking place. Yes, Germany has individual states. 16 of them, to be exact (please don't ask me to name them!). 

Yes, it is virtually impossible to stop by without learning a thing or two ;)

In the last couple of months, political ads and billboards have been scattered around the town. And they aren't immune to high jinks either. 

I about swerved off the road when I saw these two knuckleheads staring at me.

Here, I'll zoom in so you can get a better view...

Hmmm, where have I seen that stash before?!

Nope, those mustaches are not a part of their natural facials pubes. Those are spray painted on. Pranksters. 

And before anyone jumps to conclusions and thinks this might have been a political statement, I can assure you there is no way that it was. Just some bored German kids with too much time on their hands and a can of spray paint. 

After all, I did see another billboard the other day with a kid sporting a bright orange Hitler mustache. It suited him, actually.

Come on, like the US is immune to this nonsense?! Google Obama and Hitler Mustache and see what all you come up with. 

Anyways, I just thought it was funny and worth sharing. Hope it brings a little chuckle to your Monday afternoon!

BTW, I almost forgot, don't forget that this weekend, March 25th - 27th is the Storytellers Blog Hop!! This is a unique hop for all those wonderful blogs out there that have a story to tell. You don't have to create a story for the hop, just be who you are. I can at least guarantee that there will be no giveaway, coupon or advertising sites. I think that right 'chair' is worth its weight in gold! :) Hope to see you this weekend for the hop!

Zombie Sunday 3/20

Haaarroooowww bloggyland! I hope you are all having a great and lazy and zombie-ish Sunday. After your long week and busy weekend, take a break, a deep breath and try to not to be too bored out of your mind while I recap all the things I missed this week :)

*Did anyone else feel like it was slow going in bloggyland this week?! I think the warm weather is starting to steal people away from their computers and force them to be social and go outside and all of that other 'normal' crap :)

*And while I cannot believe that we are more than half way through March, I'm already feeling like Playoffs are draaaaging here in Germany. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful that the hubs is on a winning team and he's getting a chance to keep up the great season they've had. But, when I see facebook statuses, one after another, announcing the gorgeous spring Texas is having, I about want to gag.

"So beautiful, think I will have some Sangria outside"
"What a perfect day for the beach!"
"Couldn't ask for a better day"
"Lindsey, you are missing out on all the nice weather, you sucker"

Ok, well, maybe that last one wasn't real. But I felt like the others were screaming that at me. While most of my friends from this team and other teams are heading home already, we are still here for the long run. I'm ok with that, as long as we get sunny weather and I know that the Texas heat will be waiting for me when we return!

*How amazing is this story.

*And how heroic and sad is this one.

*I am glad ya'll liked the "As German as..." post last Thursday. It was fun to research all those things that people think are German but sadly aren't. While snooping around the internet looking for some of those ideas, I can across a plethora of things that I did NOT know were German. 

For example:

 (source)

The earliest written record of the practice of the Easter Bunny was first recorded in a German publication in the early 17th century.

And if you want to buy this creepy bad boy above, it is only about 1,300 dollars. NBD.

I smell a follow-up post cooking!

*Colie, from The Colie Chronicles passed on an award to me earlier in the week. If you haven't had a chance to see her blog, you have got to stop over there right away. She is hilarious and witty and a joy to read. 

So this really beautiful award, which I am always pleased to get, comes with the 'list random things about yourself' guidelines. I feel like I have done that one too many times now, so I will just share one really random weird thing with you.

1. I think lava would taste delicious. A crunchy burnt outside, kind of like a roasted marshmallow, and an ooey, gooey, warm center. I know, I am weird, maybe it is some form of Pica, although I don't think I would ever act on it. But seriously, if this was candy you would be all over it! Haha.

YUM! I am weird (source)

Enjoy you Sunday and hope to see ya'll back sometime this next week! Have a great one!

Frackin' Friday

Guten Tag!

I knew you couldn't resist Frackin' Friday and another chance to learn some good naughty German words.

If you missed last weeks, you'll find the recap here.

I had to rack my brain for today's entry. I wanted something raunchy, but not too terrible. I might have to save a really bad one for another time. :)

So, this one won't get you in nearly as much trouble as the last one might have, but it is still fun to say.

"Zicke"
(pronounced: Tz-ick-ey, but said fast, all together, kinda like sicky with a 'z')

or, how I like to say it "Zicke, Zicke!"

You say it when someone is being witchy, or testy. Not necessarily like calling someone a bia, but more so something you might say to your friend when she is having one of those days. It literally comes from the german name for a female goat. 

"For my lovely Zicke" Might be the most romantic balloon...ever. (source)

So, next time you think someone is giving you lip for no reason, don't do the oh-so-lame, oh-so-90's cat 'meow/raaaawr' (do people really still do that!?).

Confuse them and cut them down all at once with a simple "Zicke, Zicke!".

Hope ya'll are all having a great Friday! We have nothing too much planned for the weekend, just banging it out playoff style :)

Oh, and one other quick thing. Rachel from a Life So Lovely featured me today on her Future Friday feature this week. If you have a chance, stop over there and read a more 'serious' side of me!

As German as...

I'm baaaack, and, by request of some of you beautiful readers, more sarcastic than ever. Except for that last statement, where I was truthful, no sarcasm intended. You are beautiful :)

Today I want to talk about some common misconceptions that some people might have of Germany. You see, before I had ever had the chance to visit Deutschland I never really had the desire to travel here. Sorry German readers, I mean no offense, but it wasn't high on my list of 'must sees'. I am definitely more of a beachy kind of girl (I know it's hard, but read: beachy, not bitchy, k, thanks).

And before you start telling me that Germany has beaches too, I'll stop you. I know it does. But they are only warm enough for my Texas blood a handful of days out of the year. And the water is more than just a tiddy bit nipply. Brrrrr!

See, I have even been to one. Nice day...even with the ice cold water.

But you know what? That is ok. Germany isn't 'known' for its beaches. It is known for beer, sausage, pretzels, lederhosen, Mercedes Benz, David Hasselhoff...oh wait, he's ours.

With all of these iconic symbols, a lot of misconceptions get thrown into the mix as well. There are several things that us North Americans might call "German" or think come from German culture, but in fact have no real hard connection to Germany at all. 

And for a Texas girl, who never had German cuisine, had never been to Germany, knew no German, I had quite a few of these delusions in my head...that is, until I became such a badass German expert! Haha, wow, obviously just kidding. 

So, I'll try to straighten out some of these fallacies that I think are worth clarifying. And German readers, I would especially love to hear your feedback on this topic. Correct me if I am wrong on anything. I will only block you from blog for a little bit :)

First Offender:

Wiener Schnitzel

Sources (1, 2)

Well, I think the chain of gut rotting tasty hot dog huts causes this word to be confusing from the get-go. But Wiener schnitzel is not a hot dog or any kind of sausage. Rather, it is a thin cut of veal, breaded, and fried up to a deliciously crispy and juicy consistency. 

And it's origins aren't German. It is a traditional Austrian dish, although it is just as loved and served in Germany. Kind of like how us Texans think TexMex is our state food. 

Mmmmm fried goodness. Looks a lot like Chicken Fried Steak, doesn't it. (source)

The word Wiener (quit laughing) comes from the name of a person from Vienna, Austria. Wien being the German name for Vienna. Hmmm, that even makes it sound like those little Vienna Sausages in a can are that much more authentic! Yum, meat in a can.

Second Offender:

German Chocolate Cake

Oh, but I still love you and your gooey coconut frosting just the same! (source)

Nope, not German. Doesn't have anything to do with Germany. The dark baking chocolate used in the cake was developed by an Englishman by the name of Sam German for Baker's Chocolate. The first record of the recipe for German Chocolate Cake was printed in local Dallas, Texas newspaper in 1957. Baker's Chocolate took notice of the recipe's popularity and started distributing copies of the recipe with the dark baking squares. And from there it became a national staple...in America, not Germany. 

Black Forest Cake. Ya'll hungry yet?! (source)

Germans don't do too many cakes like we do back at home. But they do make one heck of a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, or Black Forest Cake. Yum!

Third Offender:

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut literally meaning "sour cabbage" (source)

Oh Sauerkraut. I never knew you could be soooo delicious until I came to Germany. For those of you who have never tried traditional German sauerkraut and have only eaten the nasty, out-of-the-can grossness at ball parks, I pity you. It is so, so good here.

But Sauerkraut, which is almost as synonymous with German culture as beer and wurst, did not originate in Germany. The Chinese were the first to cash in on this shredded cabbage staple.

Looks pretty darn good too! (source)

It is believed that Chinese laborers building the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago noshed on this goodness. It is thought to have been brought to Europe around 1000 years later by none other than Gengis Kahn. And that is when the western world took over and made it their own.

Fourth Offender:

The Swastika

Chart of swastika symbols throughout the world (source)

Now inescapable of it's Nazi past, the Swastika has actually been around for thousands of years. Earliest evidence of the symbol dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization and Classical Antiquity. It remains popular in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It was popular even in Western culture until the 1930s when it became associated with Nazi Germany. 

This picture is no joke. The Edmonton Swastikas Hockey Team, 1916 (source)

Fifth Offender:

Polka Music

And the only cure is more cowbell! (source)

Ok, I admit, maybe this one was just my naive little self. But I had always thought of Polka as traditional German music. It was the sound of the tubas, accordions, and the 'oom-pa-pa' that always brought visions of Oktoberfest to mind. 

But Polka music, although popular in Germany, originated around the 19th century in the Czech Republic. The name comes from the Czech word for "Polish Girl", which is confusing enough already. So I will just stop there :)

Anyways, I hope that cleared up a few wrong ideas you might have had about "German" products. And if you knew them all already, eff off good for you, smarty pants!

See ya'll tomorrow for another edition of Frackin' Friday. Ohhh, can't wait to cuss some more in German!

Moment of Zen

Feeling stressed out lately? Wishing those winter blues would just magically disappear?? Just having one of those days?!

Well have I got the cure for you!

Here is a sample of my daily 'moment of zen'. Courtesy of the Schwarzenbach farms :) Oh, and I tried not talk during the video, but they are just so darn cuuuuuuute I couldn't help it. Plus, you need something to drown out those jealous goaties in the back. They don't like sharing the love!

Plus one ate my hair yesterday. We are NOT on good terms, haha.

Try not swoon as you spot the babies in the background smooching on each other! Eeeeeeee, love them.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

See, I can be sweet and not sarcastic for one day! Don't count on it happening again any time soon :)

I am a busy little bee, working of a few side projects. Plus, first playoff game is tonight and I am really looking forward to seeing the hubs in action! Woohoo, bring it on!!!

Have a great next couple of days, bloggyland!!