The truth about Germany's long dark winter is setting in.  It is not the kind of thing where there are days without sunlight because of the latitude, just weather.  The days are short and it is never sunny for an hour together, especially in winter.  The opposite of summer in Texas, jumping from heater to heated car rather than AC to AC.

Anyway, I thought is wasn't as bad as they say, but now I understand.  I am tired and listless, unmotivated to go outside or do anything inside.  The kids are different too.  The have not even built a snow man because there have just been too many cold days strung together and it isn't worth going out: the hats and gloves and boots and snow pants and zipping and then putting everything away later...

So they won't mind school tomorrow, right?

Winter Wonderland

"Outside, outside.  Shuh, shuh."  Nadja poited at the door, then the windows.  She brought me her tiny pink Timberlands; she brought her jacket.  Finally I got her and myself bundled up and we went outside to play.

Here are some pictures of the front of our house.  The window with the three curtains up there is the kitchen.  If you look closely, near the flowers are rotting gourds left over from December.