Laowai

Oh my goodness – we have been having a trial! Getting Bea into a German speaking school is no joke!

A story: Last week we went into Chicago to an office that issues German Visas – it was a hail mary attempt to get over one of many humps. Bea went and talked to the people and they couldn’t help her. She was seething with frustration. She wanted to go to Uniqlo to buy some socks so we walked there and as we were going along I tried to lighten the mood. When we passed the James R. Thompson Center I said “oh there’s an interesting building it was designed by a guy called Helmut Jahn and it was recently purchased by Google”. We finished our errands and on the way back to the parking garage we passed the Thompson Center building again. I bantered on and then when we were in the car I said “he might be German you know – you should look him up on Wikipedia“. She got out her phone and started to read that he did have German heritage and then she slammed the phone down on the space between our seats. She looked at the ceiling and said “he went to T.U.M.” and tears came to her eyes. T.U.M. – the very University that she was trying to get into! And then tears came to my eyes too.

She spent the time since that day getting up early every morning to call various University or government people and checking her emails. Some things were solved – some things remain. She’s mostly registered, she nearly has an apartment finalized, she has an appointment to register with the city of Munich. Class starts Monday. And so… if everything goes to according to plan it seems that, amazingly, she is going to be a student at The Technical University of Munich!!!

I almost don’t want to type that because it feels so precarious still. We’ve had some really bad bureaucracy moments and she has been working so hard learning German and preparing for exams. I can hardly believe it might be true.

So the last couple weeks that she has been home have been bittersweet. We did a little hiking – she’s laughing because it looks like Brian is wearing a nice skirt.

She wanted some new pajama shorts so we worked on that together and that was fun.

Here she is sorting out all the paperwork and trying to finalize her apartment with Brian – so much adult stuff suddenly.

And then it was time to pack for her flight. She spread all her stuff out in the living room.

Packing the car to go to the airport – she took her bike again.

And now she’s in the air – on her way. My heart is with her.

This summer I did lots of knitting in my backyard hammock. And now that summer is coming to an end I have finished my project. It’s a striped raglan sleeve sweater made out of lovely Brooklyn Tweed wool. I’m excited to be done and also a little sad to be done since I very much enjoyed being outside working on this project.

My knitting class starts up after another week so I’ll be back into some fun projects soon.

Since school started the weather has been so pleasant.. so pleasant! I feel like we usually start the school year with some very hot days – not this year. So the weather has motivated me to do some fall-ish sewing. I made an interesting new pattern from Tauko Magazine.

The pattern has really interesting pleats that are sewn back and forth so they stand up. Sort of an origami or smocking feel. The pattern has a blouse version and a dress version – I sort of split the difference and made it a tunic length.

I’m happy with it. A fun project from a new-to-me pattern maker.

And playing catch-up – another sewing project from a several weeks ago. This is the Honey Dress from Merchant and Mills and I wore it a lot when it was hot out.

Next up I got some lovely golden yellow canvas in Japan – I have a jacket pattern that I’d like to try with it.

The only good news around here is that Claire has started school and it’s been lovely outside. She seems to be off to a good start to her sophmore year. Here she is walking to her first day.

Here’s a photo that Bea sent.

The bad news, the thing that is making my stomach knot up, is that we are struggling to get Bea into a school. I won’t go into the details but it is the most frustrating thing I have ever encountered. She is not getting stopped because of her qualifications she is getting stopped because of the absolutely nonsensical system for applying and going about getting a visa. It might not happen and that is breaking my heart.

So I’m numb with anxiety but on with other typical topics. Like going for a walk with Brian and finding blackberries along the trail.

Making little boquets.

Making progress on my sweater.

Picking raspberries and making pie.

And noticing the beautiful rose hips in my front yard.

Sigh.

I’m having a good tomato year and I can’t seem to stop taking photos. I’ve gotten enough tomatoes from my five plants to try a little canning.

I bring them inside when they have started to turn red. I’m reminded of my grandma’s table, on her porch, where she would lay out all her ripening tomatoes. It was always a welcome summer sight by her door.

Aren’t the colors wonderful?

I’m way behind posting – we started off our August with a raclette feast. It was Swiss National Day and also a sending-off celebration for Bea. She’s off to Vienna taking some more German lessons at the University.

She said she sees this view everyday.

And she’s sent other nice photos of Vienna and a visit to Salzburg too.

Duck crossing.

Back at home it feels quiet. I’ve been trying to go swimming often – it feels so good to end the day with a dip in Lake Michigan. Claire is mourning the end of apricot season. She’s crazy for apricots!

Brian and I went for a nice walk at the botanic garden.

He also sent this picture from a run – two different shoes! I think he’s feeling distracted.

And I’ve been slowly working on my windows.

Claire starts school in about 10 days and we continue to wait to see where Bea will end up in the fall.

A pie – used the delicious blueberries that we picked in Michigan.

Some more itty bitty art for the Little Free Art Gallery

And I’m working on a stripy sweater – lots of knitting in the hammock. Time to start the sleeves.

We’ve have had the best weather over that past week or so – days in the 80s and cool nights. The garden is at the wild unruly stage and some things are starting to fade. And the cicadas are doing their thing so it’s slightly deafening outside. Anyway, here are some photos of lovely colorful things that are making me happy.

Even the compost-bound dead headed flowers of my geraniums are nice to look at.

Claire and I spent last week visiting Michigan.

We started off with a quick trip to Tawas.

Jennifer took us for a walk along the water and we looked for Petosky stones.

Claire learned how to pump gas.

Then we spent a day at the Tawas Bay Yacht Club. Swimming and relaxing and getting to see Jennifer’s new boat. It’s a very pretty one!

Then we went back to Midland and hung out with mom for a bit. Now that she lives downtown we can walk to The Tridge easily

We picked blueberries with mom.

Claire got in lots of practice driving.

Then it was time to go see Grandma C. and luckily Mike, Michelle and Naomi were also visiting. We started out at a Loons baseball game.

We had never met Naomi in person – so it was a treat to get to know her. We discovered she’s a clever little sprite and she loved Claire.

I brought Hama beads and they were a huge hit.

Masterpieces.

We also had a chance to visit Whiting Forest.

And then I was eager to get home to see Bea (she’s been away for seven weeks). Nice to have my whole family together.

And Bea brought us the mother-load of Rittersport Chocolates.