mail time!
received a parcel from Oma and Opa today. a big one.
on top was a cute card telling me my adventskette (Advent calendar) was inside!! every year since i was 2, my grandparents have hand made my sister and i (and sometimes my parents) adventsketten. hanging on thick decorative rope, they put Christmas paper-wrapped chocolates. on each, my grandfather puts a hand drawn little square, with a picture and a number for the date. then, starting with the first Advent (four Sundays before the 24th) each morning we wake up and open a little package and devour our prize. my family isn't religious at all, and don't observe most Advent practices, but we do light candles every weekend and delight in eating good German chocolate and cakes.
along with the calendar, i found dominosteinen, these sprinkly chocolate candies i adore, garlic salami (hahaha), and a sizeable stocking filled with miscellaneous chocolates, chocolate covered marzipan, and a bag of marzipan "potatoes." mmmm. i won't have to buy sweets for the next few weeks! i made Chris, Ellen, and Vicki jealous - but they all know they're definitely getting some. can't afford to eat so much sugar, especially considering i'll be in Germany quite soon! i've got to prepare myself to be stuffed.
i've booked my ticket to Deutschland for the 18th. this is a Thursday, which unfortunately means i'll be leaving two days before everyone else. this means leaving Chris and all the rest, and most importantly - it means i'll miss those big last two days of partying! however, i am saving myself between 30-50pounds, so it is the most practical option. i'll take a train to London in the morning, spend a few hours there, then take a coach from Victoria Station to Luton airport. by 8:30pm German time (ie. 7:30 England, 2:30 Ontario) i'll be with my family!
packages with chocolate make my day.
on top was a cute card telling me my adventskette (Advent calendar) was inside!! every year since i was 2, my grandparents have hand made my sister and i (and sometimes my parents) adventsketten. hanging on thick decorative rope, they put Christmas paper-wrapped chocolates. on each, my grandfather puts a hand drawn little square, with a picture and a number for the date. then, starting with the first Advent (four Sundays before the 24th) each morning we wake up and open a little package and devour our prize. my family isn't religious at all, and don't observe most Advent practices, but we do light candles every weekend and delight in eating good German chocolate and cakes.
along with the calendar, i found dominosteinen, these sprinkly chocolate candies i adore, garlic salami (hahaha), and a sizeable stocking filled with miscellaneous chocolates, chocolate covered marzipan, and a bag of marzipan "potatoes." mmmm. i won't have to buy sweets for the next few weeks! i made Chris, Ellen, and Vicki jealous - but they all know they're definitely getting some. can't afford to eat so much sugar, especially considering i'll be in Germany quite soon! i've got to prepare myself to be stuffed.
i've booked my ticket to Deutschland for the 18th. this is a Thursday, which unfortunately means i'll be leaving two days before everyone else. this means leaving Chris and all the rest, and most importantly - it means i'll miss those big last two days of partying! however, i am saving myself between 30-50pounds, so it is the most practical option. i'll take a train to London in the morning, spend a few hours there, then take a coach from Victoria Station to Luton airport. by 8:30pm German time (ie. 7:30 England, 2:30 Ontario) i'll be with my family!
packages with chocolate make my day.