Celebrating the New Year

The last day of the year...
time to think about 2010.

I have good news- I finished writing the first draft of my assignment!
Now I can focus on my novel.
Í made the dips for the fondue, cut the meat and vegetables, cooked the soup,...wrote e-mails,...so, time to have a party!

But I want to wish you a happy "Silvester", that´s how the last day of the year is called here. I´ll waltz into the New Year at midnight. There all radio stations will play the Waltz "On the blue Danube" and hear the sound of the Pummerin,the largest bell in Austria, third largest in Europe.

Quote-corner:
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce


Music-corner: Irish blessing-May the road rise to meet you
and a well known song for this time.
Vienna´s New Year´s Concert´ll start at 11.15 a.m.(Central European Time)-watch it online

Have a good night and a great start into 2011!!!

Countdown till the end of the year.....

Belvedere+ baroque park

Spent the last three days with my friend in Vienna, was cold, but funny. We visited Belvedere, once summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. The two main baroque buildings are now museums- with many exhibits- newly renovated. The 2 current ones are great- Rodin (Yes, I saw the thinker;)!) and finally I admired Klimt´s Kiss- one of my favorite Austrian painters, a member of the Vienna secession. I love his work- especially the late one.

Back home again, after celebrating X-mas with everybody, I have started writing again.
My plan:
#1  --finish the first draft of my assignment this year;) - this should be possible.
#2 -- write the end of my novel-- possible end 31 Dec. 2010

well, that´s a plan. Something fictive. But I have to write a lot today- better tonight, because tomorrow night I won´t find the silence. Then it´s time to prepare the fondue, yummy!!!

Food corner:

Check out the  fondue page

and enjoy the last days of this year!

Music-corner:

Watch the New Year´s concert live online!!! Here, on January the first;)

Have a 20 minutes break! Enjoy your day;) A Virtual Christmas Fireplace

Merry Christmas!

I wish you all a merry Christmas!

Happy holidays and have a wonderful time with lots of joy, good food and great music!

Music-corner:

Stille Nacht! (Holy night) -Vienna Boys Choir- the famous X-mas song made in Austria ;))! (F.X.Gruber+Mohr)

Still, still, still-Vienna Boys Choir- X-mas song from Salzburg

O holy night-C. Church, P. Domingo

Oh, Tannenbaum! (Oh, christmastree)- 3 Tenors

FELIZ NAVIDAD! 3 Tenors


I could post and post X-mas music, but now I have to prepare for the evening;)

Enjoy your celebrations and I wish you a wonderful Christmas-night (24.12.)/ Christmas day (25.12.)!

Christmas in Austria- my program for the holidays;)

Reason for posting:  Introducing "Christkind";)

December 24th - Christmas Eve ('Heiliger Abend')

As a rule Christmas is a holiday with the family. Christmas Eve is mostly celebrated with close relations only. Preparations for Christmas Eve start during the afternoon with adorning the Christmas tree ('Christbaum'). Some families use colourful toys, straw stars, small bells and crystal balls, self-made items and even chocolate, sweets and fruits. Lit candles finish the design. Some prefer a less colourful assortment and use crystal balls, silvery or golden adornments and candles. The Christmas crib ('Krippe'), a figurative depiction of the Holy Family in the stable where Christ was born, is erected. Afterwards children are out of the room, so that the 'Bescherung' can take place: the 'Christkindl' (Austria's equivalent of Santa Clause) brings presents and places them below the tree.

When the children return the Christmas tree is lit. Christmas carols are sung and Christmas stories are read. Strictly speaking Christmas Eve is still part of the fasting season with Christmas carp or sausages being the traditional meal. But again, it is not unheard of that Christmas cookies are nibbled on this occasion. Finally, the presents are opened and the evening is spent in happy contemplation of the gifts until it is time for Christmas services ('Christmette'), which take place at midnight.

December 25th - Christmas Day ('Christtag')

Christmas Day is the day for visits and receptions. All relations in the vicinity come together and - as the fasting has officially ended - food is of no little importance. The rest of the day, if any, is spent in happy contemplation of the presents.

After that, festivities do not really stop till New Year's Eve.
(Source: http://www.aboutaustria.org/culture/christmas_in_austria.htm)


X-mas in Vienna

Pre-X-mas Music

 No time for much  writing;( but I just want to share my pre-x-mas music with you;)

Frank Sinatra & Cindy Lauper - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
My much- loved tenor- Placido Domingo with the other 2 great singers-Carreras and Pavarotti
Jingle Bells!
Enjoy the days till Christmas- just 2 ( for some countries that ´ll celebrate on December 24!!)
Have a great time!

Recipes for X-mas All Year Long

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long

Take a heap of child-like wonder

That opens up our eyes

To the unexpected gifts in life—

Each day a sweet surprise.

Mix in fond appreciation

For the people whom we know;

Like festive Christmas candles,

Each one has a special glow.

Add some giggles and some laughter,

A dash of Christmas food,

(Amazing how a piece of pie

Improves our attitude!)

Stir it all with human kindness;

Wrap it up in love and peace,

Decorate with optimism, and

Our joy will never cease.

If we use this healthy recipe,

We know we will remember

To be in the Christmas spirit,

Even when it's not December.

By Joanna Fuchs

Music Corner to relax, calm down,....

 Do they know it´s Christmas time?

Drummer boy:

New Version

Old Version

Have a nice day;) and enjoy the music!

X-mas is near!

Classical Sunday- Bach´s Christmas Oratorio

J. S. Bach - (1/3) Christmas Oratorio- Kantate I
                 

part 2                 

part 3

Take some time, relax, stop wrapping gifts and enjoy the music;)

Lebkuchen, The Three Tenors and Flashmob;)

Music, dance and lebkuchen as reward for today´s 8 hours writing marathon.

Music-and Dance -Corner:
CARRERAS DOMINGO PAVAROTTI - Let It Snow







Food- corner:

X-mas, time for baking "lebkuchen"- traditional kind of cookies (origin from Germany)
Here a good Martha Stewart recipe-enjoy!

                       (http://www.marthastewart.com/)

Happy weekend!

What a Week!

Very cold, windy, full of work,...
Hallelujah, it´s weekend!!!So time to relax with some music.
Today I was reminded of the following song- thanks;)


Music-corner:

Must see--a great flashmob concerning Händel´s Hallelujah!!! I love flashmobs;)
And Bon Jovi´s-Hallelujah

X-mas Market in Vienna (Altes AKH) You won´t understand the language, but you´ll get an impression. Enjoy;)

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest

News -corner:
Interesting for writers
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest!!

Holiday On Ice - Energia Premiere Berlin 2010

Enjoy the video about the world´s greatest ice-show;)

Had a discussion with B. about my assignment, was interesting;) but exhausting as well- had to explain every chapter, because he really was interested in it...only problem: : I was too tired for thoughtful explanations. Have to talk about it another time.

I haven´t finished my novel yet, but I´m on my way. My aim is to write the final scenes this year;)) But my MC are too stubborn sometimes and don´t want to join the setting, I have prepared for them...my o my...but I´m looking forward to printing the first draft;)) Love to read real "books". So , time for bed--good night!

Playing time!

Finally! My friends and I managed to find a day to play cards;) We haven´t played for a long time due to different circumstances. But today is the day when I ´ll win one game after the other;) ok- I love to make jokes;)- I´ll be happy to win some games that time. Lot´s of cookies,cakes, hot punch (I won´t drive;), ...well, lots of food and talk and fun. No writing-except blogging for today.
Just meeting friends-lovely!
I hope, you all ´ll have a great weekend!
Maybe we´ll come up with that! Or that lol!!!! That´s my game today;) (boring explanation, but I couldn´t find another one in English, because it´s a typical Austrian card play- don´t mix up with reading tarot cards! I´m not interested in that.

December 10,

My focus is on two events today:

#1  International Human Rights Day! Speak up, stop discrimination!
Time to check out the UN- page.

#2  Peace Nobel Price 2010 for Liu Xiaobu.


Music-Art- corner:

Stand up for World Peace!

"Give peace a chance"

I used my spare time for..

guess, what? Yes, you are right- for writing. I used the holiday here to get something done. But it´s hard, and I can´t remember my last real holiday - a whole day for me. I´m so looking forward to X-mas, time for family and relaxation! At least I won´t write nothing for 5 whole days.
But now I have to stay focused on my work at the moment. The job´s a challenge, the course is one as well, of course completing my draft is another one, handling the baking with the little ones will be the next one...phew...too many challenges at one time.
So, that´s all.
Ah, have to post a Lennon song today-
and have a good week, enjoy life-even, when it´s hard sometimes.
Remember, often it´s a challenge;)

Music-corner:

J.Lennon "Stand by me"

Happy St. Nicolas Day!

Writing and baking with music ;)

"Baby, it´s cold ouside." Yes, it is. (-22° C/ -7 ,5 °F in the night!!! BRRR! But now it´s warmer-just -13°C ;))) But what an earworm! I could not stop hearing that song...now it really is enough! Have to get it out of my head and listen to Robbie Williams´ music. He is a great entertainer and musician, don´t reduce him to songs of the group "Take That".

My novel is coming to an end -at least the main story. It is interesting, how my MCs have changed the story;) Well, I´m not crazy, but sometimes I have the feeling, that all I have to do is to lend them my words and then they create interesting scenes.I know, it sounds weird. But somewhere I read that the aim of each writer is to create MCs, who come alive and "develop" the plot. So, I seem to be a lucky person- although my writing is poor;)
So, I just let them do, whatever they want to do. Wow, I´m such a generous person:) lol!!!! I let them do my work, writing it´s a lot easier this way:)
Why haven´t I thought of that 50.000 words before? Then I´d have had more time for other things, like baking!

BTW, I just baked a cake, created a new recipe. Well, I just took 4 eggs,a bit of sugar, floor, some chopped nuts and "Mozart liqueur" (= white chocolate liqueur).
So easy to make and sooooo delicious! And the smell of the cake, hmmmm.

I wrote 2 pages in the morning, now I have to write some more. Then it´s time to see fam and friends...

so, wish you all a relaxing Sunday;) Enjoy your spare time!


Music corner:
Robbie, singing a Dean Martin song:Ain´t that a kick?

Take a break!

I decided to do so, and it´s Saturday. I wrote 3 pages in the morning for my assignment, went to the city to get some chocolates for the little ones for St. Nicholas day, came back and wrote again- this time for my novel. I try to find an end for the story, but I think, I have to write a lot more than suggested. But I made a decision whether to let my MC die or not. But no more about that now;) Have to create some tension for my readers;)

Now, after cooking and eating, I decided to make a break.
A friend gave me a video from Yann Arthus -Bertrand- a photographer, whose exhibit I have seen first in Sweden, then later in Vienna. He is famous for his photos from all over the world, seen from above.
Here is the trailer to the movie "Home".

Movie-corner:
Check it out and enjoy. If you are interested in nature and our world, you´ll be amazed!
Yann Arthus -Bertrand, Home.

Winter-Songs

********************************************

************Winter impressions************** ********************************************


Music-corner:

Dean Martin - Let it Snow!

Jazz-version-same song
Diana Krall - Let it snow


Dean Martin - Baby It's Cold Outside
He has a great voice, hasn´t he?

Newer version-same song:
Willie Nelson ft. Norah Jones - Baby It's Cold Outside

 Wintersong - Sarah McLachlan

BTW, compare this photo with the one before....much more snow**************

Advent-calendar

This kind of advent-calendar used to be mine in my childhood- had to share the chocolate with my sister- seems to be old fashioned compared to the next one.

I have an online Museum´s Advent-calendar for you;) 

many of you would need a 25th window, sorry, I haven´t seen one;( 

There also is no chocolate inside, but you might enjoy opening the windows!

Have a good day!

...and take care, if you have to drive through the snow as I ´ll have to do in some hours again;(