My Thoughts on the Day of the Presidential Elections in the U.S.

The hostility, rancor, and lack of ethics by many participants in this presidential election has me worn out, and just a bit stressed.  Plus, I was advised even though I do not work for the federal government, or anybody else, I fall under the Hatch Act...  You don't say???  I doubt that could be enforced, and having a bit of a rebel's soul, they don't realize how tempting it is for me to comment, promote, and otherwise make a complete fool of myself because of that instruction...

However, who wants to waste their life energy on such things.  I am of the age that I realize the only behavior that I ever have had or will have any real control over was and is my own.  Further, the choices in the race will both leave me as powerful tomorrow as I was yesterday, so I have decided to spend my time today working with the beautiful images from Cologne, Germany that I recently captured on a trip with Randy, our daughter, and our  son-in-law.  I will let the things of tomorrow take care of tomorrow.  Meanwhile, I am going to turn off the TV, clean my house, and work with more of the images I have captured in my recent travels.  Tomorrow will be soon enough to know the election results.

You know if I could pursue my dream profession... it would be antique doll shop keeper.  On our trip to Cologne, Germany, Randy and I wandered the streets, and as we did, we came across a beautiful little antique doll shop.

Squeeeellll!!!

  Please enjoy my captures from the enchanting little doll shop of Cologne.

To me this image is an abstract... only appreciated when you zoom in to find Waldo.. but actually there is no Waldo, but looking for him is fun! There really is no such person a "voter" either.   Lots of different kinds of people vote.  

Like I said, if I could have my dream job, .... antique doll shop keeper.... I found the whole experience delightful, and the treasures unique and fascinating!  From the life size Beatle, to the boxes of dolls waiting for repair, the magic of the little shop mesmerized me...

If you visit Cologne, don't miss this little place.  There is so much of history and play in this little shop.  There are treasured toys once loved and played with by children who are now ancient themselves,... or gone.  

I love toys, probably because my own idealistic childhood passes through my memory as I observe them.  How to play was something my mother instructed us in.  We weren't just given toys, we were taught how to imagine with toys, how to create stories and places in our minds,  and the manner, or rules of play with others.

As a child I didn't have many toys, but I didn't need a lot of toys...  My mother taught me how to have such a "great" time with what I had, that my play was limited only by my imagination and the energy I put into my play. 

 

There were dolls in the shop that were broken, that had been abandoned, 

and were waiting for repair.  I just wanted to do something for them...

There were dolls that looked like they didn't belong there among the others...

The Fall Foliage is Beautiful Here in Germany

Last Saturday we went to walk in the woods nearby where we live, and the  woods were beautiful.  We saw deer while we were out too.  Germany has public woods everywhere.  No visit to Germany is complete without a visit to the woods, and especially in the fall.

Randy Says I Have Too Many Christmas Decorations

For instance, he says I have too many nutcrackers...

Too many little ones...

There are twelve big ones like these, one for each of the steps up the stairs...

Cowboys and Firefighters...

Soldiers...

In the foyer...

And so many, many more, it will take a while to get them all put in just the right place...

I Have Neglected This Little Blog... I Have So Many Beautiful Photos To Share

I love where I live...

We had a musical festival recently... incredible music

There was an amazing little children's choir..

The Train Trip to Frankfurt

The photos in this post are all made through the window on the train, except for this first one.  You will be able to see my reflection in the glass window in some of the pictures.  I just wanted to give everyone an idea of what I see from the train on a ride to Frankfurt.  So come along for a ride on the S3!  You will enjoy it.

The Trains of Germany Fascinate Me!

This old one, which I saw on a recent trip, enchanted me.  As I was taking pictures, a charming German tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the train approaching me from behind.  My husband Randy and the man laughed and laughed as I squealed in delight and began snapping away as this tiny little beauty approached me on the street, then passed by looking so quaint, as though stolen from a movie about something long ago.  Hope you enjoy her photos!  She is the Sonderfahrt Number 93, coming down the tracks...

 

As you can tell, she is tiny, barely wider than one person.  I intend to ride this train!

And there she goes!