Our household goods have arrived!!!

Good news!! We just found out that our household goods have arrived! They weren't suppose to be here until the 19th of June, but they came in early. We are so excited about that! We're going to love having a "home" again. Of course, it'll take me a little while to get it all in place, but what a relief to have it here. We hope to get it delivered late this week or early next, but it depends on how busy the moving companies are. We're going into PCS season, so it's going to get really busy in June. Hopefully we beat the rush though. The picture above is of a rose bush growing up the side of the house. A better picture of an individual rose is below.

I've been so bad about posting to this blog. I've only been making it out to the library about once a week, but once we get our computer up and going at home it should be easier. We don't have any phone service at the house right now, but we don't know why. I was talking to Kristy Saturday night and it just went dead. Last week, Sam received an email saying that the phone company was going through a strike and it may interupt some service, so he's calling them today to see if that's it. It's been a frustrating couple of days, because I don't know where to go for help here in Germany. Back home in the states I would call the phone company, but I don't speak the language yet, so I can't call or read the phone manual. There have been several things come up lately that would be so much easier if I spoke German. Another example is a freezer in the basement that I can't get working. I know it's a freezer, but it won't freeze and once again I can't read the manual. Frau Muller called yesterday and insists that it's not a freezer, but a wine cooler. There are pictures of animals and meat cuts on the door showing how many of each would fit in the "freezer". I'm pretty sure it's a freezer, but I think they just used it for a wine cooler.

On Saturday, Herr Muller and his daughter came to look though the shed out back. They have had stuff stored there since they moved out 7 years ago. So they came and took what they wanted. We went through the rest and threw what we didn't want. We moved a shelf into the shed and Sam got everything back in neatly. Anything left in the house that belongs to the Muller's I'm boxing up and storing in the attic. They left some pictures, trash cans, etc., and I would rather not having someone else's things in my house. They still have quite a few boxes in the attic too, so I'll just add to it.

While Herr Muller was there he took us for a ride to show us where the dumps are in Plattenhardt. It was really interesting. It's so orderly in Germany. Our dumps back in the states are smelly piles of trash. Here, everything has it's place. Paper here, metal there, electrical appliances somewhere else. I was impressed.

Last Wednesday I turned 32. I miss my family especially around birthdays and holidays. We went out to eat at a little Italian restaurant "Da Franco" in Bonlanden, a village right next to Plattenhardt. Then on Friday, we went to a concert being put on in the PX parking lot at Panzer. The Lt. Dan Band (with Gary Sinise) was playing there. The weather turned stormy, so we sat there under umbrellas, but it was nice being out at an American event. It felt a little bit like home.

Yesterday morning Sam went into work late because we had the chimney sweeper coming by. It was like stepping back in time - the chimney sweeper was dressed just like Dick van Dyke in "Mary Poppins" and his face was black from the chimney dust. I wish I'd gotten a picture.

One of the roses growing outside.