The December Count Down 18-days

sorry for not posting yesterday... long day of practice

I really miss familiar birds.

One of the first things that I discovered when I arrived is that I had never heard these bird calls ever before.  It was kind of a shock when I thought about it.  The American Robin was no longer a common, or even known, bird.  I miss falling asleep to the crickets and waking to the birds.  I only see crows here.  The crows are huge about 4 times the size of our crows and their beaks are also that much bigger.  I was actually afraid of them.  No worries though, they seem more afraid of me then I am of them.

I am thankful for hot drinks.

Here it seems like each day begins and ends with hot drinks, including many hot drinks in between.  I have begun drinking coffee because I thought it would be good to mix it up between coffee and hot chocolate.  The oddest thing is that the tastes of things no longer bother me at all.  I can change the taste of something in my head if I don't like it to pull out a taste within that I do like.  That is how I started liking coffee.  Coffee is also easier to make then hot coco because we own a coffee maker that you only have to press go and in 20 seconds its in your cup.  Yay!!! Warm things are good. 

Is christmas blogging really worth this pain...

My fingers hurt

Christmas is coming soon!

The December Count Down 20-days

I really miss a valid shipping address.

How often when you are shopping online do you discover that the product can not be sent to your location.  For most people this is almost never.  Unfortunately it is not the same here in Denmark.  It has become extremely difficult to shop online.  When I shop I almost always find that it ships to USA only and if it is European sometimes it still does not ship to Denmark.  In order to shop for products shipped to Denmark it is required that you enter the information in danish.  This is a problem for my lack of danish vocabulary.

I am thankful for Min Først Jul.

Although I have had lots of christmas seasons, this is my first "Jul", which is danish for christmas.  What I mean when I say this, is that I am happy that I will see a different tradition.  We eat out on christmas day and have a small tree that is growing in the back yard that we will pack in a suitcase.  This is so different, but I feel a lot better now that the christmas decor is coming out of the attic.  I watched mor og far make christmas cookies and I enjoyed the smell and feelings it brought.  This christmas will be an experience of a lifetime, something new, and something to be thankful for.

The December Count Down 21-days

I really miss cars.

It is strange how large an impact cars have on my life.  I never really thought of the comfort a car can give to somebody.  Especially now that winter is here, I really miss getting in a car and having a little heat and protection from the harsh wind.  Instead of traveling by car I travel on my bike.  It has some pretty big problems as far as being a main method of transportation, including the fact that it seems I get a lot of flat tires.  On the plus side it seems I get a lot more exercise by riding a bike everywhere.  It makes me savour getting in a car, bus, or train.   I also love getting on a bus and sitting in the comfortable seats as I travel.  Remember this the next time you get in your car, it is a luxury.

I am thankful for Remoulade!!!

Remoulade is the 2nd most wonderful condiment in the whole wide world only to be topped by ketchup.  I could put it on almost everything and surely will miss it when I return home.  I will find a place in the US to buy it.  It has a taste of its own and can fit into almost any meal.

Happy Holidays!

The December Count Down 22-days

Each day I will post one thing I miss from home and one thing that I am very thankful for here.

I really miss Grandma and Grandpa's house.

It is funny how sometimes certain smells can suddenly send you into a whirlwind away from reality.  I went to a house the other day and it smelled exactly like Grandma's house.  It was exciting and fun to think quickly about all the fun things there house holds in my memory.  Easter egg hunts, especially when we were younger and there where a lot of us searching for eggs.  Birthdays, and the most wonderful smell of sophies potatoes cooking in the oven.  All the way back to pretending I was a cowboy or Indian riding on the horse as fast as I could while listening to Grandpa's record and picturing the movie Dances with Wolves.  These are all great memories from their house, but my favorite memory about the house is every year at christmas.  All the stockings, the food, and of course the people.  Church the night before, and always a little party afterwards.  How can life get any better then at those times when everyone is there.

I am thankful for handball.

It is great when you can begin a sport when you are a bit older.  I might not be the best on the team, in fact I think I am the worst, but it is great to go out and play.  Handball gives my nights a little more impact.  Handball gives me some time to stop thinking and just receive instructions on what to do.  It is easier to be told what to do then to think of what to do on your own, and trust me, I do a lot of thinking of what to do.  If nothing else, I have learned to play a new game and am a little more physically fit because of it.