Springtime in Konigstein!

There are many signs of spring here in Kongstein and Germany, generally. Some of them are welcome and some are not-so-welcome. The blue skies, flowers blooming and sunshine are, after 6 months of gray skies and cold weather, very welcome. The spring tennis season for Ethan is very welcome. The longer days, giving us daylight until almost 9:00 pm, are very welcome.

Spring Fashion Don’ts
Less welcome is the return of certain Euro men’s fashions. Spring means that the “manpris” and man-scarves come back out of hiding. Manpris are exactly what you suspect – Capri pants for men and boys – and they all wear them, from age 8 – 80! I ask you, wouldn’t some nice cargo shorts be just as comfortable and better looking?!

Then, there’s the man scarves… I know, I know, Ashton Krutcher and Brad Pitt have both been seen sporting this new “summer scarves” trend. But, that doesn’t make it right! Over here, it is quite common and isn’t necessarily even a fashion statement. It is a more practical measure to avoid “neck drafts” in air-conditioned offices and restaurants. Chilly drafts on the neck are something the Germans worry quite a bit about. Personally, I can’t think when I have suffered from some nice cool air on my neck on a hot summer day. But, I guess there is always something to worry about, if you’re looking for something.

Spring college decisions
May 1st was the universal deadline for college decisions for America’s high school seniors. I suspect lots of families breathed a sigh of relief as we did once the decision was made. Molly had a number of good options but finally settled on St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Some of you may know that I spent four very good years in Northfield some time back (no need to count the years here..) . Though I was at the college across the river from St. Olaf (Carleton College), I heartily endorse Molly’s choice. And, it will be fun to spend the Labor Day weekends there again. A point of history: several members of the Jesse James Gang met their demise after he and his gang robbed the First National Bank of Northfield in 1876. Every September sees the drama re-enacted during Northfield’s Defeat of Jesse James’ Days – attending is a new and returning student tradition each year.

Bee Season – Inside and Out!
Spring also kicks off the official “bee season.” This, unfortunately, coincides with the sit-at-cafes and eat-meals-outdoors seasons, which are excellent European traditions. Audrey has officially dubbed this the “don’t order diet Sprite when we eat outdoors” season! Diet Sprite attracts the bees! While the kids may go a bit overboard worrying about the bees buzzing around our outdoor dinner tables, they truly do become pesky – fishing drowned bees out of a perfectly good glass of beer or wine just takes away some of the enjoyment. We’ve learned that the best use of the beer coaster is to cover your drink and thus keep the bees from temptation! There’s always a solution.

The house is another problem all together. Windows in Germany are not produced with or sold with screens. The solution is do-it-yourself window screens. I have not yet seen a house with screens on the windows, they simply don’t exist here. So, the same way I have learned to conform with German routines and behaviors (conformity is a widely held value here - second only to rule following), I’ve watched the neighbors’ window habits and see that they open their windows in the early morning to “air out” their house, pillows, rugs, anything else they want to set or hang on the window sill until the morning warms up and the bees, flies and other bugs become active. Then, they seem to seal their windows up tight! I can’t stand closed windows on a beautiful Spring day. So, my penance for this luxury became hunting down a minimum of 5 -6 bumblebees per day to either eradicate or coax back out the window.

Ignore them, you ask? They are at least the size of small hummingbirds and are, thus, very loud and distracting.

So, after a blissful six month hiatus from the D-I-Y store, I was off to Hornbach to seek a solution to the bees and bugs. Lo and behold, an entire department dedicated to window screening had sprung up since my last visit in the fall. So, this pesky problem must be an irritation to at least some Germans too! I had the choice to spend 40 Euro ($53) per window to build a screen on an aluminum frame, measured and cut-to-fit by me and then held in place by brackets (also installed by me) on the window sill. Hmmm…. sounds like a recipe for spending a lot of money, buying new tools and having really ugly brackets on the window sills to hold in place screens that may or may not turn out to fit properly.

I opted instead for the cheaper, simpler version: a kit composed of Velcro and mosquito netting. Though slightly ridiculous in appearance and remarkably simple in concept, it seems to work. So, only 75 euro later (instead of 500 euro) and after a day and a half of labor, we now live in a bee-proof house with fresh air night and day. The neighbors are either jealous or appalled at my lack of conformity to the neighborhood's window "rules!"

Spring Festivities
Spring is full of fun celebrations, too. May 1st is a holiday in Germany, much like our Labor Day. Konigstein had a festival and the stores were even open in the village! You know it is a significant holiday if the stores are allowed to be open – it is normally illegal for any store to open on Sunday. (This means that forgotten groceries are either done without or, you head to the grocery store at the airport – only train stations and airports are allowed to have grocery hours - do not ask why.) The only other refuge for the ill-prepared, poor-planning hausfrau is the gas station "quik mart." Gas stations actually turn out to be a great place to buy good bakery items - superb fresh rolls and very good croissants, warm out of their ovens. Who would have guessed? They also have staples like ice cream, beer and butter but not much else. I know this will come as a surprise, but Sunday is a popular night to eat out here (and not just for the Geipels!).

Of course, just four days later, there is Cinqo de Mayo day, better known in our household as Audrey’s birthday. While the holiday doesn't get any mention over here other than on the US Armed Forces radio station, May 5 does bring lots of attention for Audrey and she relishes every minute. This is not Audrey with her birthday present – but, she did enjoy “trying out” this car at the May Day Festival a few days before!

Mother’s Day also comes in Spring. Lucky me – thanks to my thoughful kids who were wisely determined to "Europeanize" my kitchen in ways other than just having doll-size appliances, we now can make awesome crepes that turn out perfect every time AND yummy cappuccinos that turn out perfect every time. It is not absolutely true that women should not receive gifts that have plugs!