Funkensonntag.

“Everything tells me that I am about to make a wrong decision, but making mistakes is just part of life."

Good Morning...Sun 9th, 6.20, +1.2dg and we still have a steady sunny weather pattern. Dawn is coming earlier and earlier and the evenings are staring to stretch out... soon it will be time to clean up all the wind blown S and D and open the gin terrasse.Yesterday was a glorious day, the skiing would have been out of this world. My whole morning was spent cleaning kitchens, bathrooms and mopping floors... Marvellous!!! Job finished for the season... YES!!!! My four guests came home after quite a bit of Apres Ski at the Uhr Monti and very happy with their day on snow, quick turnaround, then went out to experience more delights of Schruns at night. My afternoon was spent wishing I could gave a Nana Nap but had two and half hours of Tuition instead. Today is Traditionelles Funkenabbrennen which loosely translated is the celebration of Winter's End and is celebrated with a magnificent wooden structure being set alight and burnt... sounds simple but is amazing to watch the process... we have a glorious witch on top of our structure. This year they have built the wooden tower just out behind my house so I will wander out to join the social aspect of the evening and watch them lighting it. I accepted an invitation to meet at 10.30 this morning and then we are walking up to the Maisers where we will sit amongst the beautiful snowy scenery and enjoy some bubbles. I will pack a little bag of carrots and cucumber as I know it will be required on voyage for me. I have a small sense of unease in my tummy as I know this could be quite a session... it will be the first visit to the completed cottage for her and she is hanging out to see all the furnishings that have been put in to finish the inside. I have an afternoon tuition at 15.00... oh dear. I will be wearing my responsible hat, but experience tells me I would be better staying at home. Watch this space... 

International Women's Day.

International Women's Day... Clap clap, wiggle wiggle, bump bump.
“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”
Good Morning World... Sat 8th, 5.57, +1.1dg, forecasting sun sun sun sun sun. Yesterday was a beauty, even being house bound it is just fantastic when you get a beautiful day with sun pouring in the windows and doors open to fresh late winter air. I say Spring they keep telling me not until March 21st. Compromise. Yesterday was a revolving door kinda day.. Conversation group was bulging with 6 women.. Hmmm too many, but the add on is a twice a weeker and really wants to improve so does not impact the dynamics at all. Quick trip up to the village for last minute top ups for the Dachboden fridge and then my little's tuition at 13.00, then a senior for exam prep at 15.00 till 17.30. Nearly cross eyed and hanging out for a reviver. Guests arrived as they said around 21.00, happily installed and they then headed up to the village to check out the watering holes. Me, I just hopped into bed. This morning is the last day at my cleaning job... little bubbles of excitement... sad I know, but I will be pleased to have finished this little exercise. Cash flow is sufficient to not need a cleaning job now. The 10 week block of lessons finished for two of my littles on Wednesday and one Mother rang yesterday to ask if they can just roll over and do another 10 as they love it so much... tick. After I am finished today at the Ferienwohnung I have my senior coming in at 15.00 for English so my Saturday will be filled quickly. Tomorrow she comes back for more help.. gosh, why do they leave it so late to prepare ? Sad news on the wires this morning with the Malaysian Airlines flight missing... 239 people on board... I hope they have a speedy and happy resolution, time suggests otherwise. The other thing that is consuming Europe is the lovely Mr Putin... The Crimea is a distance from Austria but central Europe all the same.Is he a stable man? Then there is Oscar Pistorius... He should really have been on the stage, I think he is a marvellous actor. Sorry if offend anyone with that. So, from Schruns to wherever Happy International Women's Day to all the wonderful Women in my world and happy happy Saturday.

Weeks end.

“When you know better you do better.”

Good Morning...Fri 7th, 5.21, -0.3dg, forecasting stunner days through until next Wednesday. Yesterday was a brilliant morning up on the piste, really super snow, but Holy Cow was it busy. The French, Germans and those from Belgium are on holiday, they also had children's races on the Hoch Joch yesterday, so the piste was positively bulging with people... not my most desirable scenario, but choose the runs that are not busy and then full gas. Decided to fill up on cough mixture before I went skiing... good old standby of Gees Linctus... am so over coughing myself to death, and in the cold air it becomes uncontrollable. Finished the morning at the Stammtisch at the Kropfen, and then was met by her who remains nameless at the bottom bahn and we went for a quickie in the Café Wädli. All in all a well behaved morning and back in the house by 13.00, so not too far off my intended. Carted masses of re-cycling up to the recycling hof and this time the clanking bags of glass and cans was not all my doing !!! Regardless of what my son thinks. Today it is feet on the floor for a full day. My Friday Conversation girls in the morning and then two tuitions, one little and one big, in the afternoon. Incoming group of four from Switzerland arriving around 20.00, but am done and dusted for them. They are coming in for skiing and staying until next Tuesday so they have a fantastic weather outlook for their time here. Last day of Saturday cleaning work tomorrow.... very happy dance.. 

Busy bee..

"Some people are old at 18 and some are young at 90... Time is a concept that humans created."

Good Morning...Thurs 6th, 5.40, +4.3dg, forecasting sunshine..  wow.. sunshine. Shall I or shan't I ? Hmmm choices, and it is Thursday, my free day. Forecasting sunny weather through until early next week so that will please my Swiss guests who are incoming for skiing. Yesterday was a mixed bag with a little of everything and jolly cold with it. Dispatched tuition, last for these littles of their ten week course and then my Wednesday Conversation girls... No alcohol for them as they have exhausted themselves over Fasching.. one was to start fasting at midnight .. no alcohol or meat ... for Lent, and that lasts until 17th April, and the others were going off to Josefs Platz for a session. No I didn't join them. The cold night air just aggravates my pathetic lungs. Today has possibilities.. I could do a couple of hours on the piste and then come home to finish in the Dachboden and in the laundry.. If I ring someone to go with, then it always turns into a session.. skiing alone is not as fun as skiing with someone else, but arriving home after dark instead of before lunch is not really ideal either. Dilemma. Also not certain my lungs are up to it. Double dilemma. Done.. boot bag plugged in. Final decision when we have daylight. Tomorrow I have my Friday girls and a little for tuition... then the weekend, but time for me is not so determined by the weekends, more by the Tuesdays and Thursdays. Places to go.. things to do, Enjoy.

Wednesday afternoons!!

You have got to look for the good in the bad, the happy in the sad, the gain in the pain and what makes you grateful not hateful.

Good Morning...Wed 5th, 6.06, +3.3dg forecasting flurries up above and general scheisse below. The cloud layer is sitting in a very low band around the mountains. Yesterday was an umbrella day.. an on off, nuisance, spitty sort of arrangement. I taught a friend how to operate her IPL machine.. umm hello !!.. she had bought it over a year ago and never used it as she decided it looked to difficult, but having to pay €280 a session has forced her hand. Bless. Hoovered a quick salad as we had had to have two aperitivos...sigh...and off to Bludenz to stock up for next round of guests. Changed my front door decos over from Winter to Spring and day done. Today I have my Wednesday afternoon Conversation girls.. these are the really social ones... the bubbles have been chilling in the fridge since last Wednesday when they delivered them... we did gin instead. Saving grace being that it is the end of the day and as my two littles come for tuition at 14.00 I am free to join in by 16.00. Thank goodness tomorrow is a free day, but the weather does not look settled enough to plug the boot bag in, shame. I have decided that you do not realise how blissful having the house to yourself is, until you do have it to yourself... I know, a bit of double dutch, but heavens it is lovely being able to just do as you please, when you please without having to worry about who can see or hear you. Happy days and money in the bank.

Deffo an optimist..

Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.

Good Morning...Tues 4th, 5.56, +1.2dg forecasting for a snowy day on the mountains and cloudy here in the village. I cannot see the mountain tops so they could be correct. Yesterday the day started beautifully wit blue sky and sunshine and by 15.00 it was trying to rain, wind up and quite miz. My skiers had a perfect morning and wet afternoon. Monday Conversation girls were challenging with a new arrival, and the group is very definitely two totally different speaking and understanding abilities. Monday afternoon littles were as always, full gas. My German guests leave today, direction home to Bonn, and then I have two days before my next arrivals from Switzerland. The house to myself. In fairness I have hardly known there were people in the Dachboden the last week they have been so wonderfully quiet... I think the key here is they did not go out every night drinking and eating and consequently no noisy late homecomings.  Today is a no English day, just one spent cleaning the Dachboden. Easy. I have decided that discretion is the better part of valour and am not going to the ball tonight.. I had heard yesterday that there are strange things that must be observed at this masked ball and that is not me... and I did ask the question is Schruns really ready for a girl from New Zealand in full ball regalia? A night off in all ways and that will be bliss.

Rosenmontag

Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.

Good Morning... Mon 3rd, 6.12, +3.5dg... forecasting a fine day so skiing
should be fab. Yesterday was a day that started fine but the fog rolled onto the tops and when my family arrived back at the house in the evening they said they had skied in the fog all day, and insult to injury was the tops cleared as they were leaving the mountain!! For me yesterday it was a simple day, watching a little ski racing and doing a mountain of ironing...as you do on a Sunday. Today I have my new Conversation group at 10 and then littles this afternoon at 15.30. Still no definite decision on the masked ball tomorrow night... wavering . Today it is Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) is the highlight of the German "Karneval" (carnival), and is on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The "Mardi Gras," though celebrated on Tuesday, is a similar event. Rosenmontag is celebrated in German-speaking countries, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in Austria, the highlight of the carneval is not Rosenmontag, but Faschingsdienstag (Shrove Tuesday). Decisions decisions.. Enjoy your Monday.