Blog-free Week

I can hardly believe how fast it gets dark these days. While this is disappointing on the one hand, it also gives you more time for indoor activities. Are you picking up unfinished projects or planning to engage in a new hobby? If you have been intrigued by my felting projects, I invite you to join me for one (or all) of the following workshops:


Felting Experience – Poppy Pin

Saturday, November 5, 2022, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, Zoom

CAN $35


Felting Experience – Winter Landscape

Saturday, November 26 and December 3, 2022, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Zoom

CAN $150.00

CAN $135 Early Bird Price until November 1, 2022



Felting Experience – Santa Figure

Tuesday, December 6, 2022, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Zoom

$70.00

$65 Early Bird Price until November 11, 2022



Material Kits are available for all three workshops for Canadian destinations.


For more information and to register, please click on the workshop title.

Candace's first needle-felted painting

Here is what Candace S. had to say about her experience during the fall workshop:


"This was my first needle felting experience. I wanted to do a ‘picture’ as opposed to a felted object, so the workshop Kerstin was offering was both a good fit and good timing.


Kerstin’s calm, relaxed, patient manner in leading the workshop, as well as her encouragement to follow my own artistic instincts, was most appreciated.


I am happy with my first needle felting work, but moreover, I am excited about continuing this new artistic outlet.


For a wonderful experience, don’t hesitate to sign up for one of Kerstin’s workshops!"

Melting of Traditions

Gourds and Corn, Acrylic, 11" x 14", CAN $375

Blog 16

Last weekend, on the second Monday of October, was the Canadian Thanksgiving. Many people already celebrate with family and friends on Saturday or Sunday with a big feast of either turkey or ham, potatoes, fall vegetables and stuffing, followed by a dessert of pumpkin or apple pie.

My husband and I spent the Sunday with our children, sharing a ham dinner with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts. We ate apple pie made fresh by my son and his girlfriend. More than the shared food, we enjoyed the time together during a long walk through the fall foliage and a hot game of Dogopoly.

Erntedankfest is the German Thanksgiving. It is not a statutory holiday but celebrated in Catholic and Protestant churches on the first Sunday in October to thank for a good harvest. The church altar is decorated with harvest foods, and you can find parades in some mainly rural communities. The tradition of Thanksgiving family celebrations is unknown. For many Germans, it is a Sunday like any other.

Thinking about Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season made me reflect on how our family celebrates the German and Canadian holidays.

When you live in a foreign country, you want to hold onto your traditions to keep the bonds to your home country. Our family is no exception. At the same time, we have also embraced many Canadian holidays.

Luckily, the major German and Canadian holidays are similar. Some public holidays have lost their importance and are nothing more than another day off work for many citizens, like Labour Day. Others are not statuary holidays but are very important to part of the population, like Nikolaustag (St Nicholas’ Day) for German children.

My husband and I decided to expose our children to both cultures. It was very important for me to remind them of their German roots. However, as our children have dual citizenship, we also wanted them to celebrate the customs of their home country.

Our biggest challenges were regarding the December holidays, St Nicholas’ Day and Christmas.

On December 5, our kids put their boots out. We told them St Nicholas would know they were German and would therefore bring sweets and little toys in the night from December 5 to 6. Which kid would have protested about a holiday like that?

According to German tradition, we continued opening our Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. Many people from different nationalities in Canada don’t celebrate Christmas. Children realize early on that there are many ways to celebrate the season. I know some friends who don’t celebrate Christmas and still put up a Christmas tree and give each other gifts. The future will show what our children will decide for their families.

We always have incorporated Canadian holidays, many of which are celebrations of community. What is not to like about spending time with friends or family, eating delicious food and maybe watching fireworks? It reminds me of the activities on the day before the German labour day, when many communities organize a “Tanz in den Mai”, an evening of dance to celebrate spring.

I love the exchange with various cultures. You learn so much about other traditions, and the knowledge opens your world to new experiences. While the mixing of traditions might be even more evident when you immigrate to a new country, it also happens whenever people from different families get together. Most merge their customs. Do you make any compromises during family celebrations, or have you added new experiences to enrich your holidays?

Blog-free Week

 

Pumpkins and Plums, wool and mixed fibre, 7.5" x 11.5", $400

October is an excellent month for pumpkins. First, they make wonderfully bright decorations. Secondly, they are versatile vegetables for dinners and even sweet pies.


I wish all Canadians a fantastic long Thanksgiving weekend. Enjoy the time with your loved ones, share meals and walk through the colourful landscape.

What is your favourite use of a pumpkin?

Wiesbaden, Spa Town and Capital of Hesse

Old house in Wiesbaden

 Blog 15

Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, is the last city I will write about for now.


Wiesbaden is on the opposite side of the Rhine from Mainz. It is not only the seat of the Hessian parliament but also a cultural centre with its Kurhaus, shops, trade fairs, historic downtown centre and museums. Strolling with a friend through the city a couple of years ago, I admired the many old buildings more than the boutiques they housed.

 

The famous Kurhaus contains many historic rooms for conventions, musical entertainment and the casino. Its beautiful park invites many people for a stroll.


Wiesbaden is the oldest European spa town, known for its hot springs. It also offers many excellent hospitals and health clinics. Unfortunately, during my last stay, I only saw this part due to my mother’s urgent operation.

Der Froschkönig - The Frog Prince, fur

When I still created and collected teddy bears, I was always excited when the yearly teddy bear show fell into one of my visits. One time, I even entered one of my bears in a competition to recreate a character of a fairytale. I didn’t win, but I was excited when I saw my bear in the magazine. Since I started needle felting, I haven't created any more bears, even though this was my main occupation and comfort during my early years in Canada.


Wiesbaden also has many villas and castles that reflect the long history of wealthy citizens. Schloss Freudenberg is one of the large villas that was transformed from a private residence to an educational facility focusing on letting visitors explore experiences of sensory perception.

 

You would assume that in a small country the size of Ontario, I would have visited all states and could keep writing about the many cultural highlights. While I lived in Nordrhein Westfalia, the Saarland, the Black Forest and Berlin as a child, I saw the places from a child’s view. Now that I don’t have to consider the needs of small kids anymore, I am eager to travel to more places in Germany, especially parts of the East. I will talk about some of the cities and regions I visited from time to time, but I don’t want to create a travel blog. I wrote about the five cities of the Rhine-Main-Area to show you the cultural richness that I appreciate so much more now than I did when I still lived in Germany. Is there a city or area of Germany that intrigues you?