Herr S tells me to get my stuff, and our German Easter

Hello to my 5 blog readers! It feels like I'm writing you a personal email as I type this: )

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J and I just walked across the street to talk to Steinhaus. It was very odd. Very few words were exchanged, and I understand practically nothing Steinhaus said. He mumbles/has an accent or something.

J simply asked if it's OK for me to come back with my horse again, and he said, "Oh I don't know...." and there was a long, long pause. J's very diplomatic and let Steinhaus have his time to think. He said, "The arena is in such terrible condition, and if I say yes to her, I have to say yes to everyone who asks."

Interestingly his grandson Timo was standing there the entire time working with him in his garage, trying to fix a broken automatic horse waterer, overhearing the entire thing. Timo is the one Steinhaus told me to give my money to every month instead of paying him.

He said, "I thought she was only going to come once or twice, not regularly."

And, "You know it can't be for 1 euro, that's not nearly enough. Did you know that it costs 3E to park at Alternberger Dom now?" Then he ranted a bit on that. Although I paid 2E per session, J did not mention that, and said, "Make us an offer if you'd like more money. We've been paying all along, it wasn't "nehmen" (taking) it was also "geben" (giving)." At which point Timo jumped in and said, "I got the money every month!" (That's good to know, that he actually got it.)

And, "The arena is in such a bad state, and she'd bring not only her horse but her donkey sometimes!" I said, "If no one else was there." (Geez if I knew it was a problem I never would have done that!)

Then he said he'd have to talk to the Maedchen (the women who board there, who he calls "the girls"), and he has no idea when they'll be there so it may take some time for him to come to a decision. (I was thinking, well they're there every evening...)

Then he said he's going on vacation Friday til May and probably won't get the answer before then.

Then we asked if I should get my things out of his barn and he said yes. *sigh* That can only mean one thing. He doesn't care what the women think.

J and I just stood here in our kitchen pondering the information we still don't have. J says "Probably the women complained about the condition of the arena, and to make his customers happy he said he'd get rid of you so there would be less horses on the arena. He has to think of his customers, his business first." J said they're a bunch of bitches and the problem boils down to jealousy/competitiveness, and I added that Steinhaus doesn't have the character to do what's right.



As I look over the last years in my blog I run into posts where I chatted with him on my visits, feeling completely at ease. And although the women were awful to me at times (crossing my name off the lesson calendar and writing their names over mine!) I was pretty good at avoiding them and asking permission if someone showed up. It was sad for me to repeatedly be turned down when I asked them to ride with me, and I eventually quit asking. As crappy as that arena was I knew that walking across the street was pretty convenient.

In the unlikely case that all the women say it's OK for me to be there, I know that the reality is Steinhaus himself doesn't want me there. So how could I ever feel comfortable there again?

It feels so terrible to lose the sense that neighbors here look after each other, yet again.

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But we have a couple of really good neighbors who live next door to Steinhaus, and they invited us over for the annual Easter bonfire. Easter Saturday people light bonfires all over this region (with permission and following strict rules). I used to refer to these good neighbors as the terrier people if you remember that far back, but since then their dog has passed away, and they are so heartbroken about it they say they'll never have another dog. Their daughter used to care for Baasha when we visited America, but she's grown up now and busy.

Easter lasts 4 days here, Easter Monday is another day of silence, and the Thursday before every single grocery clerk says, "Happy Easter celebration" to every customer. I don't remember that happening in America.

For the fire this year I cut down a bunch of hated Elderberry trees* and schlepped them across the street. The good neighbor said, "Those are healthy for you, you shouldn't cut them down." I countered, "They're weeds and I hate them." And when I told J this, he asked me how many more we have in our back yard. I said, "More than 20, I'll bet you a coke." We shook on it and walked down there together and stopped counting at 40. So if our good neighbor wants some healthy Elderberry, he is free to come harvest them! (People use both the flowers and the berries.) Ironically the Elderberry is the only tree in our yard that the donkey and horse will not touch. It would be really helpful to me if they would, but apparently there's cyanide in the leaves. I hate them because they don't grow in an orderly fashion - they spread out their wild branches every which way and make it impossible to walk through our yard. If you try to trim the branches so you can walk through, they come back tenfold. The ones that mature from bush to tree stage, I don't mess with.

* - The Wiki site says cutting down Elderberry causes the revenge of the "Elder Mother" and I should have sung a particular song to her to avoid her revenge...oh boy.

By 6 PM there was a group of guests waiting around the enormous pile of wood and branches. It was amazing once lit. Almost terrifying, the flames went so high.

The kids got to search for colored hard-boiled eggs in the garden. I always feel sorry for German kids whose egg searches yield no candy, rather real eggs. Then I ask if I can have them.

A few hours later we gathered in their garden house to eat party soup. There was a keg of Koelsch (the Cologne beer, yuk) and at one point a group of teenage boys showed up and started draining it. Still it's odd for me to see adults give kids alcohol. We were there quite late and went home thoroughly smokey. I love Easter fires!

I need to mention a conversation we had at the fire. The good neighbors asked me how Mara is doing.  I said I'd been temporarily kicked out of the barn next door and have been forced to only ride in the woods, which is scary for my horse, and our relationship has been suffering since then. They asked me why I was kicked out and I said I honestly am not sure. Then they said that Herr Steinhaus is not a trustworthy person, not a good neighbor. I said, "You waited 6 years to mention this?" They replied, "You did not ask and we don't talk about people behind their backs." I said, "That is very Christian of you" to which they answered, "We're not Christian." I said, "Well I am, and I admire that about you."

The next day the good neighbor came over with a little sack of eggs from her chickens, and some chocolate eggs filled with liquor. 

That was Sunday, so we went to J's parents for a big Easter dinner after searching their garden for Easter baskets for everyone. J's mom knows what everyone likes, and I got 5 solar lights for my garden and lots of chocolate. Easter dinner isn't any particular dish that I can tell, no traditional ham for example, so this year we had pork and salmon. Then coffee with 4 different dessert cakes/torts with lots of strawberries.

That's our Easter in Germany.