Moon Glow

Morning 

Epiphany

Manifested By The Star ⭐️ 

To the Sages from afar

And they worshipped Him. 

The Holy Child, True God and True Man

Prophet, Priest, and King 

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain

Gold I bring to crown Him again….

Frankincense to offer have I

Incense owns a Deity nigh….

Myrrh is mine it’s bitter perfume 

Breathes a life of gathering gloom…..

Glorious now behold Him arise

King and God and Sacrifice

Alleluia, Alleluia

Sounds through the earth and skies.

O Star of wonder

Twelfth Day of Christmas

Sunday Excursions

After church, some of us went to the Swiss Technorama - a huge collection of the wonders of physics for young and old. 

White lightning


Heat sensors


Infinity


Volcanos


Rube Goldberg machines: the most complicated ways possible to get a ball from here to there.


Followed by a Fondue dinner: a small Scnapps to whet the appetite, then choices of a dozen or so fondue mixes (cheese options, herb options, liquor options), with bread choices (Ur-Dinkel, corn, Laugen, and Halb-Weiss), and accompaniment choices (pickled vegetables, pears, mushrooms, etc.)


In an “old barn” building put up purposefully for the fondue season, and removed afterward

The outside courtyard







And a delightful time was had by all. 

Merry Last Day of Christmas and Happy New Year.

Eleventh Day of Christmas

A Taste of Italy

Among the small pleasures of after Christmas are using the gifts we received. That includes culinary specialties, like the box of Italian artisanal foods one business associate gives each year. 

With fine ingredients, and handmade processing. 

The resultant taste is not the typical store product. We agree that making spaghetti from local wheat, shaping from an historical brass press, and drying for fifty hours, in a medieval town in Tuscany does add a special flavor. 

And the wine was a perfect accompaniment. 

Prost! 

Tenth Day of Christmas

Winter Returned

Last night the rain turned to snow for a wonderland this morning. 

And we get to hibernate inside.

Ninth Day of Christmas

Melting in the Sunshine

Snow in the shadows. 

And sunlights through the windows….before the rains start.

Eighth Day of Christmas

The Naming of JESUS

This Holy Child, “Jesus,” God saves; Immanuel, God with us; Good Shepherd, The Vine, The Door, The Bread of Life, The Water of Life; The Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings; A Mighty Fortress, Our Refuge and Strength; The Mighty God, The Prince of Peace. 

Yesterday, on our walk, we looked into Rehetobel’s church. It is the third iteration after enlargement, then a fire in the later 1800’s. The woodwork is beautiful.

Each window in the nave had little figures from the Nativity story. 

And approaching Epiphany….

Happy New Year to All. 

May your 2025 be blessed, prosperous, healthy, and peaceful. 

Seventh Day of Christmas

Last Day of 2024

And the sun finally came out, so after getting groceries (our once weekly trip, but everyone and his brother was there, because stores will be closed for two whole days over New Years), we did a bit of a walk in our town in the sunshine. 

“Reh” is that kind of small deer, and a “Tobel” is a valley. 

This is a very famous and expensive restaurant in the center of the town. In the shade.

A wine bar, which might get use tonight when everything opens for the evening and a long night to see the New Years in. 


In the sunshine.


Note the roofline shapes, typical of this area. 




The view across the valleys toward the Säntis, where Maria lives. 






Goodbye 2024

Sixth Day of Christmas

Total Fog Outside

So we enjoy lights inside.

Fifth Day of Christmas

Above the Fog

We started at the edge of that foggy blanket, in the sunshine.

Looking toward the Säntis. The log piles are the products of the days of helicopter work we watched. 


Higher and higher. St. Gallen is under that foggy blanket. At the horizon is the Bodensee/Lake Constance.




To here


Looking toward Rehetobel 

Where we came from, fron off the left side of the picture; a twisty road up


Other towns across the hills


Blessed Sunday.