Ancestor and family

As far as I could find out:

Gallus von Racknitz (1590-1658) Kaiserlicher Rat und Kammerherr

(Wikipedia - Freiherren von Racknitz)

 Great-grandmother was a born „von Racknitz

My mother Elisabeth - photo might be taken in about 1917



The family minus one. I am the youngest.

Fourth child, a boy, still flying in the universe

(ca. 1940)

Leon and Lea

Here they are - grandson Leon and his girl Lea

They visited us in our holiday house in Berneck in their Easter holidays

April 21 - 24, 2019.

and with Opa

Family in January 2019

From today to a few weeks ago

Grandma and Yann

Leon and Mila from the side

Mila on ice

Family on ice in Vermont

This lovely family

Each year we make a photo for the Christmas cards

And —-

We  were very fast to join a gymnastics group - and are having much fun

eating out in old town Altensteig after workout.

Moving into the new house

Go to the left about 300 m and you will reach this castle on top of the mountain.






But to work now

unpacking what was packed 6 months ago - we had a floodding in the

 French village so some boxes were soaked - oh my - can you imagine? 

Some books were affected - but bed covers and quilts, and many books

and precious things were safely stored in the house

Eating place in the kitchen complete





and after a week or so we bought a dining table at ebay and chairs at IKEA

which the slave painted in red after some reflection and discussions

The tablesets were made by Ulla (a passed-away patchwork friend) 

nearly 20 years ago when she visited us in the farmhouse - 

Much work involved everywhere




Changing tyre of the trailer after driving 900 m chain-locked

producing a thick cloud of blue smoke



Deer park run by the castle owners



The medieval castle with explanations for passers-by

Berneck is a very favored place to visit by tourists




Walking down the steep road from the castle and looking back




We are on the road looking up to the castle




Some nice places here around 

We enjoy making acquaintance with our new environment

on small walks - mostly the 300 m up to the castle - talking

to people to get to know also neighbors - 

We know now 8 persons, ha! There are 292 more!

House in exchange

It is the one we chose in exchange for the farmhouse in France

The snow is the same - but it is 300 m lower and easy to reach

We will drvie about 90 minutes.

It is the Black Forest - Schwarzwald, South Germany

I am standing in the garden and looking to the neigbours‘ ground

There won‘t be much gardening - which I like -  there is no fence - which I like, too.

The little play house will belong to us.

I like already the village and the castle which is about 300 m away

I think we will spend lovely holidays and weekends here, with family and friends

The caste in the village

and how it looked in old times

The fir trees are huge - and dark - hence the name Black Forest.

I couldn’t help but take this idyllic encampment on a Sunday afternoon at the

grandparents‘ - after a good meal - but also after the straining olympic games at night

on the sofa - not to forget the visit to the disco with friends - (the younger one of them) 

While all this is happening I am sewing something in the evenings

EPP - English paper piecing - all by hand

trying out - does it fit?

No —- not yet

trying - sewing - turning around

I can‘t tell yet what it will be.

More memories of the sold farmhouse

After the sale, the young couple with little Edgar 

and DH and me in front of the notary‘s office in 

Lure, Haute-Saône, France

This is a collection of photos over several years.

Cows are very curious and run to see what is happening - 

DH takes the photo

We regarded it as a jewel - the remise for all utensils 

needed in and about the house and the old oven 

to bake bread - necessary in old times when there

were no supermarkets in the village 4 km downhill

The bird‘s house with lavender

Outing in the Vosges - fun with roating sausages on fire 

DH made the puppet theatre - I made the dolls

The bad wolf thrown down

After the performance Mila - granddaughter 

and Dunja DD

So talented DH copied this from a Janosh book


Fun with water in summer

They found something in a pool up-hill -

it had to be analysed

Yes, cows want to see everything going on

View down onto the village

and below

a hurting foot, or just a relaxing position

Young cook at work very concentrated - who ate most 

of the wafers?

Guess!! .... you are right - the cook

Playing in front of the house

Blooming garden