a long weekend

last weekend was a long one, thanks to our national holiday on thursday. i completely indulged in a weekend on my own. i slept in and let one day go by with only reading my book, cooking, reading again ... i am back to another book by paul auster, moon palace, which my brother gave me on my wedding day. i love this book not only for the story being told, but also for the story my brother connected to it. his inscription says a book about life, new york and the search for happiness [...] oh!
i went to yoga class several times, strolled around the city and visited a couple of coffee shops i wanted to try (one and two) and a great bookstore in mitte, where i purchased an issue of kinfolk magazine. i was wanting to get one for a while now. the current topic 'the art of weekend' just got me. it's something that's been on my mind for a while. how can i get the most of my time off of work? bring things in balance even if the amount of time spent on work vs. the amount of time that is left to myself seems completely out of proportion ...
i guess the conclusion i've come upon for now is to find an answer to this each and every time there is a day off or an evening to spend or a weekend to hit the road ... or just the couch.

sunday song

florence and the machine, no light no light

we think alone

ever so often i stumble upon miranda july. i read her book no one belongs here more than you. twice actually. first in german a couple of years ago. and then i missed miranda's stories and felt like reading some more and asked for a book of her's for my birthday. my brother gave me this book and of course i read it, only realizing why the stories felt so familiar with the very last story.

and then there's learning to love you more. a collection of tasks to learn and find about the people and things around us. and about your self. it's sweet and it really makes you or well, me at least, want to be researcher and spend more time investigating. photograph a scar and write about it, record your own guided meditation, take a picture of strangers holding hands, give advice to yourself in the past, make an encouraging banner ... i think i love it so much because it has all these real stories in store for us. those of strangers and at the same time those that are our own.

i signed up to we think alone a couple of weeks ago. every week now i receive an email, or better a collection of ten emails dedicated to one topic. you get to peek into someone else's life, it feels special reading a personal thing like an email that's not meant for you. this week i received 'a sad email'. so emational, delicate and lovely. six more weeks to go. you can still sign up.

saturday song

martina topley-bird feat. mark lanegan - crystalised

hello fall

it's been a long time since i took the time for a blog post. summer felt so short and so long at the same time, it was intense. overwhelming. and i'm not quite ready for it to be over. i want to cherish it just a little bit longer. and also, i'm just not ready for the mean berlin winter to roll over me.

so here's to fall! 

last weekend we took the train out east to spend the weekend in the countryside with our friends. they just bought this huge piece of land, with a house and a huge garden. it's still a building site, and will be for a while. but i had the best time hanging out, picking apples, pears and plums ... we visited a vegetable farmer to buy fresh ingredients for our dinner. i sat in a rocking chair chatting away with maria while she cooked our meal. i almost forgot how calming a fire can be. and long walks in fresh air.

may there be many more weekends like this one and may fall delight us with sunshine and blue skies.

fall makes me want to celebrate thanksgiving this year. i want to have our tiny place filled with lovely people red wine and good food. 

A good read ...

... is worth so much more than just the price a book may cost. i love to read, always have, but eversince i started worklife my reading habit has becomd a lazy one. i really long for those books i can get lost in. i just finished 'sunset park' by Paul Auster. And somehow he got me again. Originally i planned on reading it during my time in new york, but as you know, i spent my time there being busy with other things. So i read it in berlin on the way to work, in bed, on the couch and underway. i couldn't stop and once i was finished i was sad it was over. Unless a story bores me, that always happens to me.

Anyway, now i am super excited to read the second edition of Susan Sontag's diaries 'As Concioussness is Harnessed to Flesh: Journals and Notebooks'.

PS. I can also recommend 'The fault in our stars' by John Green.

lately ...

... it's been quite quiet around here. i've been busy working, we moved into our new office, and crafting for my own benefit for once, finishing our invitations. hurray!

we did have a glimpse of summer these past weeks, but fall is back, which made me want to bake and be lazy on the weekends. i took the chance to finally try out this rhubarb cake recipe which i found on one of my favorite blogs (it's in german though) and it turned out amazing ... i just love rhubarb. anyway, i'll be back soon.