Last Day in Kindsbach GE

Monika and her cousin, Rudi, in the background.

Oma Thum, age 74.

Monika and Oma practically raised our George and Emily from 1991-1996 while Hal and I went to work every day. This is why the kids speak native German and have a sound work ethic and loving discipline. Opa died a few years ago. The three of them were and are like family to us. They lived just two blocks from us and filled the kids' days with outdoor hiking, swimming, and instructive walks in the woods. (Strollers are only for infants - every kid WALKS.) Indoors they would accomplish all kinds of German crafts and schoolwork. George attended 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades in the German school. It was because of Monika (a university trained kindergarten teacher) that George was able to get into the German public school. We had quite the ideallic life in a German village largely because of Monika and the cultural experiences she enabled.

We longed for and finally had opportunity to reminisce by walking up to the Barenloch (Bear Lake) in Kindsbach. We stayed up there for hours and just watched the kids swim, as Monika lined up another possible babysitting client. I was able to put in a strong testimonial for Monika. I mean, how many clients come back after 15 years to extol the virtues of their babysitter?!

Nothing has changed in Kindsbach. Came back to Monika's and Oma's for a sumptuous meal of sausage and barley salad out in the back yard. Then we set to work and trimmed the hedges and mowed the lawn at 9:00pm (daylight lasts until 10:30pm), took another walk up to Kandalthaler (new houses in Kindsbach) and turned in on the sofa bed at 11:30pm. Monika's cousin, Rudi who works on Ramstein Air Base, drove us to the Ramstein Passenger Terminal this morning for a 6:40am showtime for us to fly to Dover AFB DE. Oops, found out aircraft left early at 5:40am, so sorry. Oh well, now we do the Mill-Around Checklist and wait for antoher flight. There is a C-17 medevac later this morning, which we would LOVE to get on, but they probably won't release any seats.