Classic Style

    F inally managed to get out for about 90 minutes midday for the first jaunt on my classic skis at a nearby park that has actually rolled trails for skate technique.  Not quite enough snow yet for classic tracks, but that didn't stop many of us from taking a tour through the Mid-Michigan woods.  Quite a few other skiers out early this afternoon.   I was a bit wobbly for about the first 10 minutes,but I found my balance and stride and did pretty well for the first outing this season.  Some nice glide and no wipeouts.  Even managed a few tricky downhills.  Yes!!! Besides yoga and meditation with the Grand Duchess, there is nothing that makes me feel as happy and at peace as cross-country skiing.  Except a ski tour with her.  It was not so today, but plenty of couple skiing is on the way over the next few months.  For the present, however, amazing early season conditions for local skiing 10 minutes from home.. -- Heinz-Ulrich

W hile I've sung many of these familiar tunes in English, Norwegian, and Swedish at different times in various choirs myself, nothing gives me the same chill -- and even brings tears to my eyes (I'm a sentimental sap, at heart) -- as their German language versions.  If you're seeking more traditional music for the Advent and Christmas seasons, I also recommend these CD's (or their streaming or MP3 versions): Christmas in Vienna -- Vienna Boys Choir (Philips, 1991) German Christmas Music: Kammerorchester; Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach; Hartmut Haenchen, Conductor (Sony Music Special Products, 1993) Weihnachten: A German Christmas (Seattle Pro Musica, 2002) Delightful, quiet, and contemplative seasonal music.  Perfect for solo listening, family dinners, holiday gatherings, Christmas Day, or Christmas Week.  A welcome departure from the overplayed Bings, Britneys, Mariahs, and hippopotami  that otherwise clog the airwaves at this time of year. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  W ith lots of fresh snow all over the place following our first major winter storm of the season, tweed, corduroys, oxford cloth, and other assorted woolen items seemed like the way to go this morning.  Merry and bright as they say. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    M y sole concession to Christmastime kitsch, a miniature version of the infamous leg lamp from the 1983 film A Christmas Story , based on the short stories in humorist Jean Shepherd's In God We Trust.  All Others Pay Cash (1966).  My lamp occupies a place of honor (?) on my desk for but one month each year before it is carefully stored away once again after January 1st.  Hey, we've got to keep up appearances, you know. -- Heinz-Ulrich