Raebeliechtli - The Great Turnip Parade

Girls on the 'wanderweg' heading to our neighbors.Girls with their 'Raebeli' joined by L, neighbor's daughter.
Kindergarteners at the local school singing their Raebeliechtli songs.
So the girls and I were invited by our neighbors to join them with their daughters school in the Raebeliechtli Umzug. Or as I might like to refer to it "The Great Turnip Parade." Because that's what they are - carved turnips. It is an old tradition here and marks the end of the harvest - the turnips being one of the last items out of the garden. And they hollow them out and carve pictures into the skins and with a candle in them - they are very cute. Old tradition held that the 'Raebeli' could be lit each night and kept through the winter on the window sill. Back in 'ye olden times' that might have worked but with indoor heating and electricity - the need for turnip candle holders has diminished but continues to be a sweet tradition marking the change from harvest to winter.

And considering this was Thursday night and on Friday afternoon I drove home from Thalwil in the first snow flurries of the year - it certainly was appropriate timing.

And what was I doing in Thalwil? Renting my ski's! And snow was falling out of the sky! It was a beautiful thing. It's the most wonderful time of the year..... Funny how some people enjoy the snow and some do NOT. I am always a bit wired by it. I even enjoyed it in Iowa. Must come from years of driving up to Tahoe and watching for the snow line in anticipation of skiing for the day. I was the kid who chose a birthday at Squaw Valley and then another at Heavenly in lieu of a birthday party with friends. Mom even took me out of school to do it. So maybe I was a little weird but I can still remember each of those days clearly. Best kind of Birthday presents I guess.

I don't think there can be any doubt that Bart & I have girls with personality - if this pic is any indication. It's all Rachel - 100% Bart is in MN right now with his parents and then will head to FL for Annual Mtg. He was calling me from Target asking how many boxes of Children's Chewable Benadryl he should get and Oh, look, there's Children's Nyquil and, OH, I was a wee bit jealous. I could just imagine what the aisles looked like and all the different choices and opportunities there might be to just get whatever you want, whenever you want, in a language you don't have to guess at and each item for less than $10 (don't get me started on the $ vs the Franc right now, Boo Hoo).

It's a Small World After All coincidence of the week - some of you may remember a post re: friends from Valley Church that we ran into in Orlando last Dec. - totally caught us all by surprise. Well Bart flew into MN late Thurs. night and had plans for about 6 hrs in Minneapolis with his dad for some shopping before heading to their place - 4.5 hrs NW of the cities (think cold and Fargo). So they are in the Mall of America getting lunch and run into our neighbors, Heidi & Mark w/ boys. Our houses faced each other and speaking for my girls - they loved playing with the boys and still insist that we must move back to a neighborhood where Brandon will be living someday. And we loved having them as neighbors - So Bart really enjoyed getting to have lunch with them. What are the odds? Honestly - Have you been to the Mall of America? Just being in the same place at the same time - Wow!

Enough rambling - may happen more when Bart is gone as I have noooo one to talk to :) .