Growing Up German In America

Schreckendorf, The Home they Left Behind

February 9, 2015

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

Note- I told this story without any extra input from my mother… I’m sure that she will add to the story some day. This isn’t really my story to tell, but, I’ve cobbled together a few bits and pieces from stories my mom told. I remember the old picture from photo albums… it was just […]

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Lessons I Learned from My Oma… And Now I’m Sharing them with You

Christmas 1970 – Remembering a German Christmas in America

December 23, 2014

karenanne

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German Christmas Traditions

On Christmas 1970 I was only 2 years old… just old enough to get really excited about Weinachten. The lights, the tinsel, and wonder of wonders… the presents! You can see me on Mama’s lap… somewhat wide eyed (hard to see behind those glasses…. those days finding stylish eyeglasses for children was a difficult thing). […]

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When is Oktoberfest in Munich?

Losing a Language- How I Tried to Teach my Kids German, and Failed

December 2, 2014

karenanne

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Celebrating German Culture in America

  German was my first language. ( In fact, I sometimes joke that I could be an ESL, English as a Second Language Student, and apply for benefits.) You see, even though I was born in California, my parents are German… and had just recently arrived in the country. It’s only logical that they spoke […]

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D’lustig’n Wendlstoana Tanzgruppe- Keeping up Tradition with Dance

More Christmas Tablecloths than Tables… Mehr Tischdeckchen als Tische

November 18, 2014

karenanne

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German Christmas Traditions

November is when I start cleaning the things I will need for the holidays. Glassware gets a polish, the “good dishes” get a wash, and the tablecloths all get checked for a touch-up iron. So, yesterday I went to the drawer were I keep the Weinachts Tisch Deckchen ( little table cloths) and I realized […]

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Steinbach Company in Germany- Still Making Erzgebirge Magic for the World

Once there was a Wall- A Visit to the Berlin Wall in 1988, before Unity

November 9, 2014

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

(note, I wrote this a few years ago on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. My mother and I made a trip to Berlin in 1988 to visit her aunt and cousins… so much has changed since then) I visited Berlin in 1988…. when there was still a Wall. It was a […]

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Water Castles or Wasserschlösser in the Münsterland

Memories of my Oma’s Keller – The Wonders of the German Basement

November 3, 2014

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

  You could blindfold me, spin me in a circle three times, and drop me through time and space into Oma’s Keller, and I would still instantly know where I was, just by the smell and feel of the air; cold, with a hint of damp, the smell of earth and laundry soap, and maybe […]

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A Mysterious German Trend- Photos with a Man in a Polar Bear Suit…

Visiting My Oma

October 10, 2014

karenanne

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My Oma, Elfriede, was a strong woman. She was a widow for the last 20 years of her life, and lived alone with her dog, Ben. But, she never seemed lonely. She had her routines, her friends, and a set way of doing things. I loved going to visit her in Germany. Once I turned […]

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Lessons I Learned from My Oma… And Now I’m Sharing them with You

German Charm Bracelet – My Collection of Shield Charms and More!

October 6, 2014

karenanne

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German Collectibles

/center> Some people collect spoons, other collect patches or post cards; still other people collect beer steins. I don’t know when it began, but somewhere in my childhood I started collecting Shield Charms for a German Charm bracelet. These special little charms are all painted with a place name, and then enameled. I fasten mine on […]

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Water Castles or Wasserschlösser in the Münsterland

Sandwiches in Waxed Paper – My German School Lunch in an American Cafeteria

October 3, 2014

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

  The school cafeteria in the 1970’s was one place where I always felt different from everyone else. Mom packed my school lunch for me almost every day, and I loved these lunches, but it’s amazing how different mine were from the kids around me. You see, although  I had a Scooby Doo lunchbox like […]

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Lessons I Learned from My Oma… And Now I’m Sharing them with You

Nutella, My Opa and the Care Packages

September 26, 2014

karenanne

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German Products I Love

Nutella and Opa – One quick glance at my backside, and you will see that my love affair with that sinfully, chocolatey, delicious hazelnut spread has gone on for a long time. REALLY long time. My parents emigrated to America from Germany in the 1960’s, shortly before I was born. They left everyone behind, and […]

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Where to Buy Great Looking, High Quality German Sandals for Women