It's a Kitchen Day and the Final Friday Before Easter

So, it's the end of Lent - almost. It's been a joy having my salmon on Friday nights for the past weeks, but I will be happy to make the final piece of it tonight and then not make it again for a year. It's easy to make, it's very tasty, but eating any single thing weekly for such a long time (and on a required schedule) is a bit of a PITA to my freewheeling "I feel like cooking this" attitude towards my meals. I'm very conscious of how I cook - my ingredients, my recipes, and my WildFit guidelines - but with the exception of my Wednesday night chicken breasts, I don't like having the same meal on specific days every week. So, I will happily send my salmon recipe back into my stack of recipes, and watch the fish swim away, probably not to be used again until next year's Lent. 

I do love my broiled salmon recipe. It's easy and quick 
and tastes fabulous. But, enough is enough. By the time 
Lent ends, I'm quite ready to put the recipe back into 
the stack and not pull it out again until next Lent. 

Dad's been on my mind a lot over the past few days - probably because of that small royalty check I received from his publisher. I remember the days when we'd get monthly checks and they would actually amount to several thousand dollars every year. His royalty checks helped pay for Mom's care facility bills, and then helped me establish my brokerage account. They might be next-to-nothing in amounts now, but at that time they were substantial and very helpful. I imagine any best-selling author gets a lot more in royalties than Dad ever did - language books have a limited audience, after all. But those checks were very nice to receive. I'll get this one deposited either today or next Wednesday. I'm sure I can manage without the less than $13 in my account for a few more days if I get pinched for time today - LOL. 

This Spinoza Therapy Bear is the same coloring as the 
one I bought for Dad. The photo gives you a good idea 
of the bear's size - it's perfect for a good cuddle, and 
very soft. See the red button on his chest? That's the 
on/off and volume control. There's a cassette player 
accessible from the back. It's rather ingenious and was 
developed to help asthmatic kids with their breathing.  

I still remember the Spinoza Therapy Bear I purchased for Dad while he was in his final stay at the hospital suffering from kidney cancer. I was poor - and the bear was very expensive. It was (and still is) a bear that's large and cuddly and amazingly helpful to help with breath and pain management. At the time, it worked with a cassette player inside of it, which would allow the person hugging the bear to practice the breathing exercises on the included cassette tape for asthmatic children. I figured it was such a comfort to cuddle the bear that I was determined to get one for Dad, despite the $80 or so price tag and my total lack of funds. I did manage it (barely), and cuddled it on the flight to Denver later that week. 

Here is a photo from a production of "The Magic Flute" at 
the Metropolitan Opera, in Lincoln Square. It's quite an 
elaborate opera, and over-the-top as most of them are (which 
is part of their fun). I was surprised Dad didn't request 
Wagner - he was totally in love with the entire Ring 
Cycle. But I guess he wanted something a bit more 
light-hearted. For me? I'd go with the "Flying Dutchman". 
Love that music! 

Once in Denver, I gave it to Dad and explained how it would play whatever he would want to listen to. He requested Mozart's "Magic Flute", so I purchased a set of tapes for that - a good performance with well-known and respected voices and a solid orchestra. Dad was in a lot of pain, but the nurses told me later that he clutched that bear to him, listening to the music, and that it seemed to help him quite a bit with pain management. At that time, doctors were very stingy with narcotics, not wanting to create addictions, so Dad got morphine first thing in the morning. But it was already wearing off by early afternoon, and evening/night were agony. I hated his doctor for not increasing Dad's dosage - the man was dying, let him die with comfort! I got nowhere with the doctor, who despised me and referred to me as "pushy". Well yes ... I was. 

I'm pushy. When it comes to caring for my loved 
ones, I can be VERY pushy. Sometimes it's necessary 
to be that squeaky wheel. 

Mom was all flustered about trying to find a good care facility for Dad once he got released from the hospital. She knew she was incapable of caring for him, and that he would need much more intensive care from professionals. She and he had finally determined on one, and then Dad was visited by a palliative care specialist who suggested a hospice program - the first time hospice had been mentioned. She also told Dad that HE was in charge of his care. She told him everything was up to him - that he didn't need to accept the feeding tube if he didn't want it (he hated it), and that hospice would allow him to live with dignity for the time he had left. He was an immediate convert and had that feeding tube removed immediately. He was so relieved that there were possibilities out there for him. His current book-in-progress had been given to a fellow professor who said he would finish it for him. The loose ends were tied up. He died in the early hours of the morning within 12 hours of seeing the Palliative Care Specialist. I don't know if he was listening to Mozart, but I brought the Spinoza back home with me, and it's been one of my favorite stuffed bears ever since. 

Bees don't go straight from one flower to the next, 
they meander, do a few loop-de-loops, change 
their minds, switch directions, and generally, straight 
lines are NOT in a bees' wheelhouse. 

So, that's the way my convoluted mind works. I started off talking about food, and ended up talking about mental food, memories and a very important bear. My pathway was as straight as a bee's path through a flower garden - LOL. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Cooking - Not Really (LOL), and Memories of Dad and Mom

Taking a careful look at my refrigerator stock yesterday, I decided against cooking meals. I actually had a Wednesday without any cooking ... well, almost none. My stock of food for the week is excellent, as of this morning I have four stuffed peppers, three portions of butternut squash, and I'm cooking a pork roast on Sunday which will stretch to two-three meals each. I'm not worried ... we're not going to starve anytime soon - LOL. But, that means that next week will be a very busy cooking week. Whoot! 

We've had a marinated pork loin roast in the 
refrigerator defrosting for a couple of days. 
I'll get that roasted up on Sunday, and it will 
serve well for at least two meals each. With 
what else I already have cooked, I'm set until 
next week (probably). I can re-assess on 
Friday, and do a quick cook if necessary. 

Now, I did say "almost" no cooking in the above. That's because I bought a pineapple and a mango, which I cut up and put into my little dehydrator. It's been merrily doing it's thing since yesterday afternoon, and it's almost finished. I think I had set it for 13-14 hours, and while I was awake, I was moving the trays every 90 minutes to ensure good air circulation. I've dehydrated several pineapples before now, but have never added a mango to the mix before. T think it will be a lovely munch. 

I purchased a pineapple and a mango at the store 
yesterday, cut them up and put them into the 
dehydrator. They should be ready to pull from 
there and put into a container for munching when 
I get back from the pool later this morning. 

I received a royalty payment for Mom yesterday - not much, less than $15, but it brought my parents to the front of my mind again. When Dad finally managed to get his college degrees and start teaching, he also started writing books on learning the German language. They were quite popular for quite a while, bringing in some nice royalty payments to both of them while Dad was still living, and then just to Mom once he passed. His final book was in process when he died, and a good friend and professional colleague at Colorado University Boulder finished the book for him and got it published posthumously. The royalty checks were a real benefit to Mom for many years, but these days, I'm certainly NOT getting rich any more - LOL. I'll endorse this as her representative and get it deposited. It was lovely to think about those times again - well worth the doing. 

Dad had at least four different books published 
on the German language. Considering he was 
actually Czech, I always wondered about that. 
But he moved to Vienna when he was quite 
young to live with his older sister, so German, 
if not his first language, was a strong second. 

Today will be my final day in the pool for the week. My workouts haven't been spectacular this week, but they've been pretty good - fairly good intensity and steady laps. I'm no speed queen, but I get the job done. I'll be entering price tags for the shipment that just arrived yesterday. That will take up most/all of my day at the shop. So it will be a computer day. I'm still working on getting things together for the Swarovski sale. It's such a huge category, getting things together is turning into a mini nightmare. It needs to be easy for us to use so that we can get inventory pulled quickly and accurately, and also needs to be easily used by our customers. That's a challenge to my organizational abilities. 

I love my little dehydrator. I wasn't sure how much 
use I'd get out of it initially, but I'm quite pleased 
with it, and I'm using it for fruits over the winter. 
It's just about the perfect size, and can hold a 
surprising amount of stuff for such a small package. 

So, as I head over to the pool and write myself a note to empty the dehydrator when I get back from swimming, I'll have plenty of things on my mind. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thursday and I look forward to catching up with you on Friday. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

 

Happy Birthday to Dad - Long Gone But Never Forgotten

I always start out March by wishing my dear, long-dead Dad, a happy birthday. He was an amazing man, chased his dreams throughout his life to the best of his ability, and I think he was happy at the end, looking back on what he had accomplished. He and Mom worked as a great team - they rarely disagreed, and truly looked after one another. They were compatible, and companions and complimented each other's strengths and weaknesses so that united, they presented a force of nature against which, even Hitler had no chance. 

We tend to think of nature as an inconvenience, but 
when it comes down to facts, nature will always 
win. Sometimes there are people who are also 
forces of nature. My parents, united, were stronger 
than they would have ever imagined, and came 
through their trials stronger than ever before. 

My Dad became an expert in changing paths and starting over. He did it numerous times in his life, starting when he was young and fairly newly married. When Hitler was threatening, he sent Mom off to England to protect her from the Nazis, and then walked alone over the Alps to find passage to the USA from a totally different country than a European nation. Once here, he started to set up a life in New York, and sent for Mom as soon as the war was over. 

I know Dad escaped through the Alps. He never voluntarily 
talked about those days, touching on one quick point or 
another, and never in depth. He was lucky. He managed to 
escape Austria shortly after Hitler came to power there. 

How many of us these days would have the stamina to do what he did? To leave everything behind and walk off into a new and completely uncertain future isn't easy. I'm quite sure that without Hitler, their lives and my own would be completely different. But they had Hitler and we have Trump. Yeah - oh joy. They lived through Hitler, and we will live through whatever comes in our own futures, but again, there are no promises - life isn't easy, and we've been very lucky in this nation until now. 

Just in case you can't read it well, the caption 
of the photo says, "Life holds no promise to what 
will come our way ... it makes no guarantees as to 
what we will have ... it just gives us time to make 
choices and to make chances." 

So today is Friday, and it's Lent, so I'll be having my usual salmon for dinner - YUMMY. I'm not sure what DH is planning for his, but we'll work out the oven time if needed. It can be a bit of a dance when I need the broiler and he needs the oven, but it seems to work out despite our failings - LOL. Isn't that what life is, after all? Life is a dance - we move in circles, stumble and fall at times, but once again join with the music and rhythm of the Universe in our eternal Universal dance. Have an excellent Friday, enjoy the beginning of your new month. I'll be back tomorrow to wrap the week up. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Memories, Plans and History - Happy Birthday Dad

Happy birthday to my Dad, long dead but not forgotten. A good parent is someone who supports you, even when they don't necessarily understand you. Dad was all of that. He was supportive of my efforts and various career goals, even when he didn't understand what in the world I would do with them. He occasionally wanted results the way he wanted them, and I usually failed in that. But no matter what, his love was sure and steady and a great foundation upon which to build my life. I was lucky. 

My parents were amazing people - strong and steadfast 
in their love for each other and for me. I was very lucky, 
I realize now. 

When the Nazis invaded Austria (of course, they didn't actually invade, they were invited in with strewn roses and marching bands), Mom was immediately shipped off to England for her safety, and Dad packed a backpack and started hiking. He ended up hiking across much of Europe before finally finding a ship that would take him to the USA where he landed in New York and started saving money for Mon's passage over to join him. He never talked of this - only in little bits and pieces. I suspect it wasn't quite as easy as two sentences. But what's important is that he got out of Europe and both of them survived. Several of Dad's siblings also survived by pure luck, but Mom's family was almost completely wiped out. She never talked of her family, but I'll be meeting relatives from Dad's family when I go to my family reunion this upcoming August. 

I'll be heading to New York City in mid-August this year 
for my family reunion. This is my Dad's side of the 
family, and I have met only one or two of them over the 
long years. I'm really looking forward to this, even 
though the timing could certainly have been better. 
I was hoping to expand the trip and visit friends on 
the East Coast, but it just won't work out with our 
schedule for closing the store, so I'll have to put that 
off for a later date. 

Today is going to be a bit crazy/busy. It's my "day off", and between my usual errands and hopefully some time in the kitchen, I also have my orthodontic appointment. I usually try to get that first thing in the morning, but the earliest they had available was 10:15 am, so right in the middle of my morning, on a snowy day. Argh! I really could do without the extra errand, but I'm really looking forward to the next progression on my braces. It's been a totally amazing journey so far. 

I should really take a quick update photo today before I 
go back to the orthodontist, because there's been so 
much change. My bottom teeth, from being all 
pushed around and crooked, are now aligned with each 
other beautifully, as are my top. I know there's a long 
time still to come, but the changes have been 
stunning. 

But, first things first. I'll need to shovel the driveway today (probably twice since it won't stop snowing until close to noon) and put the garbage and recycling bins at the curb for pickup. That means this will be a short post, because there's just no time to breathe - at least not until afternoon. Fortunately I have my weekly convo with Aearwen later today, so I'll be able to sit back with a cup of tea and a good friend for an hour late today. 

It Was a Snowy Sunday and Remembering Dad

I hope all of you had a good weekend. My Sunday was rather lazy - lots of Facebook comments with a variety of people throughout the world who are fellow WildFit members, and an episode of "Vera" to end the day. But generally I didn't do much of anything. And that made it rather nice. 

This beautiful picture by Ansel Adams shows trees 
similar to what I was seeing, with the snow painting 
a distinct stripe up the bark on one side only. It's 
rather odd, but stunning in its beauty. 

We were supposed to get 1"-4" of snow throughout the night and until noon. As it turned out, we only got about 1". It was heavy, wet, Spring snow, but didn't take much time at all to get rid of. By the time I headed to our local Chinese restaurant to pick up our dinner order, the snow had melted from the streets completely and was only holding onto the northern sides of all of the trees and evergreen branches. It looked as if someone had come by with whitewash and a spray gun and had hit every tree and branch with a thin strip of white on the northern side only. Beautiful and rather bizarre. 

I remember Dad in odd moments on the spur, sometimes. 
Remembering how much he loved opera, especially 
Wagner. Remembering his love of history and language. 
And always remembering how much he enjoyed the 
act of learning new things. A true scholar. 

Today is the first of March, so my thoughts turn to my Dad, who was born on this date, more than a century ago. He was an extraordinary person - strong in ways he rarely showed, but there was a core of strength to him that allowed him to get out of Austria and Czechoslovakia during WWII and come to the USA with the barest minimum of possessions and money. He finally was able to send for Mom who escaped Vienna the day after Hitler's triumphant drive through the streets of the city. She spent the war as a house servant in London during the Blitz, and in the British countryside. NOT one of her favorite memories. 

Dad typed everything - Masters Thesis and 
Doctoral Dissertation as well as his numerous 
books on a manual Royal typewriter similar 
to this one. He was NOT a touch typist, 
but he managed to get the job done and 
done well. He would spend hours listening 
to opera and typing out his paperwork. 

My Dad was deeply in love with my mother, and determined to provide a good life for her. He managed that beautifully, pushing his own desires down until after he retired. Then he allowed himself the luxury of chasing his own dreams - an advanced education. He earned his BA, then went for his MA with a full scholarship to Denver University (a very elite private college), and finally got his PhD, again with a full scholarship, from CU Boulder. He then taught at CU for several years, and wrote several books before he died, a fulfilled man. 

One of Dad's books was this German 
grammar book, sized to carry along with 
you on a trip. He also wrote several books 
teaching German, and a another German 
Grammar book that is still considered 
one of the best. 

There are times when I miss him very much, although I can still see him and hear him in my thoughts and dreams. So here's to you, Dad. Happy Birthday. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have an excellent Monday and please, be kind, stay safe and wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Sunday, B2MeM and Thoughts of Dad

It was a lazy Sunday, which I really needed. I did get some beading done on my Owl Project, but not as much as I had wanted. I'm into the final two rows of the main body and it needs to be right. I did a full run across the bottom, then decided I didn't like how it was laying, so went back and pulled out three inched on each side. I like it more, now. The next step is the fancy drops, and those have to be perfect - they catch the eye and they make the piece work. I've had the components on my desk for a few days now and I'm still undecided about them. So, *sigh*, I didn't get as much done as I had wanted. 

There's something to be said for the occasional lazy day. This
was rather like my Sunday, but without the pool or the
drinks (still on antibiotics and didn't want to mix liquor
and medicines). 

We also took it easy for dinner, getting Chinese from our nearby favorite Chinese restaurant. It's always yummy, and it gives me three days of meals, but it's a bit higher in calories and sodium than I should probably indulge in. However, we don't do it often. There was a time when we had Chinese every weekend. We're not quite that crazy these days, but their food is so good, it's tempting. 

My favorite meal is Kung Pao Chicken, extra
spicy. Hubby prefers General Tso's Chicken, also
extra spicy. Our local restaurant gets the spice
just perfectly, and with the portion sizes they
have, we have enough to carryover several
more meals. 

B2MeM has started, the final year for the project. I have things perched at the back of my head. I'm unsure if they will be put to keyboard and cyberpost, but probably some of them will. Will I do all 31 days in March? That, I doubt. I have had several years of B2MeM when I have written a story each day, but most of the years, I only wrote a few. My month is rather packed, so I'm not sure how many I'll end up posting, but I'm sure I'll do some. I have always enjoyed it and am sorry to see it end. 

I love the large variety of banners and userpics designed for this
year's B2MeM, but I especially loved this one. So beautiful
and evocative. 

My thoughts turned to my father, yesterday, on the anniversary of his birth. He lived and died within a single century, never seeing the years turn from one century to another. He lived a full life, filled with a lot of accomplishments and joy, but it wasn't an easy life and there was plenty of fear and sorrow to balance out the love and kindness. He was a refugee, as was my mother. I wonder if he would be allowed into the USA these days? We're becoming insular and rather unwelcoming. 

That's it for today, though. I'm heading out to the gym, and might see about writing a quick item for one or the other of the prompts for B2MeM. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Achieving a Dream - My Dad's Story

And we're off and running, and of course, adding a check at LJ for my daily Bingo prompt is something I'll probably have to work into time at the shop. No time in the mornings here with just slightly over an hour from wake-up to bundle up. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how writing can fold into my life again, because working on my art requires space I don't have until the BIG CLEAN is finally finished. 

It can be really hard to achieve a goal, but if it is something
that you really want, you'll find a way. 

Goals - they can be difficult to set, and almost impossible to achieve, but sometimes goals can be met years later in different places and times. My Dad was a perfect example of this. He wanted a higher education - wanted to go to college (it was called University in Europe, but same idea - higher education). It never happened for him. War, poverty and other parts of life got in the way. It was a dream never realized and a goal never met. 

A goal can look at if it's so far away you'll never reach it.
Sometimes that's just perspective, however, The goal
can be closer than you think. 

After escaping Europe and setting up a new life in America, he had to work to support his family. He was seriously ill for a long time, and while in and out of the hospital, was taught a trade. He became a bookkeeper, a type of non-certified accountant, doing the monthly account books for small businesses throughout the metro area, but without the higher education mandated by being an accountant. He made a good living at it. He walked the streets, cold-called thousands of businesses, and set up great word-of-mouth clients, enough to hire several other people to work for him over time. 

All goals start with baby steps and each step builds on
prior ones. There's no time clock for personal
goals, just the feeling of happiness you get
when you succeed at each stage. 

His dreams were on a very cold and dusty back burner. Finally he was able to retire. He had saved enough money to support him and Mom, and they would be OK through their last decades. He looked at his long-stored dream again, and enrolled in college. This was one year before I enrolled in college, so it was a bit annoying having competition in my own household. He loved education, dove into the deep end and never looked back. 

CU is nestled into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It's a
beautiful campus. I attended college up the road at Colorado State
University, Dad had a scholarship to CU. Since he didn't
drive during all of these educational years, he took the bus
everywhere - a long trip to and fro. 

His Bachelor's degree led to a scholarship for his Master's. His Master's degree led to a scholarship for his PhD, and his PhD led to several books and a teaching gig at the University of Colorado, Boulder campus. In all that time, every grade he made was an A. He was doing what he loved. When he died, he was finishing up another book, which was taken up and completed by a colleague at CU. 

Happy birthday to my Dad. Long gone, never forgotten. 

Yes, dreams can come true. Even dreams held tightly for decades. Happy birthday, Dad. I miss you. 

Have a great Friday, dive into B2MeM - I'll be checking in on that shortly - and I'll return tomorrow. Of course, since we had a day off from snow yesterday, we're supposed to get 2"-6" today. *sigh* No rest for the wicked or the good this winter season. 

Remembering Mom and Dad

If my mother was still alive, today would be her 101st birthday. So my thoughts have to turn to her and other mothers I've known in my life. They spent their lives furthering their households and their families and, in the time that I was raised, rarely indulged themselves in tasks of their own choosing. Thank goodness times have changed and women can explore things of personal interest and indulge in activities that bring them personal satisfaction instead of just being a household accessory.

Mom around age 40.

Was my Mom a household accessory? I'm really unsure about that. My Mom was a craftsperson, an artist and designer whose influence was felt in every home in which we lived. My Father practically worshipped her and did everything for her until he was finally able to begin fulfilling dreams of his own. Both of my parents were quite independent and seemed to work well as a pair but also extremely well as singles. Mom was never dependent on Dad, nor was Dad dependent upon her. It was a good partnership.

Dad was an author of textbooks on learning German.

So as I dive into a very busy week with a morning of errands before I open the store today, I take a couple of minutes of time to reflect upon my parents. All in all they were pretty fabulous people.

Feeling My Age...

I usually don't feel my age, in fact, I usually ignore my age unless it is of benefit to me. So I will occasionally take advantage of a senior discount, but usually prefer to act the age that I feel instead of what the calender tells me. Unfortunately, after shoveling wet and heavy snow for more than two hours yesterday, I'm feeling my age *sigh*. Oh well, it could have been much worse. We only got some snow, other parts of the nation got deadly tornadoes.

March first was the date that my father was born, more than 100 years ago. Of course this date always sends me back in my memories. My father taught me many things. Strength, perseverence, patience. He experienced many difficult things in his life, but finally, after he retired, he was able to pursue the goal he had always wanted - an advanced education. He started going to college and got his BA, his MA and then his PdD. He wrote textbooks and he taught at Colorado University in Boulder, CO for several years. I know they were the best and happiest years of his life. He died after a brave battle against kidney cancer more than twenty years ago. I miss him but am very grateful that I had him in my life.

B2ME begins today. One year ago I began writing - something that I find I'm enjoying a great deal. My writing had led to my doing more graphic art, they are hand in glove. So I'm allowing my creativity to exist, and I'm very grateful for that. Of course, my house is screaming for a good cleaning. Hmmm....but I have stories to write. The vaccuuming can wait.

Catch-Up Again - Thinking Ahead

Of course I didn't get everything on my Wednesday list accomplished....but I rarely do. My Father, in his wisdom, believed that learning at least one new thing each day would keep the brain sharp and extend his life. He died in his late 80's and his brain was just fine, so maybe he had something going there. My life seems to operate more on the order of "always play catch-up". Always have more things to do than time to do them. Always have at least one project in the wings that you would like to do. If you have that, you will never have artistic block because you'll always be one project behind.

I was able to accomplish some repairs that had been pending. This is a good thing because repairs are flow-through. They are one of the few things that I actually get personal money from. So I will phone these two people today and when they pick up their items, I'll get a few dollars to put towards my travel fund cash jar for my summer workshops. If I don't start saving for summer now, I'll have no spare cash for something that strikes my fancy or for a nice dinner with friends. Thinking ahead....that's the key :-)

Opera Anyone?

I was raised in an artistic home. My mother, who I spoke about earlier in this blog, was very artistic. My father was into music and theatre. His true love was opera. Although he was a Wagner and Mozart fanatic, I think he would have enjoyed the latest marketing campaign from the Deutsche Opera Berlin promoting their 2008-2009 season. Using the basic premise of making opera exciting for the "common" man, they hired German supermodel Nadja Auermann to pose for the central characters in the four operas of the season. Here's what they came up with.

Carmen - I remember my aunt telling me about Carmen when I was quite young. She went through the death of Carmen and taught me about how the prop knife folded the blade into the handle so that it appeared to disappear into her body. Such are the things that eight-year-olds remember - LOL.

Helen - The title character of Helen of Troy in the opera The Egyptian Helen. I haven't heard this opera, but it's been performed for quite a while so it should be a nice draw. I'm not sure about the helmet, but I adore the vessels at her feet and her gown.

Venus - Well, although Tannhauser wasn't one of Dad's favorite Wagner operas (he was a fan of the Ring cycle and the Flying Dutchman), he still had the album and the libretto and listened to it on occasion. And who wouldn't want to with someone that attractive hiding among the vegetation?

Turandot - Puccini is one of the quintessinal operatic composers and Turandot is quite well known. It seems to me, looking over the list, that the Berlin Opera has a nice line-up for the 2008-09 season. Wish I was closer (and had a bit more money). I'd try and get some tickets. Unfortunately, I suspect that the actual singers won't look as good as Nadja :-))