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A German Country Wedding

7/24/2016

45 Comments

 
Every wedding is special for the ones involved and etched into our memory forever. This was a special one for me because it involved my niece, who has been like a daughter to me from the day she was born. Since I was unable to have children of my own, her birth was the only one I was able to participate in. My son was six years old when I adopted him.
German Country Wedding
Photo von Anna Clement
German Country wedding
Photo von Anna Clement
After living with her boyfriend for seven years, my niece toyed with the idea of getting married in a chapel in Las Vegas, but no papers were ever filed. Then last year, they had a sweet spiritual commitment ceremony on the French Atlantic coast while camping with some friends, her brother and his family. This year, they finally decided to do the real thing with a church wedding  at our family farm in Germany on a Friday, followed by a huge summer party Saturday with more people and more friends. It was definitely an event that my niece had planned for months which took an enormous amount of effort. First, it was going to be a small wedding with family and some friends, followed by the annual summer party that my nephew, niece and friends have every year. As time went on, things got bigger and bigger like weddings often do.
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My brother giving his speech
After everything was said and done, it was the most genuine and sweetest weddings I have ever been to (of course I am biased). When I saw my niece dancing with her friends on the stage very late at night, I knew that she was happy.
A German Country Wedding
A German Country Wedding
Literally, it took a village, complete with friends and family to make it all happen, but she made all the decisions. A huge tent was rented in case of rain. And it did. Two smaller tents were put up. A stage and a large play area was built for the children. Most of the work was done by friends who arrived days ahead and camped on the property or slept in the emptied-out garden shacks. My son arrived early with my niece and about 12 friends. These guys worked tirelessly until the moment they left. My niece’s best friend, Corinna, was amazing—she cooked for all the people and was the best personal assistant I have ever seen. Dominik , the best man, was working very hard in the yard and making sure that the groom had a helping hand. Guest came from Austria, Colombia, Venezuela, Nepal, and let's not forget California. 
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A german country wedding
a country wedding
a country wedding
country living
A country wedding
preparing for a wedding
a country wedding
german country wedding
We old folks decided to stay in a hotel in a nearby small town. The groom’s mother transported some beautiful but very fragile wildflowers from home. The woman in the neighboring village made a huge wedding wreath. It is tradition in this village to make one for every wedding. What a wonderful local custom. My niece wanted to be married there rather than in her home village two kilometers away. 
In the truest sense, it was a dramatic event. Mother Nature added a violent thunderstorm a half  hour before the wedding. The boys had to get undressed and rescue one of the tents. The decorations from the stage flew all over the farm. Getting to the church was a task not easily done, due to high wind and rain. The church bells rang for awhile. But all was forgotten as my my niece and the groom walked together down the aisle lead by the pastor, which was something they had decided ahead of time. They had lived together for seven years and had been separated by my niece's internship in Melbourne, Australia for a year. And a life-threatening illness had brought them even closer. There were tears of happiness flowing in the little church.

Wedding planer
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wedding
A country wedding in Germany
The thunderstorm was over after the church and all was well. Some farmers decorated a trailer to transport the couple back to the farm.  Some other guests were in a second trailer pulled by a tractor. I loved it.
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This was a trailer with a tractor behind that drove the newlyweds home from the church
A german wedding
The second trailer
a german wedding
On the way home
The reception party following the ceremony was fun and we danced way into the night. Everybody had fun.
a german country wedding
The next day, the annual summer party took place. It was a potluck event so people brought salads and my brother's friend barbecued sausages and meat. Unfortunately, it rained, so everything took place in the tents. The following day everybody helped clean up and 
the wedding weekend was over. Weddings in Germany are as different as they are here in the States—from very formal to a small gathering at the justice of peace.
​ I used my own photos except for the the first two. I will add or replace some photos later.
a happy wedding
I ask the bride and the groom to choose their  favorite food from my blog for this post. The bride likes my duck confit quesadillas and the groom my chocolate tart.  
chocolate tart
Duck Confit Quesadillas, click on the picture for the recipe
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Chocolate Tart, click on the picture for the recipe
45 Comments

My Mom

1/19/2015

26 Comments

 
Behrensen, Germany
Behrensen, my village in December 2014
My mom passed away on Christmas Eve, peacefully surrounded by her family in Germany (I was on my way).  She had fallen the day before on December 23 and broke her hip. There was talk of operating, but a day later my mom (and her body) decided that it was time to go. She would have been 92 in January; we all miss her.

She was one of the fortunate Germans of her generation who lived in the same place all her life. Her family, especially her children, were the most important part of her life. My brother and I were raised with love, always knowing that we could return home at any time. Home was a large farm in a small village in the middle of Germany. My mom was an intelligent and strong woman with a keen sense of justice that was remarkable. She was well loved and respected by the people around her. She was an environmentalist long before it became fashionable — no water, electricity or any other resource was ever wasted.  She formed an especially strong bond with my niece, who both loved each other very much. There are so many  stories and anecdotes to tell and I hope to write them all down eventually. I just returned from Germany this week, and have to adjust to my new life without my daily calls and frequent visits to see her. I already miss her presence in my life very much.
Mom
This picture of my mom was taken was taken a year ago.
I would like to thank all my blogger friends for the comforting words I received. 
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When I was in Germany, we watched an old film of my brother’s wedding.  It was soothing to see all of us decades ago when we were younger.  Part of the wedding menu was a wedding soup (Hochzeitssuppe).  My German family loves it, so the next day I made the soup for them. It was nourishing and well liked, and I promise I will post the recipe.  In the meantime, I needed a nourishing soup that was easy to make and healthy.  My Creamy Vegetable Soup with Bay Shrimp fits the bill. The celeriac root adds so much richness that you don’t really need cream. I added some low-fat milk, but even that is not necessary. Thank you again for all your  support and love you sent my way. 
26 Comments
    Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  It means a lot to me and I would love to hear from you .
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