Kokai Meister Adventures

Saturday, January 8, 2011

2010.12 - Xmas Riddles to solve

The bells were hung up outside ...

... the candles lit inside ...

... the little tree was decorated ...

... and the kids got ready to solve this year's Xmas Riddles ...

... in order to find out WHAT their presents were and WHERE they could be.

DANIEL - Sleeping Slippers & the Books "Hero.com"

1. When you feel so cold & you think you'll freeze, Don't worry little son.
This gift will keep you nice and warm, just like the summer sun.

2. Is it for your head ? Oh no! A scarf ? A hat ? Maybe a coat ?
To get closer to this answer, considering your feet isn’t a bad thought.

3. Nighttime is a clue you’ll find also very helpful,
The present you’re gonna wear is for bed, your feet will be very thankful.

4. The pair you get won’t come alone, you’ll also have something for your head,
Bad guys, good guys fight a lot, you know where ? In Internet.

5. A computer won’t be needed, to get into their world,

While you nicely curl up in bed, pages will be turned.

6. Where could all these things be ? You want them ? I can tell you do.

Go ahead and check the beds. Oh, check your cuddly toys too.

JULIA - SAND FRAMES

1. I know you wished for a calendar but that wouldn't be a surprise,
so your Mom got me instead, although I took her longer to find

2. The dream color of your new room will match me very well,
Yellow, brown, orange, black - like desert, dunes & beaches with strong white swells ...

3. In case you haven't got it yet, the key word is sand,
Although this time I'm not to touch but to watch - without end.

4. I'm kept together tight with a framework of some kind,
I can still move around though,
so come on, please don't mind.

5. Meeting you will be, a grand soul-shaking time,
I'm pretty sure I'll feel dizzy to the last grain of mine.

6. But before that should happen, I really need to make sure,
That I've found a nice towel where I can relax and cure.

ANN MARIE - Flying Stick

1. To see the truth is not so easy, Those who know it guard it well,
They go to school & take an oath, not to tell but to entertain.

2. With this thing you become the one who makes people wonder,
How on earth can this be done ? To have more fun, just make them wait longer.

3. Magic is the word you need, some objects and a stick,
I nice long spell would surely not hurt when you carry out a trick.

4. Where is this box you need, to put your wand to use ?
Kitchen, bathroom, shelves or floor, the place is hard to choose.

5. It's not the cellar or the floor even with the ground,
Up the stairs, up you go, your present wants to be found.

6. The last clue I can give you, in case you still search high and low,
Is a big brown four-legged animal which has no proble with snow.

NORBERT - Shuyao Tea-Maker

1. Staying young, healthy & stong - possibly very very long,
Well - with this little fellow it will be easy to get what you want.

2. It is health that is real wealth & not pieces of gold & silver,
a lot of hot water you need to sit down & pleasantly linger.

3. By now you must have figured out, it's a drink you're gonna get,
But really it's the system what's so special about this tea-maker you get

4. "Shuyao" is to be looked for, research can be done,
Sit down, do your work & the mistery will be gone.

5. Your tea-to-go-cup is patiently waiting in the cupboard on a shelf.

If you open up the right door it will lighten up your face.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

2010.12 - Project House - December

There is a lot to shovel these days -

enough for two men - now that we have to do it in front of our current rented home and our home-to-be own house.

____________________________________________________

A lot of things are happening in and around the new house :

... the big window of the hallway is being changed... five flat glass elements will be used...

... the nice old glass facade was condemned by every specialist I asked due to its poor heat preserving, isolating qualities.

After many attempts I gave up and let myself convinced that we should have a more energy efficient solution.

____________________________________________________

The living room - dining room - kitchen area opened up into one.

Dining & living room will be fitted with floor-to-ceiling glass doors to the garden.

____________________________________________________

The bathroom also gets a floor-to-ceiling window to let in more light. The room will get bigger because we take out the tub for good.

____________________________________________________

Another wall is gone - this is going to be the master bedroom.
Too big but the two separate rooms would have been too small on their own. We could only take out the wall without roof supporting function.

____________________________________________________

The front door will be replaced with something like this :

____________________________________________________

And the staircase will go one story higher to the attic by adding a dormer window. The attic is to become a studio - office - guest room.

____________________________________________________

The cellar will be remodelled too.
The laundry/heating room will be extended with a hightech communication center.

The storage rooms will be replaced by a hobby room and a sauna/wellness area.

____________________________________________________

We are lucky that the front and back gardens kept so well.
There is not much to do with them except for blocking the view a little more from the neigbors.

The balcony will be modernized and the terrace area made longer to reach from the living room to the dining area.

Those changes will be the last to come.

2010.12. - Snow Time

December turned us into an arctic landscape.
This is the top of Feldberg - 500meters lower the towns look the same - white, clean, quiet.

Our Thursday trekking tours got slower and more difficult in deep snow off the track - but also more enjoyable.

Walking with torches through the forest at night - two friends who decided to try it out with me.

I found it less exciting than expected. Was surprised to discover how much you blind yourself with your own torch's light.

Nevertheless, we rewarded ourselves after an hour hike with a delicious pre-Xmas meal at the Crown of India.

Every December day brought more snow. And blue sky in between.
Parked the car at the top of our steep street.

Some of the birds decided to get into the birds' house rather than eating the seeds from outside.

Annie is playing - wait, no - working with the snow.