So well said, I needed this read this morning, thank you! For you my American friends & believers. For the world. 

“Dear Kamala,

thank you very much for giving us hope.

Hope for freedom and justice.  Hope for a country based on immigration to be open for everyone, no matter about race, religion and sexuality. Hope for the land of the free. Hope for equal rights for woman, and hope for planet earth.

All over the world we realize that things don’t turn the way we hope.

People are people. And people are afraid. Afraid of losing control, afraid of the war, afraid of foreigners, afraid of the rise of technology, afraid of artificial intelligence, afraid of the rain and the waves, many are so afraid that they lost their hope.

This is one reason why the rise of politicians who reflect on the ideas of the past gets more votes. There is no difference with the unbelievable massive return in germany of far right or the return of the worst in the States.

There is no reason to give up. We will believe in the signals of hope you send us all the way. Your believe in empathy and humanity. Your believe in Soul and the Music of Motown, and your friendship with Quincy.

There are billions of people on our planet that trusts in the future and believe in the good. That will find the right balance with nature and the interplay with humans in a pieceful global village.   

We need people like you. People that make a difference.

A deep respect for your humble kindness and the believe in laughing.

Even right now. I know the election is not a joke. But we will stay happy and strong.

Thank You, again.” 

Author Stefan Weil

Hugs & kisses from Europe 🇪🇺 You performed fantastic. Strength. Energy & Joy.  Rock on 🤙  

The work needs to continue! Now more than ever!

From foggy Germany… (it was ~9C degrees back home). 

…to sunny Gran Canaria. 

Using up leftover vacation days. One week of no make up (but red finger nails), no shoes other than flip flops, and no responsibilities. 26C degrees in November. Wohooooo ☀️

Gran Canaria, the relatively small island has it all: beautiful beaches and desert dunes in the south, impressive volcanic mountains, winding roads and lush greenery including cactus and banana in the center and wild coasts in the north.

Gran Canaria is an island of contrasts. Technically Europe, but really Africa. How can you not be amazed?

1000 acres of golden sand blown in from the Sahara, and looking like something straight out of a movie.

Tapas, fresh fish, sardines, jambon… hmmmmm. Cannot get enough. And some things just never change: I still don’t like Sangria 🍷

 I loved my little solo trip. Batteries are recharged for the last couple of weeks in this year. 

Colored leaves, mushrooms, pumpkin soup, foggy mornings, a cup of tea, a cosy fireplace, windy days, apple cake, hiking, fall colors, cardigans, blankets, netflix… 

And the best: no more mosquitoes ♥️

Nobody likes a spiced latte… who cares 👻

And the best is just to come: HaPpY HaLlOwEeN 👻 

A weekend in my home country, the almost most northern point of Frankonia in Bavaria: The Rhön.

A Rhön rally with daddy. He knows it all: the way, the interesting points to stop at. No navigation needed, we got him. So much history to be talked about, to be remembered. More than ever. 

We started in the East and ended in the west: Thüringer Rhön, Hessische Rhön, Bayrische Rhön. 

Rennsteig & Oberhof: it’s all about Biathlon and Ski Jump. 

I grew up very close to the wall and border between west and east Germany. I was just too young to remember it all. 

Rolling on to the famous Wasserkuppe in Hessen.

Last stop: Kloster Kreuzberg.

Since we haven’t had enough meat yet…

Let’s visit the local „Wurstmarkt“ / Rhöner sausage market. It’s pretty much all about sausages 😅

It was a very protein focused weekend. Besides another favorite, „Gerupfter“ (cheese) & a home made apple tart:

Sunday shopping result:

My home country is beautiful & delicious ♥️ we had a fabulous weekend. Thanks, daddy! 

A long weekend in Hamburg. Sunshiny days with lots of blue sky. Can you wish for more? 

We are here to celebrate this gorgeous lady. 

One of the highlights of this trip: the kitchen party, her birthday gift and I was her +1 ♥️

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a party! Fantastic food. Fantastic drinks including dangerous bar sittings and flying cocktail cups! Surrounded in great company and all night party! Thanks for taking me as your +1 ♥️ (surprisingly absolutely no hangover the next morning🥂)

I could sit for hours right here at the port watching the ships go by… and the people… drink a beer or two… eating fish in a roll… 

Walking endless miles between Alster & Elbe. 

After an average 13km city walk every day… we had a very relaxing and wonderful facial at Weleda. 

St. Pauli, Reeperbahn, Schanzenviertel, Landungsbrücken, Jungfernstieg, Binnenalster, Elfi, Miniatur Museum including a VR show – wow, wow, wow! We had a blast! 

Hamburg is a world city: we managed to travel from here to the USA, to Italy, Sweden, Portugal, a quick stop in Rio and back to Hamburg. All within a couple of hours…

That’s Hamburg! That’s the miniature museum. We also got shrunk in a virtual reality show. Soooo much fun!!! And guess who won?

Hamburg, we had a blast!

Hamburg, meine Perle ♥️

And so it became fall. Too early. Unexpected. Hot & cold, a bit of rain and now fantastic 23C degrees with lots of sunshine the last days. 

And me? In bed. Down with the newest COVID variant XEC or “the German variant” (is that why hubby doesn’t get it? lol). 

Yes, I was surprised, too! Covid, who? Covid is back or it was never gone… the virus keeps mutating. 

My last COVID infection 2 years ago… nothing has changed since: down within hours. Trying to find those masks again. And COVID tests – all outdated. Work plans & events – cancelled. Weekend plans – cancelled. Instead: sleeping, sleeping and more sleeping. Paracetamol & orange juice. Series marathon & many cups of tea. Getting better… day by day 😷

Thanks hubby, for taking care of me ♥️

Stay healthy! 

Octoberfest in Munich is “o’zapft”. While Munich and its guests are already enjoying the beer… we are making sure to have the right ingredients for our future beer: bio hops from our garden 😁

The weather is beautiful. The hops are “crunchy”, and that means ready for harvest. Hubby in his element: 

Later, hops will be dried, vacuumed & frozen until ready for use.

Expect those 300 grams: freshly harvested and made into fresh beer today. 

Brewing in process with fresh hops —> it’s going to be a “Fresh Red Ale” (usually hops are dried and frozen to keep them good). 

Anybody interested in tasting? Be patient… ready in about 3 weeks… 🍻

Cheers! 

Do you know the real reason why dogs like to sunbathe?

Of course, they love the extra warmth on the body, but it also has some hidden benefits like: Vitamin D Production!

Did you know that Vitamin D3 stays on their fur and gets consumed when they lick and groom themselves?

The sun also helps with:

•   Mood Boost
•   Muscle / Joint Pain Relief
•   Skin & Coat Health
•   Sleep Regulation

Sunlight has natural healing and healthy properties for dogs as well as for humans. Enjoy the sunshine! 

Who does not remember the World Trade Center attack on 9/11 in 2021?

I still remember what I have been doing that day, that minute, when it happened #wewillneverforget 🇺🇸 

A beautiful memory of the years before: 

The restaurant „Windows on the World“ was located on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center North Tower.

It was considered one of the best restaurants in New York City and in its final year of operation, was the highest grossing fine dining establishment in the United States. The staff was known for speaking more than 60 different languages and referred to themselves as the U.N. of restaurants.

In 1976, New York magazine ran a cover story called, “The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World,” in which restaurant critic Gael Greene wrote the following:

“Every view is brand-new? a miracle. In the Statue of Liberty Lounge, the harbor’s heroic blue sweep makes you feel like the ruler of some extraordinary universe. All the bridges of Brooklyn and Queens and Staten Island stretch across the restaurant’s promenade. Even New Jersey looks good from here. Down below are all of Manhattan and helicopters and clouds. Everything to hate and fear is invisible. Pollution is but a cloud. A fire raging below Washington Square is a dream, silent, almost unreal, though you can see the arc of water licking flame. Default is a silly nightmare. There is no doggy doo. Garbage is an illusion.”

On 9/11, 79 employees of the restaurant „Windows on the World“ lost their lives. It is believed that the photo of the “Falling Man” was one of the workers at the restaurant based on his uniform.

We Will Never Forget! 🙏🏻🇺🇸

„HEY BOOBS“, POWERTALK, „Clitorias Secret“… it’s all about girls & women today in Stuttgart: the first and only BitchFest! 

We are ready 💪🏻

„Die weibliche Form von Hund oder doch als Synonym für Miststück oder Schlampe, ein seit Jahrhunderten bestehende Beleidigung für Frauen? Auf der Suche nach einer Definition für „Bitch” sind sich Wikipedia, Urban Dictionary und Co. mehr oder weniger einig: die Konnotation ist meist negativ und mit sexistischen Stereotypen behaftet.

Ihre ganz eigene Definition des Begriffs hat die Stuttgarter Unternehmerin und Gründerin Jennifer Reaves: „Die Bitch ist für mich eine starke, selbstbewusste Frau, die sich traut, etwas einzufordern. Auch auf die Gefahr hin, anzuecken oder mal einen schrägen Blick zu kassieren”, erklärt sie.

Mit der ersten Edition ihres Bitch Fests launcht die ehemalige Geschäftsführerin der Designmesse Blickfang ein Festival, das Themen wie Zyklusgesundheit, finanzielle Unabhängigkeit und Selbstakzeptanz in den Fokus rückt. Ein Programm aus Workshops, Talks mit Speakerinnen wie der Sex- und Beziehungsexpertin Paula Lambert, Pop-up-Stores und Konzerten soll eine Plattform für Frauen und Mädchen bieten, die sich austauschen und connecten wollen.

Reaves eigener Weg in die Position der Chief Bitch gestaltete sich holprig: Infolge der pandemiebedingten Probleme in der Veranstaltungsbranche und Herausforderungen in ihrem Privatleben durchlebte die 44-Jährige einen Burnout, der ihr vergegenwärtigte, für welchen Zweck sie wirklich brennt: Frauen in ihrem Selbstvertrauen in allen Lebensbereichen zu bestärken. „Ich habe in Gesprächen mit vielen Frauen bemerkt, dass es uns immer noch schwerfällt, über unsere Bedürfnisse zu sprechen und diese auch einzufordern”, erzählt Reaves.

Die gegenwärtige Landschaft an Festivals, Kongressen und Plattformen, die sich für die Förderung von Frauen, Gleichberechtigung und Austauschmöglichkeiten einsetzen, seien außerdem stark von der sozialen Blase der Gründerinnen und Unternehmerinnen dominiert. „Ich habe den Eindruck, dass man sich Female Empowerment in Deutschland erst verdienen muss”, erklärt Reaves. „Diese Plattformen kommen häufig sehr erfolgs- und leistungsorientiert daher, womit sich viele Frauen einfach nicht identifizieren können.”

Mit ihrer hybriden Medienmarke BitchFest denkt Reaves aber schon weit über die Grenzen des Festivalformats hinaus: Ob Events in weiteren Städten, die Vision eines Podcasts und Magazins oder der Aufbau einer bestehenden Community – an Inspiration und Ideen mangelt es der Gründerin jedenfalls nicht. „Ich möchte eigentlich als Chief Bitch des Landes durch die Welt reisen und meine Message herausschreien, egal über welchen Kanal”, erzählt Reaves lachend.“

-Sita Rumpel-

We had a blast! Of course it was all over the top, and that was the fun part of it. Seeing so many young and older women on stage as well as off stage yesterday was very wow. Very cool. Very inspiring! Be what you want to be! Let’s go, girls! We are awesome!

💃 💃 💃