This year's Christmas tree

Happy holidays to everyone! :)

A quick study update

So...

I'm studying for my "World literature" exam I have next Tuesday. The thing is that study materials are extensive and so much reading and no exercises (like in syntax, for example) bores me immensly. And what happens? I remember all the stupid things instead of the essence of the subject I'm studying. For example:

• Seneca was a Roman philosopher and dramatist. Roman emperor Nero accused him of "I-don't-know-what" and he was sentenced with a suicide. He was forced to kill himself! How's that possible? Can you imagine something like that? In further reading I realized this was Nero's speciality so ... nothing unusual I guess.
  
  
• A funny thing to me is how literary historians and theorist describe authors. They always tell what his / her father's occupation was. How is that relevant? Ok it's relevant a bit in the case of Flaubert, for example. He practically lived in a hospital because his father was a doctor and that reflected in his works. But come on.. John Keats' father had a rent-a-horse /carriage company. How is that relevant?
  
  
• ... and other irrellevant information. How many times they were married, which one was gay, what school they didn't finish (it's usually like that with writers, yeah ..) and what stuff they used to get high. William Blake's father voted for oppositionist liberals. ??? Nice one. :)
  
  
• One of the funniest facts today was that pre-romanticism didn't really exist. French intellectuals made it up because Germans already had romanticism and they just couldn't afford to have the same thing in France. Not appropriate. :P

Yeah.. something like that. Now I probably have to focus on the relevant things.
Maybe tomorrow, I need some sleep now to think it all over :)

Poppy

More Amaryllis pics

I just have to share! Click to enlarge. :)







And some "blooms-to-be":

Poppy :)

The Bloom

I defenitely don't have green fingers. I am not talented for gardening at all. The only type of plants that I am able to take care fore are those green plants that only need water from time to time, that are not offended when I forget to water them and are definitely not sensitive. No wonder my beautiful Orchid died. :(

That's why I'm surprised by my lovely amaryllis! I Bought a bulb and had no idea what I bought. Fortunately the lady at that store told me this is a huge plant and it also needs a huge pot, otherwise I'd probably kill it. The pot she gave me was at least five times bigger that the one I intended to buy. Oops! :) So ... I planted it, and something green came out of the bulb. Succes! :)

At first I had to help it with a little bit of support:



... and it actually grew!

.. and then... it actually bloomed! And it bloomed beautifully. :)

I absolutely hate this weekend because of all the s**t that's going on but this beautiful bloom made my day. A green finger succes! Can't believe it. :P I have to try my luck with Poinsettias - the Christmas stars now. :)

Poppy

This year's Christmas cards

It's that time of the year again. :) I'm just in the right mood for calming down and getting into the holiday mood but I still have a test, an exam and several lesson observations at school. However, I still found time for Christmas cards. I always make my Christmas cards myself. I like them to look home made - they just look more genuine to me. :) This year I chose red + colorful. :) So these are some (not very good) photos of this year's cards. Maybe some of you will get one of these. ;)

Happy holidays to all of you :)

Poppy

St. Andrea fair

Despite my swollen face (wisdom tooth surgery) I HAD to go to St. Andrea fair in Italy. It's 15 minutes away by car and represents the beginning of christmas spirit together with the St. Nicholas's presents on December 6. And what is it all about?
CANDY!!!

I would love to have some but my jaws are not ready for chewing just jet. :) But that stick of roasted almond torrone St. Nicholas brought will wait for me. :)

Poppy

Surgery

Wisdom tooth surgery in an hour, wish me luck! :S