I saw my paternal Oma a few times a year during my teens, but none of the other three grandparents. My mother was the great baker in our family, especially at Christmas time, like your Oma.
My Oma was a tough, hard, very German lady. She didn’t have the easiest life - my grandparents came here with my dad in 1939, and it was pretty hard to be German here during the war. She was Rh negative and lost all her pregnancies after my dad, and her sister was killed right after the war, which I think she never got over. Her family was in Freiburg, and there were some awfully lean years after the war, while she was here, safe, and feeling guilty.
All that being said, I’ve tried to keep those traditions alive, so I bake Linzertorte, haselnussmakronen, leckerli, and lebkuchen from her recipes (a complete mess of German and English, metric and imperial all mixed up but I treasure them) at Christmas.
Yet another reason I dig you two, Roland and Kathy!! 🇩🇪
While I don’t have your German heritage, I lived in Germany for a a couple of stints after high school, passed the govt fluency exam even!
When I was growing up, my grandmother taught English to spouses of German service folk. She decided our family would “adopt” one of the German families, after she grew instantly close with one of her students, my “German mother.” A young, eager student of languages, I glommed on to this family fiercely. They started “telling” me I would come live with them after graduation. So, the summer before college, I did just that. What a magical, immersive time spent in Bavaria! My senior year, I went back and stayed with them (this time, outside of Köln) while studying the Cologne Cathedral. Some of my best memories involve the language and the country.
I miss those daily, afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen times!
I love this story! It’s so wonderful that you were able to do this. My German is pretty bad. My grandparents worked hard to assimilate, and didn’t speak it around us all that often. My Italian is much better! Sometimes I think I’d like to live in Vienna - it seems a perfect mix of German and Italian culture, plus afternoon coffee and cake!
I substituted “Linzertorte“ for marshmallow fluff, my original thought. My mother loved Linzertorte too, so it’s an homage to her.
It's my homage to my Oma. She was a great baker, especially at Christmas time.
I saw my paternal Oma a few times a year during my teens, but none of the other three grandparents. My mother was the great baker in our family, especially at Christmas time, like your Oma.
My Oma was a tough, hard, very German lady. She didn’t have the easiest life - my grandparents came here with my dad in 1939, and it was pretty hard to be German here during the war. She was Rh negative and lost all her pregnancies after my dad, and her sister was killed right after the war, which I think she never got over. Her family was in Freiburg, and there were some awfully lean years after the war, while she was here, safe, and feeling guilty.
All that being said, I’ve tried to keep those traditions alive, so I bake Linzertorte, haselnussmakronen, leckerli, and lebkuchen from her recipes (a complete mess of German and English, metric and imperial all mixed up but I treasure them) at Christmas.
Yet another reason I dig you two, Roland and Kathy!! 🇩🇪
While I don’t have your German heritage, I lived in Germany for a a couple of stints after high school, passed the govt fluency exam even!
When I was growing up, my grandmother taught English to spouses of German service folk. She decided our family would “adopt” one of the German families, after she grew instantly close with one of her students, my “German mother.” A young, eager student of languages, I glommed on to this family fiercely. They started “telling” me I would come live with them after graduation. So, the summer before college, I did just that. What a magical, immersive time spent in Bavaria! My senior year, I went back and stayed with them (this time, outside of Köln) while studying the Cologne Cathedral. Some of my best memories involve the language and the country.
I miss those daily, afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen times!
Ashley, when all this Covid stuff is behind us, we have GOT to find a way to meet! I feel so connected to you.
Let’s wish and hope and plan when seems possible!
I love this story! It’s so wonderful that you were able to do this. My German is pretty bad. My grandparents worked hard to assimilate, and didn’t speak it around us all that often. My Italian is much better! Sometimes I think I’d like to live in Vienna - it seems a perfect mix of German and Italian culture, plus afternoon coffee and cake!
Vienna sounds like a dreamy plan! Meet you there! 😉
Moms are Always right🤣