Living in Munich presents us with lots of news.  Here are some of our observations on German life:
 The Pluses

The Minuses

There are more positives than negatives, so we must be fairing alright!

Well, first the new job fell into place and then a few days later we got word that the Buick Enclave we ordered in March finally arrived at the dealership and was ready for pickup today! Danielle is super happy to have a car, especially this one that she really loves.

We'll have pictures up as soon as we have a nice sunny day.  (We needed the rain, but cloudy days just don't do a new car justice!)

Now that Danielle has officially passed the County's drug and background checks, we can officially announce that she won the position she had been looking forward to for many weeks as the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center in Buford.  Danielle is very excited to start work as the Marketing and Resources Coordinator at this "green" facility located in a new park with miles of walking and biking trails as well as a special, educational water feature.

Congratulations!

...So no more snow has fallen in April (though the forecasts threaten flurries for one more week).  Temps are warming for a day or two at a time, which has been enough to convince the flowers and the bushes that spring has sprung.

Danielle & I haven't really decided...Today was almost 60, but tomorrow will be back to about 45 with rain.  For now, we'll bear the poor weather in exchange for beautiful weather when Brandy and Stephen come to visit in late April!

So...it has snowed in Munich the last 3 mornings...  The forecast says warmer for the weekend, but still more snow possible for early April...

Will this really be the last snow of the year?  In mid-April 2007, when we were visiting Munich on our "can we really live in Europe" trip, temps were pushing 80...

Jodeen has recovered well during her brief stint in the hospital.  She was released today and will spend the remainder of her recovery at home.  Clearly, this is a sign of a excellent progression of her overall health, so we are all pleased and excited.  Danielle will be around for a few more weeks to assist with things around the house and to keep her company.

Please join me in wishing Jodeen well!

With Danielle back in Atlanta for a few weeks, my "good-weather-luck" has once again run out!

Over on Chris' Blog, you can read about the strange weather. 

Danielle is back in Atlanta for a few weeks.  She is visiting with her family and supporting her mom's cancer fight.  Please drop Danielle a line or give her a call to express your support, too. Danielle will probably be in Atlanta through mid-March, so if you'd like to say hello or visit, just give a call to the house.

We want to wish very Happy Birthdays to Caren, Brian & Kylie! We hope your day is great and we wish the best for you the entire year!

We love you!

We're headed to Augustiner Keller for some Stark Bier. Late February and early March is Strong Beer Season in Munich!  Carrying on the tradition established by fasting monks, modern breweries offer special,  stronger beers with much higher nutrient content than normal beer.

Historically, this beer was brewed and consumed by monks who fasted during lent, except for beer, bread, and water.  Legend even explains that the Pope once questioned the piousness of this practice, so the monks shipped him some of the beer to try.  After several weeks travelling in the elements and without any preservation methods, the beer had spoiled.  Upon sampling the brew, the Pope proclaimed that drinking this beer was enough of a trial to test the faith of any monk!

Happy Anniversay Peggy & Sonny!