Bunter Teller, Buntes Auge, Buntes Haar
This week we're feeling tired and down. On Monday, our friend Heidi died after battling cancer for a year and a half. It was her birthday. She leaves behind her husband Kurt (whom Rob baptized), her son Sven, and her daughters Jasmine (above) and AnnLuise. We are missing her quick Berlinish wit, her great cooking, and the fuss that she made over all of us. Anni came with us and spent the morning with us. She helped to pick out an advent wreath for our family and stayed at our house until friends and family were around to be with her. Monday night all of our students came over for the last FHE of Study Abroad. Rob made Bunte Tellers (colorful plates), which are arranged plates of Christmas goodies and explained what advent was all about with the wreath Anni had picked out for us. He explained the symbolism in the wreath with the evergreen, the circular shape, the candles that are lit sequentially, and the way that it combines both the pagan and the Christian traditions. And we