The Chimney Sweep!

When we first moved here, we were told that a man would come to our door with a dirty face and funny hat. When he came, we were to let him in. He was the Chimney Sweep. We have been here for 6 months. Many workers have come to our door. Some were wearing hats. They all spoke only French, but none were the chimney sweep. Some came to clean the pool, others to do the gardening.

Today, the doorbell rang and I was greeted by this. (see the picture) Viola! A man with a semi dirty face and a funny hat. His top hat was very old and beat up. With the man, was a young apprentice. They waited at the door, so I could run to get my camera. They happily posed for a picture and then said, "Tout comme, Mary Poppins." I replied, "Oui, just like Mary Poppins."

Using their brushes and other tools, they were in and out in 20 minutes. They declared that we are now clean and only offering 4% pollution. This, by the way, was communicated by French and hand language. They said, "It good." They left with a handshake and a huge smile, just as they had arrived.

L'Escalade!!!

This past weekend was l'Escalade in the Canton de Geneve. Every year in early December, the Swiss city-canton of Geneva interrupts its pre-Christmas festivities for a different kind of celebration: l'Escalade, a festival that celebrates the city's victory over the Duke of Savoy's invading troops in 1602. The Genevois defended their turf with artillery, hand-to-hand weaponry, and the marmite of one Mère Royaume, who--according to legend--dispatched one enemy soldier and dispersed his companions by throwing her cauldron of hot vegetable soup at the troops who pushed their way up the street beneath her window. Because our village is part of the Canton de Geneve, it too put on a celebration.

We started, by meeting up with several neighbors. Their children were dressed up in costumes and we walked down to the village center. Once there, EVERY CHILD from about 2 years old and up were handed a 1.5 foot long torch, that was set afire. The torches were handed out by the fireman of Genthod. Yikes!!! There was quite a crowd of people. All of the children were learning that you hold a torch up and not out, so as to not catch others on fire. It made it was quite thrilling. Double YIKES! Within a few minutes a fife and drum band, in full costume, bearing banners and flags, brought everyone to attention. The children carrying torches, followed them, as did we. Our parade of about 200 villagers wound through the old parts of the village, passing people who joined the end of the parade. After about 15 minutes, we ended up at the school, where torches were put out and all were invited to partake of a dinner together. We sat at long tables with our friends. The band played up front and vegetable soup, bread, cheese, and drinks were served. All of this was free of charge. We were a little amazed at this!



At one point during dinner a large chocolate cauldron was brought to the front of the room. The oldest person and youngest person present were invited up front to break the Marmite or large chocolate cauldron. A song was sung about l'Escalade and then a large sword was handed to the oldest man and together with the child he took a swinging blow to the chocolate cauldron. Cheering exploded as bits of candy, placed inside the marmite flew out! All of the chocolate, (and there was more than we all could possibly eat) marzipan and candies were handed out to everyone. At this point a Dj came out and played dancing music.


It was our first Escalade, but in no means our last. Next year we have decided to attend the huge celebration in Geneve, as well as our quaint village celebration of l'Escalade!!!

Joyeux Noel 2011

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St. Nicholas Day

On December 6th, our family has always celebrated St. Nicholas Day. It falls early in the Advent season. Some places he arrives in the middle of November and moves about the countryside, visiting schools and homes to find out if children have been good. (We have been very good in our family, whew!) Other places he comes in the night and finds carrots and hay for his horse or donkey along with children's wish lists. (We made our wish lists, but we are going to fill them in Colorado, so he did not take them from us!) Small treats were left in our shoes so we knew that he had come. We were not disappointed this year. We awoke to fruit, chocolate, purfume and our Christmas ornaments for this year. We ate breakfast by candlelight. I made French toast, before Laura set off for school. At night we enjoyed a dinner of yummy chicken soup, garlic bread and Laura's favorite, chocolate milk!
Happy St. Nicholas Day everyone!!!

A Concert in our Village Church

Last night, Laura, and I, waited until we heard the ringing of the church bells from the little church in our village. Upon hearing them, we started the ten minute walk down the road to the center of the village. We walked toward the church, with others to hear a beautiful Christmas concert. We did not know anyone there and did not understand much of the French, but we were able to greet others in simple French and feel a little more part of community.

The orchestra had seven members. Many instruments we recognized and a few that appeared quite old and unfamiliar to us. Later, I learned that the instruments were like those that would have been played in the kings courts during the 1600-1800. The choir was made up of 22 singers, from age 15-19 from the Conservatoire popular de Geneve. This is a very prestigious school to attend. Their voices were breath-taking. Three of the numbers sung were Gregorian chants, with blends and levels that sounded perfect in the acoustics of the church.I would have paid to see this magnificent concert, but in our village, most of these programs are provide by the Commune de Genthod,free of charge.


We didn't want the night to end, but eventually it did. We said our "au revoir, Bonsoir!" to those around us and then started our walk back home. The Christmas lights of the village had come on and umbrellas were needed, as we were greeted by a little rain. Good thing we know to carry umbrellas all of the time now. We walked with others from the village, hearing French and British English chattered along the way. We took the time to turn around to see the small snowflake lights on each of the light poles and see a lighted sleigh and tree in the park. What a perfect start to December and a wonderful Christmas gift from our village leaders.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

We feel so very blessed this year, even though we are far away from family and friends. Our Thanksgiving was a working and school day, which was a new experience for us. There are no parades to watch on TV and no Turkey Bowl to play in. I cooked during the day and Laura helped me finish preparing the meal when she got home from school. Paul came home early from work and we had a feast!

Going shopping for our Thanksgiving was an experience. Laura, and I searched for the necessary dinner supplies, potatoes, yams, cranberries, pumpkin and a turkey, but we didn't have much luck. We didn't think we would be able to find much, because our little Suisse and French grocery stores don't usually have "American" food items.
Today, we pulled together a yummy meal fit for our first Suisse Thanksgiving! We had a full chicken, which stood in for our Turkey. :) Our side dishes were fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn bread, lingonberry sauce (which is like cranberries for Switzerland) and I made pumpkin pies for dessert. The meal was not quite like we have back home, but close to it. Next year we are going to find fresh yams. It will be our quest!


Paul carved our chicken, we ate until we were full and then called family back in the states to wish Happy Thanksgiving to those we love. Our night was finished off with homemade pumpkin pie and whipped cream. What a wonderful, yummy Thanksgiving day!

Searching for AWE...

We have lived here in Switzerland (Suisse) for almost 6 months. When we first moved to Colorado from California, we were amazed at all of the things that were so different. Each day we were in awe at some new thing. The skies in Colorado were full of beautiful, puffy clouds most of the time. The skies seemed bluer and the night skies were glorious. The morning's sunrises were the most amazing thing that we had ever experienced, but after a few months, it all became normal and almost common place. We vowed that when we moved to Switzerland, we would try to hold onto that "awe" for as long as we could. We spent the first few days taking pictures in front of al the spectacular quaintness of the area, fountains, homes, fields, cobble-stoned narrow roads, and the like. Surely this things would never be common place to us. Well....

....Last week, we looked at some pictures that a friend had taken while on vacation. Paul and I kept wondering why pictures were taken with certain backgrounds. There was one cute picture by an ancient stone water feature and one near an old stone home. It hit us at the same time. We were looking at the pictures without the eyes of awe! Old stone water features are part of everyday life and stone homes are a dime a dozen and narrow cobblestone streets are bumpy roads that mean we need to put the mirrors in on our car. :(

How did this happen? How can things become so commonplace so quickly? Can we get the awe factor back? We are going to try to appreciate the history that is around us more and find the awe in the quaint stone walls, fountains, architecture and homes. The Holiday Season is coming upon us, so that should help. We'll let you know how it goes.

Gno Gnome home?

There is a house that we pass by every day. The house faces the farm fields. It is surrounding by a rod iron fence and is pretty, and well groomed. You see, it is the gnome home. They have over a hundred little statues of gnomes placed all over their yard. We are so familiar with seeing them hidden in the bushes and lazily resting on the lawn that we tend to know when one has been moved. In June, when we moved here, we noticed that the gnome playing the guitar, yes a gnome can be musical, was tipped over. Day after day we walked past the house on the way to the village train station, waiting for the owner to correct the little gnome face-first in the dirt. It took about 4 days for the gnome to be righted up, but voila it happened. Recently as I walked, I was stunned that all the gnomes were gone. I stood at the gate and took a good double take. As I stood there the owner came out of his front door. I said, "Bonjour monsieur, vous avez un beau jardin. Ou est gnomes ?" Which is actually incorrect, but at the time I didn't know that I was saying it wrong. I said it with my best french accent too. I awaited for the man to speak to me in french, but he came closer and in English said, "Thank you, they are put away for the winter." Ok, I was pleased that he understood me, but frustrated that he knew right away that I spoke English and was going to have a lot of trouble speaking french. RATS! I tried...... anyway, I am digressing from the story. The owner told me that in November he takes all of his gnomes inside to his workshop. They must stay there all winter to protect them from the cold weather. He touches them up and polishes them over the winter and then places them back outside in late March. He and his wife are Swiss and they lovingly gathered each gnome from all over Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries. I like the weird little gnomes greeting me each day and I look forward to seeing them in March, but for now there are gno gnomes. Who would have ever thought that I would miss gnomes.....but I do.

Greece

We loved Greece. We only got a little taste of this country, but we want to return.


In Athens the highlight was experiencing the Acropolis, with it's Parthenon, Propylaes and Athena Polias. At the foot of the Acropolis we walked upon Mars hill, where the Apostle Paul preached the gospel to the citizens. We took a picture of our own Paul, sitting upon the rock. :)


In Rhodes, we took a self-guided tour of the old city, which is surrounded by strong walls and is one of the best preserved and largest medieval settlements of Europe. Knights from the time of the crusades have left their mark upon Rhodes and this was seen in the carvings and architecture of the city. We also had fun frolicking in the Aegean Sea and collecting shells and rocks.

Je parle anglais et un peu francais.....well sort of

I have started my Berlitz language training. Yay! I spent one on one time with a woman that spoke no English with me. It was like spending 1.5 hours with a mental jigsaw puzzle. It has been 35 years since I formally took French. When I got home from class, my head was spinning. I spent that evening trying to do my homework. Laura, our daughter, who has taken a few years of French, helped me a little, but she reminded me that the teacher wanted to see what I could do, not what she could do. I believe she got those words from me. Karma, bites! I smiled at her reply and dug in to do my work.

I completed my homework and awoke the next morning to practice, when the doorbell rang and a repairman showed up at our door to work on the new kick-board for the kitchen. He spoke no English. I was able to greet him, invite him in and ask a few basic questions. I tried to recall other things that I learned, but every time he asked me something, my mind went blank.

I am leaving in a few minutes for my next lesson. I am bound and determined to get French into this fifty-four year old head!!!

Our Journeys in Israel

What an amazing time we had in Israel, with our daughter, Laura. We spent two days in Jerusalem and then one day down in Nazereth and Galilee. We could have definitely stayed longer, but in those few days we felt lucky that we got a glimpse of the places that the Savior walked and lived.
In Jerusalem we walked to the pools of Bethesda. These have recently been discovered under the old city. They still hold water. We got to go down the stairs to the pools and see where the Savior healed the bedridden man. It was amazing to be there and read in John, of the New Testament, to recount the healing miracle that took place there.

As always, we took one of our "family hands" pictures on a decorated wall of the pools. in the evening we visited the Shepherd's fields in Bethlehem. On our way out there, we saw several herds of sheep being led by a lone shepherd among the rocky hills.

One of our best experiences was going to Jerusalem at night. It seems that the city does not sleep. People were shopping, eating and striving to sell their wares. We spent about two hours almost lost in the narrow, winding lanes of the old city. We made some fantastic purchases (Yay, for shopping!!!) and felt that we got to see how the people of Jerusalem live.

One of the days in Jerusalem we were able to experience the wailing wall. It was a busy day for Bar Mitzvahs! Many young Jewish boys were being led, under canopy and surrounded by family to the wailing wall. Two or more young men led each group beating upon drums and blowing on sheep horns. We experienced a colorful and musical celebration of many, many boys that day becoming men. Out of respect, to approach the wall Paul needed to don a yarmulka. The wall cracks were FULL of small pieces of paper full of prayers. It was really something to see.

On our day in Galilee we took a boat on the sea, visited the Sermon Mount and saw Capernaum where the synagogue, in which the Savior preached, still exists.
Afterwards, we went to see the home of Peter's mother. Only the lower part of the walls remain, but it was wonderful to see. Later, we drove up to to the River Jordan and were able to wade into the cool waters of the river.

The Garden of Gethsemane is at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The peaceful garden is among a grove of ancient olive trees, that look back at the eastern wall of the City of Jerusalem. We were able to wander among the trees. Some of the trees in the garden have been there for over 2000 years.


Our last evening in Jerusalem was spent at the Garden Tomb. This was a favorite of our family's. Each of us got to enter the tomb for a few moments. Even with the amount of people visiting, it was fairly quiet. We stayed until it started to become evening.

This trip has been a dream for a long time and we are so grateful that we were able to share this with our daughter. We will not forget our wondrous days in Israel.

Istanbul and Ephesus, Turkey

Last month, we had the great opportunity to visit Turkey. We enjoyed a couple of days in Istanbul and one very memorable day in Ephesus. The two places were very different, and gave us a taste of Turkey.

The Blue Mosque was the first place we visited in Turkey. It is a large Muslim Mosque surrounded by six very slender minarets. After centuries, the intricate tiles are still brilliant in their colors. Soon, after leaving the mosque, the calls to prayer sounded from the minarets throughout the city. It was very surreal and a moving experience.


We also visited, Topkapi Palace. The palace of the Sultans for hundreds of years. We enjoyed learning about Turkey's past and seeing how the Sultans used to live. We walked through rooms full of armor, jewels, royal clothing and in one word, WOW!

Each of the days in Turkey, we were able to visit a bazaar and walk the streets of the old city. It seemed that every street had a Turkish bath and venders selling Turkish Delights, a sort of honey and nuts chewy candy. We pleasantly tried all flavors and found it interesting to bargain with the street vendors at the bazaar. We went away with some great buys and treasures to remember our trip.

In Ephesus we started our visit at the ancient city ruins. We were able to walk down Curetes Street, which is known as the Marble Road, through Hercules' gate. We stopped to take a picture of our feet in front of one of the shops. In the ground at our feet you could still see the Christian symbols, recognizing the businesses owned by christian proprietors. We ended our visit to Ephesus at the theater where The Apostle Paul preached and lived for 2 years or more. This was one of our favorite places.

On our way home from Ephesus we visited a carpet factory and watched the ladies follow detailed drawings, tying the tiny knots that would make up the silk or wool carpet before them on the looms. Then, we were treated to apple juice and a carpet show. They even made a carpet fly!!!!

Parallel parking + Europe= TRAPPED

When I was 16, I had to parallel park in order to pass my drivers test. Since that time I have parallel parked plenty, but I would rather not have to. In my 30 something years driving I have never had a mishap. YAY!

Last year, there was an interview with drivers in Europe. Most European drivers said that they equate the resulting stress of parallel parking to having to visit a dentist or the sudden arrival of unexpected guests to the house. Today, I saw why!

I went grocery shopping this morning. I had to parallel park, but I left about 1.5 feet between my and the other drivers. I was in the store for maybe 10 minutes. When I came out to put my groceries in the car, I was horrified to see that the two cars I had parked in between had left, and THREE new cars had taken their place. The front car was snuggled in with maybe 3 inches to spare and the space behind me now was occupied by two Smart cars. There was maybe 1 inch to spare. I loaded the groceries and waited, but no one came. I was a prisoner. I decided to take measures into my own hands and get out of this spot. When I turned on my car, the parking assist went BEZERK beeping and warning me to STOP! So I listened. :(

After waiting 20 minutes, a lady came to the car behind me and drove off. I was at last able to get out of that tight spot and get on my way. Give me the dentist anyday!

GET THEE TO AN ABBEY!

Paul, Laura and I had a great trip with friends, to visit an abbey about 15 min away from our home.


The Abbey of Bonmont is one of the oldest abbeys in Switzerland (1098). It was established on the teachings of St. Bernard.



The restored abbey church was opened June 23, 1995. Since then, it has been run by the Foundation of the Abbey of Bonmont and used primarily for concerts of Gregorian Chant.



We had a fun afternoon, seeing the fall colors and enjoying the beauty of the abbey and surrounding forest. We also had fun collecting walnuts, plums and picnicking near by. We would love to go back for a Gregorian Chant concert sometime.


I am not sure where the phrase, "Get thee to an abbey!" comes from, but I am glad we did. It was fun!

Get Along Lil Doggie..... Swiss Style!

This last weekend we drove about 30 min. away to the quaint village of St. Cergue, Switzerland. Every year in October, the shepherds or cowherders bring the cows and sheep down from the mountain pastures to the valleys and barns for the winter. In French it’s called Le Retour des Alpages. It is a great experience to see this happen.

Just a month ago we hiked high in the mountains and saw these same cows eating the high mountain grasses. Now we were back to see the herders take them to our valley near Lac Leman.

The day began with bell ringers, St Bernard Dogs pulling carts, Alpine Horns and beautifully costumed singers/yodlers. Soon the cows could be heard as they loudly were directed through the small village and down the mountain. Some cows wore huge flowered head-dresses, but all wore the signature Swiss bells around their necks. After the parade of cows, we had to hop and skip on tippy-toes around the town, because of all of the cow droppings. It looked like the whole female herd had saved their morning trip to the Cow 'ladies room' and opted for the village road instead. Yucko!

Later on in the day, we drove back to our home and came across some of the cow paraders back in their home fields, but still sporting their large flowered head-dresses. Farmers and family were gathered around their barns ready to continue the days festivities.

We could not have asked for better weather or a more relaxing day.It was another day of Swissness for the Johnson Family, which is my new word for days such as this.

Am I my brother's keeper? Human Rights Conference

We have the great opportunity to live about 10 minutes from the United Nations here in Geneva. Until this time I have only been to see the outside as a tourist. In September, I was invited by the Worldwide Organization for Women, known as W.O.W., to the Human Rights Conference, 2011.

Last week, I took the bus to the U.N. and arrived for the afternoon sessions. It was quite the experience to take my official letter and then proceed to answer questions, and get my picture taken, all for my United Nations/Human Rights Conference badge.
After I got in, I found my way to a seat in the huge circular conference room and got my translating device on. It was quite moving to hear the different countries reporting on Human Rights violations around the world. A few countries expressed their opinion, on the definition of Human Rights that the council was asking their country to follow; their concerns centered on the fact that they had different cultures, religions and traditions, and therefore could not be asked to conform to the standards as defined in the Human Rights Declaration. So, when I got home, I reread the Human Rights Universal Declaration. It is pretty long, but below is the very beginning of the declaration.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Some of the things that these countries are condoning are contrary to the above statement and it was so utterly sad to hear the report of some of these violations and tragedies which many times caused disfiguration, imprisonment and death.

Today, I helped the Worldwide Organization for Women to prepare for panel discussions at the U.N. on gender issues. After several countries gave their statements, the W.O.W. organization made its plea to the Human Rights Council. This was offered by a young lady from BYU! It was a good day. What can I say?

I am really looking forward to the rest of the Human Rights Conference. I am grateful to hear experts speak, see the cultural difference of many, many countries close up and know that I can help, if only in a little way, because they are my brothers and sisters.