Family Mellmann

It has been a fairly low-snow winter season this year.  Cold temperatures have come and gone but the snowfall has been starkly absent.  This lack of precipitation has people concerned about the impact this will have on the late summer dry season and the potential for wildfires.  We spent a couple of days completely covered in clouds where all we could see were the hazy outlines of the rolling hills of our back yard.  When the clouds cleared, we were greeted by dusty white mountains.  We are still loving this view.  

Since winter seems to be a no-show this year and Easter is right around the corner, I decided it was time for a "refresh"... what the interior decorating crowd calls a seasonal or periodic change to ones decor.   I framed a map that Joerg and I found two summers ago at a local market.  It's a map of Yellowstone that was created by German scientists so while the location names are in English, the map text is in German. While Jörg was out of town, I was finally able to use the printer to print photos and prints which I could frame for our shelves. And, after two years hidden away in a storage box, the komodo dragon we brought back from Indonesia is finally back on display.  And a few spring flowers for the island. I'm still working on the kitchen shelves, but I made a start. This vase is carved out of waste wood from a Russian Olive tree.  Russian Olive grows wild and aggressively around here.   

Montana has been quite gracious to us as we weather our first winter in our new home.  But if you like cold and snow (and a fully stocked pantry and freezer) then what some might see as graciousness actually feels more like disappointment. We have had very little snow this year and the temperatures have been quite mild.   Although we have had some crazy strong winds (highest reports were gusts of 70-80 miles per hour), winter has been MIA (missing in action) this year. On the bright side, when I picked Joerg up from the Bozeman airport, we stopped in Livingston for lunch which was served in the open air; both garage doors were wide open and we enjoyed our sandwiches (almost) outdoors.    

Okay, everyone sing with me now... Ohhhhhhhhhh-klahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet When the wind comes right behind the rain.  Well, we don't have rain and the "wheat" is actually just prairie grass but we sure did have wind. Winter is a particularly windy time here in central Montana.  If you don't tie it down or strap it to something, it is likely to blow away.  "It" being anything lighter than an automobile.  In December, the wind was so strong that it took out a very tall, very thick tree in front of the county courthouse.  On more than one occasion we had to claim our patio furniture from the fence line by the neighbor or some other area of our property.  We finally figured out how to stack the outdoor furniture in such a way that it won't blow off the patio anymore. Anyway, it was quite a dust-up yesterday so I thought I would try to get a little video.  I had my eyes closed (to...

Another reason for our Christmas in Arizona road trip was to deliver some things to Patrick that he wanted from our house (things we don't need anymore).  Our kitchen table was one of those things.  This table was purchased in the early 1990s to go in a small house where I would do a lot of entertaining.  It was perfect; it would shrink down to a small table for two but could expand (three leaves) to seat 6-8 people.  This is exactly the kind of table that Patrick needs over these next years as he lives in apartments and may be called upon to move more than once.  At the same time, we were ready for a larger table (and more comfortable chairs) to fit in our new dining space.   Farewell to the old table. And our first dinner on the new table. By now we are pretty much moved into the house, unpacked, organized, and even a bit decorated.  But there are still projects to be done.  Jörg installed floating shelves in our three "niche" spaces; one by the...

Christmas 2025 saw the Mellmann family back together as a foursome but in Arizona.  Since this may be Patrick's last Christmas in Arizona (he pans to relocate to Chicago in the spring) we thought it would be a good time to visit, especially since Jörg and Katherine have never been there.  We decided to make it a road trip and we celebrated a couple days early since Patrick would be flying on the holiday. Patrick's "front door". He took us to his favorite sushi restaurant. And we enjoyed a relaxed time chatting in his apartment. Patrick wanted to do all the things that were traditions during his growing up: Ausstecherle/plaetzen (Christmas cookies), a family picture in front of the tree, red bow ties, singing, and fondue. One evening, we went out for dinner at a Korean barbecue.  While we waited for our table, we sat outside (yes, in short sleeved shirts...one of the wonders of living in Arizona in December). Korean barbecue. When Katherine needed a little social break...

Now that we are getting settled and things are starting to calm down, we are starting to take in some of the local culture. In November, we went to a Jeff Dunham show in Billings at the stadium, and on Friday we went to the Columbus Christmas Parade. The theme was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Some people understood the assignment and got really creative.  It was a well-attended event with tons of kids and families and many many "floats".  We even got to see lighted up horses!   On Saturday morning after breakfast (at our favorite breakfast spot), I went to the Absarokee Christmas Market. I found some fun things made by local "makers" and won a couple of prizes.  Just before I left, the live entertainment started, so I had to stick around. 

Twice each week, Katherine and I get together for a lunch date, to run errands or go to appointments (haircut tomorrow), and just "check-in".  Our last lunch date was at Rib & Chop in Livingston where she got her "usual" (salmon).  We really enjoy these get togethers.