small details

"To Lake"

mountain farmhouse chickens, hanging out next to the hiking trail

view of the lake from a a 'window' of a church courtyard

instead of a sign with written words, this prezel shop had a cute metal prezel

feels so good to be home

Hey blog buddies! Just got back home, tired and sweaty, and I have lots to do here at home: stock the fridge, shower, unpack, get settled. I have a camera overflowing with beautiful photographs of Wolfgangsee and it's surroundings. As soon as everything is in order here on the home front I'll sit down with a big cup of something tasty and fill you in on my trip! 

Hope you are all doing well, I'll be back soon with all glorious pictures of a short but most enjoyable vacation. XOXO

Off On An Adventure!

My laptop, the window to the world which connects us, is staying here at home while I am off exploring. I'll return on Thursday the 27th with a pocket full of happy stories to tell and photos to share. Will you miss me? I know I'll miss you, blog buddies! xoxo Country Girl

Trip To Wolfgangsee

Wolfgangsee (Wolfgang Lake) is situated near the famous Austrian city Salzburg in an area called the Salzkammergut; my husband will be shooting a reality show there for the next week, and because it's such a beautiful place and I've never been, he invited me and my girlfriend Maria (and lil' Kiki!) to come visit for a few days. The cameraman's girlfriend Charlene is also coming along, so while the guys are working, we'll be hiking, enjoying the spa, and taking in the gorgeous sights. In the evenings we'll meet up with the boys for dinner. 

Maria and I are only staying from Tuesday until Thursday, a mini vacation, but a vacation all the same. I am very excited, and so happy that I will be seeing some more of this beautiful country which I call home. I may end up taking the laptop with me and blogging from our hotel, Weisses Rössel, but just in case I decide not to, I thought I would share the photos above so you have an idea where Country Girl will be the next few days! One thing I KNOW I'll have with me is my camera, you can depend on that. I hope to share with you all just how amazing Austria is.

On another note, I want to thank you all for the stories you shared about your own relationships. I find it so refreshing and endearing to hear positive accounts from women who love and adore their men. In pop-culture there seems to be a battle of the sexes, each habitually putting the other down. I think one of the most beautiful things is when a man and woman (or any two individuals, really) pair up to make a loyal, supportive team. So thanks again for sharing, your stories were heart warming.

Just HAD To Share This One Now

I didn't mean to post anything else today, but when I found the photo of this amazing stone farmhouse in Pennsylvania, I had to share it immediately! Can you handle the beauty? There's even a white pumpkin at the foot of the bench. Amazing. I can only imagine how inviting and charming it looks inside!

Keeping Our Marriage Fresh With Laughter And Love

It's a cool, misty Sunday morning and I'm writing in my pajamas in bed. Kiki is snoring at my feet, the rooster from accross the street is crowing his morning greeting every few minutes, and my husband is under the shower, getting ready to go to the office for a few hours. Yes, that's right, he's going to the office on a Sunday. Last weekend he was gone all-together. He's an incredibly hard-working man, built his film company from the ground up, and doesn't have much time to relax at home with his wife and dog. But when he does it feels like a sweet luxury.

Yesterday he was home all day, for what most of my readers know we call our WE-kend, because it's all about us. Rarely do we invite anyone else to join in on our special time together. Mostly we take long hikes, enjoy good food, wrestle around with Kiki, and spend alot of time watching movies, talking, and especially laughing. Something which has kept our love fresh for over ten years now is our tendency to make eachother laugh. His father once commented that, when Ramon and I spent our first summer together, holed up in his parent's converted garage, the only sign anyone was there was the ringing laughter that sounded throughout the day. It's true, humor has been our best friend, and hopefully always will be, come what may.

Another thing we try to do is spoil one another. We are both always looking for ways to make eachother feel special. I try to cook meals I think he'll love, knowing his long hours at the office are often empty of nutritious and delicious food, and I also give him as many back rubs and encouraging words as I can. He supports me in my creative endeavors, gives me everything I really want or need, and assures me again and again that he is here for me with all the strength and love he can muster. 

I believe that as long as we keep our sense of humor and our desire to please one another going strong, we will be blessed to share many happy years together.

I Miss Loving Country Living

I've been a huge, and I mean HUGE, fan of the monthly American magazine Country Living for years now. I saved each issue and read over them dozen of times, savoring the amazing photography and inspirational ideas. Whenever I opened my mailbox to see the latest issue waiting for me, I knew there was a relaxed two hours ahead, with a comforting cup of tea and my doggy curled up beside me. I would drink in each page and feel that sensation of 'WOW' wash over me. I even loved the letters from the Editor-In-Chief, especially when Nancy Soriano held the position; she seemed to share my enthusiasm for the changing seasons, and for turning simple things like the first snow or a small farmhouse into a celebration of the senses. She and her staff also managed to make a dream of mine come true: I wrote to them about one of my favorite authors, Susan Branch, and told them that she lives in a gorgeous old house on Martha's Vineyard. I expressed how much I would appreciate seeing her and her home featured in their magazine, and sure enough, some time down the line, I received word that both would be gracing their pages for a lovely fall edition. This reaffirmed my conviction that Country Living was run by people who listened to and appreciated their reader's input.

Lately though, Country Living has begun to feel like any other magazine, something I read once and then forget about. There is nothing which grabs me, consumes me, makes me want to live within it's pages. Especially this latest September issue, which, to my disappointment, had not a single pumpkin, yellow leaf, or mention of autumn that I can remember. There was lots of furniture, lots of pillows, lots of stale decorating tips and renovations. But nothing that gave me that giddy feeling, nothing that had me caught between savouring each inch of every page and at the same time desperate to turn it to the next where there was bound to be something beautiful and heart-warming.

I understand that publishing a magazine full of magic twelve months a year must be very, very hard work, and yet I never thought to expect less from Country Living because of it's unsurpassed record of making me swoon each and every time. I am hopeful that my beloved magazine will soon return to it's old glory, though I can't shake the nagging feeling that the October issue, which used to be my absolute favorite and most anticipated of the year, will end up being a large disappointment. Let's hope that's not the case.