But Mummies Like It, or We In Germany Have Already Discovered

After the massage, they wrap my legs up in bandages. The difference between my bandages and ace bandages is that ace bandages are stretchy. These bandages are not very elastic because they are designed not to give (also not to tighten up in one place and bind).

The bandages are wrapped tightly around my leg, but not too tight, just comfortably snug. They should be firm enough that they don't allow fluid to collect back in my leg between massage sessions.

The purpose of the bandages is twofold. One, it keeps the fluid from just running back down into my legs after the massage. If that happened every day would be like starting the treatment over again. And darlings if I was Katherine Hepburn and could live here all year around maybe that's what I'd do. But, as it is with the bandaging - everyday we start where we left off. Until all the fluid is gone. Then, for some reason, once the massage gets things moving the bandaging causes the fluid to continue to flow happily up and out. With some luck after a three week course of treatment my leg will show few signs of my condition.

Along the way we've found that that that adding "bumps" of foam rubber in key places softens hardened and recalcitrant pools of fluid and corrects trouble spots.

And when I say "we", I mean "me".

The application of foam rubber bumps in certain places was well known, and there's a layer of foam rubber strips under the bandage as this actively promotes the movement of the lymph fluid. But I pioneered the use of foam rubber "bumps" around the toes - a particular trouble spot for me and most folks with long-term primary lymphedema in the "lower extremities".

I've done this whole course of treatment once before. I was in a strip mall in Plano, Texas rather than a spa in Switzerland, but other than that it was the very same thing. (Actually, the quality of the treatment and the knowledge and the innovative go-to-itiveness of the fine folks at Healthtronix in Plano surpass the much vaunted Swiss quality in my experience - if I'm lying, I'm dying - though the view from the strip mall wasn't nearly as picturesque.) My therapist there was trained by the fine folks in Austria and educated me on all the ins and outs of the condition and it's treatment.

When I started putting extra lumps of foam around my toes, my therapist in Texas said, "Well that's a bit unorthodox - especially for the Germans, but it follows from what we already do. Try it and see if it works." And it did work. Yesterday when my German therapist at the Swiss spa asked me why I was smiling, I answered that it was because she was cutting up small pieces of foam and packing them around my toes. She said, "Ja, we in Germany have already discovered since the last pair of years that it helps also to apply foam to the toes like this." We? In Germany? Leave it to those Germans to take credit for my discovery in Plano.

---

OK, I'll allow that we reached the same conclusion working independently. And, in the interest of accuracy, the spa (except for the lesbian PE teacher) is completely German speaking ... so the funny syntax would actually be on my quotes - but anyway ...

posted by Steve at 2/01/2006 08:37:00 PM

Meanwhile, Back at the Swiss Sanatorium

Did someone mention the sleep therapy?  Because, my therapy consists of hours of light, relaxing, nude massage.  The lymph system is a relatively sensitive network that lies mostly close to the skin.  Researchers in Austria and later in Germany developed the best known treatment for the condition of lymphedema (how lucky for me that I live in Switzerland in spitting distance of the leading researchers).  This treatment is called Manual Lymph Drainage and it's a very light massage that gets the fluid moving.

Since the whole system is interconnected the massage starts behind the ears with a very gentle circular motion.  Then the massage moves slowly downward (the fluid always slowly upward).  Since I experience swelling in the legs the massage eventually ends with motions designed to move the fluid out of the leg.  It's very important that the massage is mostly light - since the goal is to encourage healthy flow ... not disrupt it further. 

It's also very important to spend an adequate amount of time opening up the system away from the swollen area to make room - because if you start moving alot of fluid out of the limbs too quickly then it doesn't have any place to go.  In that case you get fluid backing up until it bursts out somewhere else, causing more damage.

Done properly the light massage may even (for the lucky ones) encourage the growth of new lymph channels which help alleviate the problem long term.

And done properly, I even sleep through it.
posted by Steve at 2/01/2006 08:01:00 PM

Today, Everything Is Swell

Betty Ford welcomes you to ... Project Betty zürcher art

I started rehab today. Not that kind of rehab.  I'm at a "spa" clinic in the small town of Zurzach, Switzerland to have three weeks of treatment for my secret condition.  Ok.  Well it's not that secret.  And it's not that exotic of a condition.  I have lymphedema. You'll remember from elementary school health class, or high school biology, that the body has a lymph system that moves lymph fluid around.  That's probably all they told you; no-one paid much attention to the lymph system back then.  For a quick refresher: lymph fluid, which is a mostly clear fluid, combines with blood and circulates through the body outward toward the extremities.  At some point (mostly near the surface of the skin) the lymph fluid separates itself out from the blood and travels through tissues where it's main purpose is to grab on to foreign particles and bacteria and move them out of the body.  The lymph system is part of the bodies immune sewer system and serves the purpose of flushing everything out.

There is a network of specialized lymph vessels in the body whose purpose is to pick up the lymph fluid and move it back towards the heart.  Of course, you find these vessels in greater concentration at lymph nodes - places like the groin and armpits and under your ears.  The function of the lymph nodes is to scrub the foreign particles out of the lymph fluid.  Which is why you might experience swollen lymph nodes when your body is fighting an infection and those nodes are real busy.

The lymph system is a passive system.  Unlike the system that circulates the blood, there's not a big active pump like the heart in place to move the fluid.  The lymph system relies on pressure and passive pumping to get things moving.  The required pressure comes from the pressure of the atmosphere against  skin, and the passive pumping comes from the muscles doing whatever chore they do.  The calf muscles play a big role in moving lymph fluid out of the feet and lower legs, moving the fluid on its way back to the heart.  As you walk around all day flexing and extending your calf muscle the muscle pushes against the skin which pushes back thanks to air pressure.  This squeezes the lymph fluid in between into the lymph system and up and out.  That's (one reason) why your ankles swell when you are riding on an airplane.  Not only is the air pressure lower, providing less resistance, you probably aren't moving your calf muscle very much so the fluid pools around your angles and in your feet.

I don't even need to ride on a plane to have the fun of swollen ankles.  Seems like some part of my lymph system has been inadequate since I was born.  So even at normal elevations, and with normal exercise, the movement of my muscles and the air pressure isn't enough to get my passive lymph system moving merrily along.

I've actually had a swollen right foot from lymph fluid pooling there since I was a toddler.  When I turned twenty my ankles swelled up too.  And today, my right leg is swollen up past my knee.  In the last few years, I've also started to have fluid accumulating in my left foot. 

If you look at pictures of people that actually suffer with lymphedema you will see people whose limbs have ballooned up to almost unmanageable sizes.  I am lucky that I am only inconvenienced by lymphedema.  Most people who've seen me naked (and that's really a lot of people) haven't even noticed the swelling (and only one foot fetishist ever kicked me out of bed).  Which is to say that lymphedema hasn't hindered my life.

But as the condition is progressive, and as the signs are presenting that it is progressing, it's time to go in for a course of treatment.  And that treatment means living in the Zurzach Rehab Center for the next three weeks. 

The treatment is a cake walk though (for the most part).  It's a case of an ounce of prevention in time saving nine pounds of cure.

I'll tell you more about it later.
posted by Steve at 1/31/2006 02:16:00 PM

Run, Lenin, Run Hey Ya'll. Since last year I've been telling all you guys that would listen, to be on the look out for the North American release of the German hit movie Goodbye, Lenin. Today, I just saw that the film is hitting American cinemas now. I assume alot of ink has already been spilled to rave about the film, so I won't go into much detail. But I I loved the film and I want to share the love.

... briefly (you know I always go in for some detail), it's East Berliner Alex Kerner's story covering a world changing time from late 1989 to late 1990. Alex's mother is an anständige frau. She's an upstanding, correct and proper East German woman, and a staunch and seemingly unquestioning supporter of the East German Communist government. While she is enroute by taxi to receive a minor communist party medal (or have an opera date with a minor communist official ... I can't remember now ... but anyway while she is in a taxi cab passing by), she happens on the scene of a pro-western political rally just in time to see Alex being beaten and arrested by East German police. She clutches her proletariat heart and falls to the ground. (Turns out that slacker Alex only joined the march to get a girl's phone number.) When Frau Kerner wakes up from her coma in the hospital a few short months later the world has totally changed. The Berlin Wall has fallen and her beloved east German G.D.R. has for all practical purposes disappeared into a fog of western hysteria. Alex is told that his mother's can't stand another shock so he proceeds to hide the reunification from her by making the G.D.R. live on in the family's 79 square meter apartment. (Ok, suspend your disbelief just long enough to buy that one Days of Our Lives-ish premise. The end result is worth it.) Alex and his friends' efforts to hide the new world surrounding them from his mother become more and more outrageous until finally, they are staging nightly news broadcasts from the defunct East German state-owned television, bribing greedy neighborhood children to sing good Communist party songs, and recording (alternate) history making speeches from important political figures.

I found the film was a little bit manipulative and cliched. You can probably guess that by the melodramatic seriously-foreign-film soundtrack featured on the film's North American website and trailer (and actually for good portions of the film itself). But having said that, it's really good and captures something important about the complete change in cultures that happened almost overnight. (The original German website gives a better sense that the film as fun side too.) Anyway, I thought it was funny, touching and heartfelt. I'd rank it up on list of 3 or four fave movies for the year.

Of course you have to read subtitles. But I figure if you're still reading this page, you're not going to be bothered by that. I watched it without sub-titles. ... Ok, so now I'm just bragging for my own self-validation.

Does Anyone Want to Quote Me On a Movie Poster "... the best film about the divide between East and West since Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
posted by Steve at 2/18/2004 11:01:00 PM

Pop Drugs, or More About Instant Swiss Idols Than You Ever Wanted to Know

Well, since it's my Birthday Saturday I was planning a big night out in the æera and the Spider Galaxy, but instead I was invited over to a "Swiss Idol" party at YHE's house. A bunch of us gathered around YHE's projection TV to watch the Semi-Final round of MusicStar, which is the Swiss version of American Idol. Now, ya'll now that, with rare exceptions, I don't go on about pop TV fads or other pop stars here in the Züri G'Schnätzlets' Kitchen. And I have never seen American Idol or even Deutschland sucht dem SuperStar. So I didn't know what I was in for. Well, let me tell you, from the moment the semi-finalists took the stage, I was hooked.

By the time I joined this whole casting-show phenomena, the Swiss had narrowed their cattle call down to only four Idols - perky Danielle only holding out by a wildcard, bland cardboard no-talent but really cute Mario, greasy Piero, and power-frau Carmen. Each performed a number, as is the show's format around the world, and it was clear to me, the unbiased observer, that this contest was really between rico-suave Piero and electro-woman Carmen. Still I couldn't get past Piero's "I'm all over the Ladies" stage personality, not to mention his constant "I'm too sexy for this song"-michael-bolton grimaces.

As soon as I saw motormouth Carmen tear up the competion stomping out the dialect song "(Bi' i'Gopfridstutz b'im) Kiosk" (which I think roughly translates to "(I was Gob-smacked at the) 7-11" ) in her Myer the Bee tracksuit, I knew that I would be whipping out my Handy and donating .70 per call to the Carmen cause.

(You can, and I do insist that you download (Gopfridstutz b'im) Kiosk/(Gob-smacked at the) 7-11 from Carmen's website and give it a listen).

During the call-in voting, the four semi-finalists premiered their new group single "A Kiss Goodbye". Go now and download and watch it on your realplayer (streamed from Swiss Television (SF/DRS)). (And tell me, who would you select to be the first Swiss Idol.) I absolutely love this English-as-a-2nd-language, disco'd out Spice World song. And in a few weeks, these four will compete again for the chance to represent Switzerland individually in the famed ABBA-making Eurovision contest. But that's a shame, because I believe this is one of those times when (as good as Carmen is) the whole is truly greater then the sum of its parts. I think that these four idols should go together to be the Swiss ABBA for a new funky-groovy generation. But, as usual, they didn't ask me.

I managed to get through to the tabulation machine 3 times and plunk down 2.10 in access charges for Carmen. Then I cast a sympathy vote for Danielle, who was apparently the contest's most improved. After some tense moments, the votes were tallied and, as I expected, we kissed perky Danielle goodbye.

Meaning, next week, the final showdown is between Mario, Piero, and Carmen. What ya think? Can good triumph over evil in Switzerland? Will big-boned, power-fruaen triumph over girly-girls (and yes I'm talking about Mario)? Carmen's not your typical MusicStar, and in a popularity contest that has me concerned. It's good for the ratings though. Come next week, you know I'll have a front floor seat in front of that boob tube to see if, just once, the best girl actually wins.
posted by Steve at 2/15/2004 12:02:00 AM

24 Hour High But the real druggy moment of my birthday Saturday occurred while they were still tabulating the MusicStar vote and Swiss Television ran a teaser for the "new" season of "24" (this will be Season 2 in Switzerland). All they did was make that accelerating flashbulb popping theme "song" while they flashed very brief subliminal segments of a yellow timecode read-out - interspersed with more subliminal photos of Jack Bauer and Kim Bauer running around L.A and surrounding environs. That's when I realized that I had a problem. You see my pupils actually dilated (for real), my palms sweated, and my breathing and heart-rate did really strange things - and I shouted "it's coming on". Really it was a Requiem for a Dream moment. "24" is a drug. And not a good drug like Erythromycin, Cialis, or properly prescribed Prozac, but a really bad drug like crack-cocaine or free-based heroin!

I don't even think the writing on "24" is that good. It's only a step above Passions sometimes, but I am definitely hooked. Luckily, I've seen the first two Seasons, and Tivo is faithfully sending the third Season over on tape. Be kind, and don't email me any spoilers - since my Tivo lie over the ocean and the post delay is about 3 weeks (or three hours of "24").

And, while I don't tend to geek out about shows in this kitchen (with notable exceptions), I do just want to say two things about Season 3, while I got you. (1) I can't tell you how glad I am that teenage-hormone condition Kim is safely accounted for at CTU and not running around Gott knows where again. And, (2) from where I sit, three "hours" behind or so, I can't tell you how disappointed I am that the best actress -if not the best character- on Television, Lady BlackBeth (or All-Rush-Limbaugh's-Worse-Nightmares-About-Hillary-Clinton-Come-True) is apparently not going to put in an appearance this Season. Still I guess after last season when she almost started an all out ... oops don't want to spoil it for my Swiss readers ... Still I guess, I can kinda see how it might be hard to work her in after that.

Oh and a question. Just exactly what is Division a division of?

OK. I'm coming down finally. Back to your irregularly scheduled serving of Züri G'schnätzlets next time ...
posted by Steve at 2/15/2004 12:00:00 AM

Today's Frequently Asked Questions - That's a FAQ, Ma'am

Q: DO YOU SMELL LIKE A MONKEY? A: Personally, I don't smell it. But that's what they're saying. Q: DO YOU LOOK LIKE ONE TOO? A: Personally, I don't see it. But that's what they're saying. Q: WHO'S THEY? A: pretty much just my little sister, actually

Q: IS IT YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY?
A: yes, all day... I was born 35 years ago today and maybe tomorrow. Ya see ... there's this whole time zone issue thingy. I was born in the CENTRAL STANDARD TIME ZONE (CUT -6), because I was born in Dallas, TX. But now I live in the MIDDLE EUROPEAN TIME ZONE (CUT +1). So you see if I was born in Dallas at 10.20 pm CST on February 10 then in Zürich it would already be 5.20 am MET on February 11. But, if I was born at 10.20 am in Dallas on February 10, it would still be February 10 in Zürich. Even well below speeds approaching that of light, relativistic international travel gets very confusing.

Q: WHY ARE YOU GEEKING OUT ON 10.20?
A: See, something sticks in my mind that my original birth certificate (which I of course lost 10 minutes after I was living on my own with it in my possession) said I was born at 10.20 pm. And, that means I should celebrate my MET birthday tomorrow on February 11. Which means I can have two birthdays - a CST birthday and an MET birthday. Meanwhile, a new friend the yummy Heinz Edwin, informed me that while I'm an Aquarius (no doubt), I also had Taurus Rising tendencies. (How he knows this I'm not sure ... but I think he's right). But, if I was really born at 10.20 pm, then Scorpio would be rising for me. However, if I was actually born at 10.20 am, then Taurus would indeed be my rising star sign. Is it possible that a pm and an am have been transposed in my memory or on my birth certificate? My replacement birth certificate is no help, because it doesn't list my time of birth. So you see this is an important question. If I was born in the morning my entire life would fall in place astrally, but the price I would pay would cost an extra day to party.

Q: WERE YOU BORN AT NIGHT?
A: That's the whole issue! But, I can at least tell you I wasn't born last night.

Q: DID YOU CELEBRATE TODAY?
A: yes

Q: WITH CAKE AND ICE CREAM?
A: yes, and Nestle-brand Nesquick Chocolate Syrup

Q: AND STRIPPERS?
A: No, but my seamstress, who sewed the best pair of quick velcro release stripper pants I ever owned, came to the party with her adorable baby and husband.

Q: BALLOONS?
A: does Dolly Parton count

Q: AND SCREAMING MOBS OF PEOPLE?
A: Yes ... and singing mobs of people too

Q: A CANDLE OR TWO?
Actually, four... the vanilla scented kind to make sure everything smelled inviting all over the house

Q: HAVE YOU EMBELLISHED ANY DETAILS OF THIS FAQ?
A: How many times do I have to tell you? I NEVER embellish ... though a close perusal of all answers and my astral charts may reveal a minor inconsistency that can be resolved by relativistic international travel approaching the speed of light, so it's NOT an embellishment!



"O bleep Y'all, It's My Birthday" Party
This was the invitation to the small impromptu celebratory gathering I had:

Howdy Y'all,
February 10 is my birthday, and I am making a
spontaneous Birthday party ... it's the "O bleep Y'all,
my birthday" Party ... don't worry, "there's maybe one
small thrill, but there's nothing dirty going on".

To celebrate the birth of this Texas legend ...
we'll have beer, popcorn, pizza ... and the one small
*thrill* of a special DVD movie night screening of
ANOTHER Texas legend "THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN
TEXAS" starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds (E/d)
beginning ca. 8:30!

Sure as shootin', I hope to see ya here!
Steve

I still can't believe they've actually subtitled this masterpiece in German. I kid you not - schmutzige Sachen, machen wir nichts!
posted by Steve at 2/10/2004 11:28:00 PM

I Was Ready for My Close Up! There's been lots going on in the Züri G. kitchen lately ... both literally and virtually. Tivo was here for a two week visit ... in which we did many cool things, but most often we sat around like couch potatoes watching TivoTapes. I have a few interesting things to report, but at the moment not much time. So keep checking back for updates ... Meanwhile, to all of you who've emailed ... I've got quite an email backlog too, but I WILL answer you.

Now as to what's been cooking in the kitchen (literally), nude male art photographer Marco Carocari (think Bruce Weber or, I don't know, that guy that throws the nude pool parties) came over yesterday to take pictures of me in the kitchen for publication. Dear readers, now I know how Claudia Schiffer feels after a hard day's work. (And, unfortunately, I've been so busy watching TivoTapes into the wee hours, that the bags under my eyes had bags.) You can sample some of Marco's work at www.marcocarocari.com (mostly suitable for moms). My readers with a "queer eye" might have already seen his work on his 2004 calendars Couples and Undressed (probably even on sale in Dallas at that silly Crossroads Coffee Shop that was a cool bookstore and most probably not suitable for moms - they are gay nude male art photos). Don't worry moms and everyone else. I didn't drop trou. Long time readers, half of Zürich, and the Slidell,Louisiana postman have seen much more of me then Marco photographed (on this site, at the Streetparade, or pasted to my Christmas package to mom and dad - that last bit was just to goose mom who complained that she didn't want people maybe seeing my Streetparade photos). You could show the pics we made in church. (Yes Amanda, there is a Santa Claus, but I didn't get that hot.)

More as the story ... develops.


It's a Long Shot, but ... Ok, anyone landing on this site before Monday January 12, please go to http://www.fairvue.com/?feature=awards2004 and nominate me for a "bloggie" in as many categories as you want or can (suitable category suggestions are "Best European Weblog", "Best Tagline of a Weblog", "Most Humorous Weblog", "Most Modest Weblog", "Best Kept Secret Weblog", and "Weblog of the Year"). That would be "Nominee: Steve Holyer/Züri G'Schnäzlets - or heck if you're American - just "Steve Holyer / Zuri G'schnatzlets" and "URL: http://steveholyer.blogspot.com".

It's a little hard to figure out the rules, but I think they say you have to nominate at least three unique sites - that's to keep you from just stuffing the ballot for me. If you're not reading any other weblogs may I suggest you also nominate:

Nominee: Dave White / Dave White Knows
URL: http://davewhiteknows.blogspot.com
Categories: "Best American Weblog" (in any other category he might fit, he would compete with me)
(Why you should also nominate him ... he's really cool, hot stuff, and really funny. And the rules say that the weblog has to have been published during at least part of 2003 even if it later dropped off of the face of the earth.)

Nominee: Jase Wells
URL: http://www.jasewells.com
Categories: "Best glbt Weblog" (in any other category he might fit, he would compete with me or Dave White)
(Why you should also nominate him ... you've gotta nominate someone else to nominate me and he's cool, informative, and much smarter than Moby.)
posted by Steve at 1/08/2004 09:27:00 PM

Tivocam Photos by Tivo

posted by Steve at 1/01/2004 05:21:00 AM

My Christmas Card, or, The One With Alfie the Other Christmas Tree On this stille, heilige Nacht and Tag, ich wünsche you and yours and the whole world 'round true peace on Earth and goodwill between all men and women... ... so that we may all truly schlaff' im himmlischer Ruhe.

Do you remember the John Denver and The Muppets Christmas Album and Special? It's one of the best Christmas albums (after Amy's three or four) out there. Can you believe it? John Denver (and Jim Henson?) actually used the show and album as a platform to promote a new-age, humanistic, non-Christian holiday message to impressionable kids all over America. And it's good they did too ... If only more people remembered the message. So in case you've forgotten, or never knew, the story of Alfie the Christmas Tree - who just didn't want to change the show - here it is, the rest of my Christmas thought to you:

Alfie, The Christmas Tree
Listen to me (not John Denver) tell the story (.mp3 - 1 mb)
(it's OK, no-one's eating anything)

Did you ever hear the story of the Christmas tree Who just didn't want to change the show He liked living in the woods and playing with squirrels He liked icicles and snow He liked wolves and eagles and grizzly bears And critters and creatures that crawled Why bugs were some of his very best friends Spiders and ants and all Now that's not to say that he ever looked down On a vision of twinkling lights Or on mirrored bubbles and peppermint canes And a thousand other delights And he often had dreams of tiny reindeer And a jolly old man in a sleigh Full of toys and presents and wonderful things And a story of Christmas Day Oh, Alfie believed in Christmas alright He was full of Christmas cheer All of each and every day And all throughout the year

To him it was more than a special time Much more than a special day It was more than a beautiful story It was a special kind of way You see some folks have never heard a jingle bell ring And they've never heard of Santa Claus They've never heard the story of the Son of God That made Alfie pause Did that mean that they'd never know of peace on Earth Or the Brotherhood of Man Or know how to love, or know how to give? If they can't, no one can You see, life is a very special kind of thing Not just for a chosen few But for each and every living, breathing thing, Not just me and you So in your Christmas prayers this year Alfie asked me, if I'd ask you, to Say a prayer for the wind and the water and the wood And those who live there, too    ---- Words by John Denver

posted by Steve at 12/25/2003 01:50:00 AM

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder Wednesday, December 24, 2003

linked from The uComics Web Site
the self proclaimed "Best Comic Site In The Universe!" - check em out!

posted by Steve at 12/24/2003 05:03:00 PM

Another Very Special Mimeographed Christmas Letter OK. Sometimes I can be a little bit irreverent. But everything in its season ...

I found this letter when I was going through some papers. It's the mimeographed Christmas newsletter that Grandpa Espeland wrote - and that Grandma and Grandpa sent out - 10 years ago. As I mentioned this summer, Grandma Espeland went to receive her crown in heaven, and she will celebrate her first Christmas there in heaven this year. (I've always heard that when you got your crown in heaven you're supposed to turn around and give it back, but if I were Grandma - I'd keep it.)

Grandma had been living with Alzeimer's Disease in a home, that was several hours drive from Grandpa's house, for many years. Grandpa drove many times a week to be with her - and I remember one time when we visited how Grandma's eyes lit up when she saw him - even though she couldn't call many memories of people to the surface. That was one special love all the year around -- and my Grandpa wrote about that love one Christmas - the last Christmas Grandma was living in her and Grandpa's home.

(Don't worry. No-one gets eaten or makes any rude sound-effects in this Christmas letter -- though I do wonder about the "fertile ground" comment.)

---

Dear Friends: Hilde and I haven't gone much this year, we went to Renville, Minn. to see Hilde's Uncle Elmer Sandberg in the Renville home, then onto St. Paul to visit Alice, Hilde's sister in a home there.

Then about 2 months later back again to St. Paul for Alice's funeral.

In Sept. we went to visit Merle and Helen on the farm north of Granite Falls, Minn. Man can Helen ever put out a meal. Yum, Yum, Yum.

This year of 1993 has been a year of memory's, our minds go back to our highschool days and foreward....

On the first day of school in the year 1932, I seen the most desirable girl in the highschool assembly room. Now how was I going to meet this girl? I being green grass as far as girls go, well anyway I sat behind her and kicked her legs under the seat, now it goes without saying I didn't make much of a hit, seeing I also had onions on my breath, also wore a purple sweater.

I tried to date this most desireable girl, she had more excuses why she couldn't go out, "I have a headache", "I have to babysit", "wont be home", "have to work", and it went on and on.

Needless to say I went to greener pastures and dated other girls, but just couldn't forget that most desireable girl. A year later, April 16, 1933, my thoughts again centered on this gal. I wonder how she is, has things changed? I wonder has she run out of excuses?

So in boldness I drove out to her home, hoping and hoping for fertile ground. Her brother Merle was out in the yard, he seen it was that awkward, purple sweater, onion breath guy who had been trying to date his sister.

He run into the house informing this most desireable girl that Maynard was outside.

Now can you believe, she came running out with a smile that would melt an iceberg. From this date and foreward she was my girl, later on July 12th, 1936 this most desireable girl became my wife.

O! I foregot to tell you who this most desireable girl is, well she is now my wife of 57 years, "Hildegard Sandberg".

You know these 57 years have been most productive, with five of the most wonderfull kids you could ever want, then in turn they gave us 13 grandkids, then to this date the grandkids have given us 21 great grandkids.

We are hoping that this letter will find each one of you healthy and happy.

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a good nite.

---- Maynard + Hilde ----

---

posted by Steve at 12/24/2003 12:14:00 AM

A Very Züri Christmas Long before the Züri G'schnäzlets, I emailed out the longer-form Zurich Bericht (which I've long-promised to put on-line ... that's a resolution for 2004). Looking back in my archives, I see I haven't actually written a Zurich Bericht this entire year. I rectified that problem ... and produced the Zurich Bericht Christmas Special. Not only that, but it's an audio message of my favorite Christmas story ... moved like me, to Switzerland.

The Zurich Bericht goes out by email. If you aren't on the mailing list for the Zurich Bericht then drop me an email and request to be put on the list! And, of course, find it on-line here.
posted by Steve at 12/21/2003 09:38:00 PM

S'märklii Update I've been flirting with the nice Oma that works the cash register at the Coop. And she's been slipping me an extra märklii. Which just goes to show ...

... It's the small things in life, isn't it.
posted by Steve at 12/11/2003 09:28:00 PM

Our ever-more popular right-wing parties campaigned against recognizing all religions equally with the campaign "Tax Money for Koran School? Vote No!". Although neither the current law nor the proposed law allows state or federal funds to be used for religious education. HandyCam Photo: Steve Holyer

Medi's From Doctors, Just Not Nice Jewish Ones The Swiss people spoke on Sunday, and they will allow pharmacists and doctors to dispense medication. (Some readers of my previous post thought that the proposed law would require the residents to go to the pharmacy every time they had to pop a pill; perhaps I wasn't so clear - the proposed law would allow doctors to dispense a full course of medication to sick patients in order to save them a trip to the pharmacy. Switzerland is one of the least socialized countries in Europe and isn't going to get into the business of handing out individual doses of medication three times a day.) But doctor's in faith-based clinics won't get government assistance to dispense those pills if they aren't good Christians. You see there was also an initiative on the ballot that would require the government to recognize Jewish, Islamic and other religious groups as state religions. Currently the state only recognizes Roman Catholic, Old-Order Catholic, and Protestant organizations as state religions. When you register as a resident of a neighborhood in Zurich, you have to declare your faith. Then, a portion of your taxes are sent to your faith's church. Thing is Judaism and Islam-ism (not to mention Seventh Day Advent-ism or other -isms) aren't recognized as faiths. The current law (and the defeated proposed-law) requires that any government monies received by a recognized church organizations must be used for social services (this includes, I think, member weddings and funerals) - in other words "Faith-based Initiatives". Using the funds for religious education is expressly prohibited,and there is a very long process a group from a recognized faith must go through to receive the government funds. This did not stop the right-wing parties from launching a "keep the state church Christian campaign" (my words) against the initiative. The campaign consisted of posters saying "Tax Money for Koran School? Vote No" and other attempts to say that the voters shouldn't vote to fund non-Christian religious education. Both confusing the issue, and implying that tax money for Bible school is OK.

The result of the vote (which was pretty strongly against recognizing non-Catholic/non-Protestant groups) will probably lead some of the non-recognized religions to take their case (which now looks like religious discrimination) to the Swiss courts. (I haven't heard anyone bring up the PR disaster of a group of German-speaking people refusing to recognize Jews - so far be it from me to mention it.) The Swiss courts, according to the Swiss press I read, are likely to eventually rule that the Church and State must be separated and then government funding of faith-based organizations will stop.

It's funny, that Switzerland has never had separation of Church and State and it has always been one of the first guarantees of the United States of America. Until now. Zürich's refusal to recognize all faith-based organizations equally may lead to greater Separation of Church and State, while I see (thanks to Tivo) that Mr. Bush was in Dallas recently to celebrate his own efforts to join Church and State. And where did he celebrate? He celebrated from the pulpit of an old-time religion Christian church. The Swiss have now at least tacitly acknowledged that when tax monies are going to faith-based programs then faith-based groups can potentially use tax money to promote their faith. But then that puts the government into the business of deciding which faiths' efforts are valid and worthwhile to promote and which ones are not. The Swiss government has always been in that business and may soon be forced out of it. And President Bush is pulling the US government into that business. That's something to think about. It's a slippery slope ... a slippery slope.

more facts:
this initiative is on a kantonal (or state) level
in Kanton Zürich
Kanton Zürich has one of the more conservative church/state laws

Zürich's law (and the proposed law) require churches receiving money:
... be democratically organized
... prohibit foreigners from joining the church as a voting-member

other German-speaking Kantons currently recognize some other faiths such as Judaism
only a few of the French-speaking Kantons (i.e. Geneva) recognize all faiths equally

read more about it: www.swissinfo.org

Martyr's Mirror On the Wall ... Meanwhile, when I registered, I declared that I was konfessionslos which means none of my tax money is earmarked for a specific church (and that I will have to pay extra to be married, or buried, in Switzerland). I figured it was the Mennonite thing to do. ... I also go down to the government building on the Limmat each payday, shake my fist up at the twin towers of the Grossmuenster Cathedral, and cry - "You won't baptize me Reformed Church of Switzerland ... you, you - ZWINGLI-ists!" So far no-one has shown up to drown me in the river, though lately I've noticed some men in white coats watching me.
posted by Steve at 12/09/2003 09:10:00 PM

I've attempted to leave this blog in the state it was in early 2006 as a historical artifact, but Google broke my original Archive page. What you see above is a quick reconstruction to rebuild some archive functionality without altering the original blog layout (or researching too deeply into Blogspot).

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