Via Beatta--the Blessed Way

That extra hour that comes with the autumn "fall back" is something I look forward to.  Even though I know it comes with early darkness, leafless trees, and the chill and snow of winter.  This year, I remembered to change all of the clocks and devices  that don't automatically adjust.  Well, all but my car clock that takes two or three tries to stick.     So, the first morning of Central Standard Time was, of course, a Sunday, my early day.  Still up early, but that extra hour felt luxurious.  Then came Monday. A day that I can take my time. Sleep in just a bit.  What was that sound wrenching me out of my slumber?  Ah, my cat.      Ms. Maggie is not noisy.  She doesn't often speak.  And when she does, it is with a soft voice, just a small interval above the middle range.  But this morning, that voice is insistent.  What?  I roll over, head under the pillow. That seems to work for a while, or maybe my snoring blocks the meows.  Soon, though, I rise out of the sleepy

The world is remembering this week the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  It made me recall that just 10 months later, I was in Germany during Reunification Day, a national holiday with broadcasts from Berlin.  I was only in Bavaria, but everyone was out in the countryside riding bicycles or hiking.  Even though I didn't speak or understand German, I could enjoy the historic and festive spirit.  Here are some remembrances of the trip: "The Rule" was simple.  If my sons did a semester abroad, Mom got to go visit.  So, as soon as #1 son's travel information began to arrive and deposits were paid, I began to talk about making some of my own.  It would be my first international trip--to Salzburg Austria--and I didn't really know where to start.  It was then that my mother tossed out a wild idea:  "why don't you take your father with you?" He had never been outside the U.S. either, even when he served in the Army Air Corps and expected to