December 25, 2025 – Christmas

We have hd a lovely evening at a friend’s house yesterday and found out that none of us know how to play pool. let alone win a game. Today it’s Christmas albeit with a little less excitement than we had a few years ago. It’s all smooth sailing and our steaks for lunch are taking priority over gifts.

November 25th, 2025 – Port of Hamburg

The port is actually a tourist attraction albeit also serving as a working port. Hamburg has always been an international city due to the many sailors who have passed through over the centuries. I am here for a private tour of the actual port, which is absolutely astonishing. You normally don’t get a behind the scenes view of the largest cargo terminal. Love every minute of it.

November 24th, 2025 – Malte & Lotte in Stendal

Just a quick two-day visit to see Malte and Lotte in Stendal. It was great fun as always and I saw the first snow of the year on a trip to the forrest. We had a fantastic dinner with lots of wine and good conversation. Most of the images are not mine, which is why you occasionally see me in them.

November 21st, 2025 – Krefeld

Back to Germany for one last visit to the house. It’s strange when you leave a familiar place behind. The house is incredibly beautiful and it’s soon just a memory.  Some last photos.

August 12th, 2025 – Museums

Lots of art this week. Margo and I went to the DMA on Saturday and then on Sunday Arno accompanied me to the Fort Worth Modern. All of them are in-between shows so we took in the permanent collections. It was great to get out and we had lots of fun talking.

May 26th, 2025 – Family

Lots going on and we’re just hanging out around the house. Austin came by for a visit and everyone’s ready for the long Texas summer.

May 24th, 2025 – Kimbell

Arno and I went to the Kimbell to check out the exhibition on German Art between 1910 and 1945, which was obviously a period of wares and upheaval in Europe. The show is well curated and several artists that my Mom had known personally such as Emile Node and Georg Muche were represented. In fact Muche, who taught at the Bauhaus for several years, was one of her most influential teachers at the School for  Textile Engineering in the early 1950s.

April 26th, 2025 – Fredericksburg

We had our annual Johanniter Convocation in Fredericksburg, TX this weekend. The town is a tourist destination because of the many wineries around and there are lots of great food options. It is always amazing how many interesting and genuinely nice people I meet at these events.

April 12th, 2025 – An Art Fair and a Gun Range

The weekend was excitingly busy. It started with a visit to the Dallas Art Fair, although there wasn’t much to report on. Later, we went for BBQ, downtown and the gun range. It was great fun and we had a couple of great shooters in the mix.

April 5th, 2025 – Visiting Dallas

You never really experience the place where you live until you have to show it to someone else. Henk and Susanne are in town for two weeks and we’re making the rounds through the usual spots. It’s a lot of fun to see them here and we’ve gotten quite drunk on Saturday albeit without photos.

March 6th, 2025 – In the City

Today I am meeting John and Nancy for lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central. It’s always an opportunity to walks the streets for a few hours.

March 5th, 2025 – Brooklyn

I spent a few days with John and Nancy to pick up the astonishing photographs of Alfred Schwartz, who was Nancy’s Dad. We shipping everything to Texas and I will post scans of the 1950s though 90s imgaes here over time. Stay tuned. First, a couple of shots on the street.

If the images of Alfred have taught me one thing already, it is to be far more selective in what I post here. Up to now, my images are often documents of something we have done or seen. However, now that the kids are out of the house, I can be a lot more selective. Hopefully the quality of images goes up by quite a bit.

February 15th, 2025 – Austin’s Christmas

We have hd a lovely evening at a friend’s house yesterday and found out that none of us know how to play pool. let alone win a game. Today it’s Christmas albeit with a little less excitement than we had a few years ago. It’s all smooth sailing and our steaks for lunch are taking priority over gifts.

February 1st, 2025 – Downtown

Margo gave me a lunch and nice afternoon for Christmas and we finally got an opportunity to go out. The weather was a balmy 22C and ot seemed like everyone else had the same idea. It took a whuile to even find parking, but once we had that covered it was absolutely brilliant.​

January 9th, 2025 – Closing the Shop

We’re spending our last night in the house and it’s unlikely that we will ever set foot in it again. Given that it’s been my homebase for close to 50 years, it all feels a bit surreal. A reminder that we don’t actually own the things we have. We’re just looking after them for a while. These last few days have also given us more opportunities to roam and explore.

January 3rd, 2025 ​- The Move

We’re goping to fill an entire 40ft container although close to half of it will be taken up by the old BMW. The movers were incredibly fast and efficient. Now it’s just a few weeks before all of this has to find a place in our house.

December 31st, 2024 – Germany

We had a few opportunities to go out and have some fun. Cologne, Duesseldorf and more than a few dinners with Henk and Susanne including for New Years. It was a lot of fun despite the daily sorting, packing and discarding. One of the things we learned was that Henk is a phenomenal cook. All I am hearing from Arno and Margo these days is that my own cooking is lacking quite a bit after tasting his. : )

December 3rd, 2024 – Krefeld

I arrived at the house today to begin the long process of sorting through everything. There is way more stuff than we can take and a lot of it isn’t going to fit into our home in Texas. Here are a few images before we have to tear up the place.

November 16th, 2024 – Korea Town

Margo and I had an itch for Galbi and Gymchi and thus headed over to Korea town for lunch and a few bobas. In fact, we tested two best places side by side to setle which one is better. Confusingly, they were both great in that one had better boba while the other made more versatile concoctions. Nothing was resolved, but we were left quite full and satisfied nonetheless.

November 10th, 2024 – Fort Worth

Quick trip to downtown Fort Worth and the Modern. We had initially planned to have lunch there, but got distracted by a Cajun place in the city. Great food and the right preparation for the museum. The exhibit was an astonishing architectural installation by Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe.

November 9th, 2024 – DMA & Deep Ellum

Arno and I were bachelors this weekend and lived it up in style. We went downtown, mainly to catch a fabulous lunch at Mercat, but also to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit once more.  We finished our exploits with a walk through Deep Ellum which was lively and busy to say the least.

October 10th, 2024 – Arno’s Birthday

It was really nice to celebrate Arno’s birthday together once again this year. As is customary, there were a lot of clothing items which always hit the spot. We went for a nice dinner and toasted to many great years to come.

September 29th, 2024 – The Weekend

First time everyone was back at the house. It’s been great to see Margo and Arno, and I am sure they enjoyed being pampered a bit, certainly having a doting mother around. We just ate very well, which pretty much sums up the two days. It was great fun and we shall do it again in two weeks when we celebrate Arno’s birthday.

September 8th, 2024 – Meredith’s Birthday

It’s the first time we have celebrated without Margo and Arno in a good while. 18 years really. We had a great day, visited the Frida Kahlo exibit at the DMA and then had an early dinner at the Egyptian Room. All around very nice and relaxing.

August 15th, 2024 – Oldenburg

Finally had a chance to visit Nils in Oldenburg again and took it. It was great to see him and had a load of fun as we always do.

July 28th, 2024 – Liz & David

Liz and David came over with their kids for a pizza lunch, We made a full eight pizze and they were pretty much gone, which is an accomplishment. It was a very nice afternoon and we truly enjoyed their company.

July 14th, 2024 – Austin’s Birthday

It was a belated birthday gathering this year since Austin’s birthday really was several weeks ago. We just didn’t find a time to get together. It was fun though and we had good food as well as plenty of good laughs.

June 23rd, 2024 – Shopping

We went to the mall today so that the girls could check a couple of things such as building a teddy bear, getting gifts for friends and looking for sneakers off their list. Mission accomplished.

June 21th, 2024 – Rodeo

Given that Lara is staying with us, a trip to Cowboy Coliseum was in order. Except for Meredith, none of us had actually ever been at a rodeo and thus we were all very excited to go. The show was great and we saw plenty of very tough guys being thrown off bulls and horses. There was lots of lassoing and cattle wrestling as well. Everything we had hoped to see.

June 16th, 2024 – Fort Worth

We took a road trip to Fort Worth for a walk in downtown and Sundance Square before heading to the Modern and Kimbell for a relaxed day with lots of great art and some good food as well.

June 8th, 2024 – Downtown

Just popped into downtown for a quick morning walk and a few snapshots.

June 3rd, 2024 – On the Street

Last day. We are flying out tonight and took a long walk up to Tiffany’s before heading out.The city is interesting because of its people and there’s never a shortage of interesting characters.On the way back Margo and I got out reader cards at the New York public library, which is usually the best souvenir to bring back. It’s hard to say Good-Bye, as always.

June 2nd, 2024 – Coney Island, Brooklyn and Downtown

We’ve covered a long distance today and took a bus through Brooklyn to Ciney Island, which was a long ride but totally worth it. It’s a completely different New York and people actually are normal as opposed to beautiful and fashionable. Of course, we had a Nathan’s hot dog, before coming back to downtown and walking over the bridge to Brooklyn again. We finished our last full day in style with a very nice steak & frites at Pastis.

June 1st, 2024 – Upper East, Upper West

First time we took the subway other than getting here from the airport. All the way up to East 90th on the 4 train, and into the Guggenheim and the Neue Gallerie. We had a fabulous lunch at Cafe Sabarsky and then moved on to the Met, which was way too busy. Through Central Park we went and landed in the Museum of Natural History. Another train to downtown and the ICP and then a brisk walk back to the apartment. Four museums in one day.

May 31th, 2024 – Whitney Biennale

Today was all about modern art. The Whitney is naturally one of the most interesting buildings in the city, and their Biennale has been their staple for close to 100 years. There were way more artworks than we expected and not all of them on the same level. Yet. some were just amazing. We also got another 20,700 steps in, which is on par with the last two days.

May 30th, 2024 – Chelsea and MoMa

Long day and lots of walking. We probably walked close to ten miles and covered the High Line, Chelsea, and Midtown. An excellent lunch with Nancy and John at the Oyster Bar. Then on to MoMa for an immersion in the past hundred years of painting and sculpture, back to Flatiron for a shot break and then up to Times Square for the Alicia Keys musical Hells Kitchen on Broadway. We’ve been busy to put it mildly.

May 29th, 2024 – New York

Margo and I flew to New York today for a long weekend, good food, some shopping (accomplished by now), museums and Broadway. It’s great fun to be back in the city and feels like not much has changed. There certainly are few places where you can survey as much as you do here. People are very individualistic, typically have a lot of character, and don’t mind at all being photographed.

May 25th, 2024 – Margo’s Graduation

Has it really been 18 years? Today Margo walked across teh stage to receive her High School diploma. She’s finished near the top of her class, already completed two years of college courses, and was accepted into the University of North Texas. In just a few months she’ll be living in a dorm at the Honors College and begin her own life.  I can’t tell you how proud we are of her. Well done Margo!

May 4th, 2024 – Margo’s Birthday Party

We didn’t really have time to celebrate Margo’s birthday properly during the week. Instead, she invited her best friends for Korean BBQ and a visit to a karaoke room afterwards. Of course, we missed the signing, but I am told it was enormous fun. I’ve thrown in a few photos that I took while we were waiting towards the end.

April 27th, 2024 – Festival of Joy

Margo and I went to the DMA only to discover that there was a huge Indian festival going on in the park. We really enjoyed the buzzing crowd, where everyone had lots of fun and was somehow busy doing something. Every now and then it’s really nice to forget that you’re in North Texas.

April 14th, 2024 – Margo’s Graduation Pictures

Typically when you graduate from high school, you send out cards to friends and family. We took well over 200 shots this mornings and then whittled it down to six which was really hard.  Margo look amazing in many of them. Anyway, here is a selection.

March 31st, 2024 – Easter

We celebrated Easter with Alex, Emilia and Massimo this year. This gave Margo a chance to hone her babysitting skills a little bit and it was just incredibly cute to see Emilia explore the house. Great reminder of how it was with Margo and Arno not too long ago. I miss those days.

March 19th, 2024 – Traveling (Again)

This was a very short trip and it blew by in no time. Unfortunately, we did not have any time to see local friends or visit with Malte and Charlotte in Stendal. Next time…

March 16th, 2024 – Duesseldorf

At some point during every trip we end up on the Koenigsallee in Duesseldorf. Don’t ask me how, but somehow we all have a honing beacon that sets us on the right course. Margo had already bought a whole bunch of stuff at Zara and now it was Arno’s turn to get a really nice pair of Chukka boots and some shirts.

March 13th, 2024 – Dinner with Susanne & Henk

We’ve had a few nights to get the jet lag out of our system and met with Susanne and Henk this evening for a wonderful steak that he prepared to perfection. It was all great fun and is always really refreshing to get together.

March 9th, 2024 – Traveling

Margo and I flew t Germany to visit with my Mom and also to keep Arno company on the way back. She’s an absolute pro by now and knows the ins-and-outs of international travel like the back of her hand. It was great to finally arrive.

February 5th, 2024 – Vegas

A conference, a couple of days, and a crazy city. Everyone was getting ready for Superbowl and there wasn’t a lot a time to walk or shoot.

January 14th, 2024 – Antonio’s

It’s really nice to have Arno at home and feels like we are a family again. Not that that’s missing when he’s gone, but there just is a part that isn’t there. We went to Antonio’s in Addison, which is probably the best Italian in town and a joint that I frequented with regularity when I lived in an apartment above the restaurant. Oh, and we had snow. Not a big deal for the rest of the world, but in Texas…

December 31st, 2023 – New Years

We had a wonderful evening with Marilyn and Juergen and certainly celebrated the New Year in style. Arno won the best dressed award as he does every time while Margo got the most beautiful prize. And what do I get? Don’t think there are any awards elevating mediocre culinary skill.

December 25th, 2023 – Christmas Day

Round two. We celebrated the American Christmas this morning and exchanged gifts. As always there were a lot of clothes, some shoes, and books. Arno and Margo were both extremely thoughtful with their  gifts and we’ve all been surprised. We finished the day with a nice dinner as we usually do.

December 24th, 2023 – Heilig Abend

Time-honed traditions tend to bring back memories. We have always celebrated Christmas twice at our house given that we run a half German and half American outfit. Everyone will get their German presents on Christmas Eve, or Heiligabend, and the American ones on Christmas Day as is the respective local tradition. I am pretty sure that the kids thought they’d get more presents this way when they were younger. Now it is just reason to have two outstanding dinners in a row. Austin typically joins us for the occasion as well and it was fun to see him, as always.

December 23rd, 2023 – Arno’s Shoes

Fun project and quite possibly a weird sensation for Arno as he gets older. We still have a box full of Arno’s kid shoes and I’ve been wanting to photograph them for a while now. The idea is to document his maturing process a little bit through something that he carried with him where ever he went. So many experiences have been had and memories were made in these shoes. We set up the studio today to capture them. They will be framed for the dining room now.

December 21th, 2023 – Germany

I spent a few days in Germany to see my Mom and visit old friends. Arno got out of his school for Christmas as well and we flew home together. It was great to see the place where he now lives and meet some of his friends. Before heading back we visited Hamburg for business meetings and to explore the city a bit. Our first stop was the venerable Cafe Paris, where we just barely got a table (the maitre d’hotel really checked us out before making a favorable decision) and, of course, the Kunsthalle nearby.

August 20th, 2023 – Motherwell

Margo and I are holding down the fortress at the moment while Meredith and Arno are in Germany to get him situated at the new school. We decided to visit Fort Worth this morning for an early lunch and the current Robert Motherwell exhibition. It was truly phenomenal and well worth the trip.

August 12th, 2023 – Last Weekend

This was our last weekend before Arno moves to Germany to attend an incredible boarding school on the island of Spiekeroog in the North Sea. We were all happy and sad, nostalgic and excited, and quite possibly a bit through the wind. This has been a long time coming and we have all started to process his move in our own ways.

July 23rd, 2023 – Walk in the Park

We took some time this afternoon for a quick run to the park. Arno and I had been dying to go for a photo shoot for weeks, but work somehow always got in the way. Well, this was our chance and we had a ton of fun. Arno took one of my older cameras, which was also good practice for his year abroad and I went with the Monochrome.

July 1st, 2023 – Dinner with Henk and Susanne

It is always fun to go to Susanne and Henk’s house. They are excellent cooks and always gracious hosts. We have also been friends for most of our lives so that catching up is great fun. I brought my Mom to see their newly built home on the next morning as well. It is located right next to a forest, has a stunning, very modern architecture and fantastic interior design.

May 17th, 2023 – Meeting Astro

I received an invite to try out Amazon’s new home robot Astro as a beta version and quickly jumped on it. It’s not every day that you get to try new home technology before it goes on sale to the public. Expectations were running high and we were all excited when it finally showed up at our door. The unit looks great and was easy enough to set up. Everyone had to make poses in front of the cameras so that Astro could recognize us later. We quickly found that the applications are very limited though. I could not get useful information while cooking, news were severely limited and video streaming off the table. Astro ultimately only stayed for a few days and will have surely found a new home by now.

April 29th, 2023 – Margo’s Birthday

This year we had no choice but to celebrate Margo’s birthday a few days early. It was a really nice dinner followed by opening gifts from everyone. It’s crazy when I think about it. This is her 17th birthday. The very first one feels like yesterday and I still remember many little details from the day she was born.

Mar 20th, 2023 – Cookie Monster

The following does not require a comment, obviously. Suffice it to say that this was not staged. Things like that actually happen in our home.

Mar 19th, 2023 – Product Shoot

I rarely get the opportunity to make photos that serve a purpose beyond this site. Thus, it was a lot of fun to capture product shots for Carl’s new jeans company. The light was great and there is always a lot to see in the workshop.

Mar 12th, 2023 – Downtown

Lazy Sunday. We had to break the routine and get out of our shell. So we traveled downtown, took in the Nasher and then walked around the park for  bit. There was a lot going on between a flee market and the regular food trucks. Routine disrupted, I’d say.

Feb 18th, 2023 – Dinner with Adrienne and Joe

It’s been a relaxed and pleasant evening. We started early to make Schnitzel which turned out alright. However, as always, the fun was in the company and we had a great time together.

Feb 4th, 2023 – Dinner & Wine

Tonight was Margo’s first experience with wine. We wanted to make sure that happens in a safe environment, of course, given that it will happen no matter what. While we were at it, why not begin the journey with a Lafite. She’ll surely discover the other end of the spectrum by herself. Meredith had bought four steaks and we made a phenomenal relish, if I may say so, to round out the experience.

Jan 15th, 2023 – Rückenbild

When artists paint a figure from behind, this is called a Rückenbild because it shows the person’s back. The intent, of course, is to put the viewer into the position of the person depicted. Today, we had a few of those and we were busy. Two fantastic exhibitions at the DMA, then a stroll through the park, and a BBQ dinner in the Bishops Art District.

Dec 25th, 2022 – Christmas

It was time for our American celebration. I had to wake Margo and Arno up with a loud doze of Depeche Mode on the stereo at 10:30am this morning, which hasn’t happened ever before. They are growing up fast. We had a wonderful day, exchanged many gifts and ate far more than we should have. Can’t say we could’ve done it any better.

Dec 24th, 2022 – Weihnachten

Per our tradition, we celebrated the German Christmas with Austintonight. He helped me to make dinner before we opened the first batch of presents.

Dec 16th, 2022 – Henk & Susanne

I had a chance to visit with Henk and Susanne in Krefeld. They are building a new house at the moment, which is incredible and beautiful. After walking around the site for a while, we sat down to eat and talk until midnight.

Dec 4th, 2022 – Carl’s Atelier

Arno and I went to Carl’s atelier today to take a couple of shots for his website. His process is amazing and the bespoke jeans he creates are second to none. Of course, we were also able to confirm what we had known all along, namely that Arno makes for a very good model.

Nov 24th, 2022 – Thanksgiving

We’ve had a really nice Thanksgiving with friends from Germany, enjoyed a wonderful Greenberg Turkey thanks to Joe, and Arno nearly had more beer than I did.

Oct 15th, 2022 – KImbell

Spur of the moment decision. We haven’t been to the museums in Fort Worth for a long time. Margo needs to analyze four paintings for school and thus we went. The permanent collection is still incredible and we saw a highly interesting exhibition of Murillo.

Oct. 10th, 2022 – Arno’s Birthday

Funny fourteen. We celebrated Arno’s birthday with a Schnitzel dinner on the night before and a hearty breakfast since he would not be home until later in the evening. It was fun to watch him as he unwrapped everything. He got new furniture for his room, so the rest of  the presents were not as elaborate this time around.

Sept. 8th, 2022 – Meredith’s Birthday

Knowing that she likes to read fiction, suspense and murder mystery, we gave Meredith a years’ worth of books for her birthday and hid the other presents inside of the pile. Dinner was a perfect steak & frites with peppercorn sauce.

Sept. 1st, 2022 – Couple of Shots

Just a few snapshots over the past month of so. Dinner or lunch and signing books for Meredith.

Aug 19th, 2022 – Frankfurt

I went back to Germany for a few business meetings and to pick up Arno who had spent an incredible summer with Charlotte and Malte in Stendal and Karlsbad. We took some time to explore Frankfurt, take in an exhibition at the Schirn Kunsthalle and then proceeded to the airport for a few hours of sleep ahead of our flight home.

Aug 8th, 2022 – Quick Dash to the DMA

With Meredith and Margo in New York and Arno exploring Karlsbad in Czechoslovakia, I had some time to dash off to the DMA for an hour of roaming around in the museum. There was a huge line at the entrance due to crowd control and bus loads of people inside. But it was totally worth it and nice to roam through the permanent collection.

July 10th, 2022 – Frankfurt

Our last night in Frankfurt; this time without Arno who is staying in Stendal for five weeks. All of us were sad that the trip is over again and it would have been great to spend a bit more time in Krefeld and Stendal. Of course, the prospect of sleeping in our own beds again is what drove us home. The return trip was uneventful and smooth.

July 9th, 2022 – In the Forest

Today we went into the forest for a BBQ. The kids were able to run through the woods and explore while we had a chance to sit back and relax. It was a perfect day with lots of sunshine.

July 8th, 2022 – Stendal

It was great to see Malte and Charlotte again after a long break due to Covid. Arno will stay for the summer and is surely going to grow up in spades. The kids all get along and there is much horsing around going on at all times. Most important, he can run around as much as he wants to in Germany and, unlike in the US, kids play outside a lot. It’s going to be a really exciting experience for him and he certainly could not be in a better family.

July 6th, 2022 – Duesseldorf

Meredith and Margo went to their annual haircut in Duesseldorf, which gave Arno and me a chance to roam the city. We went into the museum, walked along the Koenigsallee, had a fabulous Korean lunch and picked up the girls several hours later. In the evening we met Marcus and Christine for dinner.

July 5th, 2022 – Cologne

Everyone needed to get out of the house for a change and we finally found a car. Cologne was a natural choice to visit the Ludwig Museum, built on a chocolate fortune and one of the largest private collections of Picassos,which had a fascinating Noguchi exhibition. Lunch at Frueh, as we always do, and then dinner with Henk and Susanne in Krefeld. It was great to see them both and we spend several hours just talking.

July 3rd, 2022 – Krefeld

Finally here! We still did not have a car and were thus bound to what could be reached on foot in a reasonable amount of time. We spent most of the day at home and met Torsten for dinner in the city park.

July 1st, 2022 – Longest Day

We left DFW the evening before, flew through the night and arrived in Frankfurt the next morning. After standing in line at the rental car counter  for two hours, we gave up and took a train instead to arrive in Krefeld by afternoon where it took another hour or so to even find a cab driver willing to take us. Everyone crashed early and slept heavy.

June 18th, 2022 – Couple of Shots

It’s been a long time that I have had the opportunity to go out and just roam around with the camera. Obviously, still a bit rusty after years of not being on the street, but it’s fun nonetheless.

June 12th, 2022 – BBQ

We finally had a chance to go back to our favorite BBQ. Happy faces all around.

May 28th, 2022 – First Swim

It’s been pretty warm outside for the last few weeks and we decided that it is time for a proper swim. The water was still bitter cold, at least for my taste, but we hd a lot of fun goofing around in the pool. Afterwards we went for an ice cream at Eataly and then started to cook … of course.

May 22nd, 2022 – Austin’s Birthday

Austin’s birthday is still two days off, but this was our only opportunity to celebrate with him. Per his request, we made schnitzel for dinner and then gave him our gifts.

May 17th, 2022 – Arno’s Concert

Arno is playing the sax in the school band this year and they performed for peers and parents. The concert was really well organized and everyone played beautifully. It was great fun all around.

May 2nd, 2022 – Margo’s Birthday

Margo turned 16 this year. Can you believe it? It was a week day and we did not really have a chance to celebrate much. Margo did so with good friends on the following weekend, but cameras naturally weren’t allowed when she met them.

Apr. 20th, 2022 – Friends

We invited several good friends over this month and are truly glad to be social again. Ben, Minoo and their kids came over for a schnitzel while we made pizza, and had quite a bit of wine, with Adrienne and Joe.

Apr. 4th, 2022 – Fort Worth Modern

We finally found the time to do something together outside of the house. I have sent the last four years focused on work and only that in building up a startup. Everything else naturally suffered and amplified due to the pandemic. Now that we seem to be getting back to normal, it was high time to pack everyone in the car and do something.

Mar. 26th, 2022 – Juergen & Marilyn (Photos by Margo)

Juergen and Marilyn came over for Alsatian Tarte Flambe and Margo took on the camera. Her images are really, rally good and show so much talent. She experiments a fair amount, but also gets the people right, catches everyone at good moments and her framing is neat and composed. I could not be prouder of her.

Feb. 9th, 2022 – San Fran

I am teaching a workshop on blockchain in San Fran this week and had a few moments to sneak out to shoot. The city is fascinating because of its diversity and energy. Where else can you go from rags to riches faster than here? Our venue was in the heart of the city and just a perfect location to work for a week.

Jan. 15th, 2022 – The Tailor

Barbara and Hans-Walter invited us over for a great dinner and we got a tour of a true startup. With dozens of old sowing machines in one of their garages, their son is building a jeans manufacture that is absolutely fascinating. The jeans look really good and everything is made to measure. Can’t wait to put my first order in.

Dec. 30th, 2021 – Beef Jerky

We all sat down to prepare a special salad for New Years that requires making our own beef jerky and that in turn requires  lot of work on everyone’s part. It was a lot of fun to come together though.

Dec. 25th, 2021 – Christmas

We all took it easy on Christmas Day. Of course, we had a few people in the family who wanted to get to the presents part of the day quickly. We obliged and there were lots of presents to go around as every year.

Dec. 24th, 2021 – Weihnachten

We had a very nice Christmas Eve with Austin, as we do every year. Arno helped greatly in the kitchen and also gave us an impromptu solo on his sax. At some point people did not want to be photographed any more. I must have overdone it. Wonder how …

Dec. 16th, 2021 – Germany

Just a quick visit with Mom. Things are still not normal and pandemic testing is still required, but at least not all stores were closed. I met my first real boss in Cologne for breakfast after 26 years of communicating virtually!

Nov. 17th, 2021 – Saxophone

Arno started to play the sax two months ago and has gotten pretty good by now. He gave an impromptu concert tonight and even improvised for us.

Nov. 8th, 2021 – Mavs Game

Arno’s friend Freddy invited him to a Mavs game, which was great fun. We hadn’t been to a sports even in ages and Arno is their biggest fan. Great atmosphere and  a win at home. We could not have asked for more.

Oct. 1oth, 2021 – Arno’s Brthday

Arno invited his two best friends over for a night of gaming and movies before we celebrated his birthday in style. He now has a really cool setup for his MacBook and can surely hack into any system by now. Dinner naturally involved our favorite Hong Kong dumpling joint.

Sept. 8th, 2021 – Meredith’s Birthday

We celebrated Meredith’s birthday this week and had a lot of fun with it. Margo and I gave her a bracelet and shawl respectively. However, Arno had the idea to make her favorite food, Dibbelabbes, for her. He bought the ingredients with his own money and then out each in its own gift wrapping so that he could hide them throughout the house. Each gift contained a card with a clue as to where the next one might be. It was all great fun and delicious, too. On Sunday Austin joined us for lunch to celebrate as well.

Aug. 12th, 2021 – Out and About

We are truly enjoying the freedom from the pandemic at the moment and grab every bit of normal life from eating in restaurants to going back to the museums. Everyone is still getting started and things are far from normal, of course, but it’s nice to experience the illusion of normalcy for a bit.

July 18th, 2021 – Couple of Shots

Just a couple of shots from the past two weeks …

July 4th, 2021 – Summer Is Here

It took longer than usual for temperatures to come up to Texas summer levels and thus we had only been in the pool once for our first swim. In any case, we are enjoying the summer and also ability to go about our lives as we always have. Last night we had an excellent fondue thanks to Margo’s help in the kitchen.

May 27th, 2021 – Victory Lap

End of the school year! Margo and Arno received their scorecard and things are looking up. Both recorded straight As in every class, so it was time to celebrate and take the victory lap. By popular choice we ended up at Maggiano’s where Bonnie, Margo’s godmother, joined us for an eventful, funny and hilarious dinner naturally followed by an Italian ice cream.

May 22nd, 2021 – DMA

It’s back to normal. Can’t tell you how many cars there were on the road today. Loads of them. Arno and I determined that we should pay a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art and thus we went. The exhibits were as good as always, there were lots of people and you could tell that everyone isstilla bit jitterish about what to do or how to conduct themselves. It was great fun though and we completed the tour with a tremendous milkshake from Wild About Harry’s.

May 21st, 2021 – First Swim

It was a bit late this year, but we, well Arno, finally got the first swim in. We were told that the water is still cold and that that’s just fine, but for obvious reasons no one dared to follow suit. Can’t wait for the temperatures to come up a bit …

May 2nd, 2021 – Margo’s Birthday

Our little girl turned 15. I am still wondering how it all happened so fast. It seems like yesterday that I saw her for the first time at the hospital and now she’s a teenager who will learn to drive pretty soon. It was a good day and Margo truly enjoyed her presents. Knowing that she would get a pair of Doc Martin’s, she even came prepared to put them on right away. Austin came over as well and we all made Saltimbocca for dinner.

May 1st, 2021 – Preparations and a Korean Dinner

The last couple of days were spent in anticipation fo Margo’s birthday. Tonight we went to our favorite Korean place to celebrate leaving the 14s and gradually entering the 15s.

Apr 22nd, 2021 – Ballpark

Gerard had invited Chris and me to a tour of the new ballpark in Arlington, which was interesting. Due to the pandemic the Rangers are just now starting to use the facility. It was certainly nice to take the camera out again as well.

Apr 10th, 2021 – Dinner with Chris & Mario

We had been planning to get together for a long time, but, as for everyone, things shut down of course. Mario celebrated his birthday last week and I still had an old debt to Chris for providing invaluable medical advice when I first caught COVID last year. Thus, we made good, old-fashioned schnitzel and cucumber salad followed by a big (procured) pie.

Apr 9th, 2021 – Fashion Show

Meredith and Margo went an what can only be described as an epic shopping spree. Of course, Margo looks stunning in her new clothes, which worries me a great deal. Anyway, we took a few snapshots and had loads of fun in the process.

Mar 30th, 2021 – Dallas Arboretum

Hans-Walter and Barbara invited us to the Arboretum tonight for a member-only event with music, wine and food. People were still socially distancing, however, the whole experience felt really normal again. Something we hadn’t experienced for 14 months. It was a nice glimpse into what normal life will soon be like again.

Mar 27th, 2021 – Birthday Dance

Margo had choreographed a dance for my birthday, but ran into the typical production delays that often plague creative work. It was finally ready to be performed tonight, which spurred Arno into  an impromptu performance to the same music as well. It was lovely to watch and I certainly feel honored.

Mar 19th, 2021 – Couple of Shots

More family life. Today Margo and I cooked for a couple of hours. We will have friends over tomorrow and needed to prepare a red wine glaze and pistachio ice cream beforehand. The sauce took us over four hours to make and required a full bottle of wine as well as  several pounds of meat and veggies to essentially end up with a cup of liquid. However, there is just nothing like it. Can’t wait!

Mar 14th, 2021 – Dinner

Pledging to make better use of my cameras, we took it out for dinner tonight. It’s a start …

Mar 13th, 2021 – Sign of Life

Well, we are still around, albeit not having posted for a while. Here are some shots from the past few months including the week of “Snowmageddon” where we had no power and loads of snow.

Dec 31st, 2020 – New Years

The last day of the year was about as uneventful as the previous nine months had been. It’s amazing how time flies and here we are. Another year and lots of great things to report for it. Everyone is healthy, happy and in a good place. All of us beat COVID a few months ago and we came out alright. I don’t thik we could have asked for more.

Dec 25th, 2020 – Christmas

The big day is finally here and everyone is very excited. Especially Arno was walking on eggshells and really wanted to get to the part with presents quickly, of course. However, we first made billionaire bacon and then proceeded to celebrate. Lots of presents and lots of joy. In the evening we had a nice steak dinner and then everyone settled into their own things to do.

Dec 24th, 2020 – Weihnachten

Here we are. It’s Christmas again and we have barely had a year since the last one. As tradition dictates in our home, we celebrated with the German gifts from Oma today and called her to wish her a Merry Christmas. We all miss being in Germany right now. In the afternoon Austin came by to exchange gifts as well and we concluded the evening with a nice dinner.

Dec 11th, 2020 – These Days

These past few weeks have been uneventful, so we decided to create a bit of excitement ourselves. Arno is the dressman of the family and lived up to his reputation while Margo is the one with a big heart for everybody around her.

Nov 25th, 2020 – Thunderstorm and Pizza

Last night we had a thunderstorm warning, sirens were going off and we all assembled in the closet to sit it out. Your biggest worry usually is that one of the trees might fall on the house. It was all good though and we moved on. Tonight we had Italian an Roma, which is a complete hole in the wall with lots of character and food that is sufficiently good to keep going back.

Nov 2nd, 2020 – Couple of Shots

Just a few shots from the past weeks, going to restaurants and hanging out at the house. Margo and I went to lunch at a local diner on Sunday to find time  to talk.

Oct 11th, 2020 – Hangover

We were all a bit through the wind today and everyone mostly kept to themselves. Austin came over to say Hi, which was nice. We hadn’t seen him in a while.

Oct 10th, 2020 – A Perfect Day

We celebrated Arno’s birthday in style. First a stint to Pinstack where we met Freddy, his best friend. Then on to unwrapping presents and a round of games. Arno got lots of presents and we wrapped 40-some books for him as one, which was a big surprise and a lot of fun.

Oct 9th, 2020 – The Night Before

Tomorrow is Arno’s birthday and we’ll celebrate in style. He is extremely excited, did not go to bed easily and really wanted the night to be over before it had even begun. We had a lovely dinner at Basile and then turned in early. Tomorrow is a big day.

Oct 3rd, 2020 – BBQ Dinner

We had dinner at one of our favorite BBQ joints in town, Lockharts. You get all of your food loosely wrapped in wax paper, take it to your table and then use the wrapping as your plate. It’s messy and fun.

Sept 8th, 2020 – Meredith’s Birthday Day 3

It’s actually a lot more fun for everyone to celebrate over several days. Meredith got presents more than once and we got to enjoy the moment with her. Anyway, she received a lot of hand-painted t-shirts and has choices to make now when she goes for walks early in the morning.

Sept 6th, 2020 – Meredith’s Birthday Day 1

We started to celebrate today so that we’d have the weekend and a bit more time. Meredith opened two of her presents while we kept the rest for Tuesday. Arno greatly helped to cook today and is becoming quite a chef.

Sept 5th, 2020 – Birthday Prep

Meredith’s birthday is coming up and so we started to prepare. All of us thought about what gifts she might want and then we set out to buy a few. Since her birthday is on a Tuesday and just after Labor Day, we thought we start celebrations early. All of us painted a few t-shirts for her, which was great fun and we got ready to make a few special meals as well.

July 7th, 2020 – Lazy Saturday

After several weeks of non-stop work, I was finally able to spend time with Arno and Margo, jump into the pool and cook a few things. We had our first breakfast together in months and splurged on milk shakes. It’s great to let go …

June 21st, 2020 – Couple of Shots

Just a few shots in the house given that we’ve been quarantined for a while now. It does lift the mood to carry a camera with you where ever you go.

June 6th, 2020 – First Swim

The temperatures have been summer-ish for a few weeks by now, but never really came around to warming the pool water. So, today was the day. We all jumped in and had lots of water fights. It’s good to be back out here in the fresh air and the sun.

May 31th, 2020 – Walk in the Park

I met Massimo in downtown today for a good, long walk. It’s been at least two months, so this outing felt really good.

May 24th, 2020 – Summer Break Projects

Given that Margo and Arno are staying home this summer, we have begun to work on projects that keep the mind sharp and the intellect challenged. Both are working four hours a day on assignments. Margo’s first project is to read, understand and interpret Huxley’s “Brave New World” while Arno works on understanding the differences between electric and petrol-fueled car engines.

May 16th, 2020 – Playing Cards

We made time to play cards after lunch, which is always a highly competitive affair in our house. There were instances of smack talk, a bit of boasting and even the occasional victory lap. Today is my Mom’s birthday and we were also thinking about her. I know we all wish we could have been with her in Germany.

May 9th, 2020 – Haircuts

All of us were in dire need of a haircut and Rachel graciously agreed to stop by the house this morning. We all needed to wear masks which made it quite comical. In any case, it feels like we’re human beings again.

May 2nd, 2020 – Margo’s Birthday

Most parents will likely tell you that their kids are growing up way too fast. To me it never felt that way, possibly because we’ve always been very close and it just seems natural. Margo turned 14 today and she’s not a kid anymore. Over the last year she has matured quite a bit already and the organic process of settling into her own skin has long begun. It is a lot of fun to watch and Arno isn’t far behind.

April 20th, 2020 – Couple of Shots

Quarantine has morphed into daily routines. After initial adjustments, all of us now behave as if nobody’s watching. Pajamas all day, no problem. Flip-flops and socks, sure thing. Hair down and no gel, that’s fine. Five marsh-mellows in one bite, do it again. We have to keep it fun around here and everyone’s pitching in.

March 17th, 2020 – Chris and Mario

There are people who bring a tremendous energy where ever they go. They light up a room or get everyone to do things that nobody would have done otherwise. Chris and Mario are a perfect example. It’s always fun, always engaging and there are always surprises when they visit. The photos speak for themselves.

February 16th, 2020 – Kirin Court

We had a very delicious lunch at Kirin Court, our favorite Dim-sum place in town today. With temperatures balmy and the sun out, our wait was almost as enjoyable as the food.

February 10th, 2020 – Frankfurt

On my way back to the States. The trip was cut short by a pretty big storm over Germany so that I ended up staying at the airport with plenty of time on my hands.

February 8th, 2020 – Bonn

A quick visit to see Charlotte, Malte and their family in Bonn over a nice dinner. Half of these shots were taken by George, who is a uniquely promising talent behind the camera.

February 6th, 2020 – Gewerbehafen

A few shots from the design district in Duesseldorf. The area morphed from a forlorn industrial park to some hottest real-estate areas in town.

January 20th, 2020 – Glam Shots

We needed to take one good picture, which eventually ended up being 228 tries to choose from. In all fairness, there were a couple of cute ones and we also had a bit of fun manipulating each other to look nice in front of the camera. It certainly did not always work out. Can you guess which one is will be printed and framed?

January 19th, 2020 – Brunch

We met Royd, who arrived just after my camera battery had died,for brunch today. It was a great morning and we thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and his company.

January 4th, 2020 – Basketball

Arno played a game with his school team today. They have gotten substantially better under a new, more competent coach and now play really well together. More than anything, each player performed on a  much higher level than before.

December 27th, 2019 – Tarte Flambe

I was very tempted to call this entry “the reluctant chef” but that wouldn’t have been fair the the person panfrying bacon for this team effort. We figured that we have never tried our professional pizza oven for Tarte Flambe and thus gave it a shot. The results were excellent and to be repeated soon.

December 25th, 2019 – Christmas

Arno woke all of us up this morning and was extremely excited about the events that were to unfold soon. We had a quick bite to eat and then proceeded to open presents. The majority of the day was, as always, spent in the kitchen. We made a fabulous potato roast for lunch and had sous vide steak frites for dinner.

December 24th, 2019 – Weihnachten

Austin came over for our traditional German Christmas today, which is celebrated on Christmas Eve. We opened the gifts from my Mom and exchanged others with Austin. It was nice to see him again after some time, but he’s moving back to Dallas so that we’ll hopefully get to visit with him more often.

December 7th, 2019 – Flying Tiger

We all went to watch Arno’s Taekwondopracticetoday, which is always great fun. He is very good and has earned lots of belts by now. It the art of high kicks, but what’s much more important is that the boys learn to respect everyone, beginning with those who are older or unable to fend for themselves. Of course that is a very important cornerstone of Korean culture and a beautiful way to approach life.

November 28th, 2019 – Thanksgiving

We took a non-traditional approach to Thanksgiving this year. Instead of cooking all day, munching on Turkey and all the rest, we simply went to a brunch. It was fun and left us with plenty of opportunities to play and spend time together. What was missing, of course, was the company of good friends and that’s maybe the most important part of celebrating after all.

October 10th, 2019 – Arno’s Birthday

Now, the big day. Arno was excited as ever and could not wait to open his presents in the morning. As an added benefit, his very good German friend Hucky was here to visit with Charlotte. We had a great day, made a fine steak for dinner and then the girls had wine while the boys scattered all over the house and played video games.

October 9th, 2019 – Funny Faces

Tomorrow is the big day and Arno decided that he wanted to go to Nordstroms bistro for dinner. Unfortunate, but not unexpectedly, I did not manage to get any straight faces on camera.

September 8th, 2019 – Meredith’s Birthday

Meredith’s birthday is always a big deal and requires a bit of preparation. Arno and Margo had made a song and poem for her respectively, which was really nice. On Saturday, Chris and Mario came over with their daughter for schnitzel and wine. It’s been a very long time since we had laughed this much in one night. Meredith really enjoyed the evening and we all toasted to her before calling it a night.

August 24th, 2019 – Museums

It’s probably been close to two years since we had visited the museums in Fort Worth so we decided to make a go of it. Unfortunately, the lines for the Monet exhibition were once around the building, but the rest of it was just as interesting.

August 18th, 2019 – The Weekend

There is nothing better than a relaxing weekend and swim in the pool. Arno had a friend over for the night as well and we all watched a movie.

August 15th, 2019 – Miscellaneous

I haven’t really had a chance to take any photos over the past few months due to work. So there is an assortment of images that I managed to pick up every once in a while.

July 20th, 2019 – Pizza Night

Barbara and Hans-Walter came over for an evening of making pizzas. Everyone contributed one pizza, but under the condition that it’s one that you cannot buy in a restaurant. So, each pizza had to be completely new. Margo has a huge chocolate chip cookie and Arno a marshmallow and chocolate pizza,  both of which were delicious. However, the grand prize of the evening clearly went to Barbara for her truly incredible rainbow pizza.

June 23rd, 2019 – Quick Swim

It’s been weird outside. On one hand it’s extremely hot and on the other we’re getting one thunderstorm after another. Today was the third in two weeks that cause damages and power outages. We went for a quick swim in-between though, which was great fun.Oh, yes, and I totally locked the kids out just to get a few nice photos.

June 18th, 2019 – Basketball

Arno really enjoys playing basketball and it seems that the sport likes him back. He’s learned a lot over the last coupe of weeks during the summer league. Of course, when ever he does things like steal the ball, run across the court and score, we unfortunately are pointing the camera elsewhere so that any evidence of heroic deeds is still scant.

June 15th, 2019 – Horseback

I took Arno to his riding lesson in the morning and had lots of fun watching him as he fearlessly cantered around the ring.

May 30th, 2019 – Visiting Charlotte and Malte

We were lucky that Lotte and Malte were still in Bonn while we were there so that the visit was easy and the drive very quick. It was really nice to visit with them, as it always is, and we all had a great time.

May 29th, 2019 – Makeovers and a Skateboard

Margo and Meredith had their salon day in Duesseldorf today, which freed Arno and me up to explore toy stores. After much deliberation, he settled on a new gun and a skateboard. Of course, the girls had hours of fun being pampered and treated with all kinds of stuff that entirely escapes my imagination. We visited Christine and Marcus in their restaurant for a truly exquisite lunch that left everyone thoroughly satisfied.

May 28th, 2019 – Tourists

It’s strange when you feel like a tourist in your own country, but of course that’s what we are. I think everyone has a strong connection to Germany, but we’re also removed from the life here.

May 26th, 2019 – Family Photos

Olga and Vlady were very kind to bring a camera when they came over for coffee and cake. Olga took a lot of really nice photos, which was particularly beneficial for me since I am usually never in any of the images on this site.

May 26th, 2019 – Fair Grounds

We all had a good nights’ sleep and were ready to tackle the day. Olga and Vlady came over for coffee and offered to take a family photo of us, which was really nice since we usually don’t ever have everyone on the same side of the camera. Later, we went to a fair with lots of rides and even more sweets.

May 25th, 2019 – Travel Day

On a flight to Germany today with everyone being very excited to see Oma and a few friends. The travel day is always long and we actually made it through to evening, which mean everyone slept like a rock for the night. In the evening, we played roulette and naturally, made a recording of who won how much so that it can be known to all who’s winning and who isn’t.

May 17, 2019 – Margo’s Play

We watched Margo play in ‘Alice’ today, which was very well done.

May 2, 2019 – Margo’s Birthday

Big day. Margo turned 13 and we celebrated it over the weekend with a really nice dinner as well as at breakfast and dinner again. She had asked for a new room with a more adult bed and more adult pictures for the walls and so on. We had lots of fun together and all of us enjoyed spending the day with our little angel.

April 14, 2019 – Downtown

The day was just too good to pass up for a couple of shots in the park, at the DMA and in Deep Ellum.

April 7, 2019 -A Couple of Shots

Just a few casual observations with the camera …

March 24, 2019 – The Dallas Zoo

Barbara and Hans-Walter invited us to the zoo today, which was a really nice diversion from being home and allowed us to spend the better part fo the day outside.

March 23, 2019 – Arno

The girls are in Louisiana for a volleyball tournament and so Arno and I were left to our own devices for the weekend. We had a nice dinner at the Mermaid Bar and went to my University lecture together in the morning. Afterwards, it was lots of food and a movie. We probably also had more ice cream than any one man can take, but we’re going to work it off tomorrow with a visit to the zoo.

March 16, 2019 – Skate Park

Arno and I went to the skate park in East Dallas today, which was awesome. There were a lot of really good guys and they all seemed to flow through at different times. Everybody was extremely friendly and most of the guys walked up to Arno to give him helpful tips such as ‘stand on your toes like a ballerina’ and ‘snap the board like you’re kicking someone really hard’. It was great to watch most of the other guys, who did impossible jumps and  incredible ollies.

March 10, 2019 – Arno and Wine

We had a nice bottle of red and a steak dinner tonight, so Arno wanted to try the wine. He took the shot glass in which is was served a little too literal though and drowned all of it in one swoop.

March 7, 2019 – Swiss Ave

Torsten visited today and we got to spend the afternoon together, which was a really welcome reprieve from work.  I had not done anything else for the last eight months and getting out almost felt like a prison break. We visited downtown as well as Swiss Avenue for the architecture and then cooked a nice dinner.

March 3, 2019 – Couple of Shots

Some images that I was able to take throughout February and the beginning of March

January 27, 2019 – Mostly Arno

Arno accompanied me to a lecture at UNT last week and was largely unimpressed. In fact, he let it be known later that he did not learn anything although he did answer one of my questions to the class. And on Friday we went to the Mermaid Bar for dinner where we ran into  Gina and had, well, what we always have when we go. Arno is a creature of habit when it comes to butter noodles without anything else.

January 17, 2019 – A Couple of Shots

We had a nice dinner tonight and lots of fun with Arno’s photography, which he updates on his own site now. My own shooting is still very much on the back-burner.

December 25, 2018 – Christmas

The big day is finally here. We unwrapped a lot, laughed a lot and played a lot. Of course, we watched a few movies as well.

December 24, 2018 – Weihnachten

As every year, we celebrated the German Weihnachten on Christmas Eve. Austin and his girlfriend came over for lunch as well, which was very nice.

December 22, 2018 – Getting Ready

Just two more days. Everyone’s excited and exhausted. Margo went to lunch with Bonnie while we did more packing and horsing around.

December 12, 2018 – More Snapshots

A couple more miscellaneous shots from the past two weeks.

November 30, 2018 – A Couple of Shots

With work being busy, there really wasn’t any time for me to photograph at all. I managed to get a couple of shots here and there.

November 3, 2018 – JHG Champagne Tasting

We had an excellent turnout at our annual Champagne tasting this weekend, which was superbly organized and executed by Marcus. Lots of great conversations, lots of excellent wines and lots of fun.

October 26, 2018 – Taekwondo

Arno received his green-blue belt today and did a great job with his routine. It was really fun to watch him excel at the sport, which also comes with a healthy dose of confidence.

October 14, 2018 – Arno’s Party

For Arno’s birthday party with his friends from school, we rented a game truck for the boys and made a ton of pizza for everyone. It was a great day for Arno and certainly a busy one for us.

October 12, 2018 – Mavericks

Marat had given us  four tickets to the Mavs game tonight and it was Arno’s first pro sports event. He was very excited and invited Freddie, his best friend from school to come along. It was a preseason game, which meant we saw a lot of new players and a lot of magic on the court. We had a great time and a fitting occasion for Arno’s birthday.

October 10, 2018 – Arno’s Birthday

This was it: never in the single digits again. The first image shows Arno on his last day of being nine and then we move on to the morning of his birthday. We started by opening the gift from his Oma, which is a beautiful bow tie and then continue to the afternoon when he got to open the other presents including a new phone. This, of course, was extremely exciting. Numbers were soon exchanged and calls were made. Now, it’s already business as usual.

October 5, 2018 – Margo

Just a couple of shots …

September 30, 2018 – Lunch at School

The Dad’s Club at St. Monica organized a fund raiser through selling pasta for lunch and dinner today. We only had time to pop in during lunch, but had a great time and certainly a great lunch as well. Arno helped with the clean up as part of his boy scout team.

September 22, 2018 – Cooking at Home

We had a very nice afternoon with Barbara and Hans-Walter making lobster rolls from the ground up and really enjoyed the results as well. On Sunday Margo and Arno both got dressed up for their weekly Cotillion sessions, where both get their finishing touches on manners and ballroom dancing.

September 15, 2018 – JHG Dinner

Tonight was our second annual “Eat Like a Knight” dinner at Bob’s house. This was also the first one where I did not organize or prepare anything, which was great. Marcus did an much better job and really put it together just perfect.

September 8, 2018 – Meredth’s Birthday

We had a quiet evening to celebrate Meredith’s birthday with a steak dinner and lots of great presents. Arno gave her a list of reasons why she is the best Mom in the world and Margo sang a song that she had written for her.

September 2, 2018 – Labor Day BBQ

Julie and Stan invited us over for BBQ and a swim at their house. We had a great time, as always, and really enjoyed the company of a few of their neighbors and friends.

August 20, 2018 – Museum and Milkshake

Yesterday, we found out that the Highland Park Pharmacy, one of our favorite hangouts for as long as we can remember will close for good by the middle of next month. The old building has to make way for a new office complex and thus a 106 year-old institution vanishes much to our dismay. We decided to go to the DMA first, take in a bit of culture before heading to HPP. It was completely crazy when we got there. Apparently everyone is coming to pay their respects before they close the store.

August 13, 2018 – Cheer

Margo and Arno have moved from the Highlands to a new school in town and closer to the house. We love it already and were welcomed with open arms by the parents and students. Margo had her first taste of it during cheer camp, which takes place over a weekend  just before the first day of school. The school actually has far more cheerleaders than football players, which I find very refreshing.

August 7, 2018 – Flash

It’s always fun to shoot with a flash and wireless trigger so that you hold the unit in one hand and the camera in the other. The images are always interesting, however due to the considerable discomfort any subject might experience, I can only do it so often.

August 3, 2018 – Friday Night

Long week! Margo had a hiphop dance performance today and Arno is still getting to know his new MacBook. We were all left pretty much without juice, decided on an easy dinner at the Mermaid Bar and to turn in early afterwards.

July 29, 2018 – More Modeling

We’re still working on the shots for an agency and probably just need a better photographer. It’s a work in progress, but the main thing is that Margo and Arno are willing to give it a try independent of what comes of it in the end.

July 28, 2018 – Couple of Shots

It’s been a busy week. Arno purchased a new MacBook Pro with his savings, which makes use very proud, while Margo had a theater play in which she performed extraordinarily well. Unfortunately, they did not allow cameras.

July 20, 2018 – Commercial Shoot

Quinn invited Arno and me to visit him in the studiofor a shootthis afternoon. It was really fascinating to realize how much work goes into 30 or 60 seconds of TV and online spots. The set was incredibly creative with industrial lasers that can burn a hole into the wall and thus have to keep moving. The commercial is for top-tier college football teams so Arno also got to marvel at a bunch of extremely tall and strong guys.
10/27/18: we saw the finished commercial at lunch today for the first time and it looked awesome.

July 11, 2018 – Modeling

We’ve been taking photos to apply with modeling agencies … here are some of them.

July 8, 2018 – Couple of Shots

It’s been a while and we have not really done anything special other than all seeing Lion King in Fair Park. However, that event was completely off for cameras and the ushers enforced it hard. I had to fight to even get my camera into the venue. Anyway, here are a few shots from different occasions and more on Margo and Arno soon as we’ll be working on their modeling cards now.

June 30, 2018 – Quick Swim

Austin visited us for lunch and we all hopped into the pool beforehand. The funniest moment though was when Margo catapulted a chunk of whip cream onto Arno’s pants. She hit just the spot to make it very embarrassing.

June 29, 2018 – Margo’s Fashion Show

Margo spent this week in fashion camp where she learned about models, agencies and how to walk down the runway. Today was the clear highlight for the girls as they had the opportunity to show off all of their newly acquired skills. It was fun to watch!

June 22, 2018 – Germany

Just a quick trip to visit my Mom. Nils and I met up in Oldenburg, I went to see Marcus’ new restaurant and visited with Charlotte and Malte until deep into the night. It’s always great to catch up with everybody, even if it’s only for a few short moments.

June 15, 2018 – Back Home

We’re finally back home and are pretty happy about it, too. The morning was utterly uneventful and the drive not worth a mention. Back in the house, we all scrambled into our own rooms for some welcome privacy, cherishing the ability to closeonesdoor ononesclose relatives for a few precious hours.

June 14, 2018 – Day Three

So, we did go to the pool and we swam – again. It did not help with yesterdays’ sunburns though and forced us to take it a bit easier for the rest of the day. After threatening everyone with a modern art museum and being vocally overturned, we still needed to get away from this place for a bit. We all got in the car and drove to Austin for a tour of the capitol building and some very decent food in a hip Italian place.

June 13, 2018 – Day Two

Our first full day was characterized by lots of swimming, floating races down the lazy river and strong efforts on all sides not to use foul language. We mostly succeeded. Other than that, we also ate a lot as we always do, but without the cooking, which was very nice. It’s so easy to not worry about it or spending lots of time in the kitchen. Tomorrow we’ll try to convert our lobster tan into a real one while swimming a whole lot more.

June 12, 2018 – Lost Pines

Meredith has a conference in South Texas each year and so we all decided to go. It is in a place called Lost Pines, which immediately prompted Arno to suggest that we switch the E and I in the name on all signs. Great idea! Anyway, we’ll be here for the next couple of days and need to figure out what to do besides playing pool and swimming in the pool, which seem to be the only sensible options so far.

June 9, 2018 – Arno’s Goodbye

Arno had invited his best friends for pizza and a swim. He’ll be joining a new class after the summer at St. Monica, so this was also a goodbye party for him.

June 8, 2018 – Willy Wonka

Arno and Margo have been at Hockaday for the week as part of their summer camps. While Margo was focused on fashion design and sewing, Arno learned how to perform a play and, of course, acted in it as well. It was great fun to watch the kids and to see Arno on stage.

June 6, 2018 – And Yet More …

So here are the last of the portraits. I am fully paid up and we all got what we wanted.

June 4, 2018 – And More …

I am still getting my $2 worth of photos (more soon). Here are some portraits throughout the day. Otherwise lots of cooking, horsing around and a bit of swimming, now that the pool is perfect once again.

June 2, 2018 – Portraits

I knew this day would come. Arno and Margo now want to be paid for their portraits. We mutually agreed on two dollars for 100 images each. Next, I’ll probably have to pay the espresso machine as well …

June 1, 2018 – Friday

Arno was home from school today due to a shoulder injury and so we spent some time at the pool, had a great burger for lunch and horsed around a bit while I worked in-between.

May 30, 2018 – Arno’s Graduation

Arno cleared the hurdle to fourth grade today, which was quite easy for him. We attended his very long awards ceremony and then went home. I told him he could pick any place he’d like for lunch and that’s how he tricked me. We ended up eating at McDonalds, which we virtually never do, much to Arno’s delight.

May 28, 2018 – Memorial Day

This weekend was our first in the pool, which has just been refinished a few weeks ago. It was really nice to be back outside, enjoying the sun and playing around. We had a really quiet weekend without obligations and just a lot of time to play games, cook food and watch movies.

May 24, 2018 – Around the Room

I’ve just been playing with the camera a bit tonight.

May 23, 2018 – Margo’s Concert

Margo has been dabbling in music for a while now and had played the trumpet for about a year now. Today she finally got her chance to show it all in front of an audience of parents and fellow students at her school.

May 21, 2018 – A Birthday Party

Arno and I went to a birthday party for Nolan, one of his best friends, which took place in a really large gym. The boys played football and soccer and ran around quite a bit. It was really fun to watch him interact with his friends.  Afterwards, we all met up for dinner at our local Thai spot.

May 12, 2018 – JHG Wine Tasting

We had our annual JHG wine tasting tonight, which was great fun and, as always, highly interesting.

May 11, 2018 – Friday

This was a really busy week, albeit the fact that I rolled off a project and wasn’t working twelve or more hours per day for the first time this year. We resurfaced the pool, will get a new backyard fence this weekend and had lots of stuff going on for Margo and Arno. Maybe most interesting, Meredith bought Margo her first pair of heels, which is about a decade too early as far as I am concerned, but who’s asking?

May 2, 2018 – Margo’s Birthday

Margo was very excited when she went to bed last night and we all had to promise to get up really early so that we have enough time to unpack presents. Obviously, we all complied as we began our day around 4:45am this morning. Margo got clothes, a new phone and a necklace. In the evening, I picked up the kids and we all met at Houston’s for dinner.

April 29, 2018 – Downtown with Tourists

Arno and I went to see an Ansel Adams exhibition at the Dallas Holocaust Museum today and then wandered off into downtown. He had never been to the Kennedy memorial and so we went. It was actually very nice and we had lots of fun taking pictures.

April 28, 2018 – Margo’s Birthday Party

Margo invited her best friend, Ashley, to celebrate her birthday today. We went to lunch at Houston’s, saw a girl teen movie and then moved on to the beauty salon, had lots of cookies and ice cream and roamed through the Mall a lot as well.

April 15, 2018 – Dinner

We took the 94 Mercedes out for a ride today, which turned out to be a bad idea as the rear window went down, but not up again. There’ll be a major repair bill in our future somewhere. After bringing the car back into the garage, we proceeded with safer transportation to make a second attempt at dinner.

April 8, 2018 – Breakfast

I changed my flight to a 5am out of Boston this morning, which meant little sleep and a long day ahead. The upside was that we were able to hit Norma’s for an all-American breakfast of bacon and eggs in the morning.

April 7, 2018 – Convocation

Today we had our convocation at the German retirement home in Boston. It is great to see everyone after a year and there is always lots to catch up about. We’ve had many good conversations, lots of new insights and met new folks as well, which is certainly a pleasure. Ruedigerand I went for a walk across the Commons before our church service and formal dinner in the evening where we had lots of laughs and a really good time.

April 6, 2018 – Boston

We arrived in a snow storm today, which was quite a change from the 22C we had in Dallas when we took off. I had a few hours to walk around and luckily the sky cleared a bit so that I could walk and shoot a little. In the evening, we had a reception dinner at a local sea food restaurant, which was very special as it always is.

April 1, 2018 – Easter

Given that Easter Sunday and April Fools Day fell on the same day, we decided to have a bit of fun with it. Meredith had the great idea to give Margo and Arno empty presents, which worked out exactly as planned. Of course, they both got a goody bag with a few small gifts and some candy in the end.

March 25, 2018 – Chillida Exhibition

We saw a very interesting exhibition by Eduardo Chillida today at the Meadows in-between Burger House and Paciugos. It was really nice to  get out a bit and enjoy the day.

March 11, 2018 – Football in the Park

Our Sunday was thoroughly uneventful except that Arno and I went to the park so that we could throw the ball for a bit. Arno has a very good arm and can throw very well. Thus, we need to work on catching the ball a little.

March 4, 2018 – Arno’s Riding Competition

Arno got to show off his horseback riding skills today in the annual competition at the SMU stables. He did very well and mastered the challenge with stride. Overall he finished second, which left him a bit ruffled. Hopefully that will just turn into more ambition down the road.

March 3, 2018 – The Park

We needed to decide where to spend another perfectly sunny afternoon. The downtown park sounded real good and gave us a shot at visiting as many of the museums as possible. It also provided a much needed break after a very long week of work for me.

February 25, 2018 – A Movie and Some Cool Moves

Arno and I took off today to see “Black Panther” at the Highland Park Village, which was awesome. We had lunch at the local grocery store, then proceeded to the theater and really enjoyed the flic. Afterwards, we went to the park and the DMA. Since it was a balmy 22C out, we quickly lost our sweaters and Arno jumped right in with the break dancers who typically show up on Sundays.

February 19, 2018 – The Weekend

We’ve a very engaging dinner with Diana and Martin last night and then another great meal with Hans-Walter and Barbara today. It was really great to catch up with everyone as we laughed through most of the night and talked through the day.

February 14, 2018 – Valentines

Since the date fell into the middle of the week, we exchanged gifts in the evening. Meredith got a wobbly head figure of the Queen, which she must now fashion on her desk at work, but which more likely ends up in a drawer or on someone else’s desk. Margo and Arno both got what they wanted and I ended up with a big box of chocolates, which I do and don’t want – both for obvious reasons. Afterwards we frolicked around.

February 3, 2018 – The Party

Several good friends came over for our party tonight. Meredith procured all the food so that we could just focus on our guests, which was really nice. Unfortunately, I did not catch everyone on film while we talked a lot, laughed as much and had a couple of glasses of wine.

February 2, 2018 – Birthday

Today was my fiftieth birthday. We started the day early since we all needed to get to work or school and then opened presents in the evening. Margo and Arno had both written letters, which was very sweet.

January 28, 2018 – Duck Sunday

We went over to Michaela and Tony today for a fabulous lunch with potato soup and duck. It was a lot of fun, as always, and we spent a great afternoon talking and tasting a bit of wine.

January 20, 2018 – A Night to Remember

Erin and Michael came over for a glass of wine and some pizza tonight. We had lots of laughs and ended up drinking quite a bit of wine. Most amazingly, Margo and Arno stuck around for most of the dinner, which is most unusual. They were just very comfortable.

January 14, 2018 – Weekend Fun

We had a very relaxing weekend, played games, watched the Kingsmen movies and visited a park with dinosaurs. What else could you want?

January 7, 2018 – Buying New Boots

It’s been two years since Arno got his Cowboy boots and was time to move him up in size. So, after a big breakfast and a quick round of backgammon during which everyone refused to pay me for their losses, we went and tried a couple of nice ones.

January 6, 2018 – Walk in the Park

I had a few hours in-between the morning and afternoon activities and decided to take a walk around downtown while is was balmy and sunny.

January 1, 2018 – New Years Day

Since everybody stayed up past midnight yesterday, we had an adequately slow start into the day. For the most part, we caught up on our Star Wars and tried to keep warm.