About New Braunfels Wurstfest

We went to New Braunfels today to the annual German festival, Wurstfest. It started out pretty chilly – 43 degrees, but soon warmed up. We wore our jackets but soon had to take them off and put them back in the truck. It was in the mid-70's by the time we got home.

It was a fun day. When we got to New Braunfels, the things that were advertised to open at 10 – weren’t open and they said, “0h no, not until 11”. We had parked in a paid parking lot, so we left the truck there and walked several blocks downtown to the main plaza. There is a German bakery there and we got coffee and rolls and sat outside on the patio at a table and ate.

By that time the plaza was filled with craft tables and booths so we spent probably an hour wandering from booth to booth looking at everything. Well, not everything. I think we could have spent all day there. Phoebe got a couple of things. We both enjoyed looking at everything there and she got some new ideas for her crafts.

Then we walked back to where we had parked. There was an arts and crafts show set up in the Knights of Columbus building and they also had food available there. It looked good but we didn’t get anything right then. We went on across the highway to the Wurst Fest grounds. It cost $8 each to get into the grounds.

We walked around in there and listened to a German band. It was really good. We got a bratwurst sausage with sauerkraut in a pita but you know how they over-price things at festivals. It was good though. There were other bands playing and lots of things going on and of course all the usual food booths - funnel cakes and all kinds of things.

Later we went back across to the arts and crafts building and got potato soup and coffee in there. That soup was delicious and very reasonable. We each had a large cup of soup and a cup of coffee for $5.00 for both of us.

By that time we were ready to head back home. It is a 45-minute drive and traffic was heavy on I-35 but we got home by 2:00 p.m.

Sis’s church is having a harvest festival tonight for the neighborhood children. She plans to help with that. I may go along and help too.

This article was in this morning's news about Wurstfest.

First bite of wurst to kick off Wurstfest in Landa Park in New Braunfels on Friday.
If you go
WHAT: Wurstfest
WHEN: Through Nov. 8
WHERE: Landa Park, New Braunfels
COST: $8; children 12 and under admitted free
INFO: (830) 625-9167; www.wurstfest.com

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By Jennifer R. Lloyd - Express-News NEW BRAUNFELS — The 10-day celebration of sausage, beer, polka and all things German kicked off with Wurstfest’s ceremonial biting of the sausage Friday as a visiting German couple celebrated a ceremony of a different kind.

Newlyweds Jessica and Antonio Mastandrea, from the area near Braunfels, Germany, were spending a week of their honeymoon experiencing New Braunfels’ version of the traditional German Oktoberfest. Festival officials predicted that between 120,000 and 150,000 visitors will attend the 49th annual Wurstfest this year. About half of those, like the Mastandreas, likely will come from outside New Braunfels, said Herb Skoog, director of Wurst Relations.

Jessica Mastandrea first visited New Braunfels eight years ago through a Wurstfest exchange program. After a fellow exchange student attended the couple’s wedding two months ago, the Mastandreas decided to return the favor with a visit to New Braunfels during their honeymoon.

The biting of the sausage to herald the festival’s beginning is one example of how Wurstfest organizers have adapted German traditions over the years.

“At the Munich Oktoberfest, they start with tapping of first keg,” Skoog said. “We’re a sausage festival, so we have officials onstage and on countdown, we bite into string of sausages.”

The festival dubbed the “Salute to Sausage” has been a staple since the city first honored the food in 1961 as a way to promote the local commercial sausage makers, Skoog said.

Grammy-nominated accordionist Alex Meixner, who led the countdown to the communal sausage chomping, said he steps off his diet and consumes sausage, fried Oreos and “one, two or 50 Shiner Bocks” when he comes to perform at Wurstfest.

“Although I have known vegetarians who have attended Wurstfest, it’s not exactly a vegetarian wonderland here,” said Meixner, who hails from Pennsylvania and is back at Wurstfest for his 11th year in a row. “There are so many great varieties of sausage.”

The variety of edibles — from fried cheesecake to German tacos — can only be topped by the variety of people in attendance. The 2,000 people who attended the first Wurstfest couldn’t even man all the volunteer positions for this year’s festival. Skoog estimated about 5,000 volunteers are in some way involved with the festival, including the nearly 300 people who make up the heart of the nonprofit Wurstfest Association.

“There are all kinds of different people and everybody just congregates together and has a good time,” said Glenn Herfurth, who leads the Cloverleaf Orchestra. The orchestra has played German waltzes and polkas at every Wurstfest thus far, and Herfurth has been a part of the New Braunfels-based group since the 1980s. Despite his years of performing, Herfurth said he never grows tired of playing crowd favorites like the “Chicken Dance.”

“It doesn’t matter where we go; they want the ‘Chicken Dance,’ especially the kids. They love it, and that’s good because it gets the young people out to dance to more of the German music,” Herfurth said.

While the Mastandreas donned the traditional German wear for the first day of the festival — Jessica in a dress called a dirndl and Antonio in knee-breeches called lederhosen — the two pointed out a few differences between the Oktoberfest in Germany and Wurstfest. The German Oktoberfest is much larger and no one drinks beer out of plastic cups, Jessica said. But that didn’t detract from their honeymoon.

“We’re going to have a good time and see how the American people see the German way of life,” Antonio said. “That is great that one American city is cheering German culture.”

Friday night

It was quiet at work this morning - only a few people in and out. After I got off work at noon, I came home and we had chicken-etti and mixed greens for lunch.

Then I went to the beauty shop and got my hair done. After I got back from that, we went grocery shopping.

For supper we had lemon-pepper fish, fried potatoes, and the rest of the greens.

It was sunny today but not very warm.

Thursday night

We just talked to our brother and sister-in-law in Longmont, Colorado and they got at least 10 inches of that snow. I think they said the high today was only 27 degrees.

Their son slipped on the ice a few weeks ago and broke several bones in his shoulder. He is off work for awhile until that heals.

Here it got up into the 80's but then a cold windy front came through after I got home from work and it is expected to get down to 48 tonight and the high tomorrow is only expected to be 63. So it will be quite a change from today.

We are hoping to go to New Braunfels Saturday to Wurstfest. I hope the weather is better then. It is about a 45 minute drive from here.

Wednesday night

It wasn't quite as cold this morning but still chilly. It warmed up to the 70's later today.

The painting class didn't meet today but there was a lot going on anyway. The nurse and some of her students held an "event" at the monthly diaper giveaway. They had samples of foods, clothing to give away, a few food items to give away, and lots of parenting information.That was downstairs.

At the same time on the main floor, some members of the women's groups of two churches were meeting, and in another room a counseling session was going on.

Before noon the ladies from the bunco group arrived and set up in the room they use for their monthly bunco games. Sis plays bunco with them, so she was there too.

The Lutheran church down the street was having their annual turkey dinner today so Sis went and bought two take-out dinners for us to have for our lunch. It was a delicious meal.

The editor of our monthly newsletter brought it in for me to make copies and distribute. I had to wait for the nurse's page for it, so I didn't get that done today but it should be ready to go out tomorrow.

After I got off work this afternoon I went to the bank and made a deposit.

By the time I got home I was pretty sleepy so I took a nap until time for Jeopardy.

Tuesday night

It was only 46 this morning. When I got up it was down to 69 in the house and I had to switch the thermostat from a/c to heat. It did get up to 65 outside this afternoon and was a very pleasant day.

Sis and I ate lunch at the new IHOP Express that opened at the shopping center near us just recently. It was very nice.

I was very busy at work all day but nothing of any moment happened so there isn't too much to write tonight.

Monday night

It started raining early this morning and rained heavily almost all morning. This afternoon was sunny and cool.

Tonight we went to a funeral mass (the first I had ever been to at a Catholic church). It was for a man who had done a lot of painting and other work for us and a lot of other people in the neighborhood. He was only 52 and died of cancer recently.

Sunday evening

We have really had amazing success with our "buck-a-book" fund raising effort at church. People were invited to bring in books they were finished with. These books were placed on a table in the narthex (see photo above), and could be purchased for a dollar each. Over $150 has been put into the church general budget fund in October in this way. We will look for something different to do after October.

After church this morning I went over to Sis's church which starts later. I got there in time for their sermon. Today was Pastor Appreciation Day at that church and after the service, a potluck dinner was served in their fellowship room. Sis had made chickenetti and several rhubarb and apple pies and a sausage cake to take to it. I ate dinner there with them.

A sleepless night

I woke up at 2:00 a.m. with a headache that reminds me of the kind when I haven’t had any coffee for too long. I got up and poured myself a cup from the thermos but it hasn’t helped that much. Maybe it is a sinus headache. Not a good way to start the weekend.

I went back to bed at 4:00 a.m. and slept until 8. My headache was gone when I got up the seond time.

Saturday night

We had pizza for lunch. Sis picked it up and brought it to the church where I was waiting in the office while the yard man mowed and trimmed.

Our next-door neighbor came over last night and told us that there will be a mass at the Catholic church Monday evening for our former handyman who died recently.

For supper we finished the eggplant casserole from the other day and had some mixed fruit.

Friday evening

After I got off work at noon, Sis and I ate lunch at a barbecue restaurant. They serve much more than barbecue, though. We each had the fish dinner. I had steamed carrots, marinated cucumbers, fruit salad, and wheat bread with mine.

Then I went to the beauty shop. On the way home I stopped and picked up some food for the food pantry from a lady who lives the next street over from us. I also stopped by the church and checked the mail.

The water bill came in today's mail. It is down a few dollars from last month.

Friday morning

I was wakened by the telephone at 4:23 this morning. Lifeline called to let the church know that one of our members had fallen and they had to send the fire department out to get her up. She told them she was okay and wouldn't need to be transported to the hospital. The church is listed as emergency contact on their records. I suppose if the call forwarding hadn't been on, they would have left a message on the church answering machine.

I usually get up around that time anyway so I stayed up.

It is 54 degrees right now.

Thursday night

The rain finally let up this morning and we had a sunny afternoon. The yard man called and said he could come Saturday morning and mow and trim the church lawn.
I came home for lunch and we had egg salad sandwiches. Then I went to the bank and made a deposit before going back to work.

My 2010 version of Quicken software came today from Intuit. I installed it on my computer this evening.

I fixed a sausage-eggplant casserole for supper and we both really liked it.

Sis has an interview tomorrow for a part-time job. We drove over to see how to get to it. There was a lot of construction between here and there. They will be interviewing several people for the job so she might not find out for a few days if she gets it.

On the way home we stopped at the grocery and picked up a few things.

We played a few games of Mexican dominoes tonight.

Thursday morning - Rain

It was raining quite heavily when I got up this morning and still is as I write this. It seems unlikely that the yard man will be able to finish at the church today. There is a flash flood watch in effect for this morning.

Wednesday evening

The food pantry gave out food to nearly as many families as the last two months. The parking lot was quite full most of the two hours. Sis had quite a backache by the time it was over.

Our yard man mowed our yard and the parsonage this afternoon, but the church parking lot was so full that he was afraid to try weed whacking along it and said he would come back tomorrow morning and do that. Well, this evening we are getting a good bit of rain so it may be wet to work in tomorrow. He has to mow the inside courtyard of the church too.

The pastor got back to town shortly before the food pantry closed at 3 p.m. and was downstairs talking to the ones who were working there when I left for the day. I came home and took a nap for an hour, so I was able to stay awake through Jeopardy and the news tonight. I usually sleep through both in the recliner. No wonder since I get up so early in the mornings.

For lunch I just had a bacon and egg taco and an apple, but for supper we had country-fried pork chops with gravy, cheddar-bacon mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables,(compliments of Marie Callendar), and buttered rolls.

Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009

I didn't get to watch the Fox News last night because a ball game was still in progress at 9:00 p.m. I didn't feel like staying up until 10 p.m. so I just went on to bed.

I expect a busy day at work. The monthly food pantry will be open downstairs from 1 to 3 p.m. and each of the last two months they served nearly 100 families. Phoebe plans to help with it. I will be working upstairs in the office.

Both Calvin and Digger are eating their breakfast. Digger eats canned food and Calvin eats some that comes in a pouch but this morning they were both being contrary so I switched dishes and they are cleaning up each other's food. Ordinarily Digger refuses the pouch. I'm having to watch Precious that she doesn't go eat both of theirs. I've heard that it isn't healthy for dogs to eat catfood but it doesn't hurt cats if they eat dog food. Strange. It doesn't make sense to Precious either. Ha!

Tuesday Night

We ate lunch at Wendy's Restaurant. I tried their new Bacon Burger Deluxe and really liked it.

The man never showed up to mow the yard and there is a 60 to 70% chance of rain tomorrow. It looks awful already and if he doesn't get here early and get it mowed before it rains, what a mess it will be.

I had a Birdseye Voila Cheesy Ranch Chicken meal in the freezer, so I fixed that for supper. It was pretty good.

Later Sis microwaved a cake in a mug and we had that with a little ice cream while we played a few games of Mexican dominoes.

It is almost 9 p.m. so I am going to get off here and go watch the Fox News before I go to bed.

Tues Morning

We were watching Antiques Road Show last night and I was so tired and sleepy that I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I went to bed at 8:45 p.m. Then I didn't sleep good and dozed off and on, having weird dreams for much of the night. Finally at 4:00 a.m. after a particularly wild dream, I got up so I wouldn't go back to sleep and continue in the same dream.

It is 5:30 a.m. now and I've had a cup of coffee and a little breakfast and am sitting here at my computer with Digger beside me. Digger has been meowing at me and telling me she wants to go back in Sis's room, but she jumps on and off the bed and wakes Sis up and then she can't get back to sleep, so she has to stay out here until after Sis gets up. Calvin is just as aggravated because that means he has to stay in my room until Sis gets up so that he won't jump on Digger. What problems pets can be sometimes. They fuss like children, but we love them and wouldn't want to be without them.

Oct 19, 2009 - Monday evening

One of our church members donated a new printer to replace the one that “died” last week. He brought it in and set it up this morning.

Pastor left this afternoon for a 2 ½-day training course in Houston.

Sis picked up hamburgers and salads for our lunch and brought them to the office. She will be taking care of the pastor’s dog and cats as well as bringing in the mail as she usually does during their out-of-town trips. They usually put the dog in the kennel but left it here this time.

We had the a/c and heating company come check our furnace for the winter. He vacuumed it out, cleaned it and said there are no leaks, but reminded us that it is 22 years old and won’t last forever.

For supper we had pancakes and scrambled eggs.
It got up to 79 degrees this afternoon and was sunny.

Monday, Oct 19, 2009

We moved Digger's food and water and litter box into the family room last night. She has been sleeping in Sis's room and wouldn't keep quiet at night so Sis could sleep. That meant I had to put Calvin in my room and close the door as he is very aggressive toward Digger.

Well. . . Calvin was not amused. He is used to sleeping on the foot of my bed, but when he couldn't get back out of my bedroom at will, he started prowling around the room and knocking things around.

I finally gave up, took my pillow and went out to the living room to sleep on the couch, leaving him shut in the bedroom. He quieted down when I wasn't in the room to see or hear him. Then at 1:45 a.m. Precious scratched on the bedroom door. She wanted to go outdoors. So I let her out but left Calvin shut up in the bedroom. When Precious came back indoors, she slept on the end of the couch with me. Then Digger jumped up on the back of the couch and slept there too. I let Calvin out at 4:00 this morning when I decided I was "slept out" and could be up to watch him and Digger and keep him from trying to jump on her.

Sunday, Oct 18, 2009

Our custodian is sick, so I went in to church early this morning to open, turn on the air conditioners and get things ready.

Today was our annual church conference. The district superintendant and his wife and one of the conference lay leaders were there. The district superintendant preached at the morning worship service, then immediately continued with the conference. It lasted quite awhile.

Then after it was all over, we had a light lunch in the parlor - sandwiches, chips and dips, deviled eggs, relish tray, cut up fruit, punch and cake.

I stayed until everyone had left to close everything up and re-lock the building. So it was almost 2:00 p.m. when I got home. I didn't have to do all the clean-up though. We all worked together to clean up everything.

We had pancakes with diced apples stirred into the batter for supper. Real comfort food. Mother used to make them and we always liked them.

The start of another blog

Sis got home this afternoon from the ladies' retreat she has been on for the last couple of days.

We went by Walgreen and dropped off her film for the one-hour developing, then went to a fish restaurant and ate supper.

n the way home we stopped and picked up the pictures that she had taken while on a mission trip to Mexico recently. The mission team worked on a boys dormitory that is being built at an orphanage there. They tiled a bathroom, painted and did other work on it. They did work at two orphanages and a church/school. Here are pictures of them doing some of the work. There is also a picture of sheep and goats that the church/school raises. They go on these trips three times a year.

Sis painting the orange wall


The church/school raises sheep/goats too.



This picture was a hydroponic garden that the church/school built to raise vegetables for sale and to feed the community.



Here they are tiling walls in a bathroom in a boys dorm at the orphanage.



Today was a beautiful sunny day with a low of 55 and a high of 76 degrees.

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