Erfurt Christmas market and a little accident

Sorry about my absence yesterday.  I uploaded all these pictures and then had a crisis with my Christmas tree--it's dying! :-(  Somehow it isn't drinking any of the water I've given it.  You all know how much this tree means to me, so to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.  Yeah, I cried a bit.  Does anyone have any tips for reviving trees? At the moment, I am simply trying not to touch it so that the needles don't fall off. 

Today, I thought I would post some pictures that we took last week in Erfurt at the Christmas market.  We went on Monday last week and had a heck of an adventure on the way back (more about that later).  The market itself is wonderful, at the base of the cathedral and second church right next to it.  The way the churches loom over the market is quite awe-inspiring.  Plus, there are so many freaking lights there.  The Christmas market just glows!  And, Erfurt is just one of my favorite little German towns.

With all that beauty, it was a fantastic day...until the drive home.

That's when our fun day hit a little--let's say a really big--roadblock.  Literally.   There was a sofa in the middle of the German Autobahn.  Yes, a sofa.  And we blew right through it.  It exploded into a million little pieces, shut down the Autobahn for 10 or 15 minutes and made the local papers. 

I say it lightly now, but it was actually one of the scariest moments of my entire life.  For the split second that I realized what was going to happen, I thought it might be the end. (In the darkness, it was hard to tell what it was and I thought it might be a piece of concrete divider.)  Luckily, we are both okay.  I was a little shaken up but neither of us had any injuries to speak of.  I cried a little on the side of the Autobahn, in the rain and the blue light of emergency vehicles.  But, Peter?  He handled it like a pro.

The car, unfortunately, did not fare so well.  It isn't totaled but it has been in the shop for more than a week and they are basically replacing the entire outside of it.   We are hoping to get it back by Christmas.  I hadn't ever been really fond of the car but I will never say anything bad about it again...it saved our lives.  The whole thing was our own little Christmas miracle. 

I had my posts for the first 3 days of last week all lined up, which is why there was no interruption in the posting.  Our lives were pretty hectic and overturned last week, so there would have been.  Luckily, things are completely back to normal this week and I finally have my appetite back!

I am so happy that it all worked out okay.  I am so happy that we are both happy and healthy.  These are life's little lessons that teach you not to take anything for granted and to make each moment count. 

Anyway, enjoy the pictures of beautiful Erfurt.  Don't you kind of want to spend Christmas there?  I certainly do!  Savor the last few days before Christmas and don't forget to relax a little and enjoy the time you have with the people you love.