Winter - Adventure!!!

Did we start the winter with one day or may be two days of snow during the first weeks in January? I can' t remember so exactly, but I know it was not too much  — and I was so pleased! I am sure our kids missed it terribly — but everyone on the road was happy. Well, that’s how it works sometimes — everything has two sides!.............and really, I liked it too, because I had to pack my suitcase again for traveling to Chicago.
My suitcase was a medium sized one, which I carry with me always ready to be on the move and it keeps a little, tiny factory enclosed. Oh......!? What does it means " factory enclosed " ??!!

Well, it means I am able to show, with all my tools and materials from this suitcase, the making of our wonderful M.I Hummel figurines. Perhaps, you — My Dear Reader — have seen it during one of my visits to a store near you for our famous Artist Events. But this time, it was a little different, it was “Showtime” in our showrooms at the 2005 winter gift fair in Chicago .

The gift fair is in a huge, beautiful building and not open to the public. Only our retailers could shop and discover our fantastic collections from Goebel and have the first opportunity to see what's new at M.I. Hummel. We had prepared a special surprise for them too .....a live demonstration of the making of M.I. Hummel figurines.

I thought my Winter adventure would begin without snow, but I was certainly surprised!!!!!!!!! My adventure began on a Friday afternoon. I waited for the car to take me to the airport, and sunrays fell on my head - well, actually I should say, better, on my hat, because I was warmly dressed. It was nice outside, but cold, too. I enjoyed the ride to Philly-International Airport. The sun was still shining as I checked in and went straight to my gate. After about one and a half hour waiting time the airline announced they were ready for boarding!.........and I was happy to see that the sun was still shining (at least a little bit).

Just after settling into my seat aboard the plane, the captain let us know that the weather would be changing in Philadelphia very soon, and also, he said that it was snowing in Chicago at that moment. I understood that a bad snowstorm was moving from the Midwest to the east coast during the next couple of hours and maybe through the next few days. After a good two hours and a very quiet flight, we arrived at Chicago O'Hare on time. I was amazed to find that the city had already received a blanket of snow, but the big snowstorm wasn't here yet. I found my hotel with the help of a taxi. Everyone was moving so carefully on the snow…I guess it took us two-times as long as normal, because the traffic had to move so slowly. but I was thankful for my careful driver.

Soon after I got to my room, I went to sleep immediately, but the new morning was a big surprise. Chicago was blanketed in snow. The snowstorm had finally arrived! It brought so much over night and kept going all day long on Saturday! After a good breakfast in the hotel I drove by taxi to the Trade Fair building. It was very dangerous… the cars were just sliding everywhere - and it was even too slippery for a safe walk.

Finally, I arrived at the Goebel showroom on the 13 th floor - with my factory suitcase. Oh, my, how beautiful it looked: figurines over figurines — displayed so beautifully! Here we could have a nice safe view from our big windows of the swirling snowflakes! All you could see were snowflakes in the wind — The big city was hidden from view.

Well, I prepared my place nicely and demonstrated all day long the artistry of M.I. Hummel to our wonderful guests. After a long day, which I enjoyed really very much, I made the same way back, through ice and snow. Freezing, but happy I jumped into the hotel lobby, looking for the first available elevator to bring me closer to my bed and to dreaming of Hawaii and a lot of sunrays (which I missed all Saturday long.)

The Sunday started exactly the same way, but with just one big difference: it did not snow anymore and I was so happy to see the sun laughing behind my curtains! I worked again in the showroom and I also presented the new 70th ANNIVERSARY FIGURINES COLLECTION to our customers. They were as excited as I was to see these special pieces.

It was soon time for me to go to the airport, with my special suitcase. So many flights had been cancelled; I was just hoping that mine was still going to take me home to Philadelphia. Luckily, mine was still showing on the monitor when I checked in! So far everything was on time and I was lucky and hungry. I enjoyed two big pieces of pound-cake and a wonderful hot cup of coffee! It’s so much nicer to wait with something in your stomach. Isn't it!!??.........and after at least an hour and a half of waiting I heard the special announcement: The flight to Philly would be delayed!

No problem at all — the only thought at this moment was hopefully no canceling!!! Finally the airline did not cancel my flight and everybody who was waiting for hours was able to make a nice flight, very safely, back to Philadelphia.

Guess what?...now the snow was here in Philly…. all over… all snow…and snow… and snow all over again! And so, I enjoyed a comfortable ride through a beautiful winter-wonderland for another one and half hours to my home.

Here ends the story of a special winter-adventure during the past January. I just was happy that everything worked so well, even with this bad weather! Thanks to everybody who took care of me during my adventure!

I wish you all the best as we wait for the Spring!

—  ULRICH