diff --git a/src/teilchensammler_cli/database.py b/src/teilchensammler_cli/database.py
index 2d9f888..60cee27 100644
--- a/src/teilchensammler_cli/database.py
+++ b/src/teilchensammler_cli/database.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import os
 from sqlmodel import SQLModel, create_engine
+import logging
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 sqlite_url = os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL", "sqlite:///database.db")
@@ -8,3 +11,4 @@ engine = create_engine(sqlite_url, echo=False)
 
 def create_db_and_tables(engine):
     SQLModel.metadata.create_all(engine)
+    logger.debug("Created tables, if not already present")
diff --git a/src/teilchensammler_cli/main.py b/src/teilchensammler_cli/main.py
index 9787807..f1d7c84 100644
--- a/src/teilchensammler_cli/main.py
+++ b/src/teilchensammler_cli/main.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ from textual.widgets import Button, DataTable, Footer, Header, Input, Static
 from .database import create_db_and_tables, engine
 from .models import add_to_database, load_initial_data, make_teilchen_input
 
+# Make it so that log messages go to Textual; we should be able to then see
+# these in the console
 logging.basicConfig(
     level="NOTSET",
     handlers=[TextualHandler()],
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ class SearchBar(Static):
     async def parse_input(self, event: Input.Submitted) -> None:
 
         if not (tc := await make_teilchen_input(event.value)):
+            logger.debug("could not create TeilchenCreate from data: %s", event.value)
             return
 
         event.input.value = ""
diff --git a/src/teilchensammler_cli/models.py b/src/teilchensammler_cli/models.py
index 4ed6afc..9422308 100644
--- a/src/teilchensammler_cli/models.py
+++ b/src/teilchensammler_cli/models.py
@@ -82,20 +82,40 @@ async def make_teilchen_input(text: str) -> TeilchenCreate | None:
 
 
 async def load_initial_data(engine) -> Sequence[Teilchen]:
+    """Retrieve all Teilchen records from the database.
 
+    Args:
+        engine (sqlalchemy.Engine): the engine or connection or whatever
+
+    Returns:
+        List of Teilchen, potentially empty
+    """
     with Session(engine) as session:
         statement = select(
             Teilchen.id, Teilchen.name, Teilchen.description, Teilchen.number, Teilchen.tags
         )  # ty:ignore[no-matching-overload]
         all_teilchen = session.exec(statement).all()
+
+    logger.debug("Loading initial data: found %s records", len(all_teilchen))
     return all_teilchen
 
 
 async def add_to_database(tc: TeilchenCreate, engine) -> Teilchen:
+    """Add given data as a new record into the database.
+
+    Args:
+        engine (sqlalchemy.Engine): the engine or connection or whatever
+        tc: Teilchen data (no `id` yet)
+
+    Returns:
+        The newly created Teilchen (this time with `id`)
+    """
+    logger.debug("received: %s", str(tc))
     with Session(engine) as session:
         teilchen = Teilchen.model_validate(tc)
         session.add(teilchen)
         session.commit()
         session.refresh(teilchen)
 
+    logger.debug("created: %s", str(teilchen))
     return teilchen