The Big Adventure - Life in Holland!

Koln (and the Christmas Markets)

2012-01-02T09:31:00.000+01:00

Koln, also spelled Cologne, is a large city in western Germany. It is only a few hours from where we live in the Netherlands-3 hours if the traffic is light. Koln, like many German cities, holds Christmas Markets in the weeks preceding Christmas. We decided to visit the city and enjoy the festivities.

We first went to a small town outside of Koln called Siegburg. The Christmas Market there was an old fashioned or medieval theme.

The bread ovens with the wood fires

The market with booths

Goods for sale

Everyone needs a fur skin for Christmas

The merry-go-round

Wood working-the old way

The blacksmith with his furnace and anvil working the metal

Mel even started her own produce company.

Church on the main market square

We then drove to Koln. Koln is the 4th largest city in Germany. It is famous for the Cologne Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne is one of the oldest in all of Europe. The town is located on both sides of the Rhine River. This small town that was made into the major trade and production center by the Romans around 50 A.D. It became the Roman provincial capital and was the most important Roman city north of the Alps.

During the medieval period, Koln continued its prominence as a trade and a commercial city. The huge Gothic cathedral was begun in 1248 and housed the relics of the Three Magi. It was the home of the Archbishop was the largest cathedral in Northern Europe. During WWII, the Cathedral was hit by 15 or 16 Allied bombs but was able to withstand the attacks. Much of the city was destroyed during the war with about 95% of the population leaving the city.

Koln Cathedral

On the steps in front of the Cathedral

Merry-go-round

The Christmas Market at the Cathedral

Koln Christmas Market

One of the numerous booths at the market

Nightfall at the Koln Cathedral Christmas Market

Koln street cafe

Headed to another Christmas Market in Koln

Christmas Market

Manger scene

Puppets

Wood carvings - the Three Magi

Street Band

Back to the Cathedral

Notice Mel in front of the Cathedral.
Probably the only time the sun shone through the clouds!

This building is huge

The relics of the Three Magi

Chapel of the Three Magi

Street in front of the Cathedral

Hotel decorated for Christmas

Mel's new friend

Street performer - when she moved it scared the boy.
He thought she was a statue.

Christmas Market outside the Cathedral

Again--truly amazing how large this building is.

Bruce Lee has a hair salon here in Koln. Who knew?

Budapest part 3

2011-12-31T15:23:00.000+01:00

Budapest, Hungary--is a very interesting city. It needs to be experienced to be understood-although it would probably take several visits to really get to know it. Budapest and Hungary have a different feel to it than most cities/countries. It is difficult to explain why or how it is different. You will need to visit it yourself to understand what I mean.

Andrassy ut--one of the major streets in Budapest.

A bench on the street. Budapest was once considered

one of the most cultured cities in Europe.

Outside of the House of Terror--a museum that is dedicated to the memory of those who were tortured and killed by the Nazi and Communist secret police.

Wall to remember those who lost their lives during the Nazi occupation

during WWII and the Communist rule following the war. The terror

lasted until 1989 when the Communists were removed from power.

Museum in Budapest

Budapest is famous for its hot springs. There are 123

of them in the city with more than two dozen public bath houses.

We visited this bath house. It has many different pools of varied

temperatures. As you can tell, the air temperature was cold--below

freezing--but the water was wonderful.

Outside pool at the bath house.

Inside pools

Two of the inside pools at the bath house.

Parliament House in Budapest

Memorial to those who fought for freedom.

Old building in Budapest

Street leading to St. Stephen's Basilica

St. Stephen's Basilica--Stephen was Hungary's first Christian king.

Alter in St. Stephen's Basilica

The red marble and the ornate decor make this a truly beautiful building

This is one of our favorite Churches/Cathedrals

Simply beautiful

This jeweled box holds the withered (mummified) hand of St. Stephen.

Once a year, it is taken out and paraded around the town to honor the old king.

We ate dinner in this underground restaurant.

Budapest part 2

2011-12-31T14:42:00.002+01:00

We took a day trip out to the countryside in Hungary. The main town that we visited was call Kecskemet. It was interesting to get out of the big city of Budapest and see what it looked like in the country.

Town Hall in Kecskemet

One of several churches in Kecskemet

Old building in Kecskemet

Grand old hotel

The Hungarians are renowned for their horsemen.

While in the countryside, we visited a horse farm.

Notice the whip that this horsemen is using.

They would crack the whip while running at full speed.

Rounding up the young horses--mostly yearlings and two-year olds.

Rounding up the young horses.

Getting ready for a carriage ride. This breed of horses are

also used in the Lipizzaner Stallion shows. They go

from dark to light (black to grey to white) as they age.

Three of the Hungarian horsemen. Notice that they ride without saddles.

This horsemen is riding a group of 5 horses--standing on the backs of two of the horses.

Standing while riding

Standing while riding--at a full gallop. Impressive!

The horses were trained to sit and lay down.

An unusual chair

A horse game--capture the flag.

Even the donkey named Madame Charlotte was trained.

Taking a turn at cracking the whip. (She does this quite often at home).

These are a breed of cattle called Hungarian Grey Cattle. They

have been breed for centuries in Hungary. I have not seen them before.

The oxen team pulling the wagon.

Bud had a chance to ride. It has been a

long time since he has been on the back of a horse.

Hungarian goats

Sparring in the corral

Two asses posing for the camera

The Thanksgiving turkey. Good thing for him that

he was in Hungary and not in the US on Thanksgiving Day.

The barn/equipment shed on the horse farm

Thanksgiving in Budapest

2011-12-14T22:20:00.000+01:00

This year, we went to Budapest, Hungary for Thanksgiving. Going in late November, the weather was cold and overcast with fog on most days--but we enjoyed it.

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. It is located in the center of the Carpathian Basin, built on both sides of the Danube River. The Romans built a major city here in the 1st century A.D. garrisoned with 10,000 soldiers along with the civilian population. The Huns (and their famous leader, Attila) settled here after driving the Romans out around the 5th century A.D. The conquering Magyars made this their home, the final wave led by Arpad and his mounted tribal chiefs arriving in 896.

Hungary was founded by King Steven in 1000 A.D. The Mongols burned the town in 1241. Under King Matthias, Budapest became a major cultural and commercial city in Europe--rivaling cities such as Paris and London. In 1541, the Turks captured the city and held it for about 150 years. They were driven out by a combined Christian army from Europe in 1686. Settlers from Germany mixed with the native Magyars while the country came under Hapsburg rule.

The Austria-Hungarian empire was one of the major powers in Europe. Budapest was renowned for its culture. The first underground railway in Europe was built here. The city was heavily damaged in both world wars--most major buildings were destroyed. It was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Europe. The Nazi occupation was followed by the Communist dictatorship supported by the Soviet Union. The Republic of Hungary was formed in 1989 when they gained their freedom.

We had heard of the beautiful blue Danube River.

On a cold, foggy November day, it wasn't very blue.

Crossing the Chain Bridge (Szechenyl Lanchid).

There are several bridges crossing the Danube in Budapest.

Old buildings along the Danube River.

Looking across the river at the Parliament Building.

Budapest is actually a city created by combining the old cities of Buda and Pest.

Buda is on the west side of the Danube River and Pest is on the east side.

Musician wearing traditional Hungarian attire.

The hills of Buda looking across the Danube to the flat Pest.

Matthias Church on Castle Hill--built in the 13th through the 15th centuries.

Budapest

Andrassy ut--a major street in Budapest. The first

underground railway built in Europe runs under this street.

Statues of the conquering tribal chiefs

Heroes Square

The Parliament Building--built in 1895 to celebrate the Hungarian millennium.

Street in Budapest

Bud and his twin

Mel and her new friend

St. Istvan's (Steven's) Basilica

The Royal Castle

View from the Fisherman's Bastion

Fisherman's Bastion--the old fish market

We're Back! A quick preview of what's been happening since our last post!

2011-09-12T10:27:00.003+02:00

I was actually shocked that our last post was in April!

We just got busy with life,

so here is a quick snapshot of what's been going on -

My friend Cindy and I went and viewed the parade floats of the

Dutch version of the Rose Parade in California.

These cute little bugs came to The Netherlands

for a visit in April and May.

We had ice cream in Haarlem,

visited the Keukenhof tulip gardens,

Saw lots of windmills,

Practiced our Dutch (bike riding that is)

and crashed!

But it was still fun.

We spent numerous evenings at the beach in Wassenaar.

Angus had me locked away!

Actually we went to Rothenburg, Germany.

It is a medieval village,

surrounded by fortress walls.

We enjoyed a delicious pork sandwich.

We drove across the North Sea! Yes, we are that good!

We toured Bourtange, Netherlands

We went to a baseball game.

She did not like this creature!

We love baseball! We really miss it.

We hung out some more with these guys.

I got to see a lot of my old friends,

who came to help me celebrate my 50th birthday!

We vacationed at Island Park, Idaho.

We went to Yellowstone's Bear World.

This mama moose fed across the river from where

we were staying. We saw her everyday!

Life is good,

especially when you spend it,

with the people

you love!

Malta--the Churches

2011-04-14T09:32:00.005+02:00

The official religion in Malta is Catholicism. We were told that in this small country, there are 365 churches-one for each day of the year. The Catholic church exerts a huge influence on society here. Divorce and abortion are still illegal.

St Paul is the most important saint in Malta. He was reported to have been ship wrecked here in route to Rome. Other important saints are St John the Baptist and St Agatha.

Caravaggio (artist) arrived in Malta in 1607. He impressed the Grand Master of the Knights of St John and was knighted. He painted The Beheading of John the Baptist which is in the St John's Co-Cathedral.

St John's Co-Cathedral from the outside.

St John's Co-Cathedral

Tombstones of some of the knights that are buried in the Cathedral. The entire floor of the church is a sea of multi-colored marble where 400 knights are buried beneath these tombstones.

The Nave. This Cathedral is very ornate. A beautiful building.

One of the chapels of the Langues. There were eight langues (languages--the national chapters) each with its own chapel. The Langues vied with each other to create the most lavish chapel and all were richly decorated. The artwork was outstanding.

Tombstones in the floor

Archway--notice the Maltese Cross

The High Alter at the front of the cathedral.
It is made of gold, silver and bronze, encrusted with precious jewels.

Mosta Dome in the city of Mosta

Mosta Dome--officially Our Lady of the Assumption. This dome is the 3rd largest in Europe (or perhaps the 4th - Gozo Island claims to have built a bigger one.)

Inside the Mosta Dome

The Dome

Standing outside of the Mosta Dome with St Jacob

An interesting story about the Mosta Dome--during WWII, a German bomber dropped this bomb on the Mosta Dome. The bomb did not explode but it did knock out the keystone from the center of the dome. The dome should have collapsed but it stayed up. It is considered a miracle.
Many years after the war, the bomber came to Mosta Dome seeking forgiveness
from the people of Mosta. They welcomed him with open arms!

St Paul's Cathedral in the ancient capital of Mdina

Another cathedral--they are numerous

A church on the island of Gozo

Another cathedral on the island of Gozo in Malta

There are literally hundreds of churches

Ta' Pinu Basilica--thousands of Maltese people travel here in hopes of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu
curing them of their ailments.

Ta' Pinu Basilica

Xewkija Cathedral on the island of Gozo.
It is claimed by the Bozitans to have the 3rd largest dome in Europe--disputed by Mosta.
The church is big enough to hold three times Xewkija's population.

Malta

2011-04-14T08:19:00.001+02:00

We spent a week in Malta.........and thoroughly enjoyed it. To fully appreciate Malta, you may need a little background on the country. I will try to tell you a little about history.

Malta, is a Southern European country consisting of a small group of islands situated in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunisia. Only the three largest islands – Malta, Gozo, and Comino – are inhabited.

Malta covers just over 300 km in land area, making it one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries. Its capital is Valletta. The main island is made up of many small towns, which together have a population of 368,250 (majority of the population of the country). The country has two official languages – Maltese and English – with Maltese being considered the national language.
Throughout history, Malta's location has given it great strategic importance and a sequence of powers including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Fatimids, Sicilians, Knights of St John, French and the British have ruled the islands. Malta gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and became a republic in 1974.

Malta has a long Christian legacy. It is believed that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on Malta while he was in route to Rome and ministered there. Catholicism continues to be the official and dominant religion in Malta. Malta is internationally renowned as a tourist resort, with numerous recreational areas and historical monuments, including nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites^, most prominently the Megalithic Temples which are some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world.

This is the view from our hotel room. The Mediterranean Sea was beautiful.

The weather was cool and quite windy, creating some waves that crashed against the shore.

These unsuspecting people got wet shortly after the picture was taken.
They had walked out on the rocks to get a closer look.

Valletta, the capital city with St John's Co-Cathedral.

The view from our tour boat.

The harbors around the capital have a series of forts,
built to withstand the numerous attacks throughout the centuries.

Fort St. Elmo in Valletta.

The buildings around the harbor were all built with defense as a primary consideration.
Most were fortified and looked formidable.

An outpost/fort on a promontory point on one of the harbors.

Housing in a small city on one of the harbors.
Densely populated, living right on top of your neighbors.

Another fortress.

The Maltese Cross on the top of a church.

A street in Sliema, a city next to Valletta.

Malta has the highest road-accident rate in Europe. It is advised to avoid driving altogether--but if you do get behind the wheel, remember that Maltese drivers don't believe in speed restrictions, using turn signals or giving way. Expect any courtesy you show to be treated as sign of weakness.

Carnival in Valletta, Malta

2011-03-31T21:38:00.002+02:00

On our anniversary trip to Malta, we had a most pleasant surprise - it was Carnival. Malta has a very strong Roman Catholic presence and the country was celebrating Carnival before Lent started. We were in the town of Valletta when we came across the "Bands and Dancers Parade." We have never attended a carnival before but it was fun to see. Here are some of the pictures - I'm not going to comment on all of them because they pretty much speak for themselves. We also got to watch the dance competition and saw the floats.

I was amazed at how ornate the costumes were.

The hard part about watching this parade was the parents -

they followed their children down the street

(which I don't blame them - I would too)

but it made it kind of hard to see the kids!

Cute little guy! Some of the participants were so young, perhaps 3 years old.

We tried to get a good picture of this guy in the middle of the photo -

he was on springs/stilts and would jump really high in the air.

We weren't quick enough to get the picture.

This was at the dance competition.

I felt sorry for this group because they were so small and

also their costumes were plain compared to the other competitors.

But this little girl made it all worthwhile.

She was having the time of her life.

This little girl was not interested in the loud music

and colorful costumes.

She was picking up confetti!

These were little kids, probably 3 or 4 years old.

This poor girl looks like she has had a long day.

Here are some of the floats for the parade.

We didn't wait around for the parade to start -

it had been a long day!

They are so colorful and ornate.

This was the cutest thing we saw all day. We were leaving and coming towards us

was Spiderman and Superman, holding hands. We had already put our camera up,

but I still think these are cute photos.

Here are a few things we noticed about the Maltese people. They seemed to be very family oriented. This was a carnival made up of families. Nothing like what I think it is like in New Orleans. Of course we didn't stay for the night life but the entire crowd was made up of families. The children were so well behaved. It had to be a long day for them, because it was for us and we didn't have to wear costumes and march and dance. Having said that, we hardly saw a child throwing a fit or crying. We were amazed, and impressed. We mentioned this to our taxi driver on our way to the airport to fly home. He kinda snorted and said, "They're used to it. We celebrate everything." Still impressive! The Maltese are a very friendly, happy people!

30th Wedding Anniversary!

2011-03-14T09:34:00.004+01:00

Bud and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last week!

We went to Malta! We'll post about that later.

30 years . . .

You start to realize what a rare thing it is to be married for 30 years,

after you have hit the 30 year mark!

I feel so blessed to have found this remarkable man.

I joke about how he drives me crazy, and its true.

He reminds me that men never really grow up,

that they're kids at heart.

He makes me laugh, everyday!

Seriously, he is one of the funniest people I know.

Bud, though, is a very, very moral person.

He is honest, faithful and devoted.

He tells me that I am beautiful,

which with almost 50 years of living on my face

and hanging around my middle, I appreciate it.

Bud is wise, smart and has oodles of common sense.

He has nursed me through a couple of serious illnesses.

Cooked, cleaned, held me when I struggled,

and told me to buck up when I needed it.

When I am tacky, naughty or just plain thoughtless,

he lets me know, just like any good spouse would.

He wants me to be the person that he sees me as.

Bud works extremely hard at everything he does,

and he has passed that on to our kids.

Speaking of kids, ours could not ask for a better father.

He would play with them, work with them,

teach them how to be good people.

Every night before bed, he either told them a story

about when he was growing up

(their favorite) or read them stories.

Clear up until they were in their teens. They love this about him.

Bud taught our kids to love God, their country and freedom.

How to make good choices and to recognize

how blessed their lives are.

Now they are teaching their children these important truths!

I look at this picture, and smile.

Look at the hope and excitement!

Is marriage this easy?

NO!

At times, it is one of the hardest, trying and soul stretching things you will ever do.

Yet it is also the most easy, natural, right experience a person can have.

But you have to fight for this experience.

You stick it out when it gets hard,

you celebrate it when its great,

and you work at it when its mundane.
You bite your tongue when unkind thoughts come to mind.
It is hard to take back hurt feelings!
You let go of the negative. Just like that. Don't hang on to it!

You realize that boring, unexciting and routine

is when marriage is at its best. Its real!

You are comfortable with the day to day and

are glad that there isn't any drama.

Steady, strong and healthy.

We married for time and all eternity!

I look forward to the future!

The Hague (Den Haag)

2011-02-20T19:26:00.003+01:00

Last Saturday, we went for a walk in The Hague. In Dutch, The Hague is called Den Haag. Many years ago, it was also called 's-Gravenhage. The Hague was founded around the year 1230. It is the third largest city in the Netherlands (after Amsterdam and Rotterdam). The population is approximately 500,000. It is located in the west of the country, in the province of South Holland, of which it is also the provincial capital. The Hague is the seat of the Dutch parliament, government and Royal Court (but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands which is a role set aside in the Dutch constitution for Amsterdam). Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lives and works in The Hague. All foreign embassies and government ministries are located in the city, as well as the Supreme Court and the Council of State. The Hague is also the judicial capital of the United Nations, being the location of its primary judicial institutions, including the World Court.

This is the building where Angus' office is located. The office is in the third floor. The top two floors of the building are where the Belgium embassy is located.

Angus in front of his office.

Opposite side of Angus' office showing the pond.

Street view of the Mexican Embassy.

Typical street with a canal.

This building is the Hotel des Indes for the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch East India Company was established in 1602. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock (a return of 18% was paid for over 200 years). It was also arguably the world's first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, coin money, and establish colonies.

The Hague, which housed the Ministry of Colonies, was the favorite city for soldiers and civil servants on furlough from the Dutch East Indies. The Hague offered facilities for families on leave, including shops with colonial goods and boarding houses. The Hotel Des Indes on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague used to accommodate many of these travellers.

Escher Musuem

Mel is standing in front of the narrowest, smallest house in The Hague.

Area in the old center of The Hague.

This street is referred to as the Queen's Mile. It is a private road in the center of The Hague and can only be driven on by the Queen.

Two mounted police officers.

This is the "Rusthof" door. It leads to some "almshouses" in the center of the block, built originally for retired servants of the royal family or church. The almshouses were often destined for the elderly. Poor elderly were dependent on their family, church or wealthy people. The rich patrons or the church founded almshouses where poor elderly could live free. The founders of almshouses were often childless men or women who wanted to spend the money from their estates after their death in a meaningful way.

The door leads to a narrow hallway.

The Rusthof

The Rusthof apartments in the center of the block with a beautiful garden.

Dutch shops.

The Dutch Parliament Buildings, Buitenhof.

Shopping area near the Government buildings.

Walking street.

William of Orange.

Courtyard in center of the Buitenhof (government buildings.)

Angus in the Buitenhof or Parliament courtyard.

Fountain in the courtyard.

Mel enjoying the walk on a brisk February day.

The old prison dating back a few centuries.

The Jewish Quarter from World War II. During the occupation of the Netherlands during WWII, over 100,000 Dutch Jews were rounded up to be transported to Nazi German concentration camps in Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. By the time these camps were liberated, only 876 Dutch Jews survived.

Queen Beatrix's residence in the Hague.

Another view of the Queen's residence.

Gate in front of the Queen's residence.

Narrow street in the old section of The Hague.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:03:00.000+01:00

The Bloemenhuis (flower shop) made this beautiful Valentine's Day greeting right in the middle of the Langstraat (the main road in the downtown shopping area.) You can't drive a car or ride a bike down the Langstraat so this really stood out being right smack dab in the middle of the road!

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

One of my favorite pictures!

2011-02-02T21:40:00.000+01:00

I took this picture at Crathes Castle outside of Aberdeen, Scotland.

I was just reminiscing.

The Nerve of Some People!

2011-01-26T22:29:00.000+01:00

When Bud and I returned to the Netherlands from Utah, we came home to a few things not working in our apartment -

The elevator didn't work. We very seldom use it but since we had a lot of luggage to carry up the stairs it was not good. And by we, I mean Bud!

Our water heater didn't work - for the 5th time since moving into the apartment. It makes this terrible groaning sound everytime you turn on the water. It is very loud and I am sure everyone in the building could hear it. The property management people had two repairmen come out that Monday and they fixed the problem lickety-split. The pipe had come undone from the compressor pan, or baffle or thingamagig. The pan came lose and knocked the pipe out. They reassembled everything and announced their quick success. Bud said, "I don't think its fixed!" They looked at him in disbelief and he said it again. If any of you know Bud, you can imagine his deep voice sounding very unhappy! I then reiterated that this was the 5th time they had been here in the short time we have been living here. I then asked them if it was possible that were some bad clips or the like. Huh? Guess what, they checked the clips holding the pan and one was bad. When the water would get hot it would make the pan expand and the clip would pop. Can you imagine being a repairman and trying to find the cause, instead of just fixing the problem?! Novel idea!! Next thing I know I see one of them grab one of my wire clothes hangers. I never saw the end result of their work but I did see about 5 inches remaining from said clothes hanger. You know what, at this point I don't care as long as it holds that pan in place!

The final non-working item was my oven. Again! The last time it was repaired the repairman said it was wired incorrectly. Scary, huh? He rewired it and it was working just fine, until it wasn't! Same repairman and, I think, his twenty-something son came out again. They don't know why it was not working but they disconnected it from the electricity and reconnected it again and now it works. I asked the man what was wrong with the oven and he said, "Don't know but working fine now." I am sure they will be back in the near future.

In the meanwhile, his coworker, who I will refer to as his "son" was looking at our security camera monitor. He walks over to it and pulls it out of the wall! What the heck?!!! He inspects it, looking at the wires, etc. I honestly think he was just curious about it. He goes to put it back into the wall and guess what? He can't get it to fit! He works at it for 10-15 minutes, I kid you not, to get it to fit back into the wall. He is adjusting mounting screws, pulling the monitor in and out of the wall. I am just watching him in disbelief. The father is basically ignoring the son's doings. (I had asked the father a question about my refrigerator water filter and he was in deep thought about that.) Finally the son gives up and walks over to me. I said, "That's not flush with the wall." He walks back to the monitor, gives it a little push and walks back over to where I am with a "I don't give a crap attitude." The father says they are finished and they leave. This is what I am left with -

The caulking strip is destroyed, the paint is pulled out and of course the monitor doesn't fit! This isn't a itty bitty monitor - its 10 1/2" wide so its noticeable that its not flush with the wall. I sent the property management an email with these pictures stating to them what happened. It was a brief but factual statement as to what happened. They emailed me back saying they would correct the repairman and send someone out to fix it. Of course I haven't heard anything further from them.

I was somewhat disappointed in myself. I really wanted to get after the kid and ask him why in the world would he do something so bold. Due to the language barrier, although I am sure he is like most young Dutch people and speaks English very well, I lost my nerve. Plus Bud was out of town so I felt it best to just bite my tongue. I still can't believe someone would have the nerve to do that! Live and learn!

Rockin' in the Hood - and other thoughts

2011-01-18T21:28:00.001+01:00

I'm not sure how to label these pictures

of our son and his babe!

Rockin' in the Hood!

Gangsta!

What's with the 'tude?

Life over the holidays was quite hectic but very good. We got to spend them with our children and grandchildren. Bud actually took off work. He hardly ever, ever takes time off from work. I was impressed too; he actually relaxed and we didn't really do much of anything except hang out with the family.

What a great way to recharge our batteries.

Now its back to real life. I am finally back in the Netherlands after 2 1/2 months of being in the states. I wasn't suppose to travel for two months after my surgery. How many of you feel sorry for my son-in-law, having me live with him and my daughter all that time? Actually I probably have the most easy going, pleasant son-in-law.

He never acted like it was an imposition having me there. My daughter was another thing! JUST KIDDING, Snort! (I just had to say that to get her goat!) They were great and I loved being part of their family during that time. Especially getting to know their newest baby.

He is like his dad and just happy to be there! Well he isn't just like his dad, since his dad is not fat and rolly!

Another joy was getting to know the newest grandchild. She is a darling! Our son and his wife are such cute parents. Their wee one was really starting to coo and smile all the time.

She has the cutest cry - sometimes sounds like a baby cougar - other times almost sounds like she is going to bray like a mule! Don't know what that says about her personality except that I am sure she will have loads of it!

It is always very difficult to say goodbye to our children, but worse to leave our grandchildren.

I Wish!

Especially our five year old, he understands what is happening - that he won't see us for a long time! He starts to get sad when he realizes that we are going to be flying out soon. His mouth turns down, his eyes look sad. I understand how he feels. The week before we leave, every time the thought of leaving crossed my mind my eyes started to water. I have to just push it out of my mind! Then the day comes and we both work at not crying. I still have not made it to the airport without shedding a few tears along the way - and its been two years that we have been living abroad! You would think I would be used to it but I'm not. By the time I reach the airport I am usually okay though.

It was a little difficult to land in the Netherlands after being in sunny, but very cold Utah. It was and has been so dank and dreary here. I am acutely aware of how pale everyone is! A lack of sun will do that to you! (Having said that, Scotland was worse as far as sunshine goes. Bud and I looked like zombies!) Of course this is typical for the time of year I think. Raining and lots of dark clouds. It doesn't help that the sun rises so late in the morning and sets early in the late afternoon. All things said, it is home for us! Back to all the things that are familiar to me - my kitchen, my furniture, my bed - oh my I love that bed!

I realize that our blog has been lacking of posts lately. It is always hard for me to take the time to blog when I am with my family and friends in the states. Hopefully I will do better now that I am home!

Catching up - Our Christmas Gingerbread Houses

2011-01-04T22:11:00.001+01:00

Every year our daughter and her family make Gingerbread Houses for the Christmas holidays. Mom, dad and big brother were working away, when I happened to glance over and see this! I guess some things are just too tempting.

This gingerbread man is suffering from "I'm 2 and it looks too good not to eat!" disease.

Why do you have a guilty look on your face? What are you hiding in your mouth?

The finished products. The boys did a choo choo train,

while the girls worked on "The Massacre at the Candy House!"

Or some such nonsense.

I think they did a really good job.

And I especially like these guys!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

We certainly got spoiled at this house by Santa!

(Disclaimer on the hair - she was outside in the snow, with French braids worn under a hat. Consequently this is the results. One day I am going to do a post about this girl's wild hair!)

Remembering the true meaning of Christmas!

2010-12-24T03:00:00.001+01:00

Merry Christmas!

Bud and I are grateful the many blessings we have been given,

especially the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We hope all will take a minute to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas

Snow in Utah! Lots of Snow!

2010-12-21T23:11:00.003+01:00

Its snowing, a lot!

It hasn't stopped snowing since yesterday morning!

Talk about a winter wonderland!

Isn't he cute, all bundled up?

If she fell down, she would be like Randy in The Christmas Story.

I don't think she could get up!

(I could not get the clip to embed but here's the link to the clip.)

Our truck, buried.

Kinda looks like Towmater from the movie Cars!

She loves eating snow. Thank goodness its not yellow!

Showing off her snowball/snack.

She makes a pretty good snowball!

The view off the front steps.

Thank goodness our son-in-law shoveled a path.

The path to the bunny.

Where is the bunny?

Is that her hutch?

A bunny tunnel.

There must be a bunny somewhere!

Some digging and we see her pen.

We found her!

Letting the bunny enjoy some apples.

We have at least 18 inches of snow. I think maybe it has actually stopped snowing. Bud is going to fly to Utah tomorrow and we hope his flight won't get canceled. Heathrow London airport has been buried in what is said to be the worst winter in the U.K. in a century. Schiphol Amsterdam airport has not, as yet, been quite as affected, although Bud said there is 1 foot of snow on our balcony. He is afraid he will actually end up spending Christmas in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport! Let's pray for good weather for all the holiday travelers!

Missing in Action!

2010-12-13T05:25:00.002+01:00

It has been almost a month since Bud or I have published a post. A lot has happened so I will try to give a brief update. As posted earlier, we had the arrival of our fourth grandchild. I flew to Utah the first part of November to meet this new granddaughter and to help out however I could! It is fun to see the difference in our grandson, who was born in August and our new grandbaby!

She looks so tiny next to this big boy.

They both look little next to these two big kids!

I love pictures of yawning babies!

It is hard to get two babies to look in the same direction

when you are trying to take their picture.

Our daughter calls her new niece a troll doll!

Why you ask? Because her hair sticks straight up,

just like the old troll dolls.

All she needs is a jewel for her bellybutton!

This guy is four months old. At his two month check up he was over 17 pounds and 24 inches long! He is huge! He has rolls upon rolls. I am sure he is over 20 pounds and much longer now. He has the sweetest disposition, is very ticklish and has been sleeping through the night since he was 10 weeks old!

This helps with the sleeping through the night! He loves his thumb.

This little bug is five weeks old. (I need to get a better picture of her, by herself, from my son.) She is over ten pounds and her cheeks are getting bigger by the day. She is starting to be aware of who is holding her, smiling . . . that is when she doesn't have her mouth open looking for food! I think she will catch up to her cousin before we know it.

Of course no new baby picture is complete without one with the exhausted mom's in it!

Even the cat got caught in the act!

Bud managed to come over to later to meet both his new grandchildren for first time too. I had to have some surgery during this time (glad to have it in the U.S. and not at the mercy of socialized medicine. I know, I know we are now there but it is still better here than in Europe - in my opinion.) I also took a trip to New Mexico with my daughter's family, my daughter-in-law and baby to see my mother. My son could not go because of getting ready for finals. I will post more about this later but for now this will have to do! Goodnight!

Ode to the Scottish

2010-11-18T00:37:00.003+01:00

We loved our time in Scotland. The country is so beautiful and the people are

great! When I came across this video I had to post it.

Classic Scotland! Enjoy

One Happy Daddy

2010-11-12T06:01:00.004+01:00

There is another love in my life.

She was born November 5, 2010

She was 21inches and 8lbs 9oz.

For future blogs we will call her Louis. There is a story behind this nickname. When we first told my parents that we were having a baby I told my dad that we were going to name her Louis L'Amour. That is his favorite author and ever since then she has been called Louis by her Grandpa

Our Mystery Grandchild has Arrived!

2010-11-06T23:36:00.000+01:00

Our 4th grandchild arrived yesterday!

And we didn't know if we were getting a boy baby or a girl baby.

Tell me what you think?

If you guessed a girl, then you're right.

Look at those cheeks!

Very proud papa! I can't believe my baby has a baby!!

I love you too.

Holding hands.

I think he has fallen in love with another girl!

Here's that one that did all the hard work.

Doesn't she look great for just having had a baby?

We are so proud and happy at how well this tiny mama did

with her very big baby! 8 pounds 9 ounces!

When our daughter went to check out her new niece and was looking at her in the nursery, there was another family looking at another baby. Their teenage son saw our new baby and said, "Look an Asian baby." That made our daughter laugh. The baby has so much hair though, we think she looks like an Eskimoo or Indian baby.

Our daughter said the wee one has a great set of lungs on her!

We can't wait to meet her!

Basterdsuiker

2010-11-04T09:21:00.000+01:00

Basterdsuiker, which when translated means

Bastard Sugar!

Most of us will recognize it as brown sugar.

This is light bastard sugar; they also sell dark bastard sugar.

I am not sure why the Dutch call their brown sugar bastard sugar,

but I know I will never look at brown sugar that same!

The Horse-Drawn Funeral Procession

2010-10-30T21:42:00.002+02:00

One day, we were in the Hague and saw a funeral procession. According to the locals, the deceased person must have been wealthy because a funeral of this type is expensive.

All of the horses were solid black. They were covered with blankets.

The carriage on the right is for the casket.
The carriage on the left is for the family.

The horses were all very tall--16 hands or more and black. Beautiful animals.

The horse handlers and the carriage drivers.

Checking the last minute details. Look at the shiny hooves on the horses.

The hearse.

The funeral procession.

Check out the horses head ornaments.

The funeral hearse with the attendees and the driver.

Two horse carriage.

The funeral procession headed down the street.

Some People and Their Pets!

2010-10-30T20:53:00.001+02:00

I have heard of some people who go to great lengths for their pets!

They want them to happy and comfortable and content . . .

but buying them their own Tesla for a napping spot?

This is our neighbor's beautiful green (electric) sports car.

He's so nice to let his kitty snooze on his very expensive car!

Update - Delft and the Thursday Market.

2010-10-25T11:53:00.001+02:00

I had an earlier post about Delft and the Thursday Market. In the post I mentioned this piece of Royal Delftware, not knowing how much it cost. I speculated that it could cost 3-4 figures. I had the opportunity to be in Delft this weekend and thought to check out the price tag.

€9,500!

Any takers?

A Saturday in Wassenaar

2010-10-20T22:17:00.004+02:00

A couple of Saturday's ago, Bud and I decided to go for a bike ride in our little town. As we were riding on the narrow, cobbled roads we came across this nursery.

Morticia Adams

Seriously I need to get some sun!

This little nursery is very nice but you would almost miss it.

It is tucked away from the mainstream traffic.

Some very Dutch yard ornaments.

Our bikes. We picked up some gourds and a pumpkin.

The church on the other side of the nursery.

They had these flower bags hanging on the iron fence at the church.

A couple of homes by the nursery.

Notice how narrow the street is. Also the cobble stone.

It always makes me nervous to be riding my bike

and sharing the road with a car.

We saw a sign in the town sqaure, written in Dutch, saying there was a church bazaar that day. It took a little help to figure out where it was but we found it. This is their "parking lot."

Inside we saw this beautiful stained glass window.

It was an interesting church architecturally.

A very modern feel to it.

The pipe organ.

I was a little disappointed in the sale because I thought it might be like a Christmas Bazaar, with crafts and the like. It was basically a yard sale. Everyone's junk. But you know what they say, " one man's trash, another man's treasure." We bought four antique books on Dutch art and a couple of crocheted lace doilies.

They were selling these outside.

I don't know what they are called but they are delicious.

They are called "Oliebollen."

It was a yummy dough with sultanas (golden raisins) in them.

They were warm and served with powdered sugar on them.

Then we rode over to the American Baseball Field.

We love baseball so we stayed and watched two games.

We watched an American team play a Dutch team.

It was funny to hear the Dutch coach talk to his team in Dutch.

After all it is the American pastime!

I looked out the window and what did I see . . .

2010-10-11T13:34:00.001+02:00

A Pony!

As I have mentioned before, our balcony faces a Dutch grammar school. I was out on the balcony checking my plants when my eye caught this guy.

How cool is that? Lucky children!

I knew the second the kids were out on recess - their squeals of delight was great! I wonder what the pony thinks when he hears that familiar sound? "Great, here we go again!" or "Yeah, the children!"

I think the pony probably loves all the little children happy to see him!

Blogger Stats and Bread

2010-10-09T09:00:00.000+02:00

Have you ever gone into the Stats tab on your blog account? I have just recently started to look at these statistics. It shows your stats for the day, week, month and all time. You can see where the traffic is coming from, what your most popular post are, etc. I find it interesting that our most popular post is Egypt: Luxor. It has 63 hits so far this week. It makes me wonder who it is that looks at this post? I suspect maybe someone in the travel industry but who knows! Our next most popular is Normandy & D-Day with 40 hits so far this week.

I am glad that people are enjoying our blog. I blog with my children, family and friends in mind, however I enjoy knowing that other people like looking at our blog too! I wonder who you are though. Do you blog too? Become a follower of my blog so I can know who you are and take a peek at your blog too. I love to see what other people are doing, what their talents or hobbies are, what their perspectives are, etc. If you don't blog but like visiting mine become a follower also.

Now you are probably wondering what bread has to do with Blogger Stats? Absolutely nothing except I made some bread the other day and wanted to put the picture on my blog for my daughter to see.

The bread was yummy, especially served warm with butter and honey! Have a great day!

Delft and the Thursday Market

2010-10-06T11:18:00.010+02:00

The other day two friends from church and I went to Delft. One, Trisha, was visiting a family for whom she was being the nanny. The parents were gone for a couple of weeks and Trisha came to help out. While the kids were I school I tried to show her around to some of the local sights.

This is a floating tent on the canal in Delft. I have never seen one of those before. It had written on it "maximum capacity 20 people"! I would hate to see 20 people in there - you wouldn't be able to move.

Okay so Bud just told me that this is not a floating tent but a survival raft! 20 people can get in it and close up the top. Makes more sense!

On Thursday a lot of the town squares have market day. There were vendors everywhere. Here is the Kaas or cheese vendor. The Dutch have great cheese! Their most famous is Gouda. Which is pronounced "How da" with a very gutteral "H" sound! Probably the only Dutch word I can pronounce.

The bake shop. I realized the other day I have lived in the UK/Europe long enough that I now call it the bake shop, not the bakery. I also caught myself calling a diaper "nappies". Oh my!

There are several of the same types of vendors that set up their products. As you can tell a lot of work goes into their booths. Many people do their shopping on market day.

Just a view of the market with the iconic buildings of Delft in the background.

Trisha

The fish vendor. If any of you know me you know how much I hate fish!

Stinky! I wish I liked it but I don't but its one of the things Bud loves here.

The Dutch love their pickled Herring. Here you can pull one out of the bucket, chop off their heads, do whatever else they do to them and make you a sandwich! Yummm!

I copied this picture off the internet. We saw some people eating them with the onions only - no bun.

Another Kaas vendor

Need to buy a leg? They have them!

Trisha with the town hall in the background.

Tosha Lee and I. Tosha and her family are from South Africa.

Holland is really quite an international country.

Purses and scarves for sale.

Fruit vendors.

I love the skyline in Delft.

Need something for your hair?

Clothes? They got 'em!

What Delft is famous for!!

This platter was probably 2 feet in diameter. The high quality Delftware can be very expensive but it is beautiful. I did not notice how much this platter is sold for but I would guess it would be in the high triple digits to four digits. Give or take. Maybe even in the several thousand Euros.

Beautiful Birthday Girl

2010-10-01T08:46:00.000+02:00

Our granddaughter just celebrated her 2nd birthday.

We weren't there - sniff!

But her mama sent us some pictures to enjoy.

She was too shy to say Thank You but she clapped to show her delight.

I love her expression in this picture.

More clapping. That in itself is a miracle.

Just hours earlier she grabbed her mom's hot curling iron.

Poor girl had blisters on her hand.

I was up til midnight on Skype trying to make her laugh,

so she would try to forget about her owies!

I know I am the grandma, but I think she is beautiful!

Her other grandparents gave her the best gift of all.

Doll cradle and highchair. She wouldn't eat her cake

because she had to take care of her dollies.

In fact, my daughter finally had to remove it from her room -

she kept getting out of bed that night to play with it!

What's this?

Oh this is for me?

Such a cute little bug!

A little help from her brother and cousins to blow out the candles.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

We love you!

The Webs We Weave!

2010-09-29T12:04:00.002+02:00

I happened to glance out the balcony the other day to see

this beautiful work of art.

It was difficult for me to good a good picture of the web.

If you enlarge the picture you can see the rain drops clinging to the web.

Yesterday I happened to get a glance at the master artist!

As I was taking this picture I kept thinking,

"I hope this isn't one of those jumping spiders!"

I don't know what type of spider this is.

One side of me wants to get rid of him.

The other side let him live.

P.S. If he is a terribly poisonous spider, please let me know.

I have my limits!

Queen Beatrix and the Opening of the Dutch Parliament

2010-09-24T05:01:00.001+02:00

This past Tuesday I went with some members of the American Women's Club to The Hague to watch Queen Beatrix ride in her Golden Carriage to the opening of the Dutch Parliament (Staten-Generaal). The third Tuesday in September is the traditional day for the State Opening of the Dutch parliament and presentation of the government's budget plans. The queen rides her carriage from her palace to the Binnenhof.

The Binnenhof

Queen Beatrix

So here is a little history on this famous carriage -

The Golden Carriage or Gouden Koets is a carriage owned and used by the Dutch royal family. Generally, the Golden Carriage is used yearly to bear the Dutch monarch from the Noordeinde Palace to the Ridderzaal or Knight's Hall in the Binnenhof in order to pronounce the Speech from the Throne.

Queen Wilhelmina received the Golden Carriage at her 1898 investiture as a tribute from the citizens of Amsterdam. Queen Wilhelmina was beloved by the people of Amsterdam and the citizens donated 25 cents each towards building of this carriage. Because Queen Wilhelmina wished not to receive gifts on the day of her enthronement on September 6, 1898, she actually took receipt of the Golden Carriage the following day. The vehicle was first used on the occasion of the marriage of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik on February 7, 1901. Since 1903, it has mainly been used once a year, on the day of the Queen's speech (Prinsjesdag).

The carriage is made of teak wood, much of which is covered in gold leaf. It is decorated with paintings and symbolic ornaments. The carriage was built in Dutch Rennaissance style. It is pulled by eight horses when the reigning monarch is riding therein; only six horses when other members of the royal family are traveling in the coach. Queen Wilhelmina wanted to be able to stand upright in the carriage, which explains the bent form of the carriage's roof. This increased height of the carriage has made the carriage more difficult to drive.

Enough of the history lesson!

The Dutch people dress up for the Prinsjesdag. This is a group of women who belong to the Red Hat Society.

Their organization is for women 50 years of age and older and is based on a poem which states, "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me."

There was a sea of red hats!

Because there are Trolley Cars in The Hague,

rope has to be put down in their tracks.

This is so the wheels of the carriage don't get caught in the tracks.

They lay down miles of rope!

This is Cindy and Janis. Cindy was kind enough to

take me along for the ride to see the parade.

They are both expats too.

The military lining the streets prior to the procession.

This is serious business!

We saw this procession in reverse if you will.

We saw the backs of the participants before we saw the fronts!

I thought these guys were interesting.

To me they looked like they were marching band members,

except the carried weapons!

There were hundreds of horses.

I would guess an easy 400-500.

But I am not the best at estimating so I could be wrong.

These are Dutch warm bloods.

They are a magnificent looking breed.

The crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of their queen.

One of two carriages that were alike.

I don't know who was riding in these though.

I loved all these gray horses.

I always wanted a dapple gray horse!

How would you like to play drums and ride a horse?

The Golden Carriage!

Keep reading I have a better view later on.

Coming back from the opening of Parliament.

The assault weapons marching band!

At least that is what I call them.

A view from the front.

Here are the gray horses and right in the middle of them is this guy.

A paint! I wonder what the deal is with that?

This carriage is pulled by four horses instead of two like the other one.

I would imagine the more important you are the more horses pull your carriage.

The soldiers in front of the queen's carriage.

This rider is signifying the appearance of the queen.

Eight horses pull her carriage, indicating she is in the carriage.

If I zoom in you might see the queen.

Keep looking . . .

looking . . .

Well that is the best I can do but you can see her - mostly!

I like that there is a female soldier riding behind the carriage.

The End!

Now time to pull up the miles of rope.

And I am still shocked when I actually see people wearing wooden clogs!

But they still do. He was actually guiding the rope between his shoes at one point

so he might of had a purpose in wearing them.

Happy Birthday Bud!

2010-09-20T14:40:00.001+02:00

Happy Birthday Bud!

Dang you were a cute little kid!

I am sure we would of chased each other on the playground at school!

Don't you think we would of made the cutest couple?

Of course we would not been able to stand each other -

Girls - Ick! Boys - Yuck!

Yup, we make a cute couple!

Love ya!

Great Loss! iPod and Bose Headphones

2010-09-15T17:42:00.001+02:00

When I flew over to the states to help my daughter out with her third child I took my iPod and Bose headphones with me. On the flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis/St. Paul I sat next to a 13 year old girl who was flying by herself. She was returning home to Minneapolis from France. The movies on the plane were not working much at all so I asked if she wanted to watch some movies on my iPod. I had my nose in a book so I didn't even miss them. She was excited and watched several movies. When it was about 1/2 hour before touch down she gave them back to me and I put the headphones in their case and the iPod in the back pocket of the case and then stuck them in the seat back pocket in front of me. Well you guessed it - I didn't think to even grab them when I left the plane. It has been over a month and they have not been turned in. It has made me shutter to think that the person who picked up my iPod and headphones is not honest enough to turn them in. I even had my hubbies business card in the headphone case - in the spot designed to show your identification! Some people have suggested to me that perhaps the girl took them since she had to wait to leave the plane until a flight attendant could escort her off the plane due to her age. I am refusing to believe that because I don't think you return someone's kindness by doing a bad deed.

Anyway, I am mourning the loss of my 120 gig iPod and my Bose sound canceling headphones. I had all but about 5 gig of my iPod loaded with movies and music and even a TV series I like to watch. If you are walking around and see someone with a pink and black Zebra case iPod jamming with a pair of Bose headphones think of me!

Turtle Rock and Mrs. Butterworth - Drive to New Mexico

2010-09-10T04:32:00.004+02:00

I put 861 miles on the old farm truck and drove 6 hours to New Mexico

to celebrate my mother and sister's birthdays.

I have driven this route many times over many years.

(This was the first time without air conditioning - not recommended!)

This is Hwy. 6 between Price, Utah and I-70.

This show the vastness of the landscape.

Miles and miles of dirt . . . and yet I think it is beautiful!

In this modern world some things are still done the old fashioned way.

Moving cattle at the Ft. Lewis Bull Testing Center in Colorado.

This rock is south of Moab, Utah.

When my children were little they called this formation

Mrs. Butterworth's.

Can you see the resemblance?

They knew this was around the halfway point of going to both sets of grandparent's homes. I have always wanted to explore the cave at the bottom of it. I suspect it was a rancher's temporary home, or maybe a fugitive's hideaway!

Just a little way down the road from Mrs. Butterworth's is Turtle Rock.

I couldn't find a good place to pull over to take a picture.

So I just aimed the camera out the back window
while keeping my eyes on the road ahead.

If you enlarge the picture you can see the turtle!

Wilson's Arch

A very cool sandstone arch just outside of Moab,

This is a very lovely rest stop by Wilson's Arch just outside of Moab.

I love the way the old Cottonwood trees look amongst the red rock.

When our daughter turned 10 we met my family at this rest stop

to celebrate her birthday. None of us could take the time to spend extra days

at each others houses so we met in the middle.

It was a great party.
We had lunch and even managed to have cake and ice cream.
Afterward we went climbing on the sandstone rocks.

On a side note, this is my brother. I stayed at his house while in New Mexico. If you enlarge this picture you will see his dog on his lap. She is 12 years old, has only 6 teeth and has recently recovered from breast cancer. She loves my brother though, and wants to go with him wherever he is - even it means helping operate heavy equipment! (And I mean heavy equipment - front end loaders, graders, etc. You get the picture!)

Big Boy's Birthday

2010-09-01T06:15:00.000+02:00

Our grandson celebrated his 5th birthday this past month.

I can't believe how the time has flown by!

This was right after filling the pool up with water,

first thing in the morning. They had to strip down

and get in - they were freezing!

Trying to warm up in the sun.

Amazing how many kids can get in that pool and still have fun.

I asked him to show me his birthday face.

This is what I got.

But I think it means he was happy.

Every party needs a pooper and that's why we invited you!

Smiling at her cousin.

I love the bum cheek hanging out. Reminds me of her mother years ago.

I wish I looked this cute in my swimming suit -

but I don't and you will never know that either!

I love this picture. She put her sunglasses on upside down.

Opening all his loot!

This is what happens when you try to get a tree off the cake!

It was a very good day for a 5 year old boy!

Happy Birthday buddy!!

Picnic at Whiting Campground

2010-08-26T04:20:00.001+02:00

We decided that we would do a picnic dinner Tuesday night at one of our favorite haunts. It was like a ghost town at the campground due to school starting the next morning. It was fun practically having the whole campground to ourselves.

The crew getting the fire going.

S'mores are an essential part of being at Whiting Campground!

These two love to play with fire . . . and catch marshmallows on fire.

Bud says that this guy gets his mouth from his grandmother's side of the family.

Ha ha, you think you're so funny!

Looks like a varmit got a hold of our bread.

One did - and she is almost two years old!

Wishing our dad and grandpa was with us to enjoy dinner.

The newest clan member - 2 1/2 weeks old!

These two had a blast running and chasing with Uncle Jakie.

She did not want him to stop.

Two of the cutest kids - and no I am not biased.

Roasting a marshmallow.

Chewing the fat around the campfire.

If you got all sugared up on soda pop and marshmallows

you would have a silly grin on your face too!

Ooh that fire is so hot.

Here she is blowing on the hot fire.

Isn't that what you do when something is hot?

Enjoying the evening, listening to the crickets
and watching the summer fade away!

The moon over the mountain on the drive home.

Grandbaby #3

2010-08-19T00:56:00.004+02:00

We were blessed with our 3rd grandbaby two weeks ago.

He has his daddy's chin (butt-crack!)

Our sweet daughter and her newest addition.

He slept through his bath!

With his Utah grandma and older brother.

Meeting his brother and sister.

I think at this point he looks like his daddy.

His sister wanted to share her beloved dolly with him.

She isn't quite 2 years old but I amazed at how sweet she is with him.

That's not saying she isn't a little emotional -

but at least she isn't taking it out on the baby.

Meeting his uncle and aunt. It will be their turn in November.

We are so lucky to have these little ones!

Pork Fried Rice and Spring Rolls - Netherland Style!

2010-08-13T21:31:00.000+02:00

We ordered some take out Asian food the other night

from the local Asian restaurant.

Bud was craving some Pork Fried Rice.

This is what we got!

We laughed our heads off and then threw it in the trash.

We were quite surprised since it is run by an Asian family.

Oh well.

I wanted some Spring Rolls.

They asked if I wanted 1 or 2?

I thought 2 then thought no I better just try one.

It was big as a Chimichanga!

It was good but how much of that can you eat and

still have room for your main courses!

This is all part of the fun living abroad -

you don't always get what you expect to get!

European Vacation-Switzerland

2010-08-05T21:46:00.000+02:00

During our vacation we spent several days in Switzerland. It is a beautiful country that we enjoyed seeing very much. Most of the pictures are just scenery and don't need much explanation. We could have put literally hundreds of pictures in the blog but I have selected a few that I hope will give you a feel for the country. Enjoy!

Who would have known? A bison (buffalo) ranch in Switzerland, near Bern.

LDS Temple near Bern.

Our daughter-in-law has roots from Switzerland. We found the hometown of her great-great-grandfather. Wangi is located in the northeastern part of Switzerland, not too far from Zurich.

The countryside near the small town of Wangi.

Wangi, Switzerland

Of course we had to take a picture of some Brown Swiss cattle near Wangi.

We took a cable car from the valley floor up to a Gimmelwald and Murren. These small villages are perched on the side of the mountain and can not be reached by car. We spent a few days in Murren just hiking, relaxing, and enjoying the outstanding Swiss Alps.

Mountain hillside near Murren, Switzerland.

The mountain grass and flowers in the Alps.

Mountain pasture with the Alps in the background.

A small stream coming off the mountain.

A cheese house in Gimmelwald, Switzerland.

View from Gimmelwald.

Typical mountain cottage.

Garden next to the house--and on the edge of the cliff.

Mountain scenery.

Mount Jungfrau (young girl).

This is a farmer and his wife turning the cut grass on the side of hill. The hay has to be turned so that it will dry prior to storage for the winter.

On top of the world.

Mount Eiger--once considered to be unclimbable.

Eiger and Monch.

The three peaks, Eiger (Ogre), Monch (Monk), and Jungfrau (young girl) stand next to each other and are quite spectacular.

Mountain waterfalls.

Mountain pasture with some Simmental heifers grazing.

Who wouldn't enjoy living in a house with this view?

This Simmental heifer was quite curious. Notice the bell around her neck. All of the cattle carry bells which can be heard for long distances.

Mountain scenery.

Mountain bluebells.

Family Pictures in France

2010-08-02T08:45:00.002+02:00

Just a few family pictures of France.

Hopefully it won't be too long before Bud can do another post.

Bayeux Catherdral

Nice little street cafe.

Ha Ha! Very funny guys!

Kind of reminds me of a building in Salt Lake City.

Arrowmanches/Normandy

Sad to think this big gun was shooting at the Allies.

Omaha Beach

American Cemetery at Omaha Beach

Point du Hoc

No this isn't beer. Its a Coke. Usually in Europe you get about 6 or 7 ounces

for anywhere from 2€ to 4€. This was epic!

(I also gave up on my hair - so hot and humid!)

Mont San Michel - isn't that cool looking?

Listening to the tour.

Kids!

Not a chance! You don't fool me!!

Versailles

She sure puts up with a lot!

Pictures of the family on vacation - the Netherlands

2010-07-30T09:00:00.000+02:00

Bud does such a good job on journaling our travels,

however he is a little busy so I thought I would throw out a few

of my favorite family pictures from our vacation.

World Cup Fever - too bad Holland didn't win!

Ughhh! So white!

Some peoples kids!

Ha ha ha!

Biking to the beach.

Swimming in the North Sea - it was hot!

Will this boy ever grow up?

Den Haag Temple

Normandy & D-Day

2010-07-24T13:43:00.006+02:00

During our vacation in France, we visited Normandy and the D-Day beaches. It is a place that we have always wanted to see to help us appreciate the sacrifice that took place here during WWII. Seeing it in person helped to visualize the struggles and challenges that our servicemen overcame during this invasion.

We stayed in a small town of Bayeux, France. It is about 10-15 miles from the Normandy D-Day beach sites.

Cathedral in the center of Bayeux. It was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry and is a national monument of France. The site is an ancient one and was once occupied by Roman sanctuaries. The present cathedral was consecrated on 14 July 1077 in the presence of William, Duke of Normandy and King of England. It was here that William forced Harold Godwinson to take the oath, the breaking of which led to the Norman conquest of England.

Bayeux Cathedral

Top of the cathedral in Bayeux.

An old water mill in Bayeux.

Bayeux mill.

German artillery bunker between Arromanches and Omaha Beach. The site had 4 bunkers situated in a semi-circle to allow for coverage of a wide range of the beaches. The guns had a range of 12 miles.

Checking out the guns. They could rotate almost 180 degrees.
Notice the interior of the barrel.

The artillery bunkers were made with reinforced concrete.
All of them showed spots where they took direct hits but were not destroyed.
Look at the marks on the exterior of the concrete--
holes where shells struck the bunker.

This is a pill box/observation bunker. It was heavily reinforced and
gave a wide view of the surrounding beach and ocean.

The interior of the observation bunker.

Checking the horizon for signs of invasion forces.

The next several pictures are of Omaha Beach. It is sobering to walk on this sand
and remember the sacrifices that were offered here.

We were here at low tide--which was also when the invasion started.
Low tide was necessary for Allied success because it exposed
the mines and barriers that the Germans had put into place.

The sandy hills just off of the beach.
This area was filled with pill boxes and machine gun nests.

Looking up the hill from the beach.

Omaha Beach

At low tide, the US soldiers had to cross this area before they could find cover.

The hills above Omaha Beach.

Omaha Beach

After the US soldiers cleared the beach,
they then had to take the hills above the beach.
The Germans had brought in a regiment of seasoned veterans to guard this area
a few weeks before the invasion--a fact unknown to the Allied forces.
These crack forces exacted a huge price from the invading Americans.

Steps up to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.

The Stars and Stripes flying proudly over the American Cemetery in France.

The crosses at the cemetery.

There are approx. 9,600 American soldiers buried here.
Although all of the sources give different numbers,
about 5,000-6,000 of these Americans died on Omaha Beach during the invasion.

Most of the graves list the name of the soldier, his home state,
and which Armed Service regiment he served in.

Here Rests in Honor and Glory A COMRADE IN ARMS Known But to God.

A note to a fallen loved one.

This soldier died 66 years to the day of our visit.
It was the anniversary of his death.

The graves of the Jewish soldiers are marked with the Star of David.

This spot of ground is hallowed. We should never forget the sacrifices that others have made in our behalf. These young men willingly gave their lives so that others could experience freedom--both at home in America and for others in Europe, the French, British, Dutch, Belgium, Norwegians, and even the Germans and the Italians. They gave up their lives, the ultimate sacrifice for others.

A quote from General Mark Clark.

Point du Hoc--this sharp point that juts out into the ocean is located between Omaha and Utah beaches. It was heavily fortified with large German guns capable of controlling the beaches as well as destroying the Allied ships at sea. Taking Point du Hoc was considered vital to the success of the D-Day invasion. 300 Army Rangers were assigned to take out this artillery battery after it was bombed by Allied planes. The Rangers had to climb a cliff from the sea with ropes and ladders. Only about 90 of the Rangers survived but they were successful in their mission.

Point du Hoc--base for one of the large cannons.

Point du Hoc was one of the most heavily bombed sites during D-Day
by the Allied forces. Some of the bomb craters were very deep.

Notice all of the craters though out this site.

The sea cliffs at Point du Hoc which were scaled by
the Army Rangers with ropes and ladders.

Arromanches--a small town between Omaha and Gold Beaches became the beach headquarters. Because there was no natural harbor that would allow ships to unload in this area, the Allied forces built an artificial harbor here to unload their equipment. Huge blocks of concrete, the size of football fields were towed from England and set into place to allow docks to be built. Older vessels were scuttled to allow the harbor to be usable.

British tank on the hill over-looking Arromanches.

European Vacation--Netherlands; Brugge, Belgium; Bayeux, France

2010-07-18T17:44:00.000+02:00

Our son and daughter-in-law came over to visit us here in the Netherlands. While they were here, we visited a few places in Europe. The trip was a lot of fun, spending time together and sight-seeing some vacation spots.

Temple in the Hague, Netherlands

Cathedral in Bayeux, France

Mill in Bayeux

Brugge, Belgium

Traveling bar in Brugge. Drinks on wheels.

European Vacation

2010-07-18T11:36:00.002+02:00

Our son and his wife have been visiting us for the past week and a half!

Just a few highlights until we get some time to blog!

Brugge, Belgium

Normandy Beaches, France

Mont St. Michel, France

Versailles, France

Swiss Alps--Eiger & Monch

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

Murren, Switzerland

Cochem, Germany

In Spirit of the World Cup

2010-07-06T07:58:00.002+02:00

The Vuvuzela

I hate the hum it produces.

It makes watching the watching the World Cup challenging for me!

Evidently I just had not learned to appreciate it as a musical instrument.

(Not sure why it is posting to such an enormous size. Just click it to make it fit the screen and then you can watch it without the other stuff in the way.)

We will be cheering for Holland!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T08:35:00.001+02:00

Okay, here's the apartment.

2010-06-29T22:25:00.001+02:00

Here are a few quick snapshots of where we live.

Our apartment building is an old monastery.

The view looking from our front door.

Pretty chandelier.

The front door.

The entry way, and yes - that is a private elevator.

Makes moving in nice. We use the stairs though -

don't want to get lazy and fat!

Our balcony.

That is an elementary school and no I don't mind the children playing.

In fact, I kinda enjoy watching them play sometimes.

Boys pushing girls, girls chasing boys.

Not much has changed since the 40 years I was chasing boys.

The view out the bedroom window.

I love that there is a windmill in our view.

Very Holland-ish!

Our dining room.

This is my bathtub. It is so huge it takes forever to fill up!

Our living room.

You step down from the dining room/kitchen.

This is the right side of the room.

This is the left side.

By the way I love the whale boning ceiling!

You can see the kitchen from the living room.

This was the original outside wall of the monastery.

A view towards the hallway.

I love the brick in the house.

These glass steps are kinda cool!

Our home is slowly getting all put together. We have most of the pictures up. I am still working on getting our bedrooms organized. We have a lot less space here so I have had to go to IKEA for some storage solutions. Hopefully soon I can get pictures of everything properly put together.

Finally - we have the internet in Holland! An Update

2010-06-23T14:49:00.002+02:00

I cannot believe how long it takes to get services in the U.K. and Europe, but after almost a month we have internet, TV and a phone! It has been one month and two days since we last blogged. I have to say that I love our last post of Scotland. I love watching the slide shows and reminiscing about all the places we have been to and the people we have met. Now it is time to make new memories in Holland!

I wasn't sure I would like living in the Netherlands. Scotland is so beautiful with its rolling hills, Highland mountains, stone fences and the green! Everything is so green. Holland is flat. We joke that the speed bumps are the highest elevation in Holland. However, the sun shines - pretty much all the time! We have had a few overcast days as it has been a colder spring and a slower summer, but we have sun! It is fantastic! I have found that for the month that we have been here I love it.

We live in Wassenaar. The population is 30,000 people although it seems smaller than that. This is where the royal family and a lot of the diplomats live. It is also the most English speaking part in the Netherlands, hence why we live here. The center of town is cobbled stone streets. The main shopping area is closed off to traffic. We live about two blocks from there. The whole town shuts down about 6:00 pm and becomes soooo quiet. In that respect it feels a little bit like country living. However, the weekends are bustling with shoppers.

We have decided that we don't need a 2nd car because I can pretty much do everything I need to do in Wassenaar and never have to go anywhere else. There is every type of store and restaurant in Wassenaar. (I walk to the grocery store every day or two. A little different for me but I like it. Winter might be another thing though.) Of course, I will go to other places but with the public transportation I can get wherever else I need to go to - I just have to get it figured out. Plus I can always use Bud's car. I am a little nervous to drive here. Haven't done it yet. Bud keeps offering to let me and I always say "Not yet." The bicyclist and pedestrians have the right of way here (like most places) but they don't hesitate to plow through the intersection without any pause. You always have to be looking for the cyclist and scooters to be coming out of nowhere. This sounds like it is something you should already be doing, and it is, but its different over here.

Another factor about driving over here is that our Europe Garmin chip doesn't work. It is faulty and trying to get customer service is like trying to tell the sun not to rise. Imagine if you will that you live in a country with street names like Adriaan Pauwstraat, Van Oldenbarneveltweg, Van Hogendorpstraat and my personal favorite Van Zuylen van Nyeveltstraat. These are just a few streets in Wassenaar. Since our Garmin is ineffective, Bud has been Googling directions and printing them out. Then the adventure begins - you drive around trying to find the street signs (often not there) and then quickly (because you're driving) trying to decipher what you are reading. It has been a challenge to say the least. We do have the basics down though. To and from work, church and some of the shopping areas. I emailed Garmin's customer support three different times and never got a response. So I decided to call them and after holding for 57 international minutes (since I don't speak Dutch and had to use the US support) the customer support hung up on me because she said she couldn't hear me ( I had her on speaker phone). She didn't give me a second to see if the phone was accidentally muted, which I concluded it wasn't. JERK! So then I called again and held for 56 minutes more and got through to someone who helped us. Sort of. He emailed us a new file of what we had on our chip. We downloaded it and we get the message that it can't be downloaded because we are missing a previous map. Urrrgh! Of course we have this guy's email address and have emailed him but he is either on vacation or ignoring us. We now have a $300 + Garmin with $150 chip and it is worthless to us! We keep hoping that we will get an email from Gerald at Garmin. That failing we will be buying a Tom Tom, paying out close to what we paid for our Garmin. GARMIN YOU SUCK! (If you have a Garmin connection, please have them email me!)

The fact that we don't know Dutch is a little bit of a challenge. A lot of the Dutch do speak English but its not like there is a lot of English info out there. Most websites don't have a conversion for English. You can use Google translator, which helps but makes it tedious to figure out what you want. Thank goodness its there though. When you go to the shops they of course speak their native tongue to us. If you answer them with "I only speak English" most of them are nice about it. Some, however, glare at you. Some will only speak Dutch and you pretend you don't notice and just pay for your purchase and leave. Bud was told that you need to say, "Do you speak English?" because if you just say, "I don't speak Dutch" they think you are being rude. I suppose that makes a wee bit of sense. We also wonder how long it will take us to start recognizing words of names and places, instead of hearing "blah, blah, blah." It will come eventually. On a side note - spell checking this blog in Blogger is kinda funny - it thinks all my English words are misspelled, even though everything on Blogger is in English - the tabs, icons, buttons, etc. Its confused!

Our house is mostly put together but it needs some fine tuning. I don't have a lot of storage space here and need to find some under the bed storage boxes so we can put our shoes up, etc. I will try to get some pictures up in the next few days.

Good to be back!

Auld Lang Syne

2010-05-21T09:03:00.007+02:00

It has come time to leave Scotland and take the short flight across the North Sea to the Netherlands. This past year and a few months have been great. Today is a day of mixed feelings. We enjoyed living in Scotland and especially the new relationships that we made with our new friends here. It truly is a beautiful country. Many days while driving to work, I would say to myself that I was "Driving in a Postcard". Yes, the weather is rainy, windy, and cool......but that is part of what makes it so beautiful and green.

Leaving and the change that it brings with it are a part of life. We will begin Chapter 2 of "The Big Adventure" in the Netherlands starting Saturday. Starting over in a new country brings a renewed excitement and the anticipation of what lies in store for us. I don't how we will be able to learn to love the Netherlands like we love Scotland, but we will give it a try.

There are three slide shows below with pictures of Scotland--through our eyes. Take a few minutes and see for yourself what a beautiful adopted country we have been living in. Everyone sees life through their own perspective. The following pictures are Scotland......the way that we saw it, the way that we will remember it. We will forever treasure the time that we spent here, the beauty that we were able to enjoy, and especially the friendships that were forged. A part of our hearts will always be Scottish.

PS -We have been having a little bit of trouble with the Photobucket slideshows. Evidently you can't see them if you don't have more modern tech on your computer. I don't know why I just know that we can't see the slideshows on Bud's older laptop but we could see it on our Mac.

Goodbye Scotland 1

2010-05-21T08:33:00.021+02:00

Goodbye Scotland 2

2010-05-21T08:33:00.020+02:00

Goodbye Scotland 3

2010-05-21T08:12:00.009+02:00

Jake And Shannon Sittin In A Tree

2010-05-17T04:38:00.009+02:00

K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

First Came Love

Then Came Marriage

Now Comes A Baby In A Baby Carriage

For My Sister!

2010-05-13T09:50:00.000+02:00

You've been holding out on me!

So is this how you make all your spare change?