Monday, April 16, 2012

Springtime in Gorinchem

Even though our temps here in mid-Holland continue to hover between 40-50 F, it really is spring and we are full of it.

You've heard of spring cleaning, of course....


Surely you've also heard of DUTCH cleaning!
There's a reason!!!!!!!!!
It's in their collective psyche, seriously.
And when she's on a roll, I leave her to her own devices.
Sometimes she's on a mission and wants to do it alone...and I let her.

In the meantime, my walks during the week fill up my lungs.


All the sights so familiar take on renewed life after winter's hibernation.


The harbors are starting to perk up.


And while the construction work never stopped,
it, too, is alive with music...radios not-quite blaring.

But it's the flowers, of course, that are screaming SPRING SPRING SPRING.


Astrid's orchids bloom all year 'round on our windowsill...
as elsewhere all over the Netherlands.
I have seen more orchids in 2 years than the rest of my life put together!


But now it's tulip time and the window of opportunity is small.
Tulips or whatever you can find. It's the Dutch way.

HAPPY SPRING to us all in whatever way we celebrate it. Maybe you've had a lot of it already and feel summer is here. For us, we're still in sweatshirts and jackets....but the smell and feeling of change is in the air.

20 comments:

  1. Oh! A person must have clean windows to see the glory of spring! And don't we all know it, appreciate it, and feel glad when someone else cleans them! The orchid image is so gorgeous, and quite an inspiration, as is the orchid itself.

    Happy Spring, dear sisters!!

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  2. Ruth: YES! It's always more fun when someone else does the cleaning. HA! Thank you for the Happy Spring greeting, Sister. It's here, no matter what the thermometer says!

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  3. I love Spring. And I know I am weird, but I always feel good after cleaning windows. After cleaning I sometimes say; Hey, we have neighbours, now we can see them again... grin...
    Flowers in the windowsills are important. We invite Spring inside.
    After winter, we are eager to get out, to breath the fresh air. A wonderful post and pictures, showing how we look at Spring. A renewel after winter.

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  4. Astrid: I have learned so much from you in 2+ years, MLMA. I have a new appreciation for life and the different seasons and what they mean. Oh, and the wind. Don't forget the wind. :) Hartstikke bedankt!

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  5. Oh, I love the photos of the flowers and vases. Two of my favourite things in photos skilfully taken. Big smiles here!

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  6. I love to see flowers in the window sill. It makes anyone happy.

    Happy spring to you both.

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  7. Karen: ou're a sweetheart! Thank you kindly for the cpliment. :)

    PC: I totally agree, Maria. Thank you and happy spring to you, too!

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  8. I love that smell of change!

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  9. Robin: And before very long, you will see it all with your own eyes! :)

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  10. Ah yes... Spring came early to our area due to several unseasonably warm February and March days. I've been traveling so much thati missed getting photos of some of the spring bloomers that I snap every year. I've been thinking of having the windows washed but must pay someone to do them because "I don't do windows!"

    As always, I enjoyed my visit to the Netherlands and your lovely collages. Have to say that I wouldn't enjoy living in an apartment where bats live in the walls! The things I learn about reading your posts.

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  11. Oops... thati is of course supposed to be "that I" - should remember to check blog comments before hitting post when typing on my iPad before getting out of bed in the morning. Starting the day with your blog. To make sure another week doesn't go by before I get to it!

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  12. Victoria: You do know how to mix and match posts, don't you. HA! Well, at least I know what you're talking about.

    As always, thanks for dropping by!

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  13. Germans also have the reputation that they like to clean. Obviously, there are always some oddballs in between, and I'm certainly one of them - I HATE cleaning and really only do the necessary stuff (kitchen and bathrooms). The rest belongs to the spiders...
    I love tulips, always have and always will be. They are such happy flowers.

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  14. Carola: You and I are on the same page then, Lady! The part I hate the most is dusting and vacuuming, even though I do it once a week. If Astrid were doing it, she'd do it at least TWICE a week. She's lucky I do it once! HA! She cleans the bathroom and I LOVE keeping the kitchen clean. Isn't that funny how we are!

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  15. Lovely post indeed, with gorgeous photos from your walks - it gave me some spring feelings I needed. We've had bad weather over here recently and not that much of the spring actually, but it's on the way now the say.

    ...oh, and now you reminded me of our dirty windows who needs cleaning... yikes... *trying to erase the thought*

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  16. LCT: We've had rainy weather now for about a week, but we need it, so I'm not complaining. The tulips are in full bloom and are beautiful here at our apartment complex.

    As for those dirty windows, just ask Astrid to come over and I'll join her. A nice reason to go visit you! :)

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  17. The seductive beauty of the orchid and the cheery exuberance of the tulip! My walk would be a halting one, as I would be tempted every few minutes with these flowers! I like the texture you used with your orchid image... I'm just starting to have a lot of fun with textures :)

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  18. Margaret: You're gonna love textures...and I'm gonna love seing them with your images. YAY. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

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