Saturday, September 01, 2007

Summer Clearance


The other day I was minding my own business here at the desk in our Amsterdam apartment when suddenly I heard some strange noises right outside our front windows, just a few feet away.

"I tore open the shutters and threw up the sash" and this is what I saw. They were so close, I think we surprised each other. But they gladly allowed me these pics:








This awning is just under the 3 front windows of our 1st floor (Europeans call the first floor the ground floor and the second floor the 1st floor!). So I was literally standing a couple feet away at the open window while taking these pics.


This pic is from several months ago when we first moved in. There's the white awning they were cleaning. The shop underneath it is a greeting card and magazine store, tobacco shop, and where we buy our tram tickets.

It doesn't take much to make my day, as I so often say! :)

**********
As an FYI, Donica flew back to Atlanta yesterday for some holiday and birthday celebrations with her family, most of which is happening later today. She'll turn around and fly back on Monday. Once we got over here earlier this trip, she found out she'd have to stay an extra 2 weeks longer than we had planned. So instead of my going back with her and having to "pay" another 55K frequent-flier miles to come back, it made more sense for me to just stay.

Happy holiday weekend to all of you back home. I'll be celebrating y'all from afar. And I'll just carry on with my walks, finding more gable stones (I'm at almost 600 of 850 by now!). The time will fly.

15 comments:

  1. Are you saying you have photos of 650 gable stones!!!??? Wowee!

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  2. Interesting that you would mention the gable stones. I was looking back at some of your posts just Thursday and saw them and wondered how you were doing with your "collection" - I'll be waiting to see more. Love the awning washers - wonder if they do windows.

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  3. Just love the photos you take, there is so much character in the old countries.
    Happy holidays to you as well.

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  4. wow they can come clean our pad if they like ;o]

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  5. I still dream every day of going back to the life I had in Switzerland. Much of what you do reminds me of how easy I had it then..

    Can't wait to see more photo hunting pics...

    And yes time will fly!

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  6. Hi Ginnie,
    I am even wondering that they clean that!!!! You 'opened my eyes'again to activities I even not see 'every day' .

    I red your shedule changed, so perhaps....:) (you know what I mean)Good you stay a bit longer, the weather might stay good also...

    :) JoAnn

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  7. Ruth: To be exact, I now have 609 but plan to go out today and find more. :) I'm loving it.

    Judy: HA! I should have asked the guys if they do work in the States?! :)

    Susan: Just one is all it takes, right? :) We feel very lucky to have found this one.

    L&N: You are so right about the character of the old countries. I eat it up!

    Inspired: HA! Ours, too, in Atlanta. :)

    ET: Well, do remember that I'm retired, which also makes a difference. And I tend to be happy wherever I'm planted. :)

    JoAnn: Yes, my schedule has changed, so now it looks like we can meet each other this week. WOW. That will be great!

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  8. Oh yes, I would LOVE to look out the window and see someone tidying up around here. :-)


    You'll have to make your collection into some kind of huge photo collage so we can see them all at once.

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  9. Thanks for the stop over. Yes they are the best-loved cats, spoiled rotten. 7 of the ten were bottled fed story of them is in my beginning blog

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  10. You can have a coffee table book made on all the gable stones :)

    and we in India too call the first floor the ground floor and the second floor the 1st floor! It gets pretty confusing actually!!!! :)

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  11. Ginnie, you just love watching how things work, don't you!
    So are you close to getting all the gablestones in the city? Should you make a coffee table book? I know Amsterdam has a lot of coffeeshops..

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  12. Christina: Ha! I wonder if it cost an arm and a leg! :) Once I have my album as full as it's gonna be, I'll do another post on it with a link, for sure.

    L&N: I think you could write a book on your cats!

    Moi: That's a good idea...one for my own coffee table (you know you can do that these days!).

    RRD: HA! I have a feeling those people aren't looking at books in their coffeeshops here in A'dam, Stacey! :)

    KMF: You have some wonderful photos, Katch. That's for stopping by and commenting.

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  13. You're staying longer? Will you be there on the weekend of the 15/16 September? If so, I might just join O-X to A'dam!

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