Ravenstein, NL, in Spring

 

When I say Spring, I'm talking about March 22, at the very beginning AND on a gorgeous, sunny day, which is why we went there then!

Astrid loves to find these quaint places for us to visit, especially if they make a nice day-trip for us, out-n-about...and also if she's never been there herself, here in the Netherlands.

You know me and Google maps, to get my bearings!

+/- 70 miles; +/- an hour's drive away.

Before we got there, we had to take a ferry over the Maas river,

where I snapped this lovely rural scene from the car.

Astrid says that's NOT flooding you see but signs of drought.  :(

Right after that, out in the farmland, and before reaching Ravenstein, 

I spotted this weathervane, which totally made my day.

I could have gone home right then and been a Happy Camper!  :)

Ravenstein is a city of +/- 3500 people in North Brabant province.

Once entering city center, you can't miss the main landmark St. Lucia Church from 1735.

We wanted to go inside, of course, but, guess what!  Since at least 2018, the parish/diocese 

has been in a fight with the municipality and has remained closed indefinitely.  (SIGH)

Thankfully, the cemetery behind the church was open,

guarded lovingly by the Nijverheid windmill from 1857.

You know us and cemeteries, from which we learn much about a people and culture.

North Brabant is more Roman Catholic than Protestant, 

as indicated by this central tombstone there.

It made a good choice, I thought, for my Good Friday image on our Shutterchance photoblog.

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which is to say "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

(Matthew 27:46)

Continuing on past the cemetery, we were well on our way around the citadel city.

Look at how enchanting the weeping willows were at the beginning of Spring.

And, see, not far away from the windmill!

Like the landmark church, the windmill was visible everywhere we walked.

In this view, however, it's the Dutch pollarded willows that thrill me the most.

Crossing over the citadel moat, back towards city center, we got a better look at them and the boat 

(for our Boat Friday photoblog, of course).

The only place open for lunch that Tuesday was the perfect place for us:  Italian!

Prosciutto di Parma pasta salad and Lasagna Bolognese, shared.

And Moretti beer, of course.

I'll drink to that!

Misc. impressions after lunch as we left for the car to return home.

It really was the beginning of Spring!

...while others of you, we know, are still having snow even now in April!

In Dutch they say "April doet wat hij wil," which is to say "April does what he wants!"

Hang in there and you, too, will see it come to pass.

My April Fool's Shoulder Break

As you know by now, most of these posts are For the Record, lest we forget the "small print" of exactly what happened, when and where.

It WAS April Fools Day, Friday, when after lunch at the couch, where we watch the news of the day, I got up way too fast, with something in each hand, and tripped over the footstool in front of me.  Not able to use my hands to break the fall, I landed flat on my left shoulder.

Long story short, the Dutch protocol is to go straight to your doctor (NOT to ER), where I got the go-ahead for immediate x-rays at the nearby hospital, followed by a consultation from the ER surgeon (all of which happened in just less than 2 hours).  Her prognosis:  I broke a piece of bone off my shoulder which was in turn crushed into pieces.  No surgery necessary.  Just a sling with minimal movement.  And an appointment to come back for new x-rays 10 days later and another surgeon's check-up, which was yesterday.

Bottom line:  I did NOT break my shoulder bone, after all, but the calcium deposit (red arrow) that sits on top of the tendon that moves the shoulder was crushed.  That calcium, which has been growing there for however long from another "accident" (??), was crushed into the tendon like sand, similar to a tendon tear (like in my right shoulder from 2019).  

The good news is that I did not BREAK the shoulder; the bad news is that it's probably worse, in that, like my right shoulder, may never completely heal, especially at my age, the surgeon said.  

HOWEVER, I don't need to use the sling anymore but need to move the arm as much as possible.  I start PT tomorrow and, according to the surgeon, all systems are GO for our scheduled 11 days in Iceland starting May 6th.

I am hugely optimistic that the healing will continue to happen quickly (haven't needed pain meds since last Thursday!).  I can already dress myself and do the main cooking I always do.  I'm actually quite amazed...and that's no Aprils Fools!