Daughter Amy in the Netherlands, 2019

It was a pretty spontaneous decision but when I realized Amy had some time off between two jobs, I asked if she could come visit us, even if for just a week.  She agreed and she came!  In fact, she just returned back to Atlanta yesterday.

Each day I posted a collage on Facebook, documenting her time here with Astrid and me.  In this post I'm adding a few more photos to fill out the trip.

Day 1:  Thursday, 21 February:  Amsterdam Airport to Gorinchem

She arrived at the Amsterdam airport, we drove home, ate at our favorite Metropole restaurant for lunch, she took a nap and we chilled the rest of the day.  Even watched a movie together that night:  Sideways.  What you need to understand about Amy and us is that we LOVE watching movies together!

Believe it or not, I took no photos that first day.  This was all about chilling!

Day 2:  Friday, 22 February:  Gorinchem

We wanted Amy to sleep in as long as possible every day, which she did!  She needed to restore her body after 2 years of negative work stress.  She'd arrive at our apartment (from our center's guest room across the courtyard) by 11 a.m. each day.

The only thing we did at home that day, before Happy Hour, was to watch The Adjustment Bureau after lunch.  We wanted to get in our cozy movie time together.

Friday afternoon is Happy Hour here where we live, from 3:30-4:30.

Riet (top-left) planned Frikandel Speciaal especially for Amy 

(as she had also done last year for son Mark).

Amy ate the whole thing!

That was our appetizer before an evening dinner with nearby friends, Femke and Jeannette.

The only photos I took that evening were of Amy bonding with ragdoll Finn.

It was love at first sight for both...because Amy really has the touch!

Day 3:  Saturday, 23 February: Antwerp, Belgium

Before Amy came we had discussed the possibility of visiting another country, just to say she did it.  HA!  Because she is now working at the Mercedes Benz headquarters in Atlanta, we all assume she will one day need to travel to their worldwide headquarters in Germany.  So Belgium was the next country of choice...and because Antwerp is only an hour's drive away, we picked it.  (Remember, we were trying to keep this trip easy for her.)

On late-morning arrival at the market square, we first stopped for latte macchiatos and wine.

The shining sun called to us all!  It was good to soak it in.

Then we visited the cathedral, walked around city center, and then ate mussels.

It was exactly how we pictured the day.

BTW, the Cathedral of Our Lady, from 1531, was Amy's first Roman Catholic experience.

Like her mother, she was awestruck.

And that evening, back at home, we watched another movie:  Don Juan DeMarco.

Day 4:  Sunday, 24 February:  Kinderdijk and Pannenkoeken

Kinderdijk is always a must for us because of how soulful it is.

Besides, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site just 30 km away.  A no-brainer.

After Kinderdijk we met up with Jeroen, Eva and Hailey at our favorite pannenkoeken restaurant.

It was a perfect chance to share the "Dutch pancake" experience with Amy and meet the family.

Eva and Jeroen, after all, are her step-siblings!

Day 5:  Monday, 25 February:  Gorinchem's Citadel Walk

While Astrid did a short babysitting stint that afternoon, Amy and I walked our citadel.

Are you paying attention to the weather we had!!!

Amy was such a good sport, climbing all the way to the top of  De Hoop (The Hope) windmill.

That evening we ate at home and watched another movie:  A Star is Born (new version).

Day 6:  Tuesday, 26 February:  Loevestein Castle

Much like Kinderdijk, visiting the Loevestein castle across the Merwede river from us is a must.

After driving along the dijks, we crossed over the river by ferry in Brakel.

Both the ferry and castle were firsts for Amy.

How many times do Americans step foot in a place as old as from 1361!

We even had time to chill out in the sun again.

That evening we ate at out favorite Japanese restaurant in town.

And afterwards we watched Air Force One.

Day 7:  Wednesday, 27 February:  Back to the Amsterdam Airport

Bright and early...the only day she couldn't sleep in...we were back in the car for Amy's flight back to Atlanta.  That was yesterday!

I can't begin to express the joy and fulfillment I had in this first visit from Amy, maybe because after 9+ years she can finally picture what my life is like here in my new country.  You know how the mother-daughter relationship is like none other, on so many levels.  I needed THIS level and am so thankful to Astrid for the following images that speak louder than a thousand words:

Thank you, Amy, for coming.  Thank you for being YOU.

As you often used to say, we should to do this more often!

An Autumn Break

As most of you know by now, this is the time of year when Astrid and I fly back to America to be with family and friends.  We leave early tomorrow and return on Wednesday, 1 November, three weeks later.

While we're gone, I'll leave you with some images from two of my recent citadel walks from where we live here in Gorinchem, NL.  It really IS autumn!

This is the collage I posted on Facebook after my September 20th walk.

Okay, not technically autumn yet, but who cares!

From my collage posts, I love picking out a few images for my Shutterchance photoblog.

How can you resist the little children leading us!

See how easy it is to dramatize an image?!

Sometimes I "see" it in my mind's eye and just have to play around with it.

The next week, September 27th, was a foggy day, which I love.

The Nooit Volmaakt windmill is just two blocks from our back door.

The sun was trying to burn through the fog.

Then I saw the first of Erik Buijs' 7" mini-sculptures along the citadel path.

It's the one of a man playing "fetch" with his dog.

In fact, the top image is from March where you can see the full view on its 5-ft pole.

Not that I've seen the series but, up close, he reminds me of The Walking Dead!

Our other Gorinchem windmill is De Hoop (The Hope), standing as a sentry midst "foggy" times.

When I posted this on Facebook last week, it felt appropriate after the Las Vegas mass shooting.

Just past the windmill is our Dalempoort, through which you look out to the Merwede river.

On a foggy day it felt so magical.

Today on FB I have posted this collage as a Good-Bye to all my lovelies where we live.
When we return on 1 November, I'm sure there will be many autumnal changes.

We'll spend our first week in Connecticut with friends Ted and Jane.

Then we'll have time with the kids in Atlanta, followed by Bob and Peggy south of Atlanta,

and then the North Georgia cabin in the mountains with the kids before flying home.
For those of you who follow us on FB, we'll try to keep you updated there.

We LOVE this time of the year!

End-of-Year Gifts

Christmas had already come and gone, leaving one week before the New Year celebration.  Things were slowing down, I thought, getting us ready for 2017.

But 2016 still had something left in her to give.  And did she ever!

First, Astrid called me from work last Friday to tell me there was a rare occurrence in the weather pattern that created an incredible display of frosty art.  When the temps are below freezing and there is fog, BINGO.  She then made me promise to take a walk for her to capture it in photos.  In fact, she was that close to telling them at work she was "sick" so she could come home to join me.

I promised, of course, and this is what I saw:

You may recall that we can access the citadel walk just meters outside our backdoor.

This was around 8:45 a.m., just as it was getting light.

Already, dogs were out walking their "masters."

It was another world.  Magical.

Those who have taken this walk can almost guess what comes next.

You climb the hill, round the corner, and there she is:  the outer harbor.

That was when I saw the sun starting to rise.

Leaving the outer harbor, you see the church, the toll house, the Brainwave.  

And then buiten de waterpoort:  outside the water port.

After crossing the inner harbor and climbing back onto the wall,

the water port is viewed from a different perspective.

And then, De Hoop windmill...my favorite place on the entire walk.

You round the next corner and get the salmon fisher and the Dalem Gate.

 Looking back on De Hoop and looking ahead to the last part of the citadel wall,

even the birds were in heaven.

If you can't have snow, what better gift than to have FROST.

Thank you, Astrid, for making me promise.

I was back home by 10 a.m.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

That was Friday and Saturday, the last day of the year, promised to be foggy, but without frost.  Astrid and I had already decided to drive out into the polder as long as there was fog.  So off we went, once again around 8:45 a.m.

The fog was so thick you could cut it.

At first, we couldn't find the sheep and cows we were looking for.

Astrid said they were probably still in the barn because of how cold it was and still early.

But a few minutes later, we found them...the sheep, that is...far off in the polder.

Did you know that swans pair up and mate for life?

Almost every farmer's plot has a pair...coexisting with the sheep and cows.

This time, however much Astrid whistled, the sheep did not run to us.

Fine.  We just cuddled them from afar.

We had one last goal before driving back home:  capture the polder gates.

When I finished with my captures, I then concentrated on Astrid!
She is, after all, the Lady of the Polder from our Shutterchance photoblog.
I am often reminded that that's where we met, on the Internet, via our photography.

And believe it or not, the only weathervane that spoke to us that day

was one I didn't already have.

How timely for the end of the year, don't you think!

So, see what I mean by GIFTS!

2016 wasn't all that bad, you know, no matter what anyone else says.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Colour My Summer 2015, Gorinchem, NL

Every summer before school starts, the last week, in fact, Gorinchem (where we live here in the Netherlands) has a Zomerfeest (Summer Festival).  Think MUSIC, loud bands everywhere, fun-n-games (like building forts out of wood at the beach).  That was last week.  School started this week.

E V E R Y summer.  It's like clockwork.  How cool is that!

Last year a new event got started up here called Colour My Summer, which Astrid and I totally missed...because it didn't come across our radar or because it rained?  Probably both.

But THIS year, Astrid's son Jeroen (and DIL Eva) ran in it, so we paid attention.  Colour My Summer is a 5 km run/walk that raises money for charity.  Last year, in spite of the rain, they raised €22K.  This year, with 500 participants, they raised €24K.

The run/walk started at the market square near us and then wound around our citadel wall.

After every kilometer, a new powdered paint was sprayed onto the participants:

red, green, pink, blue and orange.

Astrid and I decided to set ourselves in place early at the pink station,

in front of our De Hoop windmill, while they got ready.

Of course, the volunteers had to try it out on themselves first!

Then someone on top of the windmill yelled, "They're coming!"

We were all ready, trust me.

At one point, Astrid reminded me that I could take some videos.
(why do I almost always forget!)
So, I did...and just happened to catch Jeroen and Eva as they ran by.
Jeroen is the one jumping up and down.  HA!
And yes, that's Astrid yelling their names!

What a colossal mess, which is why they were all given glasses to wear.
Some were smart enough to also wear mouth/nose masks.
Can you imagine if it were raining, like last year?

We followed the last stragglers away from the windmill...
and looked back at that sea of pink dust.
Volunteers all along the way made sure the runners followed the correct route.

But Astrid and I cut through town back to the market square for the last station.
How appropriate to end with the color orange, right?!

And there we watched Jeroen and Eva (and friends) finish the course.
Astrid says she always knows when Jeroen is having a good time.
When I see him jump around like that, I know, too!

The charity receiving this year's €24K was AMREF Flying Doctors,
bettering the health in Africa of young women in particular,
with emphasis on alternative rituals to female genital mutilation.

OMG!  Our girls.  Lest we forget!

And now they're back to school.  Summer is now officially over here in our city,
but the colors will remain for many days to come.

Bits-n-Pieces

Or, bits-n-bobs, as our English friends would say!  A little bit of this-n-that before they arrive on Friday (tomorrow evening) and spend a few days with us (another post).

Let's first start with Saturday's walk around Gorinchem's citadel.  I'm making a concerted effort to do it at least once a week.  It's good for my heart and soul...and my body.  That new knee says "thank you" every time, I'm sure.

 But this walk was something special because while I was minding my own business,

I noticed a lady photographing flowers just like I was.  In fact, we kept passing each other.

Finally, we introduced ourselves and continued walking together for the next hour.

When we got to the locks at the inside harbor, she showed me her photo hanging on the wall.

Yup.  Mariëlle de Valk.  There she is...a new friend who shares the love of photography.

And when we got to De Hoop (The Hope) windmill,

she showed me the lion's mouth flower in the brick wall nearby.

It's also called Common/Yellow Toadflax or Butter-and-Eggs, native to Europe and Northern Asia.

 Look what happens when you meet a new friend!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The next day, Sunday, we had an errand to run in nearby Utrecht at 11 a.m. and decided to drive on the back roads coming back, making it a fun day.

Most of the time I'm staring at the Dutch sheep.  But there are also plenty of Dutch cows!

I really am loving everything free-range about this country.

 How can you resist these lovelies!

It makes Mother's Day extra special at this time of the year, doesn't it.

See what I mean about bits-n-pieces-n-bobs!
Throw in some wabi-sabi (bottom-right) and I couldn't be happier.

And then, what should suddenly appear but....
It wasn't till it passed that I saw it was big enough for a group of tourists.
Out in the Dutch boonies!

I'm happy to "collect" one or two good weathervanes while we're out-n-about.
But E I G H T E E N (count them)?  It was weathervane heaven.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

When Monday came around, I had my own errands to run and made a good walk of it.
I never know what I might see so I always carry my camera, just in case.

Lucky for me, the Grote Brug was being raised for a barge just after I crossed over it.
This is a common occurrence for me by now but maybe not for you?
Everyone going to work/school always has to calculate in the time for these possibilities
(a real groaner for many, which is why I decided to show the whole thing!).

 And because I had my camera...and it's still spring...YES!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Now we're getting ready for Lisl and Chris from England to arrive tomorrow evening.
You'll remember them once I get to those posts.
Lisl is my Big Sis; Chris is Astrid's Big Brother.
That's all you need to know for now.

In the meantime,
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!