Photos from our Saturday Ramble 24 March 2012

the pump museum

More fun than a water pump museum sounds!

how they drain the polders

beautiful iron work and huge pistons

this engine was made in England and run by the English for the first two years as they trained the Dutch

Charlotte poses by the windmills

 

artsy--yes?

abandoned iron works for climbing

if you could only smell these next pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

Steen castle

model of original castle

if he had an arrow, you'd be dead!

Uncle Donnie would be proud with all this castle climbing!

 

Track Practice with the "east of Michigan" Team!

Molly gives it her all

Charlotte chugs along canal side

Coach Danny sets the pace

the obstacle course portion of the practice

off the log, through the posts...

Team Shot!

Friday 30 March

Another day another dinner party! Our guest this time is Jerry's boss's boss, so if I had any silver I certainly would have polished it! His name is Gary Wizniewski, and he is the one who spear-headed Antea Groups matching donation to Special Olympics in Molly's honour last year. He was so excited to see Molly's medals that he asked for a photo with her. Isn't that sweet?
  I did clean and menu plan extensively...coming up with an impressive meal with limited pots,pans and spices on a Friday in lent is definitely a challenge!
I went with classic minestrone, prepared with leeks, string beans, cannellini beans, zucchini,etc. The recipe recommended that I prepare it the day before and add beans and macaroni later, so that's what I did. Given the fact that we also had ANOTHER immigration meeting on Friday at 1:30 pm it was just as well! I served salad and bread with the meal. To start I also made a white bean brushetta served with goat cheese and pesto, brie and pears (brie is so cheap here!) and Molly chose a cherry tart from the bakery.  We had a lovely evening! Gary and his wife had been in Africa last week on business and on a safari and he shared photos for over an hour on our computer to flat screen link up. It has definitely re wet my appetite to go to Africa. Danny has to be 12, so that gives me a bit of time to save some money!! So come over for dinner, we'd love to have you!
ps. We got a really nice stamp on our passports at the meeting today which means we won't be tossed from the country...now we wait for our sophie number and then the bank account and then...the elusive CHIP card! stay tuned!

More score at the thrift store!

Wednesday 3-28-12

our Netherlands creation-stroopwafel bits on pudding!

eaten al fresco on our poor folks patio set!

Oh the joys of Terre de Homme! The gals recognized us and greeted us warmly. First job, find something for Charlotte to buy. She ends up choosing vol. 4 and 5 of a Dog Encyclopedia which is in Dutch! Loads of photos, big and heavy, and only 1euro for both volumes! On to games area, where we snag a puzzle for Molly, a matching game for Cassandra, a TinTin puzzle and two cool packs of cards for Danny.
I check the clothing side, but it is tiny, and a pushy mob scene, so I quickly abandon that thought! Then I notice roller blades---and find a pair that looks like it might work. Danny tries them on and I send him to the sidewalk to try them out. He pronounces them excellent and wears them home. We also pick up a stuffed critter and change purse for Charlotte(everything under 5euro is a coin, and her Yankee wallet is just for bills) , 5 paperbacks in English for me and an original tetris game from the early '90's for Danny and Jerry. Total for all of that? 13euro!

I am SOO happy watching Danny skate along the bike paths, a look of pure happiness on his face!

We breeze through the market for produce and stroopwaffel cones and head home. We eat lunch and play soccer and do a bit of homework on the deck. And of course have our "afternoon tea". The way back yard  is set up it feels like another room in the house, not like a yard, you can go out with no shoes and just sit in the sun. Heaven!

Wired! and I'm not talking coffee!

Tuesday 3-27

I am wired! And I’m not talking about coffee!

Yes ladies and gents, the joyous moment has arrived, we have wireless!

Our landlord John and his wife Caroline came over at 8:40pm to start the process and left at 11! You know how it goes, its just the same in any country, you need 5 different cables and what they say will happen when you plug something in doesn’t, and you can’t reach the help person, etc. The long and short is that we’re up and running. And Caroline translated the special addition of Stratego that we got the thrift shop last week so now we can play it! She is very nice and she enjoyed meeting Danny and helping us with the game. Other tiny detail was she reset the stove clock for me 1 hour ahead! I had tried but couldn’t figure it out, and it was bugging me! This is a red email day! (get it?!)

The adventure begins!! In pictures! March 1-2, 2012

Molly enjoys the chaise section of the couch

Danny's awesome photo of our staircase

Danny's view of the dining room table(he took a photo workshop at the library!)

Charlotte's room

taking our first walk. The red is the bike path

The Catholic Church in Pijnacker, Saint John The Baptist

Saint John baptising Jesus

Patron Saint of the church

Charlotte like the bakery in our town!

This is on our way in to town, we walk past these guys every day!

a playground near our house, they are tucked in everywhere!

Family game time--UNO of course

Charlotte brought her Lucy compilation

Molly's bed

Charlotte going to sleep with "the boys"

Danny's room-he got that cool light thing and the clock at Blokker(like a 5 Below)

Good night Danny

reading on my kindle app

a well earned rest for Big Daddy