Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Happy Birthday Kara
Kara turns 4! Wow! We all hope you had a great birthday and a yummy cake. Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
May 3
On Monday we travelled to the Canadian War Cemetary in Groesbeek for a memorial service. It is one of the largest war cemeteries in Europe, with the graves of approximately 2600 Canadians.
Queen Beatrix and Princess Margriet were in attendance. It is interesting to remember that the Dutch Royal family stayed in Ottawa during World War II, and that Princess Margriet was born In an Ottawa hospital room that was temporarily proclaimed to be part of the Netherlands. Grandma's expert photography caught a picture of the Queen as she mingled with some of the veterans.
Dinner on the way back was a fabulous Indonesian buffet, in the Royal Military Home Bronbeek, a former palace.
Tuesday, May 4th, was the National Memorial Day in the Netherlands. We were up bright and early and headed to the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. One will never forget the way the Dutch people had their homes and properties decorated with Canadian and The Netherlands flags.
Princess Margriet was here as well, and the memorial service included a fly over by 3 World War II vintage fighter planes, and a helicopter dropping poppies. The Holten school children are very active at this cemetery, placing flowers on all the graves during the memorial service. They also place 24 hour lighted candles on every grave each Christmas.
After the service, as I was wandering through the cemetery looking at graves, I got quite a shock to run smack in a couple of my neighbours from home. Tanya's grade one teacher, Hilda Gilles, and the older kids former piano teacher, Ruth Ganong. Small world, huh. I was so surprised, I forgot to take their picture.
On the way home, we stopped at the town of Gorssel, near the place where the Canadians crossed the River Ijssel. This was a very important turning point in the war. The OSA pipe band that we travelled most everywhere with, did a short parade through town to the monument.
Then back to Fia and Jaap's for a wonderful supper.
Queen Beatrix and Princess Margriet were in attendance. It is interesting to remember that the Dutch Royal family stayed in Ottawa during World War II, and that Princess Margriet was born In an Ottawa hospital room that was temporarily proclaimed to be part of the Netherlands. Grandma's expert photography caught a picture of the Queen as she mingled with some of the veterans.
Dinner on the way back was a fabulous Indonesian buffet, in the Royal Military Home Bronbeek, a former palace.
Tuesday, May 4th, was the National Memorial Day in the Netherlands. We were up bright and early and headed to the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. One will never forget the way the Dutch people had their homes and properties decorated with Canadian and The Netherlands flags.
Princess Margriet was here as well, and the memorial service included a fly over by 3 World War II vintage fighter planes, and a helicopter dropping poppies. The Holten school children are very active at this cemetery, placing flowers on all the graves during the memorial service. They also place 24 hour lighted candles on every grave each Christmas.
After the service, as I was wandering through the cemetery looking at graves, I got quite a shock to run smack in a couple of my neighbours from home. Tanya's grade one teacher, Hilda Gilles, and the older kids former piano teacher, Ruth Ganong. Small world, huh. I was so surprised, I forgot to take their picture.
On the way home, we stopped at the town of Gorssel, near the place where the Canadians crossed the River Ijssel. This was a very important turning point in the war. The OSA pipe band that we travelled most everywhere with, did a short parade through town to the monument.
Then back to Fia and Jaap's for a wonderful supper.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Holland
I'm back! It is hard to believe it has only been 23 days since my last post. A very busy 23 days, and I'm happy to say that it included our 10 day trip to Holland, but also since we've been home we have got most of our spring work done. Jesse and Roma did a good job holding the farm together in our absence. Jesse even got some manure out and did some harrowing, and got some heifers out in the pasture he and I finished fencing about an hour before we left for the airport. Jesse picked us up at the airport in Saint John on the Tuesday before last, and he and I spent the rest of that week spreading manure and ash, and harrowing it in. Sarah, Christina, and Roma helped us tidy up, and Sarah and Christina started school tours, with one on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We dug the corn planter out of the shed last weekend, and I planted corn almost everyday this week, for the 5 farms I plant for. Only a couple small fields left at home here. Jesse got some forage seeded down and the one day this week that it rained, Jesse and and I fenced and we got another group of dry cows out, and all the cows. So that explains why I haven't been posting here, or on Skype at night!
Enough farm stuff, you want to hear about the trip! Jesse drove us to the airport on Friday the 30th. We flew to Toronto and stayed there overnight. Guess where? A Best Western! My new Platinum Best Western Card was flashed on check in, and it didn't even raise an eyebrow... except a laugh when I enquired about my free room upgrade. We were up early the next morning in anticipation of our trip, but had several hours to kill. Maybe a walk? We tried that, but there were no sidewalks, so I hit the exercise room while Sarah and Grandma went back to the room and bonded. I'm not sure who was more successful. A Saturday afternoon flight got us into Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on Sunday morning. A 2 hour bus ride to Deventer, and then it was so good to see Fia and Jaap waiting for us at the "Canadian Club". We also met the lady we would be staying with, Riet Kleis. And we all got flowers! I'll say it now, and try not to mention it again, that it made you so proud to be Canadian, the way we were treated by the Dutch people. We then headed to Bathmen, and were impressed with the way the town was decorated for our arrival, and for the anniversay of the Liberation.
This is the building where Fia and Jaap now live, a very nice place. Theirs is the one with the flag.
Grandma stayed with Fia and Japp, we had our meals there but stayed with Riet. It was great. There was a rooster next door that you could hear when you woke up in the morning. Cock a doodle doo!!
Sunday night, after a short nap, we headed back to the Canadian Club for a wonderful reception and supper. It was great to meet and mingle with the Dutch hosts and Canadian war veterans. It was also free beer, wine, and whiskey. But you had to pay for pop. Here is a picture of Fia and Riet.
And here is Jaap. Nice hat, huh? Oh, that's not a hat...
Then back to Fia and Jaap's for a night cap (which none of us needed).
Night all! Stay tuned...
Enough farm stuff, you want to hear about the trip! Jesse drove us to the airport on Friday the 30th. We flew to Toronto and stayed there overnight. Guess where? A Best Western! My new Platinum Best Western Card was flashed on check in, and it didn't even raise an eyebrow... except a laugh when I enquired about my free room upgrade. We were up early the next morning in anticipation of our trip, but had several hours to kill. Maybe a walk? We tried that, but there were no sidewalks, so I hit the exercise room while Sarah and Grandma went back to the room and bonded. I'm not sure who was more successful. A Saturday afternoon flight got us into Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on Sunday morning. A 2 hour bus ride to Deventer, and then it was so good to see Fia and Jaap waiting for us at the "Canadian Club". We also met the lady we would be staying with, Riet Kleis. And we all got flowers! I'll say it now, and try not to mention it again, that it made you so proud to be Canadian, the way we were treated by the Dutch people. We then headed to Bathmen, and were impressed with the way the town was decorated for our arrival, and for the anniversay of the Liberation.
This is the building where Fia and Jaap now live, a very nice place. Theirs is the one with the flag.
Grandma stayed with Fia and Japp, we had our meals there but stayed with Riet. It was great. There was a rooster next door that you could hear when you woke up in the morning. Cock a doodle doo!!
Sunday night, after a short nap, we headed back to the Canadian Club for a wonderful reception and supper. It was great to meet and mingle with the Dutch hosts and Canadian war veterans. It was also free beer, wine, and whiskey. But you had to pay for pop. Here is a picture of Fia and Riet.
And here is Jaap. Nice hat, huh? Oh, that's not a hat...
Then back to Fia and Jaap's for a night cap (which none of us needed).
Night all! Stay tuned...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
