a brew fit for a bishop

Now this is what I call inspiring - naming a beer after the Dutch/Belgian version of Santa Claus! Just heard of this from my friend/former student Rob, who takes his brewing seriously enough to deliberate for weeks on end as to what to call the concoction (see bottle date). Will he follow up next season with a bottle called "Zwarte Piet"?

For a funny take on Sinterklaas, tune into the audio file by David Sedaris, which my friend Laura found and turned me onto thankfully! Scroll down to 12/02 or search Sedaris. Once you click, an audio box should pop up with an arrow for play. Sit back and enjoy!http://www.scottmccloud.com/comics/mi/mi-blog-2004.html

boxes

What I love/hate about this time of year are boxes. If you're like us and live a ridiculously long way away from home, then you manage most of your gift giving/receiving with the help of the brown box and your friendly (or unfriendly) postal service. If you're lucky, the boxes arrive while you're home and you don't have to pay any steep tarifs, but I'm seldom so fortunate. Today I was lucky though and got two packages in the mail - it was great! Somehow I'm supposed to wait til xmas to open them, but that hardly seems fair given I've waited already 356 days for xmas to arrive!

Drew these boxes as part of an assignment on perspective last week in my drawing class. Idea is to create depth on a 2-dimensional surface, which sounds easier than it is. First, I drew the boxes sitting on a table on a piece of white sketch paper but wasn't thrilled with the table. So decided to cut out the boxes and set them on a black background that I colored with waxy pastels. It looks a bit collagy, but at least the table is flat and looks more interesting.

To take my mind off of opening the boxes that arrive between now and xmas, maybe I'll just practice drawing them! I could use that idea for the kids too, since they're far worse than I am when it comes to opening anything that comes through the door. And maybe instead of "color Santa contests" we could have "draw the box contests"! Now there's a thought that will get me nowhere.

De Sint is jarig!

Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) had a birthday today! He and his zwarte Pieten (yes, black Piets) live in Spain and spend the whole year preparing for this big party. They travel by steamboat with a cargo filled with snoepjes and cadeautjes (candy + presents) and arrive late November in Holland and Belgium. Kids fill their wooden shoes (in Holland, at least) with briefjes (letters) or tekenings (drawings) and leave koekjes en melk for Sinterklaas and his Pieten, along with wortels (carrots) and suiker klontjes for Sinterklaas's horse. No, he doesn't have reindeer, elves or ride in a sleigh.


The kids have seen Sinterklaas twice already! This morning he made an appearance at their school and gave them all snoepjes. And they also saw him 2 weeks ago at a Dutch party, where he gave each child a present and told them whether they'd been naughty or nice. This Sint was dressed a bit alternatively. I've never seen one wearing purple gloves!

The second the kids got home from school today they were busy writing briefs and making tekenings. Phoebe brought home a shoe she'd decorated as zwarte Piet at school. Oh, and they made sure the flue was open so the Piets could get down the chimney (Sint leaves the dirty work up to them).

Now I better get to bed since I know they'll be up at the break of dawn wanting to read the letter(s) left by the Sint and find any goodies he left behind. Stijn, I could really use you right now for the early morning shift! It's payback time!

boot nazis strike again

Mom we want to tell you that we don't like those bruin shoes. Love, Alex, Phoeb Thijs

This was the first note (w a few Dutch or hybrid words thrown in) I received from the boot nazis a few weeks ago. They were sending a clear message that they didn't approve of the new Ecco boots I'd purchased at a shoe store in town. I didn't expect it to go any further than this, but pretty soon they were hiding the bruin boots they didn't like and putting in their place a pair of black boots w heels that they DID like. They hid the bruin boots so well I couldn't find them! But then came a second note ...

Goed moring mom!
We want to tell you that kan you please put pretty clothes on for the 3.00 theahtre (a play in Alex's classroom). Love, Alex, Phoebe, Thijs
(look on back)
If you want to put on boost (black boots, that is) I woud like that please? ansser heer ____________________________________________

Okay, now it's not just my boots they're censoring, but also my choice of clothes. I can't take this. If it isn't enough putting up w stares from the towns people (yes, I know I dress casual and why not? I'm not working full-time!), now I have to put up with criticism from my own kids. I think I'm losing it! But then the threats came ...

Hi Mom Good Moring!

If you don't wear boost some times to school and back I and Phoebe will take the boost some times and play with them! But they miht not go back!

love, Alex and Phoebe

P.S. ansser here _________________________________________________ Sorry mom, we want you to look pretty!

Enough is enough, I thought. This has gone too far. Before you know it they'll be confiscating my possessions (like they've done w my makeup) and I really won't have anything to wear. So let's turn it into something positive. "Okay kids", I said, "what about this". "If you rewrite all your notes and use correct spelling and grammar, then I'll wear the black boots to school and back sometimes and dress pretty", I said. Do we have a deal?

I'm still waiting for an ansser.

happy birthday mom!

Hey Mom! John, Carter, Beau and I want to wish you a happy birthday (Dec. 2nd). Happy 70th birthday, that is! And we just want to thank you for everything you've done for the family because thanks to you (and dad gets a little credit too) we didn't turn out that bad after all. But really, we can't wait for the next opportunity to come home and spend some time with you and dad. Miss you already. Hope you had a fantastic day!



This has been an amazing year, with grandma Phoebe turning 100, grandma Mimi turning 90, and now mom and opa Harry turning 70! And this photo was taken at Grayton Beach, Florida, where we celebrated mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary. It'll definitely go down in history as the year with the most family reunions. I don't know if Italy can top our week at Grayton, but we can sure give it a try!


"Happy 70th Birthday Nana!" - Lang zal ze leven, lang zal ze leven, lang zal ze leven in de gloria. In de gloria. Iin de gloria. Hiepbedepiep hoora, hiepbedepiep hoora, hiepbedepiep hoora! We miss you! Love you! Alex, Phoebe en Thijs

Cheers Robin! Sorry Jayne's not in this photo - she's probably getting a refill margarita so we can make a toast to your health, although you don't really need it cuz you can outwalk us ALL anyday - HA, HA, HA! But hey, we're catching up with you on the tennis court! Cheers Big Ears! Same goes Big Nose!

11-11-1987

It was around this time19 years ago that Stijn & I romped around on the beaches of Florida. He was from the land of tulips, had wild hair and knew how to make me laugh.

We got to talking one afternoon while sitting on scuba tanks, waiting our turn to dive in murky Lake Rosa near Gainesville. I remember the threadbare tropical yellow shirt he was wearing, along w his shorts, which looked equally worn. He had a big smile and little squinty eyes just like you see here. Those are the kind of eyes I knew I could trust (except when he wants the last Leffe!).

That night we stood in line together to turn in our scuba tanks for what seemed like hours. I decided, for whatever reason, to try to throw him in the swimming pool that was next to us and just begging for this to happen. I'm strong enough, I thought, and besides, he'll be a gentleman and let me get away with it. But no, after a good fight I was the one standing dripping wet in the pool, and he was still dry, happy as a clam and laughing at me, no doubt. I knew then that I'd met my match, and that he had the strong personality I'd been looking for (ok, but you can admit you're wrong now and again Stijn!).

Happy Anniversary lovie! Glad we're travelling again liked we loved to do so much when we first met. Those trips are the best thing for our relationship - and my bird list!

return of the Democrats

WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Thank you America for restoring our faith. I guess we can move back to the states now. Oops, not just yet ... Bush is still in the White House.

May the entire universe be filled with peace, joy, love and light. Oh Shanti.

trick or treating in Tervuren

We did it! We trick-or-treated in our neighborhood at 6.oo pm this evening, and the kids had a blast. We numbered 11 in total: my Portuguese neighbor Fernanda and her 3 boys, 2 Flemish neighbor kids, and a little German girl from Thijs's class (princess).

With little warning we descended on our neighbors with hoops and howls and all kinds of noises. Usually they weren't prepared to receive us (since Halloween isn't a Belgian tradition) but made do with whatever they could find in their kitchen or wallet (4 euro!). The dark Cote d'Or chocolate was a real treat!

Fernanda told me her son Luca had been looking forward to trick-or-treating because it would make him feel like an American, or something along those lines. Funny, isn't it, the impressions kids have of Americans and where they get them.
 

missing nana and grandaddy

Had a great time with Mom and Dad, and it's taken some time to readjust since they left. They were here for 2 weeks and became permanent fixtures in the household, w/ walking the kids to/from school, taking them to gymnastics/ ballet/ the playground, going to see Phoebe's kindergarten play Sneeuwitje (this photo), working in the garden, doing tai chi with me, drinking lots of Leffe and enjoying the most tasty meals, like coq au vin, leek soup, beef carbonnades, mussels in Brussels!

For some days after Nana and Grandaddy left, the kids kept asking if they'd be picking them up from school or meeting them at the playground. Maybe they thought they were hiking again in France and would soon return. Or maybe they got so used to having them as a part of their daily lives and routine, which was the best part for all of us (although I loved our trips to Waterloo and Brugges). At any rate, the kids said again and again how much they missed Nana and Grandaddy. Next time they'll have to stay longer. Thanks again for your wonderful visit, Mom and Dad!


 

a duo for Cirque du Soleil?

 

nana and grandaddy?

Who would've thought that by wearing a pumpkin on his head (last ditch effort), grandaddy would earn the privilege of being body-slammed by a Flemish man dressed as a pumpkin (kindred spirit!) performing in the Halloween Wandeling in Tervuren?

Will that be something he remembers when he turns 95?

The kids wanted to know if Nana's hair was real.

Halloween Wandeling

Here we are ready to take off on a Belgian style haunted walk in the woods called the Halloween Wandeling (w nana + grandaddy and my Dutch friend Corien and her kids Rein and Floortje).

The city organizes the event, which involves a leader taking a group for a walk in the woods with about 5 scary skits/stories being performed in Flemish. Ghosts, witches and goblins jump out from behind the trees and everyone gets a thrill.

Actually, the best part of this year's wandeling was when nana and grandaddy jumped out from behind bushes on our walk home! Dad also enjoyed being body-slammed by a human pumpkin! See previous post to understand why-

Typical of the Belgian style, there's always food, drinks and music to top off the evening. The walk ended with a beer/bratwoorst tent and a band playing and laser lights illuminating a centuries-old chapel. I love seeing how the Belgians embrace the Halloween tradition!  

Phoebe as Sneeuwitje/Heks

In her debut, Phoebe appeared both as Sneeuwitje (Snow White) and as the Heks (Witch) in the kindergarten play. There were actually 3 girls who volunteered to play Snow White. Phoebe started off first and the other girls substituted later. She wore a black witch costume underneath, and with a black scarf on her head, she transformed into a witch in seconds.

I wondered if she'd be nervous because there was a sizeable audience, plus the first graders were invited to watch the show, but Phoebe marched out without hesitation. You could tell they'd practiced a lot cuz they all did a splendid job. We especially loved Phoebe's witchy voice - heh, heh, heh!  

chicken and udon in ginger, thai basil and lime broth

Udon is a thick, spaghetti-like Japanese noodle that you can find in most major supermarkets. We love this recipe and our kids do too and it's so easy to make, which makes it an all-around winner. I thought you might enjoy it too so decided to share it with you. Enjoy!

6 c. chicken broth
2 inches fresh ginger, unpeeled + roughly chopped
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice (about 2 limes)
1.5 tsp. kosher salt
pinch hot pepper flakes
4 Thai or regular basil leaves, plus more for garnish
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 full breast)
1 package (12 oz.) udon, cooked according to package instructions

1. In a large pot, combine broth, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper flakes, and basil leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 mins. Add chicken breast and simmer 15 more mins. Remove chicken from broth and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

2. Meanwhile, strain broth and discard solids. Season w additional salt if desired. In each of 4 bowls, mound 1/2 cup cooked noodles and top with 3 or 4 chicken slices. Pour hot broth over top. Garnish with few basil leaves and DIG IN! If you have any leftover, it's even better after 24 h as the ginger intensifies and develops a richer, fuller soup broth. Gevaarlijk lekker (dangerously good)!

a sacred spot in my garden

 

like peas and carrots

 

zwaarste pompoenen wedstrijd

This weekend we ventured to Duisburg, a small town just 3 km from Tervuren, where supposedly some farmer had grown the biggest pumpkin in the world in 2005 (but the internet claimed otherwise, so I don't know who/what to believe anymore). We had to check it out.

Yes, as you can see by the look of those mamas sitting behind us, they were huge. If they were hollowed out, the kids could've climbed inside and played house! Now that would be a fun + practical way to use them. But come to think of it, what do they do with these silly things after weighing them? Use them as lawn ornaments? Practice drawing still lifes?

It just seems funny to me that this is the second time our family has lived within biking distance of FAT pumpkin growers (Canfield, Ohio has several pumpkins in the 1,000+ pound club!). It seems like a strange hobby to me, esp. since you can't eat those things. Or are they edible? Maybe I ought to organize a pumpkin carving contest next year!
 

end of innocence

This is Phoebe's view of the world. It's filled with hearts of all colors, shapes, and sizes and females in long, flowing robes with long, flowing hair that exudes boundless energy.

I couldn't believe it when I read the news this evening -- a third school shooting on American soil and more young girls dead plus a school principal. What the he-- is going on?

Granted, there are wierdos around the world, but most don't have easy access to firearms. If you took away the weapons, wouldn't it make it harder to commit these crimes?

Who's to blame? The quality of life in America is being eroded. Takes 2 careers to have that mega dream house, multilevel gas grill, luxury lifestyle, but outsource the kids to the media, the computer and don't give them your time and energy. Are we raising our kids to be responsible citizens or are we trusting that they'll just turn out okay?

So why not eat dinner with your kid(s) tonight. Give them a bath. Read them books. Just be with them and give them love. Half the world's problems would be solved if we raised our children more deliberately and responsibly and lived more simply.

And if you don't agree with any of this, don't hesitate to express your thoughts. I won't fire you like the leader of our nation would for having a different opinion!

no. 136 paapje or whinchat

Seen in Bezinkingsputten, Tienen, during trektellingdag (migration count day) with the Oost-Brabant Vogelwerkgroep.

Whereas most of the species (meadow pipits, reed buntings, chaffinchs, skylarks) were only heard/seen in flight (not optimal if you've never seen the birds before!), this one was spotted and viewed in a spotting scope, and it happened to be mine. A beautiful little songster and a beautiful little view.

no. 130 ijsvogel

About fell out of the boat when this kingfisher jumped off its perch and began flying down the waterway in the Biesbosch in Holland, home of the largest freshwater marsh in Europe. Without thinking I began cursing ecstatically and jumping up and down, hoping to catch another glimpse of it and show it to Stijn and the kids. It had the most brilliant irridescent blue back and greenish wings. Smaller than the Belted kingfisher in N.A. and with a more gentle, higher pitched 2-part vocalization. This was one sweet find.

carfree day in Brussels

The first carfree days were in 1973/74 during the oil crisis. Now, as many as 1000 cities around the world host carfree days in an effort to promote more CO2-friendly ways of transport. We biked to downtown Brussels (Montgomery Square, where this photo was taken) on Sept. 17th and it was nice not to compete with auto traffic for a change (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/efe/14/article_262_en.htm). You do still have to take caution as cyclists did not always heed traffic rules or use common sense. Unfortunately we witnessed a very bad bicycle accident, and the poor girl involved had to be whizzed off in an ambulance. I was hawking over my kids after seeing that! Overall it was a great experience and it made me realize I'd like cities a lot more if it weren't for the cars.

Henricus de tweede

Opa Harry and Thijs both celebrated big birthdays recently. Harry turned 70 and Thijs turned 4, which makes 74 years of Henricus (both share the name) gracing this planet!

We made a little celebration for them a few weeks back, with a dinosaur-decorated chocolate cake (appropriate, si?), strawberry taart and party hats. I couldn't resist sharing this foto.

Thijs definitely has his opa's eyes and head size but luckily not his ears. Time will only tell what else they share in common - just not opa's sense of humor, oh please! Ha! Ha!

Gefeliciteerd met jullie verjaardags jongerens!
 

exploring Brugge

Last Sunday was one of those rare days you wanna bottle up and put on the shelf. It was a warm and sunny day in the medieval town of Brugge, and I had my parents all to myself! When does that happen? I can't think of the last time I was alone w my mom and dad doing something cool. Would it be Mexico? Ireland? the Sierra Nevadas? That was over 20 years ago --- this was definitely overdue.

We explored back alley ways, toured the canals by boat, ate baguettes and Belgian waffles, talked about climbing the 300+ steps of the church tower but decided to drink beer instead. In fact, if you look closely, you can see the cafe on the lefthand-side between the buildings where there's an outdoor patio (above dad's shoulder). Tasty beers on tap and a view of the canal made it a good choice. Plus, it was nice to escape from the crowds and tour groups and catch our breath. Remember this place, my friends - it's a gem.

This morning at exactly 5:15 am they were off again for 24 days in France. They walked to the tram station (13 min. by foot) w their ultralight packs, torchs and walking sticks, prepared to do the bulk of the trip by foot and w public transport. They'd rent a car for 2-3 days, but that's it. This is what you call slow travel, and it's popular (and possible) in Europe. Will be fun to hear about their adventures when they return - they really are an inspiration!

Today was not a typical day in Belgium. Thijs turned 4 and the SUN SHINED! It was actually so hot we played w water balloons in the back yard instead of going to the park.

Four little friends (Jean, Milena, Fynn, Kaylin) joined us for spiderman cupcakes and popcorn and WALAH! - we had an impromptu party.

It'll probably be the last year I can avoid throwing a real birthday party for Thijs. It was lovely -- stress-free, low budget, less mess, you name it.

But as soon as he gets invited to his first birthday party it'll all be over. He'll be asking me for the real thing, and I'll be cringing at the thought of having rough little boys tearing the house apart. Maybe a scavenger hunt in the woods would be my ticket for sanity. They'd enjoy it more anyway!

At any rate, happy birthday THIJS. How you've grown this past year!

Thijs Augustinus Henricus Verschuuren turns 4

 

the passing of a modern muir

Sometimes you don't realize how deeply someone touches your life until they're gone. That's how I felt yesterday when I heard about Steve Irwin's untimely and freakish death. I'd never seen more than a handful of his shows, but there I sat at the computer, with a huge lump in my throat and tears streaming down my cheeks. Like everyone else, I was in total shock.

It wouldn't hurt as much if he wasn't such a passionate conservationist. He put his money where his mouth was and bought wilderness around the world to protect the animals he loved from developers. He truly was a wildlife warrior, and he used his celebrity to convince others to join in his crusade to buy wildlife habitat before it was destroyed.

There will never be a crocodile hunter quite like Steve, but hopefully someone will come along soon to fill the void. The world needs educators & entertainers like him. I don't think we can survive for long without such a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation on the air.

school starts tomorrow

The kids had a looooong break from school and tomorrow that's about to come to an end. Notice I didn't say summer because that doesn't exist in Belgium, at least not in Brussels. Temps. barely reached 20 celsius (70 F.) in August, and it rained at least three times/day, esp. when you needed so desperately to get out of the house!

Now I understand why everyone jumps ship in July/Aug. The weather is deplorable, the slugs grow to monsterlike proportions and consume anything they can slime onto, and nobody is here. There were times when it was a struggle to find friends for the kids to play with. Everyone was on vacation for 3-4 weeks!

We've definitely learned our lesson. Next year we'll navigate these months with much better planning and use of Stijn's hard-earned frequent flyer miles! I don't regret the summer we had (lemonade stands in the rain, cycling in the mud, creating fairy camps in our garden to make up for the friends that were all "weg", swimming on the trampoline). It's just that I don't want to repeat it, necessarily!

zeeland

I watched shorebirds in Zeeland, NL, with a Flemish bird group last weekend (Oost-Brabant Vogel Werk Groep, Natuurpunt). Imagine 12 spotting scopes set up all in a row and names of birds being called out right and left (in Dutch of course). It was incredible!

Long waves of 100's of shorebirds constantly landed in the diked wetlands and you could barely identify them fast enough before the next wave of species arrived (8 m below sea level on coast).

I've never seen so many oystercatchers, golden plovers or sandpipers before in my life - it was unbelievable. The Kluut, or Pied Avocet, was one of my favorites because of the striking plummage and stunning bill. Was fun to watch it forage.

I saw 29 "new" species but was too busy trying to keep track of them that I didn't keep a trip list. Am sure it was double that. By the end of the day, I was completely spent but satisfied. Below are my "new" birds, although some I've seen in the Americas, like the Fulvous Whistling Duck, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Whimbrel and Common Snipe. For info on this bird club: see http://www.natuurpunt.be/vogelwerkgroep-oost-brabant. One birder has a life list w 3000 species - now that's supreme!

Little Egret
Eurasian Spoonbill
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Northern Pintail
Eurasian Wigeon
Western Marsh Harrier
Hobby
Grey Partridge
Pied Avocet
Common Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
Eurasian Golden Plover
Red Knot
Sanderling
Ruddy Turnstone
Dunlin
Temminck's stint
Little stint
Wood sandpiper
Green sandpiper
Spotted redshank
Common greenshank
Bar-tailed Godwit
Eurasian Curlew
Whimbrel
Common snipe
Ruff
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow Wagtail