Spring......

Spring is here!! I know this not because of the beautiful weather for the last couple of days but by the apperance of buds on plants and BABIES!! I also know this by the abudance of dead ducks on the side of the road that they are on the make like a hormonal teen and just fly right out in front of a car chasing the gal down for a little action. Of course I wont show you a picture of the dead ducks but I will show you a picture of BABIES!!

I love spring in The Netherlands. All the new life and activity. We have a lot of wldlife that you can just come across while you are walking down the road. I will be definately on the lookout for baby ducks and swans this spring but for now I have spotted the first of the spring lambs just right down the road from me. This field full of mamas and babies looks like this farmer hit the jackpot with twins this year. 

Mama and babies haveing a mid afternoon nap

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The day after I spotted the lambs in the field I saw a clip on television over a sheep farmer and what his life is like during the 6 weeks that his 60+ sheep are "lambing". This old guy has a makeshift bed that is raised above the floor of the barn where he sleeps for that 6 weeks. His old crippled big hands are no longer fit to help a mama sheep out that may be having problems so his wife, who used to assist in human births, does this bit of work for him. I found it all pretty interesting. I also have much respect for these farmers who make sure we have something cute to watch as they grow up running and jumping around in the fields. I'll try not to mention growing up to become yummie food in a year...really, I'll try hard not to.

Yeah, I guess I didnt succeed.  I am just glad that when they do go to slaughter they dont look like these little darlings anymore.

                                     

Enjoying the afternoon sun     

                

I am excited about spring and think I will take a nice afternoon walk on this beautiful day.

Have a beautiful spring day everyone!     

Starting Over

Starting over in The Netherlands is pretty much the same as if you have to do it in the States. You either keep everything you had from your old life or you take what is important to you and leave the rest behind. In my case, if I was in the States I would have my family and a whole network of really good friends. In the Netherlands I have a small network of really good friends. Thank goodness for them and especially my Dutch bestie Arno. He and his lovely girlfriend Anke will get a great Thanksgiving dinner this year. Most of you reading this will know that I will be just fine on my own. I am a big strong willed gal who definately can take care of herself. Now on with a new start.

Shutting the door to my "in-between" dwelling and to my old life.

This one had to be shut, locked and the keys are in the mailbox for the landlord. The door to my old life is shut!

You know what they say. When one door closes another one opens.

The view from the (balcony) door of my new life.

Now...one of those things that I left behind was an oven. A Southern gal with out an oven is a disaster indeed. However, I still need to paint and put in flooring in my appartment so until I do that I wont be running out for a new oven. I did however take the microwave so I could have some way of heating up some grub for myself. That only took once to think "Yuck, I want fresh food". So I went out today and found myself a little table top grill.

Cute little thing, isnt it?

I can grill with it closed for small meals or....

It opens up flat for bigger meals. I can actually feed company a healthy meal with this thing.

Speaking of healthy, it will help with losing weight because I wont be trying to fix pasta, rice or taters with this thing. Fish and seafood and yummie veggies it is.

Tonights menu....Scallops and Shrimp with grilled courgette, mushrooms and onion slices.

Now off for a nice spring walk in my new neighborhood. I better not forget my camera!!

Old fashioned ways

The Netherlands is still pretty much an old fashioned country. The shops all close at 6pm. The grocery stores usually stay open until 8pm. There is usually one evening a week that everything stays open until 9pm. Every holiday is a bank holiday and Sundays are still sacred. The sidewalks dont completely roll up though. The restaurants and bars are open on Sundays, holidays and until late in the evening. The bars can stay open until 2am if they choose and on Saturday night there is a 2/6 rule. The bars stay open until 6am but cannot let anyone in after 2.

We still have butchers and bakers. We have produce stores and fish markets. Cheese shops and various specialty stores. You will not find a Wal-mart here.

I know some of my friends remember things in the States being this way and I think they probably were even when I was young. Getting used to this way of life has been nice. It really isnt a rat race here. 

One thing I remember hearing about in the States but never actually saw was the collecting of "green stamps". A practice that is long gone where you collected the stamps and could redeem them for items. That practice, or somithing similar still happens in the Netherlands and I love it!!

My favorite grocery store had a promotion recently where with every 10 euro spent you recieved a stamp. 15 stamps made a full card. A full card gets you about 75% off a really nice knife. The set has 5 knives, a steel, a knife block and a cutting board. I completed my set on the day I moved into my new place.

 I just love that block and cutting board.

Nice complete set of blades for me!

I didnt have to actually earn my stamps by buying all those groceries. A friend of mine saved hers for me and I was standing at checkout one day and the lady in front of me handed me about 45 out of her wallet. It was enough to complete my cards for my set and I have passed on any extras to someone who was standing in line behind me that could use them.