Katharine's Birthday

Sunday was Kat's birthday and we actually got a babysitter to come over so we could go out for dinner in a restaurant-- I think its been, well, almost two years. Before we went we had some individual birthday pastries from the local baker (much better than me baking a cake).



We had a great time and a great day before that- James is now to the stage where he really enjoys a good park so we have been scouting out the best in town recently. This one has a sheep paddock, great trees, and the best newly built wood playground with a huge slide and a boat that rocks (literally).

Beyond Aquadrome

We have a great indoor pool/waterpark complex in Enschede called the Aquadrome. I have taken James there a couple of times but with some days 'off' this week, Katharine was able to join us and it was possible to take some photos for the first time. Its really a fun spot- there is a wave machine throughout the whole thing that turns on occassionally, waterfalls, a 'lazy' river, hot tubs, a kiddie pool, and always plenty of local colour. As James is getting a bit older he really enjoys it; he always has a great long nap afterwards- though usually I have to join him from swimming around with him all morning...

Mom and James-





James' ride-



Cool new hat-

Four Years

We have been married four years today! In some ways it seems like an ogenblikje (eye-blink) and in many others it seems like much, much longer. It was hot and humid in Charleston that day; high tide and rains that morning had flooded the grounds of the Confederate Widow's Home where the wedding would be. Many a shoe heel got stuck in the soggy ground that afternoon, but it didn't stop the good times. Almost all of our friends and families, a beautiful setting, shrimp and grits, ham biscuits, Kölsch homebrew; everything was more than we could hope for.
Here's to the next four!

Bag Boy

One of James' funniest recent behaviours is his obsession with small bags. We've limited it to small bags because the bigger ones are too frustrating; he would be dragging twenty bags around if he could but at the moment it is just three- a chicken shaped bag that his easter eggs came in, a worn out plastic bag that had party favors in it, and a clear string handled number with red piping that holds a dozen broken and dirty crayons.





He does not let go of these bags; they are constant companions during most waking hours. We set them within view when he is eating and on the kitchen potrack when it is time for sleep; otherwise he can throw the ball back and forth, drink milk, ride his duck bike, pretty much anything. Its not even the contents that are significant anymore; its just that he can carry them all around- all the time.



James made Katharine a beautiful sort of cactus tree for Mothers' Day:



This is a photo of him in his jaunty party hat from Ana's birthday last week. Can you tell what our favorite shirt is? Those aren't cars by the way- they are autos- pronounced 'ow-toes'.


One of our favorite cultural indicators are tv commercials- there have been some great ones here over the years. They might even have this one for Sky Radio in the states, I'm not sure. Our favorite right now though is this one for a well known insurance company. You have to click on modem or 'breedband' (broadband) to download the clip.

Losing Focus, or its about time-

that I get around to updating this blog.
Its the usual story here- trying to get ready for a busy summer. Our 3 weeks of sunshine finally gave way to the more typical daily rainfall. I swear I noticed smiles on the faces of the Dutch the day it started raining again. We were actually looking forward to a garden mostly devoid of snails this year but oh well. Its a shame we can't send some rain to the SE US to help with the forest fires.
James has been busy- his friend Ana turned two last week and we went to her party. The Dutch have some nice traditions- they decorate the chair of the birthday person and there is a big to-do as he/she eats the first bite of cake. There is also the birthday hat-making where each kid gets to design their own hat to wear. Good clean fun. Here is James working on his hat. Which he can say now! He is really making strides with new sounds and words this week.



Birthday girl Ana-


This is a bit of Queen's day- we actually braved the teeming masses and waded in to the crowds this year. Among the merchandise- a pair of sunglasses for James, two new cars also for James, and poffertjes (little sort of pancake/funnel cake things) for everybody. Katharine and James also got geschminkt (face painted). Though it comes from the German- that is definitely one of our favorite verbs...




Katharine and James having good times-

In other news...

I have been meaning to blog about several other recent events, but wanted to finish the Croatia expose before beginning.
First, our friends Mike and Megan in Alaska just had their first baby. These two troopers were among our first visitors in the Netherlands, and bravely went with us to the North Sea Coast in a driving and frozen rain to hear about the transformation of the marshes and to see some birds. Megan's sister is a midwife and flew up early for the event last week. They had a girl at home "in the Alaska sunshine"
Rachel Ivey Danz
who arrived 9 days early
26 April 2007
9:30 in the morning
7.2 lbs
22 inchesHooray Mike, Megan and Rachel!

My sister Elizabeth has also given birth to a baby of sorts. She has just published her first cookbook. Though I do not have my copy in hand yet (I am waiting to pick it up in the states), I know it is full of great recipes-- many family classics and a few new ones, too. It includes two of Mike's recipes, for guacamole and fishcakes, and MANY MANY southern classics. Though I do not want to characterize it as only "southern"-- it is so much more, and there is a big variety.
As Elizabeth said in an interview with the Clinch County News "I'm hoping this cookbook can help people prepare a meal for their family, sit down with their family, and enjoy a meal together"
Who can argue with that!
The cookbook is available online from Tate Publishing and is called

Sweet Blessings from our Home, by Elizabeth Owens Steedley

Elizabeth and her family live in Homerville GA near the raging forest fires, but thankfully have not been affected. As I undertsand it the fire has moved away from H'ville east toward the Okefenokee. Some of our other family lives closer to this area in Waycross GA-- but they have also fortunately been spared. We are hoping for rain!!!!

Finally, Dorthe Alstrup (she and Keith Lopez are among our dearest friends, and it was their extraordinary wedding we attended in Denmark last year) is part of a show at the Bronx Museum of the Arts called Here and Elsewhere. Dorthe's photo is shown in the New York Times' review "Creative and Commercial: the Starving Artist Has to Eat" and the author mentions her among the "standouts". YAY!!!

last shots of Croatia

I was privvy to an interesting conversation between this child and his father (arm visible on far right). This guy did not want to climb higher along the wall, but after being promised an ice cream and a lot of discussion he agreed. This happened in Italian (I think) but the theme was clear.


Cars are not allowed inside the old city; this shot is taken from the city wall, looking back out toward the gate that divides the old city from the new.
A shot of the city rooftops facing out toward the Adriatic

The city is built on the coast, and climbs up this hillside

This is one French tour group within the monastery "Allo!"

My cab driver Neko really wanted me to stop and take some photos of the city from the winding roads heading back to the airport. He kindly took a photo of me from this fare-increasing adventure. The fruits of his labors are featured below. I was glad we stopped. If anyone wants to visit Croatia Neko says to go in September when the water is warm and the tourists have left. I have his card if anyone wants a very helpful guide!

The city wall
Some stairs on a turret along the city wall



Tiled roofs from the city wall

My flight back was basically uneventful. The plane was late leaving Dubrovnik-- here is a shot from the plane.
It was clear that some flight connections might be jeopardized from Vienna. When we landed, the pilot said "If you are connecting to Venice, Brussles or Amsterdam please see the attendant at the end of the gate". Long story short, my flight was just about to leave. A nice man took me and a girl connecting to Brussels in a minivan across the landing areas outside the airport. We stopped and ran into an area to have our passports stamped and luggage checked (no lines) then back out to the van to drive up to our flights. They dropped me off and walked me in, I sat down and the plane left. Our driver Micheal said that our luggage would not be making the trip with us. I was just happy to not have to find a place to sleep at short notice in Vienna. To be perfectly honest, I was still lugging around the laptop and was happy to have someone else bring my bag home. When I got into Amsterdam I went straight to the baggage claim area and filed a report, bought my train ticket, changed my kuna for euros, and skeedaddled. It was delivered on Monday at about 6:45 PM
with everything intact and in its proper place. Hooray! A nice end to a good trip!