Our Pentecost weekend

In Holland we celebrate Pentecost for 2 days, sunday and monday, so this was a long weekend. Mostly I find myself working, but this time I had a free weekend. Friday evening the 3 "little"  "brothers of my sons came to stay a few days. The youngest of them had asked it some time ago, he likes to stay with us, and so do his brothers. They sure are busy kids, but that's okay. Just keep them busy.

Saturday evening on the couch, after we had spend the day at De Spelerij in Dieren.
In this place children can play all day in an active way, and explore all kind of things. They can create objects and art.
The way of playing excites their fantasy. They can invent things. Many objects to play with are made of recycled materials. Go check the link abve, it's worth it. I went there for the first time when Oldest was 2 years old, still in diapers. (now he is 21) We visited so many times, I do enjoy it myself. I remember one day when my children didn't need much help any more, and I painted and made characters almost all day. Years ago.

Youngest of the 5 brothers, 6 years old.

The busy red head, always running, restless. 12 years now.

My Oldest, and the curly blonde, 13 years old.

This fortress they built together. A pity it was a kind of raining, very softly.

Ah, and lunch together.  My youngest had a very sore and battered face, he fell with his bike the day before. It was still hurting. Nothing was broken, happily enough.

The children had created all kind of things, I forgot to take pictures of it.
People at De Spelerij are very friendly. For instance the Red head fell in the water, and than there are clothes to borrow and dryers to dry your own clothes in. Such a nice, friendly atmosphere.
And at dinner we ate pancakes!!

It was an exhausting day for the boys, but did they go to bed early? Oh no no no.

Thursday show and tell.

Browsing through my photo's I saw these ones again. I believe they were made 2 years ago, when the water in the river IJssel was very high some time during the winter. In the back of the photo's you can see my city.

It kind of looks like the big boat will go over the cars afar. And the trees just growing out of the water. And look at that traffic sign, no cars and motors allowed here in the water...

Some roads were flooded, I remember. I had to take a different road home than I normally do. The IJssel was so very  wide.

When you look at these photo's it is easy to depict that we here in the Netherlands do have our difficulties with the water. But I do love these pictures.

Flea market

Last saturday we visited a little fleamarket which get organised once every 2 years in a little village nearby. The local church is the organiser. It's always a very nice event, with open minded people, and lots of things to do for children. I used to love to visit these kinds of events when my boys were little.

I show you some finds...

This is a little cash register for children to play with from Fisherprice. My boys had one when they were little, I bought that one second hand too. I suppose I gave it away. Don't know yet what to do with it, but I love it.

And this little hedgehog, I'm fond of wooden toys. Don't know what to do with it either yet. On the moment I  never have little children around.

And some silver teaspoons for my collection. I will have to polish them.

These tea spoons are very beautiful, one with an elephant; I collect elephants, and a beautiful seahorse.

And a little silver handbell. Now I can ring for youngest when it's time for dinner and he is on the attic. Well, will try if it works.
I forgot my camera, but now I will show you some photo's of the way home (by bike ofcourse) which were taken last year in march.

We did very much enjoy the ride back, though the wind was blowing rather hard, and rain was in the air. We arrived at home just before it started raining indeed.

Inhuldiging

Ik heb niet, of nauwelijks, kunnen genieten van de feestelijkheden die deze dag georganiseerd waren rond de inhuldiging van prins Willem Alexander tot koning. Sterker nog, tot nu toe heb ik ook nog helemaal niks op de t.v. gezien, nog geen tijd gehad. Ik zit midden in een cyclus nachtdiensten. Op het moment heb ik even 2 banen, best wel druk. En af en toe ook nog even iets aan het huishouden doen, koken enzo.
Toen ik laat in de middag wakker werd zag ik tot mijn verbazing dat de vlag wapperde! Jongste, die op dat moment in Arnhem aan het feestvieren was, had hem uitgehangen vanochtend. Die vlag had ik 3 jaar geleden gekocht toen oudste voor zijn VWO slaagde, om zijn rugtas annex boekentas aan te hangen. Hij vond dat een mooie traditie, en ik eigenlijk ook wel.
Wie had dit ooit kunnen denken! Dat mijn eigen kinderen een vlag zouden uithangen voor het koningshuis. De inhuldiging van prinses Beatrix in 1980 staat mij nog helder voor de geest. Zelf woonde ik toen in een kraakpand, geen woning te vinden in Amsterdam. Ik was wel bij de kraakbeweging betrokken, maar niet zeer actief, en stond aan de zijlijn bij de onlusten, dat ging mij allemaal veel te ver. Maar de leus "geen woning geen kroning" uit die tijd sprak me  wel aan.

En dan nu dus de vlag uit, het kan verkeren.

Toen jongste rond etenstijd even thuis was vertelde hij het jammer te hebben gevonden dat hij geen oranje wimpel voor bij  de vlag had kunnen vinden. Ik vind het wel erg grappig. Ik heb mezelf eigenlijk altijd als een soort van  republikein beschouwd, hoewel ik dan wel weer ons koningshuis kan bewonderen, meestal, en in de 20 jaar dat ik in Amsterdam heb gewoond altijd erg genoten heb van, en meegedaan met, de feestelijkheden op koninginnedag. Heel wat koninginnenachten feestend doorgebracht, en later met de kinderen in het Vondelpark op de vrijmarkt gestaan. Ik hou wel van symboliek. Ook de jongens hebben hier goede herinneringen aan.
En oudste vierde gisteren weer koninginnenacht in Amsterdam!!

Zo, het is weer een aantal uren later, het een en ander in de herhaling gezien. Toch wel indrukwekkend, de eed die Willem Alexander aflegt. Volgens mij legde rond 1350 een vorstin dit voor het eerst af aan ons volk. Het handhaven van onze vrijheid, klinkt mooi. Dit ga ik weer eens uitzoeken. Ik zit net naar Don't cry for me, Argentina te luisteren, prachtig. Wat hebben we nu een mooie, en sympathieke , koningin. Het is trouwens wel opvallend hoe weinig mensen het 6e couplet van ons volkslied kennen, (wat altijd na het eerste wordt gezongen) en hoeveel er wel met het lied van Andre Hazes mee kunnen zingen.

 De abdicatie was ook bijzonder om te zien. Het is goed dat Beatrix dit nu gedaan heeft.

The road to work

For  half a year now I'm working at a big mental health institution nearby, some parts of it anyway. The other buildings are in cities and villages nearby. The last 15 years many institutions have been merged so there are a few very big institutions left here in Holland. I don't think this has always been a good idea, but the boards do very well.
Today I had planned to go to the museum in this museumweekend when lots of museums are freely accessible, but the weather was so beautiful! And I didn't have time to visit on saturday because youngest had been to the hospital on friday and still needed lots of attention, ofcourse.
So off we went today for a little bikeride, following the road to were I sometimes work.... When I ride on my bike the shortest way out of town I see this old church, just about 1 km from my house...

This church has been mentioned for the first time in the year 1121. It has been restored beautiful.

And I do like to have a look at this mill..

A pity we couldn't visit it today..

And on we went through the village of Warnsveld, and through the woods..

This used to be the entry, gasthuis means hospital, kind of.
These parts of this institution still are on the grounds of Groot Graffel, which was the original name. These grounds had been bought in 1899 to found a hospital for the insane, a lunatic asylum, as mental ill people were called those days. There was a great demand for places, and the hospital grew very fast. Patients slept in big dormitories, nowadays they  have their own room, most of the time.

The building above is one of the original ones, no patients here ofcourse nowadays, only the board.

And on we went, another way back home..

This is the Huis 't Velde, which is inter alia used by the police for conferences and so..

And we crossed the river De Berkel ..

.
This is a little weir, on the left you can see a place to get out your canoe if you travel that way. I've done this lots of time upstream near Lochem..

Huis de Voorst has been build in 1695, nowadays it can be used for weddings or other great parties. And you can stay there, but not in the main building.

And  river De Berkel again..

We didn't make a long ride today, but it was so nice. It smelled good, spring is arriving. Birds are singing.