the measure of time

Papa's "glimmer"

It's hard to believe an entire year can pass so quickly, although I've lived long enough to know the certainty of that phrase.  Our time is measured in so many ways -the baby's growth, the preschooler's handwriting, the high schooler's marching band season, summer breaks between school years...the passing of a loved one.

It's hard to believe a year has gone by since dad died.  Last year, I wished this day would come quickly for his sake:  that the pain and suffering would end for him and he could rest peacefully in the arms of God.  Now, I wish this day hadn't come so quick.

I am peaceful knowing my dad is loved and cared for; but on this side of heaven, I still weep.  Not everyday, but just now and then.  Times and experiences my family shared in the past year are pieces of life I wish I could share with him in person.  Band concerts, fencing tournaments, birthdays, ballet, golf... all those little moments we want to share with our parents regardless of how far away they live.

At the onset of hospice care last summer, Dad said he'd always be watching us.  It's just not fair I can't observe his reaction.  Funny thing is, and perhaps fortunate too, I know exactly how he'd react; what he would say.  "Nothing is fair!"  Then he'd likely chuckle, inform me of the Iowa weather reports, tell me how his golf game suffers and close with, "You're doing fine, dear.  Keep up the good work!"

So,  I will keep trying.  The noisy, cheering crowd of saints (no doubt marching) in my head will remind me of their presence here today and perhaps by next year my measure of time will feel more joyful.

Top Ten (or so) Spring 2014

Spring is usually full of activity and compared to last year, this one was quite the whirlwind blessed with birthdays, spring break, end of school-year concerts, recitals and more.  These were some of our highlights:

1.  Zach spent hours learning dances for the spring Time Travel Showcase with Grace Studio.

2.  Prince Charmful (Nate) steals the stage and surprises his family with his acting skills in the middle school spring play "Cinderella and the Substitute Fairy Godmother."

3. Spring Jazz Band concert...trombonist Alex surprised us with a jazz solo!  He also participated in a week of European Honor Band in Weisbaden.

4. "Hold on to 16 as long as you can..."  While most American boys get driver's licenses on their 16th birthdays, Alex receives 16 random stupid things; 16 twisty-dos, 16 assorted bills, 16 things to make a mess, 16 yummy things to share and a day of climbing at the ropes course with his friends!

5. Mike remains busy sending troops all over Europe and Africa --on Memorial Day weekend, Mike conducted USAFE's Ceremonial Marching Band at the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Versailles, France.    (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Wilson) 

6. Spring Break Finland:  searching for snow in the Arctic Circle since Germany had none this winter!  Selfie in front of 3 boys with snowballs = not a good idea!

7. Nate's 14th Birthday and trip to the ropes course followed by dinner at our favorite pizza joint.  Whipped cream instead of frosting with fast melt candles makes for a short photo op!  

8. Alex's induction into National Honor Society...a club full of  cute girls new friends...

9. Zach's lead role as the circus "barker" in his 3rd grade class play.

"Tickets! Hurry up for the merry go round!"

10.  Zach played kid-pitch minor league baseball while Nate & I assistant coached.  

"Good eye, good eye!"  was frequently heard on the field! (Duh! It was over the backstop!)

11.  Nate fences in several more tournaments --how we ever really know what's going on is a small miracle!  Having friends & family watch is an awesome ego boost!

12.  Spring isn't complete without prom now, I guess.  Although, the 16 yo has yet to attend, the younger enjoys the party, the dancing, the dressing up and the cute friend date!  

13.  The one time it rains this spring, Paul the cat discovers his love of fishing.  He was also caught trying to dive into a larger bucket.  Interrogated about the mess, he gave only a blank stare....

An almost Birthday in Paris

If only you could hear the symphony in my mind as I write…

Almost a birthday as most venues are closed in Paris on Tuesdays, my actual birthday.

I'd been putting off Paris for a year and I must apologize to "her".  I had no idea I would enjoy this city so much!  I guess I was worried it would be too expensive, or too crowded, or  I wouldn't know where to start or how best to get there.

I stumbled upon really cheap last minute ICE tickets and decided to "just do it."  We were on the train early in the morning and in Paris in under 2.5 hours!  Our first stop:  Ecole Militaire.  WHERE?  The boys were really wondering where the heck I was taking them until….
we rounded the corner by the park and there she was.

The Eiffel Tower veiled with a misty cloud, proudly standing in the chilly morning air.

Our walk thru the Champ des Mars gave us ample opportunity to marvel at the iron lady.
It was so much more massive in size that I ever imagined!

Throw back to 2009 with Alex's favorite Christmas gift -Lego Eiffel Tower--which made the journey to Germany!

We decided getting lift tickets to the top would be a bad idea given the clouds, so opted instead for the super cheap stairs.  Yup.  Climbed something like 600 steps, reading little tidbits (in English, thankfully as my French is nicht sehr gut) along the way and enjoying the panorama of Paris below.

At the end of this park is Ecole Militaire, where we first started our walk to Eiffel.

Looking down!  Zach & I think we've taken about a million stair steps since moving overseas!

It was rather cold in the tower, so we stopped for a rather non-descript lunch--wishing I had researched a better place, but, the coffee was hot, the ambience nice.  Our next stop was the Place du Concorde to walk the Tuileries Gardens to the Louvre Museum.  

As we popped out of the metro in the Place de la Concorde, I was peppered with questions from our inquisitive 9 yr old.  I just picked that spot so we could have a view of the Arc du Triomphe to the west and the Louvre to the east.  The Place marks the area where the beheading of the nobility took place during the French Revolution in the 1790s.  My limited knowledge of this area did not satisfy him.  WHY would they chop off the heads of the nobles?  WHY didn't anyone stop them?…and on and on the questions came.  There is an Egyptian obelisk in the center of the Place, but no information in English.   Luckily, a Ferrari for hire was parked nearby which gave us the perfect change in conversation!

Luxor Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde; a gift from the Egyptians to France.  The markings on the side explain how they transported/erected such an enormous object in 1829.  There was only one pavement marker that mentioned Marie Antoinette and her fateful demise in this very place.  

The photo-shopped version of Zach's interpretation of a nice afternoon:  sitting in a lounge chair by the pond in the Tuileries Garden.  Alex, however was anxious to move on to the museum, so his rest was only for a moment.  Next trip, this is our picnic spot!

Outside the Pyramid and Zach on the inside holding it up!

After we finished our token photos by the pyramid, we found the underground entrance and only had to wait a few moments to get thru the security line.  Alex found the map, I purchased a ticket (students are free, thanks Museum folks!) and we were off to explore!  There were only a couple things I really felt we "needed" to see, otherwise it was just an easy "walk around and take it all in" kind of afternoon.  The cool part was listening to Alex recall things he learned in history classes over the years and finding artifacts he'd only ever seen in books!  Can you believe we walked right thru the Venus de Milo room and didn't see it?!!!!  Yet another reason to return….

Alex discovers Hammurabi's Code and makes his former 6th grade teacher proud.  Zach finds really big feet...

I enjoyed finding a real mummy and reading about this ancient Egyptian.
Thankfully everyone slept in their own beds after this day!

I got the double pleasure of art museum plus palace all in one place!  Seeing the Mona Lisa in person, about 8 feet away from it was really cool.  It was bigger than I expected and although it was crowded in this gallery, it wasn't hard to get a front row view.  

A full day of sightseeing, we found a lovely bakery to take sandwiches and desserts to go on the train and were home by 8pm.  Can't wait to plan the next excursion…I'd really like to try a shopping day next--I'll bet the 2nd hand and vintage shops are awesome!


Ciao!
Linda

Bruxelles, Belgium (Feb 2013)

Benelux.  What?  Where in the heck is Benelux, and while I'm at it, where does Holland fit in?  A trip to Brussels (Bruxelles as they spell it here) helped answer that question.  Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg joined together (BeNeLux) several years ago to form a united economy that would help them compete in the larger EU.  Seems to have worked, and Holland is really Netherlands and neither of them has anything to do geographically with the folks in Norway, Sweden or Finland.  Geography lesson complete with my apologies to our friends from way up north!  (I'll save the language complications for another day.)

Cinquantenaire Park:  Quote of the Day "I'll bet this place is beautiful in the spring."  It was cold, but I thought the misty, gray fog was kind of ethereal!  The park was designed in 1880 for the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence from the Netherlands.

We arrived in Bruxelles and discovered the parking area for the hotel was impossible to find: our GPS “Heather” was quite confused!  After several passes around several *not so straight* European “blocks”, I ran to the hotel to inquire while Mike circled around again to wait for phone instructions.  

• Lessons learned: call ahead to find out where to park and get those directions;  
•  be prepared for your prepaid phone to run out of minutes/money really fast when “roaming” in a foreign country!  

Hotel Matignon, run by a wonderful French-speaking Belgian couple, was magnificent and only 2 blocks from the Grand Place!  Because we have a large family by European standards, we required 2 hotel rooms-- lofted “junior suites” right next to each other with views of the beautiful La Bourse (former Belgian stock exchange).  La Bourse was built in the late 1800’s with sculptures by Rodin adorning parts of the building. (This particular building project early in Rodin's career actually provided him the means to study in Italy and eventually be "discovered".)

View from our room--down the street into the Grand Place and the ruins under the street.  Right outside Hotel Matignon was an underground museum --during street renovations in the 1980’s, a large section of the medieval city was discovered.  Road work ceased, and a permanent museum was put in place for all to see!  Ruins from 12th century buildings and the bones of a nobleman were discovered at the site.

Waffles, real Belgian waffles, were the real conquest for this trip!  Zach had been dreaming of eating authentic waffles for several months!  One can find 2 types of waffles in Bruxelles:  Liège waffle--softer texture, sweeter batter with carmelized sugar coating, typically not rectangular,  and the Bruxelles waffle: crispier waffle, rectangle shape made from yeast batter with larger indentations on the top to hold all the gooey yummy toppings!  Just like there’s a coffee shop on every corner in Seattle, the same goes for waffle shops in Bruxelles!  Only €1 if you didn’t want all the gooey, sticky messy good stuff on top.

Of course, a trip to Belgium isn't complete with chocolate!  Truffles, rich and
creamy, in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes!  Imagine our surprise in the chocolate
store when we spotted an old NCR (Dayton, Ohio) cash register being used for display!  

From the waffle shop, we wandered all over the town and discovered many beautiful buildings, interesting shops and lots of people.  Established as a market place in the 11th century, the Grand Place is an expansive square surrounded by Guildhalls (trade unions) and the City Hall --"Hotel de Ville".  The Grand Place now contains museums and shops--many of which sell Belgian lace and chocolate.  Near the Grand Place is Europe's first indoor mall, the beautiful St. Hubert Gallerie.  The glassed covered shopping center was constructed in 1846 and featured a glass barrel vaulted roof.  Inside, shops provided a meeting place for such giants as Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas.  Now it's full of high-end shopping and eating experiences.

top left:  guild halls; top right: City Hall
bottom left:  inside the Galleria; right: Belgian lace store

Manneken Pis is quite the tourist magnet and has achieved much fame for the city.  The sculpture, by Duquesnoy, was commissioned in 1619.  Legend claims a wealthy man lost his son in a crowd and discovered him 5 days later piddling in the street.  

Our boys had a hard time understanding why all the fuss over the peeing statue!  More intriguing to them was the escargot cart across the street!  However interesting, the only brave soul was Zach who discovered eating snails tasted better than it looked!

And, of course, eating dinner…when in Brussels, one must eat mussels!

The menus were fun to read--French & Flemish
 (or Dutch, depending on which you prefer to call this strange looking language!)

The Atomium was a cool structure to visit:  contracted for the 1958 World's Fair, a series of elevators and escalators transports one from one sphere to the next --each one with interesting science exhibits, amazing panoramic views of the city and even an area reserved for overnight school groups--sleep in a rain molecule!

Near the Triumphal Arch in Cinquantenaire Park was the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History --it was not really that interesting to the boys who spotted Auto World museum across the plaza!  TopGear fanatics, these boys really enjoyed seeing all their favorite European cars under one large roof!

Just when we thought the only sweet shop in Bruxelles was a waffle or chocolatier, we stumbled upon Sucx --a kid's dream--every kind of candy imaginable and available for purchase by the pound! 

As we wandered the streets of Bruxelles, we kept running into comics painted on building facades. Brussels is the birth place of many famous comic strips, including the Adventures of Tintin and the Smurfs!

None of our European visits is complete without stepping inside a cathedral --this one, St Nicolas, was just down the street from our Hotel.  The organ was just fantastic to look at --I'm sure it sounded even greater!  The beautiful dove window, tucked into an alcove of the sanctuary, was positioned above the baptismal font.
.  

Built in the 11th century, St Nicolas is the patron saint of traders.  How apropos the church was surrounded by trade booths--people selling all sorts of things and squeezed into the smallest of spaces.

Pub Crawls & Village walks

Pub crawling & Village walks with the Mench family in Kent, UK….

1.   Duke William Pub Ickham.  Gigantic burgers, tasty ale and my favorite, cider! plus delicious desserts.  The Duke was a perfect way to introduce pub food to the kids and start our holiday off in a beautifully atmospheric place!  

Christmas lights, fireplace AND a Christmas tree?  I'm sold --this place is awesome!
Duke William Pub, Ickham, Kent, UK

2.  Sandwich, Kent.  In search of the "Ham" sign, but couldn't find it….but, we did find a charming village bustling with last minute preparations for Christmas on this most special day, December 23rd.   Yes, December 23rd is "not a holiday, per se," however, for Mike & Zach the day is marked with a special song they wait ALL year to sing! (you'll have to click this link)

It seemed every door in Sandwich was adorned with a wreath.  St Peter's church even had a unique door --the blue was so striking against so much green and gray.  And, small village homes don't have street numbers--instead they have names.  What would you name your house?    

3.  Lunch beckoned us to Deal, Kent, a short drive from Sandwich.  There we found a beautiful pier and quite possibly the windiest day ever (there was severe weather in the area later!)   When asking a few die-hard fishermen why they were even trying to fish, they answered pragmatically, "We had leftover bait."  Well...wouldn't want that to go to waste!

So windy it parted Nate's hair and nearly knocked his iPad out of his arms--his video clip is pretty crazy!

4. Deal, Kent:  Hunger pangs and the need to escape the 40mph winds, we enjoyed fish & chips with the BEST mushy peas in all of England (according to 3 of 4 boys in my house) at the  Sir Norman Wisdom Pub.   The sausages and mash were pretty darn good too.  Sir Norman Wisdom was a famous British comedian who hailed from Deal.  According to the locals, it just seemed "right" to name the pub in his honor.

(bangers) sausages & mash...yum!

5.  The Cliffs of Dover:  A little farther down the coast, we drove to the beach front at St Margaret's --the jumping off point for those famous "channel swims" commencing here since 1875.  We'd heard about tunnels in the cliffs dating back to Napoleonic Wars and later learned the wooden structure jutting out from the cliff face was a machine gun post, now only accessible by the rope dangling below.  We also discovered some interesting small caves, carved by erosion.  A piece of the cliff had broken off and was interesting to touch and feel the chalkiness -- Zach, searching for creatures, was positive he saw the largest, ugliest, red-eyed spider ever.  Turned out it was a coke can when big, brave Alex shined his flashlight into the cave.

Machine gun post --no way I'd venture out there to climb that rope!

Driving around to the other side of the cliffs, we were literally "blown away!"
Keeping the camera steady, let alone one's body, was impossible.  In the distance,
the Ferries were having quite a day as well--one of them was stuck in the harbor
14 hours trying to dock.  SO glad we didn't ferry over this trip! 

6.  The Coastguard,  hailed as the closest pub in Britain to France, or the "last beer in France before you reach Britain" (supposedly UK phone carriers don't recognize this little beach area as anything other than France!) The pub appeared to be an unpretentious, weathered shack; but upon researching it later, one I wish we'd ventured into!  Next time….





7.  The Rose Inn in Wickhambreaux:  Later that evening, we ventured out to the Rose Inn for dinner.  The boys wanted to return to the Duke William, but with so many great pubs to choose from, we really wanted to keep the adventure going.  And, boy were we glad.  The place was packed with locals celebrating, Christmas crackers popping at every table, holiday lights and decor (the green stuff hanging from the ceiling?  Hops.)  And dessert.  I don't remember what I ate for dinner, but it was melt in your mouth amazing!  Mike's vote?  Come back to this one.

8.  Maidstone & Leed's Castle area:  The windy day in Dover resulted in much damage in the Kent area the next day.  Flooded roads, downed trees and power lines made Christmas Eve difficult for many locals we encountered.  Just down the road from Leed's Castle, we walked into a rather dark pub with a blazing fireplace, candles on the tables and Christmas lights illuminating the bar.  The George Pub had lost power due to the storms, were using a generator and could only serve sandwiches and ale.  They could certainly understand if we didn't want to stay.  Down on their luck, we were hopeful and once again, delighted.   Bacon and brie sandwiches on grilled toast with a hearty, warm soup.  Kudos to the folks at George's, who wouldn't let obstacles prevent them from keeping and sharing a Merry Christmas Eve!

Lucky for George, the sun was shining to illuminate the place a bit!  

9.  The Anchor in Wingham was yet another culinary and atmospheric delight.  We were treated to a wonderful meal for Christmas Eve; Rudolph the Blinking Red Nosed Ale on draft (not sure that was Mike's favorite, but the draw knob was so darn cute) and a silly drawing game to pass the time (Christmas trees, fireplaces, stockings and more, all with ones' eyes closed!) as we waited the long hours til Christmas morning!

The Anchor in Wingham

10.  Margate, Whitby & Faversham, Kent:  Finishing up the Pub crawl, we were the epitome of the accidental tourist on Christmas Day.  You see, we didn't make reservations for dinner, assuming that surely something, somewhere would have open seating.  Turns out on Christmas Day, that's not so much the case.  But, let me stray from the pub for a moment….

  

After a hearty breakfast and unwrapping gifts from Father Christmas, we decided to head out for a drive to Margate.  We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather!  This coastal town boasts the Turner Contemporary and Shell Grotto, however, this day, everything was closed.  The area reminded me of dilapidated Atlantic coastal towns--places where things were once hopping.  But, this being a very quiet time of year, I would imagine a much different scene here in the summer.

Margate seaside

Later that afternoon, armed with a cooler full of oranges, apples, nuts and granola bars; we picnicked in the car as we drove out of Margate to search for real food.  Several inquiries proved futile and even finding a open public toilet was becoming an issue! Drove into beautiful, trendy Whitby…nothing open.  Decided to hop on the carriageway and find a petrol station --I guess we weren't the only haphazard tourists as the "gourmet" sandwich bar was picked over.  Deciding whether to press on into London or return to our dwindling picnic supply back at the B&B, the gas attendant suggested we try Faversham.  Highly doubtful, but with a glimmer of hope, we decided to give it a try. First stop…closed.  2nd stop…the Railway Hotel.  

I ran inside to inquire at the bar --perhaps they would be able to scrounge up a sandwich and a beer for us weary travelers.  The bartender listened to my tale …"driving around for hours, 4 hungry boys, Christmas, no reservations, tourist…please we'll eat ANYTHING!"  He smiled and pointed to the empty table behind me, "I'm sorry this is all we have, if you don't mind sitting in the bar.  And, we might not have the full Christmas menu, but we'll do our best to find you something."  Blessed Jesus, Mary and Joseph!  I think I understand how they felt.  No room?  The stable?  YES!!!  WE'LL TAKE IT!

I can't say enough about the hospitality, ambience and delicious food at the Shepherd Neame Railway Hotel!  We enjoyed wonderful conversation with the bartender and several other guests at the bar; the kids enjoyed their drinks and we all had the best 3 course Christmas dinner ever.  We were pleasantly surprised with Black Pudding for dessert!  Most of all, we were so very grateful to the gas station guy who encouraged us to try Faversham, and to the bartender at the Shepherd Neame, who, incidentally, turned out to be the owner of the Inn.  We will come back.  That's for certain!  

The Shepherd Neame Railway Hotel in Faversham

Cheers to a wonderful Christmas!
Linda