Postcards from Keukenhof

A Prayer in Spring

-Robert Frost 

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

To which it is reservered for God above

To sanctify to what far ends he will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Don't you just love Robert Frost? It is officially Spring and the tulips are in full bloom. Ryan and I and our friend Matt who was visiting, made a trip to Keukenhoff, Europe's largest flower garden located 30 minutes north of us in the small town of Lisse. The garden is a sea of color everywhere the eye can see with an astounding seven million bulbs planted inside its grounds every year. The garden has a theme each year; this time it was Poland - Heart of Europe featuring traditional music and dancers, as well as a mosaic of composer Frederick Chopin and his piano keys created completely from brightly colored bulbs.

The history of the tulip is actually quite fascinating. When people think about Holland they typically think of tulips. Although technically the tulip's origin can be traced to Persia and Turkey, it was eventually brought over to The Netherlands and introduced to the Dutch sometime in the 17th century. It soon became a much coveted and popular trading product with bulbs being sold for unbelieveable prices, sometimes more than the amount of an average Amsterdam home. Thus began an era that is referred to in history as "tulipmania."

As the story goes, tulipmania reached it's height in 1637 with some bulbs changing hands some 10-15 times a day. Many can guess that within a few short years, the hysteria surrounding this phenomenon suddenly came to a screaching halt, just as mysteriously as it began. The tulip bubble had burst, leaving in its wake an oversupply of sellers with no buyers. Even with the market crash of this prized bulb, the Dutch still have a passion for flowers. I have heard it said that "for many Dutch people a home is uninhabitable unless there is at least one bunch of flowers on the table."

We heard that Keukenhof was a must-visit destination in the Spring, so it was high on my list of things to do while we are here. We spent a leisurely afternoon walking around and enjoyed a picnic lunch that I packed, including a bottle of wine (the Dutch don't seem to mind this!). We lucked out for the most part with the weather and before the rain decided to fall, I managed to snap some decent shots of this amazing, magical place. Here are my postcards of our day at Keukenhof. If this isn't a good enough reason to come visit us, then I don't know what is!

Mother's Day

Mom and I during her visit to The Hague last December

Today is Mother's Day and it will be the first one in a very long time that I am not able to be with my mom. This is, indeed, very strange. It is a tradition of ours to spend the day together - we attend my mom's church, have a special breakfast at the Pancake Huis in Edmonds (my treat!) and then usually take a drive somewhere, which is one of our favourite pastimes.

The relationship between mothers and daughters has always been complicated. I know when I was younger I was quite a handful and didn't always appreciate my mother as much as I should have! By the time that I moved out and into the dorm at my university, my mom and I started talking on the phone weekly. After graduation and entering the "real world" our calls increased. Once I got married, it seemed that we began calling each other daily - sometimes twice a day if we'd forget something during our first call! Slowly without hardly noticing it, my mom went from being just my "mother" to being my friend. One of my best friends!

Now that I am many thousands of miles away, I often have a homesick feeling for my mom. I have never lived more than 30 minutes from her and so this has been a big change, one that I am still trying to get used to. It is true that sometimes you just need your mom!! Before her visit to see us over the holidays, I sent my mom a message telling her I  missed her. She mentioned in her reply that she understood because sometimes she still misses her own mother. It had never occured to me before that my mom would miss my grandmother. Of course! There is a special bond between mother and daugther that cannot be broken, even by death.

Since I cannot be with my mom today to let her know how much I love and appreciate her, I thought I would just write a few things that we enjoy doing together. My mom and I share a love of gardening. We like to go to plant sales, look through gardening magazines and visit all kinds of nurseries. As I mentioned earlier, we love to go on drives. When I was younger we'd often get in the car on a whim and drive into the night out of the city lights to view a spectacular full moon and the stars. More often, we like to take a drive to the mountains, but have taken longer trips to places like the Oregon coast, a winery tour in the Yakima valley, or up north towards Bellingham. My mom and I also love literature! Because I am no longer close by and we cannot attend Kindlings Muse (a lecture her former pastor gives on his all time favourite novels), we have been choosing books to read together and then talk about them. This has been a special blessing.

And last but not least, my mom and I always feel there is time for a cup of tea. I am not exactly sure when this tradition started, but for some time now whenever we are together we drink at least a cup or two. My grandmother used to say that tea always tastes better in a thin cup. When I am over at my mom's house, she pulls out two china tea cups (some of which were her mother's), boil some water and select a tea of our choice. We then sit inside or out in the garden and just chat and enjoy eachother's company. Sometimes we look at the clock and can't believe our eyes at how much time has passed! I usually dash out and drive home, promising another visit very soon.

Sundays are now a new tradition for us. This is the day (or evening for me) that we set aside to call each other and catch up. Thank goodness for Skype. It is so great to be able to see each other and talk without either of us spending a dime. Fantastic! So although we are not enjoying pancakes together today or a visit to a garden nursery, I still want to wish my mom a very Happy Mother's Day. I love you so dearly and am so lucky to have such a thoughtful, faith-filled, intellectual and supportive mom in my life!  I can't wait to see you in June. Only one more month!

XOXO, Laurel

Six month update

We have reached the six month mark living overseas. Where has the time gone? When I think back to the moment when Ryan first approached me about moving to The Netherlands, it seemed so far out into the distant future like it would never come. We then spent months getting the house in order for renters, packing up and storing what we didn't sell on craiglist or at the yard sale, tying up loose ends, and looking ahead into the mysterious unknown. And now, after living in Holland over six months, the unknown has become quite familiar.

I thought I'd never learn my way around this city. Ryan was born with an instinctive sense of direction; I on the other hand was not, and am a bit more challenged in this area. Yet, as time has gone on, I have adapted to my surroundings and seem to be flourishing in some ways in my new home. I have never considered myself very independant. Even while living in Ballard, I rarely went out by myself when Ryan was traveling to just explore. Here it is a different story. I regularly take the dog out, ride my bike leisurely through a park, attend dinner parties with colleagues, ride the tram to work and take the slow walk home. I even plan to do some volunteer work - without Ryan! I can barely believe it. I guess I am becoming more courageous as each days passes, trying to supress fear and doubts, and just let go and get the most out of this experience!

A few people have remarked that we have become "quite Dutch." What they mean is that we no longer really appear like foreigners or tourists. We've assimilated into the culture. We ride our bikes everywhere - to the market, out to meet friends, and evening Mass on Sundays. You can regularly find us on our bikes riding through the city with bags strapped to our handlebars. After purchasing a new laptop, Ryan made his way back on his bike carrying an enourmous box while dodging pedestrians, other cyclists, strollers, trams, buses and the occasional car. Now that is truly Dutch!

We've also grown to really appreciate what the Dutch call "gezellig." It is a word used for cozy, nice atmosphere and togetherness. It is one of the most difficult words to translate into English because although it is commonly used as an adjective to describe something, it's also a feeling. Even having coffee with someone is gezelling. Gathering with friends and family is gezellig. The cafes here are very gezellig - soft pillows and blankets to keep you warm on a cold day. The word transcends everything and really encompasses the Dutch culture. Everyone wants to make their homes cozy here. The amount of stores carrying candles, pillows, flowers, and any home decor you can think of is astounding. We love their style and have gotten some great decorating ideas.

We have started to make our apartment more gezellig. A houseplant, a few candles, a lamp, some cozy pillows, a few new pieces of furniture here and there. Our next project is to make our balcony a cozy, serene place to enjoy a warm evening outside. We've put up a bamboo screen for some privacy, planted some herbs and plan to buy some patio furniture with lots of cushions and pillows. This is the Dutch way!! And the best way to truly experience "gezelligheid" is to spend it with others and invite people to your home to share some wine and enjoy the company.

The Netherlands has the most dense population per square mile in all of Europe which we have observed in many different situations. Walking outside on a Saturday afternoon we encounter people and more people everywhere. People seem to walk straight into you if you don't switch course and move out of the way. Bicyclists do not give way to those on foot and so we have learned to pay close attention so that no one gets hurt! The grocery stores become packed, with little room to walk the aisles. If you pause to look over the varieties of rice, their will surely be six hands reaching in front of you grabbing for items off the shelves. If you get the store too late in the day, the bakery section is completely wiped out. And the trams! In the morning I wait for the Number 1 to pull up on the Spui, push my way on with everyone else and grab the nearest pole to hang on!

I find myself becoming more Dutch as the days go by. I hope during my visit home to Seattle I don't get too agressive at the supermarket or shove my way down the sidewalk. :) It sure will be interesting to come home and see what comparisions we make. But with the differences aside, we are adapting much better than I could have imagined moving so far from home. Maybe you'll notice some differences in us as well. Given all that we have experienced these past six months, I know I have grown and will continue to in the months ahead. We can't wait for a visit home. See all soon!