Het Sneuwt

The first frost of the season occurred yesterday.


I woke up to see almost everything frozen, but still no snow. Though, in some locations (heading towards Tiel) It appeared that it had snowed (a mere 5 miles from our house). It was freezing though. Like just a blast of coldness that makes your skin instantly dry. I’ve been itching for 2 days now. But I got a new coat, that when paired with a sweater, keeps me amazingly warm. It was well worth the €7,-- I paid for it. I think it was lightly used.

Then today happened. I diligently called all the people I needed to, including the IND and found out that my ID card was ready to be picked up. 20 minutes later, the power went out. Since neither of us could work with the power out, I asked Bryan to drive me to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Which I learned to spell properly today!) to pick up my card. YAY!!

Then this afternoon Bryan called me up, while he was working in the back of the building and asked “have you looked outside?” I said no as I walked to the living room to peak outside. It was snowing and sticking. The ground was lightly dusted with white. As it got dark the house lights shined on the snowflakes like glitter falling from the sky.

A lot of little things have happened since I wrote last, but the first snow of the season and my ID is way worth mentioning. Unfortunately the internet is being fidgety, but I am going to try to write a short blurb everyday from now on. I don’t get out of the house much for some reason though…maybe its because im afraid to drive here…dono.

OH! We had a Thanksgiving party. All our friends were there Hanneke’s family, Arno’s Family, William, Irene, Mandy and Sauna. Jorit helped me wrap up the cooking, which made their kitchen look like a tornado went through it and then all the guys helped Mandy and Sauna do the first clean up. It was really adorable! I was so pooped though by the time dinner was over, and didn’t really enjoy eating because I had stressed myself out so much that eating made me feel sick. I made all the food and threw in some last minute Hors d’oeuvres. There is a recipe on my GFKB site for my new GF Spinach dip, which is really good with gluten free white bread. The GF rendition of my moms Pomegranate Cheese Cake was a HUGE hit, though the Gluten Free Goddess’ Vegan pumpkin pies weren’t a big hit, even with me, and I LOVE PUMPKIN PIE.

Bryan and I visited Germany for a week and I found a new Sushi Restaurant that is Gluten free Savvy! The only restaurant we went to where they didn’t look at me crossed eyed at the mention of GF, he even told me that they had Tamari “So I could enjoy my sushi there, too” lol. The Guy behind the bar was so sweet and kept watching to make sure I was okay. Bryan and I REALLY enjoyed it (Bryan even ate 3 rolls!! ...though they were California and shrimp rolls….)

If I get this online, Ill post the photos tomorrow, but Bryan is heading off to Germany without me in the morning, so ill be alone for 3 days….just me and the animals. I get to decorate for Christmas though….alone…WOOO HOOOO….not really. Oh well.

In Germany...

No Halloween?

Okay, So there is no Halloween here in Holland. What the hell? I thought that earth based religions were started in Europe...

*Rant*

(I mean wasnt that the reason the whole witch hunts here started?...Which is a whole other story for American history...Weren't the pilgrims running from religious persecution when they went to the states....and then they had the gaul to persecute men and women believed to be practicing witchcraft, which btw still hasnt changed and never has been worship of the devil.)

*Rant complete*

But anyways I was extremely disappointed to find that all hallows eve was not celebrated. Nor was halloween. Then I started noticing Jack-o-Lanterns. I asked everyone, why are there those if you dont celebrate. "Well, I dont know" was the common response. Ive seen signs for Halloween parties and Bryan has heard event promos on the radio for Halloween eve parties. "Must have some American influence..." - That I dont believe, I think there are people out there who just know what the holiday is, American influence or not. I mean Halloween doesnt have to be kids running around in costume, that I think is the American part. But why not freak yourself out? Why not indulge in scary movies? tours or haunted houses?

Well the haunted house bit is exactly what I plan to do, and guess what I found in my research. THERE ARE HAUNTED TOURS and SCARY STORIES through this ONE CASTLE, and not only in ONE PLACE, but multiple are doing it. Strange for a country who doesnt celebrate halloween huh? or maybe its that American influence.

So the question is; what am I going to do?

There is a castle 1/2 hour from us in Waardenberg.

Photo credit to Waardenburg Castle Website

This place has been around since the 1200 and though it was owned by multiple owners and has seen 2 wars, both of which lead to major reconstruction, it also housed a famous sorcerer, Dr. Johann Georg Faust. Evidentially he sold his soul to the devil and for some reason the Devil severed him for 7 years as a servant. Weather Faust was aware that his servant was in fact the devil or not, was not told in the story I read. Faust was very awful to this servant, Joost and made him do things like build a road only to tear it up again or dump a bag of bird seed into thorn bushes to make him refill the bag.

After 7 years, evidentially the Devil took what was due. He grabbed faust by the ankle, threw him against the stone wall of his study, splattering his brains across the walls, only to drag his body through barred windows and "drag his soul to hell."

Note* Do I believe this? No. I don't believe in the Devil, but I do believe in Evil, and I think his servant was fed up and murdered his master. Legends are made out of the unexplainable evil one person can conjure up.

Unfortunately this castle is not open to public inspection, but does have A LOT of ghostly activity, evidently.

Second Choice

Museum De Heksenwaag

I may be able to do this, on the way to another place, but its something I want to do regardless of Halloween. There is a museum in Oudewater (my friend Alicia found it first...but I think its awesome) where you can be weighed as a test of witchery or not.

This was an actual test during the witch hunts in the 17th century given to the town by the Emperor Karel V. This was the only fair weighing process given to any european city. Luckily, it was fair because no one was ever convicted.

I want my certificate.

Third Choice

Photo Compliments of Google Search of Maastricht Underground.

Maastricht; Mergelmaand

This is an underground tour, starting at 7:30 or 9:00 pm. They will be telling a ghost story about "The lost girl" while giving a tour of this castles underground tunnels. The city was attacked so many times through seven centuries that there was constant reconstruction and better tactics laid out. Eventually this underground system was developed to surprise attack the enemy. The underground passages were build to house 5000 military men.

Later the cities underground system was used as air-raid shelters to protect the cities peoples during World War II and the Cold War.

I have found a few other haunted castles, their tour-ability, unknown. Their spookiness...not as thrilling as the one that is not too far from us. One even has a ghost horse that supposedly took a hunter who tried to kill him to hell. OOoooOOoooOOO....

This is my, Im not impressed face....

Meeting Willie and Klaus

Purple Beans?? yes its true! I have some!! =)



Long awaited by grandma bev. - Photos of Klaus and Willie's house.

Bryan, Arie and I all went to have lunch with grandma bev's friend who lives here in Holland. They are Lilac farmers, the only ones that do winter blooms for Lilacs. Willie is a dear friend to my grandma and my step-father. She took care of my step-dad and his brothers when they were kids.

The Business end of the house.






The Three of us.
This is worth going back to this resturant for. Ginger balls in syrup with vanilla ijs and slagroom. (ice cream and whipped cream) =)
Willies House, Inside

HAS INTERNET

I can proudly say, I have internet in my bedroom!

Though this may entice some of my family and friends to skype me (all night long) please try to remember the time difference and refrain from calling me at 3am....unless its a dire emergency. =)

I also will be able to post more. YAY!! its too cold to go downstairs and I dont like dragging my laptop around all over. Unfortunately this also means Bryan will be gaming....but atleast we will be together (in the room) while I work on my stuff and he games.

happy happy joy joy.

lot of new stuff to come!

Wort Wakker

So, I got up this morning at 5:30 to go for a run, but....because its now October, the sun wont be rising until 7:50. Now Im stuck with a dilemma... Go out in the dark and run? or wait until there is a glint of light, at which case everyone else may be starting to wake up? Maybe Ill go when Bryan wakes up.

Euro Auction Yesterday.

Arie invited me to join him at the Euro Auctions yesterday and since I had never been to an auction and wanted to have a cool photo experience I went along. I also thought it would be cool to spend some time (away from the computer and website) with Arie. EuroAuctions is one of the auction companies in europe that auctions off large equipment, cars and industrial equipment. EuroAuctions covers The UK, Ireland, and Germany.

We left at 5:30 in the morning and arrived at the German EuroAuction lot at about 7:30. We registered and got our bidder number book, the book that also lists all of the products being auctioned off, and went for a stroll around lot one. There were TONS of gigantic shovels, compressors, large jack hammers, tires, and tons of other things. We then strolled over to lot 2. As we walked through the gate Arie pointed to a gigantic dump truck and asked me, "Want a dump truck?" I immediately responded "Yeah, I'd look so cool driving that around!" he laughed and we kept walking through an isle of cranes. In this lot Arie showed me a shovel he wanted and a few hoogwerkers (Im not sure what their english name is...but they might be bucket lifts?) he wanted to buy. I was stunned by the height of some of these machines, all lifted HIGH into the sky.

Then we heard a bell rounding the corner. The man ringing the bell approached Arie and greeted him in English. EuroAuctions being based in The UK is held completely in english and most of the employees are Irish or English.

The man asked Arie if I was "the wife" in a joking manner and Arie said "No, this is my daughter in law." The man continued to joke with Arie a bit and then told him the bell meant the auction was beginning.

We continued to browse for a little while then headed towards the sounds of really fast numbers and random, joyous yells of "YES". Walking under the tent my nose was filled with scents of brautworst, sausages, potatoes and grilled mushrooms. Arie asked if I wanted some breakfast, and I choose a Braut with potatoes. I listened to the auctioneer spit off numbers and ate. We walked into the auction tent and there was the man who was ringing the bell, behind a small fence, gesturing to people to place bids. I came to find out that this position is known as a 'bid catcher'. The auctioneer yells out the bid catchers name after the auction has been won, to see what the winning bidder number is. This is how I found out that the man with the bell is Paul.

Arie has known Paul for over 10 years, but honestly it seemed like he knew the rest of the guys about that long too. Paul is the most expressive bid catchers at the auction. Making gestures of fishing for the bidders, and then gesturing that they are a chicken when they dont place their bid higher.

Paul was funny too because he kept winking at me and blowing me kisses. Arie jokingly told me I was in trouble. A little later Paul pulled a package of wine gummys out of his pocket and handed them out to some of the close bidders. Arie and I were first to be offered...actually I was offered first.

The auction went on and I took tons of photos of the bid catchers. I then told Arie I was going to head to the back to get a different angle on things. As soon as I got back there and pointed my lens at Paul, he blew me a kiss. The couple of men standing around me turned towards me a giggled. The man to my left, Helmut, asked if I was the "Official EuroAuctions Photographer" I explained to him that I wasn't, and that I was there with my father-in-law. He then asked me for some camera advice. I grabbed my card and explained that if he needed any help with his photos he could email or call me and I could help him out.

Arie and I then took another long stroll around the lot, just to stretch out our legs.

When we got back Paul ushered me up to the front to give me some more candies. He asked for a kiss. I oblidged, giving him a kiss on the cheek and the whole crowd behind me giggled or 'OOO'-ed. It was funny.

About an hour after Arie and I had lunch, which was an amazing chicken and beef goulash soup, it was time to stop waiting for the equipment to pass us and start walking around with a truck housing the auctioneer, the bid TV and the internet bidder catcher. The bid catchers walked around in the crowd, catching bids. It began to rain after one of the Hoogwerkers and I went to go grab the rain coats. I was pretty wet by the time I got to the car and decided the large umbrella Lora keeps in the car was a good idea to bring too. The umbrella was a big hit as I walked back up to the auction truck.

Paul was on break so two of the other bid catchers were out. A very tall young man by the name of Braun grabbed my umbrella handle and said "Follow me around, just like this" I laughed and obliged. As soon as I said something to him he asked "ARE YOU AMER..." and I cut him off saying "Yes." He asked who my family was and I said "Arie Bor...he is my father in law" "So youre married?"

Then while he wasnt catching bids on the next couple of items he asked me about my marital status. Most of the other guys were joking with me and him, while Arie was never far away. So finally I said to him, laughing "Just ask my father in law- Arie is right there"

Even though Bryan and I are not married, its easier for Arie and I to tell people that "He is my father-in-law" and "Zij is mijn schoondochter." Believe me, its easier.

Once the rain stopped Braun didnt really want to talk to me anymore. It may have been because at one point I said "Your so tall that now Im getting wet!" Referring to the fact that the umbrella was no longer covering me. Immediately knowing where Bryan would go with this statement, I flushed and all the guys were laughing, so with the flush I said "No," and playfully started hitting Braun.

Later near the end of the day, my back was killing me. I told Arie this and he urged me to take pauls advice and go sit in the cab of the auctioneer truck with the driver. Paul, who was now working for this part of the auction and had spoken with me briefly, asked Arie where I was. Not 10 min later, Paul was in the truck too to rest his feet. We talked about how he raises horses and how his daughter hunts and rides horses, how he had a Irish folk band when he was younger and lots of other things.

After the part of the auction called "Stationary Row" (equipment that doesnt run anymore for one reason or another) Arie and I made our way home. It was 17:10 when we left, and my back was killing me from walking all day and not having slept well the previous night. We got home at 21:00. I took a shower and passed out.

I need to go to sleep, but big things are happening tomorrow

I had a very eventful weekend.

When Arie and Lora got home from Germany this weekend, Arie suggested we get out of the house and go to a local parade, The Fruit Concelo... a parade with floats made entirely out of FRUIT AND VEGIES!

(More photos can be seen on Shani Studios or even more on FaceBook or after shots on my facebook - OMG, this may get confusing..)

But anyways, There cant be a lot of photos on here anymore, because my Flickr is being Finnikey and wont let me upload any more photos this month...I dont have a pro account. Sorry, I dont want to pay $30 a year for it.

Bryan and I stopped off to see some Goats, and then we came home.

While at the parade we got a call from Arno, asking about family portraits. I got to see the Soest Dunes while photographing this amazing group of high energy guys.

Tomorrow I leave for Germany with Arie to photograph a live auction. This is the reason I must run now, and get some sleep. I gotta be out the door by 5:30! - Its now 11...