Crazy

zo...as they say in Holland, I wrote a big blogpost, complete with Pictures
posted and read it and it seems to have vanished.

I took the train to Alkmaar and had koffie





Resisted these salt and peppers, which may have been a mistake





Shopped for dinner at Albert Heijn

Found the secret light, and took picture of Joris...





tomorrow to Haarlem where we lived for one year in 2004, lot's of memories.

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Love in San Diego

You may recall that my trip to Holland was the result of a house trade with a former colleague from my corporate days when I worked in Holland.

We are enjoying the lovely home of Angenita and Michel while they visited our home in California.

I love the intriguing light fixtures here and have renewed energy about changing out our kitchen florescent overhead light with a wonderful fixture.









Our guests arrived a couple of days before we left so we were able to enjoy some some together. Michel asked for a dinner recommendation, and I suggested C-level lounge, a lovely restaurant on the water with a full view of the cities skyline. Little did I know that he was choosing a setting for a proposal of marriage! Michel scores high on the romance scale with a dream vacation proposal.

We're caring for their three cats while at their home. I was supposed to have a cat, it was the deal I made with Mark when I agreed to move to San Diego, but then I met Maya.....I am however enjoying the three long haired beauties here.

Diesel








Demi









Joris (I was informed of the correct spelling by Angenita, so now perhaps he will 'komt hier' when called) was unwilling to pose, perhaps another day.

It's cold rainy and windy here, but in Holland you get used to being out and about in the elements, so in a bit we will find our way by bus to the train station and venture off to Alkmaar, a nearby Dutch village which I am told is charming.

Yesterday we spent the day waiting for misplaced luggage which gave me a long day of beading. I have a goal of returning home with 5 book projects complete. Yesterday the second was completed and the third started.


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The Amazing Race

Fortunately we were not racing to Amsterdam or we would have lost. A one hour software update caused the Dallas delay. A lost bag (mine) and a train ticket machine which took and didn't return a credit card (mine) caused us to miss our train by one minute.

Waiting 30 more minutes is certainly not tragic, but it is trying after being en route 26 hours.

But now we are comfortably settled into our hosts beautiful home in Hoorn being contemplated by the three cats with great curiosity.

I am sure a good nights rest will restore good humor and I'll greet tomorrow happy to be here.

and we're off

Time is all relative, when I think back to travel 100 years ago, I'm fortunate that only 23 or so hours will elapse between leaving San Diego and arriving in Hoorn,Netherlands, but.....it is still going to be a long day. The rational part of my brain is really clear on all the inconveniences of travel, but I still am always excited by the prospect of it. On all of our flights there is a two seat side of the plane where I will have my favorite seat partner, Mark, with me. We'll arrive in Amsterdam tomorrow afternoon Holland time, and will travel by train, my favorite mode of transport, to Hoorn, 45 minutes away. We'll be greeted by our hosts neighbor (as they are at our house) who will introduce us to Demi, Diesel and Jouris (I have no idea how to spell Jouris, other then how it sounds) the three cats who will welcome us to their home.


This photo of Amsterdam is courtesy of TripAdvisor


A trip to Amsterdam is planned for my birthday with reservations at a recommended Italian restaurant. It's going to be a wonderful adventure!

We'll have WeeFee (Dutch for WiFi) in Holland so I'll be in touch.

Collections

Do you have a collection, or maybe several?

Over the years we've collected shot glasses, long since gone with the exception of a few favorites, teacups, stuffed bears, Christmas ornaments, glass vases and beads, but that goes without saying. Mark collects artistic medals, and I....collect salt and pepper shakers (and possibly dishware, but that is another subject.)

I'm fortunate to have friends that gift me unusual salt and peppers. This charming pair came as a gift a couple of weeks ago,




The go beautifully with my orange accents in the green and brown dining room and I love them! Those darling little heads full of holes and that rounded body and little nubby feet, all standing at attention.

and that same week I received some Jonathan Adler, one black and one white, very contemporary and stylish for my veranda table. I have black and white striped ball salt and peppers, and ceramic crabs, and sweet little individual glass ones, and big colorful grinding ones.

What do you collect?

The guest room journal

Yesterday I noted the idea to have a journal in the guest room, one I hadn't gotten to yet. Kate, who reads daily, a fact that enamors me, encouraged me to get that errand done and today I did. Thank you Kate.

It's actually quite a proper journal, the palest of blue suedes, nicely wrapped closed.



So many experiences come to us when we share our home. In the past I haven't had a guest room and it is one of my great pleasures of this home.


I remember once being hosted by a bead store owner in her very welcoming home, and reading through the journal that had been left in the guest room. I'm not sure of the etiquette, it seems that the thoughts of prior guests are there to be shared. The journal contained notes left by other bead artists who had stayed and it was intriguing to think about how many of us travel in the same circles, knowing many of the same people, but rarely get to be in one place together.

So Michel and Angenita have gone off to the beach, having apparently almost no summer in Holland. It is in the mid eighties here today, perfect fall beach weather. They will probably set foot in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in front of the famous Del Coronado Hotel. Tonight we will introduce them to artichokes, sour dough bread and the art of verandizing.

Guests

I love having guests come visit. Michel and Angenita will arrive this evening and stay here enjoying California, seaworld, the zoo, the beach and some day outings while we travel to Hoorn in the Netherlands and stay in their home.

The photo is a shot of the Chihuly ceiling at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas which they may visit during their stay. The sign will grace the door of the guestroom upstairs.

I started the sign tradition the first time my grandaugter came to stay, deeming it Sam's room. Since then it's been Annie's room, Nan C's room, Jean's room, Kyle's room, Dustin's room, Kate's room, Susan's room, Janice's room, Gabriella's room and probably more. Guests take their room signs as a memento of their stay. I really should put a journal in the room as well, but to date I haven't quite gotten to that errand. There will however be assorted goodies in the mini-bar, perhaps some Droste chocolate would make sense.

Angenita was a colleague when I worked in Holland in 2004 and we've kept in touch through facebook where we arranged this plan to house trade. This is the third house trade we have done, always with folks we know and it works out brilliantly.

With the Euro exchange rate and expensive accommodations Europe has become a less affordable destination for us, but with frequent flyer mile travel and a place to stay it is doable. We're excited to go back to Europe, our last trip was the winter of 2008 so it's been awhile.

So as to include some playtime in the week, and ready ourselves for our German visit we will practice drinking German beer today at our local Oktoberfest.