I can’t possibly explain how I can love a place so much and find myself thinking of home at the same time. I truly love the Netherlands. The beauty, the climate, the mix of cultures, the access to a variety of foods, all of it makes me smile and want to soak it in every second of every day. Thankful doesn’t begin to describe my outlook over living here. Part of me never wants to leave. Yet at the VERY SAME TIME, I dream of home and when I can visit there and what needs to be done there and seeing my kids and what I might do when we move back for good.
I never thought it possible to have a soul divided. Yet here I am and I don’t think I would want anything different. I wish I could put this state of being into words, so others can understand. But just know this, I am thankful to be changed. I guess my soul isn’t divided, it is changed.
Ok, enough of trying to explain my experience here. On to more tangible things.
De Lente Komt Eraan! Spring Is Coming!
Signs of Spring are visible much earlier in the Netherlands than in the United States. The temperature now stays around 40 degrees F, and there are a lot of puddles and mud beside the cement. On a sunny day, everyone seems to be in an especially good mood because the winters are mostly cloudy and overcast.
First Wild Flowers – One of the first flowers of the year are blooming right now, the Sneeuwklokjes. There can be just one little clump of them next to the bikepath or there can be a full field of them. They are beautiful among the winter mess. 🙂
Green Fields – One very different yet positive thing about the Southern Netherlands compared to Iowa, the Netherlands stays quite green during the winter. The crop fields rarely show their bare brown dirt. They usually look like this, covered in a grass of some sort. And that grass stays put all winter. This field is across from our house. It grows vegetables in the summer. Our house is in the brick buildings behind this field.
The second picture is a view from my front porch. The land owner sometimes puts sheep on the grass in the winter to keep the grass short. You don’t see these sheep in the summer though! The vegetable crop is too valuable!
Tulips! – At the end of January the tulips appear in the stores as fresh cut flowers. The end of January marks the beginning of the Tulip Festival in the Netherlands, which lasts until May sometime. I’m not sure where they grow all of these tulips, but they are beautiful and bring cheer to the stores and to my home.
Gardening Items! – The stores also bring me cheer by stocking the shelves with gardening items this time of year! It is a good day when I walk in the store and see seeds, trowels and pots. My favorite time of year.
My Own Growing Tulips! – Last fall I bought a few tulip bulbs for my planters in the back yard. They are coming up already, which made me a little nervous. In Iowa, we don’t like things coming up too early because they will freeze. But when I asked a Dutch woman if there was any concern for my tulip sprouts, she basically said, “Well, nothing you can do about it now. You just have to wait and they will eventually bloom.” That didn’t really answer my question, but gave me a chuckle.
Beauty in Cement – I really enjoy that the Netherlands tries to add beauty whenever possible. These are pictures of a parking lot. Notice the cement pieces are shaped so that grass can grow through in a pattern. I love it. And notice how it is still somewhat green in February. Also love that.
Hertenkamp Goes– This is a designated area where the town keeps some pretty cute animals. There are approximately 2 acres where they are fenced in. The town people love to watch and feed the animals. There is a sign up that tells what foods are permitted and what foods are not allowed. Although the animals are available for viewing year round, this time of year they bring an extra boost to the spirits.
Moestuins (Pronounced Moose Towns)- these are very common in the Netherlands. It is a large plot of land, usually out of town, that is divided into several smaller gardens. Each garden can be rented for vegetable growing and flower cultivating. Because the Netherlands is so crowded in the cities, homes don’t come with an outdoor area for growing lots of plants. There just isn’t room. So Moestuins give people a chance to grow their own food and scratch their itch for gardening. Here are some pictures of a Moestuin just outside of Goes. You can see winter cabbage growing and brussel sprout plants.
Kasteel De Haar
Just outside of Utrecht is DeHaar Castle, the largest castle in the Netherlands. It was originally built in the 1300s, but was restored just before 1900. The family that most recently restored it used it mostly for entertaining. The grounds are beautiful. Jeremy and I enjoyed a Saturday afternoon on these grounds.
The Castle staff calls these the gnome village, because from a distance they look like gnomes. But they are actually tree roots looking for air.
Veere
The small town of Veere is along the coast and is just as cute as can be. Jeremy and I have been here before, but decided to take a walk through the area again. It is just so fun to look at all the buildings, streets and of course, the water. This time we stayed until dusk which added another element of beauty.
And that is all for this February post! Once again, thank you so much for reading! I love sharing.
Oh, for all you pray-ers out there, please keep our friends Mostafa and Niloo in your prayers. They are from Tehran, Iran, and are really struggling with what is going on there. (They live in the Netherlands now.) The Iranian people need help. They are good people who are mistreated, suppressed and tired. Please pray for a government change that happens sooner than later.
