Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a very Happy Easter yesterday! Spring is in the air and new life is all around us. I think everyone in the country was out on the canal and enjoying this fantastic day. Sending warm wishes and good weather your way!

More Signs Of Spring...

I saw another sign of Spring today. I'm pretty sure the Easter Bunny was driving it, but he had a lead foot and I couldn't get close enough to peek in the window. He took the Maastricht exit, so if you're in the area, be sure to keep an eye out for him. I would imagine that the back of the car was full of chocolate. Save some for me.

The Legend...Captured On Film

There is a legendary creature in Northeast Belgium. Think of it as our version of Big Foot. A few of us have seen it from afar, but until now, no one has been lucky (or courageous) enough to actually capture this legend on film. Thanks to Denise, we now have proof of it's existence. Not only did she happen upon the yellow trucks, but she circled around, chased them down, followed them into a field, and took these historic pictures. You rock, Denise. I've mentioned before that Spring in Belgium means one thing...the smell of poop. This is the time of the year that farmers spray liquefied feces on their fields to fertilize before planting those lovely fields of corn we all rave about. Sure, there are lots of trucks that get the job done, but this particular company does it with panache. Don't beat around the bush about your product, Mister. Tell the folks what they are paying the big bucks for... That's right. It's not just any sh**. It's simply the best sh** ever. Is that a slogan or what?

Is this what they mean when they are talking about truth in advertising? I think maybe it is. Are those two fellows in the cab laughing at the crazy American who not only chased them down, but is now taking pictures of their trucks in this field? I think maybe they are. I will leave you to enjoy your Monday afternoon with the knowledge that these farmers have their sh** under control. Just remember, if you have to deal with it, stand in it, or talk about it...make sure that it's simply the best that you can get. I'm just saying.

Spring Is In The Air!

It's a gorgeous day here in Belgium. The sun is out, the temperature is just right, and tractors are hauling around loads of poop. It must be Spring.

Spring Floral Arrangement Class

We had our floral arrangement class yesterday. I call this little beauty "Springtime in the Forest."

Russ and the kids refer to it as a strange looking hat. See? It's a multipurpose creation. Whatever you want to call it, it was lots of fun to make. Our teacher, Petra, is great, and we always have an awesome time creating new things. Happy Spring!

The Little Things

I had another Floral Arrangement Class today. The theme was "Spring". I think this captures the feeling quite nicely. The candle wasn't part of the arrangement, but the color was a perfect match, so in it went. Those are live bulbs on the wreath. Soon, they will bloom into wonderful color, and my masterpiece will be complete. As always, the class was loads of fun, and I am already looking forward to the next one. It's the simple things. There is a saying by Robert Brault...Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. These are big things, indeed. And now, when I walk into my kitchen, I can't help but smile.

It's a Beautiful Day In Belgium

Ahhhhhhh. It truly is Spring in beautiful Belgium. Today, the sun was shining, the skies were blue, and the temp got up to a balmy 67 degrees. Well, not exactly balmy, but warm enough for me. Winter is over. It's enough to make you open the windows wide, take in a deep cleaning breath and ...... oh, dear. It's Spring in Belgium. You might want to hold off on that cleansing breath. Just remember that when you want to make a sweet, delicious cake, you need to add a little salt. In Belgium, to have all of those fresh, delicious veggies, you need to add a little, um, fertilizer. All the bovines in the country have have been putting a lot of effort into providing fresh fertilizer for the farmers to plow into the soil. This is the time of the year that all of that aromatic fertilizer (that Bessie has lovingly provided) is dumped out into the fields. Did I mention that Belgium is mostly farm country? There are fields of corn and other crops just about everywhere. I'm not kidding. In residential neighborhoods, if there is one little plot of land between houses that is not being used, they will plow it up and put corn on it. Right now, there just isn't any escaping the smell of...well...cow poop. It's OK, though. Cow poop means Spring. And Spring makes me smile. It's like someone turned on a switch here. Bicycles are everywhere. You see more tractors on the roads than cars right now. Everyone wants to be out, enjoying the beautiful sunshine. At restaurants and pubs, all of the outdoor tables and chairs that were stored for the winter have been drug back outside again. People sit, eating lunch and laughing, waving at friends walking by. And there are flowers. In each town, there is a florist, and they are spreading their blossoming bounty out for everyone to enjoy. Just enough to tempt you. It's still a little too chilly at night to really start planting, but any day now...the time will be right. Until then, you can pick up a dozen roses for about 5 euro. It's a bargain you can't resist. Oh, and the best part of Spring? Leonidas cranked up their soft serve ice cream machine. There is nothing better than walking around town, nibbling on a fresh waffle cone filled with creamy goodness from Leonidas. THAT is how you know the warm weather is here to stay. Leonidas wouldn't lie. So, in short, I am wishing you Happy Spring. Get outside and enjoy it. And if you happen to see Bessie, thank her for her contribution. Thanks to her, the flowers bloom brighter and the veggies are plumper. Bessie rocks.

Spring

It's official. It's Spring. I can't think of enough ways to tell you what a relief that is. Winters here are nothing compared to what we had in Alaska, but still, we are glad that it's in the past and warmer weather is finally here. We misplaced Americans are digging our bikes out of storage, polishing the chrome, and airing up our tires. (The Belgians are made of tougher stuff, and were out cheerfully riding along in the falling snow like it was the middle of August.) Spring also brings the next school sport into our lives. Jess is now involved in soccer. She hasn't played since she was in the 5th grade, but has slipped back into the routine quite well. Apparently, things are a little more competitive in the High School world of soccer, though. She comes limping home from practice each night, covered with blisters, scrapes, and bruises. Still, she enjoys it, so she continues on. Aspercreme and Motrin are her new best friends. Jess had her first game this weekend. She and her team boarded a bus in the Netherlands at 5 am yesterday, and drove away to England for the weekend. The fellas and I took off in the opposite direction to Spangdahlem, Germany, for the day. (We are a typical American family. I'm sure most of you spent your weekend in much the same way.) Spang was hosting their annual Spring Bazaar this weekend. Russ worked a booth, selling steak sandwiches, and Brandon and I sauntered off to spend money. It's a tough job, but we were willing to work at it. I'd like to think that we showed great restraint. Brandon invested his cash in a wooden sword. I picked up a Polish pottery casserole dish and... cheese. Three chunks of cheese, to be precise. In case you are wondering why, in the face of two hangers filled with treasures from all over Europe, did I buy cheese, you will be relieved to know that Russ already asked. First of all, they had cheese that tasted like pizza. Really. I'm talking tomato sauce, bread, spices, olives, and ... well ... pizza. It's amazing how they squeezed all of that Italian goodness into that little chunk of German cheese. I figured that some sort of magic must be involved, so I bought some. Then they had another chunk of cheese that tasted like pesto sauce. When have you ever seen anything as fascinating as that? I love pesto, so into the bag it went. I was willing to stop at two, but they threw that little advertising hook out, baited with something that no respectable shopper could walk away from. A sale. If you purchase 3 chunks of cheese, then there is a discount. So cheese number three was chosen out of the line up by my sword wielding partner in crime, and tossed into the bag. Done. In all, we behaved ourselves rather well, and only hauled a couple of small bags out to the car. Hmmmm. Now that I think about it, I probably should have gone back to the Polish pottery booth and picked up that lovely cheese dish that I'd been admiring. After all, magical pizza cheese and her two feisty friends deserve it. I'm just saying.

Windows And Winners!

There are many things here in Belgium that I absolutely love...and plan on taking back to the states with me when our tour here is done. One of those things is the outdoor roller shutter system that they have on their windows. That's a mouth full, isn't it? Essentially, it is a series of connected aluminum strips that roll up into a box that's built into the wall over the window. There is a heavy material strap on the side of the window (hidden by curtains), that you use to pull the shutters down and back up again. They are great for added security when you are out of town, but they also block out the light during those bright summer evenings. They provide extra insulation, too, during those chilly winter nights. I think they would be perfect for Florida. Just think how easy it would be to get ready for a hurricane with these babies! If you are curious as to why I chose to talk about this today, it's because occasionally...these straps used to open and shut them wear out. The one on this front window decided to give up the fight, and was literally hanging on by a thread. I have an awesome landlord, and when I mentioned it to her, she called her Dad...who knew someone who could fix it. That's the way things work around here. I really don't know why they even have phone books and Yellow Pages in Belgium. Any time you need to get something fixed, there is always someone who "knows someone" who can take care of it for you. Anyhoo, she made the call and he came over to take a look at it. My landlord was here on the initial inspection the other day, so when he came by to check things out, she did all the talking. Today, when he came to actually fix it...it was just me and him. Did I mention that he doesn't speak any English. He chatted away in Dutch, and thanks to the occasional word that I recognized, and extensive hand gestures, I got by. I responded to everything in English (with lots of gestures as well), and he seemed to follow well enough. I got to see the inner workings of the shutter system, and found it all pretty interesting. He put a spiffy new white strap on there, to replace the plain dark brown one that had torn apart. I think we bonded. In fact, I might even count him as one of my best friends. In case you noticed the view out of the window in that first picture...yes, that's snow. Apparently I spoke a little too soon when I said spring was on the way. We got a few inches of the white stuff last night, and are expecting at least two more inches today. *heavy sigh*

And now...on to the "winner" part. Let me start by saying YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES! I've had over 6,700 visitors reading this blog, and only 3 people try to win a little goody!?!?! I know you can do better than that! It wasn't even that difficult of a question. I chose it in honor of our upcoming trip to the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, and the flower in the picture shares the same name. All three of them got it right...the song was Edelweiss. Well, Erika got there in a roundabout kind of way, but I'll give her credit anyway. After all, it's not her fault that she's a lot younger than the rest of us and The Sounds Of Music was WAY before her time. Anyhoo, Myra won the drawing, and she is the new owner of this lovely bag from Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. It's just the thing any princess would need to carry around books, scrapbook supplies, etc. In honor of the amount of participation, I figured that all three people deserve something. I already gave Erika a goody the other day, so I'll be picking up something for Dajana in the near future, as well. Our mail system is hit or miss lately, ladies, but I'll get your packages off to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'll just keep shoveling the snow off of the driveway...dreaming about Spring...*heavy sigh*