My turn for tagging

Karen
has tagged me for the 7 wierd and wacky things meme. She has also graciously helped me to understand how to make the links. So I am being hopeful that I have done this correctly.

THE RULES:1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post THE RULES on your blog.

3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.

4. Tag 7 people and link to them.

5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.



So for me:

1. I love Barry Manilow and the music of the 80's (a friend gave me a Fan-i-low bumper sticker for Christmas, but it isn't on the car!)
2. I used to have (I haven't paid any dues lately to the FCC) a ham radio license, KA7FWN. My brother who is an advanced "ham" said that stood for Fabulous Woman Novice. Cute, heh?
3. During college I sang in a coffee house. I think it was more desperation on their part than talent on mine.
4. When my children were little, I had a catering business. Somehow I foolishly thought I could get all my preparation done while they napped. Silly me! But I'm still a pretty good cook.
5. I love reading mysteries, especially Anne Perry and Stephanie Barron.
6. I love the books of Anne Lamott - I like to read just one chapter/piece at a time and to "savor" and ponder it.
7. I have been studying Dutch for the past 6 or 7 years, very part time. I adore the country (can't you tell?)and thought it would be good manners to know some of their language, as they know so much of mine.

And so, I will tag the following folks, if they would like to do this:
Caro
Swooze
kjquilts
Morah
Molly

I'm not sure who else hasn't done this lately. So please consider yourself included if you would like to "play". Oh the silly things we do. Still visiting in Wash DC with my DS and DIL. Sunday I leave for New Orleans for the build. We got more details yesterday of what exactly we will be doing. Mostly it is sheet-rocking, one group will roof and one will do finish work. This will be a challenge.

Continuing Adventures, part 3

I got myself confused and part 2 can be found at: crazyexchange.blogspot.com. Being a right brain person, this html/computer business sometimes skips my notice and I have posted on the wrong blog. Sorry.

And so, on to Haarlem, a charming old town, west of Amsterdam. Surprise, surprise but Monday is a market day and what sort of market - why fabrics, of course!


A beautiful day and the lovely St. Bavo Kathedral. I believe that Mozart played the organ in this church. And the carillon plays every 15 minutes throughout the day.










As in many larger cities, Haarlem has a Beguin-hof (spelling ????). It is a cul-de-sac of small homes, often built for the women of the community who provided services to the church, but were not nuns. A few were provided for the poor couples of the community as well, but the wives had to move out if their husbands died. Hmmm. The grounds are open to the public for limited hours - usually very peaceful with beautifully tended gardens.



On a grey, rainy, dreary Tuesday morning I left Haarlem for the airport and my trip back to the U.S. By the afternoon (as our plane was almost 2 hours late) the skies had cleared. Now where else can you find such classy ladies rooms in an airport
?


Lucky, lucky me!

The Adventure continues

<
Much has happened since I last wrote. On Thursday and Friday I traveled to Den Haag (the Hague), the governmental seat of the Netherlands. There I met Caroline and Jacqueline from the Crazy Exchange. It is quite an adventure to meet, in person, folks you have only spoken to online. But we had a marvelous time. After some lunch and visiting, Caro took me to her favorite, local quilt store - the Quilter's Palat. Evy was most hospitable and made us a cup of tea to enjoy while we looked around her shop.







Jacqueline and her daughter came over to Rob and Caro's for dinner. We had a simply charming time, visiting, "show and tell" and a delicious dinner cooked at the table on an electric griddle. Lekker.












The next morning Caro and I ventured into Amsterdam for a visit to the renowned quilt shop, Den Haan and Wagenmakers. Look them up on the internet, it is a shop hardly to be believed. They are best known for reproducing old designs in the most beautiful colorways. I have been collecting reproduction block prints for the past 5 or 6 years and probably now, finally, have enough to make a quilt top. As you would expect, it is expensive and one can only by so much at a time. (approx. $30+ per yard)

Having a wonderful time - wish you were here

My holidays started in the Netherlands with a visit to my friends, Goos and Jos. We got to visit the Saturday market and yes, I did find some fabric, as well as some fabulous Dutch cheese and some fresh fruit. We visited the St. Jan´s Kathedral - an incredible gothic church - catholic in its current incarnation.




Sunday we spent time doing a ¨spring¨cleaning in their garden patch. It is beside a small stream with a pasture of Shetland ponies behind. As you can see, we had spectacular weather, albeit cold.




The neighbors are growing white asparagus - grown underground.

On Monday I caught the train to Anrwerp, to visit with Karen and Marc and their children, Alexander, Rudyard, Sophie and Senne. More to follow - life is good!

Quiet Sunday

Oh, it is nice to have a totally "down" day - nothing required. Just a quick check in with you. The regular events have been happening this week. Wednesday evening was the Stashbusters Quilt Group - regular simi-monthly gathering. We are working on our nine patches for the quilt we will donate to "cover" our rent. I believe the pattern is called Oklahoma 9 patch - with the lighter colors in the 1 and 3 positions. The colors are fairly muted, plain and patterns.



Blogger is having troubles with photos this afternoon - we'll see if it can manage any more. In addition to our 9 patches, folks are working on various projects


- even finishing up a Christmas wall hanging. Oh well, you know how it goes, somtimes.


I've been working on #2 of three baby quilts that are on the "due" list. Is everyone having babies right now? So giving this one a trial - see how I like it. It is much softer and more pleasant to a little "pea".


I won't get this completed before I head out of town, but that isn't all bad. Earlier I visited Barnes and Noble, nearby, to buy some quilting magazines to take with me. It was the one thing that an internet friend in the Netherlands asked for. Also found some cross-stitch magazines for another friend in Belgium. Won't it be fun? Just to have enough room in my suitcase for a few clothes, but leaving gifts behind means space in my suitcase to bring one or two things home with me, right? All American quilting/needlework supplies are so very expensive in Europe, this is an easy thing for me to bring along. I have a new 2 GB card for my camera so intend to find lots of photo-ops.

I will try to blog on my journey (I'll take the camera cord) and will return here March 9th - with stories forever. Life is soooooo good!

Another Meme

Well, I have never done this, but it sort of seemed like fun. This is from: auntjennysworld.blogspot where it is quoted as being from yogurtgrandola.blogspot. So you figure that part out:

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Secretary
2. Speech Therapist
3. Caterer
4. Social Worker

Four movies I would watch over and over again: (not in particular order)
1. Babe
2. Brigadoon
3. Calendar Girls
4. Shirley Valentine

Four places I have lived:
1. Seattle, Washington
2. Brattleboro, Vermont
3. San Francisco, California
4. Ilford, Essex, England

Four places I have been:
1. Big Island, Hawaii
2. Glacier National Park and Waterton Park, Canada
3. the Netherlands
4. Berlin, Germany

Four of my favorite foods:
1. breakfast (in all flavors and varieties)
2. Green salad with blue cheese dressing
3. Coquille St. Jacques (is that spelled right? Scallops)
4. Lemon Meringue Pie

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Hawaii/Arizona/any place warm
2. the Netherlands
3. Bora Bora (I have only seen pictures, but I think I could love it)
4. New Zealand ( " " " " " " )

Four people I think will respond:
1. Susan
2. Karen
3. Karen
4. ?

Don't know that this means a thing to any of you, but it's kind of fun to do. :->
Life is good.