How we met.

In 1944 we lived in Assen, Netherlands. One of my girl vriend was Geertje. She had a boyfriend named Henk Jacobs. One day my friend said my friends and two of his friends are givng a concert. It was in the afternoon, because we had to be of the road at 8 p.m. She asked if I wanted to go and I said I love to. So we went . The concert was wonderful. Three young men in early twenties played violin, guitar, banjo and more.Lots of folksongs. After the concert I asked Geertje if I could meet the main singer. He was blond and blue eyes. She aid she would find out.On sundays young people would go to Main street in the woods. Walk back and fort hoping to meet a boy our girl. Wel Geertje came with Henk and Roelof, Mans could not come he had to baby sit for his baby brother. And I said to Geertje that is not the one I want to meet. So a couple of weeks later we went to Henk house. His mother was a widow and very nice. So the friends got together. It was a nice afternoon. When I was leaving to get my bike the tire had come of. No innertire, just a piece of rubber with rope to hold it together. So Mans came out and put it together again and that was my first contact with my future husband.Pretty soon we where going out together. Then after a year I had it with him. Wrote a letter and told him I wanted to go in to nursing and want it done with him.Well what did Mans do he went to my mother and said he wanted to talk to me.Well we did and his behavior made me fall in love with him and from that day on it was great.On December 20 1946 we got engaged. We wanted to get married in 1947 but could not find a place to live. So we kept on looking . Then in 1948 his sister said you can have half of our little house. So on April 15 1948 we got married and moved in a one room and one bedroom place. We shared the kitchen. Small but we lived happy ever after.

Teenage years.

When I was 13 years old one day I was walking by the canal and on the other side of the canal I saw a horse rider and on it was a German soldier. That was for me the beginning of the war. I know in 1939 my Dad was called up for the service,but that did not click with me. After the Germans took over the Netherlands things changed. I hope throughthe blog Some memories will come back. Teenage years suppose to be fun. But I found out different.I was always afraid something would happen.And lot of it did. It was every night blackout. We had to be in the house before 8 o'clock p.m. I remember when I would go to my bedroom at night I would look under the bed if there was a firebomb.We heard that firebombs would fall on the roof of homes,so why would I look under the bed, I don't know. I was not smart enough I think. But when you are young your mind seems to go all directions. Times when they came to our house looking for my Dad our my older brother. By that time he was about 18, and hated the Germans for what they did to us. One year he helped with getting rid of all the milk from the farmers so the Germans could not use it.Finally he was picket up and put in jail. How awful that must have been for my parents. Most people that where picket up went to Germany and who knows what then.Finally they let him go and I still see my Mom running down the street when a neighbor told her your son is coming home. She had her apron on and slippers and she ran.Now I have children I know what it mend to her.The one thing I want to have come across is The worry we always had. For 5 years, my teen years. What the years did to my body.Also to my husband. He had polio after the war from complications of not having enough food.We both had our problems, but we would understand one a other. We lived it.I think this is why we where so close. People here do not understand what war is. Yes we read but you do not feel it. I remember when I worked in the cancer center and we would have a patient that has been in the war and he would find out that I was there to, they would open up. Tell me about there problems and how he felt. They said they never talked about it with their family because they do not understand. It is the same if you lose a partner and people say they understand. They do not unless they have been there. One thing I always understand there is never enough love that you can give to your family, friends our neighbors. And hold on to it, it will give you strength. I hope I do not rehash everything over and over,but I have learned a lot in my life and hope to pass a little on.

friendships

Friends have always mend a lot to me.As a child we played outside with the neighborhood kids. My real good friend was Trijntje Nyholt. We stayed in touch trough all the years I have been gone. She passed away a few years ago. I was 22 years old when I came here, had a baby and before I knew a second and then a third So making friends was not that easey Those years my husband worked a Rochester Lincoln Bank.After five years he started to work at Kodak. Here we met some real nice people named Mike and Peg. They became my brother and sister trough the years.Then came Betty and Bill, Helen and Joe, Reggie and Dick. We all have been like a family. We traveled together, had our weddings, aneversaries, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. We where there for one and other.When Bill died we where there for Betty. Then Betty had a stroke and we were there for her.When I had my spinal fusion they all were my support.Then my husband died and Mike was there for me . A other couple we met in the beginning were Ruth and Warren. This was when we lived by No 11 school. They were the ones that introduced us to camping. We used there tent and we fell in love with the outdoors.Every year we went for two weeks camping. Then we met Norm and Jeane.They nought some land in Penn Yen area. Spend some good times with them and liked the idea of a piece of land. So we bought some land South of Naples. 15 acres.Great memories. Special to share it with grandchildren.Also our friends where there often. Through Norm and Jeane we met Joanne and Julius.And they became good friends. In honor off all my friends I have invited them for dinner at the Avon Inn on May 2 to celebrate my 60 years in the U.S.A.I also invited my children but they do not remember the early years. All my friends say they wanted to come, but some have a little problem with health. And I understand that. But I realy want to thank them for always being there for me. I love you all.

Funerals

Today I went for the thirth time this month to a funeral. Al people my age and that makes you think.I also think a lot of my Dad. This month it has been 25 years that he died. My husband and I went to Holland early March 1984.My Dad has been sick for a while, but he waited for me to come home. He needed a transfusion and did not want to go. But I finally talked him in to it. Told him he would feel better. He did go and after his first unit we went home. In the middle of the night we had a phone call from the hospital that with the second unit he had a heart atack. When we came there he said to me I can not more. And I told him please Dad go I am here for Mom.And he died. At the funeral my husband spook and did a beautiful job. None of my brothers could do it. Later my Mom thank my husband and said will you please speak at my funeral. And he said he would. But he died before my Mother so I had to do it in honor of my husband. It was hard, here I had in front of a lot of people speak Dutch. Almost all the years I lived here i did not speak Dutch. But I think I did a good job. Later when I was home again I did get a beautiful letter from my Mom's doctor giving me a compliment. One big feeling happened with me when my Mom died, I am now the eldest and maby next to go. I know this is normal but no one wants that feeling. So I made up my mind age is a number and I am not going to get old.

bringing up childeren.

After Lucy's second birthday I was thinking of the time when her father was that age. Also when my daughters where that age.And slowly I went to my early years. Lots of differentces and still a lot of the same. When I was a child they times where bad. First the depression and then in 1940 Hitler took over our country. For five years it was so bad. Hitler took all our food out of the country and said a gift from the Dutch. Thinking of my Mother feeding five children and dressing them,how did she do it. The wory's she must had. Everything was standing still, we even went backwards. Remembering all the fighting in the air, the bombs being dropped, I just can not put my self in my Mothers place. My Mother would make supper and often we got potatos and beans mixed together and my brothers called it [stopverf] what means putty.Having to do without a lot, I even now can not see food being thrown away.I also think a lot of problems with my self dental, hearing and others have to do with bringing up in the war. So when I see my grandchildren worry about their children , I know my Mother did the same. It is funny how little I remember of my worry for my girl. I know I did for Louise. She had something going all her life and now one could pin it down. I know did has been a worry all my life.But looking back it shows that the main thing in our live is loving. I saw that in my parents and I see it in my grandchildren. And with every new baby in the family we are gaining more love.This we should use to make other people feel good about them self. Love they neighbors.

Bringing up childeren.

Birthdays

Today we celebrated my great granddaughter Lucy second birthday. What a joy Every year I get more love from my family. I wonder sometimes if it is going to boil over. I can sit home alone and my mind goes all over,and tears of joy come in my eyes. Birthdays in the Netherlands are very special. The whole family comes together for coffee and cake,our a drink[a borrel] I remember a couple of my birthdays. School days when I could bring a treat and you felt very special.Also my19 the. That was Januari 1945. The worst winter of my life.We where still under Hitler ,a cold and bad year. No more food and I wanted my boyfriend to come over. Every thing was blackout.And no one on the street after 8 p.m. So my mother said that Mans, my boyfriend and his two buddys could stay over. Sleeping on the floor in the living room. Al three played music. So in our own way we had fun. I made tarts out of some rusk. Twice baked bread. Made a little pudding on it and topped it with some jam we made without sugar. That was a special treat. I still do not know how my mother made it trough those years 5 kids under 22. How do you feed them and not have anything else than home grown potatos, mixed with some dryed beans. We called it stopverf [putty]It least we got something . In the morning we had brewed flour. Home made flour you put on top of it boiling water and stir. You topped it with beet sugar you made your self. Just like thin syrup.Coming back on birthdays. One nice costum they have is you congratulate every one in the family with the birthday of a kin. Why I like that is that I remember my daughters birth more then they do.Those days are very special to me.

Vacations

Today is a cold wintryday. Snow on the east coast,but little here. So I was thinking on all the nice vacations and trips I had in my lifetime.Alaska and the arctic circle. The flying trip to the arctic circle was amazing. The Bahama Islands. Barbados.Belgium[Bruxelles and Gent].Canada all over and Prince Edward Islands.Engeland.Germany [The Rhein trip]Grand Cayman Islands.Greenland.Jamaica. Monte Carlo.Italy [Rome ,. Napoli and Sicilia [Palermo]Mexico East and West.The Netherlands, every place there.Spain [Barcelona ]Hawaii, all the four Islands. Also a two week trip to the National Parks in the west of the U.S.A. And from all the trips I have a lot of photo albums. So every so often I take a look back. The last vacation I took with my husband was the best Two week trip to Barbados. We had our room at the top of the ship. King seize bed and a big bathroom. What a difference then the trip to the West Coast of Mexico. We went with my 5 couple friends, Mike and Peg, Reggie and Dick, Betty and Bill, Helen and Joe,and my husband and me.We had a small room on the bottom of the ship and in the back by the motors.But we where hardly in our rooms. We joined in with everything. We even had a private party with the captain. That also was a great trip.The ten of us have enjoyed a lot of good times. Also a bond that most people do not understand. Never a cross word about anyone and always ready to help.I feel they are my brothers and sisters. They have helped me to love this country. There is a feeling of love and friendship that I wish everyone could have. The world would be a lot better