I Am Proud Tonight

As most of you probably know we are in an election year where we will finally gey rid of, in my opinion, the worst President in the history of this country. We have done more in the past 8 years to hurt our relationships with our friends abroad than in any period in history. While no one knows if the next President can repair that damage, one thing is very clear over here. There is a growing feeling that everything about how we have approached things both here and abroad needs to change, and change in a big way.

Why am I proud tonight? Well because with all of our problems we are on the verge of nominating the first African-American for the highest position in this country and I believe he has a very good chance of winning in November.

We still have very real problems with racial equality but I think tonight we are making a huge step in seeing all people as one and that all people have the opportunity in this country to reach for anything they set their sights on.

ArchBishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa put it this way today: "You've got all of that going against you, (racial tensions) and yet you produce (Obama). Where else in the world would you ever have had anything like that? I mean an African-American being not just a credible candidate but one who has galvanized -- I mean, the number of young people who have come out and said, "Yes, we think it is actually possible to have a different kind of society." Only here."

I hope his words are right and I hope that we repair the damage with our friends all over the world. We are over here, afterall, all immigrants from somewhere.

Philadelphia

Petra knows that I love history, one of the reasons I love going to the Netherlands so much. While we are still a young country I none the less enjoy sharing our history as well so please forgive me if I always throw in a little bit here and there. LOL

I will be picking Petra and her son up at the Philadelphia International airport. Philly, as we call it, is the 6 th largest city in the US and played a very important role in the founding of this nation. The city proper has 1 1/2 million inhabitants and counting the surrounding suburbs the population swells to nearly 6 million. One of the first sights that we will see after leaving the airport is the Philly skyline on our 2 hour ride back to home.

Philadelphia was origionally settled by the Swedes and the Dutch and was the first Capital of the US after the Declaration of Independence was written here at Independence Hall marking the breakaway from Great Britain.

I'm not sure if there will be interest in visiting a large US city during our holiday but one spot that is always interesting to see is the group of museums located in an attractive part of the city.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the best in the US and has extensive collections including paintings and ceramics from the Netherlands. Some of the artists are well known to everyone.

One thing that Petra will notice on our trip home though is that shortly after you leave the city surroundings the landscape opens up to farms and forest covered hills for the rest of the journey. It is quite a contrast to the skyscrapers and busy streets.

Summer Together

Since our last visit in February we both have had a roller coaster ride in our lives that at some points had us wondering if our summer plans together would work out or not. Probably the biggest hurdle was one that was out of our control....the rising cost of travel due to fuel prices rising so fast. Eeeks, it has been amazing but the trip for the summer is booked and we will be spending almost an entire month together. Whoopeeeeeee!!!

I don't think I could have survived if we were unable to be together this summer.

While we will have several days that will just be very normal and routine, we also will do lots of things that will be new and I hope interesting to Petra and her son.

Shortly after they arrive we will be taking one week and going to one of my favorite places, Cape May, New Jersey. Cape May is actually an island at the very southern tip of the state and since it sticks out into the Atlantic ocean you get views of the water in both the east and the west so you can enjoy the beautiful sunrise and sunset over the water.






Cape May is the oldest seashore resort in the US, founded in 1620 and becoming a holiday destination starting in 1761. It reached it's most popular point during the Victorian era and still today the town is full of hundreds of Victorian cottages that are carefully preserved. While many americans prefer going to the shore locations that are full of modern hotels and condos, Cape May is like stepping back in time. While parts of the town have been developed in recent years with typical modern buildings, the local government passed rules on any future building that requires it keep in the Victorian style. I can't wait for Petra to get her camera out and capture some of the sights.

Need good thoughts

this morning I sent my resume out for an office job.
For the first time I am being coached by someone who believes I developed my self by being a volunteer for GINN.
The job is close and part time, which would give me time to do some courses also.

I am so exited I could dance.

Last year

it was hornets, now it is Poison Ivy.
For some reason I am getting the feeling gardening isn't really Jacks thing.
Another clue was the mower parked half under the deck in February, covered with a nice layer of snow.
Still, when I am with him on the phone, he often has been in the garden, mowing or taking out weeds. This weekend he had been removing the Poison Ivy, telling me after that he hardly ever got a reaction to it.
Well, he did this time.
Yesterday when we talked he went crazy because of the itch.
Must be nice stuff...
We don't know it over here.

I am not much of a gardener either, have never really gotten into it.
But with my Dad who worked in flowers and gardens all his life and sisters who love their gardens, vegetables or flowers, I did pick up on a few things.
And since a year I am actually having fun doing stuff in my little yard.
Talking to Jack about that, it turns out he really enjoys a beautiful garden, but is just lacking ideas.
So we decided to team up and start thinking about what to do with the garden.
The garden has a nice size, not as huge as most I have seen over there.
It might turn out to be perfect for a couple of beginners like us.
One plant we both would like to see in it is this one. Should be ok near the stream.

It looks like...

I will be the only one writing for some time.
Jack is way to busy and is exhausted when he comes home.
We find that he sometimes even is too tired to talk.
So now we are feeling the disadvantages of being so far apart a lot worse than we did ever before.
Besides calling and the computer, there is no way to be there for each other if the other one needs it and that is tough.
Constantly we are reminding each other of the fact that this won't last and things are changing. But right now every day seems to drag on and on.

Summer seems so far ahead that I hardly can believe that is is going to happen.
But it is only 6 weeks before my son leaves this school.
For him it is a special year, he is going to another school after the summer vacation and will be doing a big step towards adulthood.
He is really looking forward to spending the summer in the US, so I hope we can make it happen.

It is weird, so much is happening around us. We both are terribly busy and still we have the feeling our life together is on a hold for the moment.

Hi there

Yes, we're still around.
Jack is working really hard and hardly has time to breath and me?
Well, I am enjoying the amazing weather we are having these days.
Actually getting a tan by walking my fosterdog and Paquita.
The foster turns out to be a very happy girl and is keeping us busy here.