By Guus , 4 July 2012

De uitvreter, Titaantjes, Dichtertje

This is a collection of 3 short stories by Nescio, dating from the early 1900's. I loved the book.

There is a lot of analysis available in other places of the various themes in the book. For me the most powerful were the melancholic sadness and the beautiful descriptions of Holland in earlier times.

The book mainly describes the bourgeois class but also talks about to the lower classes and farmers ("de pummels"). Lovely, lovely!

This book was a gift to my parents, from November 15, 1991 when my father had broken his leg. He brought it to Arlington when he came to take care of Nora.

By Guus , 2 July 2012

Slightly sore knees after a cold start

Nora woke up at 6.00 am today. She ate a little bit and fell back asleep, but I was wide awake and decided to go for a run. It was a great run, but I didn't warm up sufficiently and my knees felt a little sore. Have to be careful with that.

By Guus , 1 July 2012

Jaap going back home

My father stayed with us for five weeks, and we had a wonderful time together.

My favorite moment of the day was to put Nora in her chair next to him: she started smiling as soon as she saw him -- and Jaap too.

It was great to spend some relaxed time with my father. The good news is that Jaap and Mieke will be here again in three weeks!

Topic
dailylife
By Guus , 1 July 2012

Making Dutch apple pie

Yesterday Jaap taught me how to make his apple pie and this morning we tasted the delicious result.

For me, this apple pie is synonymous with birthdays. It is a real family tradition and I'm looking forward to start making this apple pie for Nora's birthdays.

Topic
foodanddrinks
By Guus , 1 July 2012

A run and a cab fare dispute

I felt pretty strong yesterday, and the run went well even though it was hot. Twenty minutes into the run I saw two people arguing and I helped resolve the situation. That took perhaps 15 minutes, and I ran around for ATMs, so my rhythm and timing were kind of messed up.