Friday, August 12, 2011

August, 2011

I can hardly believe that this really hot summer is almost over.  I will fill in a bit and explain to you that once again I am having troubles downloading pictures.  I will most like post a bunch and then you will have to sort out what they all are!  In June, after the wedding (and the couple are now pregnant!) we loaded up the truck and U-Haul with things that the MFA bought and selected from our house--to fill her new apartment in Greenville.  We didn't get off from Marion until noon but thankfully Hubby had reserved a room for us in Louisville, at least I think that was where we stayed.  At any rate, I offered to drive some, so as I was driving through  Indiana, Hubby says "watch out for that deer", well, you can figure the rest of the story.  Yup.  Hit it.  But praise the Lord only the deer's back end and the drivers side light, fender and part of the front grill were damaged.  AND hauling a small trailer behind the truck!  Could have been so much worse.  We are so thankful to the Lord for His protection. Sat. we unloaded all the stuff for MFA and then had dinner with some sweet friends.  Another blessing.  Spent the next couple of nights in Greenville then off to Atlanta to drop off cars, see the grands--3 now--and then head to the airport for our trip to Holland.  We spent a couple of days visiting with Hubby's cousin and his wife.  Across the street from their very nice apartment was a "coffee shop".  Well that is nice, you might think, but this one sells "happiness on the end of a weed".  Drugs are for sale in the coffee shops.  They are all over the country.  We spent 1 week in Amsterdam and saw many such shops.  We did stay away from the red light district, however, the souvenir shops are filled with rather indecently shaped salt and peppers and many things that are just plan in poor taste.  We did busy ourselves with trips to the museums.  Saw many Rembrandt's and Van Goghs as well as Vermeers.  The famous "Girl with a pearl" was not in the country as it is in Germany, I think--or Paris.  We took a cannal  tour one evening and that was so educational, and so leisurely.  Beautiful evening for a cruise.  Many buildings in Amsterdam are dated 1604, 1625 etc.  A couple of buildings had a very early date on the left and then on the right were a series of numbers.  I learned later that those are the Jewish dating.  The Jews in the Netherlands are very socialistic and liberal; we had gone to the Jewish Museum or I would not have known that.  The Dutch Resistance Museum was very powerful and told of the strength of the peoples during WWII.  The cafes and shopping were all so much fun.  We did stay at a lovely apartment, in the French Section; the only way to go, especially if there are more than the 2 of you.  MFA came along and we had a blast.  Hopefully I will get some pics posted, esp. of the Holland trip.  Until I can get this all figured out.....
All from the bush
ME