I'm spending it with my grandparents and this guy: André Rieu. Currently he's playing Plaisir d'amour ("the joys of love") and charming tv and live audience viewers alike. My grandparents like him a lot; perhaps because he is Dutch but also because he's a genuine and passionate violinist. Although there are those who think his concerts are too "over the top" and sappy, I think they are fun.
Brace yourself: we're gearing up for a wild New Year's Eve celebration of eating Frito's, sipping peppermint tea & sparkling grape juice, and snacking on emmental cheese. It's sure to be a raving event. Already Grandma is singing on the top of her adorable lungs -- good gracious! After dinner (trout baked with white grapes and dill, potatoes and beans, and the best white wine I've ever had -- of Germany, "Blue Nun"), Grandpa read out of Grandma's old diary. While translating the Dutch, he burst with laughter!
It's a beautiful thing to watch an 87-year-old man melt in giggles. I think it's good for the heart and spirit :)
Enjoy ringing in the new year! May it be happy, healthy, and the very best one yet.
Bonne année and Gelukkig nieuwjaar.
gros bisous.
- "Your visit this week has really been a joy for me. My spirits have been perked up, and I feel so much better having you around..." -Grandma, while speeding off to the grocery store this morning. I nearly melted.
- "You could enter a beauty contest, Lissie." -adorable Grandpa. He was downloading photos of Grandma and me from his digital camera.
- "Are we havin' fun yet?" -Grandma. She asks this every few hours - whether we're at the mall, exploring a park, in the kitchen - you name it. Grandma likes to have fun 24/7.
- "I'm beginning to look wrinkly..." -Grandma, as she looked at photos from our walk in the woods.
- "When you get old like us, you are entitled to day-long fun." -Grandpa.
- "This is beginning to deteriorate into work..." -Grandma. We hit a muddy spot in our walk in the woods and she had to find a walking stick and edge down a hill with precision and balance. Grandma became quite anxious - the ground is muddy from melting snow and on more than one occasion she almost slipped - but I held her delicate hand and we endured the walk together.
- We serve only lekker stuff around here..." -Grandma, referring to the meals she cooks for Grandpa. Lekker means "delicious" or "tasty" in Dutch.
- "What do you call those ropes that hang and you can sit on them...?" -Grandpa, trying to find the English expression for a playground swing. Grandpa said he used to enjoy playing on these as a kid.
- "Come and getttt ittttt!!!!" -Grandma -- as she calls for dinner! I'd better run off, but I'll share more soon.
bisous.
I am enjoying some hot tea and cookies after a nice afternoon walk with oma and opa. We explored some paths in the woods surrounding Annapolis High School, just a few minutes away from their neighborhood. My camera batteries have been dead from the start, so I snapped a few photos with Grandpa's camera.
This morning I went to the grocery store with Grandma. We spent an hour and a half milling around the store, finding items that Grandma is running low on and thinking ahead for what ingredients she'll need for cooking dinners this week. We also set out to find something fun to eat tonight for New Year's Eve. I steered the cart (a kartje in Dutch) to aisle 10, where hundreds of bags of pretzels, crackers, and other snacky food were on display. After much deliberation and scrutiny, Grandma tossed a bag of Frito's into the cart. "We'll try these, Lissie," she said. Grandma claims she only buys junk food (ie. chips, crackers, "packages" and packaged food) once every two years. I find this assertion to be a slight exaggeration; Grandma and Grandpa buy 4 packages of cookies per week on average. I suppose cookies comprise their own food group and merit daily consumption. Lesson #1 from the Dutch.
While looking for gouda cheese towards the end of our grocery store run, a store employee approached us and inquired if we needed any help finding what we needed. Grandma asserted: "No, no, we are fiiiiine, we don't need any help knowing our cheeses." The employee, rather taken aback, apologized gently. I thanked her for her thoughtfulness, noting that she looked a little uncomfortable. Grandma next began to teach the store employee all about the plethora of European cheeses present on the shelf before us. "Why don't you have light EDAM cheese?" Grandma asked. The young employee began to stammer a response, but Grandma continued. "Edam isn't just the name of a cheese -- it is foremost a Dutch city that lies north of Amsterdam and along the coast of the Markermeer..." Haha. You can always learn something new when you hang out with Grandma.
When we arrived home, I finished the vacuuming in the living room and set the table for lunch. Grandma took a nap. Before our meal, Grandpa showed me many of his diaries and journals from when he was a kid (more to share about that later). It made me excited to examine these journals because I find I am learning more and more Dutch and remembering a lot of vocabulary. One day, I hope to be able to translate my grandpa's writings.
bisous.
Currently Watching: Charlie Brown on abc with Grandpa... so cute.
I just finished washing today's dishes with scalding hot water. My fingers feel like raisins, but they won't prevent me from documenting a few more adventures in Annapolis.
- Grandpa and I examined the lyrics to Holland's national anthem ("Het Wilhelmus"), which is apparently the oldest anthem in the world. And folks, it is l-o-n-g! Good gracious, I think you must have to eat extra cookies to keep singing for such a long time.
- Grandma goes to exercise class Monday-Thursday at the community lodge. She calls it her "stomping" class. The class is comprised of a sequence of movements well-suited for elderly people - lots of stretching, light cardio, and dance-oriented exercises. I think the best part of the class is the music: cute songs from the 1950's and 60's. "Fever" (Peggy Lee), "Norman" (Sue Thompson), "Young at Heart" (Frank Sinatra), "Make Love to Me" (Jo Stafford), etc. Grandma sings a long to most of them while hopping around the room. She says one time a lady "shhhh'd" her. In her opinion, this was the ultimate insult! haha.
- Most of the community exercise class participants are women, but the other day a man showed up. Grandma says he sings in the neighborhood chorale with her (Grandma knows pretty much everyone here). During one exercise, we were following the instructor's lead and doing a simple yoga move: the "cobra." I glanced over my shoulder to see the one man in the room (obviously bored) doing push-ups. I suppose even at 85, it's good to assert your masculinity. :)
- One of Grandma's neighbors survived a Holocaust concentration camp. She attends the exercise class and is a native of Poland. When the war ended and the camp was liberated by US forces, she met and fell in love with one of the American soldiers. The couple eventually married and moved to the States. I think Grandma sums it up pretty well: "Everyone's life story is a gem."
- To fix the suspicious gash on Grandma's car and replace a damaged bumper light, we took the car to Goodyear down the road. It turned out to be a comedic adventure. Anytime Grandma is in public, she makes a spectacle. After surrendering the car to a few mechanics, we checked out the waiting room. One other customer sat quietly reading a Home Living magazine. The first thing out of Grandma's mouth was: "This is borrrring. What is playing on the hekading? Can we put something more exciting on?" Hekading translates as a "thingamajig" in English. Grandma was referencing the tiny tv in the corner next to a questionable coffee pot. The screen showed a news program and weather forecast, but Grandma craved one of her usual gameshows. "Where is the thingy?" Grandma said, edging closer to the tv. Now she was looking for the remote. "Grandma, I don't know if we can change the channel..." I said. I handed her a magazine. Bad idea. I had absentmindedly given her a People magazine, chock full of scandalous photos and Hollywood gossip. The cover featured a buff and shirtless Zac Effron. "Good gracious, why doesn't he put a shirt on? He must think he's somethin' special, parading around like that..." Grandma exclaimed in her thick Dutch accent with rolled r's. I heard a soft snort from the woman waiting in the corner. After an hour or so, Grandma's car was like new and we sped home for coffee and a lunch of vegetable soup and cookies.
groetjes.
Marc: "Iedere keer als ik naar bed ga, denk ik dat er iemand onder zit. Ik ben bang. Ben ik gek of...?"
Dokter: "Kom een jaar lang in behandeling bij mij, 3 keer per week, en we zullen er wel in slagen om die angsten te bedwingen."
Marc: "Hoeveel rekent u daarvoor aan?"
Dokter: "50 euro per bezoek."
Marc: "Ik zal erover nadenken"
Maanden later belt de dokter: "Wel Marc, waarom ben je nooit meer langsgekomen?"
Marc: "Dirk genas me voor 10 euro."
Dokter: "Is dat zo? En hoe heeft hij dat gedaan, als ik vragen mag?"
Marc: "Hij zei me dat ik de poten van mijn bed moest zagen! En nu kan er niemand meer onder!"
Marc: "When I go to bed, I always feel that there is someone hiding underneath. Whew, I'm terrified. Can you help me?"
Doctor: "I would advise a year-long treatment - simply come by my office three times a week and I'll help you work through your fears."
Marc: "How much do you charge?"
Doctor: "50 euro per visit."
Marc: "Hmm...I will have to think about this. I'll be in touch."
Months later, the Doctor hasn't seen any sign of Marc in his office for treatment, so he gives him a call: "Well, Marc, why don't you come by anymore?"
Marc: "I went to go see Dr. Dirk. He cured me for only 10 euro."
Doctor: Is that so? How did he accomplish that, if you don't mind me asking?
Marc: "He told me to saw off the legs of my bed... a simple fix! No one can hide under it anymore..."
"Follow me, boys!"
-Grandma exclaimed this excitedly as we trudged outside in our coats, boots, and hats for an afternoon walk around the block. We were all infected with a mild case of cabin fever after the snowstorm (which ended up dumping just 1 inch of snow instead of the 6-10 inches promised the night before. Meteorologists sit on a throne of lies, don't they?).
"Yeah, yeah, I don't need a lecture. Why don't you put on your winter clothes and set out a chair and watch it all night?"
-Grandpa. Grandma was giving rather loud and passionate instructions about how to pack up the trash after a dinner of corn on the cob. "I don't want the 'beasties' (read: wild animals) to get into the trash overnight and it's very important that you wrap it up a certain waaaayyy" she said, complete with finger pointing and raised eyebrows. With Jeopardy turned on full blast, I'm sure Grandma's detailed descriptions were not what Grandpa wished to hear.
"Dee dee-deeee, deeee, deee-dee... deeeee."
-The high-pitched melody Grandma sang as she swung her wine glass around after our toast at dinner. After the last "deeeee," she took a sip of what turned out to be a light and crisp white wine. I'm usually a rosé girl, but tonight's glass of white zinfandel was really delicious.
"It's a bit of a shock to your system..."
-Grandma's description of the transition one faces after getting married (re: moving in with your spouse after living for years with your parents as a kid).
"You're probably getting bored by now..."
-For 2.5 hours, Grandpa showed me scanned photos and digital images of slides that he had taken from the 1950's-1980's. I adore the way my grandpa provides a clear and slowly-articulated description of each photo. I also enjoy seeing photos of my mum when she was my age. Grandpa's photos traced a life that straddled the Atlantic: my grandparents moved back and forth between New York and Holland, between New Jersey and Brussels, between Maryland and Germany - not to mention yearly vacations to northern Italy and Switzerland to ski. My time with Grandpa is FAR from boring, and I assured him of this today with a big hug :)
bisous.
Recent findings:
- I confess I underestimated my Grandpa's silliness. Last night as we watched The Sound of Music, Grandpa entered the living room with new energy in his step. The man was waltzing into the room like a 20-year-old! I have never seen him do such. In fact, Grandma has long given me lectures about Grandpa's lack of interest in all things music. Was she ever proved wrong last night! Immediately after he entered the room, he raised his eyebrows and roared with laughter. It seems the steak cooked in red wine we had for dinner had quite an effect on Grandpa...
- I may qualify for a motorized chair from the Scooter Store, according to Grandpa and the blaring commercial on television. Against a harsh black background, large white letters splashed across the screen, accompanied by a passionate narrator: "HAVE YOU FALLEN IN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS?" it asked, among other questions - including: "Do you ever feel like a burden to others regarding your mobility challenges?" and, "Do you experience difficulty walking to the bathroom?" I told Grandpa that during the month of November I fell three times in three weeks. Grandpa pointed at the screen. "You could qualify. This machine is for you." I detected a sparkle in his eye as he continued, explaining how I could secure my personal scooter after a simple talk with my doctor. "No matter what your insurance company says, the Scooter Store will find a way to pay for your device. Just keep watching the commercial," he advised. We both chuckled. Grandma seemed completely dazed, unaware of our ongoing joke. "What's this about, Lissie?" she mused.
- Kelly Ripa (the obnoxious host of "The Regis and Kelly Show") announced a statistic during breakfast that infuriated me: 44% of men and women under 30 believe that marriage is "headed for extinction." WHAT? I nearly choked on my toast. Ripa rattled on about the results of the recent study and explained that the statistics are driven by an evolving belief among young people that marriage doesn't matter. It's true: times have changed and we live in a world where more and more couples are moving in together. I believe it is a very personal decision and I do not judge those who choose to move in with their boyfriend or girlfriend. On the other hand, I've never, ever been the type of girl to obsess about her wedding day or pour over the wedding magazines that line the grocery store check-out aisles. [Quite the contrary: I stay away from those magazines like the plague (they are emotional porn and females are their target audience, haha)!] Ultimately, though, how do these statistics relate to me? I spent some time thinking. My conclusion: I am 110% pro-marriage.
- After breakfast, Grandma and I fought a fierce battle against dust particles. Grandma's weapon of choice was a soft feather duster. To the cobwebs in the corner, I raised a pair of soft dusting cloths laced with Pledge spray with lemon oil. We were a potent combination. As boring as dusting sounds, cleaning has always been an outlet for stress and a peaceful pastime for me (don't ask, I dunno why). Beginning in the living room, I worked slowly and nimbly to remove vases, fragile books, glass figurines, and delicate souvenirs from the bookshelves before wiping away months worth of dust. It was great to hear the stories behind the treasures that fill my grandparents' house. And even though these stories have all been told (and heard) before, I still appreciated this time with my Grandma. After a whirlwind morning, we enjoyed a steaming cup of coffee and put our feet up before lunch.
- Do you listen to music as you clean? Today, Grandma and I watched the "Rachel Rae" show while dusting. This proved to be an interesting experience, as Rachel Rae enthusiastically announced today's theme: "ARE YOU AND YOUR MAN SEXUALLY COMPATIBLE?" she asked. Grandma gave a snort and continued chasing away dirt and grime in the far corners of her kitchen. The tv blared on (Grandma and Grandpa turn the volume ALL the way up). What followed on tv was a rather loud and transparent discussion about all things sex. I learned that there are actually people with job titles like "Sex Expert." Rachel Rae welcomed one on her show to a thunderous audience. Grandma and I next followed the trials and tribulations of an interviewed couple: two young new graduates. We learned what their answers on a "Sex Compatibility Quiz" said about them. I was a little unsure at first, but it was an interesting show. During a commercial break, Grandma sauntered up to me (still clutching the duster brush). "Lissie, I want to talk to you about something..." she started. My heart skipped a beat. I knew this could potentially snowball into a very peculiar conversation. We've all seen splashy articles in magazines like Glamour and Seventeen Magazine, but I've never before heard the advice of an 87-year-old woman. What luck! Right there in front of a half-dusted bookshelf featuring a 25-part collection of a Dutch encyclopedia, Grandma wanted to talk about sex. oh dear. It was quite a cute moment. I will remember these stories and her life advice forever.
- Grandpa keeps falling asleep at his computer. I look over at his screen (it's cluttered with articles in Dutch -- He's reading RNW Nederlands Nieuws. I sometimes try to cough once or twice to wake him up, but after a long afternoon walk (we just got back), maybe it's best if I let him rest.
- Running off to help Grandma cook dinner.
More to come.
groetjes.
Captain von Trapp looks a smidge bit like Grandpa when he was younger. Hmm...
My grandparents are sitting enthralled by "The Sound of Music." They say they first saw it in Rotterdam together.
During one of the last scenes - when the Captain and the Baroness are parting ways on the balcony - I heard a sniffing noise behind me... but I chose to ignore it.
Captain: It's no use, you and I. I'm being dishonest to both of us and utterly unfair to you. When two people talk of marriage...
Elsa: No, don't, don't say another word, Georg, please? You see, uh, there are other things I've been thinking of. Fond as I am of you, I really don't think you're the right man for me. You're much too independent and I need someone who needs me desperately, or at least needs my money desperately. I've enjoyed every moment we've had together. I do thank you for that. Now, if you'll forgive me, I'll go inside, pack my little bags, and return to Vienna where I belong. And somewhere out there is a young lady who I think will never be a nun. Auf Wiedersehen, darling.
Next came the scene with Maria and the Captain -- when they share a kiss and Julie Andrews sings, "Something Good." Their gentle embrace was interrupted by a boisterous commercial break. I looked over my shoulder...
Grandpa was wiping his eyes. He had been crying! When he caught my gaze, he laughed, embarrassed, and fumbled around for a tissue. Grandma was engrossed in reading the comics.
Grandpa is quite the romantic. What a dear.
The January 1936 school newsletter mentioned previously contains a tragic announcement: Principal H.J. Willemsen of the Savornin Lohmanschool, Hillevliet 126 had passed away a month before. Willemsen was born in May 1876 and died December 19, 1935. The back page of the school newsletter features letters written by schoolteachers who taught under Willemsen. Their words reveal a man of humble heart and strong faith. Above, one teacher writes, "Een vriend is me ontvallen." One of my friends has fallen [passed away]. He goes onto say that Willemsen was, een vaderlijke vriend, or a fatherly friend. 
Grandpa showed a second schoolbook that described the life of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Here is a photo of her and her daughter, Juliana. The caption reads: Ze hielden zooveel van elkaar. "They loved each other very much."
In the inside flap of this book, I found a letter. It's from his teacher. The basic gist of the letter is that he loves teaching his students and that he strives to teach them about God's love. Below, he personalizes the letter and book by writing in the name of my grandpa: Johannes de Leeuw.
Lodged between two pages in the textbook was this momento of Grandpa's. The size of a postcard, it expresses thanks for his contribution to Prinses (Princess) Juliana and Prins (Prince) Bernhard's wedding gift. 
The snow is beginning to intensify here - it's beautiful to watch it from the window. Here in the house, we are listening to Chopin's Waltz No. 12 in F minor/A flat. Can I share with you some highlights of the day so far?
- During afternoon coffee, grandpa cradled his steaming cup in his hands and told me of his days working in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and NATO. His stories are fascinating.
- Grandpa always taps his coffee cup as he talks. He claims he has no sense of rhythm and that Grandma has way more of a proclivity for music, but I think he's being humble...
- This morning while reading the paper, I learned about the comics my grandparents used to read in Holland. Marten Toonder illustrated a series called "Oliver B. Bommel" or "Tom Puss." It's about a pair of animal friends (a bear and a cat) who are friends and find themselves in all sorts of adventures. When Grandpa moved to the USA, he read Dick Tracy and Mandrake the Magician in the comics page.
- Today I learned Grandpa's perspective on the importance of a good teacher. Although his family was very, very poor, Grandpa was able to go to some of the best schools in Holland - all because his teachers recommended him for special programs and nominated him to attend certain schools. Most of the time, Grandpa didn't even know this! He said his classmates were children of wealthy parents who led successful careers in business and politics. Meanwhile, Grandpa's father was a bricklayer and house painter. Without the encouragement and wisdom of teachers who noticed something special in my grandfather, he would have never paved the career he did. These stories fill me with a new appreciation for teachers all over the world! It's true: "If you can read this, thank a teacher."
- Grandpa attended Savornin-Lohmanschool for grade school. He described his school as having two levels, each with a different principal. He recalls that he and his brother entered the school from different sides of the building because their classes were split up and held in alternative schools. While Grandpa continued in a school that specialized in history and liberal arts, Grandpa's brother studied handcraft work like construction. Eventually, his brother finished studies in engineering and moved to the USA. Grandpa moved to the States soon after, working in the GAO and performing auditing work for NATO.
- Dutch education in the 1920's and 30's had a religious component. In fact, Grandpa remembers reciting all of the books of the Bible for one school assignment. He even had to memorize the lineage of Adam! Grandpa chuckles and says he is thankful that he had a naturally good memory as a kid. Grandma, on the other hand, admits she never excelled in such assignments.
- Grandpa recited a fair bit of a poem he memorized in grade school. It is about William of Orange and his brother, the prins Maurits van Oranje, written by one of Holland's most venerated poets: Joost van den Vondel. I am currently trying to find this poem (thanks, Google!). After reciting a few verses, Grandma said, "Gosh, what flowery language..." I didn't understand a thing - it was in Dutch and contained a lot of jargon related to seamanship and historical references - but what I did hear sounded incredible.
- A joke word in Dutch is soldatententententoonstelligen. It's very fun to say :) You can try it: "soul-dahten-tenten-ten-tone-stell-ih-hen." Voilà! You can speak Dutch now. A tentoonstelligen is an exhibition. Can you guess what soldaten or tenten translate as? "Soldier" and "tents." (see? Dutch is easy!) Altogether, soldatententententoonstelligen is a "soldiers' tent exhibition." It's a joke word because of all the t's. What a mouthful. I smiled as Grandma described the story behind the words and explained the distinct sense of humour of the Dutch. All languages have their own comical characteristics.
- During breakfast, we found the Pentagon Channel on tv (heck yes!). We watched a video highlighting the life and career of General Pershing and several videos of servicemen and women saying hello to their families from across the world. The most entertaining program on the Pentagon Channel is called "Grill Sergeants." It's a cooking show. My favorite aspects of the show are the host's humor (he is quite a charming army sergeant) and the jazz band that accompanies him as he cooks.
- I confess that I say a short prayer each time I climb into the car with Grandma. She is an extremely exuberant driver... whew. Coupled with today's dusting of snow and slushy roads, I contemplated the idea that December 26, 2010 would be the day I would meet my Creator. Okay, just kidding.
Grandma is cooking up a storm. I better run off and help!
Je vous envoie des bisous.
Groetjes ("friendly little greetings" as the Dutch say),
Lissie
Visits with my grandparents are quite entertaining. Consider the following conversation snippets:
"It's not very voluminous," my grandpa asserted about a book he is reading (200 pages).
"When you get to the grocery store, how 'bout you stop by the meat counter for some brains?" said my grandpa (obviously joking). My grandma replied, "Any more nasty remarks??!"
Grandpa stifled a chuckle and ambled off into the kitchen.
Grandpa: "Leni, what did you do to your car? There seems to be a little bit of a scrape on the bumper..."
Grandma: "Oh really? I have no idea... someone must have bumped my car."
Grandpa: "No, that is unlikely... I think YOU did something." [ha!]
Grandma: (blushing) "Nooo..."
"I tell the snow plows to get OUT of our neighborhood. If they clear the roads, there's no way I'll be able to use my cross-country skis," says Grandma.
"Traffic wasn't that bad this morning on the way to the grocery store. People must know that the Queen (aka Grandma) is in town!!"
-The Queen herself.
I'm spending it with my grandparents and this guy: André Rieu. Currently he's playing Plaisir d'amour ("the joys of love") and charming tv and live audience viewers alike. My grandparents like him a lot; perhaps because he is Dutch but also because he's a genuine and passionate violinist. Although there are those who think his concerts are too "over the top" and sappy, I think they are fun.
