Posted in Adventures Big & Small, Albert Heijn, Catarina Chronicles, Creativity, Culture, Crosscultural, Intercultural & Multicultural, Expat Life, The Animals, tagged Albert Heijn, capitalist, Catarina, creative, dog walking, enterprising, entrepreneur, lucrative, money-making scheme, neighborhood, Oli, one Euro, play hardball, strict instructions, trouble, walk the dog, young Dutch neighbor on March 13, 2013 | 12 Comments »
Some weeks back, I was upstairs working at my desk when the doorbell rang. I had a sense it would given that Oli was already bounding down the stairs, barking his little fool head off. When he gets like that he’s heard the minute squeak of the little wrought iron gate in front of our [...]
Posted in Adventures Big & Small, Albert Heijn, Change, Culture, Crosscultural, Intercultural & Multicultural, Expat Life, Expat Transitions & Change, Family & Friends, First Year Blur, Light Bulb Moments, New to Nederland, The Animals, tagged Albert Heijn, balancing act, bravery, cat, change, Charley, courage, expat life, expat transition, isolation, limbo, loneliness, Netherlands, new expat, tightrope, walk the ledge on April 28, 2012 | 20 Comments »
It was a chance encounter yesterday on a crowded street that sent me back in time. As I turned the corner onto our nearby shopping street affectionately known as ‘the Fred,’ I caught a snippet of conversation. The young woman was seated at one of the outside tables of a local restaurant, twirling her forefinger along [...]
Posted in Adventures Big & Small, Blogging, Doing What I Can to Help, Exercise & Sports, The Animals, tagged A Billion Acts of Green®, advocacy, biodiversity, cairn terrier, conservation, dog, Earth Day, Earth Day 2012, EarthDay.org, energy efficiency, energy renewal, environment, greenery, hiking, Mobilize the Earth™, natural resources, Oli, parkland, recycling, sustainable development, transportation, walking, waste reduction, woodland on April 23, 2012 | 6 Comments »
In case you didn’t hear, yesterday was Earth Day. That’s right, the 42nd anniversary of the inaugural Earth Day held in New York City way back in 1970. The aim remains the same: protect the environment and the world’s natural resources through conservation efforts. This year’s motto is Mobilize the Earth™. In honor of Earth Day 2012, Oli [...]
Posted in Dutch Life, Expat Life, Light Bulb Moments, Netherlands, The Animals, tagged bag, clean up after ourselves, dog poop, leaving a note on April 5, 2011 | 4 Comments »
A couple days ago I was on my way up to ‘The Fred’ (the Frederik Hendriklaan, our neighborhood shopping street nearby) to run some errands. I strode purposefully, lost in thought as I went over my mental ‘to do’ list. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flutter of movement. I [...]
Posted in Adventures Big & Small, Dutch Life, Expat Life, The Animals, tagged ADHD, pit bull on March 31, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Oh dear. Yesterday Raoul was back. In case you missed my description of how it was Centraal Station in my house last week, let’s just say I’ve had so many people coming and going around here that I may put in a turnstile. Or charge admission. (If only that were an option!) Raoul is one of [...]
Posted in The Animals, tagged all bark no bite, cairn terrier, dog, protective on March 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
That would be me, of course. Let me explain. I’ve written before about my dear, dedicated, dopey sidekick, Oli. He’s a Cairn terrier, like Dorothy’s darling Toto in the Wizard of Oz. Usually his fur is longish, and he looks a bit like a small wolf. However, after a recent stay at his beloved Villa [...]
Posted in Adventures Big & Small, Dutch Life, Netherlands, The Animals, tagged dog, Leiderdorp, pet hotel, vacation, Villa Agthoven on February 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
First you drive up to the imposing wrought iron gates. Driving in, you are met with a breathtaking view of the Villa compound. It’s the stately Villa Agthoven in nearby Leiderdorp. Part of the original building dates back to 1390. Yes, you read that correctly, 1390. It’s run by a lovely couple who are always [...]
Posted in Expat Life, The Animals, tagged barking, dog, dopey pets, expat on November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
It’s early morning and quiet. Son and Daughter have left for school, Husband has headed to the office. I’m sipping my coffee and working on a writing project. Oli is in his usual spot, sitting on the back of the couch in the front room. Looking through the sheer curtains, watching and listening for signs [...]
Posted in Dutch Life, Exercise & Sports, Family & Friends, Learning Dutch or Other Foreign Languages, The Animals, tagged Dutch, friendship, learning Dutch, running, serendipity on November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Earlier in the week I received a message from my Dutch friend Katja. She’s currently in Washington, DC attending a seminar for work. She wanted to thank me again for the info about DC that I’d shared with her before she left. The weather was nice and she was enjoying her visit. ‘I love DC and can [...]
Posted in Change, Expat Life, Holidays, Netherlands, The Animals, United States, Writing, tagged change, expat, family, Halloween, living abroad, Netherlands, pets on November 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Since I’m going to be sharing tidbits and stories that occasionally involve our family, it only seems right that I introduce everyone upfront. You already know we’re Americans living in Den Haag. Here’s a little more to whet the appetite. Yours Truly (that would be me) is a writer, wife, mother and jack of all trades. The [...]
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