Several thoughts of varying interest (for lack of a better title)

For our honeymoon, Liesbeth and I visited one of the beautiful state parks in northern Holland, in Drenthe province. (If you refer to a map of the Netherlands, we were near the town Diever, which is situated close to the city of Assen.) We cycled some most every day, and in the evenings we greatly enjoyed the fireplace, as we sat on the couch with Liesbeth's classic hot chocolate! Here's a picture of us taking a break from bicycling. I used the bicycle as a tripod:


We made the transition to "normal" life (whatever that is) after we returned home on Monday. On Tuesday, I finally purchased a bicycle, with which I am quite pleased. Liesbeth returned to work on Wednesday, and I then commenced my study of Dutch. One of the sisters in the church is a teacher of Dutch to foreigners, and she lent me a textbook. Her name in Nienke. After she saw that I could follow a church service, she suggested I try to teach myself beginning Dutch, and for the intermediate level, I could take classes. I think the idea is a good one. A two-week course costs about $1,000, and I did not relish the thought of spending a few days in such a course with folks who had absolutely no knowledge of Dutch at all. Liesbeth is a good language partner; when she comes home from work at noon and in the evening, we talk in Dutch for awhile, and then move to English. And Sis. Nienke is great for grammar questions. Just today, after service, she told me a rule about word order that shed much light on things for me. (In short, the verb always occupies the second position in the sentence in Dutch. So if a sentence begins with an adverb or adverbial phrase, the subject and verb are inverted; for example, Today, had we a good service. ... Just in case anyone was interested....:)

Yesterday, bought Liesbeth and I a bookshelf and desk chair for my office.=) At first, I thought the regular table chair would be sufficient, but after a few days of working at my desk, I knew I needed something better. Last evening, I put the chair and bookshelf together. Bro. Ab arranged for me to get a set of English Message books from VOG, and I enjoyed unpacking those and putting them and the books my parents brought me onto the shelves. Such great joy to have again a shelf of books at one's side! I enjoyed putting the books in order, and remembering when I had read various ones for the first time, and what they meant to me then. Many such books I'd read in high school, and it was special to recollect the memories they created in me.

Liesbeth is working on dinner now, so it's time to bring this post to a conclusion. I have thoroughly enjoyed Liesbeth's cooking. She warned me time and again that she really wasn't a cook at all, but her cooking belies her words. The fragrances are even now wafting through the hallway and into my office, tempting me to depart and sup with my beautiful wife....

Tot ziens!