Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Lichtjesroute



Last year as we adjusted to life in a new country we were amazed at all the different celebrations that went on in and around our city of Eindhoven. Nothing was mentioned about Halloween except from the American friends I have. For some reason there seemed to be two Christmas celebrations, one at the beginning of December and one at the end. There was a Valentine’s Day. But don’t even get me started about not having Ground Hogs Day. I really like having Punxsutawney Phil to tell me what the weather will be like between winter and spring. I remember driving around in the fall and seeing lights displayed here in Eindhoven but not really understanding the meaning of what was happening. But this year with my head a little more clear, my ability to read a few signs and the graciousness of good friends to enlighten me and others to different events around Eindhoven, I was ready to celebrate the Lichtjesroute.


The Lichtjesroute is a festival held every year to celebrate the liberation of Eindhoven during World War II. The celebration begins on the date the city was liberated, September 18th and ends this year on October 14th. 

During World War II, Operation Market Garden was an effort when the Allies tried to capture three bridges that would help them break into Germany. The plan did not work and as the route from Eindhoven to Arnhem was known as The Corridor, the paratroopers renamed it Hell’s Highway.

The plan may have been a failure but for so many grateful Dutch people, the gift of their life or the lives of their loved ones will never be forgotten. In my search of the history of this festival I came across a name and some pictures. What I discovered has moved me beyond words.


In 1944, in Eindhoven, there was a beautiful young family by the name of van Slooten who took into their home a Jewish friend to hide from the Nazi’s, a crime punishable by death. They were betrayed but Mrs. Van Slooten sensed that something was wrong and that the house was being watched. With the help of the resistance they were able to move the friend to another safe house. One or two days later, the van Slooten house was raided by the Nazi’s. They found nothing but took Mrs. Van Slooten to prison and kept her there for ten days interrogating her every day. She was seven months pregnant at the time with her second child and was terrified. She had heard rumors of the terrible things the Nazi’s had done to pregnant women in the concentration camps.  She had no idea what had happened to her husband or two year old son, Erik. Then suddenly she was released, but a sympathetic Dutch policeman told her that she should go into hiding herself, because she would be arrested again the next day. The Nazi’s did that to break your resistance. So she could not go home and stayed with friends, not knowing what to do or where to go, and without medical help for the last months of her pregnancy. And then suddenly Eindhoven was liberated by the Americans, so you can imagine how happy she was! 

From Ren’e :
This is my mother with my brother Erik (born in 1942). My mother was
expecting me for 7 months at that time. I was born on 20 November,
and she often told me that she could hear the guns during the Battle
of the Bulge when she had to get up at night to feed me. In the back
you see an American and a British soldier having a relaxed conver-
sation leaning against a scout car. At this time the Americans were
already getting worried about the slow British advance.



She always called them ‘the angels who came from heaven’.

From René van Slooten:
The little boy in front is my brother, 2 years old at that time. When
I showed the picture to some veterans on the 60th anniversary of
the liberation (in 2004), one of them recognized the officer on the
right as 1LT Herbert Viertel, B Company, 1st BN, 506 PIR.



This story was shared with me by the son who would be born two months later, Ren’e. His father took pictures during the liberation and he is sharing them with us. Ren’e spent years to try to identify the American soldiers in those pictures by showing them to American veterans who came to Eindhoven every year during the celebration festivities around September 18th. And six years ago one veteran recognized Lt. Herbert Viertel on one picture, after which the veterans organization told him that he was still alive and lived in Florida with his wife Peggy who had been an Army nurse during the war. When he finally got him on the phone, it was very emotional for him and his mother. His mother died in 2008 and Herbert Viertel died in 2009. Ren’e wrote an obituary for him that was read at his funeral. 


Ren’e van Slooten also wanted to convey this message as well:

I wanted to express my gratitude, so in 2008 I have adopted a grave on the American cemetery ‘Henri Chapelle’ in Belgium and a name on the ‘Wall of the Missing’ at the American cemetery ‘Margraten’ in Holland. The grave in Belgium is from Lt. Rodney Renfrew from Coshocton in Ohio, killed on 10 February 1945 in Germany. And the name on the ‘Wall of the Missing’ is Capt. John Doherty from Buffalo, NY, missing in action in Holland on 18 September 1944 (the same day my parents were liberated!). I was so lucky to find both families and they are very happy that people in Holland still remember and care. Doherty’s wife was still alive in 2008 and after 64 years she still had no idea what had happened to her husband, so I was able to find out for her where her husband was killed and why his remains were never found. She was very happy to know that at last, and she died in peace last year, but I am still in regular contact with Doherty’s granddaughters who live in Los Angeles. And last May I went to the Henri Chapelle cemetery to celebrate Memorial Day with two members of the Renfrew family. It was very impressive. If you get a chance, you should go to ‘Margraten’ cemetery next year on Memorial Day. It is only an hour drive from Eindhoven. Memorial Day there is very impressive, because all 8.300 graves have been adopted by Dutch families and they come to bring flowers. Last May I took a picture of a Dutch father and his young daughter, who bring flowers to ‘their’ grave at Margraten.


We will never forget what the United States of America did for us.


As I look back to that night I drove around looking in awe of the beautiful lights that lit up the streets in Eindhoven, I’m now in awe of a story of a beautiful, courageous, young mother who was brave beyond belief. To the young men that came to her rescue so that she and her family could live a life of freedom, thank you. And to Ren’e… Thank you so very kindly for sharing your story with this American Girl.

Light up Eindhoven and celebrate life.




Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Twelve Pains of Jet Lag




After my recent travels to the United States, I once again had to deal with jet lag. I’m always so amazed with my friends and family when they come over for a visit and seem to leap off the plane with excitement. They may be a tad tired but within a day they seem to be able to bound to the four corners of Europe ready for excitement.

I was complaining to friends about how tired I was when one of my friends from the States told me to “Suck it up, Buttercup”! After laughing, I thought… maybe something is wrong with me. I don’t think I’m the only one who struggles with jet lag. My husband has traveled all over the world and always takes several days to adjust when he comes home.

Recently I was having lunch with my friends here in The Netherlands. We were discussing jet lag and I asked one friend why it always seems that it’s harder coming this way than when we go back to the states. She said she thinks it’s because we are so excited to be going on a vacation and all pumped with joy of all that we get to do. Then when we come home, it’s like… Ok, now I just need to sleep. I totally agree!

Whatever the reason, this week while visions of Sugar Plums danced in my head, the joy of jet lag led me to dream up this dilly of a song. You don’t have to sing it… but if you’re like me, it’s impossible to read it without singing J


The Twelve Pains of Jet Lag
On the first pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
A pair of flowered jammies.
On the second pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the third pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the fourth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the fifth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the sixth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the seventh pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Seven bottles of water, Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the eighth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Eight cups of coffee, Seven bottles of water, Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the ninth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Nine big time headaches, Eight cups of coffee, Seven bottles of water, Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the tenth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Ten sleepless nights, Nine big time headaches, Eight cups of coffee, Seven bottles of water, Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the Eleventh pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Eleven days of wandering, Ten sleepless nights, Nine big time headaches, Eight cups of coffee, Seven bottles of water, Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and A pair of flowered jammies.
On the Twelfth pain of jet lag my true love gave to me
Twelve beautiful roses, Eleven days of wandering, Ten sleepless nights, Nine big time headaches, Eight cups of coffee, Seven bottles of water, Six loads of laundry,

FIVE BIG LONG NAPS

Four fluffy pillows, Three still packed bags, Two happy puppies and
A pair of flowered jammies


(yes please)

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Mighty Mac




By now most people in life know what a “Bucket List” is. That list you put either on paper, on your computer or maybe just floating around in your head of things you would like to do before you kick the bucket. I’ve been using Pinterest to add to different places I would like to see or projects I’d like to do. But there’s one thing that’s been on my Bucket List for a few years now and I finally had the opportunity to check that baby off the list!


Born and raised in Michigan I grew up with many beautiful sites around me. But there is one place there that not only stands in majestic beauty but also links the two peninsulas of the great state of Michigan together, the Mackinac Bridge or Mighty Mac!

Growing up, my big adventure of travel was always to our cottage on Little Bear Lake in Michigan. It was a short four hour drive to summer bliss. The tiny 3 room cottage overlooking the lake with no hot water still to this day is one of my favorite places in the world. Sometimes, we would make the trek a little further north, up and over the Mackinac Bridge, then ferry over to Mackinac Island.

The Mackinac Bridge was built finally in 1957 to connect the two peninsulas. And every year since then they have one day when they allow people to walk across the bridge, Labor Day. The governor of Michigan always leads the 5 mile walk across the straits of Michigan. The Mighty Mac is the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere. The weight of the bridge is carried by cables that suspend from towers along the bridge.


With this knowledge in my head, going up and over the bridge in our car has always been a slight challenge for me. Knowing that people died making the bridge and a few after plus knowing that a few cars have plunged over the bridge, makes me a little jittery. Part of the bridge in the middle has no cement road… just grates. My thought is: all that is needed is a slight breeze and my car will blow off the bridge. Well, the good people of Michigan have that taken care of. In windy conditions the bridge closes. Trust me I pay close attention to the weather when going over the Mac Bridge.


I was going to walk the Mac a few years ago to conquer my fear when I attended a class reunion. But became very ill and was barely able to get out of bed let alone walk over a bridge. But this year, I was back in Michigan visiting family and friends at the right time of year (Labor Day) and decided it was now or never.


I asked my sister Janice if she would pretty please come with me. I knew it would be a great time for us to just walk and talk about everything. We came with water, sweatshirts and a happy attitude that this was something very important to me. My brother in law Dennis and my sister Jennifer dropped us off in St. Ignace so that we could walk to Mackinac City. From there a bus would shuttle us back to St. Ignace so we could meet back up with them. Let me say this…. The walk across the bridge was glorious!!! It was a beautiful day and you could see all the way to Mackinac Island. But….

As we came off the bridge, Janice and I were so excited to get our certificate of accomplishment. With that in hand, we wandered off to find the busses to shuttle us back across the bridge to our ride. Well, we wandered and wandered and finally found a sign pointing us in the right direction. Then another sign. Past all the shops in town selling souvenirs, past a few more signs pointing us in the right direction, we finally decided to call Dennis to come get us. Well, Janice’s cell phone was dead from roaming, mine was international and the two phones we borrowed were having difficulty reaching Dennis who was now having a great time at the casino.

We finally found the busses and borrowed another phone to call my brother in law Larry in Nebraska to help us locate Jennifer and Dennis. We told him we had a slight snafu in our plans, we didn’t even know when or where we were meeting them. We finally arrived at our starting point with no ride in sight. So we decided.. Hey we have credit cards and cash! We called a cab and went to the casino. We figured someone would eventually find us. And they did! Jennifer and Dennis arrived five minutes later.


All in all, a beautiful day! I’m so proud of Janice and I for tackling the Mighty Mac and I’m so appreciative to Jennifer and Dennis for helping me check this off my Bucket List. I would definitely like to do this again!



Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Little Bear Lake




A misty fog across the lake

One last look my eyes will take.

The loon calling to others     

A calming sound to the soul of lovers.



Acorns falling from the trees

Leaves changing colors for all to see.

The little white cottage that sits on the hill

It’s time to say good bye as the air starts to chill.



Little Bear Lake, my childhood friend

Thanks for the memories from this summer’s end.

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