April 25, 2019
Mamma’s Boys
Mamma’s Boys I wake up with a jolt from a soft rumbling sound. In a split second, my “fright and flight” system kicks in full gear. I jump over my husband, who is sleeping peacefully. Next, is a two-foot high baby gate, in place to prevent “MB 1, MB 2, MB 3, and MB 4” from jumping on the bed in the middle of the night. In the pitch dark, it’s a tricky obstacle. My agility, even at age fifty, comes in handy. I grab his collar in passing while taking the few crucial steps to the stairs, sprint up […]
January 2, 2017
Bodhi Goes to the Hospital
“What can I say? I like the taste of socks!” I don’t really care what color or length they are; I just like the feel of them. When I see a sock around the house, I just have to have it. It is kind of an obsession. I guess everyone is weird in a way, right? It started when I first came home as a little puppy. You probably know by now that we call my home “Paradise,” cause it is so awesome! I am not sure if you knew that I don’t live alone in Paradise. When I moved […]
January 2, 2017
Little Bear Comes to America – An Immigrant’s Tale
Little Bear Comes to America An Immigrant’s Tale “I am an immigrant!” “For real! I was born in Holland. A lot of people ask me if Holland is the same country as “The Netherlands” and yes, it is! We have a lot of windmills in Holland. They still pump water out of the fields so we can grow things. Not many people wear wooden shoes anymore.  Dutch farmers used to wear them to keep their feet warm and dry, but most people wear boots now. Holland is known for the beautiful flowers they grow in those fields, like tulips.  Holland […]
May 1, 2016
True Hero
MB 1 and MB 2 clearly know their own kind. Brothers Balou and Bodhi have a history of being naughty. They secretly climbed on Mom’s bed and shredded all the magazines on the shelf. But they knew to leave the National Geographic magazine highlighting ”Hero Dogs”. They clearly don’t mess with the big dogs! The scrap of paper they left below the magazine says it all!  “Happy Campers”
September 16, 2021
Between Two Worlds-6
On Sept. 16, 1620, Mary’s parents got on a boat to leave Holland to visit the US…. they could On Sept 16, 2021, Astrid’s parents got on a plane to leave Holland to visit the US, but they couldn’t Is this really  the time of the “Great Dying”?
April 26, 2020
Between Two Worlds-5
1620- The First Sickness took its toll.  It seemed every day more people were affected. Forty-five of the 102 Mayflower passengers would die in 1620 just before or after arrival in America. Mental Health was at stake for many, like Dorothy Bradford, who took her own life. Children were losing their parents. Young girls seemed most likely to survive. After the isolation in such close quarters for 3 months, Mary was eager to go onshore. Her father had a fever and her mother was coughing as well. Mary desperately needed to see light and find something to smile about. She […]
September 29, 2019
Between Two Worlds-4
Mary’s father taught her how to play chess when she was just eight. She was grateful for the distraction it provided in the crowded quarters below deck.  She secretly taught 13-year-old John Cooke how to play the old war-game using ripped, folded fabric pieces. It was a game for grown men, but Mary loved the anticipation of each move and the Queen’s ability to save the King. She would call check-mate and see John cringe. Her father said that playing chess and knowing how to think ahead would help her prepare for life. Of course Mary did not know yet […]
September 23, 2019
Between Two Worlds-3
Mary covered her ears. When she heard Captain Jones on the deck yell: “lie ahull”, she knew what would happen. The boat would drift and Master Heale would not be able to tend to all the people who would get seasick again. The girls would have to stop playing house behind the dirty sheet and work to clean up and care for the sick. The foul smelling buckets would be stacked until the weather cleared. By now, they were used to it. Even Mary’s little friend, 6-year-old Remember, knew how to pour beer into a cup for those who needed […]
September 15, 2019
Between Two Worlds-2
Earlier in Leyden “Who is there?” A large group of boys jumped out of the dark screaming “Ga terug naar je eigen land, radicale ouwe hufter”. James stepped toward them to protect his daughter. Mary pulled her father’s arm and yelled: “Duck!” But it was too late. A large stone hit his forehead and he fell to the ground. Mary kneeled down next to him and cried, “Dad, say something, you are bleeding”. He was unconscious. They were on their way to the Jean Pesijn Hofje and had passed the Pieterskerk. James had just finished a meeting with John Robinson, […]
September 9, 2019
Between Two Worlds-1
September 1620-      399 years ago, a young English girl took her mother’s hand and stepped onto the Mayflower. “Mag ik op het dek rondkijken, mama?” she asked. Her father, James, looked at his daughter and shook his head impatiently.  “Mary, stop talking Dutch and go to the kitchen at once to see where they need you. James was a member of the congregation and felt fortunate to be chosen as the oldest passenger to join the other 99. Mary could have stayed with one of her older sisters, but James was worried about the liberal influence of the […]
January 2, 2017
A Zen Fountain
A Zen Fountain STEP1 STEP2 STEP3 STEP4 STEP5 STEP6 STEP7 STEP8 STEP9 STEP 10 STEP 11 STEP 12 STEP 13 STEP 14 STEP 15 FINISHED!