Out and About

 Some of you have asked about our car.  It's an Opel, one of the bigger cars used here.  It's almost too big because every parking place is for parallel parking in some very small spaces (on either side of the street). The miles per gallon is good but diesel fuel costs 1.40 euros per liter.  Thats nearly $6.00 per gallon. If it was regular gas it would be $8.00 per gallon.

 The street by the World Forum Convention Center is on our way to and from nearly everywhere we go.  There are 3 blocks lined with flags representing every nation in the world.  It's quite impressive to see.

 One of the buildings on this street (not shown here) is fenced and securely guarded.  It is OPCW.  The Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Warfare.  Some important stuff takes place there.

 The Old and the New.  When we first got here and saw all the windmills both old and new I knew I had to have a picture of the two together.  We finally found it and drove back here when we had the camera to take the picture.

 How about a early summer cruise on the canal?  When the weather finally turned nice everybody came out to enjoy it in one way or another.

 We made a special trip to Strijen to find this house where Corrie's Oma worked as a housekeeper for a farmers agent (kind of like Grandpa Moore's work).  Corrie remembers visiting her Oma here in the summertime.

 The person living here now was very cordial and friendly.  He invited us inside and Corrie had some more special memories remembering all the nooks and crannies in the house.

 Swans and ducks enjoy all the canals - and they have many to choose from.

 This is Elder Moore tending his garden. Most people plant flowers in any available space, even if it's just a flower box on the balcony.

Our downstairs neighbors have patios with mooie (beautiful) flower displays that we enjoy.

There is No Place Like Home.

 It's hard to believe that the house where I was born is still standing.

 Meiendaal 173, Rotterdam

 The back yard hasn't changed except for the big shed.

 Lia, do you still remember this path through the hedges where your picture was taken with my Mom and Dad on their wedding day?

 The other house I lived in on Strevelsweg 76 - the second story with the bay window.  We ran out of time so we will have more to follow on a future "P" day.

Same place.  The houses far in the background are the same.

 I have a picture of me at about age 6 standing in this exact same spot eating an ice cream cone.  I couldn't resist recreating that moment.

 Here is where the majority of my childhood memories took place - Feyenoord Stadion.

 Elder Moore couldn't get away without having his picture taken at the place he has heard so much about since before we were married.

 A little Barendregt name-dropping and we were ushered inside for a photo op.

 The stadium now holds 100,000 people but is scheduled for demolition so that a bigger, fully enclosed with a roof can be built.

 Hand in Hand voor Feyenoord Een.

 Then across the road to Varkenoord, the home of the developmental teams.  This was Opa's stomping grounds.    Notice the boys shooting soccer balls through the holes in the board in the background.

 I remember riding on the lawn mower with my grandpa and dad. Many Saturdays and Sundays of my childhood were spent here.

 This is the house that was being built for us just before we immigrated to the US.  If we had not come this is the house I would have lived in.

 I think I would have enjoyed playing in the water at the back of the house.

Feyenoord will always score Number One with me.

BYU Wind Symphony blows away Den Haag JoVo's

 The BYU Wind Symphony came to Europe to perform several concerts and participate in family home evening firesides in May.  (Hint:  What great opportunities come to those students who work hard at their music studies.)  We were delighted to be able to host them for dinner on May 7th even if it meant preparing a meal for 130 people.  Thank goodness for help from our other senior couples.

 The "staple" meal was prepared - ham and cheese sandwiches, potato salad, cucumbers and tomatoes and lots of Dutch cookies for dessert.

 Elder Moore put the finishing touches on the table with his special folded napkins and we were ready to go.

 When they first arrived, they were greeted with a traditional welcome hymn and then...

 It was time to eat.

 It was a great time for our young adults to mingle with the BYU students.

 One of the girls asked if these were paid professional musicians and was quite surprised that they were just students who loved music.

 There was plenty of food for all.

 They loved the Dutch potato salad and the cookies.

 The best part was the interaction between the two groups.

 Sister Moore was a great hostess and made sure that everyone had enough to eat and drink.

 There was not much left over.

 After a brief fireside of spiritual thoughts and testimony the BYU students provided entertainment with musical games.

 The audience was enthralled from the first number.

 And then the audience was invited to participate.

 Circle with the right hand, point with the left, kick your right foot and you can be a drummer too.

My name is Joe and I work in a button factory.    Follow the leader .......

"Go Ye Now in Peace" was the closing number which had many of our young adults in tears.  Hearts were touched and friendships were made.  Kinda reminded us of some of our own Tab Choir experiences.  What a great night!!!

Dutch Liberation Day - May 4

 Liberation for the Dutch people from the German occupation of World War II occured on May 4, 1945.  A pact was initiated between a Canadian General and the German official allowing the Allied forces to enter the Netherlands.  A solemn celebration is held each year in many cities to commemorate that day.  We happened to be in Zoetermeer on Friday to attend the temple and saw their ceremony beginning and joined in.

 It began with a solemn procession through town lead by a trio of drums draped in black followed by scouts bearing floral offerings, followed by a small group of veterans, government officials, and a thousand or so towns people.  We felt compelled to join in the procession which went through town to a war memorial in a park.  There were speeches, band music, singing of the national anthem, and church bells ringing. Precisely at 8:00 pm there was a nationwide 2 minutes of silence.  This was followed by a fly-over of vintage WWII planes in a missing man formation.

 The mayor placed his wreath, followed by each of the scouts representing different community organizations and churches. (The wreath with the white ribbons was placed by the Seventh Day Adventists). Then all the citizens were given a tulip which were  placed one by one at the memorial.  The school children in the town had written what freedom meant to them and their papers were attached to the tulips and bushes around the memorial. 

The whole ceremony was very solemn and meaningful.  We were grateful to have had the opportunity to participate.  It was particularly touching to remember that Oma and Opa as well as their parents were here and experienced the difficulties of war during this period.

To my children and grandchildren:  I hope that you will always remember and hold dear the sacrifices and experiences of your ancestors and do your part to help preserve freedom in the world.