Ronny

Today, no new post! I did not have time to write one. But tomorrow morning there will be a new story in your mail box!

Ronny

Your opinions count

Looking back at my weekly Blog Posts I came to realize that I have been writing these for two years now! The subjects I chose from my daily life in a Retirement Community, starting at the age of 78, are not just focused on the many older residents and new friends who live here, their ailments, hospital visits and deaths, but more on the things that happened in my own life. I am privileged to be healthy, can still walk the dog twice a day, I can see without glasses, hear without aids, use the computer to a certain extent, and write and edit my stories. I am thankful for all that and plan to continue writing my posts if you, my followers, deem most of it interesting. How interesting, of course, is a personal matter. That brings me to the following question. How many of you would encourage me to edit all my posts, bundle them, and publish them in the future? It will take time and effort and money, to be sure, and I would gladly spend all of those on this project, but only if you think many other people than my friends and relatives would like to read this book. Will it have an audience? Can I change things about it to get an audience? Only you, who have been reading my posts can judge this, so I would like to take a poll; I will not be offended if the answer of the majority is a NO. Would you submit your vote below this post or vote (anonimously) in an email to ronnyhermandejong@gmail.com?

A Little Miracle

A few days ago, standing in the dog run, waiting for Lani to do her shi-shi, I noticed a tiny movement on a leaf in front of me. This is what I saw and what caused me to run inside and get my camera. IMG_1786
(To see this video, click on the link, then click on the full link it takes you to at the bottom of the page.)

One hour  later, I saw this, I could still peek inside, and another hour later the leaf was folded and closed completely. How long will it take for the metamorphosis to take place? Google says five to twenty-one days. I will be watching!

Harvest Moon on Friday the 13th

A rare event, which last happened nationwide on October 13, 2000 and you will not see again until August 13, 2049. Ha! That is thirty years from now! However healthy I am today, however long I am hoping to live, God willing, in thirty years I would be 110 years old. Even though my mother lived till almost 102, and a very few live to be 110, I will not be among them. And if I would reach that ripe 🙂 old age, I will not be looking at the moon, wherever I live.

A harvest moon rises about 25 minutes after the sun sets in most of the northern United States, NASA said, 25 minutes earlier than a typical moon. This brings extra light in the evenings. And like any full moon, the sun and moon are opposite each other, so the sun cranks up the moon’s brightness. Hence the title Harvest Moon: the farmers could spend more time harvesting before total darkness.

Once, when we lived on the Big Island and took a trip to Moloka’i with friends from the Netherlands, we were sitting on the beach, watching the moon rise over the ocean, while the sun was setting behind the top of the hill behind us. In my mind’s eye I see again the beauty of the scene, the light against the darkening sky, the lapping of the waves at our feet…A full moon at sunset on beautiful Moloka’i. We were staying at the Pau Hana Inn, where, on the lanai under the huge banyan tree the locals came together on Friday nights (pau hana means after work, when the work is done). There was live music, laughing, singing, and of course, hula.

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

 

 

 

September 11, 2019

A moment of silence will be observed to correspond with the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, beginning at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

To see the impressive 9/11 Memorial that has been created on the spot where the Two Towers of the World Trade Center once stood is something on my bucket list. We lived in New York for a year when we were just married, in 1961, but have never been back except for a brief visit in the nineties. And guess what? I am planning to visit New York the weekend after Thanksgiving this year and one of the things to see is the Memorial! Much more about that later – planning immense things like that take time!

Coqui Frogs on the Big Island

I wanted to post just the YouTube link to this article, to no avail. Instead here it is, taking up almost a whole page! When we had lived on the Big Island for a few years, we heard sounds at night, sitting on the patio; it sounded like two birds were answering each other. A few weeks later, there were more, similar songs. I went to the University Hawaii at Hilo two ask what kind of bird was making the beautiful sound. They told me that they were not birds, but tiny Coqui frogs, up in the trees at night, coming down to bury at the foot of the trees during the daytime. Not native to Hawai’i, originating from the Caribbean, they spread to Maui and Oahu as well. In just a few years they became a nuisance because of the high decibel sounds they produced, especially in colonies of hundreds. The government tried to eradicate them by spreading coffee grinds underneath the trees at first, later tried to kill them with acid spray; the coqui frogs survived all that. To many, they are extremely annoying. However, some people love them and some think they are a tourist attraction. One couple created a Place of Refuge, a Sanctuary for them on the Big Island. Listen and look and let me know if you have heard them when you were in Hawai’i and what you think of them.

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

WOW!

Wednesday afternoon we got a call from the Activities Director: Would we like to take a tour of Waltonwood at Lake Boone Trail, be treated to drinks and a full dinner? Today, in an hour? Waltonwood Lake Boone Trail opened in October 2018 and we had not seen it yet. It sounded great, so we dressed for dinner and went to the Club, waiting for the bus, curious who else was going. We learned that a whole group had gone for lunch, yesterday as well, and so we were full of expectations. What followed was a totally different and unexpected experience.

Instead of the bus, we were picked up in the red cadillac by the Lake Boone Driver. Instead of getting a tour of the building, we were ushered to the second floor, to an activity room, where a chef had created two cakes and several cupcakes, and was decorating them. People sat at the table watching and two men took pictures with cameras. It was then obvious that they were doing a photoshoot for Waltonwood’s website and possibly Facebook page. We were asked to stand and sit close to the table, and then volunteers were asked to help decorate some cupcakes. I volunteered, got instructions, and decorated a cupcake, then another. “What a big smile!” one of the camera men said.

“You are looking at a retired actress!” prompted Mike. Amazement. We were all asked to eat a cupcake while the cameras were rolling, and after that the Activities Director came over to ask me to go downstairs with them and do a testimonial about Waltonwood. WOW!

We went downstairs and out to the patio, where they installed me properly, set up the cameras and a large disc light reflector, and talked a bit before the shoot; I mentioned that one of the places I had done some acting was in Archie’s Place. Everyone is always impressed when they hear that, because everyone knows of Archie’s Place. “OK, just pretend that you are in Archie’s Place and start telling about your experiences in Waltonwood.” The first thing I said was “Can I have a drink please?” because it was hot outside and I was thirsty after that cupcake.  Someone got me an iced tea from inside the building and then I started talking about Waltonwood. I had to be careful that I did not describe things that Lake Boone did not have, like the cottages, the pond, and so on. We did three takes of one sentence that I could not get right, and of course they will cut and paste when they are editing. What all this meant was that I will be a spokesperson for Waltonwood, on their website and Facebook. WOW! How fun is that! I can’t wait to see the results of the pictures and video. The driver stood at the ready to take us home again, so no drinks or dinner! But I got something more out of our visit than that!

The leader of the group doing the shooting was a filmmaker and owner of a movie company, he told me, when I asked him if he had any contacts in the movie industry. The grand opening of his latest film would be in October. WOW! That is the closest I had ever been to a movie producer! I gave him several of my business cards and, since he expressed interest in my book, I promised I would have a book ready for him when he came over to Waltonwood Cary Parkway. They would go there next, to shoot videos and pictures of the beautiful landscaping we have here. So that’s what happened. We were taken back to the Club in the red cadillac, I got a book from home, autographed it and handed it to the producer when he came in. That night, I he Messaged me on Facebook and said that they were looking forward to meeting me again soon! WOW!

More exciting things are waiting in the wings, many more, but those are not yet visible on stage!

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

Arrgh!

Will I ever teach this stupid dog not to pull? I was almost in tears. Monday was an “open” day. It was also National Dog Day. I was planning to take Lani to the Seabrook trail and walk with her for an hour, be back at 9:30, shower and be ready for the day. But nothing like that happened. First of all, she did not want to come when I called her to put on her leash. And that while she has been so good at “come when called.” I know why she did not come: she does not like to get into the car. Perhaps memories of throwing up when she was a puppy? But now we have an anti-static strip underneath the car so she never throws up anymore. Perhaps visions of a visit to the Vet who gives her shots? I don’t know, but it took a long time before I finally had her on the two leashes and in the car. On the trail she pulled and pulled, barked at a passing dog, tried to jump on a jogger, and I finally had had it. Halfway the trail we turned around and walked back to the car.

The latest thing is that she does not come when Mike calls, perhaps because she knows he will put her in the sunroom because we are leaving. On and on, she is very disobedient. In class she was again the loudest dog of all, even within the two “walls” of her “apartment”. I could hardly get her attention. At home, working on the homework assignments, she was better, but we have a long way to go.

Comings and Goings

A lot of moving is going on this month. One couple is moving from an apartment to a cottage and the single lady from that cottage is moving into the apartment of the couple: a good switch for both parties. One couple is moving to a retirement facility in another state, close to their daughter, one single lady moved to a less expensive place in town. Two people moved down the hall to Assisted Living, one lady from one of the cottages moved to another town to live with her daughter. Healthy, beautiful, well traveled, with a darling little dog, she will live to be a hundred in March 2020. I miss her. Another dear friend Lysette, broke her arm, went to the hospital and is now recuperating with family.

New Connections

On Friday afternoon during happy hour, one of our friends introduced us to his grandson from Idaho. The grandson was a language specialist, working with a company that needs to translate advertisements for large businesses. When I asked him in Dutch if I could be helpful with translations to the Dutch language, he understood most of it when I repeated it slowly, because, just that day, he had found the Max Havelaar and was reading it. We started talking about my presentation at NCSU and my mother’s journal. It turned out that he has connections with NCSU from the time he lived in Raleigh. He suggested to preserve the journal by copying it digitally. “The university,” he said, “has a machine on which you can easily make a digital copy, page by page, of something like that journal.” WOW! For many years, I have asked myself what would happen to Mamma’s original journal when I could no longer be the guardian. Now almost eighty years old, it is still in excellent condition. I take it to all my presentations for people to look at, touch and admire the fine handwriting. Who would be interested in a journal about the women and children’s camps, written in Dutch? How long would it last? Well, Johnny opened a whole new window of opportunity. He promised to read my book (in English) and check out the possibilities of digitalizing the journal at NCSU the next time he will be in town to visit his grandfather. Thinking about it, I realize that I will need someone to do this for me to get the best result. But with Johnny’s knowledge and connections I am sure we can find someone and get it done. WOW again! I do not believe in coincidences, so I thank God for continuing to keep an eye on the preservation of this remarkable story; the story written painstakingly day by day by my amazing Mamma, who had the gumption so many years ago, hanging on to life while taking care of her two precious little girls during four years in Japanese captivity, to write detailed letters to her parents in a secret journal. With God’s help, through modern technology, her story will live on!

September

While the month of August had a lot of festivities, September looks kind of “open”. I say kind of, because I can already see the dog training classes every Saturday morning and three Mondays with classes for me at NCSU. I signed up for an OLLI  membership and registered for three classes about the difference between Alzheimers and Dementia. Just like when we lived in Pasadena, California and I did not know anything about death and dying but wanted to be a Hospice Volunteer, I took classes and became familiar with Kübler-Ross and her theory about the five stages of grief in terminal illness: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Here and now, I am surrounded by people many of whom are in various stages of Memory Loss. I want to know more about Memory Loss so I will know how to deal with friends who are suffering from it; how I can help them perhaps by visiting with a little therapy dog. Therapy dog? Ha! For now, I only have a stuffed one: Sad Sam. Does any of you remember what Sad Sam looks like? He is white and brown, with sad eyes, cute and huggable, and quite a bit smaller than my big DOG, who is still far from being therapeutic! But then, she does not know any better, and I am her Mom, who needs to have more patience and keep teaching. One of my pastors once said, when I was desperate that people did not understand what I had told them many times already: Teaching is repeating. And so it is.

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

Houseguest

What a wonderful week we had with our daughter, who flew in from Canada. We went to see a movie in the IMAX theatre about the Spirit Bears in Canada, who are being protested by First Nation people. We went shopping, walking the dog, and had dinners out and at home with the rest of the family: a reunion with 8 of us. On the first evening I prepared Indonesian Lemper with the help of the wooden box my friend Margie had sent me. I had prepared it before for the de Jongs here, but our daughter had never tasted it. Other evenings we ordered Thai food takeout and all together drove to Chuy’s, our favorite Mexican restaurant. Pizza at home with a nice glass of red wine, and chocolate ice cream for dessert, we enjoyed every minute.

Keynote Presentation

On August 14 I gave my third annual Presentation in the Independent Living Theatre. It was well attended again, since many new people have moved in during the past year. One repeat person in the audience told me afterwards that it was the best of the three she had seen. I was happy to hear that, after I had made a change in the June presentation at NCSU. Eight people took advantage of my August special: two books for the price of one. That reminds me to let you know that my special also counts for you all: for $20 plus shipping I will send you both books currently in print. Of course, if you want to avoid shipping charges, you are more than welcome to pick them up when you are in the neighborhood!

Lani

Lani is one year old as I write this, on August 20. We have started obedience classes again one morning a week, and the only problem we have with that is that we do not have enough people come to the house so I can tell her to sit and not jump. When I go to the Club, I find so many people with mobility problems, I would not want Lani to push them over if she jumps up at them before she learns the command sit. Perhaps we can try to engage passing staff members, we’ll have to see.

Birthdays

This Wednesday, the kitchen will prepare a birthday dinner of steak and lobster for all those with an August birthday plus one guest each. A few months ago, when the chef served something else as an entree, so it would not become boring, everyone protested. So the month thereafter it was steak and lobster again. I do not care for either animal on my plate; rather see them in their natural habitat, so the chef graciously prepares a dish of my choice. This time I specified a salmon steak swimming in a sea of spicy chili sauce. The chef thought it an excellent choice (and easy for him to make :-)) We missed our cruise to Alaska, so I have never seen salmon swim and jump in their natural habitat; therefore, to have it on my plate will be okay.

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

Tweeting Tweets!

August is a very important month for me. It is the month in which, in 1945, the Japanese surrendered and World War Two came to an end. It is the month that Mamma, Paula and I had survived the horrors of the Japanese extermination camps and could begin a normal life again. It is a joyous month, and I am going all out to share this with the world.

In the first place, Findaway Voices, the company through which I published my Audiobook of Rising from the Shadow of the Sun, offered an August Promotion of my Audiobook in Apple Books, Google Play Book Store, Nook Audiobooks, eStories, LibroFM, and Instaread.

Then, an organization named AskDavid.com offered to promote all my books on their site and give me 30 free tweet links for tweets to their 58000 followers for a minimal six-month membership fee. I had worked with them in 2016, when the Second Edition of Rising had just been published, but at that time I didn’t know much about tweeting, so I did not take full advantage of the offer. But now I do! For the past five days I have been working on tweets with slightly different texts and using ##, hashtags in them. Hours of work, but fun! These tweet links that I got are valid until January 2020, but I am probably going to use most of them in August to get the attention of all of those 58000 followers :-). A bonus: every day David gives an extra tweet link away to the people who gain the most retweets in 24 hours. I fell into that category three times already in five days, and I used that extra link right away!

And last, but not least, I will give my third annual Keynote Presentation here in the Waltonwood Theatre. Afterwards I will announce my own August Promotion: Everyone who purchases a copy of Rising will get a free copy of Survivors of WWII in the Pacific.

In case you were planning to get one copy, or more for Christmas gifts or Birthday gifts, I am extending the August Special. For $20 plus shipping, you will get two books, a value of $30, with my autograph if you like. You can let me know your wishes in the Contact Page after this Blog post; I will respond privately to your email address and will let you know the added cost of shipping.

Daughter’s Visit

The next weeks will be full of activities. Our daughter from Canada will be with us for a week and we have several things planned to do with her and give her a memorable vacation week. She deserves it after another year of hard work. And so, if my Blog Posts are shorter, or missing, you know why. I’m busy having fun!

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

 

Survival of the Fittest

Mealtimes are frustrating for many of us. Breakfast is served on a long buffet in the center of the dining room, and a short one on the side. That part is all right. But many a morning the kitchen runs out of something; often bananas, fruit, sometimes even oatmeal. That’s why, even before eight o’clock, people line up to be first in line. Even ten minutes later all bananas have disappeared. However, the first people in line often take two or three, put them in the basket of their walker and take them back to their apartment for later. If there are strawberries or watermelon in the bowl with fruit, they are put at the bottom of the bowl, and first arrivers are digging through the cantaloupe and honeydew melon to get to the strawberries or watermelon and the followers get only the melon, which is what we get 365 days out of the year! One day, after I had put oatmeal into my plate, I noticed there were no bananas. Turning around, I saw that one of the women had two bananas on her walker. “Oh, where did you get the bananas?”, I said, and she responded “I was first in line and they still had some,” and she stuck out her tongue at me. YES! Can you believe that? She stuck out her tongue! That 89 year old woman had absolutely no manners in my book. She was not a lady either. Later I thought that she must be envious because of the way I look or walk, or who I am and what I can still do that she can’t. So I am sorry for her and I feel so sad that this can happen in a community like ours.

It is similar at dinner time. Everybody sits on benches and chairs and walkers in the hallway, waiting until the dining room opens. The hostess is great. She assigns people their table, one table at a time, and throngs of people push to get in first. It’s really unbelievable. Tablemates cling to “their” table. If you are one of the lucky ones to be a part of someone’s table, you are supposed to call  the table manager if you can’t be there. In that case they can invite someone else. It is very unpleasant, to say the least. We sat at a table of four for a long time, but we eventually did not agree with the man’s constant complaints about everything, and the speed with which he wanted to be served felt like a fast food restaurant. Yet he wanted to lose weight. I told him once, when the time was right, that he would lose weight if he would wait 15 seconds after each bite, eating slower would make him feel full sooner, so he would eat less.

Sometimes, when I can’t bear our chagrin about things any longer, I write a letter to Management with a copy to kitchen Management and regional Management. Oh, I love writing those letters, they are good! I can state everything clearly and feel good about it, because I know I am right. So then we have a meeting, they explain things from their point of view, promise to do something about it, and we sit back for a while.

Waffles

The dining room invested in a waffle iron! On certain days, they provide a bottle with batter on the counter next to it and you can make your own Belgian waffle. It is nice for a change, but they are always soft and I like my waffles crisp, so I take them home and put them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Delicious.

August Audiobook Promotion! 

The Audiobook of Rising from the Shadow of the Sun, https://youtu.be/jO4jcZ1dh3M will be available throughout the month of August for a discounted price to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the end of the War in the Pacific. Get it at your favorite store: Apple Books, Google Play Book Store, Nook Audiobooks, eStories, LibroFM, and Instaread.

I am going to run some promotions this August through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter because I know that my audience has not reached its full potential. If you know of anyone who has not read my books, would you do me a favor and spread the word? Post it on your Facebook or Instagram or elsewhere? Or, purchase some Christmas gifts early! Now that’s a thought! And one more thing: I can give you a Promo Code for a free Audiobook in exchange for a review on Amazon. Reviews are so important for us authors.

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

 

Man proposes, but God disposes

That’s what Mamma wrote in her secret journal on her 5th wedding anniversary in 1942, my dear Mamma, a prisoner of the Japanese, separated from our Pappa for three and a half years. (translated in my book Rising from the Shadow of the Sun). I was thinking of her when, last Sunday morning, going to the computer to print our boarding passes for our Monday flight to Seattle, Mike told me he did not feel good about the whole trip. He suddenly dreaded the six-hour flight to Seattle, the ten days on board of the ship, after that a vacation in Canada, it was all too far from home for too long a time. I had to cancel everything; our wonderful vacation was not to happen.

It was difficult for me, especially because this happened at the very last minute: I had been looking forward so much to this time away, to the beauties of Alaska, to the visit with our daughter and her family, seeing the new house, playing with our two little granddaughters and reading them bedtime stories. It cost me some crying spells throughout the day. But it had to be done, and I did it. And on Tuesday night I watched the full moon from my own bedroom instead of the veranda of our Oceania Stateroom. In hindsight I thought, everything happens for a reason. I just have not found the reason yet. But life goes on. Mike is very happy to be home and not traveling. That is, after all, the most important thing.

And then, after having finished six weeks of physical therapy for pain in my Sacroiliac Joint on the left and a torn muscle on the right, I developed spasms in both my Piriformis muscles! Piriformis muscles? I had never heard of them. Such tiny muscles could almost prevent me from walking? Google explained where that new pain came from and recommended several exercises. Five days later, with exercises three times a day, that pain had disappeared as well. Phew! That might have been the reason our trip had to be cancelled.

And then… we got a surprise phone call from Canada: our daughter had booked a flight from Victoria to Raleigh, NC and will come to stay with us for a week. Sunshine after the rain!

Fireflies

While on the phone one late afternoon, looking out the window, I saw a firefly sitting on the glass. While I was still trying to determine whether it was on the inside (so I could capture it and take it outside) or on the outside of the glass, a bright red cardinal flew up to the window and snapped up the poor creature with one tap. Fireflies are abundant on summer nights: I can see many of them through the window.

One night, going to the bathroom in the dark, I noticed a tiny round light on the floor next to the toilet. In the beam of my flashlight I noticed it was a dead firefly, belly up, with its light still on. Did you know that a firefly (or lightning bug) still shines his light after death? I know now: one of the little miracles of nature. I think it is similar to the light Mamma still shines through me, when I share her story with the world, through presentations and books; her light of courage, determination, love and hope. If you don’t know her inspirational story yet, please get my book at Amazon:

Rising from the Shadow of the Sun or at your favorite store through this Universal Link:

books2read.com/u/bOrlyK

Dog training

The temperatures have been in the nineties for weeks now, so we are not sitting outside, and I can only walk the dog in the early morning before breakfast and early evening, when it is cooler. Last night I took her to the first floor in the Club again for a walk, as I have done before. Everyone is in their apartment and I never encounter anyone during our rounds. This time I did an experiment: I let go of both leashes. Lani was hesitant, then kept going, but she constantly stopped and kept looking back at me, got some treats, and went on. After she had rounded a corner ahead of me, I stayed behind and called her: Lani, come! It worked beautifully! I will train her again tonight! This is the beginning of her walking next to me without pulling!

On August 10 Lani and I are starting a new obedience class in Raleigh after which she will get an AKC Good Citizen Certificate. Right after that we will take another six weeks of Therapy dog training, and by the end of the year she will have become a Therapy Dog! I can go around the whole facility with her and let people pet her without being afraid she will jump up at them. One thing I discovered that I did not know: Lani has 2″ long eyelashes! They look like artificial lashes. When I googled it I learned that the length of dogs’ eyelashes is based on the length of their fur. Because Goldendoodles have long hair, their long eyelashes protect them from hair getting into their eyes. She is so beautiful and so sweet! Even without the long lashes I would love her. We are blessed to have her.

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny

 

Power wash

The last week of June was scheduled for the power wash of the whole building and the cottages. Two companies were hired so that it would only take a week instead of two, and the water  would contain some chlorine. Balcony and patio furniture and outside plants had to be taken indoors and help was available when requested. Because a schedule was not available, most people had everything secured inside starting on Monday, but when we saw the ladders at the front entrance, we waited until Thursday to ask for help with moving the heavy potted plants into the garage. During the day we left the garage doors open, not because of the temperature – it was hot inside and out – but so that the plants would get some light. Would you believe that the Hibiscus, with large red flowers, after two days out of the sun now produces pink ones? I’m curious to see how long that no-sun influence will last. Our cottage was washed Friday night during dinner. On Saturday a young man came around the whole building washing the windows. Fast jobs and good jobs all.The smell of chlorine still hung around until Monday.

Bobcats in our back yard

We have added an unbelievable new animal species to our backyard menagerie: two bobcats. I saw them running, one behind the other, through the thicket in the Divide in the middle of the day, when I was out with a bottle of water to refill the birdbath I had hung in the tree two days before. How is it possible, I thought, that the animals I spotted over the last two years can exist in a relatively narrow band of forest between the freeway and populated neighborhoods? There must be a connection to a larger habitat where they can coexist somehow. I have seen two deer, a red fox, the two bobcats, and smaller animals like the turtles, the geese, and many bird varieties. It has been very hot lately, in the nineties, and the sprinkler system has not been working for weeks. Somehow nobody can fix it, the manager told us. I hope it won’t last long, because the grass is getting brown and flowers are wilting. The pond level got dangerously low, and the geese families were walking across the sandbar in the pond like they were walking on water! Thank goodness we got a couple of fierce rain storms to fill up the pond to a certain level again.

Women’s World Cup Soccer

On July 3 we were invited to come over to our son’s home and watch the semi-final World Cup Soccer match of the Netherlands against Sweden. It was not a very exciting game, because no goals were scored until in the first of two 15 minutes extended time, when the Dutch team scored a goal. With that, they earned a place in the finals against the USA last Sunday morning. We watched the game, which was more exciting after Megan Rapinoe, at 34 the oldest woman ever to score a goal, kicked the ball into the goal, unstoppable. The Dutch girls fought hard, but another goal followed a little later, and the US girls won the World Cup Soccer 2019 with a score of 2-0.

We’re packing

The time has finally come to start getting ready for our fabulous three-week vacation. The beginning and the end are long days, with 6 hour flights from here to the west coast, but then we can relax for three weeks. From Seattle, after a night in a five star hotel, a gift from our travel agent, we sail on Regatta of Oceania Cruises through the Inner Passage of Alaska and back. One of their smaller ships, it hold only about 600 passengers and we are so looking forward to it.

We will disembark one day early, in Victoria, where our daughter and her family live, and will spend eleven days with them. It has been a year since we saw them, during our family reunion in Duck on the Outerbanks, so the girls will have grown!

For now, this will be my last Blog Post until we are back in Cary. That will mean four weeks of no story in your mailbox! I hope you are going on vacation too! It will not be easy for me to stay away from my PC, because I LOVE to write! But next Wednesday I will be cruising under a full moon to Alaska, the Land of the Midnight Sun!

It’s a wonderful Life!

Until next time,

Ronny