Chronicles Continued

Perhaps you all know about this service. I have used it back and forth now between US & Europe; it is truly amazing. Example: the bag left my EU residence on Monday afternoon. and by Wednesday afternoon it was delivered to my Stateside address. And the cost. About the same as you would pay the airlines. But there is no hassle getting it to the airport via whatever manner of travel, there is no hassle getting it off the baggage carousel, you can follow this picture. And when I take my flight I don’t look like one of those over loaded persons….

This is painted on the side of a storage container at the large Flea Market Waterlooplein. It is the local vendors replicated in the Style of Rembrandt. When I saw it, made my day.

Figured this is something about which I should know and understand. Attended a two- plus hour lecture; am now as confused, only with much more information. A funny aspect to me- it is supposedly non-hackable. At present is considered to be the most democratic of forums,  – as a public transaction ledger. However, someone developed it around 2007 and that ‘person’ is not ‘known’. For some reason, listening to all this, it brought up feelings of the ‘big-bang-theory- or the concept of in-the-beginning… As mentioned, lots more information, but still not a clear understanding. If this basic information eludes you, toss in bit coins and art to the mix.

This photo on my! iphone?!

One day, this sweet cat, that actually lives two houses down, but hangs around outside to be ooh and aah’d over, petted and patted, came to inspect my shoppings as I unloaded them from the baggage carrier. He found the shrimp, and followed me into the house. How could I not. Now, he waits daily to see if there is more. I buy for him with quite a bit of regularity. You can see the different days by the position of the bike.

This wonderful children’s book, illustrated by Peter Spier has been read and loved by English speaking child in Holland, my own included. It was first published in 1950. However, the basis of the story was always a mystery to me, what was the cow doing so close to the canal in the first place. Today! I have the answer!! Went on an art tour, where the art was displayed in houses and back yards; one of the exhibitors lives in this old Dutch barn on a canal. At present the barn is renovated into the the most stunning house and the garden is, well, to die for. As we were speaking about the garden, the house and the renovations, she, the owner, mentioned the high doors on the front. ‘That is where they threw the straw because the cows were below. You know, it was so easy to get the cows to pasture because they were put on these flat boats in the gracht [canal] and floated to the meadow, where they were off loaded for spring grazing.” “Oh my gracious!” say I, ‘That is the children’s story I never understood, about this cow floating in a canal…” She had never heard of the story, why would she, but her present husband is English and I was hustled to find him and have him look the book up on his phone!!

So you use your grandma’s hanky or a vintage linen doily on a tray; someone spills red wine on it; you wash it. In the dripping wet stage, which follows the last rinse in the sink, you slap it against the tiles in the bathroom. Or the tiles anywhere else in the house and because it is a real fiber, it will stick to the wall tiles. Smooth out the wetness, removing the bubbles and it will cling to the backdrop until dry. When dry, peel it off the wall, it is perfectly ironed!

Learned this decades ago, when first in Holland; all thanks to reader E who illustrated it for me. I have never ever seen it repeated in any magazine on “best tricks; how to ‘iron’ anything linen, cotton etc.”. I can’t be the only one that now and then uses a vintage piece of linen. If you understand the concept, let me know. If you have no idea what is referenced here, let me know that too.