Daf Cars and Frugal Living--Love Letter

6 december 1979

2:30 p.m.

Dear Mother and Daddy, 

By looking at the back of this paper you can tell where I am today. I taught math to 7th and 8th graders at the Middle School. It wasn't quite as pleasant as 5th or 6th grade, but I managed. I saw a few spitballs and heard a few curse words, but they were just trying me. Tomorrow I will teach art at the Arts part of the American schools in The Hague. I will be the 3rd substitute for the teacher. That should be interesting!

I had a little car trouble on the way to work today, but J. will come at 3:30 to see what is wrong. That way I won't be left stranded. Used cars can be a problem sometimes.

We celebrated Sinterklaas on Sunday evening in Olst. We spent over two hours reading poems and opening gifts. I got a paperback book, two kinds of perfume, food, a set of towels, and other little things. Everyone had fun, and we had eggrolls for dinner. Monday night we went to a 12 1/2 year wedding anniversary celebration. It was interesting, but I was ready to leave after about one hour.

I am enclosing a copy of our flight schedule. It is the final one. 

Our trip is costing a little over $1,000 for both of us to fly to you. Of course, that doesn't include the car or fuel. But that isn't too bad. I am learning to economize. Yesterday I sewed a new skirt out of an old brown wool one A. can't wear. I cut around the moth holes, and it doesn't look too bad.

Well, I have babbled enough. We'll see you Dec. 20th.

Love, Linda

4:30 p.m. 

I'm home, but my variomatic belt on my right rear tire is broken.

Photo source: http://dafownersclub.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/9/5/10958195/1049363.jpg?367

I drove 48-50 mph all the way home with J. behind me. He went back to work so I now have to cook supper.

I got W's letter postmarked Nov. 14 and Nov. 29. (Postage due was the delay.) No photos!! I'll have to take my own in two weeks.

Love, Linda

High Tech Gift Giving--Casio Melody 80

Love Letter

28 november 1979

Beste Mother and Daddy,

We went shopping tonight for Sinterklaas presents. Mrs. S. said they shouldn't be over 5 guilders, but that is only $2.50 worth. Where do you find such gifts? Anyway we bought books, shaving brushes, make-up mirrors, etc. Now J.  and I have to make up poems tomorrow night. We will go to Olst on Friday for the week-end. We will have Sinterklaas either Saturday or Sunday (Dec. 1st or 2nd) night. Officially, it is Dec. 5th, but we won't be there.

If anyone needs an idea for J's present, he needs socks. He wears size 10 shoes, and I think that is a size 12 sock. He wears only solid colors (blue, navy, grey, brown, etc.). He could also use a nice tie to wear with a grey suit. These are just hints. Please don't buy these if you already have his gift. I thought maybe F. or S. might need suggestions.

J. bought my real Christmas present tonight. They are two thin gold rings that I've wanted for two years. He will wait until Christmas morning to give them to me. He wants a Casio Melody 80 calculator (Check out this video on YouTube ), so we'll buy that at the airport (tax-free shop).

Photo Source: http://mycalcdb.free.fr/galerie/Casio/casio_MELODY-80.1.jpg

I will wrap that up for his Christmas present. I still have to buy his Sinterklaas present (either a desk set or dop kit) tomorrow. I didn't want him to see me buy it tonight.

A's baby is due the first of next week. But she is still going strong. Little D. keeps her busy. They called here last week, and D. asked if Tante "Inda" was coming to bring him a "Kado" -present. He will surely have fun this week-end. I can't wait to see his little eyes. This will be his first real Dutch Sinterklaas.

I didn't teach today (only Monday and Tuesday), but I had a Dutch lesson. Also, I made myself a velour shirt from J's. That is the one I sewed him last year, and it didn't fit. I blocked two baby afghans that I'll wrap for gifts for A. and a friend of ours, M.V.  Dinner tonight was delicious liver and onions plus cooked turnips. So my stay-at-home day was busy.

We have one flight change in our schedule. On December 20--the Air Canada flight from Toronto to Dallas is AC 796. We leave Toronto at 9:05 a.m. and arrive in Dallas at 11:20 a.m. That will put us into Alex. around 8:00 p.m. (more or less). We have reservations to rent a National Car Rental auto. Everything is ready except the luggage. But you know me, I always pack at the last minute.

Don't work too hard. Enjoy the holiday shoppers. If they are like the ones here, they are nuts. Luckily tonight we didn't see too many shoppers.

I'll close and get ready for bed. Take care and we'll see you soon.

Linda and J.

Stuff Dutch People Like

Source: http://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com

DrivingDutchman is Jarig!

Happy 31st Birthday, DrivingDutchman!

Love you too much,
Your Mom

Sinterklaas Pakjes Avond and Another Love Letter

Happy Sinterklaas! I know that is not the correct thing to write. But for someone who was an immigrant (legal) in The Netherlands for over 27 years, that became my way of greeting on this special day. And our son greeted me this way this morning on our iMessage communication. 

So Happy Sinterklaas! 

Source: http://www.meuknieuws.nl/trailer-sesamstraat-en-de-woede-van-de-sint/

Bring on the pepernoten!!!

Now on to another Love Letter to my parents back 35 years ago.

21 november 1979

woensdag

Beste Mother and Daddy,

I am at the American (Rotterdam) school as I write this letter. My students are in their P.E. and Music classes, so I'm free until the bell rings at 3:10 p.m. I've had three good days working here, and the money helps, too. Especially with a trip to the U.S. in the making.

This Saturday night we'll go to a birthday party for J's office friend. I'm about birthday-partied-out. It gets a little old after a while. Especially since each birthday is like Christmas. But at least I'll get to dress-up and maybe learn a little Dutch.

Next week-end (Dec.1 and 2) we'll go to Olst for a 12 1/2 year wedding anniversary party and for Sinterklaas. We will draw names for Sinterklaas, but I'll still give all J's family a small gift. That's the American in me I guess.

Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. there will be a service at the Pilgrim Father's Church in Delfshaven. I will attend it and then go to my Dutch lesson at 2:00. I also hope I'll have time to pick up some Christmas gifts before I come home. Most American companies here have no Thanksgiving holiday. I suppose American families have a big dinner in the evening or not at all. We'll have chicken and pumpkin pie. Turkey is too expensive, and I think it is too dry anyway. The elementary kids had a Thanksgiving dinner today, and it smelled delicious. The school has no cafeteria, so I ate a cold cheese sandwich and smelled the good food.

If I could just work three days every week it would be great. That is about $100 for three days. The extra money would come in handy. I always see things I would like to have. J. doesn't want me to spend my money in my savings account. He said we could live on what he makes until I get a permanent job. I suppose that I should be glad he feels that way. I can draw more interest from my money in a Dutch savings account, so I may transfer some money at Christmas. I don't know for sure yet.

Well, I'll close and get my things together to leave. We have leftovers tonight, so I'll relax when I go home.

Take care and we'll be there this date next month.

Love,

Linda

What's Up With Lady Godiva?

LL 18 november 1979

zondag avond

22:00

Beste Moeder en Vader,

Did Lady Godiva find her clothes? Or maybe her horse? I enjoyed our phone visit, but I can always hear the counter clicking away in the study. J. wants me to talk a lot, but I hate to spend so much money on phone calls. Especially since we'll see you in a month!!!

I am enclosing a copy of our flight plan. Hope you can figure it out. I translated a lot, but it still may be confusing. Anyway we'll be there around 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 20th.

I'm getting ready for December 5th (Sinter Klaas). We will exchange gifts with J's family. They don't spend much money, tho'. I think they give gifts for about 10 guilders (5 dollars). Tomorrow after I work at school, we'll drive to Amsterdam to shop and eat Mexican food. I'm hungry for tacos again, and J. likes them, too. By the way, he would like to have ham (a big baked one) while we are there. Perhaps you could have it Christmas or New Year's Day. We can't buy meat like that here. Last year he thought it was fantastic to cut big pieces off the bone while he was at my apartment. Anyway, I want him to watch us cook it, too. His mother cooks everything on top of the stove, and he is amazed when I use the oven.

I'll write again later. Hope you had a good Turkey Day.

Love,

Linda and J--

Bird Pizza

Oh no, we are not killing birds to make pie! But I did make pizza pie for the wild birds that I hope will come back to our backyard. Where did they go? Haven't they heard that I am back and making something yummy?

 Bird Pizza (no baking necessary!)

Ingredients:

1 cup warmed bacon, ham, and ground beef fat ( drippings from the last few days)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (crunchy would be better)

1 1/2- 3 cups wild bird seed

1/2 cup raisins (dried up in the bag)

Plastic pie base and lid

Directions: I rendered the fat from our Thanksgiving ham. Then I added the bacon fat from the last few days and the drippings from last week's ground beef. That made a good cup (250 ml) of fat drippings.

Then I added 1 heaping cup of yellow cornmeal, 1/2 cup peanut butter, three scoops of wild bird seed, and an opened bag of dried up raisins that I found in the snack box. While getting the bird seed from the garage, I noticed a plastic pie container that worked out fine.

Now to get out the bird "restaurant" and call out the birds.

Have you seen birds in your yard lately?