Friday, November 9

And What Will Poor Robin Do Then?

We're under the weather around here. And by saying that, I mean there is a severe weather warning for The Netherlands tonight. The winds are supposed to be fierce (fiercer than normal--which is really saying something) and the rain is already pouring. We haven't seen the sun in days, but that's not news for folks in the low lands. The sun doesn't hang out much in Holland, at least not in the winter. There is only one weather here during the winter months and that is, oh, how can I say it best?

Yucky.

We have a friend who has a not so endearing term for Holland's weather. I can't share it with you here because, well, it contains some not so very nice words. Don't get me wrong now, I can say these words, I can even write these words, I am just a bit uncomfortable writing them down in this post. (My mother in law reads my blog after all!) But the three word adjective-noun-verb phrase (rhymes with bitty-bit-buck) completely cracks me up every time I hear it. And then I cry a little because it's completely, totally true.

The winter weather here sucks.

This morning as Andrew and I saddled the bike to ride into the school--he to class and me to work--we had a discussion about the weather.

"Oh, no, it's windy!" he said.

I responded. "It's not windy this morning baby, it's just fine."

"Yes!" He said and stamped his foot for emphasis. "I see a wind."

I looked to the sky and then said again. "No, babe, there's no wind, we're going to be okay."

"I see a wind" he insisted, pointing at the last remaining leaves on the oak in the front garden. "There is a wind." he said. "Look!"

I looked and I could see his point. There was a light breeze gently shaking the last leaf on the branch.

I tried in vain to add the new vocabulary word breeze to his repertoire, but he was having none of it.

"That's a wind. I told you Mom. I see a wind."

Throughout the day this storm has rolled in at a relentless pace. And, tonight with the wind whipping in earnest outside--howling through the door jambs and forcing tree branches to scrape along the balcony ledges and the windows--I am confident that I will soon have a bed partner in the form of a four-year old boy. I am also certain that he will remind me once again,

"I told you Mom. I told you I saw a wind."

17 comments:

  1. Sounds like perfect weather for curling up in front of the fire with a glass of wine. Of course, after several months you might have to dry out.

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  2. I love Holland, but agree with you; the weather is RUBBISH. We get better weather in Britain, believe it or not - but try telling that to a Dutchman... Oh, don't bother; Flower Child is right - just get drunk.

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  3. Yeah, and now we know why the Dutch are sooooooo good at beer guzzling.

    Ick.

    I'll be you're missing the Valley of the Sun about now, huh?

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  4. This is not winter weather?? It's not truly cold, just yukkie and very windy and very wet. This is a good old fall storm coming along that needs to blow those last leaves down. It's just something that needs to happen.

    I actually thought of you when driving home through the rain and wind...knowing that the wind in Scheveningen is always so much stronger than inland Belgium/Holland. I wondered if I'd put on my blog "Hey Jenn...are you not getting blown away over there", but since you don't read my blog, I didn't ;) (still giving you a hard time huh).

    I actually loved Scheveningen in storms, ...it makes the contrast with the warm cosy living room so nice.
    I remember waking up one morning in a big storm in Scheveningen by the howling of the wind at the parking lot at the Gevers Deynootweg. Then I realised my alarm clock should have gone off but it hadn't...until I realised it was actually playing but the wind was just sooooo much louder.

    ...I ran to the beach that morning just to watch the show there for 5 minutes before going to work.

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  5. And when it rains, do you still ride your bikes? When is it okay to hunker down?

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  6. I think Flower Child has the right idea. Or Genever... did I tell you I really liked Genever when I was in the Netherlands? ;-)

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  7. Hunker down? True Dutch people cycle regardless of weather (yes this included me) luckily heading back home I had a tailwind.
    I love Andrews sayings! I see a wind... *ominous music playing while Andrew consults his crystal ball* Maybe he can tell the futere? :D

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  8. Oh Baby- it sounds like Holland and coastal Maine share a similiar weather pattern. We are just bracing ourselves now for the long long months.
    Hope all is well Jen!
    Thinking of you.

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  9. I'm in the same type of weather land for the weekend. We'll see what it does to our moods!

    But I like how the little man can see the wind.

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  10. sounds like good weather to hunker down and snuggle up. Flower child has the right idea.

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  11. I do hope you all survive intact. I do love the phrase, "I saw a wind."

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  12. All I can say darlin' is "Well, yeah!" Of course he saw a wind. You are just too used to it to realise that kind of "breeze" would have been blowing up a duststorm back where we hail from! It's only in Holland that they call it a "strong wind" when it reaches Category 4!!

    We are hunkering down here as well, except in the Netherlands they still make soccer players play their games in this kind of "bracing" weather. Something about it making them "toughen up" and hardening their immune systems,etc. What rot. But since I am suffering from a massive cold/allergy attack from all the yucky stuff being stirred up, my DH has kindly offered to let me sleep in while he does the ferrying to football at 8AM tomorrow!!

    I'll be thinking of you as I snuggle under my covers and drift off to thoughts of "...Hear the Wind Blow, Dear, Hear the Wind Blow..."

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  13. Good time for heating up spiced cider and snuggling under a comforter, if you ask me.

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  14. I haven't used the word "breeze" in years! I'm not sure my kids know what means. Tomorrow vocabulary word will be "breeze"!

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  15. It is quite windy where we live in the UK. Probably why they are building a wind farm up the street from us. LOL That cracks me up - wind farm. Hmmm but it does give me something to post about - I'll have to take pictures.

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  16. I will take wind over snow anyday. You little boy sounds adorable seeing wind. Too cute.

    Off note.. if you want the link to the book site.. email me please. we would love to have you there. It is a private site so there is no spamming. ;o)

    adventures_in_waitressing at Yahoo

    HUGS

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  17. Your Andrew is quite something.

    I believe weather like that calls for a giant cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows. Not the dried up ones that come in the packet, but the extra large Jet Puffed ones.

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