Childhood~L'Enfance~

There were parts of my childhood I loved..and some I didn't..maybe many of us feel this way..
I do remember being loved unconditionally by my mom and dad although my mom was the rock.
The family.
She held it together so beautifully and gracefully.
So that's a great memory.

A nice memory I have ..was a time in my life between 10-12 I think..
my BFF lol (we didn't say that back then..) was Gwen..
I mentioned her here on my blog..on a post..on a few posts actually..
she was Dutch..her yard bordered on ours..I think 3 yards did..we had small lots..compared to here..
we became friends at that fun age..still all innocent.
This was 50 yrs ago..
I did see her once..briefly..in '77 I think..and we lost touch.
She lived in the Netherlands.Email wasn't a thing etc..no FB..no IG..no US lol.

Anyway to make a long story short..(who am I kidding..short?)..
one day her husband Googled her name for some reason..and my blog post showed up..
she emailed..I emailed back..and forth..

and guess what?
They came to Canada for a visit and dropped by:)
Last week.
It was so nice to see her ..after all these years..
when we were children,her parents were also..so nice to me..
They would bring me back charms when they returned to Holland..
You can see the shoe in one photo and one of the two windmills in the other.
They gave me dropjes..:) And Gouda cheese sliced ever so thinly..oh I wanted to eat it all♥
Ollibollens..OMG..fried on their back balcony.And speculaas..I could eat all the tin windmills I wanted.
I loved everything about them..the family..

Gwen was so lucky..she had a sister:)
Not me:(
When they visited..they brought me dropjes and speculaas spice:)

But not only that..she brought photos I gave her in the 70's..

and she brought me memories..

How she remembered the FIESTA chip tin and how she begged her mom for some because I had some..
How she found me so lucky to have the Barbie Fashion Shop..and all my Barbies:)
How we had our message box out back and would leave secret messages to each other.Modern day Nancy Drews we were:)
She made me have tears:)
How she never remembered I was overweight.
Isn't that funny..she didn't ever even notice.
That's a BFF.

At what age do we start to notice differences and make fun of them?
Not all of us do..
But I had my share of those who did.
Notice.

She didn't!!

So anyway..all this to say..
it was so nice..she and her husband..so nice..Jacques and I loved our time w/ them here albeit short and rainy.
A gardener wants the sun to be shining so we can sit outside and see the blooms and the girls:)
We sat inside:)
They biked over..how neat is that..not from next door either..my friend and her dear husband are tall and fit:) Parents and grandparents like we are.
I am happy to report that every day..since they have been here after that day I think..the weather has been fantastic.


I made cookies the next day:)

I was going to leave the recipe..but although they tasted like speculaas..they were not..too thick ..too chewey..we still ate them..:)
It was found on the net..I'll test again.

The tin was a Varage Sale find:)♥It has a bell♥That was me ..and Gwen's mom handing me cookies:)

So feast or famine here rain wise..famine right now..for our area..anyway..

the Japanese Anemones are blooming..the dahlias..are starting their show in that front bed where my Tuscan hedge is;)

If you plant a Paul Farges clematis  get ready for a spectac show..but almost prohibits entering the archway;)

The Wave petunias..are ohmygosh florabundance!

Every couple of years I seem to have to tackle  removing some of the overgrowth on our many pathways..what a %^$#@^&*( job.

Done..that area is done.

I am addicted to crochet and dishcloths..liking to make sets..of course..

Our darling Lucas turns 12..we took him for his traditional lunch and shop day.
I am sitting with a very fine young gentleman now.
He makes my heart beat...burst..they all do..but when you have a grandson that now opens doors for you..still kisses you..even takes your hand in public..well  ..and he is almost as tall as me...it's a different beat..a teen age beat I guess!

Love those chocolate bars I first saw on Bridgets beautiful blog Bake at 350..I bought some when we went to the USA.
Perfect to add to cards.


That photograph book was mine grade 6..I know because it is written inside..I have 2 pics of Gwen in it:)

 Hello Gwen!.... And  hello Guido!

She was so cute..now she is beautiful..long curly hair..so tall..and slim..and nice.
I wish I still had all that stuff that was in my room..that bénitier..the little angel on the wall held holy water..a first communion gift I guess..pink wings w/ gold accents..the two bambis from when I was born on top I still have..it was a vase..and is:) I am sure that is my girl w/ the parasol in the middle china..and the flowers on her skirt were raised..where the heck is she?..that dresser had 2 sliding glass panels.I put my precious things in there..  my Comtesse de Ségur books and Nancy Drews..an eclectic mix;)
a long drawer..my Prismacolors and paper and pencils were in there..notes and finds etc.. 2 doors at the bottom..my clothes.
I want all that stuff back,
I want to look and touch and hold everything.
If even for a moment.

Have a beautiful weekend..week..etc..hard to post every week..
have to cut down..gardens..chickens..painting..stitching..birthdays...
so many birthdays!