Chinese Lantern Plant and Thanksgiving...nothing in common.

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"Fall-ing Lanterns" copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong
8" x 8" approx., colored pencils with pen & ink

Well nothing in common, really, except maybe that the little "Chinese Lanterns" on the plant look like pumpkins (sort of) and they remind me of Thanksgiving.

This drawing was done with Lyra Rembrandt colored pencils, Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils (which are both oil-based colored pencils) and black Sigma Micron ink pens. I don't know what paper I used, as there was no watermark on it ... perhaps Arches, but I'm not sure.

Oh yeah, Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family in the USA, The Netherlands and wherever in the world you are.

Eet Smakelijk! :0)
(bon appétit ! enjoy your meal!)

doei (bye)

Judy

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Crows from Utrecht ... Kraaien van uit Utrecht

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Just some images of the crows (kraaien) in Utrecht city center.
We find the crows entertaining, interesting and beautiful. We know most people don't like them, but we do.

By the Oudegracht in Utrecht.


In a park in Utrecht. Very freindly, this one!


View of the Oudegracht in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Typically an overcast fall day. Photo taken last week.

Crow = Kraai
Crows = Kraaien
Black = Zwarte
Old Canal = Oudegracht

That's all!

:o)

Tot ziens,

Sacha & Judy

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Remembering ... Veterans Day, Rememberance Day or Armistice Day.

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"Verdun" Félix Vallotton - 1917

oil on canvas , Musee de l'Armee - Paris, France

Today is "Veterans Day" in the USA. A day first established in 1919 (and then called "Armistice Day") to commemorate/remember the end of the First World War and to honor those who served. Today, "Veterans Day" in the US is also to honor those who have served in all past/current wars - the "veterans".

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The UK and France also have their "Rememberance Day".

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Having vacationed a lot in the Somme region of France, (where the fiercest battles of WWI took place), my "humans" have seen many monuments and memorial gravesites to those fallen during WWI.
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This is a British gravesite near Auxi-le-Château in Beauvois-Wavans, France.

photo copyright Auke Nijholt

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A typical wrought iron cross marking a spot of a battle on a field (now a wheat field) in the Somme region.

photo copyright Auke Nijholt
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Poppy fields in France. This photo was taken near St. Valery-sur-Somme, France last summer.

photo copyright Auke Nijholt

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The red poppy is the symbolic flower of WWI.

"Veterans Day" or "Rememberance Day" is not celebrated in the Netherlands. During WWI, the Netherlands remained neutral. However, Kaiser Wilhelm II fled Germany to take up residence here in the town of Doorn. This is a picture of "Huis Doorn"(House Doorn) where he lived until his death. Yes, that's a bust of old "Kaiser Willy" there in the pic., with the manor house in the distance.

photo copyright Auke Nijholt

The "Kaiser" is buried in the mausoleum on the grounds of "Huis Doorn".

photo copyright Auke Nijholt

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You can take tours of the house, see the massive amounts of personal belongings he brought with him (by train loads... many trains!) and stroll the expansive gardens. It's actually quite interesting, according to my humans. ;-)

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Tot ziens,

Sacha

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For more on Huis Doorn, see this amazing website (also available in english and german). You can look through the collection of photos and objects in the collection.
http://www.huisdoorn.nl/huisdoorn.html
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For more on French artist Félix Valloton:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_Vallotton
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I also found this website of art from the First World War...have a look, it's very interesting.

http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/visite.html

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Proud to be ...

~

Frederick Childe Hassam (b1859 - d1935, American Impressionist painter)
"Allies Day", 1917 - oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Yes, my human "mom" is proud to be an American - real proud!

We (my humans and myself ) stayed up to watch the election returns on television until 6am yesterday! The returns were broadcasted here in the Netherlands on two Dutch tv networks, the BBC tv network, RAI the Italian tv network, CNN world and ZED the German tv network. We watched all of them and if we received the French network, we would have watched that too! lol Which is why I'm a day late in posting this! lol

What an election; what a result! "Yes we can" and yes we did! It was wonderful to listen to a beautiful acceptance speach by the President-elect Obama and a gracious conscession speach by Senator McCain.


"A New America" (Een Nieuw Amerika) October 6th, 2008
The Utrecht newspaper on my kitchen table
Utrecht, Netherlands

If America can begin to heal its wounds and look to a hope-filled and peaceful future, then so can the rest of the world. That is our wish for everyone.

:o)

Sacha (de kat)

and my "humans"

Judy & Auke

For more info on the impressionist artist, Frederick Childe Hassam, click here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childe_Hassam
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Vote! Vote! Vote! ... (and a blog milestone)

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Just a reminder for our friends in the US ...

I don't really care who you vote for, it's your choice to make ... just VOTE!

but ...

Kats-in-Klompen vote for Barack Obama :o)

We like change, it's a good for you!

(as an expat, "mom" sent in her ballot early last month)

This also marks the 100th post on this blog ...hooray!

tot ziens,

Sacha
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