Happy Holidays from the Netherlands 2010 ~ Fijne Feestdagen vanuit Nederland 2010

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Painting/Drawing copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong.  All rights reserved.

"Christmas Things" - December 2010

Watercolors and Pen & Ink on Fabriano paper  -  6"h x 8"w

It’s time for Kats-in-Klompen to take a break for the holidays! There are trees to decorate, cookies to eat, games to play and time to enjoy being with our family & friends here in Holland.

Thank you to our readers for visiting our blog during 2010. We’ve had some great feedback/comments on the blog and in emails, and we even made some new friends this past year :o) . Also, a "thank you" to those who purchased some art work --> Sacha is particularly thankful for that as she sees it as more cat treats for her, of course!

We’ll return to blogging sometime in January with more tales (tails) of our life in the Netherlands, our travels and yes, new art work.

"Sacha's Christmas Card 2010"

copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong

We wish you all the joys of the holidays, whatever you celebrate, and a Happy, Prosperous, New Year!

Fijne Feestdagen en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Tot ziens
(until we see you again),

Judy
& Sacha (the kat in klompen)

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Random Silliness - Snow Monster!!

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photo copyright Auke Nijholt. all rights reserved.

"Snow Monster" Netherlands - December 19, 2010

This snow monster in our front garden is a little late for Halloween, don't you think? 10 inches of snow last night (and overnight)! More on the way? Possibly.

What a winter we're having! :o)

Edited to add: Video of Utrecht this morning, shot from a Dutch news chanel's (NOS) helicopter:

Video copyright NOS Nieuws - Netherlands

December 19, 2010

Let it snow!

Judy

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Snowy Dogwood ~ another Photo Friday for today!

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"Snowy Dogwood "  Dec. 17, 2010

photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.

This is what's happening today in Holland - more snow! In the fall and winter, I've always loved the look of the bare red branches of this flowering dogwood. I don't know the true name of this type of dogwood, it was also a volunteer in my garden long before I even moved to Holland, but it's always been beautiful in the snow.

So far it's been snowing all day here and it's still coming down as I type. So I posted another Photo Friday for today ... :o)

Edit to add: I just noticed that last year on Dec. 17th, we also had a big snow:
White stuff fell on my flamingoes ... snow in the Netherlands - Dec 17, 2009.

doei (bye),

Judy

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Cold Feet! - Photo Friday

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"Cold Feet!"

photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong. all rights reserved.

December 2010

This past Tuesday, I saw these ducks walking on the frozen canal behind our house; they were getting a bit too close to the edge of our deck.

Sacha, (my cat (kat), for those readers who don't already know her), also saw them. Uh-oh! She was very interested - a little too interested, as I had to keep her from jumping onto the ice! She's not a very good ice skater, even if she is Dutch. :o)

I think I'm going to start doing "Photo Fridays" on  this blog. I've seen this done elsewhere in the blogosphere and it would be a nice way to show a little bit of my Netherlands (and/or Europe) to my blog readers - without having to do a drawing or a painting every time (lol! getting lazy in my old age). So look for more "Photo Fridays" in the coming year...which is coming too soon, in my opinion!

tot ziens,

Judy

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Chilly Chilies - colored pencil & ink drawing

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Drawing copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong

Chilly Chilies SOLD

5"h x 6"w - approx.

Colored Pencils, Pen & Ink on Bristol paper

It's chilly outside, so it's chili for dinner!
Eet smakelijk! (bon appetit!) :o)

For this drawing I used:

• Faber-Castell and Caran D'Ache Pablo regular colored pencils
• Sakura Pigma Micron pen (black ink)
• Strathmore Bristol drawing paper

tot ziens,

Judy

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Sinterklaas Pakejsavond, 2010 ~ ~ ~ Saint Nicholas Gift Night, 2010

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Original painting copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong

Sinterklaasfeest -2010  SOLD

8"h x 5.25"w  approx.

Watercolors, Gouache and Pen & Ink on Arches HP paper

It's December 5th again! Tonight is "pakjesavond" (gift night), when we celebrate the feast of Sinterklaas ... and eat lots of "pepernoten" (peppernuts, aka gingernuts - cookies).

We have a big sack of pepernoten to share with you too - 2.5 kilos of pepernoten !!!

photo copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong

And while you're enjoying the pepernoten, here's our favorite Sinterklaaslied (St. Nicholas song) by the 1980's Dutch pop group, Het Goede Doel (The Good Deed) .

"Sinterklaas, wie kent hem niet" (St. Nicholas, who doesn't know him.)

written & performed by Henk Westbroek and Henk Temming

Het Goede Doel - ©1982

First and last refrain:

Sinterklaas, wie kent hem niet.

Sinterklaas, Sinterklaas en nauturlijk Zwarte Piet

(St. Nicholas, who doesn't know him.

St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas and of course Black Pete)

Second refrain:

Marsepein

Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten

Speculaas

Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten

Suikergoed

Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten

Taai, taai, taai, taai, taai, taai

Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten, Pepernoten

(We could translate that, but it's all about the sweet delicious treats we'll be eating tonight.

We're sure you get the idea! *giggle* ;o) )
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This marks our 5th year of writing about Sinterklaas ... how many more? lol
If you'd  like to read our other posts, here they are:

2010 - Set those klompen out! Sinterklaas has arrived!

2009 - Dec.5th, ~ Another Sinterklaasfeest!

2008 - Sinterklaasfeest,2008 ~ St. Nicholas Feast, 2008

2007 - Sinterklaas Pakjesavond ~ St. Nicholas Gift Night

2006 - Sinterklaas might be the original Santa Claus!

To all our Dutch friends throughout the Netherlands

and the world:

We wish you

een Gelukkig Sinterklaasfeest!

(a Happy Saint Nicholas feast).

tot ziens,

Judy and Sacha
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Sacha needs snowshoes ...

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photos copyright Judith Nijholt-Strong

Sacha Investigates a Lantern in the Snow 

Dec. 2, 2010 - Utrecht, The Netherlands

It's perfectly "artic" in Holland & I'm freezing my tail off.

I need better shoes - snowy paws are not pleasent.

And the klompen aren't working for me.

Help, send snowshoes!

Sacha

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