The Spiders Of Belgium

A Cross spider, one of many
Belgian varieties

I've been absolutely loving the fall weather we've been experiencing over the past few weeks. Cool mornings are giving way to warm and mostly sunny afternoons. The days are noticeably shorter with sunrise coming long after we get up and sunset occurring before I can even get dinner on the table. While the leaves lack the vibrant colors of New England autumns, they are slowing turning to shades of red and yellow. I'm loving all aspects of Belgian fall except for one: the spiders. Yes spiders.

I had been hearing complaints from fellow Americans here in Belgium about the plethora of seasonal bugs that inevitably invade their homes but I figured these creepy creatures appeared because these houses were located in more rural parts of the area and were surrounded by farms and fields. I figured that by living in the city center we were safe. But alas, that is unfortunately not the case. We too have been invaded by spiders and I don't like it at all.

These spiders are literally everywhere. I first noticed them in the high corners of a few rooms in the house. They were mostly the Daddy Long legged variety that I had grown up with and appeared to be limiting the building of their webs near the air vents leading to the outside of the house. I would sweep them away only to have them return the next day but they were essentially harmless and with our high ceilings, didn't really bother me. But then they began appearing in our large windows. These were larger spiders, often sporting huge egg sacs, but fortunately they spun their webs outside of the house rather than inside. But then I realized that they were not just hanging out in our windows; they were extending their webs to our climbing rose bushes and other shrubs. And they are all connected, meaning our small yard has become a booby trap of spider silk. These spiders move fast too; on more than one occasion I've discovered newly spun webs being built on top of my fresh laundry. But it gets better since I've gotten caught in more than one web because I didn't see the fine silk strung before me. Now I don't like spiders but for the most part I can abide by these. But getting the silk stuck all over me is a whole different story. Its horrible.

So I've been doing my research on spiders here in Belgium and have discovered that there are over 700 different species of spiders in Belgium. Fortunately, none of them are really venomous but that doesn't make me like them any more. Fall is apparently the season when spiders hatch their egg sacs so apparently it is only going to get worse before it gets better. I also found out that spiders are a common topic to blog about in Belgium. In fact, there are numerous blogs discussing this very topic. Again this doesn't really make me feel that much better but at least I am not alone.

Now I know spiders are good since they eat other bugs. And we don't have other noticeable bugs....maybe because we have all of these spiders? Or maybe not. I've been told that spiders don't like peppermint oil and spraying a little in the vicinity of their webs is a non-toxic method for getting rid of them. Of course I couldn't find any peppermint oil in the local markets--maybe because everyone else has already bought it? So I've ordered some from trusty old Amazon.com and am now anxiously awaiting its arrival. In the meantime I'm staring down the big old spider hanging out in my window and have tasked Glenn with clearing the webs from the backyard before our company arrives this evening. Perhaps the spiders will simply move on for the winter on their own. But I will now be prepared for the next time they return because just like rain in Belgium the spiders always return.

In The Valley Of The Seven Chateaux: The Gardens Of The Grand-Chateau D'Ansembourg

The god of grapes/wine..what isn't
to like?

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a.k.a. Luxembourg, a.k.a. the "lux" of BENELUX is a tiny sovereign nation sandwiched between Belgium, France and Germany. It is a member of the European Union, NATO and the United Nations as well as other international organizations. Luxembourg has the second highest GDP in the world and is officially tri-lingual with French, German and Luxembourgish (who knew there was such a thing!) being the languages of choice. And as is the case with most of western Europe, English is also widely spoken. Luxembourg is a country I had only driven through when going from Belgium to Germany and back again. From the highway the land looked a lot like neighboring Belgium and Germany with rolling farm land filled with cows, soaring windmills keeping the power on and immaculately kept villages. And as I discovered on a recent trip to Luxembourg where I actually got off the highway, it is all that and so much more.

The scenery in Luxembourg is truly spectacular with lush fields and forests and the afore mentioned quaint villages. But Luxembourg also has castles, or as they are called in French, chateaux. Lots of them. In the central part of the country lies the Valley of the Seven Chateaux, which as the name aptly describes, is home to seven impressive chateaux that date back to the earliest days before Luxembourg was called Luxembourg. They dot the hillsides, some are obvious and others hidden, but all add to the charm and beauty of this bucolic valley. Today the chateaux are in various states of (dis)repair with most of them being closed to the public. The (new) Chateau of Ansembourg however, is one that is partially opened to the public.

The restored gardens as viewed from the Chateau

The new Chateau of Ansembourg was first built in 1639 (only in Europe would this be considered "new") by a prosperous Belgian industrialist who benefited from the local timber and iron industries. Over the years the chateau changed hands through marriage, expanded its footprint, changed hands again and ultimately fell into a state of neglect when its upkeep simply became too much for the family to bear. (This seems to be the case with so many great estates--upkeep and maintenance is expensive). Unfortunately, the estate was abandoned for years.

After years of neglect, the chateau is currently undergoing an extensive renovation. The current owner purchased the property in 1987 and immediately set about a series of renovations to the buildings that is still ongoing today. While the chateau itself is still under construction and closed to the public the stables have been fully restored and currently house event space. During my visit they hosted a Japanese art and porcelain exhibit.

Reflection

The chateau as seen from the back garden; this is, in my opinion, the
most impressive view

But the real show stopper is the gardens, whose renovation took place in 1999. Today they are fully restored and visitors can tour the garden daily. What appears to be a single large garden is actually a series of specialized garden spaces. Fruit trees line the stone walls of the upper part of the garden producing apples and pears which are turned into juice and jams which visitors can purchase. (Honey is also available and it is some of the best honey I have ever tasted). Below the terraced walls lies a series of koi ponds and fountains which are surrounded by boxwood hedges. All of the water features in the gardens are spring fed from the nearby Eisch River. A manicured boxwood maze invites visitors to find their way to the center and out again as does the shady walkway that separates the garden from the river. Our guide informed us that this walkway was designed with two purposes in mind; first for ladies to be able to get fresh air without their skin being colored by the sun and secondly, for these same ladies to be able to discretely walk with suitors without out prying eyes taking notice. There are also numerous rose gardens and open green lawns. Statuary Row features a series of carefully restored statues featuring various gods and goddesses. And throughout the garden, in both sunny and shaded areas, there are benches inviting visitors to stop and take in the atmosphere.

This is definitely a place that is serene and invites lingering. The restoration of the chateau itself is still a work in progress but when it is complete if it is anything like the gardens it will be a masterpiece. But in the meantime, if you find yourself in the Valley of the Seven Chateaux, take some time to stop and stroll through the garden. You won't be disappointed.

Statuary Row

If you go:

Grand-Chateau d' Ansembourg
10 Rue de la Vallee
L-7411 Ansembourg
Luxembourg
+35 2 30 88 41 316
info@gcansembourg.eu
www.gcansembourg.eu

Open most days from 09.00 

Wordless Wednesday: Strength & Beauty

The Irony Of It All

(I'm a week late but hey, I was too busy reading my banned book to write about them!).

Last week was Banned Book Week in the United States. Yes, there is a week dedicated to highlighting and promoting literature that has been banned for expressing views, using language or containing subject matter that some people find objectionable. While I think it is important to bring attention to this issue, for me, the real problem is that books are being banned. I mean really? Isn't it ironic that in a country whose very foundation is based on liberty and free speech, that as communities we ban books. How is that even possible? Granted, books that get placed on this ill fated list are still available in some bookstores and libraries but they are not accessible to everyone because some self appointed entity decided that they disagreed with what was written on the pages before them. Books tend to get banned locally by over zealous school boards and city councils who take it upon themselves to become their community's morality police. And what message does the banning of a book really send? To me, it seems to imply that if you don't like or agree with something you can simply make it go away. Now that is pretty darn scary.......

But what is the real purpose of banning a book? Is it to stifle discussion and knowledge about a particular subject because you don't like or agree with it? Is it to limit exposure to ideas that are different or conflict with those of your own? Is it an attempt to erase history because what happened is no longer considered to be politically correct thoughts or actions? Rather than making it difficult for an entire community to access this material wouldn't it be better if you simply chose not to read the books you personally find offensive?  And if you don't want your children reading it then that is an issue between you and them. It isn't right to impose your values on others. Don't allow them to read the books you find so offensive, or better yet, read them together and discuss the material. Banning a book isn't going to prevent your child (or yourself for that matter) from hearing certain language or learning about certain subjects.

Growing up, one of my favorite books was The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear. I received it in a Scholastic Book order and devoured it in one long weekend of reading. As a young girl I simply loved the story yet when this same book was spotted on the library shelves of my school by an "all knowing" parent who thought she knew what was best for all children, it quickly disappeared. (This also created a run on the book as I passed my copy from one friend to another). Did this mother really think young girls would turn to witchcraft because they read this book? That thought never crossed my mind when I read the book the first, second and third times. And it certainly didn't this past weekend when I reread this classic book from my childhood.

But maybe I just like controversial books since so many of my favorites have found themselves on banned book lists. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have long been offensive books in the eyes of some people. Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Beloved have become list regulars because of language and references to sex, violence and religion. And Dori Hillestad Butler's My Mom's Having A Baby and the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, books clearly written for children have been banned because of subject matter and supposed offensive language. The lists, complied in the land of the free and free speech just literally go on and on. Isn't it ironic?

Books aren't dangers but narrow minds are.

Still Knitting For A Cause (An Updated Repeat)

I don't consider myself to be a crafty person; my one attempt at scrap booking resulted in a sticky mess that would have embarrassed a pre-schooler.  After years of trying and failing, I've come to terms with the fact that my one crafty outlet is knitting (and yes, this was before the resurgence of knitting as a hipster cool hobby).  I grew up watching my mom knit but first lesson came in first grade when my Brownie troop was making acrylic potholders.  This was in the late 1970s so acrylic, and garishly colored acrylic at that, was all the rage. I'm not sure who thought acrylic was an appropriate fiber to place on a hot object but my little troop toiled away in the school cafeteria learning this ancient craft.  I gradually moved onto scarves which after all, are potholders on steroids.  I continued to knit off and on over the years and with time the sophistication of my projects, both in style and materials, increased.  During college I spent two summers working in a now defunct yarn shop where I became even more proficient in complex designs.  I also spent a ridiculously large portion of my salary on yarn since I learned early on that half of the fun of knitting is buying and collecting yarn for my "stash.   While living in D.C. I discovered the oh so cool Fiber Space yarn shop in Old Town Alexandria where I spent money we didn't have on yarn for future projects.  A few years ago I learned about Ralvery, an on-line database that allows me to keep track of my projects, yarns, and supplies with the click of a mouse.  For a database junkie like myself, this discovery seemed too good to be true.

Two years ago, with my closets crammed full of sweaters I came to the realization that by knitting socks, I could complete projects quickly and that as a project, a pair of socks was a lot more portable than a full sized adult sweater. I personally don't wear socks but my friends and family did so away I went with my knitting until even they were running from my hand knit creations.  In a attempt to find an appreciative audience for my socks, I stumbled across Socks for Soldiers.  This not-for-profit organization that is run out of a single woman's home in Ohio sends hand made regulation socks (and other essential items) to American soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan- or any other location where American troops are deployed.  At last I had found an outlet for my hobby, and vast yarn stash, while supporting a cause (the soldiers, not the war) that is personal.

Like so many organizations these days, Socks for Soldiers is run completely online.  I've never met any of the other knitters and my only contact with them is through occasional updates on their online forum.  By posted comments and email signature lines, I suspect that I am a good two to three decades younger than most of the other knitters, I am one of the few people whose military connections are though an officer rather than enlisted personnel (this is abundantly clear through written comments and asides) and my politics and (lack of) religious views would cause their yarn to jump into knots.  Regardless of these factors, we are all happily supporting a cause that we believe in.  Just like the military, the rules for knitting socks are strict; colors, patterns, and sizes must be uniform and the regulation olive drab knee high socks are tedious to knit.  We are allowed to knit leisure socks which can be brightly colored and fun and this is where I focus most of my energy.  Its fun, it empties my stash (which allows me to replenish) and it supports  those in need.

I knit occasionally while in Albania; the heat and my schedule just wasn't conducive to fondling wool for extensive periods of time. But not that I am in Belgium, things have changed and so has my production rate of socks. The weather is usually cool and with my family's schedules I find myself spending a lot of time hurrying up then waiting. Sometimes I'm waiting for a few minutes but other times I'm sitting for a lot longer. And knitting, especially small portable projects, is the perfect way for me to pass the time. I've lost track of the number of sock projects I've completed over the past few months but it certainly is a lot. I do know that I'm making regular excursions to the post office to ship my completed projects back to the States where they are then repackaged and mailed back overseas. 

So as a war that isn't a war but continues to place our troops in harms way appears to be gearing up once again, I will continue to do my little part to support our troops. I have no idea who the recipients of my socks are but I am sure they are appreciative of the thought and energy that went into making them. (I did meet a solider at the post office at the base in Kosovo once, who upon noticing my customs forms with the Socks for Soldiers mailing address, commented that he had once been the recipient of socks while he was deployed and that he still wore them). And I thought that was pretty darn cool.



The Importance Of Education

I believe that education is the single most important thing that a person can acquire. Formal or informal, it is something that once you have it, no one, no matter what the circumstances, can take your education away from you. There are many types of education and the form itself is less important than what you get out of it. Whether it be formal education involving books and school room learning or experiential learning by getting out and doing, it is all important and valuable. It can open doors to employment and even more education; it teaches you about yourself, other people and the world around you.

Now I love physically being in a classroom and learning. I proudly possess multiple diplomas and while it might appear that I don't "use" these degrees on a daily basis earning them taught me the rewards of hard work, dedication and commitment. The process of earning these degrees showed me how to look critically at the world around me which in turn has only enhanced my out of the classroom learning. Whether I am traveling or simply running my daily errands I observe and question what I see around me. What I learned in the classroom has taught me to be a lifelong student when I am outside of the school room as well.

Education and learning is so important to me. Fortunately this love of learning is something thing that has been passed onto Sidney, who even at his young age, loves learning about new things and more importantly, going to school each day. In fact, on weekends and extended school breaks he tells us that he misses being at school and wants to go back. He also wants to verify that the other kids aren't at school without him. I know at this young age that going to school is as much about the learning of and doing new things as it is about the socialization aspect of his day. (But then again socialization is learning). Both inside the classroom and out, he observes and absorbs everything he sees and hears, asking follow up questions when he doesn't understand and never accepting anything at face value. (Sure this is annoying at times but I absolutely love the fact that he always wants to know more). During daily reading time he listens and reads along with the stories but then asks a series of why or how questions about what he has heard. Whether we are visiting a museum or driving to school, he asks questions about what he sees only to repeat what he has learned later in the day. I can only hope that Sidney's love of learning continues as he grows older.

So why am I writing about the importance of education today? I blame it a bit on the cool fall weather and the start of a new school year. But it is also something I've been thinking about a lot lately. At the moment I am back in the classroom taking both French lessons and intermediate watercolor classes and am enjoying being a student again without all of the pressures of trying to earn a good grade. I may not be studying tomes of literature and having intellectual discussions but my mind is reeling as I conjugate French verbs and try to figure out how to get my brush strokes just right. This renewed learning has me feeling alive again and that has reminded me about the importance of education. It is also reminding me to "look outside of the box" at the different types of life long learning that takes place on a daily basis. Every day can serve as a lesson of some sort. This is a message that I am teaching my young son and one that I need to remember and apply to myself as well.

Life is one big lesson so embrace it. I am.

Crush

My little boy is experiencing his first real crush and from a mother's perspective it is both cute and mildly disturbing. I discovered this quite by accident but once I did all of the pieces about his new behavior became quite clear. He's loved school for some time now but this year he comes bouncing out of bed each morning eager to get to school. Last year getting him dressed each morning was a struggle with my wanting to dress him in Gap and his preferring to look like a a mixture of Eminem and southern redneck. This year he has adopted a habit (which I love) of letting me pick out his well coordinated outfits each morning. On the mornings he does pick out his own clothes he has taken to asking me if his shirt matches his pants then contemplating which shoes he should wear instead of defaulting to his dreaded Spider Man sneakers that light up. Then there is the insistence that he look in the car mirror each morning to make sure he doesn't have any stray smears of food on his face. Add in his new insistence that we park in a certain parking lot each morning during school drop off and I should have suspected that something was up but in hindsight all of these are cues that I had completely missed.

Call me clueless but I first suspected something was up when he would eagerly run up to a cute little blond girl each morning and excitedly chatter away with her as we walked up the hill. He would also talk excitedly to her mother, starting each sentence with the phrase "excuse me" before narrating a story or detail about what he had done since he last saw them. Both mother and daughter always give Sidney their full attention which he loves. Over the course of the past week I noticed that would be craning his neck on our walk up the hill from the parking lot to the school then jumping with joy when he spotted the little girl and her mom. Daily recaps always include details about what he did with this girl during the day along (they drew an American flag together) but also have the qualifier that sometimes boys and girls don't play together at school. Last Thursday after school he sadly told me that the little girl hadn't been there but on Friday he practically ran into traffic in excitement when he spotted them. They were walking ahead of us but returned his affection by turning around and smiling several times before making her mother stop so we could catch up with them. And then there was last weekend's Oktoberfest celebration. He spotted them across the tent and jumped out of his seat wanting to go say hello to them. (And this was after he had flat out refused to go greet other classmates of his). Glenn brought him over and watched as our son said hello to the object of his affection.

Watching this from a mother's standpoint is strange. First, my little boy is just shy of five so I had assumed I have years before I would have to witness his flirtatious behavior. Five! (That just seems so young but Glenn has informed me that he kissed his first girl around this age). This is my little boy who still sleeps with and carries around his "baba" (blanket) when he is at home. But he is the same boy who is proudly declaring that he is a big boy and can do things for himself now. And apparently liking a girl (or gurl as he says) is one of those things. I'm simultaneously proud and a bit unnerved. I'm also a bit scared and sad. This is partially because I am just not ready for this but also because we are all military families and I happen to know she will be moving soon. I don't want to have to witness my son's heartbreak when the object of his affection leaves the country for another destination. Or when she breaks his heart by rejecting his little boy's advances. But maybe she won't, or he won't. I don't know.....what I do know is that I am just not ready for this. But then again, will I ever be?