1. December 5, 2004 - Sinterklaas arrives in Castricum - to the elementary school across the street from our house. Also pictured are 3 of his helpers in the bright satin outfits.

2. December 18, 2004. This view shows our wooden back garden fence to the right, and our back path giving access to our neighbors' garden house. The street access is 20 feet behind where I am standing to take the photo.  The hedge at the left is our real back property line. Just this week I planted the beginnings of a hedge at the foot of the wooden fence - 11 bushes: English boxwood and dwarf pine intermixed. At the near edge of the fence is our back gate entrance to our yard.

3. December 29, 2004. Back garden in winter.

4. December 29, 2004. Front garden showing Christmas scenes in upstairs and downstairs picture windows and pink roses at right almost fully opened.

5. Susan taking a Christmas baking break :-)

6.  December 27, 2004 -  Christmas dinner at Victor's in Utrecht.  L. to R.  Tobias 16.5, Simon 18, Victor, Stan.  Also celebrating Simon's 18th birthday from December 23rd and Susan's birthday December 30th.

7. December 27, 2004. What the bookcase at Victor's holds. L. to R. Black and white photo of Stan taking a snapshot early 1980s; large color photo of Tobias 9 and Simon 11;  front L. to R.  in red  round frame - Victor 1 and Stan 6; in lavender frame Tobias 14 and Simon 16.

8. December 27, 2004. Victor and Stan posing as in black and white photo in red frame in above pix.

9.  December 27, 2004. Simon and Tobias preparing raw oysters as appetizer to dinner.  Note microwave oven sitting on refrigerator - typical arrangement in Dutch kitchen.

10.  December 27, 2004. Victor, the master chef, with after dinner indulgences - cigar in hand and cognac.

email and web site: stan@powertoshare.com--http://www.powertoshare.com
email and web site: susan@susankramer.com--http://www.susankramer.com