4-8 April 2011
Crokel
Spring has arrived.
A snowdrop surprised me last week.
New life is everywhere.
Flowers blossom everywhere.
The sky is all blue.
The sun shines.
Yet, I feel a cloud.
The worls is missing one Crokel (Crocus).
Mum, I enjoyed your stories about the old days.
How you were filled with joy telling your dad that the Crokels were flowering.
About the country school.
How you made your own quarters out of pennies with a bit of tin foil.
And headed for the shop to buy candy with it.
Team up with your little brothers to pick apples in the orchard.
How the house was full of joy when your dad brought fish home.
How you sipped from grandma's wine and topped up the bottle with water
to make sure she didn't notice.
How you cared with love for your ill father.
How happy you were when your little sister was born, and your first cousin!
You wanted to be mother yourself.
And you did became one.
O, how proude your were: a boy!
And 2 girls later.
You were happy that we could move to Zwartewaal.
A house big enough for the whole familiy with a sunny southern garden,
with space for chickens and flowers.
dec 2009, throw snow balls
at the Brielse Maas.
You took pride in your housekeeping, your 3 kids.
And all of them have plenty to eat and decent clothes!
Your bicycle was your main mode of transport,
to the swimming pool in Heenvliet,
go for groceries in den Briel of Hellevoet.
You have put grandma's motto into practice
Beware to enjoy!
Your many holidays, love for nature, music, dansing, Rien Poortvliet's drawings, the many gnomes around you.
It was a pleasure for me to see how you enjoyed my online stories.
You were happy with your role as permanent SUMit consultant.
Unfortunately, bike and pool swapped for sofa and bed.
Foreign people took over your housekeeping job.
And still, you managed to keep smiling till the very end.
I unable to do anything
gave way for a smile and a hug.
You dared to dream again,
using the dragon dreaming posters
made with your assistence.
Some dreams came true, to your own amezement.
Slowly you slipped away from sofa and bed.
You gained a bit of weight.
You managed to assist in house keeping.
Oct 2010, a dream comes true: assisting in house keeping.
Oct 2010, a dream comes true.
Cheers, own set of keys again!
You managed to walk again, even out doors.
First just a few steps, growing into small walks,
until you managed to push your damned grannies walking aid right through mud.
Oct 2010, a dream comes true: enjoying nature.
You were able to join me for groceries.
And you even dared to be on a bicycle again,
because with such a cool Trets it is impossible to fall over.
I was so damned proud of you!

Oct 2010, a dream comes true: cycling in Dutch country side.
Nov 2010, go by bike and enjoy a sausice bun.
Brrrr, winter is arriving, how cold it is!
Yes indeed, end of November does get a bit chilly for cycling.
But with six blankets and a few hot-water bottles
will bring back your temparature quickly!
Thank you for all your stories, your advice, your love, your hugs, your wisdom, your fun.
I enjoy life and will keep on doing so.
What I will remember for ever:
Beware to enjoy!
Till
next nut,
Nut
Hannie, Johanna Hendrika Nootenboom-Blok, 4 Dec 1940 - 4 Apr 2011