Sunday, January 01, 2023

What's new in our year

🎉HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!🎉

The past week has sped by and here we are at the 1st of January, 2023. Incredible! Actually, this is the first time I've written the new year as the date, so I hope I'll get used to it soon. There's nearly always an overlap period when I mistakenly write the old year on invoices and letters, but we've been looking forward to leaving 2022 behind so much, I have a feeling 2023 won't take long to embed itself in my writing mind. 

So what's new so far? Well, we had a lovely time with the new grandpup over Christmas. He is such a sweetheart it's impossible not to be soppy about him (sorry, if you're not a dog person, feel free to skip this part!). He's already settled in and is enjoying family life with my daughter and her boyfriend. Much to our pleasure and surprise, he's getting on very well with Mini, their little cat who was so ill. She's now recovered so well she's twice the size she used to be and seems completely unafraid of puppy Mack, even encouraging him to play with her. 

This, if you remember, is Mini

Mack, chewing Grandpa's toes

Here's Mack fast asleep under the table while we were having Christmas lunch.


And here he is sleeping over the toy bone my daughter crocheted for him. It was so sweet the way he'd play and then suddenly just fall asleep.


In other news, which my readers here are the first to know, we are moving the Vereeniging again. Surprised? Yes! So are we! 

To explain, the mooring in Oudensbosch has been lovely and we've enjoyed being there, but I'm working less and less in Rotterdam and am increasingly working online. As a result, I have only occasional need of an overnight stop on the way to the city, and it is still quite a journey to reach her from the Crumbly Cottage, where I have my office set up. With fuel prices being so unpredictable and train travel costs escalating, keeping her there is becoming a financial burden I could do without. But what to do and where to take her has involved some intensive investigation.

As luck would have it, the answer lay much closer than I ever imagined. We have a historic harbour in Sas van Gent, and after quite a search to find the right person to approach, I applied for a mooring and the Vereeniging has been approved. I am delighted because it will be much more convenient for me (only a short run from the cottage) and it will allow me to spend time on her more easily. She will fit in very nicely, I think, as there are several very lovely sailing barges in the harbour already. Here's a photo of the probable mooring. I love the super safe gangway!


And here are a couple more photos of the resident barges in the harbour. I may have posted them before, but I think they're worth repeating.




So when are we going to be moving? Well, that will depend on the weather to a large degree. My contract at Oudenbosch expires at the end of March, so we'll need to have left by then. It's a trip of around 170 kilometres (I think), so it'll take us a few days. From Rotterdam to Oudenbosch was 85 Kilometres and it took us two full days, so that'll be four given good conditions. The days will also be a little longer in March, which will give us a bit more advantage, but whatever the case, we'll be looking for a good weather window to make the trip. 

As you can imagine, these are exciting times for us as we plan the journey. However, there are also other journeys coming up this year, which I'll write more about later, so for now, allemaal, I'll wish you all a wonderful start to 2023. I sincerely hope this year brings peace (especially in the troubled and war-torn regions of the world) and positive fulfilment for you all. Until next time, have a great week!


28 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Happy 2023 to you too, dear Kathleen. Hopefully, this will be the year that we meet in person! xx

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  2. That's great news, so much more convenient for you and such a lovely spot. Happy memories for us there, lots for you to make. xxx

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    1. Thank you, Anne. I'm over the moon. And yes, I thought of you as I was writing this post. I knew it would have even more meaning for you. Lots of love to you both! xxx

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  3. Hope all goes well for you, Val, with the move. Sounds a solid idea. Yes, let's hope 2023 sees some stability and peace in the world and peace in our own homes. All the very best to you.

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    1. Thank you very much! And the same to you too!

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  4. Hello Val super news about your move! I am sure it will be for the best! Loved the puppy pics! Much love Jean xxxxx

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    1. Thank you, Jean! Lots of live to you too. Xxx

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  5. How exciting! That sounds like the perfect solution for you and it looks like a fab place to moor up!

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    1. Thank you, Aly. It’s a lovely spot so I’m really looking forward to it. The view onto the big canal to Gent is fabulous. Xxx

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  6. Val, what an incredible life you live! Thanks for sharing it. What lovely news (and photos) of the grand-pup and totally healed Mini! I am still praising the Lord for that healing. And I love the super-safe gangway! Happy travels and a Happy New Year. (Steph)

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    1. Yes, Steph. We still call her Mini the miracle cat. Thank you so much for your prayers for her. Happy New Year to you too, my dear. Xxx

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  7. Lovely blog and terrific news about exciting new home for Vereeniging Val, all the best for 2023, Lally xx

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    1. Thank you very much, Lally. Wishing you the same for the new year, my friend. I’m very grateful for all your amazing support over the past year.

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  8. This sounds most positive, V! I love the photos, especially the dark red barge with the wiggly white bits on it ;)

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    1. I like the one with the squiggly bits on it too, TT. :))
      Thank you! I hope it will be positive. Once we've done this trip, it would be difficult to go back again!

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  9. The move of your boat (I'm not even attempting to spell its name) will be an exciting time for you. I enjoyed the photo's of the sailing barges, similar to Humber Keelboats & Thames Barges. I'm hoping for more pictures of the move and the new mooring. Talking of pictures, Mack is such a lovely puppy, reminds me of Suzi when she was a puppy. Is he a Cocker Spaniel? It's always difficult to tell at this age, our Suzi looked like a mini Rottweiler!
    The pictures in your blog are always lovely and the life on canals appeals to me, but I also find your free flowing easy way of writing very enjoyable. Have a great 2023 Val, David

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    1. Thank you very much for the kind words, David. I'm glad you like the photos but even more pleased you like the writing. That's very nice of you to say so. I'll definitely be blogging about the journey when we do it and there will be many photos. Going through Antwerp will be a new experience for me. As for Mack, yes, he's an American Cocker Spaniel, so he'll be like a chunkier version of Suzi when he's grown up. They are quite similar in appearance and personality, but American Cockers are more solid and they have huge feet, which always makes me smile. I'm getting very tempted to get a Cavalier King Charles myself. I'd love one with Suzi's beautiful colouring as well. My old dog, Sindy was a Dobermann Labrador cross and had those colours too, so I'm a bit partial to them.

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  10. Another adventure awaits! Good luck with the move.

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    1. Thank you, Aidan! Fingers crossed it goes smoothly as and when. We have quite a bit of preparing to do in the meantime.

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  11. How exciting, you are on the move again. I am glad you found a suitable berth which is more convenient, and the barges there all look very attractive. Little Mack is adorable, and I love his habit of suddenly falling asleep. I sometimes feel the need to do the same myself :) I hope the new year is kind to you, with lots of new adventures and a more peaceful world around us.

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    1. Thank you, Trish. Puppies provide endless entertainment even when they're sleeping. Mack really is gorgeous! We are definitely excited about the move, so I hope it all goes smoothly. Wishing you a smooth and peaceful 2023 as well, Trish, and I'll look forward to more of your blog posts in the coming months as well!

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  12. Hi Val - you are a bundle of 'doing' - that's great ... and such good news you can move the Vereeniging ... so she'll be nearer you. I love the internet as I was able to gmap you and find out your journey - I hadn't realised you're so 'far west'!! (in the Netherlands that is).

    The puppy is a delight ... and so pleased pretty Mini is healthy now ... are they near you? I'll be replying to your email shortly.

    I so enjoy seeing what you're doing ... etc etc etc ... travelling and all - great to follow along vicariously! Cheers and Happy New Year to you and the family ... xo Hilary

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    1. Oh Hilary, thank you for this lovely comment. I’m so glad you enjoy the posts and that you can see where we’re going. That really is the wonder of the net, I agree. I am also looking forward to your 2023 posts, and I’m pleased we’re still blogging on the same page, so to speak!

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  13. This is such great news on so many fronts, Val! What a great new home for the Vereeniging, it looks perfect. Teehee, I always think about your story about slippery lock steps when you talk about gangways etc! And you can chat about puppies all day long as far as I'm concerned. Baby Mack is a darling. I'm so pleased that Mini is better too. Happy new year to you all! :D xxx

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  14. Aw, thank you, Beth, so much! Yes, I've had my share of slippery locks, so I'm very happy to have such a lovely gangway. I knew you'd love Mack too. He's such a poppet! xxx

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  15. Best of luck with the move, Val. I hope it all goes smoothly for you. It sounds and looks lovely. I look forward to reading more.

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    1. Thanks so much, Roger. Yes, it’s going to be an exciting change as well as more practical with current fuel prices fluctuating so much.

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