This is a story in several parts.
Read the other parts here:
Intro
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
It’s been a year since Dad, the last of his generation, passed away. When only 8 months later my brother, the first of our generation, dies, life becomes very relative.
When I work in my book here and now, in the time when we are born, it is only conceivable in my mind that he is no longer there, absolutely not in my feeling.
Dad met Mom as August, but Mom was also August in 1951. She lived in Aachen and her carnival association were: ‘Die löstige Elsässer Jonge’.
Mom was a fanatical carnival celebrator, wrote Buuttereden and also recited them. Celebrated street carnival and was many times as ‘Lone wolf’ as well as with groups in the parade. She couldn’t pass on the love for Carnival to me, but August has had something magical for me for a long time.
Mom made the little August suit for Misja, our firstborn and her first grandchild. In the fourth generation I have passed on the suit to Melanie and Quinn, where the Carnival blood flows stronger through my sister Marion.
Technical:
The felted page is worked with ‘free motion quilting’. I cover this topic in part 3 of ‘My favorite embroidery book’. For me, the things I’m doing, in different areas, always fall into each other. When I’m preparing for this lesson, and I’m shaping a new page in my memory book, I let it fall together. That feels like it should be and is very nice.
After they get married, mom and dad live with grandpa and grandma in the Prins Bernhardstraat. I also live there for the first 9 months of my life.
In the small living room, space is lovingly made for me. The embroidered wall decoration above the cabinet with the scales (which I still have) must have been made by Mom herself. When I get a little bigger, the playpen will replace the crib with the high chair next to it.
The fact remains that by looking much more carefully at the photos to shape this book, you see much more. When I search for photos of the Tentstraat, I initially include the photos from the Prins Bernhardstraat as well. But if I look closely at how the rooms are decorated and how old I probably am, I see that it must still be with grandpa and grandma. And then it’s very nice that I can verify something like this with my big sister (niece) Rita.
I find this coming together of the puzzle pieces exciting and fun.
In April 1960 we move to Tentstraat 48. For me a place with wonderful childhood memories.
I have few direct memories of Mom here. In the photo I can see already the Lego houses of which mom built a new one every week and I actually only remember from later. Mom had 3 more children here in a short time and I was already grown up. I went out into the wide world, went with Dad to the garden, where he already had a mill and gnomes. Where I fell into tall nettles and Mom covered me from head to toe in talcum powder. Walking with grandpa Meijers and Lassie, past fields of cornflowers and poppies and a white sandwich with butter and sugar when you got home.
Running errands at grocery store Lark. Playing with Marion, Lillian and Ellen. Butcher shop Cox where you got a slice of sausage and oh such a nice kindergarten time at the Pauluskerk with Sister Elisabeth and Sister Josefa.
I have fond memories of the red kitchencouch. And when I look for something similar for our renovated kitchen, I find this slightly smaller, but otherwise the same bench. And look, where Frans and I pose for the photo in roughly 1963, Sophie and Odin pose in the same place, in 2022. Life goes on and I like to take memories with me.
A cozy little house, self-sewn and knitted clothes. A wood stove, help with ironing handkerchiefs. Without television.
Here was the seed of a simplicity that I still love very much.
When Jan is born in November 1964, the house is bursting at the seams and it is time to move to ‘t Berresje’ in Bloemendalstraat.
