My Problem & How I Solved It 1

One of the most challenging parts of military moving is window coverings. And when I say that, I mean the fact that ‘chances are’ the window sizes of the previous house will not match up with the window sizes of the new house. Consequently, mil wives tend to hoard curtains and drapes, just in case.

This particular ‘problem’ recounts the most recent issue with living room windows in our Belgian home.

This living room has one LARGE end window and two LARGE sets of patio doors at opposite ends of the room AND 10 foot ceilings. Using two sets of 95” drapes purchased many years ago in Greenwood, I had the patio doors covered. The trick was that third window. Exhaustive scouring of the Sears catalog rendered nothing. 95” drapes are only available in the designer section. Not for a three year stint!

One thing that I noticed while searching was that the Belgian stores carried all kinds a panels in all kinds of colours, in all kinds of styles (rod pocket, tab top and grommet) and really, really long (280cm).There was potential for creating my own solution. After purchasing some panels in the right colours and drapery tape, I set out to put all those skills that Mrs. Purves taught me to good use.

Rather than remove the metal grommets, I opted to leaving them on the bottom. It would help to weight the drapes.

The first step would be to attach the iron-on drapery tape to the 'bottom' of the panels and then fold it under. Next step was pinning in the pleats, based upon the size and number of the Sears drapes. And then stitching them in place, with a good pressing.

The last step was to iron in the centre pleat and tack it in place. With a thorough pressing they were ready for hanging.

Unable to find a matching fabric, I opted to use 2 colours of panels that matched the original striped drapes, a burgundy and a khaki. And if the need ever arise, I can remove the pinch pleats, hem and have two sets of panels.

The final product. A suitable substitute, I think.

My Problem & How I Solved It 2

A few months ago, a friend and fellow blogger described a project that she created to solve a problem that she had with the clutter and disorganization of her jewellery. At the time, I thought it was an ingenious idea but was much larger than I would ever need. I don't have a lot of jewellery but really could use something to organize my shepherd hook earrings.

It wasn't until I stumbled upon this small standing picture frame at Makro (Belgian Costco) that I was inspired to create a smaller version.

Tools of the project included some window screen (I asked for "0.5 metre" and got 1.5), a cutting mat, some flat wooden dowelling, a ruler and your husbands Ginsu knife (don't ridicule him when he tele-shops at 3am, it might come in handy some day).

I removed the glass from the frame and cut a piece of screening to match the size.

Now, using the Ginsu, I cut the flat dowelling to size, giving me a piece for each side. These things work really well as saws!

I place the screening in the opening, laid a bead of sticky craft glue along the inside edge of the frame and then imbedded the dowels in the glue.

Now I reassembled the frame, sans glass, and waited for everything to dry.

The final project, with earrings in place. And still lots of room to add more!

Thanks, Donna - Queen Without A Country - for the inspiration.

67 Years

Today marks the 67^th anniversary of the passing of Merrill Perez Lloyd. He is my third cousin and the closest relative to have died in WWII. Like most Canadians who gave that ultimate sacrifice in the world wars, he is buried near where he perished, in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, in Nijmegen, Netherlands. It is a short, 2 hour, 240 km drive from where I now live in Belgium.

Most of those buried in GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY were Canadians, many of whom died in the Battle of the Rhineland, when the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions and the 4th Canadian Armoured Division took part in the drive southwards from Nijmegen to clear the territory between the Maas and the Rhine in February and March 1945. Others buried here died earlier or later in the southern part of the Netherlands and in the Rhineland.

Wanting to know a little bit about this distant relative, I researched his name through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. (http://www.cwgc.org). This is what I found.

Rifleman MERRILL PEREZ LLOYD, who died on February 26, 1945
Service Number: F/7471 Age: 24
Force: Army
Unit: Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, R.C.I.C.

Additional Information: Son of Perez Merrill Lloyd and Eva Verba Lloyd, of South Waterville, King's County, Nova Scotia; husband of Lenora Blanche Lloyd, of South Waterville; father to Garnet and Grant.

            Commemorated on Page 535 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.

His name is four from the bottom on the left

Further research took me to the history of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, written by W.T. Barnard. Originally a militia regiment, I believe my cousin may have enlisted through Camp Aldershot, which was a large training depot during the war. Records indicate he was K/A (killed in action) and based upon that and the date he died, I was able to pinpoint the exact battle in which he was killed.

Briefly, Allied forces entered the Netherlands on 12 September 1944. Airborne operations later that month established a bridgehead at Nijmegen and in the following months, coastal areas and ports were cleared and secured, but it was not until the German initiated offensive in the Ardennes had been repulsed that the drive into Germany could begin.

Operation Blockbuster, as it was named, called upon the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (QORC) to push back the enemy troops that were well-entrenched at the Schlieffen Line. At 4 a.m. on the morning of 26 February 1945, the barrage began. It was very difficult going and the casualty rate was very high. Ultimately, the battalion would be successful with all objectives met by 3 o’clock that afternoon.

A quote from the history of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada

            “Thus, in the face of the most violent opposition, the battalion had performed its allotted task. There is no doubt that, in the long history of the regiment, studded as it is with memorable engagements, 26 February 1945 will rank as the date of one of its finest achievements. The fighting was Homeric and to emerge victorious the battalion had to rise to great heights. That it did so is a tribute to the leadership shown by everyone from Corporal to Commanding Officer and to the magnificent elan of the riflemen. “

Turkish Delights

Work recently took Perry to Izmir, Turkiye. Izmir is located in the west on the Aegean Sea. I opted to tag along.

We arrived in Izmir late Tuesday afternoon. The conference and spousal program would start the next morning. I would have two days to consume as many Turkish delights as possible. Fortunately, the 'menu' had been predetermined.

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Some of the security detail

Our group of 13 spouses, with the same number of security personnel (required by the attendance of an American 4* general wife) started out by bus at 830. Our security detail ensured we didn't stop at any red lights.

Our first stop was at the final home of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus. It is widely believed that she was brought there by Apostle John and she lived there until her Assumption.

The location came to light at the beginning of the 19th century, when Anne Catherine Emmerich, a bedridden Augustinian nun in Germany, reported a series of visions in which she recounted the last days of the life of Jesus, and details of the life of Mary, his mother, including the location of the house.

The site contains a small shrine. We were able to light candles. A spring on the site is reported to have healing properties, and visitors are encouraged to make wishes for health, good fortune and happiness.

 

Second course was a stop at the ancient city of Ephesus.  Archeologists have been able to uncover the ruins of a number of buildings and streets. The city has been under the control of both Greeks and Romans over its long history and each civilization has contributed greatly.

Visible ruins include the Library of Celsus, the agora, latrines, a brothel and an amphitheater capable of holding 25,000 spectators.




This open-air theater was used initially for drama, but during later Roman times, gladiatorial combats were also held on its stage. We stood on the stage and 'tested' the acoustics. The sound reverberated and was amplified throughout the whole theater.

Arcadian Street is situated between the Harbour Baths and the great theatre. One of the three main streets in the city, it stretches half a kilometer. Entering from the port, traders and sailors would first arrive in this street, so it was designed to impress with marble slabs and colonnades.

Our group spent about 2 hours here touring the ruins. We had a knowledgeable Turkish young woman, named Selda who guided us.

The main course was leather. Our hosts had arranged a visit at a leather fashion house, where we were entertained with a fashion show and then an opportunity to browse the line. The manufacture of leather goods is a billion dollar industry in Turkiye.

 Dessert was ‘served up’ at a ceramic factory. Again we were afforded a demonstration and then given free rein of the show room. I found two pieces to purchase – a large platter (loved the red) and a wall plate depicting The Seven Churches.

 

And after all that 'food', a nap was required. Where else but at a government-sponsored carpet weaving school. Keeping traditional skill alive. It was incredible to watch. One of the key markers of quality is the number of knots per square meter. Naturally, a silk carpet would have a higher knot count and the price would reflect that. The hours spent creating these masterpieces certainly justifies the high cost.

This was our final stop for the day. We would have the following morning at the Kemeralti Bazaar.

The entrance to the bazaar is marked by the Clock Tower. It was built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversay of Abdülhamid II's accension to the throne. The clock itself was a gift of Wilhelm II of Germany.

The streets of the market are narrow and crowded with a constant barrage of vendors hawking their wares. Sometimes, almost overwhelming, especially if you made eye contact or were identifiable as foreigners.

A lunch committment cut our market visit shorter than we would have liked, but I managed to return to the market that afternoon with Perry and one of his colleagues and was able to share the Turkish shopping experience, Turkish tea and all, with the two of them. We returned from Turkiye with some leather and 2 small Turkish carpets.

Roamin' Rome

The second half of Kyle’s Christmas visit included a trip to Rome. At the recommendation of a fellow Canadian, we booked rooms at Hotel de Petris, a lovely hotel, very well located near Termini Station

We arrived in Rome early on 27 December. The taxi drive into the city was amazing. I couldn’t get over all the palm trees, or how the evergreens were pruned.

 We dropped our bags off at the hotel and headed out to explore. Our first stop was for coffee and breakfast and to purchase passes on the OpenTours bus line.

This is an option available in all of the cities we have visited thus far, and it is a great way to get an overview of all the sights. The 48 hour passes would give us unlimited access.

The Open Tour takes about two hours. It included the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, St Peter’s Square, the Pantheon, Piazza Venezia and the Roman Forum (to name a few).

By this time, it was two in the afternoon and we could get ourselves checked into our rooms. European hotel rooms are notoriously small but this hotel was above average. Both rooms had interesting alley views – bullet holes from World War II.

We were all pretty hungry by this point and there was no shortage of little Italian restaurants in our neighbourhood. We chose a little place that was very busy. It turned out to be an excellent choice.

The pizza Margherita was fantastic and the red wine, even better.
Over pizza, we planned the rest of the day. The Pantheon was within walking distance.

Originally built as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, it was re-built by Emperor Hadrian in 126AD. It became a Christian church in 609AD and was renamed Sancta Maria ad Martyres. The Pantheon is still used as a church. Masses are celebrated there, in particular on important Catholic days of obligation and weddings.

Stop 2 was the Piazza Navona. The piazza has three fountains - Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (the fountain of three rivers – the Nile, Danube, Ganges and the Rio de la Plata), the Fontana del Moro and the Fountain of Neptune. The piazza is featured in Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons.

Another building that figured prominently in Angels & Demons was the Castel Sant’Angelo. Originally a fortress built by Emperor Hadrian, it has also been a prison, a papal residence and hiding place for the Pope in times of danger. There is a covered passageway that connects it to the Vatican.

The bridge that crosses the River Tiber leading to Castel Sant’Angelo is flanked on both sides by 10 angels. Commissioned in the 16^th century, each statue is holding one of the instruments of the Passion.

Walking westerly from the castle, we headed toward St Peter’s Square. Being Christmas, the Square was full of people.

 A large nativity and Christmas tree occupied a large portion.

The lineup for the Basilica was very long and it had been a long day. We caught our OpenTours bus back to our hotel.

 After a stop at British pub, we called it a day.

The following day, Perry was not feeling well enough in the morning to sightsee. This was to be the highlight of Kyle’s trip. The Colosseum. It would be easy enough to find. It was a stop on our OpenTours bus. We hoped our early start would get us ahead of the crowds but at that time of year, there really is no good time.

 We arrived at the Arch of Constantine, which was the entrance to the Colosseum area. It was quickly apparent that the line would be long.

 As we stood in line to purchase admission, we were offered the opportunity to purchase tickets for an English speaking guided tour. It seemed a little suspect at first, but soon we realized there was a large crowd gathering. Our tour was going to provide us with a tour of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pallatine. And the best part – we went to the front of the line.

The tour guides were most engaging. One was a local Roman, the other was a Scot from Glasgow. Informative and entertaining as well. In total, we spent about 3 hours touring all three sites. It was quite amazing.

Colosseum wall

Roman Forum

 

Originally a marketplace, the Forum was the centre of Roman public life, providing a venue for elections, speeches, criminal trials and gladiatorial matches.

The Palatine

The Palatine sits atop one of the seven hills of Rome. Here, emperors could have a commanding view of the Circus Maximus (on the left) and the Roman Forum.

Kyle and I returned to our hotel to see how Perry was doing. He was feeling much better so we decided to go out and take one more walking tour around and then get some supper. There were lots of options, but unfortunately, we didn’t make the best choice. It was a definite disappointment after the meals we had had the day before. Never trust an empty restaurant!!

One of the last places we saw was the Spanish Steps.

Our short visit was almost over. But I resolve to return. Thanks, Kyle, for preferring Rome to Paris.

A postscript to this blog, picture proof that it is a small world. On a street corner, not far from our hotel, we ran into a friend of Sarah and Tony’s from Halifax, Nova Scotia!!